SciFi Japan

    Long Live the King!

    Kong art by Mark Maddox.

    Author: Bob Johnson Sources: Benevolent Monster Productions, Bay Area Film Events Bay Area Film Events and Benevolent Monster Productions/Studio 7 Entertainment present LONG LIVE THE KING, a brand new feature length documentary about the enduring appeal of the character King Kong, and how he has inspired so many great filmmakers and artists since 1933. The documentary covers the 1933 classic, in addition to SON OF KONG, Dino De Laurentiis’ KING KONG (1976), Peter Jackson`s KING KONG (2005), as well as the Rankin Bass Cartoon series of the 1960s and from the Far East, Toho`s Japanese incarnations of Kong, from KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1962) and KING KONG ESCAPES (1967)! The evening will be about all things KONG and along with the documentary, BAFE will be showing the original 1933 classic KING KONG, the film that started it all! Special guests will be on-hand, including documentary producers Frank Dietz and Trish Geiger, MEN IN SUITS documentary producer Frank Woodward, actor Brian Howe of HBO’s new series WESTWORLD and comedian/SIMPSONS’ producer Dana Gould! There will also be displays and door prizes. Plus unexpected surprises! All taking place at The Historic BAL Theatre, 14808 East 14th Street, San Leandro, CA. 510-614-1224. Saturday, October 1 at 6:00PM, with doors opening at 5:00PM. Further information is available at Bay Area Film Events, and at the Bay Area Film Events Facebook page. Advance tickets are available through Vindini. Guests for the evening!

    Frank Dietz Frank Dietz is an award-winning artist, screenwriter, producer, director and actor. He starred in a series of now-cult low-budget horror films like ZOMBIE NIGHTMARE, BLACK ROSES and THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN. He wrote the scripts for many independent features, including NAKED SOULS, COLD HARVEST and the MAGIC IN THE MIRROR series. In 1996, Frank joined Walt Disney Studios as an animation artist. His work can be seen in such films as HERCULES, MULAN and TARZAN,and is known for his SKETCHY THINGS classic monster artwork. In 2011, Frank and Trish Geiger teamed up to create Benevolent Monster Productions. Their first project as co-directors and producers was the award-winning documentary BEAST WISHES - THE WORLD OF BOB AND KATHY BURNS. They are currently finishing a documentary about King Kong entitled LONG LIVE THE KING. Frank is also a contributor to the Blumhouse.com website and is the creator and co-host of the popular genre podcast DAMN DIRTY GEEKS.

    Trish Geiger Trish Geiger is a multi-faceted, award winning actress, director and producer. Her first feature film documentary, BEAST WISHES, has received great reviews and won numerous awards. As an actress she is most notably known for the roles she plays in Larry Blamire`s films, THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN and DARK AND STORMY NIGHT, which she also produced. She also documented the behind-the-scenes special features segments for the DVD release of these films. Before moving to Los Angeles Trish resided in New York City and made her living primarily as an actress/singer. During this time she taught and directed acting, music, story telling and art for the Lincoln Center Institute, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Oberlin College, Playwright`s Theatre of NJ, and the Preparatory Center for the Performing Arts to name a few. Trish later earned an M.F.A. in acting from Brooklyn University, under the tutelage of F. Murray Abraham, and received an Outstanding Actor Scholarship and a graduate fellowship.

    Frank Woodward Frank H. Woodward is an award-winning producer, director, writer and documentary filmmaker with over 25 years experience in film and television production. His feature documentaries are fueled by a deep love of sci-fi, horror and fantasy. His first documentary was the award winning "LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN". This chronicle of the life, work and mind of author H.P. Lovecraft featured interviews with Neil Gaiman, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Peter Straub, John Carpenter and Guillermo Del Toro. His other documentary work includes the critically acclaimed MEN IN SUITS, a look at the art of creature suits and the actors that bring those characters to life including Doug Jones, Tom Woodruff, Jr. and the original Godzilla, Haruo Nakajima. As a screenwriter, Frank wrote the sequel WRONG TURN 6: LAST RESORT for Fox and the SyFy Original Movie BLACK FOREST. He was also an executive producer on the SyFy International film FIREQUAKE.

    In 2015, Frank completed the short films BALLOON and QUINT IN `58 (co-directed with Jack Bennett) while writing three of the ELEMENTS OF DISASTER TV film series and an animated film for Dark Dunes Productions. A "film entrepreneur", Frank is thrilled to explore new frontiers for independent filmmakers beyond the Hollywood system. Brian Howe Brian Howe is an actor, known for THE NEWSROOM (2012), THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (2006) and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (2002). On October 2nd, he will star in the new HBO series WESTWORLD.

    Dan Gould Dana Gould was born on August 24, 1964 in Hopedale, Massachusetts, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for THE SIMPSONS (2000-2012), GEX: ENTER THE GECKO (1998) and DANA GOULD: I KNOW IT`S WRONG (2013). Bay Area Film Events Since 2004, Bay Area Film Events has brought over 30 shows, events and film festivals to theaters throughout the Bay Area and Northern California. From Godzilla to The Beatles, from Bond to The Three Stooges, from music to comedy, Bay Area Film Events has presented films, bands, guests and more. Bay Area Film Events has welcomed Richard Kiel, Judith O`Dea, Julie Adams, Ben Chapman, Russ Tamblyn, Marta Kristen and even stars from Japan like Hiroshi Koizumi, Akira Kubo, Tsutomu Kitagawa, Shinichi Wakasa and Hiroshi Maruyama to their stages.

    Kong art by Jeff Preston.

    Venues BAFE has worked with include The Castro Theatre, Auctions by the Bay, The Grand Lake, The Historic Bal Theatre, The Del Mar, The Crest, The Cerrito and even AT&T Park in conjunction with the SF Giants. Shows have traveled from the Bay Area to Santa Cruz to Sacramento. The Historic BAL Theatre The Historic BAL Theatre was built in 1946, and is one of America`s only surviving theatre`s still operating today that has never been shutdown. The Historic BAL Theatre has been continually operating since its opening day, July 3, 1946. The Historic BAL Theatre is the East Bay`s home for Public & Private Family Entertainment, Special Events, Fundraisers, Live Music, Comedy, Lectures, Magic, Documentaries, Sci-Fi & Horror Films, Foreign films, Independent films, Silent films, Classic films and so much more. Benevolent Monster Productions Created in 2011 by filmmakers Frank Dietz and Trish Geiger, Benevolent Monster Productions is dedicated to the development and creation of high quality entertainment. In 2012, Dietz and Geiger completed their first feature film, the fanciful documentary BEAST WISHES, which went on to garner rave critical acclaim and multiple awards. Benevolent Monster Productions now brings Kong to life with their latest documentary, LONG LIVE THE KING.

    Kong art by LONG LIVE THE KING producer Frank Dietz.


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