Roger Ebert Film Festival 2000

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04000500dvldtc.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Reel Movie Critic.com</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reel Movie Critic.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Roger Ebert Film Festival 2000</B>   |   <A HREF="id488.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="EbertRoeper Film Festival at Sea 2001"><U>Ebert-Roeper Film Festival at Sea 2001</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id672.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eberts Bigger Little Movie Glossary"><U>Ebert's Bigger Little Movie Glossary</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id669.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Book of Film"><U>Book of Film</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id667.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie"><U>I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id668.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Movie Yearbook 2001"><U>Movie Yearbook 2001</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id670.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Roger Eberts Movie Yearbook 2000"><U>Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2000</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id671.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Questions For The Movie Answer Man"><U>Questions For The Movie Answer Man</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="041d2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <IMG SRC="137ba7c0.jpg" border=0 width="186" height="124" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Roger Ebert & George after midnight film discussion ended</div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Roger Ebert Film Festival 2000</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="367" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 65 WIDTH="361"><div>  <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=9jVMwncE8Ds&offerid=23971.10000026&subid=0&type=4"><IMG border=0 alt="Wedding Gifts" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=9jVMwncE8Ds&bids=23971.10000026&subid=0&type=4"></a>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <B>Roger Ebert 2</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>nd</B></FONT><B> Annual Overlooked Film Festival</B></div> <div> <B>April 26-April 30, 2000</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Take it Straight to the Pool Room</B></div> <bR> <div> This is a movie lovers film festival, not a meat market for filmmakers trying to get their films in distribution. Its intended purpose is more exposure for films that deserve a wider audience. "Overlooked" in this case indicates that a film deserves more attention and time in the spotlight. In many instances the film has distribution, but it may never make it to your multiplex or the art house theater in your city. It may be a silent film, or a classic that has been restored. In one of this year's films, <I>The Castle</I>, whenever a gift is received in the family that's considered a real jewel, they "take it straight to the pool room," where it's admired and put on permanent display. And so it is with these films.</div> <bR> <div> Unlike film festivals with movies running concurrently at multiple venues, each film is shown in the beautiful old Virginia Theatre, in downtown Champaign. The location is near the campus of the University of Illinois, Ebert's alma mater. This year's  </div> <div> festival screened 12 features, and offered a number of workshops. These films are here for very fundamental reasons…for the love of film and the message.</div> <bR> <div> I was moved by Paul Cox, writer/director of <I>A Woman's Tale, </I>who claims a change of view about the future of film after this festival. On stage with Roger after his film was shown, he said he was not optimistic about the future of non-Hollywood cinema, because people don't seem to care. Reaction to his film, and in particular the enthusiasm of the youngsters who came on the stage to ask questions about the Iranian feature, <I>Children of Heaven, </I>renewed his faith that there is an audience who loves his films today, and those who can grow up to love them tomorrow. </div> <bR> <div> Last year's festival was dedicated to the memory of Gene Siskel, Roger's former TV partner. Gene's memory was evoked again anytime the topic of documentaries was discussed, because they were frequently in his top 10 films of the year. </div> <bR> <div> Film fest organizers gathered Wednesday evening to kick things off with a reception at the home of the President of the University of Illinois, James Stukel. Sponsors, guests,  and film critics were welcomed by Roger. He gave a brief overview and introduction of each film, to include the representative producer, director or actors. Right away you sense the passion that has gone into these films, and that they were not made with just the commercial goal of putting in as little money to get as much out as possible. </div> <bR> <div> Digital versus Film</div> <div> The debate rages on regarding film versus digital. Some like the look of film and others appreciate the lower cost to produce digital. To the extent the Internet plays into viewing movies on computers, digital can gain ground quickly. However, conversion costs would top $10,000 per projection room to show digital in theaters. Even if the quality meets or exceeds film, the cost to change will approach or exceed a billion dollars. With the high level of debt service for the construction in recent years of new theaters with stadium seating and digital sound systems, when the studios decide the costs are in their favor they will probably work with the movie houses to make the transition. Digital is on the way but film still has a lot of life left in it. </div> <bR> <div> David Polland of TNT feels strongly that when the issues of cost and quality are addressed, digital will replace, not supplement film. New filmmakers will be using more digital as they can shoot at far less cost, for longer periods of time. With digital, you can get going without high level people connections, a minimum of money (a new credit card may get you over the hump) and fewer lighting requirements. What's not to love?