Screaming and throwing stuff in a movie theater–not just for 2-year-olds anymore!
At least, that's what Tyler Jacobs wants you to think. While the man is no stranger to show biz (aside from acting on TV as a child, he and his brothers work on the Aquabats! Super Show! and Yo Gabba Gabba!), his latest project, events company CinemAttack, is all about being part of the audience.
“I've always had a huge passion for movies, as far back as I can remember,” he says. “I used to make tons of home movies in the back yard with my brothers [Christian Jacobs of the Aquabats and Parker Jacobs of Gogo13]. I really liked the part when we got to get everyone around and make a big event to screen what we had made.”
See Also: CinemAttack Turns Cult Film Screenings Into Crazy Theatrical Events
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For Jacobs, CinemAttack stems from a personal passion. “Being such a movie geek, it just felt natural to throw movie parties for a bigger audience,” he says. The goal? To make people fall in love with going to movie theaters again. “There seems to be a really big movement right now when people are really excited to go out to see a movie that they might even already own on DVD–but in a theater with other people at an event,” Jacobs says. “So even while fancy home theaters are on the rise and Hollywood struggles to fill seats, people still want to go out and have a really cool experience in a theater.”
This is why Jacobs is hosting the Scott Pilgrim Picture Show at the Art Theatre in Long Beach. “Basically, we're giving Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World a Rocky Horror treatment,” he says.
On June 14, live bands will be playing along with the movie, with live prompts for the audience.
“The Pixies were booked, Radiohead had plans, and the Beatles wouldn't even return our calls!” Jacobs says. So he did the next best thing: called DJ Oldboy and a few local all-star bands to play the songs exclusively for this screening. And yes, audiences can yell till their throats hurt. There will be prizes for costumes, cool lights, consumption of garlic bread and more–exactly the kind of thing you want to do during a nerdy movie.
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Jacobs, who debuted CinemAttack last month with a screening of the cult ska documentary Dance Craze, says future events are going to get even cooler. He's planning TV marathons, Q&As, curated films by very special guests, and outdoor events.
And as a proud, self-identifying nerd, Jacbos says holding a Scott Pilgrim event was a no-brainer. “It's part romantic comedy, part manga, part kung fu movie, part video game, and part rock concert. It's chock-full of music and action and is so incredibly dense with jokes that you can catch new jokes with every viewing.” He adds, “I saw it in Austin, where [director] Edgar Wright was doing a Q&A. He asked the audience to scream every time a bad guy was defeated [and exploded into Canadian coins]. That made it so much more fun.”
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (which Jacobs saw 20 years ago–at the Art Theatre, natch) is the obvious inspiration for the CinemAttack experience, but, Jacobs says, “My hope for Scott Pilgrim is that the die-hard fans will come out, take this experience that we're creating, and then make it their own.”
CinemAttack! at Long Beach Art Theatre, 2025 E. Fourth St., Long Beach, (562) 438-5435; cinemattack.net. Scott Pilgrim Picture Show, Fri., 11:30 p.m. $17. All ages. An encore of the Dance Craze Dance Party, Thursday, June 20, 9 p.m. All tickets from the May 31 screening will be honored; new guests, $10 presale; $15 at the door.
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