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Forget the blockbuster live-action G.I. Joe movie coming out this summer. It’s sure to ruin your childhood memories and leave you wishing you’d stuck with something more true to the source material — something like Gio Toninelo’s G.I. Joe Fest, a celebration of stop-motion animated films created with real G.I. Joe action figures. The festival is a showcase of both the toys and the awesome creativity that springs from the mind of people who refuse to give up their cherished childhood memories. The films are often funny, frequently bizarre and almost unfailingly interesting. You’ll see re-creations of famous movies, including a variety of takes on an iconic Indiana Jones scene and a loving homage to John Carpenter’s The Thing. One film tackles the absurdity of the War on Drugs, another sets up a Cobra vs. G.I. Joe dance-off, and one of the strangest of all is a fractured fairy tale of obsession and suicide. The program is identical to last year’s fest — it’s a reprise to kick off the festival’s inaugural tour of L.A., Seattle and Portland, among other cities — but Toninelo promises a preview of an upcoming feature-length animated film for returning fans.

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More About

• The Thing (1982)
• John Carpenter
• Indiana Jones
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Animated Movies

Catch the action tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Ubisububi Room, in the basement of the Thin Man Tavern, 2015 East 17th Avenue. Tickets, $8, are available at St. Mark’s Coffeehouse, and seating is extremely limited. For more information, visit www.gijoefest.com or call 303-322-8384.
Sat., Feb. 28, 7:30-9:30 p.m., 2009