November 3, 2006

Film fanatics descend on Pruneyard’s Camera 7 Cinemas for Midnight Movie Madness

By Ashley O’Brien
Special to the Times

Film Fanatics arrive at the Pruneyard’s Camera 7 Cinemas when the clock strikes 12 for great movies presented by Midnight Movie Madness.

Midnight Movie Madness is a weekly Friday night event hosted by Camera Cinemas, KSCU 103.3 FM and the Metro. It features new film releases and cult favorites, which play at midnight, along with free giveaways and special appearances.

Owners of the local cinema chain started the event because they wanted to do something that was a bit out of the norm that would be fun for the community.

“It shows folks that we like to do alternative things and programming,” said Camera 6-7 Cinema Owner Jack NyBlom.

Prior to the show, moviegoers often hang out next door to the theatre at Pizza My Heart, the Coffee Society or Boswell’s bar. The theater’s large lobby and concessions counter may seem a little empty at first, but as the clock ticks closer to midnight, more and more people arrive. The vibe is fun and enthusiastic, anticipating the surprises that often accompany the movies being played.

“The general audience tends to be nerds, geeks, cult movie fanatics and college students,” said Projectionist Leo Henderson.

Those in the know try to arrive early because promoters Eric Fanali and Tyler Kogura sometimes put on a special event before the show. One recent Friday night, they replicated a scene from a movie.

“On the night we showed Office Space,” Fanali said, “we got an old printer and a baseball bat, and destroyed it [the printer] right in front of the theatre. Then we also passed out TPS reports.”

Fanali, who has been working the Midnight Movies for about four years, helps pick the movies. His all time favorite is “The Goonies.”

Before almost every showing, Camera 7 staff host Trivia Time, asks moviegoers questions about the film, its directors and actors. The true film buffs stand out during the trivia sessions, winning prizes such as pins, posters and DVDs.

Some, like Sasha Dadvar, come for special films.

“I came because this is my chance to see “Pulp Fiction” on the big screen,” said Dadvar, who describes herself as a huge Quentin Tarantino fan.

Others, like Philip Castor, a self-professed film enthusiast and a Midnight Movie regular, come for more prosaic reasons.

“It’s close to home and easy to park,” said Castor, who lives in South San Jose.

Although viewers may chat through the previews and gawk over the prizes won, once the feature film starts the theatre goes silent. All eyes are on the big screen.

The fall Midnight Movie series kicked off on Oct. 6 and continues through December. Scheduled movies include “Borat,” “The Shining” and “The Big Lebowski.” Tickets are only $7…and the atmosphere is free.

To see a schedule of Midnight Movies visit the Camera 7 Cinema Web site at www.cameracinemas.com/midnight.shtml