Over a period of sixteen years, Cinequest, the San Jose film festival celebrating independent filmmaking, has quietly developed into the premier downtown cultural event. I say quietly because, unlike the current favorite of our evidently lowbrow city council, it doesn’t get a $4 million subsidy (although I am sure they would LOVE to have it), uproot trees and citizens, and disrupt downtown residents and workers for six weeks while they construct, then deconstruct, a racecourse and stands. And, unlike that other event calendar high point, Mardi Gras, it doesn’t attract even one single drunken, underage troublemaker bent on late-night destruction and mayhem.
Like the well-established Jazz Festival and the newly instituted Zero One San Jose International Festival of Art and Technology, Cinequest is a class act. For several years the festival has brought prestigious worldwide attention, thousands of extremely well-behaved, serious, money-spending attendees, and many of the industry’s biggest names to our city. This year is no exception. Most of the showings and other events are conveniently close together downtown at the Camera 12 Cinemas, SJSU Theater, Rep Theater and the glorious California Theatre. Some of the high points are yet to come at the festival, which goes through Sunday, March 12. These include a tribute to Spaghetti Western pioneer Sergio Leone, two Buster Keaton silent films with live organ at the California Theatre, an appearance by past Cinequest Maverick Award and Oscar winner William H. Macy at a showing of his new film “Edmund,” written by David Mamet, and the presentation of this year’s Maverick Award to a very deserving Edward James Olmos. Plus there are over 100 films and several seminars on various aspects of independent filmmaking. There are plenty of film showings and tickets left and you won’t have to walk through the riot squad or past warring beer sponsors to get there.
Details at: www.cinequest.org
Speaking of Fat Tuesday, the chief architect and promoter of the San Jose version of the event, Joel Wyrick, is a candidate to represent District 3 on the San Jose City Council. Presumably, this is the type of idea he will be bringing to the council if he is elected. Even though Wyrick takes credit for popularizing San Jose Mardi Gras, he says its shortcomings are not his responsibility and he offers no solutions to cure them. My question is, why is he settling for a mere city job when, with that attitude, he could easily get a position of responsibility at the Pentagon or the White House?
Finally, if, like me, you are tired of the endless, overly sentimental drivel performed by whiny singers and the mindless, subwoofer-based formulas that pass for popular music these days, you might be interested in catching a rare San Jose performance by innovative Bay Area electronic music composer Robert Rich and his band of computers and synthesizers at the CET Performing Arts Center, 701 Vine Street, on Saturday, March 18 at 8 p.m.
Details at: www.robertrich.com
Composer, writer and downtown resident Jack Van Zandt is the editorial director of sanjoseinside.com.
Trying to say Joel Wyrick is responsible for the trouble downtown appears to be a straw man argument. In other words, it makes no sense. You may as well say that any mayor who helped renovate downtown is responsible for the trouble downtown.
However, you have given finfan the opportunity to write another of his unthinking, ludicrous racial rants.
Cinequest is such a fun time, I wish many of the locals would start seeing movies and hob knob at some of the afterparties….its a great time and a great way to mingle and meet new and interesting (if not artsy) people. Where is the headquarters this year? The paragon again? A great place….
Now that the Mardi Gras problem has been identified – Chief of Police and Councilmembers say it is due to teens who do not have a productive, entertaining, pro-social place to go. I think entrepeneurs, non-profits, and the City are on the verge of seeing that Fat Tuesday is the opportunity for a creative collaboration that opens its doors to our youth (one night a year at least). We know teen-agers can be a tough crowd when we don’t give them the opportunities to be engaged and active in something that interests them (music, art, etc.). Give them a place/s to go and socialize like the adults have (but w/out alcohol) and the trouble-making might just go away or at least decrease.
Wouldn’t that be a wonderful feather in the cap of San Jose like Cinequest and the Jazz Festival? Might a District Three candidate take this challenging idea on? Teen-agers can’t vote but people who want the Mardi Gras shenangians to cease do.
