E Grupo/Saludos Amigos - FREE Tuesday 9/8

[Not Afraid]

Chris and I are going to be attending this event but my friend Andrew has opened it up to people from LoT who would like to go.

Here are the details and the number to call to RSVP.

The American Cinematheque and ASIFA-Hollywood join Walt Disney Pictures in

inviting you and a guest to a special event in celebration of the upcoming release of

WALT & EL GRUPO

The evening will begin with a one hour panel featuring Writer/Director Ted Thomas, Producer Kuniko Okubo, Composer James Stemple and Director of Photography Shana Hagan, as they present an in-depth look at the making of WALT & EL GRUPO, the critically-acclaimed new documentary that has been wowing festival audiences worldwide.

The program concludes with a rare theatrical screening of

SALUDOS AMIGOS (42 min.)

one of the films inspired by Walt Disney’s South American trip

and seldom seen on the big screen in the last 60 years.

About Walt & El Grupo
The year was 1941, and the world was on the brink of war. In an effort to improve relations between the Americas, the Roosevelt administration called upon one of Hollywood’s most influential filmmakers to embark on a special goodwill tour. Written and directed by Theodore Thomas (“Frank and Ollie”) and produced by Kuniko Okubo, the documentary WALT & EL GRUPO chronicles the amazing ten-week trip that Walt Disney and his hand-picked group of artists and filmmaking talent (later known as “El Grupo”) took to South America at the behest of the U.S. Government as part of the Good Neighbor Policy. Shot on film in five countries, WALT & EL GRUPO is a tale that still resonates on both sides of the equator. The film time travels in Walt Disney’s footsteps through the use of personal letters and stunning artwork from the trip, remembrances by descendants and survivors, and extraordinary never-before-seen footage. WALT & EL GRUPO brings together an intertwined story of art and politics, the poignancy of a bygone age, and a legendary artist during one of his most trying times.

A Walt Disney Pictures release presented by The Walt Disney Family Foundation Films, in association with Theodore Thomas Productions, WALT & EL GRUPO was written and directed by Theodore
Thomas, produced by Kuniko Okubo and executive produced by Walter E.D. Miller.

The film is slated for a special engagement release in LA and NY on September 11th. For more information, see www.waltandelgrupo.com.

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

7:30pm

Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90028

RSVP 323/461-2020, ext. 485

This invitation is non-transferable

Space is limited so respond quickly!

We validate for Hollywood & Highland Parking Structure. $2.00 for 4 hours. Enter on Highland Ave.

We are 1 ½ blocks east of the Hollywood & Highland Red Line Station.

Please read posted signs regarding street parking.

[innerSpaceman]

oooh, fascinating. Can the Disney Geek in me resist?

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I am going to try!!

[RStar]

Is "E Grupo" anything like "iGrupo"?

[Kevy Baby]

iDon't know

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Anyone go?

[mousepod]

We went. It was interesting but...

THEY DIDN'T SHOW THE DOCUMENTARY!!!!

I guess we all misread the announcement... so we watched a panel of the director (Frank Thomas' son), the producer, the composer/music supervisor and the cinematographer talk about a movie that almost nobody had seen. Since we were all pretty familiar with the subject, it would have been a better panel after having seen the flick.

But...

seeing Saludos Amigos on the big screen was AWESOME. One of my favorite Disney films. According to the folks at the Egyptian, it was a special print made by Disney for this screening, and that this was the first time it had an official theatrical showing since 1949.

[€uroMeinke]

It did make me want to Rio

[innerSpaceman]

Cool, then there's still a chance to see Walt & El Grupo when it's eventually released.

Yes, in carefully re-reading the invite, it's clear the movie would not be shown. But they didn't do enough to stress that. A casual read implies that's the point of the entire evening. You don't usually have a panel discussion of a film that's not being shown. I've been to dozens of them, and not a single one where the film being discussed was not shown as part of the program.


Shenanigans, pure and simple.


So, when's the El Grupo swanking?









or the trip to Rio?

[mousepod]

El Grupo is playing in Anaheim now, and in LA starting tomorrow. I don't imagine that it'll play in theaters for very long (like the Sherman Bros. doc). I'm probably up for a viewing next week - if the timing is right.