Arclight...Red Ribbon "Opening Glitch". Mockingbird screens mit out sound!

The Arclight celebrated the opening of its new Cinema at the Galleria last night with a lot of glitz and fanfare at a "Red Ribbon" cutting ceremony.

In tandem with the event, the American Film Institute invited special guests to screen one of three great films.

One of the offerings was a very oldie - but goodie - "Fast Times at Ridgemont High".

Audiences were also given a golden opportunity to take in a sneak preview of a captivating documentary about X-treme Skiing - "Steep" - which I caught at a screening just recently at the Fine Arts Theatre. Superb filmmaking!

Gregory Peck starring in - "To Kill a Mockingbird" - was the third choice and difficult to resist.

Yes, I opted for the classic!

The head of the Mid-Valley Chamber of Commerce, Nancy Hoffman, was on hand to present a certificate to Arclight CEO - Christopher Forman - to recognize the Theatre chain's contributions to the community.

"I witnessed the filming of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" here at the Galleria," Hoffman chirped excitedly.

"Yes, I'm a Valley girl," she beamed proudly to an eclectic mix of attendees which consisted of a handful of savvy local politicians, film personalities, and die-hard AFI film buffs.

Mr. Forman thanked everyone for turning out and noted that Arclight would continue their commitment - to not only screen movies that "people valued" - but endeavor to offer up a broad range of genres that appealed to a wider taste base.

The charismatic exec was quick to point out that were it not for Arclight, intimate movies like "JUNO" and "ATONEMENT", may have stalled in distribution talks.

Through two programs - POV (Point of View) and Arclight Presents - he underscored that bold-faced efforts to focus on quality and specialized bill of fare would continue to be a top priority.

Forman then introduced AFI CEO, Bob Gazzale, to the excited filmgoers.

Right off the bat, he blew AFI's horn a little.

To a rapt crowd, he noted that "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" was directed by Amy Heckerling, who was an AFI graduate.

The chatty exhuberant man proceeded to expound on AFI's new partnership with Arclight.

"Why Arclight?" he pointedly asked the tony crowd.

In answer to his own question, he offered up a snappy response.

"Because Arclight and AFI have the same goals and set of standards."

He capped the remark by boldly asserting that everyone is keenly aware that Arclight provides the finest filmgoing experience in the city.

In January, for example, AFI (in collaboration with Arclight) will screen a series of Classics of yesteryear for the theatre-going public to experience in a state-of-the-art theatre setting - "Vertigo", "Gone with the Wind", "Dr. Zhivago", "The Apartment", and "2001: A Space Odyssey", to name a few.

After thanking Mrs. Peck for attending (who waved graciously from the sidelines), he noted that in a recent poll, Mr. Peck's character - Atticus Finch - ("To Kill a Mockingbird") was named by film enthusiasts as the greatest hero of all time in the cinema.

At this juncture, Bob Gazzale parted with an anecdote.

He fondly recalled that when he aired a montage of clips from the AFI film archives at an event at his son's school - and Gregory Peck's face lit up the screen - one quizzical student excitedly asked.

"Who is that man? He's so handsome!"

He noted that it was a particularly poignant moment.

After all, one objective of the AFI was met.

In this instant case, an actor's image had been preserved for the enjoyment of the next generation.

Unfortunately, there was a hitch in last night's gala festivities.

When the lights faded and "To Kill a Mockingbird" sprang to life on the screen, it did so "mit out sound".

Yeah, the projectionist screwed up!

It boggled my mind to fathom - especially on "Opening Night" with all the big-wigs hobnobbing in the elegant foyer - how management could fail so miserably in this regard.

No quality control?

Most theatres instruct ushers to remain in the theatre until it is well-established that all the elements of the film are in sync and humming along smoothly at a screening.

Not at Arclight!

An oversight?

Hopefully, Management will iron out the glitches before the Theatre is unveiled on Friday to the theatre-going public.

Otherwise, all the glowing tributes flowing trippingly off the tongues last night, amount to nothing but empty promises.

Steep...X-treme Skiing documentary captures the mystical calling of the sport!

Across a treacherous reach of steep mountain terrain a lone skier races downhill - expertly working a spine of snow with a watchful eye on the slough - a potentially deadly avalanche in the gathering wake.

The breathtaking rugged expanse beckons the skier beyond - but within seconds - the trail ends in a staggering sheer rock face.

For a split-second, the sports enthusiast fathoms the dilemma, then suddenly shoots forward

In one Divine moment of Grace - the skier slices through the sky without hesitation - and somersaults artfully in a dazzling series of awe-inspiring tucks until he straightens up miraculously to land sturdily on strong legs.

Now, the thrill-seeker is propelled forward in a dynamic burst of energy on down the slope into the unknown reaches below to tackle the next challenge.

The event is X-treme Skiing - captured with precision and poetic luminosity - in the spell-binding documentary "Steep".

North American skiers who popularized the sport include Doug Coombs, Shane McConkey, Seth Morrison, Glen Plake and Scott Schmidt.

A handful are featured in the well-crafted breathtaking documentary.

One of the first practitioners of the dangerous death-defying sport was Bill Briggs who descended Grand Teton on June 16 in 1971.