(And, I do know how to spell ‘revolted’. I was seeing red after reading finfan’s racial rant the other day and didn’t spell check myself.)
Much of what passes for ‘film’ these days is little more than soft porn or political rants from the angry left. No thanks. A sewage pipe is still a sewage pipe, regardless of whether it comes from Europe, Hollywood, or Indy’s.
Here’s a public opinion poll I’d like to see:
Who do you trust more?
– the mainstream media
– the Pentagon
Sure Jack,
Joel was sitting there one day thinking about how he could attract thugs to his place of business and to the downtown area in general and came up with the Mardi Gras idea. He knew, unlike the rest of us uneducated dolts, that Mardi Gras is widely celebrated across Mexico, much like Cinco de Mayo (just another day in Mexico but a contrived holiday for belligerent—is there any other kind?—chicanos in the US) so he created an event for them to attend and afterward go out and raise hell and break windows, etc.
Yeah, that’s exactly what Joel intended.
Get real.
Uh oh, Novice is star†ing to sound like Finfan. Your extreme “opinions” are good for a chuckle. Your painting most “film” with the broadbrush of the left is ridiculous, if not amusing.
I agree with you though, I would certainly trust the media over the Pentagon any day.
Cinequest, Jazz Festival, Tapestry and Talent…all proof that large events in Downtown San Jose can be peaceful and void of rioting/pillaging!
In an earlier post, Ms. Shelton (#3) identified herself as a former aide to Blanca Alvarado. With today’s post, she offers irrefutable proof of that fraught with risk association, and demonstrates a level of job-related cognitive injury that should qualify her for a disability award. To wit:
“Now that the Mardi Gras problem has been identified – Chief of Police and Councilmembers say it is due to teens who do not have a productive, entertaining, pro-social place to go. I think entrepeneurs, non-profits, and the City are on the verge of seeing that Fat Tuesday is the opportunity for a creative collaboration that opens its doors to our youth (one night a year at least).”
Had poor, comatose Terri Schiavo only been able to produce two such sentences of vegetative gibberish, her plug would’ve been ordered pulled years earlier.
Ms. Shelton, obviously blind to such old-fashioned values as personal responsibility and basic civility, sees in a rioting crowd of idiots not lawless thugs and vandals, but a group of “our youth” in need of entertainment. She assumes (or accepts the alleged assumptions of others) three things about the rioters:
1. They do not have a productive place to go. (How can anyone know this?)
2. There are no other entertainment options. (Patently false. This area has no shortage of theaters, bowling alleys, etc.)
3. They have no place to socialize. (Absurd. No friends’ or relatives’ homes, no coffee shops?)
Clearly, Ms. Shelton has invented a set of facts to justify both her feelings and her otherwise absurd recommendation. This would-be social engineer apparently believes that it is our responsibility to provide an unending list of excuses and justifications for the continued, inexplicable, criminal behavior of certain classes of people. Their misconduct is, in essence, a challenge for us to do better; thus, her solution:
Cause an annual riot, reap a sponsored celebration.
And what will be your contribution to next year’s Festival of Felons, Ms. Shelton? Will you provide the “youths” cookies and milk?
#7 Tony D.
Don’t be so sure. These artsy-fartsy film festivals attract out-of-towners and get pretty rough!
I heard that William H. Macy was going to toss Milk Duds at Edward James Olmos. No telling where that might lead.
Finfan, can we be drinking buddies? We backward intolerant types need to stick together in this town. Oh, wait, that’s the same type as goes to Mardi Gras, the ones who can’t tolerate school or work or BIRTH CONTROL or anyone looking at them the wrong way or the disciplined behavior that’s required to maintain a polite society.
So can we forward-looking-and-hence-scared-sh*tless-of-SJ’s-future types be drinking buddies then? Wanna join us Novice?
