Burien native John Requa, right, with his filmmaking partner Glenn Ficarra.

by Scott Schaefer

A few years back, you might have seen a young man running around Burien’s Gregory Heights neighborhood with a Super-8 or VHS movie camera, telling his friends what to do, when to do it and where.

And perhaps even one time you called the cops on him because his actors were carrying pellet guns!

That young man is named John Requa, and now he’s all grown up but doing the same thing, only in a different city – Hollywood, CA – and making a darn good living doing it, including directing a film that will be playing at the Tin Theater (BTB Advertiser) next week (Fri. Feb. 10 – Thurs., Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m.) called ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love,‘ a romantic comedy starring Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone and others:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Requa, who was born at Group Health Hospital, grew up in the Gregory Heights neighborhood of Burien. Influenced by the many movies he watched with his father while growing up, John’s childhood ambition was to be a film director. As a kid, John made many movies with his neighborhood friends in Gregory Heights, which also happens to be the name of the school in “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” He attended Gregory Heights School from kindergarten to first grade, then attended St. Francis and Highline High School, where he performed skits for his school assemblies, even acting in his senior play. John then went to Pratt Institute in New York, where he studied film and ended up meeting his writing/directing partner Glenn Ficarra. John and Glenn have been working together ever since, both as screenwriters and directors. They have written screenplays for several films including “Bad Santa,” and their directing debut, “I Love You Phillip Morris”. And most recently directed “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” John and Glenn recently started their own production company and are currently working on several different projects.

Here’s an interview with John and Glenn:

Click here to view the embedded video.

John still flies to Burien from LA on a regular basis with his wife and 3-year old son. He has a brother, sister, parents and good friends in Seattle and a sister in Yakima. And yes, he still roots for the Seahawks.

We managed to track John down and conducted a quick Q & A that shares some insight into how the Burien area played into his growing movie-making career:

Q: What were some of your favorite shooting locations in the area?
A: Seahurst Park was my favorite.

Q: Did you ever complete a full film as a kid?
A: Yes, I made four 20-minute films in and around Gregory Heights, Burien and Normandy Park.

Q: What advice you you have for aspiring filmmakers?
A: Best way to learn to make movies is to make movies. Don’t worry about quality. Just make them and learn. It’s easier to do them now than it ever was.

Q: What was it about growing up here that inspired you to make movies?
A: Burien’s proximity to Downtown which had a plethora of arthouse theaters and allowed me to see all of classic American and foreign films in the theater with an audience.

Q: Any other Burien/area-related anecdotes?
A: One time we were shooting a scene with pellet guns. Someone in the neighborhood thought they were real guns and called the police, and the police ended up pulling their guns on us!

‘Crazy. Stupid. Love.’ plays at BTB Advertiser The Tin Theater from Friday, Feb. 10 to Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Don’t forget to print your own Coupon for FREE popcorn here. More info at http://tintheater.com.

The City of Burien’s FREE annual Music and Movies in the Park (we’re Sponsors) is back, with ‘Lulu LaFever and the Hot Tamales‘ headlining the kickoff concert on Thursday night, July 7th at Lake Burien School Park.

Concerts will run from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m., unless otherwise noted.

“Summer is here and time to head to the park and enjoy some music and movies brought to you by Burien Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services!” reads a press release. “Bring your blanket, your lawn chairs, dancing shoes and picnic dinner to Lake Burien School Park and our new location at Hilltop School in North Burien!”

Concerts will start at Lake Burien School Park (SW 148th & 16th Ave SW) on July 7 and run through August 11th. Each Thursday night you will find fabulous music; Blues, Samba, Big Band, Rock and more! And don’t miss the Family Fiesta on July 14th with band Sambatuque, food and kids activites. New this year will be free dance lessons at 6pm—Samba on July 14th and Swing on July 21st!

New this year is a concert series at Hilltop Elementary School grounds (12250 24th Ave S) on Wednesdays, July 13-27th. Come and enjoy three great bands; Banda Vagos, Global Heat and The Camano Cadillac Band.

And end the summer with some fun movies under the stars at Lake Burien Park. One August 19th we will be showing Toy Story 3, and on August 26th watch Despicable Me. Movies start at dusk (around 8:30 p.m.).

