A Night at the Outdoor Cinema in Old Oakland
The Music
We met at Jesso’s Seafood Cabaret at 6:30, where the ensemble that usually plays from 10pm till 1am every Saturday night was working early so as not to conflict with the movie, which was going to be playing right outside Jesso’s door.
Kymberly Jackson bills herself as The People’s Flautist on her website, but she has a great vocal style as well. I thought the mike was a bit too “crispy” for voice but it was perfect for her flute, so there may have been a trade-off taking place there.
KJ’s accompaniment was a three-piece she calls her Urban Legends Band–drums, bass, and keyboards. Jazz, Hip Hop, Classical, R&B, Funk are the styles listed on Jackson’s promotional postcard. The level of musicianship from the ensemble is top-class, and the diners were really enjoying the performance.
The Food
Jesso’s Seafood is a famous transplant to Old Oakland from Telegraph Avenue. It specializes in cajun-style fried and grilled seafood and also has a lengthy and interesting cocktail menu. Being just down the block from the Oakland Convention Center, where the Black Expo 2005 is taking place this weekend, the restaurant was crowded with both locals and visitors on Saturday evening.
I’ve heard so many good reports of Jesso’s from many different people with widely differing tastes that I’ll rest my case on Jesso’s being a good place to eat completely upon its well-deserved reputation. You see, being from a British colony, my expectation of finding fish’n’chips locally that are like those back in “the Old Country” has long since atrophied.
To make a Brit/Oz/Kiwi happy, you have to cook the fish in very hot vegetable oil, very quickly, and use a very thin batter. The result should be thick moist fish inside and a thin golden case on the outside. I stuck to Jesso’s fillet of sole with cajun-style fries on the side. The fillet is very thin and doesn’t have batter so it curls up when cooked. It’s plain food that you can add to with the condiments of your choosing–just like at home, and that really is Jesso’s charm.
The Short
Before the main movie, a short film made by Academy of Art University student SeunJae Jung, and filmed around the Bay Area, including Oakland, was shown. Called Final Conflict, it was a fast-paced, beautifully edited film about dueling violinists. The Oakland Film Office had facilitated its making.
The Movie
Aah! West Side Story. The movie came out in 1961 when I was nine years old and living in a small country town in New Zealand, so you can imagine the impact it had on a pre-teen who liked singing and dancing. In fact, it may have not reached the provincial movie circuit until a couple of years later.
Since we didn’t get television in NZ until the middle of 1960, and then only to a few select areas, West Side Story’s portrayal of young people in the big city of New York was totally exciting. I recall I got my mother to make me a skating dress in the same mauve color as Rita Moreno’s dress for the dancehall scene.
The Star
Which brings me to the star attraction at last night’s Outdoor Cinema showing. Rita Moreno herself. Consummate performer, ever-mindful that there were children in the audience, she managed to answer the interview questions she was asked by FilmOakland’s Ami Zins on several levels at once. The interview ranged over a number of subjects, and I hope FilmOakland finds a place to put it on their website.
For those who wanted the goss on WSS, Moreno related that at the very end of the dance number “America,” when all the girls land on the boys’ shoulders and shout Ole, she had great difficulty and there were 15 takes before she got it right. The reason? Well, she had a wide bottom, and George Chakiris had small, sloping shoulders and was wearing a slippery silk jacket. As a result, she would slide down his arm instead of holding the dramatic pose.
The Downside
If you go to Outdoor Cinema, don’t forget to take lots of warm clothing and a blanket. I also took my own folding chair to be sure I had one, and there was a good crowd for the showing. You can get takeout from all the nearby restaurants or buy treats and popcorn at the refreshment tent.
But if you’re really into the craft of movie-making, as my friend is, then the use of the reformatted instead of widescreen DVD version is a big disappointment. And although the image on the screen was crisp, the headlights of cars coming up the street behind the audience, would sometimes wash out the image.
The worst thing though, was that a group of motorbikers–perhaps trying to stimulate for themselves the kind of attention that sideshows get from the Oakland City Council and police–positioned themselves on the next block, revving up their machines and cruising around the block without mufflers.
But hey! This is outdoor cinema so you gets what’s out there.
Upcoming season
Every third Saturday until October there’ll be an Outdoor Cinema feature. August 20 is Some Like it Hot; The Station Agent plays on September 17, followed by Confessions of Burning Man; and on October 15 is Waiting for Guffman, followed by Olive or Twist.
Venue : Outdoor Cinema is on Washington Street, between 9th and 10th Streets.
Directions : BART to 12th St. and exit at 11th St. The Oakland Marriott and Convention Center will be straight across the street from you. Walk past and turn right into 10th St. and left into Washington.
