Some movies are so popular they get their own festivals, conferences and guided tours. Here are few to check out this year:
“Groundhog Day”
It’s a Bill Murray classic flick where he portrays TV weatherman Phil Connors, who is forced to live the same day — Feb. 2 — over and over again until he gains some insight into his life. Much of the movie was filmed in Woodstock, Ill., which now offers a walking tour and a yearly Groundhog Day event including showing of the film (again and again and again). Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the filming of the movie and there are engraved plaques that refer to spots where the movie was filmed.
“Somewhere in Time”
This time-traveling fantasy film became one of Christopher Reeve’s and Jane Seymour’s best roles and it has become a romantic favorite over the years (this writer even gave her first born the middle name of Elise, named after Jane’s character).
The movie was filmed at The Grand Hotel on Michigan’s Mackinac Island and in 2015, Jane Seymour visited for the 35th Anniversary of the film and the 25th Anniversary of Somewhere in Time Weekend. This year’s 27th anniversary festival starts on Friday, Oct. 27, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 29. The rooms are a little pricey, coming in at $1,099 per couple for a standard room and $1,449 for a lakeview room.
The weekend includes a screening of the film, discussions of the movie’s production process, and appearances by returning cast. Guests come dressed in costume.
“Big Lebowski”
The Coen brothers made a cult classic out of this 1998 movie about a pothead bowler who is mistaken for a deadbeat philanthropist and drawn into a cluster of kidnappers, nihilists, porn mobsters and Busby Berkeley beauties. The Big Lebowski Fest will be held in Los Angeles on March 3 and 4 and will include music by the Kyle Gass Band (of Tenacious D fame) and a screening of “The Big Lebowski” plus special guests Leon Russom (Sheriff of Malibu), Jim Hoosier (Liam), Robin Jones (Ralph’s Checkout Girl). Come in costume and join the Bowling Party, trivia contests and more.
“Twilight”
Forks, Wash., is the place where Stephenie Meyer’s movie “Twilight” came to be. This incredibly successful movie is about high school student Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart), who meets Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a mysterious teen. This year’s weekend festival to honor the fan’s love of the movie will be held from Sept. 14-17, 2017. Last year, Prop Store and Summit Entertainment presented a two-day live auction event of original props, costumes and set decoration pieces used in the saga. More than 900 lots from the making of the five films were sold.
“Star Trek”
OK, so they’ve had many more than one movie, but still. Creation Entertainment's 16th Annual Las Vegas Official STAR TREK Convention takes place from Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 2-6 in Las Vegas. This year, they welcome “The Man” himself, the iconic legend William Shatner. He’ll be there on the Saturday of the convention to speak, sign autographs and do photo ops.
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