Bijou hosts indie flicks and quirky documentaries
This intimate cinema
offers an atmosphere
unlike many other theaters
BY PHILIP OSSIE BLADINE
FREELANCE REPORTER
The late-night film and live
performance event, “FreakFest,”
transformed the Bijou Art Cinemas
into a circus sideshow last week
end. Members of Circus Pandemo
nium danced with fire, performed
balancing acts and greeted movie
goers with five-foot snakes before
the showing of “Freaky Circus
Guy,” an hour-long documentary
about a man who starts a circus
sideshow.
The late-night features at the Bijou,
located four blocks west of campus at
492 E. 13th Ave., play every Friday
through Sunday starting at about
11:30 p.m. and give new meaning to
“just another night at the movies.”
Last week’s showing of "Noisefer
atu,” for example, featured in-theater
video mixing by The Jircs and a live
soundtrack by Warning Broken Ma
chine and Sean Mediaclast, along
with an on-mic performance by New
York’s MC Dracula.
“We sold about 80 tickets to that
one, and had about 15 or 20 others in
there working,” night manager Scott
McGahan said. “The place was
packed.”
McGahan said the crowd size
varies from a packed house to just a
handful for the midnight movies, and
the crowd is generally made up of
about half college students and half
Eugene locals.
The Bijou also selected from cult
classics, like “A Clockwork Orange,”
and local productions, like the up
coming “Invoid of Reverence,” to be
shown this Saturday and Sunday
night, which will feature a live block
metal soundtrack, for the midnight
shows. Also this weekend, on Friday
and Saturday, the theater features the
Halloween classic “The Rocky Horror
Picture Show,” complete with live ac
tors in front of the screen.
Tickets for the midnight shows are
$4 Friday and Saturday, and $3 dol
lars Sunday.
Besides hosting unconventional
events and showing hard-to-find-on
the-big-screen movies, the Bijou,
which celebrated its 25th anniversary
last week, offers an atmosphere un
like many theaters. The Spanish mis
sion-style building was designed in
1925 by the first dean of the Universi
ty’s school of architecture, according
to the Bijou’s Web site.
“It’s such a non-traditional setting
to watch a movie in, you can’t beat
it,” said junior Ryan Harper, who
lives across from the theater. “And
the best part is the candy is not too
expensive. I can come with a pocket
of change and still buy a ticket and
some candy. ” Harper said he went to
midnight showing, the surf docu
mentary “Miles to Surf,” right after
he moved in.
“Most theaters are so big, but this
one is perfect,” said Kelsey Patterson,
a senior at the University. The main
cinema has a capacity of 114 and the
second cinema holds 99.
The building served as a church
and a mortuary before being turned
into a theater for independent, art
and foreign films — genres that are
beginning to be shown at more big
cinemas these days, according to
McGahan.
“Before the big ‘indie buzz’ hit, we
would get all the big indie films,” he
(Far left)
Ticket seller
Noelle Dass
and the
Bijoucat, Boo,
wait in the
lobby
between film
viewings
Monday
Night.
(Left)
Movie-goers
wait in the
theater
Monday night
before the
main
attraction
begins.
Kate Horton | Photographer
said, “We got movies like ‘Sideways’
and ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ well
before a buzz hit, but some, such as
‘March of the Penguins’ and
‘Napoleon Dynamite,’ get picked up
by others. We have to compete once
in a while.”
McGahan also mentioned that the
theater was just given permission to
show, “Eraserhead,” by filmmaker
and artist David Lynch. The date for
that showing is undecided.
Regular ticket prices for the Bijou
are: $5 Sunday through Wednesday,
$7 Thursday through Saturday and
$4 for all shows before 6 p.m.
For more information got to
www. bij ou-cinemas. com.
Brought to you by: Office of Student Life, ASUO and Eugene Police Department
How to throw a responsible party
Information for students hosting parties:The ASUO, Department of Public Safety, Eugene Police
Department and University of Oregon Office of Student Life have developed these steps to help
you have a successful party in campus neighborhoods.
1 Don't put up fliers, posters, etc. about your party. A moderate-sized party is one at which you can have fun. 2
Remember that your party
cannot use your neighbors' yards or city streets.
Find ways to celebrate that do not involve alcohol. If you choose to serve alcohol, ensure
that you are only serving to people 21 years of age or older. Be sure to have designated drivers or a place for your intoxicated guests to
stay, ll Notify your neighbors of your party pians.
Let them know what you pian in terms of size,
hours, music, etc.Teil them they can contact you if
they have problems created by your party.
6 There are several circumstances that will draw
attention to your party: loud noise, admitting people
under 21 years old, letting people carry beverages
outside from your party, f Be cooperative with
neighbors, police or other concerned persons who
may want to discuss a problem. 8 Cleanup
promptly after your guests.