BEYOND THE MARQUEE

Steve Sansweet’s STAR WARS Collection Makes the 2014 Guiness Book of World Records!

September 20th, 2013

Beyond the Marquee

A peek inside of Rancho Obi-Wan

There are Star Wars fans, then there are BIG Star Wars fans! And there’s a good chance that those big fans have a huge collection of toys, collectibles and memorabilia. But only one can make the coveted Guiness Book of World Records for the largest Star Wars memorabilia collection. Well now it’s official who the biggest fan of George Lucas epic film franchise is, none other than Steve Sansweet!

Building a collection since before the original 1977 film even was released, Steve continued adding to his collection over the years until it reached it’s current proportions! In 1998, Sansweet purchased the Petaluma Hatchery, a former egg-producing/chicken farm. The 9,000 square foot building that was once home to over 20,000 chickens is now the home to Sansweet’s Star Wars Museum. As the the former Director of Content Management and head of Fan Relations at Lucasfilm, Steve Sansweet had a dream job that immersed himself directly in the world of Star Wars until 2011, when he retired from the company.

With a private collection of over 300,000 items, Steve’s Petaluma, California museum he calls Rancho Obi-Wan, is a place where anything and everything related to the Star Wars universe can pretty much be found here. Click ahead to check out a video of Steve discussing his entry into the 2014 Guinness Book of World Records, congrats Steve! Hmmm, maybe if the force is strong with us, we’ll have to come up and do a Beyond the Marquee web-series there soon!

Kids Take Golf Seriously in The Short Game (Film Review)

September 20th, 2013

John Delia

Cute, immersing and enjoyable the documentary The Short Game shows what pint size kids can achieve in the sport of golf. The film takes you on a journey of amazing challenge, focus and determination as six to eight year olds vie for the US Kids Golf championship. It’s the kind of documentary that becomes all encompassing rooting for your favorite during the highly competitive finale.

Whats Blue, Furry and Eating Up the Internet!!?!?

September 20th, 2013

Julia Miranda

OMNOMNOMIFY

The answer may surprise you! It’s Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. Now we can’t seem to find the exact reason why this fun feature exists in the world, but we kind of don’t care. Just head to http://omnomnomify.com/ and then drag the blue OMNOMNOMIFY Blue Box up to your Bookmarklet Bar line. Then go into your favorite webpage, well…of course you’re here already at Beyond the Marquee, that was easy, and then just click the recently added “omnomnomify.com” link and watch Cookie Monster take over the site, substituting videos and images with those of Cookie Monster. “OmNomNom” is the sound Cookie usually makes when devouring cookies and we’re sure is symbolic of him now devouring the media off sites you activate this feature on. It’s a great prank to pull on a friend for their web-site or their favorite internet destination. We tried it out here at BTM, you can see those pics below. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Prisoners, A Relentless Crime Thriller (Film Review)

September 20th, 2013

John Delia

Powerful, relentless and suspenseful Prisoners opens in theaters this weekend with a story of abduction that’s gut wrenching to the core. Much like the urgency and feel of Ransom, this film takes you deep into the helplessness of a child kidnapping. Probably a contender for an Oscar nomination for best picture, the action thriller has a good chance of getting into the top 10 in that category.

Beyond the Marquee: The Web Series (Episode 52) – Hat Thing You Do!

September 19th, 2013

Beyond the Marquee

Not many people would guess that a quaint shop located in the heart of Burbank, California could have such an impressive history, but for many years, Baron Hats has been the top hat maker for most of Hollywood and beyond. Having created over 35,000 hats for Motion Pictures, Television, Broadway, Commercials, Rock Videos, Vegas, Disneyland and more, Baron Hats is pretty much the legendary place to go for a classy and distinct chapeau.

Founded by Eddie Baron during the “Golden Age” of Hollywood, Baron Hats has put iconic tops on the heads of stars ranging from John Wayne to Harrison Ford (Baron’s created the hats for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). Now run by the very talented, Mark Mejia, (Eddie Baron’s protege), the clientele list for Baron’s keeps on growing with such names as Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis, Val Kilmer, Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny DeVito, Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Robert Duvall, Shia LeBeouf, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, and Will Smith … just to name a few.

Beyond the Marquee’s host, Steve Czarnecki, recently visited Baron Hats and met with owner, Mark Mejia, to take a behind-the-scenes guided-tour of the historic hat studio.

THE 48-HOUR FILMMAKING SURVIVAL GUIDE

September 19th, 2013

Steven D'Arcangelo

A while back I was possessed by Spielberg’s blend of “courage and stupidity” to compete in a competition wherein contestants had to write, shoot, edit, and deliver an entire short film in 48 hours.

It was thrilling and exhausting, at times it was frustrating, but my team and I did it. We didn’t win but we survived, and I have the “I survived a 48-hour filmmaking contest” bumper sticker to prove it (no, I don’t).

If you’re considering entering a similar contest — I also survived a 24-hour one and I have the sticker to prove that as well (no, I don’t) — then please benefit from these handy tips I wish that I knew beforehand.

Check Out the DOCTOR WHO 50th Anniversary Episode Poster for “The Day of the Doctor”

September 17th, 2013

Beyond the Marquee

“The Day of the Doctor”

Whovians around the world are counting down till the 50th anniversary episode of the BBC’s hit sci-fi television series; Doctor Who! With special programs planned across the BBC, the celebrations will peak on 23 November with the anniversary episode, revealed as ‘The Day of the Doctor’. Starring Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman with Billie Piper and John Hurt, the 50th Anniversary special for BBC One has been confirmed as feature length with 75 minutes of adventure. Now to add to the mystery and anticipation of this episode, the BBC has also released an equally as mysterious and question filled one-sheet for the “Day of the Doctor”. Matt Smith who plays the Doctor has said: “The Day of the Doctor is nearly here! Hope you all enjoy.” Click ahead to check out a large version of the poster image!