</div> <bR> <div> Some films scheduled for release this year will help determine the role of digital. When the "good looks" of film can be replaced with the more documentary look of digital, we'll see more films based on the digital format. Look for movies such as <I>Dancer in the Dark, Time Code, Chuck and Buck </I>and<I> Spike Lee's Bamboozled.</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Full Length Documentaries</div> <div> An overlooked category, with much controversy each year at the Academy Awards, occurs in the documentary field. Roger has written extensively on the subject. Two documentaries are at this year's event and a panel discussion on the format. The essence of a documentary is that it is a work in progress, and there tends to not be a regular shooting script. The outlets for most feature length documentaries are now cable TV channels such as HBO and Showtime. Documentaries get made because of the passion of the filmmaker, who finds a way to do it without full funding. They do it a step at a time; often with credit cards; borrowed money from friends and relatives; or a portion of the money from a grant or charitable foundation. Foundations don't want to hear from you unless you already have a broadcaster lined up for distribution. Often their agendas skew what gets funded. <I>Legacy </I>for example, got foundation money because it touched upon a number of social issues. <I>American Movie </I>by contrast, was not able to get funding. </div> <bR> <div> Documentaries are about discovery. Television's <I>Discovery Channel </I>is a major outlet for a wide range of informative and entertaining narratives on our environment, health and social systems.    </div> <bR> <div> With the rise of art house outlets, and the respect of movie critics both in print and on the Internet who enjoy and follow documentaries, hopefully we will see an increased number of such films in the future. Support is essential on opening weekend. Without that initial box office boost, you may not see it in the theater before it's gone, and it may never make it to video. </div> <bR> <div> Film as Art? Day 1</div> <div> We must have viable alternatives to the movies shown at the local megaplex. The films there are not all bad, it's just that there are so many good films that address the human experience better than typical Hollywood entertainment that they don't show, that an alternative is desirable. We, as the audience, are missing out if we don't see these films in much the same way as we enjoy going to the museum or an art gallery.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Sidewalk Stories</B></div> <div> <I><B>Sidewalk Stories, </B></I>which kicked off the festival, is a modern day, black and white, silent film. This Chaplinesque film by Charles Lane is brilliant in it's ability to use the absence of sound and color to entertain, inform and challenge us to not forget how fortunate we are. <I>Sidewalk Stories</I> is about street people and morality. We often look past the homeless, who sometimes extend a hand toward us for help. These are tiny intrusions into the lives we have created for ourselves. As in most good dramas we wonder what is going to happen next as we see the possibilities develop and daily events unfold.  </div> <bR> <div> <B>Grave of the Fireflies</B></div> <div> Animation to most of us means something made by Disney. In Japan, it also means "anime" (pronounced "anna may") and it while it is animation, it is not a cartoon. Anime is used at times to portray lifelike characters or to evoke real, human emotion, with scenes and actions just like a live action film. There is a surreal quality to the finished product. <I><B>Grave of the Fireflies</B></I> is the story of a teenage boy and his younger sister trying to survive the fire bombing of their city of Kobe during WW II put in legend.  Even though the Japanese brought the United States into the war with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and we know they are the enemy, we have empathy with this Japanese family back home, as they are people just like us. We learn what it's like to be bombed and burned out of our homes. We get past the "them" versus "us" quickly and focus on what an individual does to survive. </div> <bR> <div> We see the joy and sorrow of wondering about the welfare of our parents. Mother is at home and has a heart condition, and father is in the Navy at sea. This touching film shows that we can survive war, but it raises the inherent question of <B>why</B> go through the process in the first place? While having received the award for best film at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival, <I><B>Fireflies </B></I>is a movie most appropriate for teenagers or adults, because of the serious subject matter and the lack of the typical Hollywood ending where everything works out OK for those who are innocent.