If you ask me, the silence of all who agree with finfan is deafening. Even anonymously they still are too “PC” to declare that finfan tells it like it is. Just not an acceptable viewpoint in 21st century California, and this town and this state are going to hell in a handbasket as a result. Time for chemo everybody, or this societal cancer is going to be our undoing.
Cinequest is one of those amazing annual events that realizes the full potential of San Jose. I’ve been volunteering for Cinequest for the past 6 years and love being playing my part as a local.
Jack, you couldn’t be more correct when you use the word “quiet” in reference to the festival. After 16 years you might expect a more resonant voice, but it seems to continue flying under the radar year after year.
I think Halfdan and his team have done a terrific job over the years but maybe it’s time to add an outside PR team to take it beyond its “grassroots” beginnings.
As for #5 Mark T’s comment, “(just another day in Mexico but a contrived holiday for belligerent—is there any other kind?—chicanos in the US)…”
Suggesting the only kind of Chicano is a belligerent Chicano is quite a claim. Thanks for the time warp – you just turned the clock back about 40 years with that comment. All of a sudden it feels dumber here.
Perhaps the riots happen because the hoods know they can go there and drink and see boobs?
Just a thought…
So which of our District 3 candidate will offer better beer / babes at the street parties ?
Joel – has the party experience but for years do not go to party and the party goers say – who ?
Sam – a bit too straight laced – but a few beers and babes would help – could be a great party animal
Manny – a true party animal but will he leave to go to another party
Dennis – is probably at an anti war demonstration or still trying to figure out local party
Jose – good drinking buddy – party on
Candy – probably tired and wants to go home early
By the way invite the others, if we can remember their names
Hey Vic,
I recently attended a one-man show at MACLA. It was about growing up Hispanic, and in his case, gay. As he laid the groundwork for his show he talked about different terms that his culture has used to describe the various subcultures within it.
His description of a Chicano: “A Mexican who is NOT kidding.”
So maybe belligerent was too much for you? Then let’s say these thugs are NOT kidding about their destructive agenda on Fat Tuesday and indeed any other day of the year.
I think the fact that I set foot inside MACLA at least a couple of times a year should demonstrate that I’m directing my comments to the most loathsome sector of the local Hispanic community, not every last member of it.
Mark T,
You should be commended for your bravery. You’re a giant among men. Just thinking of the strength you had to muster to attend a gay one-man-show…haha.
What’s funny is that I think I was at that show and it wasn’t exactly a large crowd.
Fair enough, Mark. I happen to like your voice here in these blogs. But the beligerant Chicano statement didn’t quite make clear your audience. Remember this was before we knew that the T in your name stood for “Tip-toeing To MACLA.”
I think the scarier thought is waiting to see how the District 3 Council race will unfold. I’ve been to two D3 candidate forums and it’s clear that Joel and Sam are the two smartest and most passionate guys in the room. While Manny smiles smuggly and waits for the masses to see the Spanish surname “Diaz” on the ballot and cast their vote. Manny rode that philosophy all the way to the State Assembly despite the fact that Tony West was the smartest and most passionate guy in the room during that race.
RGC,
Having intentions in “the right place” does not give Ms. Shelton carte blanche to excuse or rationalize destructive behavior. Our continued failure as a society to hold the small percentage of real troublemakers accountable—beginning in elementary school—has brought violence into our schools, gang intimidation into our neighborhoods, and savagery to our downtown.
How much more will you take?
You, like many well-meaning others, have convinced yourself that race is not the issue in these incidents of violence and destruction, that what we see on our streets and in all those disturbing news clips are socioeconomic forces at work. I disagree. What I see are the worst elements of our society taking advantage of their over-emphasized racial identity so that they can wreak havoc as part of an anonymous, self-energizing crowd.
