Bogdanovich film captures Petty's dream

Music and movies have had an ongoing onscreen relationship almost as long as popcorn has been dueting with melted butter. What started with Al Jolson in "The Jazz Singer" led to everything from "The Sound of Silence" playing over the final scene of "The Graduate" to Nigel Tufnel's amps that "go to 11."

In 1967, D.A. Pennebaker directed a pair of the first rockumentaries, "Monterrey Pop," his cleverly-titled chronicle of, um, the Monterrey Pop Festival, and "Don't Look Back," which captured Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of the United Kingdom. In October, Aperture Cinema screened "Don't Look Back" as part of the ongoing "Rock and Reel" series.

Rock and Reel started in September and is bringing a total of 11 rock-docs and concert films into downtown, many for the first time. Aperture was the only theater in North Carolina that had a showing of "Pearl Jam: 20," the Cameron Crowe-directed dream-come-true for anyone who spent the early 1990s with Eddie Vedder's picture in their locker and "Alive" lyrics etched into the vinyl of their Trapper Keeper.

"I personally love music documentaries, and there are so many great ones out there," Lawren Desai, Aperture's owner and curator said. "Last year we showed a documentary on the Drive By Truckers to a sold-out crowd, and the idea just stuck in my head that maybe we should organize a regular series."

Desai worked with Andy Tennille from BLURT magazine to put the series together. "We had a blast selecting the films," she said. "We are both looking forward to doing this series again in the future."

Next on the list is 2007's "Runnin' Down a Dream," which chronicles Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from their shaggy-haired 1970s origins through their 30th anniversary concert. It was filmed mainly in Gainesville, Fla., but it has a connection to Winston-Salem.

The film was directed by Peter Bogdanovich, the two-time Oscar nominee who also has a set of business cards from the UNC School of the Arts, where he teaches a pair of classes on Intermediate and Advanced Film Directing.

"Part of the temptation to show (the film) was Peter Bogdanovich, who just happens to be local while he is on the faculty of UNCSA," Desai said. "Everyone knows he directed 'The Last Picture Show,' but not that many people know that he directed this amazing film. It's definitely my favorite in the (Rock and Reel) series."

"Runnin' Down a Dream" won Bogdanovich a Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video, and the accent is definitely on the "long form" portion; Petty chases his dream for nearly four hours.

"I kept saying if Martin Scorsese can spend three hours in six years of Bob Dylan's life (in 'No Direction Home'), we can spend 31/2 hours on 30 years of Tom Petty's life. And we did," Bogdanovich told USA Today.

That leg-numbing run time led to what could become another memorable partnership, between Aperture and Camino Bakery, its neighbor on the other side of Fourth Street.

"This is a film that needs an intermission," Desai said. "And we thought why not send folks across the street to grab a meal? Cary Clifford from Camino loved the idea and was on board immediately."

Clifford, the bakery's proprietor, is excited about the possibilities for co-branding the afternoon. "We are making a special Peter Bogdanovich drink and will have more dinner options," she said. "We're trying to figure out a Bogdanovich sandwich, but everyone tells me that he just likes plain meat."

Whatever they decide to serve, whether it's named for the director (The Bogdanowich?) or for Tom Petty (Brie Fallin'? Don't Dough Me Like That? Learning to Fry? OK, I'm finished…) anyone who's followed the smell of fresh-baked breads toward Camino's knows that it will be delicious.

Camino officially opened its doors in July, when Clifford admits that she "needed about 40 hours in every day." Since then, she's received a rock star-like welcome to Winston-Salem. The bakery already has almost 1,500 fans on Facebook and has gotten the real-life equivalent of the "Like" button from the repeat customers who consistently fill its wooden tables.

Last Friday, Camino quietly celebrated Aperture's screening of Martin Sheen's "The Way" with a number of wine specials. "That film is about the Camino de Santiago, which is what our café is named after," Clifford explained. "We thought it was the perfect opportunity to host a Spanish wine night and offer glasses of wines that we normally only sell by the bottle. And, as always, customers receive 10 percent off desserts with their Aperture ticket stub."

Part One of "Runnin' Down a Dream" will be screened from 3:30 to 5:30 on Sunday afternoon, and the dinner break will take place on the other side of the crosswalk from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Part Two will run from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m.

Bogdanovich was originally scheduled to appear for a post-film question-and-answer session but has had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict, so the evening will end with the final credits.

"We haven't filled his space because we really don't think there is anyone who could substitute," Desai said.

She's right. You can't make a better pair than Bogdanovich and Petty, than Aperture and Camino Bakery, than music and the movies.

Even if it comes with a large bag of buttered popcorn.