</div> <bR> <div> <B>American Movie</B></div> <div> The last film of the first day was <I><B>American Movie</B></I>, which is a documentary about Mark Borchardt, who wants to make a horror film. Mark did not mind a camera in his face 24/7 over a period of five years. He is truly himself in the film, as I've learned after speaking with him on numerous occasions. He's your average person who drops out of school, gets a factory job, and dreams about what he wants to do. </div> <bR> <div> He started out to make a film called <I>Northwestern,</I> but due to lack of funds, he decided to do a 35-minute psychological thriller called <I>Coven.</I> This has been completed, and he is now selling <I>Coven</I> at showings of <I>American Movie</I> to raise the money to complete <I>Northwestern.</I> Mark is a "speak your mind" kind of guy that we all can relate to. You may at first think that he putting on for the camera with his over the top personality, but when you see him relate to his friends and family, you find he's the real deal. </div> <bR> <div> The concept of low budget special effects is beyond hilarious when a character is supposed to go crashing through the cabinet door beneath a kitchen sink. The door is scored on the inside so it will give in with minimal pressure, but it does not work as easily as was planned. This is a classic example of a film that when seen with others in a theater will have you laughing till it brings tears to your eyes. But I wonder if it will play as well on TV. Yes, it will convey passion about doing something important, but some of the comments and events may seem to be a little dull without the largesse of a theater screen and strangers in the house.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Bitter with the Sweet…Day 2</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>As I See It</B></div> <div> <B> </B><I><B>As I See It</B></I> is a 30 minute documentary on movie producer Tim Zinnemann, who made films such as <I>High Noon</I>, <I>From Here To Eternity</I> and <I>A Man For</I> <I>All Seasons</I>. He died in 1997. As with many documentaries, the reason for making this film is one of passion.  Fred Zinnemann, Tim's son, was angered by writers who said that his dad was in the <I>second tier</I> of top producers. The film was made in only one week, from studio clips and home movies to be shown at a memorial service. It will likely only be seen in a college or film festival environment, because marketing rights are not provided by the studios. Possibly it will find it's way to PBS. </div> <bR> <div> Tim Zinnemann was an outsider who was able to work within the Hollywood system. His view of life was that "A man's character is his destiny." We see a man who really has made some great films without having sold his soul.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Legacy</B></div> <div>  <I><B>Legacy</B></I> is a film that reminds you of <I>Hoop Dreams</I>. Rather than being centered around sports, however, it's about everyday life for a poor family living in Chicago public housing. This started as an HBO project, but on the first day of filming, Terrell, a straight `A' student, who was the main focus of the movie, was killed by another teenager as a result of an argument at school a few days prior. The project changed from a 90 day shooting schedule to a five-year commitment for Todd Lending, who wrote, produced and directed the film. We see a real life happy ending that is identical in one scene to the ending of  the movie <I>The Best Man, </I>with the joviality of line dancing at a wedding reception. </div> <bR> <div> Breaking the cycle of poverty and welfare for female headed households, takes more than the government cutting people off benefits after two years. Self-help groups are needed to break drug addiction; mentors are needed to provide encouragement; people have to be ready to pick up the reins when they are placed on the floor in front of them. Kenny is a mentor to Nickcole, Terrell's sister. He is an everyday, real life hero. While not a true father replacement, he provides encouragement, kindness and guidance. It's important to have someone offering you advice with your benefit in mind, rather than their own.  </div> <bR> <div> When we reflect on the child who committed the murder, and on Jack, Terrell's brother,   we know that while life goes on, it is not great for all of the living who remain. Jack is still traumatized by the event of the killing. He was in trouble before the shooting and he is still free falling from it.    </div> <bR> <div> After the shooting, an anonymous donor gave $10,000 to the family for the purpose of buying a house. It took over three years for that money to be used. Dreams give us a reason for living, and the dreams of those living on public aid tend to be limited in scope. People without dreams can say "it's gonna be alright" more as a phrase to get through the moment rather than something they really believe. </div> <bR> <div> Having grown up in Chicago, I know that Catholic schools were always an alternative to public schools. In my neighborhood, the public schools were more than decent. In neighborhoods like those in the film, Catholic schools are often considered the only viable option for a good education in a safe environment. When Nickcole becomes the first person in her family to graduate from high school, it seems to instill a sense of pride and motivation in other family members to make progress in their lives. </div> <bR> <div> This film treats welfare mothers with the respect they deserve. Funds spent on social service agencies are better for society than funneling money into the building of new jails to house persons in the future…who are not yet born!