Once a month or so WebCyclery hosts a movie night at the McMenamins theater, usually themed (I think) around bicycling (of course). This month's Movie Night is next Tuesday, April 20th, and features the movie "Asiemut":

WebCyclery and Co-Motion Cycles bring you Asiemut, a film about traveling far beyond what you perceive your limits are on a bicycle.

Asiemut is the video diary of a French Canadian couple, Mélanie & Olivier, that choose to have an adventure. Ultimately they pedal their mountain bikes 8000km through Asia and discover more than they had imagined about themselves, their world, and the people they meet along the way.

Asiemut will have you thinking about that journey that has always eluded you, and let you experience the true emotional range that one goes thru when undertaking a trip that, at times, seems like something far more difficult than expected. Their journey takes them from Mongolia to Kolkata, at the mouth of the Ganges in India, passing through Xinjiang, the Taklamakan desert, and thru Tibet & Nepal.

WebCyclery Movie Night at McMenamins is a fund raiser for Central Oregon Trail Alliance (cotamtb.com), it is mostly an excuse to get together with a theater full of like-minded cyclists to watch kick-ass bicycle movies, drink a beer, raise some money for local trails, and maybe win a cool door prize from Co-Motion Cycles and WebCyclery.

It starts at 9pm, and only costs $5. (21 and over only.)

If you've ever wanted to participate in BendFilm but just didn't have the time or money (or whatever) to attend the annual local film festival, they're kicking off a new monthly series at McMenamins Old St. Francis School that will let you catch up.

(I missed posting this yesterday, it was the first day for this, sorry about that. Look for it again next month though.)

BendFilm is kicking off a new film series at McMenamins Old St. Frances School. It is called "Reel Indies". Doors open at 6:00 and films begin screening at 6:30 pm. Tickets cost $6.00 for BendFilm members and $7.00 for the general public. This will be a monthly series screening in both Sisters (at the Sisters Movie House) and in Bend. For more information, please contact BendFilm at 541.388.FEST or email info@bendfilm.org

I keep seeing updates on Twitter but it finally sunk in that BendFilm is just around the corner—as in, two days around the corner. (Maybe because it's been less hyped this year?)

From the 8th through the 11th (Thursday through Sunday), this independent film festival grips Bend with a ton of feature length and short films, documentaries and special events that will leave any movie buff satisfied. (Or so I understand.) Movies will be showing at the Tower Theatre, McMenamins Old St. Francis School, two "Regal" screens (at the Old Mill), and the Sisters Movie House.

Of course, the parties are what it's all about. Should make for an interesting few days.

Munch and Movies starts this Friday (August 21st)—the food and free movies in the park event that is a companion to the earlier Munch and Music. Every Friday from August 21st through September 11th in Compass Park (in Northwest Crossing), a different movie will be playing at dusk. Here's their blurb:

The event officially starts at 6:00pm with live performances by local musicians - with each night featuring a different musical guest who will double as the MC for the evening. Movies will begin at dusk and there will be a brief intermission. There will be dinner food, dessert, and kettle korn available from one of many restaurants on site.

Be sure to come early to find a good parking spot, and bring a coat as the nights can get chilly. We also recommend you bring a blanket to sit on or a low-backed chair, so it does not block the view of other moviegoers.

They don't post a schedule of movies on the site for some reason, but you can sign up to have them emailed to you. This is a pain, so I signed up for the schedule just so I could post it here:

Each movie will have a theme with different attire and different activities along with competitions and drawings.

Aug 21
Wall-E
Attire: Green
Activity: A faux garbage scavenger hunt with toys and candy hidden around Compass Park. Free recycling and compost information will also be given out.

Aug 28
The Princess Bride
Attire: Pajamas
Activity: Fairytale book giveaway with local bookstore, Between the Covers.

Sept 4
Twilight
Attire: Vampire
Activity: Dress up in vampire attire and sign up to win Twilight goodies for the Best Vampire. Glow-in-the-dark vampire fangs will be given out to the first 500 people.