For more information: www.BurienParks.net or 206-988-3700.

Here’s the lineup, including videos of some of the entertainment:

Thursday Night Concerts: 6:30-8:00 PM, Lake Burien School Park (directions)

Thursday, July 7: Lulu LaFever and the Hot Tamales (Sizzlin’ jazz, hot swing and sultry blues!):

July 14: Family Fiesta featuring Sambatuque (Free Samba dance lessons from 6-6:30, food, games & more!):

Click here to view the embedded video.

July 21: 85th Street Big Band with dancing by Swing-amajig (Free swing dance lessons from 6-6:30!):

July 28: The Seatles (Come and sing along to your Beatles favorites!):

Click here to view the embedded video.

August 4: The Diamond Experience (The look, the sound, is it Neil Diamond?  Come and sing along!):

Click here to view the embedded video.

August 11: Boomerang Summer (A revival of rock and soul!):

New Wednesday Night Concerts
6:30-8:00 PM, Hilltop Elementary School, 12250 24th Ave South (directions)

Thursday, July 13: Banda Vagos:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thursday, July 20: Global Heat:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thursday, July 27: Camano Cadillac Band:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Friday Night Movies: Movies start at dusk (around 8:30 PM) Lake Burien School Park (directions)

Friday, August 19: Toy Story 3:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Friday, August 26: Despicable Me:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Just received word from our friends at the White Center Art Walk that they’re seeking films to show at three different locations at their upcoming June 18th Art Walk.

We previously posted that they’re looking for just three films, but we have since been corrected:

“We are looking to put three (3) 20-30 minute programs together,” said Amanda Kay Helmick, co-curator. “So we are looking for lots of shorts, not just three!”

They’re looking for three genres: family-friendly, “edgy” and music-related.

The three locations and details of each are:

• Southgate Skating Rink (a family friendly program)
• Big Al’s Brewery (more edgy program)
• Full Tilt (more music filled program)

“What we are looking for are short films,” added Helmick. “Animation, music videos, power pieces, light pieces, dark pieces, etc. We are trying to get (3) 20 – 30 minute programs together. We can take each piece on a variety of formats, and will put it together at a location post production house in Seattle. The art walk is Saturday June 18th!”

This is an open call to to all local residents, film organizations, film programs and schools.

If interested, please send an email to whitecenterartwalk@gmail.com by next Friday, June 3rd with your name, length of piece, subject matter and contact info.

“Unfortunately, there is no compensation for the use of the pieces, but there will be great exposure in Seattle’s coolest enclave!” added Amanda.

Burien Parks’ annual (and FREE) “Music and Movies in the Park” begins Thursday, July 8th at Lake Burien Memorial School Park, located at 16th Ave SW & SW 148th Streets

The free series will include live music from 6:30pm – 8pm on Thursday nights (July 8, 15, 22, 29, Aug. 5 & 12) followed by movies on Friday nights at dusk (around 8:30pm) with Tale of Despereaux (Aug. 20 & 27).

Here’s the schedule:

Thursday Night Music: 6:30-8:00pm:

• July 8: Chasing Jane
• July 15: Family Fiesta featuring Trio Lucero del Norte and  Mangoson–6:00-8:15! kids crafts, food, games and more!
• July 22: The Jangles
• July 29: Jimmy Free’s Friends
• August 5: Caela and the Dangerous Flares
• August 12: Locust Street Taxi

Friday Night Movies (start at dusk – around 8:30pm):

• August 20: Tale of Despereaux
• August 27: Ratitouille

Here are some videos of this summer’s lineup:

Chasing Jane:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Trio Lucero del Norte:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Caela and the Dangerous Flares:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Tale of Despereaux:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ratitouille:

Click here to view the embedded video.

According to owner Dan House, around $3,000 was raised for the cause by a diverse crowd of family and friends, including his wife Claudia, Mom Chirlee, brother Steve, and Ernie Eder, former owner of the Hi-Line Tin Shop, who toiled away for many years doing metalwork in the very same building. Also spotted in the crowd was local author Shawn Underwood, who’s holding a book signing party at the Tin Room this Thursday (details here).

