Heath Holland At The 35th Lone Pine Film Festival


I have just returned from the 35th annual LONE PINE FILM FESTIVAL in Lone Pine, California. The area, with its proximity to Mt. Whitney and the surrounding Alabama Hills, is the filming location for countless western movies and films across all genres. What's more, Lone Pine and the mythical landscape that surrounds it remain suspended in time--a place of movie magic, but also of awe-inspiring wonder. Each year, the Lone Pine Film Festival celebrates the cinematic history of the area while also honoring the land itself via tours to filming locations and natural rock formations that we all know by heart, even if we've never visited them. 


The festival began on Thursday with a BBQ that was accompanied by a costume contest. That evening, I introduced the Hugh Wilson film RUSTLERS' RHAPSODY via a panel that included Patrick Wayne and Rob Word. On Friday, I got to attend wonderful screenings of some truly special films that were shot in the area. Friday evening involved a meal at a ranch at the foothills of the mountains as we watched the sun set and got to know one another better. The evening culminated with a screening of FLAME OF ARABY. 

Saturday saw the screening of the rare and complete version of HANDS ACROSS THE BORDER starring Roy Rogers, now with its 13-minute musical finale intact. The film was introduced by Paramount's Charlotte Barker, Roy Rogers' granddaughter Julia Pomilia, and Steve Latshaw, the Director of the Museum of Western Film History. 

Sunday began with a breakfast in the Alabama Hills as we watched the sun rise over the mountains and posed for this year's "class photo" which consisted of all of the famous guests of the festival. You'll spot me third from the left in the back row, right next to Robert Carradine. Later on Sunday, we rode through the town in cars or on horseback for a parade that was attended by hundreds (possibly thousands) of people as we threw candy to the children and celebrated the arrival of the fall season in Lone Pine.  Throughout the entire weekend, we took multiple trips up into the hills with expert tour guides who showed us the majesty of the land itself and connected those iconic rock formations with productions that shot there. We didn't just watch films; we lived them. 



It was a whirlwind weekend that was full of movies, magic and memories that I will hold onto for the rest of my life. I'm in the process of editing together all of the footage that I shot while at the festival, and I'll post that here soon. As someone who loves cinema and film history, it was truly special to be in a place that honors both of those things. In Lone Pine, movies aren't just entertainment: they're part of the town's history, legacy, and future. I'm so glad that I got to be a part of it.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Substance (2024)

Image
Demi Moore earned her first Oscar nom for The Substance , and she deserves it. After all, she's a survivor of the Hollywood machine who delivers a brave and memorable performance. The film also serves as a showcase for Margaret Qualley, who blazes into courageous territory herself.  But at some point, this potent cautionary tale from French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat turns into a bizarre splatter fest (not unlike Peter Jackson's Braindead , aka Dead Alive ) that diminishes its message and dilutes its themes in a tidal wave of gore and blood that is so relentless that it becomes desensitizing and, dare I say, uninteresting. A film that started as a scalpel ends as a sledgehammer, bashing us over the head so aggressively that I went numb to it a good thirty minutes before it finally ended. If the goal was to create an endurance test, mission accomplished. There's value in that, at least in the short term. I appreciate and support the important things this movie has to say abou...
Read more

Review: The Great Escape (1963)

Image
You couldn't ask for a movie with a higher pedigree of talent in front of the camera and behind the scenes. 1963's The Great Escape  is populated wall-to-wall with actors that I enjoy: Steve McQueen ( Bullit ), James Garner ( Support Your Local Sheriff ), Charles Bronson ( Mr. Majestyk ), Donald Pleasance ( Halloween ), James Coburn ( In Like Flint ) and Richard Attenborough ( Jurassic Park ) lead an all-star cast of current A-listers (and some that would be). Handling directing duties is John Sturges, a director who helmed more than his fair share of classics, including  Last Train from Gun Hill  (1959), The Magnificent Seven (1960), and The Eagle Has Landed (1976) .  So it's with something close to guilt that I admit in this review that I don't love The Great Escape.   I know I should. All the elements for success are there, from real-life heroism, underdogs that the audience can (and should) root for, even triumphs and tragedies as played out agains...
Read more