I'm one of the lucky ones who has a four-day weekend ahead of me. Aaaaahhhh.....
I'm taking a break from everything, including blogging. See you next week!
Friday, June 30, 2006
Documentary Well Founded Fear Screening July 5
From WMNF's online calendar:
Human Rights Video Project film at Spirit of Life UU
Wednesday, July 5 -- Well Founded Fear is a riveting documentary on U.S. immigration policy. It has wide appeal because of the diversity of ethnicities, religions and nationalities represented by those seeking asylum.
Spirit of Life Unitarian Universalists are hosting this film as part of its summer series on human rights in cooperation with the New Port Richey Library. Come to the church at 18412 Burrell Road in Odessa for the 7:15 p.m. screening.
Call (813) 792-1622 or visit spiritoflifeuu.org for more info.
Human Rights Video Project film at Spirit of Life UU
Wednesday, July 5 -- Well Founded Fear is a riveting documentary on U.S. immigration policy. It has wide appeal because of the diversity of ethnicities, religions and nationalities represented by those seeking asylum.
Spirit of Life Unitarian Universalists are hosting this film as part of its summer series on human rights in cooperation with the New Port Richey Library. Come to the church at 18412 Burrell Road in Odessa for the 7:15 p.m. screening.
Call (813) 792-1622 or visit spiritoflifeuu.org for more info.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Random Film News
*The Burt Reynolds & Friends Museum in Jupiter, Florida is closing. Goodbye, Bandit.
*Just when you think there's nowhere new in the world to put an ad, someone comes along with a blimp with a LED screen showing ads.
*Two students from the University of Florida got to present their films at the recent Silverdocs Film Festival.
*Just when you think there's nowhere new in the world to put an ad, someone comes along with a blimp with a LED screen showing ads.
*Two students from the University of Florida got to present their films at the recent Silverdocs Film Festival.
Film Fan Finding:The Break-Up
The Break-Up is one of those movies where the preview is just as good as the actual film. In the preview you get to see most of the funny parts without having to sit through the dumb and/or not-so-funny parts. The Jennifer Aniston character is a successful, beautiful woman who works in a Chicago art gallery, wears beautiful clothes and is annoyed by her live-in boyfriend, played by Vince Vaughn. The Vince Vaughn character is the co-owner of a successful tour guide business who likes to sit around the house playing video games and drinking beer with his buddies. Their incompatibility (and Vaughn's spoiled, selfish behavior) causes them to break up, but their investment in their condo causes them both to continue to live there while trying to force the other person to move. She embarks on a series of first dates to make him jealous; he buys the pool table he's always wanted for the dining room. And so on.
Interesting enough plot, but it's ruined by several things. The Vince Vaughn character is so obnoxious, so annoying, so rude and thoughtless that he deserves to get dumped. When he seems to start learning a lesson from all of this, it's too late. You don't care. You never believed that the relationship between two such ill-matched people was possible, and now you want them to just sell the damn condo and move on.
Aniston and Vaughn are better and funnier when they're mad at each other, so you never really want them to get back together. It's still hard to think of Aniston as anyone other than Rachel from Friends, and she's so overly bronzed, sculpted and wrapped in tight clothes that you wonder why she ever moved in with Vaughn's loutish character in the first place.
Wait til The Break-Up comes out on DVD and then rent it as part of a chick-flick marathon.
Film Fan Finding: B
Interesting enough plot, but it's ruined by several things. The Vince Vaughn character is so obnoxious, so annoying, so rude and thoughtless that he deserves to get dumped. When he seems to start learning a lesson from all of this, it's too late. You don't care. You never believed that the relationship between two such ill-matched people was possible, and now you want them to just sell the damn condo and move on.
Aniston and Vaughn are better and funnier when they're mad at each other, so you never really want them to get back together. It's still hard to think of Aniston as anyone other than Rachel from Friends, and she's so overly bronzed, sculpted and wrapped in tight clothes that you wonder why she ever moved in with Vaughn's loutish character in the first place.
Wait til The Break-Up comes out on DVD and then rent it as part of a chick-flick marathon.
Film Fan Finding: B
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Film Fan Finding:Superman Returns
And boy, does he ever. Superman returns with style, sexiness, humor, action and ...did I mention sexiness already?
In Superman Returns, we learn that Superman has been away for six years, trying to track down remnants of his home planet Krypton. He (as Clark Kent) is able to easily pick up where he left off with his job at the Daily Planet, but not so easily in other areas of his life: his mother (Eva Marie Saint) has been lonely and alone, Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has been released from prison because the star witness (Superman himself) wasn't around to testify against him, and Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) is engaged with a young son and has just won a Pulitzer for writing an editorial about why the world doesn't need Superman anymore.