Scott Schaefer dropped by and took these pics:

Click to Play Scott Schaefer’s Photo Slideshow

“Butch Cassidy” will play through June 29th, and will be followed by “The Big Lebowski” from June 25–July 1, then by “Sideways” and the documentary “Man on Wire.”

Here are the basics about Burien’s newest, boutique cinema:

• Ticket prices will be $8, $7 for seniors.
• There will be two showings daily: 5:45pm and 8:00pm.
• Movies will run Thursdays thru Thursday for one week each.

More information on the Tin Theater is available at their website:

http://tintheater.com

Local Writer/Director Steve Edmiston has created a fun, family-friendly film with great original music, all beautifully shot in HD mostly in and around Highline High School and a home in Normandy Park, The Day My Parents Became Cool has been in several short film festivals, and this will be its local premiere.

Edmiston sent us this email Friday morning, which includes other area screening info as well as how to buy a DVD of the film:

Good news – starting tonight, screenings throughout the greater Puget Sound!

One of the goals of this project was to be able to share the work of so many Puget Sound area high school students (particularly those from the Highline and Federal Way School Districts) around the State.

After our world premiere at the Sedona International Film Festival, winning the best short comedy at the International Family Film Festival, being selected as the opening night film for the new Prescott Film Festival, and having our aloha moment in the sun at the Big Island Film Festival, we came home in June to have our Northwest premiere at one of the ten best film festivals in the world, the Seattle International Film Festival.

Now, we tour the Northwest!  Upcoming screenings include:

Burien – tonight!
Burien Music and Movies in the Park
(outdoor double feature with Freaky Friday)
Friday, August 21, 2009 – 8:30 p.m.
Lake Burien School Park
http://www.burienwa.gov/index.aspx?NID=792

Seattle:
Bumbershoot 1 Reel Film Festival
Monday, September 7, 2009 – 5:00 p.m.
SIFF Cinema
http://www.siff.net/cinema/detail.aspx?id=29276&FID=163

Port Townsend:
Port Townsend Film Festival
Saturday, September 26, 12:00 noon.
Sunday, September 27, 12:00 noon.
http://www.ptfilmfest.com/

Tacoma:
Tacoma Film Festival
October 1-8, 2009 (date/time TBD)
http://www.grandcinema.com/page.php?id=43

We’re hoping for the opportunity to add more Northwest fests (including the Olympia Film Festival, the Spokane Festival, and the Lakeside International Film Festival), to make our tour complete.

A burning FAQ – the holidays are coming, how will I buy my own copy of The Day My Parents Became Cool?

Good news æ The Day My Parents Became Cool WILL be available for purchase for the 2009 holiday season, at a price that will allow you to stuff every stocking, provide a gift to every co-worker, and still squirrel away a few copies for yourselves. We plan on partnering with IndieFlix.com for distribution – a wonderful Seattle-based leader in online independent film distribution.  Their model is terrific – short films delivered to your home on DVD for $5.95, just click of a button!  More to come¦

Thanks for all your support!

- Steve

Oh, and the other family-friendly film on the bill, “Freaky Friday,” was shot in Hollywood in 2003 by some corporate entity called “Disney,” and stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan.

Here’s a trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• UPDATE: “The Day My Parents Became Cool” LA Screening
• VIDEO:”The Day My Parents Became Cool” Trailer + News
• “The Day My Parents Became Cool” Sneak Peeks
• “The Day My Parents Became Cool” Production Update
• Report & Photos From Highline High Movie Set
• Your Chance To Be In A Movie This Saturday

In a B-Town Blog exclusive, we’ve just learned from longtime Burien business owner Dan House, proprietor of both The Tin Room Bar and Dan the Sausageman, that he’ll be building a brand new combination movie theater/bar at 923 SW 152nd, in the space where his retail business was located.

The new theater/bar, to be called The Tin Theater, will not only show movies in an intimate setting, it will allow 34 moviegoers to eat and drink at their seats, similar in concept to McMenamins, a combo theater/bar with numerous locations in Portland.

Here’s a scan of the plans, exclusive to The B-Town Blog (click on the image below to see a larger size):

Current plans for The Tin Theater seat 34 people, who will be allowed to eat and drink at their seats. Click on image to see larger size.