Swiss skier Sylvain Saudan is another stand-out participant who invented the "windshield wiper" turn in the mid-1960s.

Skiers give a nod of thanks to Briggs for a number of miraculous descents previously considered impossible which were captured on film.

"Le Ski Extreme" - a term the French coined - best describes the exhilarating thrills now rampant in the slope sport.

"Extreme skiing" exalts big mountain skiing - and free skiing - and encompasses all aspects and methods of descending spines and lines in uncharted terrain.

But, danger lurks at every bank of snow.



A twisted ankle or a slight miscalculation at the wrong moment - in a handful of incidents - has led to disaster and death on occasion.

According to experts in the field, this distinguishes true extreme skiing (in the French sense) from just the spectacular and dangerous on the American turf.

Directed by Mark Obenhaus, with a keen penetrating lens, "Steep" follows a posse of ski enthusiasts who crave thrilling heart-stopping chills on the pristine remote peaks of God's most astounding natural creations on the face of the earth.

Tops in the field of their emerging sport - the sports enthusiasts engage in spirited conversations about their escapades, pine about the adventures that await, and envision the exciting challenges ahead as they push the sport to ultra-extreme levels.

"The mountains are alive," one young athlete noted with great reverence in his voice.

"They speak to you, and if you don't listen, you will surely meet death."

Another was inclined to get mystical.

"There are quite a few Blackbirds flying about. I believe they are the spirits of the skiers who have lost their lives up here."

In fact, during the course of shooting of the extraordinary footage for this captivating documentary, one of the featured athletes suffered a fatality when he attempted to save a pal fallen in a run.

"He was much too young," his wife said softly.

"But, he went in a way he would have loved."

Clearly - the documentary underscores what death-defying depths ski extremists are willing to go to - in a bold-faced effort to satiate their cravings.

The skilled enthusiasts lit up when they talked about skiing "without boundaries" and the potential challenges that lurked ahead.

"Unlike a resort", one jokes tellingly, "There are no rules."

In fact, the rugged lot often seek adventures off-the-beaten tracks, where no man has skied a line before - or ever attempted to - at least.

In one scene, an experienced champion surveys a photograph of a mountain ridge, gets a drop on the scenario that looms ahead, plans the line, then goes for it.

The steeper and the bigger the conquests, the more enticing the challenge.

Some of the footage features skiers zigzagging lines down slopes with a 50 degree angle.

"You can feel the pull of gravity," a seasoned skier noted.

The athlete was forced to caress the slope and work diligently - mindful of the mighty natural forces of nature (the unseen and the foreseen) - and all the while tenderly absorb the lay of the beauteous land.

At any given moment there could be a flare up or sudden intrusion - capable of throwing off the skier - and headlong into a dangerous tumble.

Some noted they engaged in the sport for sheer fun.

A skier featured in the "Blizzard of Aahhs" (ski documentary) joyfully revealed his hopes and dreams to the camera-crew.

Essentially, the die-hard thrill-seeker wanted a kick-a** good time and - he joked - "he usually got it in spades."

"Blizzard of Aahhs" showcased the extreme talents of cliff-jumper Scott Schimdt, bad boy skier Glen Plake, and precision skier Mike Hattrup.

"You remember the first time you caught the video, where you were, who you were with," one dude excitedly recalled to the filmmakers.

Aahs was so impacting, he ran the reel continuously on end.

Other young adventurers - newcomers to the scene - pined for the adrenalin rushes their heroes on video had experiencing in the flesh and in the raw.

In fact, young ski enthusiasts have been lining up their options, and heading out for adventure in recent days.

One smart cookie realized a run he wanted to undertake was not possible because of a sheer drop on a rock face.

So, he broached the problem by learning how to parachute.

When the moment of truth arrived - he soared off the cliff, pulled the chord - and glided to safety below.

Exhilarating, no doubt.

For many, a landmark achievement in the sport, amounted to a stab at the slopes in Chanomix.

As far as the filmmakers and interviewees were concerned, an athlete did not made the grade as an extreme skier until they had fought and won over a spine there.

But then, along came Valdez, in Alaska.

For centuries, the awesome peaks perched quietly, away from the prying eyes of the world in all their undiscovered bounty.

The awesome beauty of the remote landscape appealed alright, but it was the remarkable quality of the snow that lured most.

After a wet snow falls - a cold wind from the north rolls in and sucks out all the moisture - which results in a texture to the snow that is unique and unmatched anywhere on the planet.

"The snow feels like velvet as it swishes against the leg. It's heavenly."

Ah, a whisper from God...

After the pioneers featured in "Steep" mapped the ranges - they were soon up-and-ready - to helicopter fans of the sport in for exciting trial runs at Valdez's new adventure playground.

In the question and answer period after "Steep" screened, the Executive Producer noted the documentary was made for those keen on the sport already, and others ready to discover the wonder of its possibilities.

Sony Classic picked up distribution with the intention of screening the entertaining documentary in limited markets around the country.

For those of you ready for the Extreme-ski experience - remember - if you spy a blackbird soaring high above the others - it's undoubtedly our young ski enthusiast who left us too early - presiding over the mystical canyons with an eye-out for the initiated who may have lost their way.

He does so with quiet majesty!