Flick Pick

Everyone can agree that firefighters are all heroes -- but we don’t really understand exactly what goes on in a fire. You might have seen Backdraft a million times, but it still doesn’t quite capture the feeling of being in the midst of a blaze. “A lot of people know about firefighting,” agrees former Denver firefighter and current filmmaker Rob Bieber. “They’ve seen a lot of movies that try to convey in some way the firefighter’s experience inside the burning building. But every single movie I’ve seen has failed terribly to convey that experience.”

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• Rob Bieber
• Greenwood Village
• Burn Foundation
• Injuries and Traumas
• Burns

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That’s why Bieber and a cinematographer partner decided to make Ricky’s Rib Shack, a film shot entirely in Denver that truly does convey what it’s like to fight a fire. “Because I was still on the fire department at the time, they gave us unprecedented access to everything,” Bieber says. “We got right into the action, into the middle of everything.” So in the middle, in fact, that the cameras were damaged. “We got bruised and a little bit battered,” Bieber remembers.

If you missed the screening of Ricky’s Rib Shack on Wednesday, November 12, don’t fret; it plays again on Thursday, November 13. Both shows are at the Landmark Theater in Greenwood Village, 5415 Landmark Place. Tickets are $12, which includes popcorn and soft drinks, and all proceeds benefit the Denver Fire Fighter’s Burn Foundation, which helps children with severe burn injuries. The film is not rated; it contains intense scenes and some adult language -- it was shot in a fire, for crying out loud -- so parents, use your judgement. Visit www.rickysribshack.com for more information.
Wed., Nov. 12, 7 p.m.; Thu., Nov. 13, 7 p.m., 2008