The casting is almost perfect: Kevin Spacey and Parker Posey bicker beautifully; James Marsden, as Lois' fiance Richard, is touching when he worries that Lois might be in love with Superman; and Brandon Routh is phenomenal as Superman/Clark Kent. I didn't think he'd be up to the task, but he proved me wrong. I adored Christopher Reeve as Superman and Routh reminded me a lot of Reeve, at times even seeming to mimic Reeve's Clark Kent mannerisms (but in a good way). Kate Bosworth made a convincing Lois Lane (I'm so glad Katie Holmes was in Batman Begins and not this, because the effect wouldn't have been the same!). The only casting choice I didn't care for was the little boy who played Lois' son. I agree with Roger Ebert's comment that Tristan Lake Leabu "mostly stares at people like a beta version of Damien, the kid from The Omen." I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Marlon Brando's voice as Jor-El. That was a nice touch from the original pictures.
This film is about redemption: who needs it, who provides it, and the fact that at one time or another, we've all been on both sides. Superman Returns succeeded at redeeming and revitalizing this franchise, breathing new life into beloved characters without sacrificing what made them beloved in the first place.
Film Fan Finding: A+
In Superman Returns, we learn that Superman has been away for six years, trying to track down remnants of his home planet Krypton. He (as Clark Kent) is able to easily pick up where he left off with his job at the Daily Planet, but not so easily in other areas of his life: his mother (Eva Marie Saint) has been lonely and alone, Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has been released from prison because the star witness (Superman himself) wasn't around to testify against him, and Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) is engaged with a young son and has just won a Pulitzer for writing an editorial about why the world doesn't need Superman anymore.
The casting is almost perfect: Kevin Spacey and Parker Posey bicker beautifully; James Marsden, as Lois' fiance Richard, is touching when he worries that Lois might be in love with Superman; and Brandon Routh is phenomenal as Superman/Clark Kent. I didn't think he'd be up to the task, but he proved me wrong. I adored Christopher Reeve as Superman and Routh reminded me a lot of Reeve, at times even seeming to mimic Reeve's Clark Kent mannerisms (but in a good way). Kate Bosworth made a convincing Lois Lane (I'm so glad Katie Holmes was in Batman Begins and not this, because the effect wouldn't have been the same!). The only casting choice I didn't care for was the little boy who played Lois' son. I agree with Roger Ebert's comment that Tristan Lake Leabu "mostly stares at people like a beta version of Damien, the kid from The Omen." I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Marlon Brando's voice as Jor-El. That was a nice touch from the original pictures.
This film is about redemption: who needs it, who provides it, and the fact that at one time or another, we've all been on both sides. Superman Returns succeeded at redeeming and revitalizing this franchise, breathing new life into beloved characters without sacrificing what made them beloved in the first place.
Film Fan Finding: A+
Opinion:A Prairie Home Companion
Fellow film fan Jim MacEachern has generously shared his review of A Prairie Home Companion with us:
I did see A Prairie Home Companion and loved it. I think it's Altman's The Reivers for the Faulkner comparison. At 81 he's in fine form. The ghostly Virginia Madsen as an apparition that wanders through the film is a bit heavy handed but Mr. Altman has never been subtle. Keillor wrote the script so he is at least partly to blame for that. But he has to be given credit as well for the creation of this wonderful, droll commentary on old time radio and Midwestern values. Altman was born in Kansas City and shares those roots but looks at them with a more jaundiced eye. It's an eye for human behavior filtered through 50 years of a marijuana-induced LA haze that sees everyone as characters in the movie of life. His characters are tragic and funny and they know this about themselves. The lucky ones know the role they are playing and the sad ones don't have a role to play yet and that can eat at you.
It opens and closes at a Roadside Diner that looks like a Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover. Altman and Keillor know that this innocent Americana is a lie but they have great affection for those who know this but yearn for that myth anyway. The actors are incredible. The teaming of Meryl Streep and Lilly Tomlin as the surviving members of a family of singers specializing in gospel and old-time inspirational songs is wondrous. It's been a rough life for them in many ways but they go on. Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly as Dusty and Lefty, a cowboy singing and comedy team, seem like they have been working together all their lives. The joy of performing even brings the juvenile/ suicidal Lindsay Lohan to life.
There is nothing terribly profound in Prairie but Keillor's script and Altman's searching eye give us insight into a world gone by and the people who inhabited it. The movie is too short!
