Sarah Winchester biographer not planning to see ‘Winchester’ movie

Don’t expect Mary Jo Ignoffo to line up to buy “Winchester” when the supernatural thriller is released on DVD on May 1. The author of Sarah Winchester’s fascinating biography, “Captive of the Labyrinth,” says she has no intention of seeing the movie made about one of San Jose’s most famous residents.

Ironically, it’s not because of the liberties the filmmakers took with Winchester’s story — and there were a lot — but for a much simpler reason. “I don’t like horror movies,” Ignoffo said at a History San Jose talk at the Fallon House Wednesday. The last horror movie she saw was “The Exorcist” in 1973, when she was 16 years old. “The genre was just not my thing,” she said.

Ignoffo says she was contacted very early in pre-production about being a historical consultant on the Helen Mirren film, which was a role she said she would have been happy to play even though she knew the direction the filmmakers were headed. Alas, they never got back in touch with her. “I didn’t lose a lot of sleep over it,” she said.

But it did bother her that the Spierig Brothers, who directed “Winchester,” cited her book as a resource — and even claimed to have uncovered documents that Ignoffo spent years researching. “I did come to peace with the movie,” she said, “but it’s not based on my book.”

Although Ignoffo’s book was released in 2010, she continues to make new discoveries about Winchester and her sprawling mansion. A recent one was the earliest known photograph of what’s now known as the Winchester Mystery House, showing a much more modest structure than we’re used to seeing today. SARATOGABLOOMS » There will be flowers and a lot more — including

antique cars, art, crafts and live music — popping up at the annual Blossom Festival in Saratoga on March 24. The annual event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Heritage Orchard and Saratoga Civic Center, will feature costumed historical figures from Saratoga’s past, a talk on the area’s original Ohlone inhabitants by Ann Marie Sayers and a poem by teacher and poet Bill Peck, the son of Willys and Betty Peck.

Get more information on the free festival, produced by the Saratoga Historical Foundation and the city of Saratoga, at www.saratogahistory.com. SETTING THE TABLE FOR ST. JOSEPH » The Italian American Heritage Foundation is preparing for one of its big annual events, the Feast of St. Joseph on Monday. The Sicilian tradition dates to the Middle Ages and honors San Jose’s namesake for divine intercession during a drought. Volunteers will be preparing a huge Lenten lunch of Pasta Milanese, frittata, orange salad and Italian pastries for dessert.

Doors open at 10:30 a.m. at the Italian American Heritage Foundation cultural center at 425 N. Fourth St. in San Jose, with Mass at 11 a.m. and buffet lunch service at noon. The celebration is free and open to the public, though donations will be accepted. WEHAVEAWINNER » Dario Jackson of Kickback Coffee Roasters took top honors Wednesday night at the inaugural Irish Coffee Brew- Off at Five Points Bar in downtown San Jose.

His Irish Coffee concoction featured a Guinness- based whipped cream with hints of orange zest, an Ethiopian coffee, and Jameson’s Caskmates whiskey, the sponsored spirit used by all five contestants. His recipe edged out a creative cold-brew by Academic Coffee’s Frank Nguyen, as well as entries from Roy’s Station, For- ager and Chromatic.

Jackson’s Irish Coffee will be served all day at Five Points and its sister bar, O’Flaherty’s Pub, on Saturday for St. Patrick’s Day.