Dustin Chase
Galveston’s Yearly Foe
Every year in Galveston, just after home tour ends, when the palm trees start beckoning folks from Houston and beyond down to the beaches to celebrate summer’s grand kick off with Memorial Day weekend; a yearly visitor show’s up at the most unwelcome time. The seaweed problem in Galveston is something you can set your calendar by – at the end of May when the south winds start blowing that warm gulf water our way, the seaweed floats in right with it.
Summer Movie Preview
One of the things that Southeast Texas and Hollywood has in common is that their spring season is nearly non-existent. In Galveston we often get a few days of springlike weather, and then land right into a long and wonderfully sultry summer. Hollywood has learned that the summer box office revenues can’t start soon enough, which is why even at the beginning of May, heavyweights like Tom Cruise (Oblivion), and May opener Iron Man 3 are already in cinemas before the kids are even out of school.
Representing Galveston Island at SXSW
If there is one thing missing from Galveston Island, in my opinion, it’s a sense of enthusiasm about film. Sure, there are many other things to do here besides stay inside and watch movies; we have the beach, Moody Gardens and a different festival each month. However, if you drive up the road to Houston, or a few hours to Austin or Dallas, they all have well attended and nationally-recognized film festivals. I see it as one of my duties as the island film critic not only to bring Hollywood down here, but to represent the island elsewhere.
Islander is Senior Consultant in New Film
Dr. Barbara Sasser has lived in Galveston for over 35 years and has had many roles here on the island. She is a UTMB alum and former Galveston Chamber of Commerce member. More recently she was the chairman of the Galveston County Recovery Fund, as well as the former president of the Harris and Eliza Kempner fund. Sasser’s latest role, however, is in film as a senior consultant for the documentary Rescue in the Philippines: Refuge from the Holocaust.
C Shell
Joanna C Shell’s name isn’t a coincidence – her family and friends use her nick-name “C-shell” quite often because of her love of the sea. Like a variety of other Galveston islanders, Joanna has a unique personality that evokes a variety of multifaceted aspects of her life. The 26-year-old currently works at NASA in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory as a diver. However, she is probably better known on the beaches of Galveston as that iconic blond surfer girl challenging waves near The Pleasure Pier.
Confused Hibiscus
Of course, we all know that the hibiscus flower loves sunlight and warm weather, but I was a little confused during the course of the very cold weather hitting southeast Texas to see that Galveston hibiscus seemed to be blooming up a storm, instead of recoiling as they are supposed to do.
Zombie Valentine
The new film Warm Bodies is certainly something I bet you haven’t seen before. While depending on the irony of the script to make audiences laugh, writer and director Jonathan Levine hopes this zombie movie will warm your heart. Basically, the film is about an apocalyptic world where the majority of the humans are zombies. However, one particular zombie known as “R” isn’t like the rest, and begins to change when he sees Julie (played by Australian actress Teresa Palmer). The two get further acquainted when “R” kills and eats her boyfriend Perry’s brains, played by Dave Franco.
‘Impossible’ for Tsunami to Strike Galveston?
The incredible new film The Impossible follows the unimaginable true story of one family’s survival of the 2004 tsunami that devastated Thailand the day after Christmas. Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor star as the husband and wife who were on vacation with their three young boys when the wave ripped their family apart. The Impossible has been attracting strong buzz since its debut at the Toronto Film Festival, including best actress talk for Watts (The Painted Veil, Fair Game). Watts was recently nominated for best actress by The Houston Film Critics Society, The Screen Actors Guild, and The Golden Globes. It’s one of those films that raises the bar on so many genres – including the disaster action flick – and redefines what a real “family film” is. It’s certainly not a film for the faint of heart, but will stick with you forever.
Christmas at The Cinema
Where I come from after opening presents, there isn’t much to do on Christmas Day. If you don’t like to hunt or want to watch sports, you’re stuck. Most of us constantly want something new, and with most stores closed on Christmas Day, the biggest appeal for many is a family outing to the theater.
Bolivar Light: Weapon and Shelter
A while back, I wrote an article on Galveston’s missing lighthouse, and although the island may not currently have a landmark light, our neighbor Bolivar does. Even from the east end of Galveston you can see the dark, 117 foot-tall silhouette that stands on the shore of the Bolivar peninsula. While ferry cruisers and those coming from and going to Bolivar pass the lighthouse regularly, I decided to look into the history of the black lighthouse.