Sept 11
Kung Fu Panda
Attire: Ninja
Activity: Show us your best Ninja/Karate moves for prize giveaways.

All the movies are very all-ages-appropriate except "Twilight", which is rated PG-13 (though not bad).

Tomorrow (Friday, August 14th) at 7pm, Backporch Coffee is hosting a free event:

We have a free event tomorrow (Friday, Aug 14th) at 7pm at Backporch Coffee. We're showing short films by local filmmakers and will have live music by the city bus driver, Dennis Alan.

No further details, but it sounds pretty cool—and free Friday night events are always nice.

I've seen some online chat about the movie "Food, Inc." and speculation about if and how long the movie would be in Central Oregon. It's a documentary that "exposes America's industrialized food system and its effect on our environment, health, economy and workers' rights" and it opened today at the Pilot Butte 6 cinemas.

Don't worry, I'm not going to get preachy, but if you've been wanting to see this movie, you have at least a week; how long it will ultimately be showing remains to be seen, but based on Regal Cinemas' website it will be at the Pilot Butte 6 at least through next Thursday, with four screenings a day.

This came in via email the other day—almost a press release, but not quite. Plus, it's all free.

In ONEYEAR, the athletes find themselves on an incredible journey through deep backcountry powder and vertical free riding. Next, Walking On Water's Bryan Jennings joins two kids as they embark on an experience of a lifetime and an opportunity that most young surfers only dream about. These are stories of faith from today's best athletes.

In-person guests and professional athletes Bryan Jennings, Dave Downing, Andy Finch and more. There will be autograph sessions and awesome give-aways.

Free admission. Seating is first come, first serve, doors open at 5:30pm.

Visit www.futureprojectbend.com to watch movie trailers and for more details.

When: Sunday, Feb 15, 2009
Time: 6pm-5pm
Cost: Free
Venue: The Tower Theater in downtown Bend (835 NW Wall Street)

The young adult vampire novel Twilight is all the rage right now, and the movie version (filmed entirely in Oregon) just came out. Now, the Bulletin reports that Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the movie, will be appearing at the Sisters Movie House for a special screening next Saturday, the 29th.

At the screening, Hardwicke plans to introduce the movie and then take questions. It is her third appearance at the movie house. She also stopped by for showings of two of her previous films, “The Nativity Story” and “Lords of Dogtown.” But interest in this screening has run much higher, according to Sisters Movie House owner Lisa Clausen.

Note, however, the screening is already sold out. But it's interesting to read that Hardwicke has roots in the area.

This is kind of a cross between a press release and a McMenamins event listing, but what the hey. I like WebCyclery and I've noticed that they've been doing these movie nights for awhile.

TRANSITION 2 - 'Cross The Pond'
9:00 p.m. | $5 per person | 21 & over

Getting excited for Cross Season? The WebCyclery Thrilla Cross Series begins on Thursday nights in September, and to celebrate we're bringing a cyclocross film to the next WebCyclery Movie Night @ McMenamins!

Transition 2 brings you the Belgian cyclo-cross scene from the perspective of American racers. This high definition film spends the holiday season of 2005 following a group of North Americans as they race with the best in the world in the harsh and unforgiving heartland of cyclo-cross racing. A funny and intimate look at these foreigners' experiences on and off the race course.

Features Brandon Dwight, Ryan Trebon, Barry Wicks, Danny Summerhill, and more...

While WebCyclery Movie Night at McMenamins is a fund raiser for Central Oregon Trail Alliance (cotamtb.com), it is mostly an excuse to get together with a theater full of like-minded cyclists to watch an exciting bicycle movie, drink a favorite beverage, raise some money for local trails, and maybe win a cool cyclocross door prize provided by Ryan Trebon and our friends at Salsa and Kona.

90 Minutes.

Link to the DVD and preview:
http://www.webcyclery.com/product.php?productid=18226&cat=0&page=1

Local filmmakers Rage Films has the world premiere of their latest film, "Enjoy", showing at the Tower Theatre on Saturday, September 8th.

