Come Meet the Giant

December 15, 2015 at 3:35 pm

The Iron Giant is here!

There’s still a few more days to meet the big guy, down at the Jean Cocteau Cinema.

We playing the signature edition of the Brad Bird film — newly remastered and restored, with two new scenes not included in the original theatrical release — this afternoon at 4:30, tomorrow at 1:30pm and 8:00 pm, and Thursday at 3:00pm and 7:00pm.

The Giant himself will be at the theatre to welcome patrons to all our shows. And yes, in between movies, you are welcome to have your picture taken with the big guy.

Okay, it’s true, our Giant is not as big as the one in the film. And, hey, he’s not even the biggest giant in Santa Fe, since Meow Wolf installed their mammoth thirty-footer down at Silva Lanes. But he’s taller than YOU are, f’rsure, and he has a lot of personality. We love him.

The Iron Giant was made for us by Fred Barton, the “Robot Man,” same dude who made my Robbie. If any of you need a robot, Fred’s the guy to see.

http://www.the-robotman.com/

Tags: jean cocteau cinema

Signed Books For Xmas

December 7, 2015 at 4:49 pm

December 7. Pearl Harbor Day. The Day That Will Live in Infamy.

Also… getting closer and closer to the last day you can order signed books from the Jean Cocteau Cinema and have any hope of getting there in time to pretend they came from Santa Claus.

We’ve uploaded lots of cool new selections to the Signed Books page, from our recent events.

Like Neal Stephenson’s visit, for instance.

And many more.

For all you WHEEL OF TIME fans out there, we also have hardcovers of the new WHEEL OF TIME COMPANION signed by all the authors.

And of course, from last week’s EXPANSE premiere, we have the complete set of Expanse novels by James S.A. Corey, suitably defaced by both Ty Frank and Daniel Abraham.

Lots more titles too, including some by the Martin guy.

Check them all out at http://www.jeancocteaubooks.com/

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, signed books

The Iron Giant Is Coming

December 6, 2015 at 5:21 pm

We’re going to have a special guest at the Jean Cocteau next week.

A big BIG guest: the Iron Giant himself.

Yes indeed. Starting on Friday, December 11, for one week only, we will be screening the newly restored and remastered “signature edition” of Brad Bird’s animated classic, THE IRON GIANT.

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If you haven’t seen THE IRON GIANT… or even if you have… you don’t want to miss this. If you’ve only seen it on the small screen at home, you don’t want to miss this. And even if you’ve seen the movie in a theatre, you don’t want to miss this, since the signature editions includes some new scenes never before shown.

In honor of the occasion, the Iron Giant his own self will be on hand to say hi. You don’t want to miss him either. Come see the movie, and have your picture taken with the Giant. Advance tickets can be reserved at the JCC website.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, movies

Out in the Belt

December 4, 2015 at 3:44 pm

We had a great time at the Jean Cocteau yesterday. Our world premiere of THE EXPANSE was terrific fun for all concerned, I think. We screened the first two episodes of the series (joined seamlessly into one long two-hour film), once for the cast, crew, and VIPs, and once for the general public… and my, but the show looked great on our ~~big~~ medium-sized screen. We also had a signing and Q&A with Jimmy Corey, aka Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham, followed by a kickass party.

Everyone seemed to have a swell time… especially those, like me, who had not seen the show before (though of course I have read all the books). Terrific performances and fine writing. This is the show that fandom has been waiting for since FIREFLY and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA left the air… a real kickass spaceship show, done right.

Admittedly, a December debut is a little late in the year for awards buzz, but if the word gets around fast enough, I think you can add THE EXPANSE to the list of shows that could (and in this case, should) compete for a Hugo nomination in Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

My thanks to Ty and Daniel and the good folks at Alcon Television for making this happen, and to David Sidebottom, Jenni Higginbotham, Jon Bowman, and the rest of my amazing JCC staff for making the event such a smashing success.

For all of you who could not make it… be sure to catch THE EXPANSE when it debuts on December 14.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, television and film, the expanse

‘The Expanse’ Premiere and Book Signing with James S.A. Corey

November 30, 2015 at 7:05 pm

[Ogre Jenni here! This Thursday Jean Cocteau Cinema will celebrate the release of Syfy's newest show, The Expanse, based on the hit sci-fi series by James S.A. Corey.

At 4:00 p.m. Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, the authors who make up the pseudonymous James S.A. Corey, will sign books from their New York Times bestselling series, The Expanse. The author event is only $10, and we will have all of the books from The Expanse series available for purchase.

Later on at 8:30 p.m., Alcon Television Group and the Cocteau will present a free sneak peek of the first two episodes of Syfy’s new television series based on the books. The first fifty patrons who attend the book signing will be given priority seating at the public premiere!

ABOUT THE SHOW (FROM ALCON TELEVISION GROUP):

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Set 200 years in the future, The Expanse follows the case of a missing young woman that brings a hardened detective (Thomas Jane, Hung) and a rogue ship’s captain (Steven Strait, Magic City) together in a race across the solar system that will expose the greatest conspiracy in human history. Emmy^®winner and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Saddam, House of Sand and Fog) also stars as Chrisjen Avasarala. Rounding out the cast are Dominique Tipper (Vampire Academy), Cas Anvar (Olympus), Wes Chatham (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) and Florence Faivre (The Following). Paulo Costanzo (Royal Pains), Chad Coleman (The Walking Dead) and Jay Hernandez (Suicide Squad) will appear as guest stars throughout the series’ first season.