</div> <bR> <div> The Terrorist</div> <div> John Malkovich discovered <I><B>The Terrorist</B></I> at a film festival in Egypt and then contacted Roger Ebert. How distributors would not see at least modest commercial potential in this film is beyond me. Ostensibly about politics, and I guess it is, we find that people will do anything to advance their own agenda. In this case, a group <I>out </I>of power who wants <I>in</I>, believes that only violence by assassination can achieve their means. </div> <bR> <div> They recruit a young woman, who has killed enemies in gun battles in the past. She is ready to die for the cause by blowing herself and the enemy politician to bits. The plan is to do this after she places flowers around his neck as he leaves his motorcade to enter a building. We journey through her mind during the last four days of her life. Malli, played by Ayesha Dharkar, is riveting in the portrayal of a 19 year old girl caught up in a cause that uses an army composed of children as the foot soldiers. They have no parents, only each other. We are mesmerized as a young solider, dying in Malli's arms, utters that he has never been this close to a woman before.  </div> <bR> <div> While training for the assassination and waiting for the big day to arrive, Malli lives with an old farmer who uses metaphors and riddles to look to the future. Her decision offers Malli a unique outlook, as unlike most people, she knows the exact date of her death. </div> <bR> <div> The writer and director, Santosh Sivan, is masterful in his close ups of Malli and he provides perspective of things coming into or going out of focus, visually as well as in the mind's eye. He and the actors capture both what a person sees and is thinking. The words "by any means necessary" can be a blessing or a curse to ones motivation. If people in power find ways to include the entire community in government, the curse part will be kept to a minimum fringe element.</div> <div>  </div> <div> <B>The Castle</B></div> <div> A man's home is his castle forms the premise of <I><B>The Castle</B></I>, a story about a loving, supportive, family that lives at the edge of an airport runway. Notice has been given that the government will take their property for an expansion. It's a story of the small guy against the government, and not necessarily good against evil, but for sure, the somewhat powerless against the powerful. </div> <bR> <div> Dad (Michael Caton) is a tow truck driver who decides to hire a lawyer after he loses the first court appearance to have the decision reversed. The characters in the film are quite funny. So funny, that I don't want to give away any of the events. That said, look for key reasons why people buy real estate along railroad tracks and swamp land, and then wonder why the property values don't increase at the same rate as other locations. </div> <div> <I>The Castle</I> is a fine example of the wonderfully zany, Australian and British,  <I>family </I>comedies we've come to expect (<I>Muriel's Wedding, Waking Ned Devine, The Snapper</I>). There's also the benefit of seeing a film with an audience. At times you catch what is going on right away. Other times you wonder why people are laughing and then…you get it.</div> <div> <B>A Woman's Tale</B></div> <div> The last feature of the day was another Australian film, by master filmmaker Paul Cox. A moving story called <B>A</B><I><B> Woman's Tale,</B></I><I> </I>but it's not just about women, nor is it only a woman's film. It's about understanding your life, and handling how you and others deal with old age, when the end of your life is in clear sight. It's the antithesis of a chick flick. Martha (Sheila Florance) is a vital 78-year-old woman who has lung cancer and wants to live her remaining days with dignity. While about dying, the film portrays living. Her son wants her to go into a nursing home to get better care. He and his wife disagree on her staying with them, so that is not an option. </div> <bR> <div> Martha finds a friend in a visiting nurse Anna (Gosia Dobrowolska), and they develop a close friendship. Soon they are soul mates and Martha allows Anna to use her apartment to conduct an affair with a married man. Anna also appears to be married, as she has a sporty looking diamond on her left hand. The spirit of the film is captured when Martha tells Anna, when speaking about her bed, "I'm going to die in it so you might as well love in it."</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>Workshop Day 2</B></I></div> <div> As one might expect, the subject of Women in Film generated a vigorous discussion. Much of this related to the fact that female actresses often have plastic surgery to look younger. No real surprise there. The money roles for them are as younger, sexually appealing women or much older women <I>(Driving Miss Daisy).</I> </div> <bR> <div> Women tend to have minor roles in the popcorn action films. This may change for the better with major films to be released in coming months such as <I>Mission Impossible: 2</I> and <I>Charlie's Angels.</I> There should also be hope as more women rise to decision-making positions at studios, and as writers, producers and directors.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Something for Everyone…Day 3</B></div> <bR> <div> The Saturday highlight is a free matinee geared to children. While Roger has no ax to grind with some cartoon features, or <I>Home Alone</I> fare, he has strong feelings that children </div> <div> and their parents deserve more than that. Last year <I>Shiloh</I> was the matinee feature, a film about a young boy interacting with adults and having to make important morality judgements as a part of growing up. This year, Roger stretched himself and the audience by showing a subtitled film from Iran, <I><B>Children of Heaven.