Opening Night, photo by tcfilmfest

Christine Lahti, now a board member for the festival, presents Michael Moore with a new University of Michigan cap before a full house at the opening film, Vicky Christina Barcelona, at the State Theatre on Tuesday July 30, 2008. (Image by Gary L Howe)

TCFF co-founder John Robert Williams' latest report is really more of a megatwitter…

From Tuesday……..
Four…Four…Four…Four!
Four opening nights already!

THAT was fast!

Tuesday was fraught with the backstage opening night perils no one in the theatres saw, but getting the STATE ready for the opening today was a juggling contest! The TCFF higher-up decided the screen installed just before TCFF3 was too small….(size really DOES matter!). Plus, the balcony sound was just not up to our expectations…as good as it was, we knew there was more to wring out of the room…again, size matters! So many contractors in the STATE today,all on their own missions, but things were just not meshing….and there was this small matter of a show happening at 7pm…YIKES! The goal was to have really great sound. and by the time Mike O (the STATE's full time tech/projectionist/geek/showman) loads up his favorite DOLBY demo trailers and ran them for tests, did we find out just how great a job Charlie from BostonLight&Sound did on a tune for that room! Holy poop! The surround speakers are alive, the dialog tracks are vibrant and the bottom end (bass impresses) just moves the floor like nothing I've ever heard! You think the building is in an earthquake.

By 2pm, Front street had been transformed into a stage by a small army of helpers..We opened the TCFF4, awarded Kurt Luedtke the Michigan Film Maker Award, and kicked off this year's festival in grand style. Back into the STATE, the huge new screen and sound package was worth shutting the place down for the first time since November 17. Then, snap your fingers, it was time for Christine Lahti and her kids rolled up to the front door of the STATE and the realization hit…"OH, it's showtime!" Christine is so poised. So elegant. So TALL! Wow! Her kids are wonderful. I turned around and Sabina Guzzanti, fresh in from Roma, (as in Italia) was gracing our entrance. She is so, so, Italian! Her way of pronouncing our language makes it so sexy! When I speak back to her, American English sounds so dorky! She is quiet, yet very funny!

MM, Christine, my wife Terrie and I all hopped a ride with the Wilson boys (the TCFF VIP experts) all the way from The STATE to the back entrance of the City Opera House…just driving the block and a half, the crowd, queuing down Front Street and around the corner of Union was inspiring! MM says, "uh oh, this is going to take a while". It didn't. We were trying to greet opening night film lovers at two venues back-to-back. We really want to start things on time. We learned that with the STATE screenings all winter and it works…so on went MM to warm up the audience. A great vibe. Few humans on stage are as gifted or as fast on their feet as Mike. His monologue drifted to his ever-present hat. This year an orange Tigers ball cap. He did wear a green MSU cap all last year. He mentioned the $500 offer last year from a patron, to NOT wear his MSU cap this year….

Back stage, the brain trust wheels were spinning and instantly a brand new M, as in MICHIGAN ball cap was fished out of a yet-to-be-disclosed woman's purse. The race was on! Mike introduced the new women on our board, Christine, Sabina and Doug Stanton. When I was introduced, all I had to do was produce the M hat. Mike took it and ran with it. If it looked rehearsed, it was most definitely NOT. I enjoy playing the straight, the shill or his foil…he gets the laughs. that what matters…a happy audience!!!!

Terrie and I pedaled over to the Opening Night Party in front of Building 50. It was better than a class reunion! It seemed like I knew almost everyone there. The band…a huge shout out to Mike Sullivan, music guru, for the perfect band…the place was totally plugged in! And the crowd…man-oh-man…you had to see it to feel it. Allison Beers has the magic touch! All the food and drink stations, assistants, decorations…all wisely moved due to rain…and boy did it rain. So many happy people! This year is goiong to be a GAS! Enjoy some part of it….our town has some over-the-top talent and passion to make this the coolest event anyone could hope to attend…..and there are movie stars and directors to meet, too! We are so blessed!