Santa Cruz County has been the backdrop for various horror movies, most famously “Lost Boys,” “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” and, more recently, Jordan Peele’s “Us.” But its deepest connection to Hollywood involves the ultimate master of the macabre.
Back in the 1940s, director Alfred Hitchcock bought a 200-acre estate in Scotts Valley. For 30 years it was his getaway from Hollywood. And three years ago, a group of film lovers started a local festival to honor Scotts Valley’s most famous resident.
Now in its third year, the Alfred Hitchcock Festival takes place this weekend, exploring the work and celebrating the legacy of the legendary filmmaker whose career spanned six decades and more than 50 films.
Coming back to The Landing, the newly rebranded theater space located on the edge of Scotts Valley’s picturesque Skypark, the third annual Alfred Hitchcock Festival opens on March 14, two days after National Hitchcock Day.
The first event is a 7pm talk led by Hitchcock’s granddaughter, Tere Carrubba, local author Aaron Leventhal and historian Jay Topping about the legacy Hitchcock left behind.
“We’re excited this year that Hitchcock’s granddaughter, Tere Carrubba, will be talking about her grandfather at the beginning of the festival and what it was like to grow up visiting him in Scotts Valley,” said event organizer Dave Hodgin.
At 8:15pm there will be a discussion about techniques employed for Hitchcock’s 1948 film “Rope,” led by UCSC film and digital media faculty member Logan Walker and assistant professor Shelley Stamp, an expert on women in film. After the discussion, “Rope” will be shown.
An experimental psychological thriller, “Rope” was captured using long shots and a single set to create the illusion that it was filmed in one take, building on the suspense of the original 1929 stage play of the same name it is adapted from. The film, based on true events, follows two college students who strangle their friend to death in a philosophical exercise and hide him in a chest before a dinner party with his fiancé.
Day two (March 15) of the Hitchcock Festival begins with a 1pm screening of “The Wrong Man,” a 1956 film starring Henry Fonda, introduced by Jason Isralowitz, author of “Nothing to Fear: Alfred Hitchcock and the Wrong Men.” Afterward, at 3pm, Isralowitz will discuss his book, which follows the true-to-life story of Manny Baelstro, a Queens-based musician who was indicted for two robberies he did not commit. Hitchcock’s documentary-style retelling brought Baelstro’s story to the silver screen in the aforementioned film.
Saturday evening programming features a 6:30pm reception and gala, including local beers and wines, before a showing of “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog,” with live accompaniment by pianist Kylan DeGhetaldi. The 1927 silent film, considered by many Hitchcockstorians to be “the first true Hitchcock film,” will be introduced by Bill Park, founder of the film studies program at Sarah Lawrence College.
“We’ll create the experience you would have seen when it came out 100 years ago,” Hodgin said.
Day 3 (March 16) begins with a noon presentation by Australian filmmaker and “Hitchcock whisperer” Jeffery Michael Bays of “The Hitchcock 20,” a documentary series exploring Hitchcock’s television work.
A 1pm screening of episodes from “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” concludes the weekend. The 30-minute stories—“Bang You’re Dead,” “Breakdown” and “One More Mile to Go”—pulled from Hitchcock’s TV series will be accompanied by mimosas.
As with the previous two festivals, the event is a fundraiser for the Scotts Valley Community Theater Guild. Tickets are available for single events or as a package deal that allows patrons to come and go as they please to catch the different speakers, galas, beverages and films throughout the festival.
“I think that many people will enjoy the festival, and I’m encouraging them to buy the three-day packet, which is $110,” Hodgin said. “Every day is packed with all kinds of interesting information and films they may not have seen before.”
The festival runs March 14-16; info at hitchcockfestival.com.
