Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival - Day 1

Today marked day one of the second annual Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival, a celebration of classic American films, sponsored by Turner Classic Movies, and attended by thousands of movie fans from all over the world. Dozens of movies will be screened, including An American in Paris, Spartacus, Citizen Kane, The Godfather, The Day the Earth Stood Still, All About Eve, and Shaft. There will be panels and discussions attended by such celebrities as Mickey Rooney, Peter O'Toole, Debbie Reynolds, Kirk Douglas, and of course, TCM host and moderator Robert Osborne.

And this year I'm in the thick of it all.

After missing the first festival last year, I decided that the next time around, I'd make sure I was there to see it for myself. And boy, am I glad that I came out for this party. There's a lot going on besides the film screenings themselves. There are swanky parties, red carpet gala celebrations, signings by stars of the films featured in the festival, and panel discussions held on an impressively diverse set of subjects, including: dancing in the movies, movie trailers, African-Americans in film, voice doubles in musicals, and film sequels.

There's tons to do, and I can't imagine anyone attending this year will be bored. That being said, day one of the festival was a little low-key for me. My flight from Atlanta got in late, late, LATE last night (or should I say this morning) and that threw my whole day off. I missed the first day's panels and screenings, but that's okay.

Thursday was the lightest day schedule-wise of the festival, so it gave me a chance to check everything out and get my bearings. I really enjoyed walking up and down Hollywood Boulevard taking in the sights and getting a feel for the vibe of the festival overall. If I had to sum it up in a word, it'd be: fun. And also style. It was exciting stomping up and down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, noting where all the festival venues were in relation to each other (Graumann's Chinese Theater and The Egyptian, for starters).

Especially impressive was walking into the historical Roosevelt Hotel, site of many an event back in Hollywood's heady glory days (including the very first Academy Awards, way back in 1929). Walking into the building, I felt as if I'd stepped back in time. I can see why TCM chose it as the hub for festival events. It's a classy, stylish place, and I could see that everyone in the joint was equally impressed by it... and having a grand old time, too.

So maybe I didn't attend any events today. It's cool. I still had fun just experiencing the festival. But trust me, I'm going to attend as many screenings and panels as I can over the next three days. And I'm going to be tweeting and blogging about all of it as much as possible (that is, when I'm not attending a screening or panel).

A bit of a slow start perhaps today, but I'll more than make up for on Day Two. Friday brings screenings (for me at least) of Becket (starring Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole, the latter of which will be in attendance to introduce the film and participate in a panel discussion after the film), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (as part of a tribute to film music composer Bernard Hermann) and Spartacus (with "I am Spartacus!" himself, Mr. Kirk Douglas present).

I'd say it's all going to be good. It's going to be fun. And it's going to be covered here in my blog. So if you want to hear more, tune back in tomorrow for another report.

Until then, I'm signing off. I'll be seeing you at the movies....