To rioters identity is everything. Besides giving them the identity necessary to assemble a volatile crowd of like-minded idiots, identity provides the crowd the “them versus us” mentality critical to their destructive desires. This is true no matter the source of the identity. But when the identity is racial, the thugs and vandals enjoy a level of immunity and protection not extended to punk rockers and other rioters. Were it not for their officially unacknowledged racial identity there would be no reason for the restrained police response, no “racism” defense for those captured or manhandled, no hand-wringing, otherwise clueless politicians pledging to review police procedures.
And no one trying to pin the blame on socioeconomic forces.
I went to Cinequest last year.. I was pleasantly suprised to see the amount of people that showed up. There were long lines, and tons of people. It was great to see.
Finfan, I share your frustration. But after spending a year working in the Alum Rock School District after graduation and watching the problem firsthand it becomes a lot more difficult to see an easy solution.
You say it starts in elementary and middle school. What is your solution then? If the parents work nights (which many have to do, cleaning up after you in your nice office), then they’re often not available to come in. When they do, they want to help. However, they’re understandably more concerned with simply getting some food on the table. Necessities like food and shelter will take priority.
So is that some sort of racial thing? Is it racial because most of our working poor in SJ happen to be Latino?
I think you’re missing my point though. I’m not blaming the problems on “society” but I’m saying that its more of a class struggle than a race struggle.
I do wholeheartedly agree that greater enforcement of curfew etc may be necessary. If you’re out after 10pm downtown and underage then enforce it. Crusing downtown? Seize the vehicle and then tow it and charge the owner all appropriate fees. The two approaches don’t have to be mutually exclusive though.
Finfan and RGC good discussion
A well recognized way to prevent or reduce accusations of racial profiling, police mistreatment of people or other excuses for not enforcing reasonsable laws is to use street and parking lot TV cameras and videocameras in police cars in high crime or trouble areas like downtown club district to document what actually happened and to identify the troublemakers and anyone who is doing illegal behavior.
Increasing the penalities for those actually breaking the laws with higher fines and seizing the vehicles of those with documented illegal behavior in special enforcement zones like a downtown club district where the cost of the special equipment comesfrom the club busineses in the district will deter future troublemakers
SAn Jose Police could use instant replay to determine what actually happened if their were questions as to who was responsible
San Jose as the Capital of Silicon Valley is still in the dark ages in utilizing technology to assist in solving our public safety problems and identifying the troublemakers
Hey Vic, I really don’t tiptoe to MACLA. I’ve been attached to a Hispanic for over 20 years. I just call it like I see it. Yeah, it was a small crowd at that show, and must say I’m not a show-tunes kind of guy and was expecting to hear more about a struggle than about some guy named Sondheim.
You’re on the right track about Manny. Between him and Cindy there’s no question they’re expecting their surnames to give them a boost. I hope the Hispanic voters can see through that, especially in Cindy’s case. I think I like Joel at this point but wouldn’t be crushed if Manny won this thing. I’m looking forward to hearing more from the candidates. I still have ties to real estate in district 3. Now if we could just get a warm body to represent district 9, I’d be a happy camper.
The Youth Curfew Ordinance, SJ Muni Code 10.28.020, was amended on June 21, 1994 through the efforts of the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force and San Jose City Council.
Curfew hours are 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for minor’s 15 years old and under and 11:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for minor’s 16 & 17.
Suggest that it be amended again to prohibit youths under 18 from the downtown area or other special enforcemetn areas after 10 pm
Finfan and Mark T.
You both often make some good points regarding downtown. But then you shoot yourselves in the foot with the Michael Savage comments you throw in that don’t make any sense. You’ve been to MACLA to see a show so you can disparage people according to race?
Its not being PC to say you’re not making sense. We all know that this is a more socio-economic based problem that has more to do with class than race. The St. John Vianney kids aren’t out stabbing people.
More importantly, the city (and the developers hoping to sell the condos they are building downtown) need to address a downtown that has gotten out of control. The party needs to be moved somewhere else.
And while I think Andrea’s intentions are in the right place, I’m not sure how 17 year olds would buy it.
