Boulevard release
Boulevard, one of the last movies that Robin Williams made and written by Portland native Douglas Soesbe, will be released on Digital HD, DVD, Blu-ray, iTunes and On Demand on Sept. 1.
The movie follows a married but closeted 60-year-old bank employee (Williams), whose spontaneous turn down an unknown street upends his monotonous life and crumbling marriage. The movie also stars Kathy Baker, Bob Odenkirk, Roberto Aguire and Giles Matthey. It was directed by Dito Montiel.
Starz Digital released Boulevard in July.
Soesbe, a script analyst at NBC Universal in Los Angeles, grew up in Portland and was always an avid movie buff, practically living at the Laurelhurst and Avalon theaters. He graduated from Portland State in 1971. He now lives in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
It was Soesbes first script for a full-length feature film after writing four others for television. Boulevard debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last year.
I still cant believe it. Its like Im in some weird dream, Soesbe said at the time. Last year, I was all excited, but you never know until its finished. Movies get canceled or run out of money or people have creative differences. Now that its done and everybodys happy with it ... its hard to even believe.
Williams died on this day last year Aug. 11.
Soesbe said after the Tribeca debut that he really enjoyed working with Williams:
He was in almost every scene, and we shot at night. He said he slept all day with the curtains closed like Elvis. ... When I met him Im 6-6 and he started acting like the Hobbit; theres a picture of the two of us with another actor, and he says, Honestly, Im not standing in a ditch.
Soesbe added: Hes very prepared. I would sit by him sometimes going over his lines, and he was very much in character. ... He was one of the nicest people, much different than what youd expect. We were doing a drama, and hes extremely smart and knows a lot about everything. Hes a little on the shy side, which is a surprise. Theres not a diva bone in his body. Hes just a wonderful person.
Fashion awards
The Portland Fashion and Style Awards have opened up voting in all categories, including Best Fashion Blogger, Most Fashionable Male/Female TV Personality and Best Designer.
Its scheduled for Nov. 15 Portland Art Museum.
For info, to vote and to buy tickets to the show: portland fashionandstyleawards.com.
Important Voices
The 23rd season of the Voices Lecture Series has been announced:
Amy Purdy, Oct. 14, Living Beyond Limits The double amputee went on to compete in the finale of Dancing With the Stars, just after receiving a bronze medal in snowboarding in the Sochi Paralympics.
Azar Nafisi, Nov. 11, The Republic of Imagination: A Passionate Case for the Vital Role of Fiction in Society Today Shes a leading voice on the political implications of literature and culture and the author of Reading Lolita in Tehran.
Annie Griffiths, Feb. 10, Rethinking Legacy: How to Answer the Now What? One of the first women photographers for National Geographic.
Yeonmi Park, April 6, Journey to Freedom A 21-year-old human rights activist and North Korean defector.
The lectures are held at the Tiffany Center, 1410 S.W. Morrison St. Each starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $165 general admission. For info: voicesinc.com.
Wanna sail?
The brig Lady Washington, the official ship of the state of Washington, will offer tours and sails out of Arlington (Aug. 13-14) and Hood River (Aug. 17-19). Tickets are $35 to $45 for adults. For info and tickets: historicalseaport.org.
Big exhibit
The Portland Art Museum has announced details about its upcoming special exhibition, Seeing Nature: Landscape Masterpieces from the Paul G. Allen Family Collection, which opens Oct. 10.
The exhibit features European and American landscape paintings 39 paintings from five centuries, from Jan Brueghel the Youngers series devoted to the five senses to Canalettos celebrated views of Venice to landscapes by innovators ranging from Joseph Mallord William Turner, Paul Cézanne, and Gustav Klimt to David Hockney and Gerhard Richter. Paintings by Thomas Moran, Edward Hopper, Georgia OKeeffe and others provide an American perspective on landscapes at home and abroad. It includes five Impressionist canvases painted in France, London and Venice by the French master Claude Monet.
Seeing Nature offers an extraordinary opportunity to perceive the world through the gaze of some of the most important artists in history, says Brian Ferriso, The Marilyn H. and Robert B. Pamplin Jr. director of the Portland Art Museum, who is curating the exhibition in Portland. These masterpieces have never before been on display together. In fact, some have never before been on public view. Paul Allen is one of the Northwests most significant art collectors and philanthropists, and his willingness to share his landscape masterpieces with our visitors offers an unprecedented chance to be inspired by works of art.
