You know you’re really over the top infatuated with coffee when you find yourself squinting to see the coffee maker in a film. When Steven Rea contacted me to offer to bring his new book, Hollywood Café to CoffeeCon, I was really excited both to realize there was such a book and that he’d reach out to me to offer to present.
Unlike a lot of industries, the coffee business has never done much product placement. When I worked in television the most I’d heard was of a producer who got a free espresso machine for featuring it. This is so different like liquor, tobacco, automobiles and other businesses, where PP is so common it’s just a chance to see which companies get it and which don’t. Virtually the entire coffee industry doesn’t “get it”. So, the coffee makers featured in Hollywood Café really offers a pure vision of what’s popular or considered technologically advanced, rather than a rundown of cinematic ad insertions. You’ll get a chance to see vintage shots such as Boris Karloff in full Frankenstein makeup, pouring his morning coffee from a siphon (known commonly in the US as a vacuum) brewer. Other stars such as Sean Connery using a Chemex, Michael Caine enjoying a French Press and other stars such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.
Rea says he may bring a few photos that didn’t even make it into the book and, even better for a live presentation, film clips featuring these and other stars in scenes coffee geeks will drool over. Of course he’ll hang around and sign copies of the book, which can be purchased. I told him to bring a truckload. Best of all, Steven Rea is a true film expert. He’s the reviewer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Equally important, he’s a coffee enthusiast, who appreciates and identifies the importance of unique brewing methods when combing through filmdom’s stock shots.
Admittance is free with a CoffeeCon general admission ticket, and limited to 100. TBA when we publish our schedule. CoffeeCon takes place at Industry City, Brooklyn NY on Saturday June 4 from 9 am to 4 pm.