Below is a Q & A interview with Dan, who proudly became a father of a baby girl Monday July 6th, and he’s looking for name suggestions (see below):

Q: Why are you building “The Tin Theater”?

A: The same reason why we built the Tin Room, I think Burien needs it badly.

Q: How did you come up with this idea?

A: There is a bar owner in Portland that has done this for awhile and I always like the idea, they are the McMenamin bars, they have about five theaters.

Q: What kind of films will you be showing?

A: We will be showing all kinds of Movies, we may have James Bond week (Martini and a movie), Clint Eastwood week, etc. and I would like to have the Burien Film Festival, maybe have the Highline School District or local people enter short movies.

Q: What will you show as the the first film?

A: First movie I am leaning towards is The Wizard of Oz, for the Tin Man.

Dan House, right, pictured with Ernie Eder, former owner of the Hi-Line Tin Shop.

Q: What will make your theater different from others?

A: The Tin Theatre will be small and intimate, not a monster “get lost in the parking lot” multiplex. You will be able to eat and drink in our lounge-type setting. We are thinking the theater may be for rent so you can invite 45 of your favorite friends to view your best movie or see a screening of your wedding, vacation, graduation etc., or for sporting events, with this you will be able to have your own server/bartender.

Q: What will happen with the Dan the Sausageman shop?

A: In front of the Theater will be a new Dan the Sausageman/Tin Cellars focusing on our wines, sausages and cheese but it will also be the area to hang out and mingle with Chirlee (my mother) and wait for the movie to start.

We will be taking our internet business off site to make room for the Movie Theatre, and we are looking for a location in Burien with warehouse space that we can build our gift boxes from and ship out; we have been around for 21 years and have no plans of stopping.

We just had a baby girl today at 4:04, we need a name, got any ideas?

Please post your baby name ideas (or thoughts on The Tin Theater) in the Comments below and we’ll make sure Dan gets ‘em (our suggestions: a name that can be shortened to “Tin” like Tindal, Tingley, Tinnea, Tinney, Tinsley, etc.).

Burien-area filmmaker Steve Edmiston (Writer/Director of “The Day My Parents Became Cool“) has doubled up with two films premiering at the prestigious Seattle International Film Festival, including his latest work “The Spy and the Sparrow,” which will premiere at 9pm tonight (Wed. June 10th).

Edmiston’s short comedy (and his directorial bow), “The Day My Parents Became Cool,” made its Northwest premiere at SIFF on Sunday, May 31st, at the SIFF Cinema (Nesholm Family Lecture Hall. Then, SIFF hosts the world premiere of “The Spy and the Sparrow,” a feature length spy thriller with an A-list Hollywood cast that Edmiston wrote and co-produced, tonight (Wed. 6/10) at 9pm (SIFF Cinema), as well as on Saturday, June 13th at 11am at the Egyptian (801 East Pine Street, Seattle).

“The Day My Parents Became Cool” is a 17-minute comedy about a group of teenagers who wake up one morning to find that adults have co-opted teen fashion, complete with tattoos, body piercings and sagging jeans. The film was named “Best Short Comedy” at the recent International Family Film Festival in Los Angeles, world premiered at the Sedona International Film Festival, just screened at the Big Island Film Festival, and was selected to open the Prescott Film Festival. The film has a unique local pedigree – it features nearly 150 public high school students (both in front and behind the camera) from seven high schools in Highline and Federal Way school districts (see our previous, extensive coverage here).

“We wanted to bring an arts experience to students who are suffering the loss of their access to art at school. What we never anticipated is the degree to which the community would jump on board the project – we had two cities, arts commissions, county officials, private businesses and individuals – all saying ‘yes’ to nearly whatever we needed to bring this project to the kids,” said Edmiston. “Sharing the film at SIFF is a very big deal – most of the kids haven’t seen it yet and have no idea how wonderful they are in the film.”

The Spy and the Sparrow is directed by award-winning and Seattle-based Garrett Bennett. Edmiston scripted the character-driven thriller about the deep devotion and repressed love that reunites a retired CIA deep cover operative and his estranged daughter following two decades of separation. The film features perhaps the finest cast ever assembled for an independent film produced entirely in Seattle, including Academy Award Nominee Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, Heroes), David Rasche (Burn After Reading, Flags of Our Fathers), Elisabeth Rohm (Law & Order, The Mentalist), and Chad Lindberg (CSI: NY, The Rookie, The Fast and the Furious).

