By Dave Montalbano
http://cinemadave.livejournal.com
Last weekend, I went to Orlando. Once north of Palm Beach County, the change of scenery is obvious; the landscape is more green and rural. Between the Ft. Drum rest stop and Kissimmee, one sees an orange grove and senses a raise in elevation.
However, this change of elevation is minimal compared to the experience of visiting the Rocky Mountains. For Florida first timers, the biological changes are obvious; one can almost see their heart beating out of their chest. With this type of personal experience, one can appreciate a Museum of Discovery IMAX film like Rocky Mountain Express: The Journey of a Lifetime, which documents the 19th Century building of the steam engine locomotive in the Canadian Rockies.
Even without 3-D glasses, the vistas and landscapes are majestic to behold. This 45- minute epic includes a story about the building of Canadian Pacific Railroad that is both inspiring and disturbing.
This film devotes considerable time to the history that inspired some of the darkest moments of the recent Lone Ranger movie. In a rich man’s pursuit to dominate nature, due diligence was ignored and stubborn determination leads to disaster. Almost 200 years later, this film presents wooden and stone trestles that were never used. Near these sights are the unmarked graves of the workers who died trying to build an untested short cut.
Five years ago, Downtown Disneyworld closed The Adventurers Club, against much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Thanks to the surviving club members, the club has been kept alive as a notso- secret organization. One greets club members with a healthy and hearty “Kungaloosh;” non members observe this behavior with confusion.
Under the leadership of Robert F. Croskery, Esq., the first Adventurers in Charity was launched last Saturday. This program, which is not sponsored by Disney, reunited club membership for a positive cause. Fifteen cast members returned to perform and discuss their respective charities. $9,000 was raised, with A Better Life Pet Rescue receiving the most representation from cast mates John Connon, Mindy Wally Dietterick, Eric Pinder and Joy Anderson Bowes.
My first book, The Adventures of Cinema Dave in the Florida Motion Picture World was sold at the silent auction as was the CD A Festival of Bruces. The husband of Joy Anderson, Bruce Bowes, passed away after the closing of the club. The CD is beautiful a cappella music that celebrates traditional English carols and is available at www.brucebowes .com.
