Fresno’s favorite low- (or no) budget film festival, Swede Fest, returns to the Tower Theatre 6 p.m. May 19. For those not familiar, this is the only film festival dedicated to sweded films. A “sweded” film is a summarized recreation of a Hollywood movie using friends as actors (and directors and camera people). Homemade props and costumes are also encouraged. This will be the festival’s 11th installment.
Before the festival, Fresno Filmworks will present a special screening of “Be Kind Rewind,” the 2008 film that inspired the whole “sweding” movement. Tickets are $5 and are available in advance at the Tower Theatre box office or the Filmworks website. Admission to Swede Fest is free.
If you are interest in submitting a film, entries are being accepted through May 13. You have until 11:59 p.m. Films should be under four minutes in length and suitable for all ages. Contact organizers for more information on the event, rules for submission or to see entries from past Swede Fests.
If you look closely at the poster for this year’s Fresno Film Festival (which kicks off next weekend), you will see the woman has the Fresno Filmworks’ logo tattooed on her arm. A bold choice, if I do say.
Playing on that theme, Fresno Filmworks and Faithful & True Tattoo are offering up two festival passes to anyone willing to get the Filmworks’ logo tattooed on their body. Just stop into the shop anytime between noon and 8 p.m. tomorrow. Looks like tattoos are $30. So you’ll get a cool tattoo and save some money on the festival passes. That is a win-win. It’s really too bad Travis Sheridan isn’t in town anymore.
For more info on the festival itself, here’s a video:
Coming up with the first question to ask Johnny Knoxville is always easy. After watching him be beaten, electrocuted, gored, smashed and had his manhood hit with almost anything heavy imaginable, the big concern is how Knoxville is feeling. He’s not as big a “Jackass” these days but one has to wonder how much of the aftermath of all the physical abuse he took over the years in the name of the TV show and movies remains.
“I’m feeling pretty good because everything’s completely healed right now. But there have been a few breaks and sprains and concussions. Not lately. Knock on wood,” says Knoxville during an interview for his latest film “The Last Stand,” that opened in theaters today.
Knoxville plays a gun hoarder who comes to the aid of the local sheriff (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to stop a drug cartel leader headed to their quiet community.
I worry about Knoxville because while he might seem like a raving maniac when you watch him on TV or film, he’s actually a very nice guy. He’s nice but you never want to turn your back on him or you might suddenly find a set of battery cables attached to your derriere.
Once the health issue was covered, Knoxville got to talk about why he would have worked through any pain to be in this movie. His favorite scenes is where Schwarzenegger is firing a massive gun out of the back of a school bus and Knoxville’s character is feeding him the bullets.
“Doing an action sequence with Arnold Schwarzenegger was it for me. It’s one of the highlights of my career — and life. Just to be on a set with him, to film a movie with him, was surreal for me,” Knoxville. “But he makes it so easy for you because he’s so open and pleasant and the most gregarious person I ever met. He just loves to be around people and make movies.”
And he never once hit or kicked Knoxville in the groin.
Here is a Swede Fest two-for-one.
Coming up with the first question to ask Johnny Knoxville is always easy. After watching him be beaten, electrocuted, gored, smashed and had his manhood hit with almost anything heavy imaginable, the big concern is how Knoxville is feeling. He’s not as big a “Jackass” these days but one has to wonder how much of the aftermath of all the physical abuse he took over the years in the name of the TV show and movies remains.
