Nightlife: Go movie-mad with Denver

Nightlife: Go movie-mad with Denver
by Kathleen St. John on November 13, 2009

denver
Lights, camera, cocktail: Denver steps into the spotlight this weekend, and so can you.

With the Starz Denver Film Festival lighting up this weekend, Denver is going movie-mad. Maybe it won’t hit the heights of Broncomania, but the film freakout will be intense in the downtown area.

Pre-parties, premieres, more parties and then after-parties: Only the strong (and the mostly sober) will survive. Even if you’re not attending the screenings and surrounding celebrations, there are ways to have a little movie-inspired fun. Ever been in a bar and suddenly felt like it was a movie set? It can happen almost anywhere, but Denver’s got its fair share of cinematic spaces.

If the mood strikes — and no film fest RSVPs have been made — rally the crew and go on location at one of the city’s camera-ready clubs and bars.

Let’s just get the most obvious one out of the way: Mario’s Double Daughter’s Salotto (1632 Market St.) is the bar that must get mentioned.

Almost every new visitor to Double Daughter’s blurts out, “I feel like I’m on the set of a Tim Burton movie.” Indeed, the creepy, barren tree that looms over the center of the bar looks like a leftover from “Edward Scissorhands” or “Sleepy Hollow.”

The fake doves that hang limply from the ceiling, the menacing red/black lighting and the high-backed booths all have Burton’s cartoon-goth signature. Drink a glass of the bar’s famous “Succo Vaffanculo di Mario,” a terrifying blend of 17 beverages, and prepare for a weird night.

Down the street, Oak Tavern (1416 Market St.) has the “manly,” old-school study look from dozens of films locked down.

Sit in the back room on a luxurious couch, and sip a martini among the dark-wood bookshelves and low tables. No one would be surprised if a square-jawed college professor strolled in, puffing pensively on a pipe, and started discussing how his calculations predict an alien attack. Or maybe Bruce Wayne would hurry through, pull a book from a shelf and reveal a hidden door to the Batcave.

Across town, Rockbar (3015 E. Colfax Ave.) could be a set from a Tarantino movie. Think of the scene in “Pulp Fiction” where Bruce Willis meets the Marsellus Wallace character in a bar.

Rockbar’s décor is virtually untouched from its 1970s glory days: shiny wallpaper, awful carpet and lots of stone. It’s the sort of kitschy place Tarantino loves for his films. Cover your ears if “Stuck in the Middle with You” starts playing.

Tooey’s Off Colfax (1521 Marion St.) feels like a college flick, in the best possible way. The motley collection of customers is like the Delta House fraternity in “Animal House” — everyone is welcome.

That’s what makes it so fun, of course. On weekends, the bar is packed three-deep, the pool table is rowdy, people are dancing, and Pabst Blue Ribbon tallboys are the hot sellers. Add to that the promotional beer decorations and generally un-sexy ambience, and it’s a college party for legal drinkers.

Denver’s full of charismatic watering holes, and these are but a few. Get out there and make some movie magic during the film festival. Costumes optional.

– Need beats? –

Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom (2637 Welton St.) is the place to get a fix this weekend.

“Re: Convergence” takes over Friday and Saturday. The eclectic electronic music festival features the formidable skills of BoomBox, Ana Sia, Samiyam, Bluetech and more.

Advance tickets are $20, day-of-show tickets are $25. Two-day passes are $30. For more information and to buy advance tickets, visit cervantesmasterpiece.com.

– Kathleen St. John