Be the first to see Rage's new ski film "Enjoy." Come check it out on Saturday Sept. 8th at the lovely Tower Theater in downtown Bend.

Meet the athletes starring in the film and cheer for them with the loud and excited audience and get your hands on the thousands of dollars worth of product giveaways.

There are three shows: 5pm, 7pm and 9pm. Make sure you get your tickets early as shows have sold out the past few years. You can get advance tickets at Skjersaa's in Bend or at the box office the day of the show.

No word on tickets prices yet, and the 9pm showing is for 21 and older only, from what I understand. I also have some additional details on "Enjoy"-related happenings:

• Prefunk at JC's
• Pro Autograph Signings
• Free Product Giveaways
• After Party @ The Domino Room 10pm w/ DJ Barisone, Cloaked Characters and Guests

Well, Munch and Music is winding down—the last day is tomorrow—and on Friday, Munch and Movies starts. This takes place in both Bend and Redmond: McKay Park in Bend, and Sam Johnson Park in Redmond, and runs every Friday from the 17th until September 7th for Bend and every Saturday from the 18th until September 8th for Redmond.

And, it's free!

They don't post the movie schedule on the website, though, so here it is:

Bend:

• August 17th: "Talladega Knights"
• August 24th: "Happy Feet"
• August 31st: "Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest"
• September 7th: "King Kong"

Redmond:

• August 18th: "Night at the Museum"
• August 25th: "Cars"
• September 1st: "Spiderman 2"
• September 8th: "Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire"

Music and vendors open up at 6:30pm and the movies start at dusk.

Lyle over at the Jake's Diner blog reports that "Jake's Truck Stop," the movie, will be showing at McMenamins on August 23rd:

It is now official. The movie, "Jake's Truck Stop", will be shown at McMenamins on Thursday, August 23rd at 6PM. The tickets are on sale at Jake's for $5.00 with all of the profits going to a local arts charity (the producer will decide which one).

At this time there is only one showing scheduled but if the tickets sell out, they may decide to show another show. The bulletin will be running a story on it next week sometime. There will be a Q&A session after the show.

Any one with questions can call me at 419-6021.

The movie is a documentary about the last day's of Jake's Truck Stop, and Lyle's efforts to save it. Lyle writes a bit more of the story behind the movie here.

Ah, summertime in Central Oregon: there's a ton of things to do, but not everything comes cheap. So I got to thinking about what does come cheap, and compiled a list: The Top 8 Free Activities. Or Nearly Free. Basically, I'm listing things that you can do in or around Bend with a minimum of expense and driving, and without requiring any special equipment and gear.

In no particular order:

1. Climb Pilot Butte. Do it for the exercise and the scenery! The trailhead access is on the east side of the Butte, and there are two trails to choose from: the nature trail and the paved road. From the top of Pilot Butte the view of Bend and the surrounding area is spectacular.
2. Float the river. Put in the water at just below the Bill Healy Bridge (Reed Market Road) at Farewell Bend Park and enjoy a leisurely trip through the Old Mill District and towards downtown. Be sure to avoid going under the Colorado Street bridge—there were several drownings there last year.
   
   • The Bulletin has a short article about this, including a "Plan your Float" list and a map of the floatable area that shows stops for the "Ride the River" bus.
   • This isn't entirely free—you'll need to shell out for an inner tube or other type of flotation device (if you don't already have one). However, various flotation toys can be had at the box stores for relatively cheap, and Les Schwab sells a heavier-duty inner tube for $17.50. On the plus side, you can use this over and over throughout the summer, so it's money well spent if you get out on the river a lot. You'll still have to provide the air—or cough up a quarter or two at a gas station for it.
3. Munch and Music. Every Thursday evening from mid-July through mid-August, head down to Drake Park to listen to free music. There's also arts and craft vendors to check out and plenty of food booths (but ya gotta pay for that).
4. Munch and Movies. Just like Munch and Music—only you see a free movie, it's on Friday nights, and located in McKay Park. These run from mid-August through mid-September, picking up after Munch and Music winds down.
5. Bicycling/mountain biking. C'mon, everyone has a bike, right? Bend is a really bike-friendly town: not only is it nice to ride around the town itself (downtown, "old town," and the westside in particular), but there's a multitude of choices for trails and bike routes if you have a mountain bike. The Deschutes River Trail ($5 Day Pass), Phil's Trail (free), and the Swampy Lakes Loop (free) are just a few examples. Want more local biking resources? Check out BikeMecca.com.
6. Go caving. Whether it's the caves off of China Hat Road or the Lava River Cave, there will be a bit of driving for this activity.
   