Academy Award-nominated screenwriting duo Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men, Iron Man) wrote the pilot and serve as writers as well as executive producers. Executive producer Naren Shankar (CSI, Farscape) joins Fergus and Ostby as showrunners. Award-winning director Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, Suits, Better Call Saul) directed the first two episodes of the series.

JUST FOR FUN:

If you haven't watched this interview by Geek & Sundry: Sword and Laser with James S.A. Corey, you should check it out. They get into the nitty gritty of working as a duo, and they answer a number of fan questions from the Geek & Sundry Goodreads Forum. The extended interview with James S.A. Corey is also a fun listen. They tackle the important literary issues—like why there aren't space cats in The Expanse. Enjoy!

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Tags: alcon television group, daniel abraham, james s.a. corey, jean cocteau cinema, leviathan wakes, syfy, the expanse, ty franck

Signing, Signing, Signing

November 24, 2015 at 3:54 pm

I spent a goodly chunk of yesterday afternoon at the Jean Cocteau with pen in hand, signing books.

We’d sold out of our original stock of A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, so we got a hundred more. I scrawled illegibly in all of them. I also signed copies of A GAME OF THRONES, A CLASH OF KINGS, A STORM OF SWORDS, A FEAST FOR CROWS, and A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, all of which are now available from the JCC in hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market. We were down to about three copies of the adult coloring book, so we got more of that one too, and a big stack of FEAST OF ICE AND FIRE, the official Westerosi cookbook. All of these can be found on the Signed Books page of the JCC website.

Of course, we also have a lot of great books in stock by the other writers who have visited us. Here are a few of those:

All these, and many many more titles, can be found at http://www.jeancocteaubooks.com/

Autographed books make great Christmas presents… but to be sure of getting your books by Christmas, it would be wise to order now.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, signed books

Seveneves at the JCC

November 20, 2015 at 12:35 am

Next week should be epic at the JCC.

Yes, we have Sibel Kekilli and WHEN WE LEAVE on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday, well, Thursday is Thanksgiving. Turkey and football and (I hope) Melinda’s epic apple pie. (Pumpkin pie has its fans, I know, but I’m an All American apple pie guy. With a slice of cheese on the side, please. ‘Apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze,’ my mother used to say). That will be fun… but it won’t be at the JCC.

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we have another very special event. That afternoon, at 3:30, NEAL STEPHENSON will be dropping by for a visit, to talk about his new novel SEVENEVES.

I haven’t had the chance to read SEVENEVES myself, though I am looking forward to it. There’s been a lot of critical buzz about this one, and some great reviews; right now, it looks as if SEVENEVES will be a strong contender come Hugo time. Neal Stephenson is no stranger to that, of course. He’s won (and lost) Hugos before, and his wins include ‘the Big One,’ the Hugo for best novel. We will also have a good selection of his backlist available for sale… and signing… at the JCC.

So if you’re in New Mexico this Sunday, come by and meet him, enjoy a cocktail, and hear how it happened that the moon broke up.

Tags: hugo awards, jean cocteau cinema, signings

Sibel Is Coming…. Back

November 18, 2015 at 7:23 pm

Big doings at the Jean Cocteau next week.

Starting on Tuesday, when the amazing SIBEL KEKILLI visits Santa Fe once again. Last time she was here, I introduced her to margaritas and chile con queso, so of course she had to return.

GAME OF THRONES fans know Sibel best as Shae, of course, but she’s much much more than that. In her native Germany, Sibel has twice won the prestigious Lola Award (the ‘German’ Oscar) as Best Actress.

Last time she visited us, we screened the first of her Lola-winning films, her feature debut in HEAD ON. So this time it seemed only right that we show the second, WHEN WE LEAVE.

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We’ll be showing WHEN WE LEAVE only twice, on Tuesday night and again on Wednesday, and Sibel will be on hand to introduce the film and answer your questions afterward… about WHEN WE LEAVE, about GAME OF THRONES (yay Shae!), about her current starring role in the hit German crime series TATORT, about her work with Terre des Femmes, or whatever. You might even be able to persuade her to sign your GAME OF THRONES books, who knows?

Advance tickets can be purchased on the Cocteau website.

See you at the movies!

Tags: awards, films, game of thrones, jean cocteau cinema

You Missed It

November 17, 2015 at 4:42 pm

Hiya kids, hiya, hiya.

Hey, you missed the fun. Last night’s appearance by the Suicide Girls at the Jean Cocteau was amazing. Sellout crowd, and an amazing sexy raucous nerdilicious show. Planet of the Apes, Star Wars, Thriller, Rocky Horror… oh, and a bit with a girl and three dragons.

Tonight the Suicide Girls will be performing down in Albuquerque, at a much bigger venue… but they seemed to like the intimacy of the Jean Cocteau, and our audience certainly loved it.

After Albuquerque, they have dates in Tucson, Phoenix, Las Vegas (Nevada, not New Mexico), and San Diego before winding up their current tour.

http://blackheartburlesque.com/

If they come to a city near you, check it out. (And no, burlesque is not just for dirty old men any more. In fact, there were probably more women than men in our auditorium last night. Lots and lots of couples. And everyone went out hooting and hollering and smiling).

We hope to welcome to Suicide Girls back to Santa Fe again next year.

Tags: burlesque, jean cocteau cinema

More Signed Books

November 17, 2015 at 3:34 pm

Since my post last week, the JCC has sold out on its stock of autographed copies of A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS. Sorry. But don’t fret, we have ordered more, and I will be defacing them with my illegible scrawl as soon as they come in.

We do, however, still have signed copies of the coloring book and Andy Weir’s MARTIAN still available by mailorder (while the supply lasts), along with lots of other cool titles.

Including: