Lights …. Camera …. Action, for local cinema connoisseurs

By Pat Stinson
Sun contributor
For many, films are an important way to survive the long, cold winter. Northern Michigan is now considered a movie mecca, as folks from all over the world migrate here in the summer to attend the Traverse City Film Festival. In case you haven’t heard, Michael Moore and the TC Film Festival recently purchased and remodeled the historic State Theatre in downtown Traverse City, where they are showing great movies, both new and old, 12 months a year. Don’t forget about the Bay Theatre in nearby Suttons Bay, which airs a “Beyond the Bay” film series once a year, and your local video store (T-N-T Video in Glen Arbor) and the Glen Lake Library in Empire, both of which rent quality flicks. For many, watching movies at home, with popcorn as buttery or salty as you like it, is still the way to go.

A handful of area residents were informally surveyed by phone recently about their movie-watching habits. We thought we would share those results with our readers, some of whom may have an insatiable appetite for all things “movie,” or an indelicate curiosity about their neighbors, or perhaps they just want to hear honest-to-goodness reviews by their peers instead of paid media types.
We asked them the following questions:
Do they watch movies? If their answer was no, we hung up. (No, but the conversation always ended quickly.) If they answered affirmatively, we proceeded with the following questions, not necessarily asked or answered in this order:
The last movie they watched and their impression?
Where they watched it?
How frequently they watch movies?
What types of movies they prefer?
What they think about the newly-renovated State Theatre in Traverse City?
If they have seen a movie at the State Theatre and, if so, what their impression was?
If they have attended movies at the Traverse City (TC) Film Festival?
If they volunteer for the State or TC Film Festival?
If they have attended movies at the Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay?
Kim Mann, Empire
I saw Sweeney Todd; it was very good. I don’t rent movies. I try to go to movies when I can. In winter, I go once a month. If I didn’t live in Empire, I’d go once a week. Sometimes, if it’s an independent or rare movie, I might watch two movies in an afternoon, because it might be two to three months before I get to town. In summer, I go on Saturday afternoons. I volunteer during the TC Film Festival. I think it’s a great idea and I wanted to support it and the community; it’s great to see lots of foreign or art movies in this area. I think it’s (the State Theatre) a great idea; it’s wonderful how it was done and the amount of support that came from the community. My last outing to the Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay was to see “Avenue Montaigne,” a French comedy. I’ve never seen a bad movie there. I know people who carpool from Traverse City for a 3 p.m. show on a Sunday. I like that in this area we can see these independent films that are just wonderful.
Nancy Peacock, Glen Arbor
I watched “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” I didn’t rent it; I own it. I don’t rent movies often. I go to the theatre every Tuesday because it’s 50 cents for a bucket (of popcorn). I think that deal is [offered] at both Horizon and Grand Traverse Cinemas. My sister and I go together. We like action-packed adventure movies and drama. I like scary — not any blood and gore. I haven’t been to the State Theatre, but I’m very curious to see what it’s like. My manager is there this afternoon; she got a gift certificate. I haven’t been to the Suttons Bay film series (“Beyond The Bay Film Series” at the Bay Theatre) or the Traverse City Film Festival. That’s during our busy season; it’s hard to get away.
Mary Turak, owner, The Yarn Shop, Glen Arbor
I fish out old movies on channel 50 and 51, AMC and Turner Classic. I have a lot of old movies I enjoy, like “The African Queen” with Bogart and Hepburn. I love “The Apartment” with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine and “Born Yesterday,” (a 1950 George Cukor film), with William Holden and Judy Holliday — it’s just marvelous. Every line works. I don’t generally go and (rent) movies. I go every so often to the theatre in Suttons Bay. I saw “La Vie En Rose,” a fantastic movie about the French chanteuse, Edith Piaf, an icon. I’m really picky about movies. If I like the sound of it, I’ll go. I read reviews, I talk to people whom I trust. (About the film festival): It’s very hard for me to go … (her friend who used to watch movies with her moved away) … I think it’s absolutely remarkable we have this in Traverse City. (About the State Theatre): I’ve heard fabulous things about it.
Marie Smith, co-owner, The Sportsman Shop, Glen Arbor
I rented “Holiday,” about two girls who just broke up with their boyfriends. It was very, very cute. I recently watched “Miracle on 34th Street,” the new version. It was a (DVD) gift from my sons for Christmas. I saw “A Christmas Story” on TV Christmas Eve. If there’s something on TV, I’ll watch while doing laundry or cleaning. We probably watch one (paid) movie a week at home from Charter or rent from Jean’s (T-N-T Video) on a Friday or Saturday. (About the Film Festival): That time of year, we’re too busy, always working. (About the State Theatre): We’ll make a date soon.
