Shaken if not stirred by movies

It doesn’t take a secret agent to know who’s slipping into movie theaters this week.

Bond is back. But consider Barry. Barry Sisson.

Yes, Daniel Craig will be leaping into a blond bag of 007 gadgets and riding the Bond wagon all the way to the top of the box office charts.

But here’s an idea. You know darn good and well that “Quantum of Solace” will be playing at Seminole Square for weeks to come. So why fight the crowds? Go when you can actually find a seat beside your movie-going mate.

Instead, buy fresh, buy local.

Barry Sisson, while I can’t speak for the fresh part, is definitely local, and he needs our support.

His film company, Cavalier Films, is releasing its first feature film today at the Regal Downtown Mall.

“Familiar Strangers” faces the same problem most small independent films encounter. They lack the promotional dollars that come with the blockbuster Batmans and Bonds. If word of mouth is not enough to fill the seats, even the best of the independents only will remain in theaters for a short time.

Roger Ebert, the world’s only Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic, used to say that the opening weekend is critical for any film’s success. We determine that success. By showing up, we tell the moviemakers what types of films we want to see.

If you ever wondered why so many films are geared to young teen males, well, they are the ones who are actually going out there and voting with their dollars.

If people aren’t in the chairs, theater owners will book another film in hopes of drawing a crowd.

So why not come on out and see what Barry has to offer.

Filmed in and around Stuarts Draft and Staunton, “Familiar Strangers” stars — and this should appeal to those young males — D.J. Qualls. He’s the young skinny guy who became famous because he was young and skinny. But Qualls has stuck around by showing filmmaker that he is more than just another skinny face.

His castmates include Shawn Hatosy, Nikki Reed, Camerson Richardson, Ann Dowd and Tom Bower and the film introduces the petite Georgia Mae Lively. Sisson say they tell the tale of a “family working through the changing relationships as children grow into adults.”

At today’s 1:30 matinee, Sisson will be on hand for a question-and-answer session.

Check it out.

at the Downton Regal.

Mark your calendars.

The Sprout Film Festival will be coming to the Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center in March.

“Making the Invisible Visible” will be shown at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday March 13th.

The film is about and stars people with developmental disabilities.

Stay tuned for more details or call the Parent Resource Center at 975-9400, Ext. 2342.