Lure of the Gore
By Jean Horne, FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Cult filmmaker George Romero was the toast of the town at Wednesday's red-carpet premiere of his fabulously spooky zombie feature, "Land of the Dead."
George brought it home to Pittsburgh where they first rose from the dead to raise funds for the Steeltown Entertainment Project ... a group of local dynamos, headed by Ellen Weiss Kander and "St. Elmo's Fire" screenwriter Carl Kurlander, who aim to turn the region into an entertainment capital by nurturing our own talent base and creating an economic climate that encourages filmmaking. It all started here, folks, when John P. Harris opened the world's first movie theater Downtown.
Limos and (are you ready?) hearses stretched outside Cafe Euro for the pack-'em-in-pizzazz of a cocktail bash that gave pressing the flesh new meaning. Ghoulish zombies staggered among 350 VIPs who were craning for a look at the star wattage: moviemakers Quentin "Kill Bill" Tarantino and Robert "Sin City" Rodriguez; "Shaun of the Dead" leading men Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright who had jetted in from London; "Lizzie McGuire" producer Terri Minsky; and makeup goremeisters Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero. So chi-chi. So campy, too, with a silent auction of creepy marks and body parts used in the film.
"Dead" fans and the paparazzi were 10 deep at the Byham Theater, where all 1,200 seats were filled. And, when George strode down the aisle, the audience rose in a cheering, stomping, thundering ovation that could be heard on the North Shore. Here and there among the throw-a-rock, hit-an-actor crowd, we spotted George's bride Chris with son Cameron Romero and Christopher Lombardo; Rose and Bill Strickland; Kristen and Kevin McMahon; SEP prexy Anne Lewis and Eddie; County Exec Dan Onorato; Tom Atkins; Lori and her father Chilly Billy Cardille; Audrey and Tim Fisher; Dawn Keezer; Henry Simonds and Anne Lopez.
Plus Joyce and Stan Goldman (his son Bernie produced the film); Ruth and Alan Garfinkel; Susie Wean; Tony Buba; David Conrad; Debra Gordon; Russ Streiner; Louisa Rudolph; Judy Horgan; Darryn Cleary; Greg Kander; Lou, Stacey and Amy Weiss; Judy Robinson and Boris Weinstein; Becky Mingo and Dutch MacDonald; Tim Condron; Drs. Helene and Todd Blodgett; Mardi Royston; Jennifer Neubauer; Thelma Gold Landay; Tom Dubensky; John Rice; Bill Welsh; and the grandkids of movie mogul J.P. Harris: Joel Hahn and Cynthia Hahn Yothers.
Waaay past the witching hour, the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, and friends joined the grateful undead and partied on at Deja Vu.
Original Article: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_347743.html
Copyright © 2007 By Trib Total Media. All Rights Reserved.
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