Julianne Rose, Glen Arbor
I watch tons of DVDs. My last movie was “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”; I took my niece and nephew to a “B” movie at the Grand Traverse Mall. I like comedies. I haven’t been to the Bay Theatre or the State Theatre, not since they reopened. I lived here as a teenager and just moved back to the area in October to be near family. (About the State Theatre): I do hope to get out there and check out some of their shows. I absolutely love thrillers … pretty much any movie that puts you in a situation you wouldn’t ordinarily be in.
Dick Cooper, Honor
We rent DVDs, probably watch one a day, six or seven days a week. It’s an hour to Suttons Bay and 45 minutes to the State Theatre. We’ve bought movies over the years (DVDs and VHS). We have a collection of 150 to 200 old classics: Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, a lot of film noir movies, Philip Marlowe — the private detective guy. Old movies seem so much better. Movie today are too loud, start off with chase scenes, there’s not much plot. (With) old movies, the pace was really good, the casting was perfect. I just enjoy watching them over and over again; I probably watch “Key Largo” and “Casablanca” five or six times a year. Jan (wife) can watch them once and she’s ready for something else. I think the State Theatre is going to be the reason we go to town. I think it’s great. I don’t think it would’ve gotten finished if anyone else had taken it on. I think the last movie (seen in a theatre) was at The Bay Theatre a couple of years ago. I like the movies they have up there. I like the Bahles (owners of The Bay Theatre), too. They’re a family that works together. I like what Bob has done with the theatre and the type of movies they show.
Jan Tennant, Honor (Dick Cooper’s wife and real estate agent with Sleeping Bear Realty, Empire)
We resisted Netflix for a long, long time. We actually, for several years, bought quite a few and put them in our rental cottage with a VCR player; there’s no TV reception there. That’s how we built a library of stuff people with kids could watch. Netflix was like a whole new world opening up. We first rented classics that weren’t available anymore or movies we wanted to watch, not own. We rented a few new movies and thought, “Oh, this is why we don’t go to the movies.” A month ago, a light bulb went on over my head: full concerts are available on DVD, like Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. We watch documentaries. It’s fun to read a movie review, write it (the title) down and go online to get more info. (About the State Theatre): We’ve heard it’s quite the happening place. (About the Traverse City Film Festival): That time of year (in Traverse City) is not our cup of tea. When we travel, in the city of Boise (Idaho) there’s an art house called “The Flix” that shows foreign films, art films, and they serve dinner there with beer and wine. I think if I were closer to Traverse City and the State Theatre we would go; it’s just the logistics.
Dave Taghon, Empire
The last movie I watched was at the State Theatre: “Mr. Art Critic.” I’ve seen every one of (local filmmaker) Richard Brauer’s productions, starting with “Sawtooth Island” at The Garden Theatre in Frankfort. I really like what Richard does. I watch about two movies a week, mostly videos my daughter has seen or Fred (his son) recommends. I watched “Christmas Shoes” by Michael Landon’s son and want to see “The Ultimate Gift.” They’re good-feeling shows. I bought “A Christmas Story” and watch it and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Jim Carrey’s version, every year. I like to watch the classics of the ‘40s and ‘50s — Gene Kelly, John Ford movies with John Wayne, Will Rogers, nothing but the best actors and actresses in movies like “The Grapes of Wrath,” “Young Mr. Lincoln,” “Stagecoach,” “Tobacco Road.” I check them out from the (Glen Lake Library). I like nice, quiet movies after closing the (Empire) museum. I particularly liked “Barn Red” (another Brauer production,). It was so nicely done, the photography, the scenery. It takes quite a lot (for Taghon to see a movie at the theatre). (About the State Theatre): Fantastic, beautiful, wonderful, tremendous option. Comfy seats, good sound, big screen, concession lobby’s small, but what a great addition to the community. I watched “Juno” (at the State); what a wonderful little actress that gal that played Juno. What he (Michael Moore) has done, and his people there have done, showing the State Championship for St. Francis (beamed via satellite from Detroit), with the downtown all lively and all the little shops being open, I think it’s great. I’ve not been to the Film Festival, except I took my granddaughter to that big, outdoor screen to watch … “Jurassic Park” … a huge storm with lightning moved in; it was rained out. My son, Fred, takes a week off work and watches 10 to 15 movies. The first time we were exposed to a film festival was in Santa Barbara, Calif. The actors and producers were there. (Dave hasn’t been to the TC Film Festival.) It seems like it’s always the busiest time of year but small production movies are great. (Dave said he hasn’t been to the Bay Theatre in a couple of years — the last time was to see one of Brauer’s movies there.