RGC,
In response to your post:
1. There are no easy solutions. The breakdown of the key element in a successful community, the family unit (a unit dependent upon values and beliefs that are extremely susceptible to the surrounding culture) did not happen overnight and its impact, though much suppressed in academia and by feminists, has been disproportional. Where you see the problem as the result of parents working nights, I see the problem as children growing up without strong values. What makes this a unique problem for immigrant families is that they come from cultures where temptations were few and one set of values ruled the home, the neighborhood, their children’s every move. That is, and will never be, the case here in America. Due to the nature of our open society all we can for do for their children is suggest values and educate them to the dangers of that which tempts them. The only tools we have to offer them are our schools and laws, thus the importance of making the school experience matter, and making sure our laws are respected. (Our allowing “illegals” to overwhelm our state is not exactly the way to demonstrate respect for the law.)
2. As I stated previously, I believe that race plays a key role in our worst crime problems. Hispanic youth gangs (whose members have been indoctrinated by idiots stressing race and praising “La Raza”) are racist in nature, basing their unity on ethnicity (Mexican, Salvadoran, etc.), neighborhoods (barrios), and regions (Norte, Sur) that are meaningless outside their criminal subculture. No financial disclosure forms are required to join a gang, just the right blood. Those who are not in gangs, but are nonetheless non-productive, segregate themselves almost exclusively along racial lines (as on Fat Tuesday and at every cruise). Take a close look at those crowds and realize this: were their ethnic make-up the result of some government program or rule, a RACIAL discrimination lawsuit would be guaranteed, but absent the hand of the victimizer, RACE is off-limits even as an issue for discussion.
3. To equate those Fat Tuesday idiots with the plight of the working poor is a mistake. Why assume that a crowd of destructive young people, many of them obviously overfed and underworked, and apparently so unencumbered by obligations that they are free to stay out all night in the middle of the week, have any connection to those hard-working folks scrubbing floors into the wee hours of the morning? Didn’t you notice all the camera phones they used to record their accomplishments? Camera phones? Very un-working poor-like. No, these idiots were into destruction, not hard labor. In that riot, you’d have had more luck finding the offspring of the working poor if you looked amongst those brave folks out there from the police department.
Right on, Vic Paul on Manny Diaz…
Mark T – having Manny in D3 would not be okay! It will affect everyone – not just D3! It would be more of the status quo in city hall – labor & lobbyists. Hmm, maybe someone from the DA’s office – Sam Liccardo -can help clean things up? He and David Pandori would pack a powerful 1-2 punch.
I just hope that the voters can remember how disgusted they are with City Hall and vote in some new blood.
SJ Downtowner – unfortunately more hope and pray reform dreams
Where is the political leadership from any of DA’s candidates?
DA’s should know – How to enforce existing laws and what New laws are necessary BUT WHY are they SILENT ?
Leadership is NOT SILENT candidates or Politicians finally passing weak or fake reforms very reluctantly
Leadership does NOT exist from ANY DA candidates
Just MORE – Low or No Ethics / Go along to Get along Politicians – talking about vision, blah blah or Fake Reforms – NOT real ethics or sunshine Reforms
#25 – What are you talking about? No Leadership? The silence in City Hall about all the scandals has been DEAFENING until election time came around…Everyone was either scared of Gonzales or in with him. Can you say that is NO leadership?
Finfan speaks the truth and I didn’t hear any racial rant from him. I dont know who FinFan is and it’s unfortunate that the “race card” got pulled on him or her. The problems in downtown SJ will grow with the election of people like Joel Wyrick. In my opinion, he’s the type of character that condones the behavior of thugs. His “Raider Nation” attitude is the last thing that downtown San Jose needs right now. Some of us have invested a lot of time and effort(not to mention money) in making Downtown a place where families can visit and be safe. We dont need an elected official that’s going to promote criminal activity for the sake of lining his pockets under the table.