“;Dog the Bounty Hunter”; fan Theresa Sandlin volunteered all day to get a chance to meet Duane “;Dog”; Chapman, Beth Chapman and (her favorite) Leland Chapman in Waikiki to celebrate the 100th episode of their reality show. “;I've been dyin' for this,”; said Sandlin, posing for a photo with Leland. “;I watch faithfully—since day one.”;

At the reception and 100th-episode screening at Level 4 Ultralounge Wednesday night, a benefit for March of Dimes Hawaii, the Chapmans greeted fans and shared a massive three-piece cake in the shape of the number 100.

Making it this far “;means a lot,”; said Leland. “;This is not only our job, but it's also part of our lifestyle. We're pouring everything into it.”;

Beth agreed, and credited the island setting for attracting mainland viewers. “;It is thrilling; this is a landmark seldom reached by reality stars.”;

The Chapmans have recovered nicely from the temporary suspension of the show by A&E last year. Current Season 5 ratings are higher than previous years, with more than 3 million viewers. The hard edge and subsequent empathy with which the Chapmans approach each bounty is definitely part of the appeal. But who else could do it this way? After all, noted Beth, “;We've been on both sides. We've been the cop and robber.”;

  “;In Search of a Midnight Kiss”; is one of those films that doesn't prompt much expectation, then surprises with its nuanced delivery. Shot in black and white in Los Angeles, the 90-minute movie revolves around Wilson, a 29-year-old lost soul whose girlfriend recently broke up with him. Wilson's roommate urges him to find a date for New Year's Eve (that night) to lift him out of his misery. The only way to do this rapidly, the roommate assures, is to put an ad on Craigslist.

“;Honestly, if you try to go to a bar right now, nobody's going to talk to you,”; he says. “;Nobody's even going to look at you. You have to say, 'Hey, yeah, I'll send you a message' for them to trust you. If you don't do that, it's just going to be weird and creepy.”;

When a young woman responds to Wilson's ad, he asks, “;What are you looking for?”;

“;The love of my life,”; she answers.

“;On Craigslist?”;

However, what appears to be a bittersweet comedy—hilarious early on and definitely not appropriate for kids—eventually delves into the human spirit as these two lurch toward midnight, the moment when broken dreams become reality and the spark of hope begins anew. The characters' authenticity shines through as writer/director Alex Holdridge gradually reveals layers of touching vulnerability.

The Hawaii premiere of “;In Search of a Midnight Kiss”; takes place tonight at the Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a reception. Walk-in tickets are $15, $12 for museum members, $8 for students. Hawaii-based director Gerard Elmore is the guest speaker.

His film “;All for Melissa”; recently earned national distribution.