</B></I><B> </B></div> <bR> <div> He was nervous about attendance and relieved to see it was greater than last year. In his opening remarks, he said it would be OK to read the subtitles out loud. We expected a low rumble of murmuring during the movie. However, there was none, nor was there the thunder factor, whereby kids are restless in the theater and create thunder by running up and down the isles. What was happening here?</div> <bR> <div> As fifteen or so kids came to the stage after the film, it became quite clear they had more than understood what the movie was about. Some of the kids were quite young. It was wonderful to see them stand there, say their name and where they were from. Their questions were clear, such as "What was the meaning of the goldfish in the pond when the boy put his feet in the water after the race?" and "Who is the director of the film?" It was a joy to see these kids on the stage analyze the film because they learned something about life from it.</div> <bR> <div> As a reward for making the honor roll recently, I took my 11 year old grandson Cortney to see the Chinese film <I>Not One Less</I>, and experienced a similar result as occurred at the film festival. There was a quiet acceptance and you don't know what they think until you talk to them about it. Cortney did not say a lot about the movie until he was at home with his parents. He then gave an enthusiastic explanation of the film.  </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>The Last Laugh</B></I></div> <div> Of the three black and white films shown at the festival, two were shown today with the accompaniment of a live orchestra, <I>Concrete.</I> They returned to this year's festival after doing a wonderful job last year composing the music for the silent classic, <I>Battleship Potemkin.</I> <I><B>The Last Laugh,</B></I> a 1924 silent film, shown without subtitles, is the story of a doorman at a major hotel, who loses his self esteem when he is reassigned to be a wash room attendant. His pride is in meeting the glamorous people who come and go as they see him in the uniform that reminds one of a well decorated general. He has a swagger as he walks through his neighborhood dressed in his uniform. When I was in college in the early 60's, there was a black man in downtown Chicago who dressed in a suit and tie, and walked with an umbrella as a cane to his job as a short order cook. For a given period of the day, he was on par with the stockbrokers and grain traders in the area. </div> <bR> <div> While not <I>about</I> war, the film addressees it, in that when Murnau, the doorman, puts on his uniform he is part of an organization and is glad to follow the rules. Without the uniform, he has no self-respect. At one point, he even steals the uniform so he can wear it home for his neighbors to see that he is still an important person. Without doubt, the value of rank, decision making and other vestiges of self-image and importance are conveyed by a uniform. </div> <bR> <div> At a point when all seems lost as Murnau is permanently demoted, the film seems to end…then we see a totally different outcome. He inherits a fortune and suddenly he is a guest in the hotel dining room with his friends, having a feast and sipping champagne.    He rides out of town in a deluxe carriage and we have our Hollywood happy ending.  Somehow we know it's a fantasy and we see this as a dream, with very clear thoughts of Murnau cleaning the bathroom, and hustling for tips, unable to look his customers in the eye. </div> <bR> <div> I think the reality is that just looking at a black and white, silent film without the fine music of a live band, and the help of Roger discussing the film on stage, will keep this an unappreciated format. The good thing about a film festival such as this is that it focuses on the concept of the "overlooked and under appreciated." Here we are given an opportunity to expand our cinematic horizons.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>Un Chien Andalou</B></I></div> <div> The last of the black and white films was <I><B>Un Chien Andalou,</B></I> which is this year's entry in the realm of the bizarre. Last year's <I>Surrender Dorothy</I> was about a man who abused  a friendship to the point of sexual mutilation. Both films deal with relationships based upon values that have gone well over the edge into a free fall. This thankfully short, 17-minute film, also deals with mutilation, and some symbolism related to the killing of Jesus Christ. Easter was less than a week ago, and one possible message is that while we do want to be exposed to thinking people, who have good hearts, we also need to be aware of the fact that there are thinking people who don't. Just the day before this film was shown, Richard Baumhammer, an immigration lawyer, was arrested in a killing spree that involved Jews, Indians, Chinese and African Americans. Last year about this time, we had the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>Déjà Vu</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Déjà Vu</B></I> brings us a love story that few of us may live to realize. Will you ever find a soulmate? Even thinking of that is scary, as it's not something you can put an ad in the paper for and control the outcome. If you do meet that person, and you <I>know</I> or even wonder, would you be willing to take a chance and make a commitment? </div> <bR> <div> Dana (Victoria Foyt) is a woman on a business trip to Israel who meets an older woman at an outdoor café. Their conversation turns to the subject of love. When the stranger does not come back from the ladies room, Dana is anxious to return a piece of jewelry the woman left for her to admire. </div> <bR> <div> While in a jewelry store in Paris, trying to see if she can locate the owner of the custom made broach, she sees a man walk past the shop and has the urge to go speak