The crimson clogs 

Did you know New Times’ “Blast from the Past” columnist Bryce Wilson holds a regular, free film screening at the SLO Library? I didn’t, until a release advertising Saturday’s 2 p.m. classic Technicolor movie screening shocked me with these words: “the film title cannot be released outside the library due to contractual agreements.” However, if you go to the library, located downtown at 995 Palm St., they’ll whisper it in your ear, the release basically went on to say. What?! SLO Library harboring a secret speakeasy-esque Technicolor dream show? Interest piqued, I phoned Wilson himself for the inside scoop.

NEW TIMES Without giving anything away, tell us about the super-secret movie screening.

BRYCE WILSON Well, if you want to make it out to be a secret show, God bless, but you can’t talk about The Red Shoes without talking about The Red Shoes.

NT Shh!

WILSON Well, The Red Shoes was considered by many to be a masterpiece. It’s shot on three-strip Technicolor, one of the most beautiful, lush, and hard-to-preserve film stocks that’s ever been invented. You really got this look that was unlike anything else.

NT What’s the occasion?

WILSON It’s part of a series called “Bryce Wilson Presents.” This is the fourth one, and I’m really excited to see how people will take it, because this is an odd movie. Very dreamlike, but not in the way you normally think of movies being dreamlike. There’s a very dark and powerful undercurrent. The movie takes its name from the ballet based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, so it has that same dark fairytale logic to it. It’s just a beautiful, very powerful film.

For more information, visit the event calendar at slolibrary.org or call Steve Kinsey at 781-1215.