What happens when a couple of film lovers decide to turn their fandom into something incredible, something that all like-minded individuals can share in? If you are Sean Healy and Dan Storm, long-time friends and massive movie fans, you bring a beloved and cherished piece of cinema to one of the very places it was shot. And I don’t know about you, but after seeing a movie under these circumstances, I like to go and have a piece of pie… Thankfully pie was available!
Welcome to True Romance Fest 2014!
If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you may have discovered a ton of my shenanigans at what was one of the best weekends I’ve had all year. From Friday until Sunday morning, I spent time with fans of one of the coolest flicks on the planet. TRUE ROMANCE for me is a perfect film and the cast is exceptional. We are talking Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Brad Pitt, Bronson Pinchot, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Michael Rapaport, James Gandolfini and even Samuel L. Jackson. Hell, there are a ton of other names I didn’t even mention in it that made the 90’s cool. This Tony Scott directed, Quentin Tarantino written classic is shockingly romantic, gorgeously violent and absolutely and brilliantly stylish. In other words, I f*cking love this movie!
The festival took place at the iconic Safari Inn in Burbank, California. It was the perfect way to celebrate this incredible flick. Friday evening started off with a drink mixer at the hotel once the VIP guests arrived – you could just show up for the movie, but if you can afford it VIP was the way to go. After the mixer a group of us found ourselves rocking out with some “True Romance” Style Karaoke. Usually this is not my thing, but this was a weekend worth celebrating. With a little Dean Martin and Bon Jovi, I had a few drinks and sang my ass off. At one point there was a duet with my new pal Vince Mancini from FilmDrunk.com where we took on Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel.” I even covered Barbara Streisand and Barry Gibb’s classic hit duet “Guilty” with my girl Frankie who I met that night – she didn’t want that one filmed… You're welcome!
After embarrassing myself in front of a room full of strangers, my cameraman Rusty and I stumbled back to the room for a little sleep. With only a few hours of rest we woke up for a VIP breakfast with Mr. Bronson Pinchot. This talented thespian was in attendance to host the screening and charm the hell out of us. He took some time that morning to chat with all the VIPs and answered a ton of questions about the film. After partaking in scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes and more, we finally had the opportunity to sit with Bronson. For our 1:1 interview we talked about his character from the film and what he thinks is the appeal for audiences still to this day. Of course I had to bring up BEVERLY HILLS COP as well. The dude was terrific in both of these classic feature films and in addition, he was one hell of a nice guy.
Next up for all VIP members was a relaxing day of music and sun by the pool. During that time – Rusty and I were working of course – we finally pulled both Mr. Healy and Mr. Storm away for a moment to chat. They discussed the True Romance Fest and how it came to be. What these two fine gentlemen pulled off is sort of amazing. Thankfully they seemed to be enjoying themselves as well as bringing TRUE ROMANCE fans an unforgettable event.
With all the music, fun and photo opportunities, we all were there for one thing. Only a few hours later, we all sat down for a fan-centric screening of TRUE ROMANCE at the very hotel that Clarence and Alabama spent a little quality time. That night hundreds of fans arrived for the flick – as well as VIP guests already in attendance – and it was a beautiful experience. Afterwards, we were treated to a Q and A moderated by my good friend Kevin McCarthy – from FOX 5 in Washington DC WTTG-TG – with special guests Pinchot, as well as Said Faraj ("hamburger stand clerk"), Paul Bates ("Drexl Spivey’s bodyguard") and the film's 2nd AD Carey Dietrich. Fun times were had by all!
Once Sunday rolled around, I spent a little time relaxing in the Safari Inn pool. And let me tell ya, I was already a little sad it was all coming to an end. For fans of the film this was a chance to truly connect with it on a level most could never even imagine. This is the first year of the True Romance Fest, but we here at JoBlo.com are already looking forward to next year. Thanks to Sean Healy, Dan Storm, Rusty Eltringham as well as the crew and guests that made this such a fantastic weekend. And I mean this when I say it to all involved… “You’re so cool!” Until next year! If you missed it this time around and you’d like to get a look at the experience, you can check out our coverage. We've got fan and celeb interviews, mayhem and drunken karaoke!