My friend Mike’s production company has a movie in theaters opening May 9th…I’ve seen this film and it’s really a fun flick. I highly recommend checking it out…and Mike’s asked me to ask all of you to try to catch it that weekend…they need big numbers in order to be “held over”. Keep your eyes and ears open for Almost Salinas ads in theaters and on the radio. (104.3 and 101.9) along with interviews on Fox and WGN morning news. Plus the reviews should be out that week from Ebert and Dean Richards along with a large group of other critics. If you’ve already heard about this, I apolgize for the spamming. As an added bonus…those of you who worked on Dancing With Gaia…Strata Productions is the company that Ben works for.
ALMOST TRUTH…
ALMOST FICTION…
ALMOST SALINAS
“Sometimes losing yourself is the only way to find what you really need”
ALMOST SALINAS
Tucked into the rolling foothills of central California is the tiny town of Cholame, home of Allie’s Diner (Lindsay Crouse) and its current owner Max Harris (John Mahoney). As Max contemplates reopening a vintage gas station next to the diner, Zelder Hill (Nathan Davis), a retired grape farmer, spends his days in the parking lot giving “live tours” of the nearby James Dean crash site.
Life takes a quirky turn when Leo Quinlan (Tom Groenwald) brings a movie crew to Cholame to shoot a misguided version of the James Dean story. Before long, Max’s short-order cook Manny (Ian Gomez), and head waitress Clare (Virginia Madsen), find themselves playing parts in Leo’s film as Nina Ellington (Linda Emond), a magazine reporter from Los Angeles, begins to uncover a dark secret that Max has kept hidden for over 40 years.
Set against the backdrop of a golden era when movie legends were larger than life, ALMOST SALINAS is a timeless tale of hope and redemption, filled with humor and unforgettable characters. Often blurring the line that exists between movie myth and reality, it is a journey of discovery, love and laughter, regret and rebirth.
ALMOST SALINAS has a running time of 94 minutes. It is rated PG.
ALMOST SALINAS is produced by Strata Productions, based in Evanston, Illinois
Awards & Honors: Grand Prize Winner – Stony Brook Film Festival; Best Feature Film – Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival; Invited Screening – Tribeca First Look; Opening Night Feature – Palm Beach International Film Festival (April 2003).
ALMOST SALINAS opens May 9th on four Chicago and area screens:
**AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois, Chicago, (847) 765-7AMC
AMC Northbrook Ct. 14, 1525 Lake Cook Road, Northbrook (847) 562-1522
AMC South Barrington 30, 175 Studio Drive, South Barrington (847) 765-7262
Classic Cinemas Lake Theater, 1022 Lake Street, Oak Park (708) 444-FILM.**