Filmmaker Albert Pyun hopes to bring his award-winning "Road to Hell" indie cult film to Hawaii for two screenings in December, dates to be announced. A roll-out in IMAX is due in January.
The screenings follow the ex-islander’s unprecedented success at the fall PollyGrind underground film festival in Las Vegas, where audiences greeted him with cheers — and trophies. The rock-opera flick copped nine awards, including best picture, actor and actress. Further, Pyun earned a Lifetime Achievement Award. "Very gratifying at my age," Pyun said. "I thought I had dodged a lifetime achievement award by asking them upfront to give me no awards — but they surprised me. Makes me feel like I have one foot in the filmmaking grave."
Another Pyun flick, "Bulletface," won four awards, including best crime film, and four more wins went to his "H.P. Lovecraft’s Cool Air."
TREE-MENDOUS: Island author-poet Frances Kakugawa, who’s now a Sacramento resident, is here to launch her newest Watermark book, "Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!" The title character is a little Hawaiian mouse who uses poetry to save the day when a bulldozer threatens his special grove of koa trees. Appropriately, Watermark publisher George Engebretson bought a keiki koa in Wordsworth’s name and tapped Kakugawa — a Pahoa native — to be there to plant the seedling last week on the Big Island. It’s all part of a mission to reforest 1,000 acres with 1 million koa trees. The project is mentioned in the new Wordsworth book; to learn how to "plant" your own tree, go to legacytrees.org. …
Since November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness/National Family Caregiver Month, Kakugawa’s visit is well timed. A nationally known speaker on Alzheimer’s and caregiving, the former educator is in the midst of talks, readings and book signings; look for her Saturday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, and she keynotes the AARP Caregiver ConferenceNov. 14at the Ala Moana Hotel. …
NAMES ‘N’ PLACES: Jason Beghe, who plays Richard Bates opposite David Duchovny‘s Hank Moody character in Showtime’s "Californication,"has landed a guest role as a former Navy SEAL in ABC’s Hawaii-filmed "Last Resort." Beghe will play Wes Porter on the series’ ninth episode, airing Dec. 13. Beghe also has a story arc in NBC’s new "Chicago Fire." …
Though "Last Resort," starring Andre Braugher and Scott Speedman, has not yet earned full-series status, ABC has ordered a few additional scripts. …
And belated congrats to Alex O’Loughlin, who plays a former Navy SEAL on "Hawaii Five-0," and girlfriend Malia Jones, who welcomed a son Oct. 25. So far, the couple haven’t announced the child’s name. …
Cry uncle: George Takei, still remembered as Sulu in TV’s "Star Trek," will do a "Five-0" as the uncle of Daniel Dae Kim (Chin Ho Kelly). …
Speaking of Kim: To encourage voter turnout, he’s launched an online #iVOTED contest via Twitter (open to folks anywhere). If you tweet him a photo to prove you’ve voted, you may win a trip for two to Hawaii and a three-night hotel stay plus a visit to the "Five-0" set. Details on Kim’s Facebook page.
TRADE WINDS: Actor Don Stroud donned a buccaneer’s costume for the St. Francis School Halloween party Wednesday. Stroud and Principal Sister Joan of Arc Souza, who dressed as a devil with horns, pointy tail and a red blazer,are longtime friends. The actor judged the student costume contest. Sister Joan is just back from her pilgrimage to Rome to celebrate sainthood for Mother Marianne Cope. Stroud next will be seen in Quentin Tarantino‘s "Django Unchained," starring Jamie Foxx, Leo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz, opening Christmas Day. …
And that’s "Show Biz." …
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.
