- The other day, I got excited about the fact that they are restricting parking near where I live to only one side of the street. That didn’t make me feel as old as the fact that the Omaha Film Festival has been happening for 18 years. Consider every sound of cosmic horror my knees now make a round of applause for this spectacular endeavor. From March 7-12, you can head to Aksarben Cinema (acxcinemas.com/aksarben-cinema) at 2110 S 67th St. to roll around in all sorts of festival goodness. This includes but is not limited to local short flicks, animated movies, documentaries, and a screenplay contest. Head to omahafilmfestival.org for all the details necessary and plan on spending a fantastic week watching the kind of cinema that wouldn’t otherwise be available to us humble Omahans. Here’s to 18 more years, during which I’m sure I’ll learn to love porridge and distrust whatever we will be calling humans born in the 2020s.
- When it comes to James Woods, 4K is one K more than he’s been supporting lately. However, a 4K restoration of David Cronenberg’s director’s cut of “Videodrome” has arrived, and Alamo Drafthouse is getting weird with it. On Saturday, March 11, at 10 p.m., you can watch this bonkers gem that features Rick Baker special effects and Debby Harry acting. Loaded with social commentary before Woods decided that “woke-ism is a virus,” this is a genuinely insane experience that deserves all the Ks possible. Tickets are available at drafthouse.com/omaha/event/the-late-show-videodrome. Be there or you’ll have to drome your video yourself.
- I stumbled across a potentially cool activity on the interwebs. Although I am confident nobody wants to be in a column that includes James Woods and “Videodrome,” here goes: The McGuigan Arts Academy has a Spring Break Camp on Filmmaking (bit.ly/3K0HIfI) that will be held March 13-17 and April 3-7 for students ages 8 years and older. Led by Kimberly Faith Hickman and Matthew Hjersman Everson, the course aims to teach insights into the writing and production of films that apparently culminates with a screening of a film they make at a reception in Countryside Village. The course is $300 with multichild discounts for students in the same household. I can promise you two things: First, if this had been available when I was a child, I would have acquired $300 through whatever means necessary and possible for a youth. Second, had I attended, I would have directed at least one of the 12 “Fast and Furious” movies. Use that knowledge to make the right decisions for your child.
- A bit early, but you can never start thinking about plants too soon. On Tuesday, April 18, at 6 p.m., Film Streams is showing “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Ruth Sokolof Theater (filmstreams.org/films/little-shop-of-horrors). This is in collaboration with the Omaha Community Playhouse, which is running its production of the musical from April 14-May 7. There will be a post-screening discussion, and you can even see Audrey II in person. I remember the first time I saw this movie. I went in blind, knowing only the title. I don’t know what I expected, but I did not expect a Rick Moranis musical about a talking plant. A reminder: Sometimes we get what we never knew we always wanted. Feed your brain and your heart this spring.
Cutting Room for March 2023