to him. She does not, however. On the train to London, Dana recalls a song her father sang about the white cliffs of Dover; she follows her intuition and gets off the train. While walking along the straits, she again sees the man who walked past the jewelry shop in Paris. He is painting near the cliffs. They strike up a conversation and spend time together having coffee. She goes back to his apartment, because they both have a feeling they are meant to be together… at least for this moment in time. Threatening their mutual attraction is the fact that she is engaged to be married…soon. </div> <bR> <div> Of course, they do meet again, and as they decide what direction their relationship should take, we share their feelings of being at life's fork in the road. Should we follow our hearts? Doing so will cause emotional pain to people we love and care about. I think that in my life, if I've done my homework and given major decisions real thought, that whatever I've done has been the right thing. These are the moments when you get a chance to really mold your life…when you are in control. If you liked the film <I>Lone Star</I>, you will love this film. You will have some things to ponder when the movie is over that will leave you smiling. In <I>Lone Star</I> (check it out on video) you know exactly what you're getting into; in <I>Déjà Vu</I>, it's "Could it be?"  </div> <bR> <div> We in some ways don't have as much choice about what we do to make a living as we do in our personal relationships. My favorite type of love story is one without movie <B>stars </B>in lead roles. We can imagine life as it can be and is for some people. Being able to follow your heart and to experience the concept of  "I'm as happy as I ever expected to be." Those are not negative observations but expressions of real joy. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>Dark City</B></I></div> <div> The high tech, cult following film this year is <I><B>Dark City</B></I><B>.</B> This was Roger's film of the year in 1998. It only did $15M at the box office and received mixed reviews by the critics. Roger sees over 350 films a year, so he has a basis of comparison that most of us do not. I liked it when I first saw it and I appreciate it better now the second time. It's a sci fi film, and as such it helps if you like exploring the unknown, and things you don't fully understand. Visually this was an exciting film, especially seen on the super wide screen at the festival. </div> <bR> <div> A race of aliens is dying and they want to use humans as the new vessels for their bodies. They can control "reality" with their minds, like manipulating the environment. Inspector Bumstead (William Hurt) is tracking down John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), who is suspected of killing a number of prostitutes. Murdoch is a strong person, who is trying to repel the injection of matter that allows the alien being to reside in a human body. He is able to "tune," which means he has the powers of the aliens. The battle is on between good and evil. </div> <bR> <div> As David Poland pointed out on stage after the movie, had the film been properly marketed it could have done better. It was released about the time <I>Good Will Hunting </I>was being pushed to get an Academy Award, and <I>The Wedding Singer </I>was a surprise hit, with a short window of opportunity to increase it's marketing focus. <I>Dark City </I>had<I> </I>no heavy investment. When it was<I> </I>launched it was allowed to seek and find it's own level. Small wonder that creative filmmakers can be cynical about Hollywood. Alex Proyas, a writer and the director of the film, joined the discussion, via telephone, from his home in Sydney, Australia. Clearly he is a man with vision and passion (<I>Crow</I>), and I look forward to his next film. What was truly amazing was that all of the special effects were done for only $1M. Then there's <I>Star Wars</I>, where there really is no story other than special effects. <I>Dark City</I> allows your imagination to wander the universe. If you like science fiction, even a little bit, rent or buy the video and turn off the ringer on your telephone when you press the play button.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Last Day…a 70 MM showing of Oklahoma!</B></div> <div> My first thought was, Why do I want to see <B>Oklahoma!</B>? Everybody knows about it.   How can it fit any possible definition of "overlooked?" There are two important reasons. One is that a 70 mm print has four times the clarity of 35 mm. It's why photographers will use a Hasselblad in 120 film format rather than 35 mm, or heaven forbid the 24 mm APS format. The color and sharpness is far superior when there is a minimum of need to enlarge what is on the film to what is projected. The reason is the more you enlarge a negative, the less crisp the colors become, along with a diminishment of sharpness.</div> <bR> <div> The second reason is that you have never seen this film before. What! How could that be? Well, the film that we have all seen, was shot in 35 mm. Each scene was then reshot in 70 mm, so there truly are two films.</div> <bR> <div> With the logistics of all the headline films in one theater, on the same screen, if you are from out of town, it only takes a short time to feel like you are at home. While it's fun to see films at first release, there is a need that this festival fulfills, for understanding and appreciating what is already out there.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="587" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> George O. Singleton © 2000</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>George@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>