The co-owners of the now-defunct Insomniac Video, once the video store of choice for hardcore film aficionados in San Luis Obispo, are back, this time on the big screen.
Bob Whiteford and John Jones recently announced the creation of Insomniac Cinema, with an eye on serving up the type of eclectic, often obscure, films the store was known for before closing in October of 2008.
The two are working in conjunction with members of the Odd Fellows of San Luis Obispo, Chapter #168. All screenings will be held at the Odd Fellows Hall, 520 Dana St. in San Luis Obispo.
The debut for Insomniac Cinema is scheduled for Friday, August 30, from 7 to 10 p.m. with a pair of classic, low-budget, science fiction movies.
First up is Edward L. Kahn’s IT! The Terror from Beyond Space from 1958, followed by Mario Bava’s Planet of the Vampires from 1965. Film critics point to both films as a major influence on the popular Alien movie franchise.
Future screenings are being considered. Whiteford likened Insomniac Cinema to an “off Broadway show in development with a lot of moving parts involved.”