The film is described as a “sly and surprising,” and is part of “unprecedented lineup of work by local filmmakers,” says SIFF Artistic Director Carl Spence. “These films are an important testament to the burgeoning Seattle filmmaking community and give Northwest audiences another way to find the unexpected in extraordinary films that enrich us all.”

Now in its 35th year, the Seattle International Film Festival is the largest and most highly-attended film festival in the United States, showcasing more than 400 films from over 60 countries to an audience of 150,000 attendees annually. Listed by Variety as one of the world’s “50 unmissable film festivals,” SIFF continues to be recognized as one of the top festivals in North America.

Here’s a scene from “The Spy and the Sparrow“:

by Matt Marble

Most movie buffs think that Clint Eastwood was at his prime playing Dirty Harry or starring in one of his many “spaghetti” westerns.

But I think that Gran Torino proves that Eastwood is still in his prime, as both a leading Actor and Director.

He stars as Walt Kowalski, a retired autoworker and Korean War Vet, who’s not afraid to pronounce his hatred for…well everybody.

When a Hmong teenager tries to steal his mint condition 1972 Gran Torino, his temper flares. After the failed carjacking, the boy’s family insists that he repays Walt by working odd jobs. Over time, Walt gets used to the kid. A series of events lead to a very heartfelt and memorable climax.

In the beginning of the film, I was unsettled by the anger that Eastwood possessed for the Hmong people, but by the end, you can witness the transformation from angry old man to caring neighbor.

You don’t have to be a fan of Clint Eastwood to enjoy Gran Torino – just a fan of great storytelling…and remember, this film is rated R for a reason.

Gran Torino is playing at many local movie theaters; you can find movietimes here.

Here’s the trailer for the film, which was ranked #1 at the box office last weekend, as well as an AP feature on Eastwood:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Matt's Movies" is a regular movie-review column written by Matt Marble, a 17-year old student at Highline School District's Big Picture High School.

If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him.

Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]

The grand re-opening starts at Noon and goes until 2am.

One reason we’re all over this is that we love the history of the place. The building that houses Bison Creek once served as the “Burien Theater” and showed movies from 1957 and continued until the 1970s when the now-gone Lewis and Clark Theaters were built. According to some sources, the theater was popular for its Saturday triple features of low-budget monster movies, Jerry Lewis double features and the classic Beach Party series.

Great old newspaper ad for 'Big Bob's Pipe Dream.'

After the projector lights faded for the last time, it became home to a very unique restaurant called “Big Bob’s Pipe Dream” which had a large 1918 Wurlitzer organ that was moved from Seattle’s Coliseum Theatre (now Banana Republic). The Coliseum was owned by the Bullitt family, who owned KING-TV (disclosure: the Publisher/Editor of the B-Town Blog got his first media “gig” at KING-TV’s “Almost Live!” in 1985, and was proud to say he worked there when an elderly Dorothy Bullitt still ran the place). The story goes that one day the Bullitt sisters decided to sell the pipe organ, and “Bob,” who was a TV technician for KING-TV, was interested. The sisters offered it to him, but he thought he couldn’t afford it. Their reply was, “Would a dollar be too much?”

New booths have been installed and the old ceiling has been removed, exposing the original roof beams.

So this KING-TV tech guy buys a big ol’ pipe organ for a buck from the Bullitt sisters and moves it to Burien! The pipe organ allegedly ended up being sold to a man in Oregon, who used parts to build another one.

And now, the former-movie-theater-turned-pipe-organ-joint-turned-pizza-joint is starting anew as a remodeled pizza-pub-joint.

Bison Creek will now have “pub hours” on both Friday and Saturday nights – starting this Sat. Oct. 11th from 10pm-2am (21 and older only), with live music!

The new owners are inviting everyone to come down for the grand re-opening this Saturday starting at Noon until 2am, so get down there, show your support and tell ‘em the B-Town Blog sent ya!

Bison Creek is located at 630 SW 153rd Street (map below).

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