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08/02/2006
Jurassic DarkStorm drenches crowd gathered for movie
Traverse City Film Festival founders Michael Moore and John Robert Williams point toward an incoming thunderstorm that led to the cancellation of Tuesday night’s free movie, “Jurassic Park,” at the Open Space. TRAVERSE CITY — The planned showing of "Jurassic Park" was canceled Tuesday evening moments before the movie was expected to start due to thunderstorms. "Mother Nature is more powerful than any Hollywood production," said Michael Moore, founder of the Traverse City Film Festival. "I wish I were Charlton Heston and I could take my rod and make it go away." Moore addressed the thousands of viewers gathered on land and the boaters in the water near the Open Space to watch the film. Festival officials gathered in a huddle discussing the path of the storm and remained in contact with a local meteorologist. At about 10 p.m., the time the monster movie was slated to begin, Moore called off the showing. Traverse City Police directed the crowd away from the Open Space as the rain poured down. Moore said the film will most likely be shown during next year's free movie lineup. Ed Mulcahy of Traverse City said he was disappointed the show was canceled. "It's too bad but I understand the risks," he said. "It's more important to get people home than to see 'Jurassic Park.'" An inflatable screen, which is three times larger than the one used for last year's film festival, and a concert-style sound system were constructed for the week, said Bob Deutsch, president of Outdoor Movies, the Washington-based company which coordinated the effort. The inflatable screen, or "air screen," is 55 feet tall and 75 feet wide and can withstand winds up to 40 miles per hour. "(Festival organizers) wanted bigger and I just said 'how big?'" Deutsch said. "This is the way movies were meant to be shown." "Jurassic Park" is the 1993 action-packed epic directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough. Prior to the cancellation Tuesday night, several vendors were on hand to supply movie staples such as popcorn and Raisinets candy as well as lemonade and gelato to cool down spectators. Gillian Bell traveled from her home in Rochester, N.Y., to participate in the festival with her family who live in Lake Leelanau. She attended the showing with her brother, Hunter, and said they'll return for more of the outdoor showings planned for this week. "It's a great chance for families to be together," said Gillian Bell. "It's fun for us because we like doing it.
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