…was my fave quote last night from new fest buddy Natalie Eleftheriadis as my Anchorage B&B family gathered around in the parlor sipping wine before heading out to the opening night movie and gala.
Paul Cotter, (my nearby neighbor in Silverlake!) and whose already much buzzed about film Bomber screens this eve, has joined our fun household yesterday and I can’t believe my good fortune in staying at such a magical place.
The opening night movie, HIPSTERS, a Russian musical odyssey, was AMAZING!!!! A truly magical experience with breathtaking cinematography and some of the most wonderfully memorable characters in recent cinema history. Paul called director Valeriy Todorovskiy “the Russian Baz Luhrman (For Strictly Ballroom and not Moulin Rouge which everybody agreed sucked the big one),” new friend and local political TV pundit Kelly Walters compared it to “Across the Universe. I agree and would add some John Waters, Delicatessen and even new fave The Fox Family to the mix of comparisons.
Still, it was truly original as well. The 300-seat theater (with VIP boths and free pitchers of beer for filmmakers!) was packed which was a splendid way to enjoy it. Everybody was abuzz at the afterparty at which there was much discussion of Sarah Palin (everybody here that I’ve met HATES her – yay!), movies, and interesting insights about Anchorage.
We closed down the bar and had some final late night chitchat in the kitchen before going to bed in the wee hours. I love the darkness here. I slept in until nearly 8pm! This place rocks.
Bill prepared another amazing breakfast (salmon spinach omelets are the best and home fries with sweet potatoes are to die for!) and I got some quality time on the couch with Maddie the poodle. Our first screening of Death in Charge is in another hour, so I best bundle up and head out. Tonight’s line-up looks amazingly promising. Zombies, dark comedies and more free beer! Who knew drinking cold beer in Alaska would be so enjoyable, but it absolutely is.