I don’t usually write about Hawaii movie or entertainment scene, because there are several other sites that already do a great job covering that. But I think these movie and TV premiere screenings would be of interest to new Hawaii residents, or to anyone who visits regularly and would move here if they could.
“Get A Job” final-cut premiere
I keep hearing about this movie “Get A Job,” a screwball comedy filmed entirely on Maui and starring “local boys” Willie K and Eric Gilliom, also known as the musical duo “Barefoot Natives.” The movie is currently making its way through the film festival circuit and so far has been warmly received all over the U.S.
“Get A Job” hasn’t been shown on Oahu since a rough cut premiered last October at the Hawaii International Film Festival. Now the final cut will premiere on Oahu at two screenings: Fri. Aug. 12 and Sat. Aug. 13, 2011 at 7:30pm at the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu.
With all the local buzz surrounding this movie, I have a feeling both screenings will sell out fast. If you’re interested in going, I recommend buying your tickets ASAP. They’re $20 each, and part of the ticket price goes toward the ongoing restoration of the historic Hawaii Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at the Hawaii Theatre box office (Tues.-Sat., 9am-5pm), over the phone with a credit card at (808) 528-0506 (Tues.-Sat., 9am-5pm), or online (note: online orders are subject to an additional $4.50 “convenience fee”).
I know many of you reading this won’t be able to fly to Oahu just to see “Get A Job,” but with all the awards it’s picking up on the festival circuit, I’m sure it will eventually be released on DVD and available for rental through services like Netflix. And if it continues to get positive press, it might even come to a theater near you!
“Hawaii Five-0″ 2nd season premiere — on the beach
Last fall, the very first episode of the “Hawaii Five-0″ remake was shown to the public for the first time on a giant screen set up on Waikiki Beach, one week before it aired on TV for the rest of the world to see. I had just moved to Hawaii at the time, and decided I wanted to go to the premiere, if only to catch a glimpse of my “Lost” favorite, Daniel Dae Kim, who had a new role on “Five-0.” (He and the rest of the cast were scheduled to attend.)
Red-carpet events like this are rare in Hawaii, so there was quite a turnout in the audience. Approximately 5,000 of us showed up and staked out spots on the beach, as close to the screen as we could get. (There were a few rows of chairs set up in the very front so the VIPs wouldn’t have to get their okoles sandy like the rest of us.)
Local musicians entertained the crowd onstage while we waited a couple hours for the sun to set and the VIPs to arrive in a convoy of identical SUVs with dark, tinted windows. Daniel Dae Kim was the only cast member to roll down his window and wave to the crowd as he rode by on Kalakaua Avenue, and I’m sure our eyes met as he did so. 
It was a crowded but exciting evening for tourists and locals alike, and I’m happy to report that it will be happening again this year! The second-season premiere of “Hawaii Five-0″ will be shown Sat. Sept. 10, 2011 on Waikiki Beach (on the section of the beach that’s right across from the Honolulu Zoo). Once again, the cast members are scheduled to attend, including a very exciting new addition: Terry O’Quinn (“John Locke” from “Lost”)! And this year, Masi Oka (“Hiro Nakamura” from “Heroes”) — who plays the quirky Dr. Max Berman on “Five-0″ — will be there, too! I am totally stoked.
Specific times haven’t been publicized yet, but last year the music entertainment started around 5:00pm, and the screening started around 7:00pm. Beach umbrellas (to ward off the setting sun) and low-sitting beach chairs are allowed.
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