I did see A Prairie Home Companion and loved it. I think it's Altman's The Reivers for the Faulkner comparison. At 81 he's in fine form. The ghostly Virginia Madsen as an apparition that wanders through the film is a bit heavy handed but Mr. Altman has never been subtle. Keillor wrote the script so he is at least partly to blame for that. But he has to be given credit as well for the creation of this wonderful, droll commentary on old time radio and Midwestern values. Altman was born in Kansas City and shares those roots but looks at them with a more jaundiced eye. It's an eye for human behavior filtered through 50 years of a marijuana-induced LA haze that sees everyone as characters in the movie of life. His characters are tragic and funny and they know this about themselves. The lucky ones know the role they are playing and the sad ones don't have a role to play yet and that can eat at you.
It opens and closes at a Roadside Diner that looks like a Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover. Altman and Keillor know that this innocent Americana is a lie but they have great affection for those who know this but yearn for that myth anyway. The actors are incredible. The teaming of Meryl Streep and Lilly Tomlin as the surviving members of a family of singers specializing in gospel and old-time inspirational songs is wondrous. It's been a rough life for them in many ways but they go on. Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly as Dusty and Lefty, a cowboy singing and comedy team, seem like they have been working together all their lives. The joy of performing even brings the juvenile/ suicidal Lindsay Lohan to life.
There is nothing terribly profound in Prairie but Keillor's script and Altman's searching eye give us insight into a world gone by and the people who inhabited it. The movie is too short!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Five Questions With Film Commissioner Krista Soroka
Tampa Film Commissioner Krista Soroka graciously agreed to answer Five Questions:
1. What’s the last movie you’ve seen?
The Da Vinci Code (in the theater); Wedding Crashers (on DVD).
2. Which movies have meant the most to you and why?
Vita รจ bella, La (Life is Beautiful, 1997) – I think Roberto Benigni (Guido) did an incredible job writing, directing and starring in this film that inspires you to believe that hope conquers all in the midst of some of life’s worst tragedies. Guido’s eternally-optimistic character was inspiring and humorous as he thought of new ways to keep his son’s focus away from the horrible tragedies surrounding him. In one scene where the Nazis enter the camp to inform the prisoners of the rules, Guido – who doesn’t understand a word of German – volunteers to translate to his son solely to convince him that they want to play a game where the winner gets a full-size tank. If we all had an ounce of that optimism, I really believe this world would be a better place.
Cinderella Man (2005) – I thought R. Howard/R. Crowe developed an inspiring storyline that captured snapshots of James Braddock’s struggles to maintain his integrity as a husband-father-professional athlete while battling a hand injury AND the Great Depression. I’ll never forget the scene where Braddock swallows his pride and walks into Madison Square Garden to ask for pocket change so he can pay for electricity for his family. Not only did he struggle to keep his family alive, he carried the burden of his community and the nation, and came out on top.
Top Gun (1986) - just because I grew up during the 80’s!
3. Which movies could you watch more than once and still enjoy?
I have to categorize here if that’s OK…here are my trifectas:
History/Period Pieces: Gladiator, Braveheart, Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Drama: A Beautiful Mind, Godfather, and Shawshank Redemption (Andy Dufresne has a great quote in Shawshank: “Get busy living, or get busy dying”)
Comedy: Billy Madison, Dumb & Dumber, and Tommy Boy (I hate to admit I probably quote those movies every day!)
4. If you could meet any film character, who would you choose?
Hmmm, good question…here’s my Top 5:
Maximus Decimus Meridius (Gladiator) – great quote to Commodus when he is discovered to still be alive: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
James Braddock (Cinderella Man) - considering this is a true story, I truly admired his character, strength, and integrity.
John Nash (A Beautiful Mind) – Absolutely brilliant…I’d love to meet his wife as well.
William Wallace (Braveheart) – Can sum up why in one quote: Every man dies, not every man really lives.
Aragorn (Lord of the Rings) – although he’s a “middle earth” character, he’s selfless, courageous, and continuously fights battles on faith.
5. If you could meet any filmmaker (living or dead), who would you choose?
I can’t even go with a top 5 here…so here’s a few off the top of my head..
Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Rob Reiner, George Lucas, Stephen King…most influential I’d say Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Wells, Stanley Kubrick…
1. What’s the last movie you’ve seen?
The Da Vinci Code (in the theater); Wedding Crashers (on DVD).
2. Which movies have meant the most to you and why?
Vita รจ bella, La (Life is Beautiful, 1997) – I think Roberto Benigni (Guido) did an incredible job writing, directing and starring in this film that inspires you to believe that hope conquers all in the midst of some of life’s worst tragedies. Guido’s eternally-optimistic character was inspiring and humorous as he thought of new ways to keep his son’s focus away from the horrible tragedies surrounding him. In one scene where the Nazis enter the camp to inform the prisoners of the rules, Guido – who doesn’t understand a word of German – volunteers to translate to his son solely to convince him that they want to play a game where the winner gets a full-size tank. If we all had an ounce of that optimism, I really believe this world would be a better place.
