"Zombies, man. They creep me out," Dennis Hopper says in the preview for "George A. Romero's Land of the Dead."

	Bill Wade, Post-Gazette George Romero's "Land of the Dead" will open nationwide June 24. Click photo for larger image.

But the 2005 CineVegas Film Festival is gambling on the Pittsburgh director and his fourth zombie picture.

The movie will close the June 10-18 event, and Romero will receive the Vanguard Director Award. Mark Canton, chairman and CEO of Atmosphere Entertainment MM and a producer of the film, will present the honor.

"George Romero's groundbreaking films fused undead terror with social commentary to create an entirely new genre -- 'the zombie movie.' They have inspired some of the greatest horror directors of all time and have garnered him a rabidly devout fan base," Trevor Groth, the festival's director of programming, said in announcing the selection.

The festival will be held at the Palms Casino Resort and Brenden Theatres in Las Vegas. Other honorees: Christopher Walken, Ann-Margret, Nicolas Cage, Samantha Morton, Rhonda Fleming and Wim Wenders. Go to www.cinevegas.com for more information, including a full list of films.

"Land of the Dead," starring Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper and Asia Argento, will open nationwide June 24.

Media Tonic II

Pittsburgh Filmmakers will transform its headquarters at 477 Melwood Ave. into a vast exhibition space for Media Tonic II, a celebration of media art in the community.

The one-time event, June 25, will showcase 60 artists with installations, animation, photographs, films, sculptures and digital images. Media Tonic II is a fund-raiser for Filmmakers.

In addition, there will be live music, stage performances, prizes, food and spirits. Special musical guess will include: John Doe, founding member of the punk band X, and Jim DiSpirito and Big World. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.mediatonic.org or by calling Filmmakers at 412-681-5449 or at Filmmakers, its theaters or The Box Office at Theater Square, 665 Penn Ave., Downtown.

A VIP reception, allowing guests to meet the artists, will start at 5:30 p.m. and feature catered foods, locally brewed beers, Chinese auction and more music. Those tickets are $100 and are available at the Melwood location Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by phone.

Ready for lift-off

"Captain Blasto," a locally produced movie, will achieve lift-off Thursday with a 7 p.m. screening at the Loews at the Waterfront. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.captainblasto.com or the door.

Written, directed, edited and starring Christopher Preksta, the movie follows the story of Colin Carter, a high school outcast who decides to become what he's always wanted to be: a superhero.

He intends to foil his town's robberies, after he helps to stage them with the help of a motley crew. Preksta produced the low-budget film with Ashley Urbaniak and Aaron Kleiber. The story is by Preksta, Kleiber and Ben Shull.

Good, Bad, Ugly Redux

The poster proclaimed: "For three men the Civil War wasn't hell, it was practice!"

And the long-standing version of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" was just practice (albeit excellent practice), too, until nearly 20 minutes were restored. You can see the full, 180-minute version of the Sergio Leone spaghetti western at the Oaks at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and meet film preservationist John Kirk afterward.

Tickets are $5. The Oaks is at 310 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. Go to www.theoakstheater.com for details.

Kirk, who worked for MGM (now Sony), will talk about how he spearheaded the effort to bring stars Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach back into the studio to voice sequences recently restored for the Italian version, had the sound remixed and the color restored. The movie is about three men after a fortune in Civil War gold, with each knowing one isolated detail about the location.

At 3 p.m. May 27, Kirk will lecture at the William Pitt Union, intersection of Fifth Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard, on film preservation and restoration. He will present clips and discuss restoring "Some Like It Hot," "The Apartment" and Kiss Me Deadly." This event is free and open to the public.

Sponsoring these events: the Oaks, plus the Infinity Student Preservation Group, Society of American Archivists Student Chapter and the Archives Lecture Fund at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Library and Information Science.

And if you're interested in "The Apartment," the Oaks will show it Monday night at 7:30 and hold a discussion afterward.

Jazzy jeans for sale

Levi's jeans decorated by the stars of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," author Ann Brashares and two dozen celebrities, will be auctioned on eBay, with proceeds benefiting Girls Inc.

The fund-raiser was inspired by the jeans featured in the movie, set to open June 1. Online bidders can access the auction page at www.ebay.com/sisterhood starting on Monday. It will be available through June 2.

Joining actresses Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel in distinctively decorating jeans: Courteney Cox-Arquette, Selma Blair, Brandy, Katie Couric, Vivica Fox, Jennie Garth, Mary Hart, Jill Hennessy, Lauryn Hill, Angelina Jolie, Ashley Judd, Queen Latifah, Virginia Madsen, Nancy O'Dell, Leah Remini, Annasophia Robb, Raven Symone, Jessica Simpson, Amy Smart, Brittany Snow, Jamie Lynn Spears, Lara Spencer, Kirsten Storms, Charlize Theron, Amber Valletta, Estella Warren and Emma Watson.

'Come Away Home'

Four of the principals behind "Come Away Home," which had a red-carpet premiere in Pittsburgh this week, will be at Joseph-Beth Booksellers on the South Side at 3 p.m. tomorrow. The store is located at 2705 E. Carson St. in the SouthSide Works complex.

Director Doug McKeon, songwriter and actor Gregg Russell and producers Robert Slane and Steve Zakman will be available to sign copies of the children's book, "Come Away Home: Hilton Head Is Calling You Home" and meet the public.

Parrots, yet again

It wouldn't be Film Notes without a mention of "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill," drawing flocks of moviegoers to the Regent Square Theater. Its run has been extended through June 2 and then will move to the Harris Theater, Downtown, to coincide with the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Something you should know, so you don't get upset with the theater (or the Post-Gazette). Starting times during the week are not the same as on weekends; some patrons have followed the ad in Thursday's Weekend Mag and arrived too early or too late on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

When in doubt, check the ads of the current newspaper, go to www.pghfilmmakers.org or call 412-682-4111, a recording with showtimes.

Also, a review of "Up and Down," opening today at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland, appeared in yesterday's paper. In awarding the R-rated movie three stars, John Hayes wrote, in part:

"In co-writing and directing a project as volatile as 'Up and Down,' Prague director Jan Hrebejk is taking an unpopular and daring stand for racial justice in his own country." In the Czech-language film, three small stories converge to make a larger point. You can find the full review at www.post-gazette.com.