By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

It was a hot Sunday August night years ago at the Pompano Muvico when Cinema Dave watched Rob Zombie’s creation, The Devil’s Rejects [which was released in 2005]. With visceral violence and terrible torture scenes, Cinema Dave wondered what type of people would pay to see such a film. He questioned the psychological make-up of the people sitting next to him and cheering the exploits of Otis (Bill Moseley), Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) and patriarch Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig).  Now, Cinema Dave owns a DVD copy of it.

A follow up to his first movie, House of a 1000 Corpses [2003], The Devil’s Rejects is now considered Rob Zombie’s best movie.  Barely a blip in the 2005 box office, the filmwas rated highly by national critics like Roger Ebert. A cult phenomenon through the horror convention circuit and through the camaraderie of the actors, Zombie put paper to pencil and created 3 from Hell, a direct sequel featuring Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie and Sid Haig in a brief appearance as the patriarch.

Unless you were in a movie theater for the last three weeknights, you missed the big screen edition offilm as the film is now being processed for a DVD/Halloween release next month. Riding the vibe of this independent cult film trilogy, Universal Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando is devoting a haunted ride exhibit to the Firefly Family from the film.

Halloween Horror Nights is also dedicating a haunted house to Us, Jordan Peele’s next film after his Oscar winning screenplay, Get Out.  Starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, Us is a horror movie that is too long for its own good.  There are plenty of thrills and laughs, but the horrific explanation is complicated and takes too long to explain. (US is currently available on DVD).

Beyond the fantasy of terror movies, there is the realistic horror of Hurricane Dorian upon the Bahamas recently. Unlike the selfish behavior of people seen in a horror movie, our South Florida neighbors have stepped up to help our Caribbean neighbors with donations.

Beginning 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival’s (FLIFF) Savor Cinema (503 SE 6 St., in Ft. Lauderdale) in partnership with the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science, will screen Eye of the Dolphin and Beneath the Blue, two films filmed in the Bahamas that were previously honored by the festival. Throughout the double feature, there will be a Bahamian party in the courtyard.  While ticket prices vary, all proceeds will go to Bahamian charity relief efforts. For more information, find FLIFF on Facebook.

By Rachel Galvin

“It started five days ago with a phone call and a text…” said George Albert, referring to what would become a huge effort to help out the Bahamas.

On Friday night, Sept. 6, the parking lot of Big Dog Tackle (1440 N. Federal Hwy. in Pompano Beach) was filled with people busily going into and out of the store bringing box after box of supplies that had been donated to the trucks waiting outside. Inside, food, water, diapers, clothing and more were hastily being sorted and put in boxes, taped up and labeled ready to be put on a dolly and taken to the trucks. The effort was quick and massive.

“We have been working all day today and yesterday,” said Albert, who is on the board of Offshore Anglers of Pompano Beach and was joined by a large group of people from his group to make sure this effort happened.

Bringing supplies and loading them onto trucks was only the first part of the effort. The next step was getting them to the islands. That meant driving the trucks at 5:30 the next morning to the 14^th Street Boat Ramp in Pompano to unload them onto about 40 boats, which were slated to leave bound for the Bahamas at 7 a.m. They also had obtained planes to fly from the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport. They had received all the proper permissions from the Bahamian government. The supplies would be taken to a church there that they had been talking with to make sure they go to those most in need.

Nicole Zapetis, owner of Big Dog Tackle, when asked why they decided to do this, said, “We’re a local store. We wanted to do what we could. We expected people to come out and drop some boxes. [But we never expected this many]. We couldn’t be more thankful. Some of our customers have come out to help load trucks. I could never have imagined there would be so many people.”

She added, “I want to thank All My Sons, who donated trucks. Hooker Electric got the planes together. Offshore Anglers of Pompano Beach helped to get the boats.”

Daniel Horak, one of the people helping, said people were already loading trucks when he showed up to drop some things off. He heard about it through word of mouth.

“It is really nice to see,” said Horak, adding, “the Bahamas are in our backyard. A lot of us spend a lot of time there.”

For more information on Big Dog Tackle, visit https://pompanobeachtackle.com. For more on Offshore Anglers of Pompano Beach, visit https://offshoreanglerspompanobeach.org.

By Rachel Galvin

On the Bahamas Paradise website, it announces that cruises have been canceled on Sept. 7, 8, and 11. The reason is Dorian.

When the storm hit, I knew right away that Bahamas Paradise CEO Oneil Khosa would be lending a helping hand. After all, that is what he did during Hurricane Irma. (The company worked alongside the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] to house more than 2,000 first responders for two months after the storm on its Grand Celebration ship). And, I was right. Not only did he use one of his vessels, the same cruise liner, to deliver much-needed supplies to the islands, which were devastated in the storm and bring manpower to help where needed, but, he went a step beyond by helping to evacuate for free more than 1100 people who wanted to leave the Bahamas and come to South Florida.

Once again, Khosa extended his generosity and took on the task because he said it is “the right thing to do.”

In addition, they are still seeking supplies. To see a list of what they are seeking, visit www.BahamasReliefCruise.com and www.MissionResolve.org. Residents can deliver products to Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s warehouse, at 301 Broadway Ave., Bay #7, in Riviera Beach.

Mission Resolve and Bahamas Relief Cruise are working to coordinate a unified effort to help in the short and long term to rebuild in the Bahamas. All proceeds raised will go directly to provide relief to those affected by the storm.

The group not only includes senior executives from Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, but also The Subculture Group, Everglades Trust,  Titou Hospitality Group out of West Palm Beach and Resolve Marine Group and Mission Resolve out of Broward County.

Since the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is in Freeport constantly, as their two cruise lines go back and forth from the Port of Palm Beach to Freeport, they have a one-on-one direct contact with the government there so can work with them to make sure the most critical needs of Bahamians are addressed.

Bahamas Paradise’s cruise lines sail from the Port of Palm Beach, but they are headquartered in Deerfield Beach. For more information, visit www.bahamasparadisecruise.com.