   • Lava River Cave: $5 for the Day Pass. Bring your own light (or pay an additional $3 to rent one). Perfect way to beat the summer heat—in fact, bring a jacket! It's a constant 40-45 degrees inside the cave, which runs for over a mile underground. It's located 12.5 miles south of Bend on Highway 97 (one mile past Lava Lands Visitor Center).
   • China Hat Road Caves: These are closer to Bend than the Lava River Cave, and don't require a Day Pass (ie, free). But they are harder to find and you absolutely have to bring your own light. The caves are Arnold Ice Cave, Skeleton Cave, Boyd Cave, and Wind Cave, all located off China Hat/Forest Road 18 approximately six miles southeast of town. Skeleton Cave may be inaccessible, however; in 2005 the Forest Service removed the staircase due to vandalism. Also be aware that these caves are bat habitats.
7. Take the Heritage Walk. Ever been wandering around downtown and noticed the historical marker plaques for certain buildings and houses? Well, the Deschutes County Historical Society has a booklet they've published that lays out a self-guided walking tour of these historical sites. Each of the more than 40 historic sites is detailed in the booklet along with a map of their locations—plenty to space this out over several days or weeks, and enjoy seeing a fair amount of older Bend. The Heritage Walk booklet is available from the Society for $3, or you can try to check out the Library's copy for free.
8. Free Summer Sundays Concerts at the Les Schwab Amphitheater. Every Sunday from June through August, the Les Schwab Amphitheater hosts free concerts. Shows start at 2:30, gates open at 1:00. Their website sums it up nicely:
   

   Bring your sweetheart, kids, puppies (on leashes), friends or just yourself and enjoy a sunny afternoon of world-class music. Bring your own picnic or stop by one of our great food vendors, or the Sidelines Sports Bar family-friendly beer garden for a cold cerveza. Kids must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to enter.

Is this an ultimate list? Not hardly! I was originally shooting for 10 things, but ran into blogger's block coming up with two more and wanted have this posted before summer was over. Other cool things I missed, or comments on what I've picked? Discuss below.

Thursday—tomorrow—is the opening night of the BendFilm festival, which runs this weekend with movies all over town. No, really—at the Tower Theatre, McMenamins theater, the Old Mill, and Banter.

I'm sorry to say I have no idea where "Banter" is, though.

(It would appear to be the Bend-LaPine Education Center, across from the Library.)

I have to say, I just don't go ga-ga over BendFilm like other people here do. I think having a local film festival is a good thing, generally, and it's good for the economy and downtown, etc. etc. And I admire what they've managed to build in the past three years. But since I'm really not a movie buff, it's not something I've gotten interested in.

Anyone want to send me reviews for this year's films? I'll post them here in their entirety.

Sad to say, I actually haven't been to the theater in McMenamins Old St. Francis School yet. But I've been to some of their other theaters, and I know it's a good deal.

First of all, $3 movies! You don't find that anymore. Second, seating is comfortable chairs and couches. Third, beer and food! Anytime you can order up a pitcher of good beer while watching a movie on the big screen is a good time, I figure...

(You know, back before the Tower Theatre was renovated and turned into a performing arts theater, I often wished that McMenamins would have bought it and turned it into a theater pub, like their Bagdad in SE Portland. I think that would've been huge... but I digress.)

This week's movies are "V for Vendetta," "The Sentinel," and "The Wild." I'm not sure which would be a better movie to watch while drinking...