Cinderella Man (2005) – I thought R. Howard/R. Crowe developed an inspiring storyline that captured snapshots of James Braddock’s struggles to maintain his integrity as a husband-father-professional athlete while battling a hand injury AND the Great Depression. I’ll never forget the scene where Braddock swallows his pride and walks into Madison Square Garden to ask for pocket change so he can pay for electricity for his family. Not only did he struggle to keep his family alive, he carried the burden of his community and the nation, and came out on top.
Top Gun (1986) - just because I grew up during the 80’s!
3. Which movies could you watch more than once and still enjoy?
I have to categorize here if that’s OK…here are my trifectas:
History/Period Pieces: Gladiator, Braveheart, Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Drama: A Beautiful Mind, Godfather, and Shawshank Redemption (Andy Dufresne has a great quote in Shawshank: “Get busy living, or get busy dying”)
Comedy: Billy Madison, Dumb & Dumber, and Tommy Boy (I hate to admit I probably quote those movies every day!)
4. If you could meet any film character, who would you choose?
Hmmm, good question…here’s my Top 5:
Maximus Decimus Meridius (Gladiator) – great quote to Commodus when he is discovered to still be alive: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
James Braddock (Cinderella Man) - considering this is a true story, I truly admired his character, strength, and integrity.
John Nash (A Beautiful Mind) – Absolutely brilliant…I’d love to meet his wife as well.
William Wallace (Braveheart) – Can sum up why in one quote: Every man dies, not every man really lives.
Aragorn (Lord of the Rings) – although he’s a “middle earth” character, he’s selfless, courageous, and continuously fights battles on faith.
5. If you could meet any filmmaker (living or dead), who would you choose?
I can’t even go with a top 5 here…so here’s a few off the top of my head..
Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Rob Reiner, George Lucas, Stephen King…most influential I’d say Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Wells, Stanley Kubrick…
Film Fan Finding: X-Men:The Last Stand
Call me crazy, but I thought X-Men:The Last Stand was just as good as the first two. Great special effects, a good story, the gorgeous Mystique and the sexy Wolverine....what more could you ask for in a blockbuster based on comic book characters? The movie includes so many characters that sometimes you barely see some of them, but hey, we get to see stuff blow up.
In this film, we find out that Jean Grey really isn't dead. Not only is she alive, but her previously hidden class 5 powerful alter-ego Phoenix is back too...and she's pissed. Against this backstory is the main plot of a "mutant cure" being available. Some mutants want a chance to be "normal" (like Rogue), while many others insist that there's nothing to cure. In addition to the usual cast of characters, there are many new ones in the mix, most notably Beast, played by Kelsey Grammar.
The Last Stand kills off several characters, which is unsettling. But, if you pay close attention at the end -- and stay to the very end of the credits -- you'll see that there's hope for a few of them. Perhaps it's not really the last stand after all. (Or perhaps they'll be alot of guest appearances in the Wolverine spin-off.)
Film Fan Finding: B+
In this film, we find out that Jean Grey really isn't dead. Not only is she alive, but her previously hidden class 5 powerful alter-ego Phoenix is back too...and she's pissed. Against this backstory is the main plot of a "mutant cure" being available. Some mutants want a chance to be "normal" (like Rogue), while many others insist that there's nothing to cure. In addition to the usual cast of characters, there are many new ones in the mix, most notably Beast, played by Kelsey Grammar.
The Last Stand kills off several characters, which is unsettling. But, if you pay close attention at the end -- and stay to the very end of the credits -- you'll see that there's hope for a few of them. Perhaps it's not really the last stand after all. (Or perhaps they'll be alot of guest appearances in the Wolverine spin-off.)
Film Fan Finding: B+
Friday, June 23, 2006
Bionicon This Weekend
I have to work tonight, tomorrow and Sunday at my Second Job. Sigh.... I wish I were attending the Bionicon instead. I had a crush on Marc Singer in the tv show V (yes, a little cheesy and dated when you watch it now, but to a junior-high school student in the mid-80's that was riveting TV and Singer was wonderful). If you go, tell him I said hello.
Serenity Now
On Saturday, June 24, the movie Serenity is playing at the Tampa Pitcher Show at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.50 and all profits are going to the charity Equality Now, an organization dedicated to fighting for women's rights around the world.
Serenity, created by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), is based on the short-lived but much-beloved TV series Firefly. The charity screenings are part of a worldwide fan campaign planned for the weekend of June 23, Joss Whedon's birthday.
Visit www.serenitynowtampa.com for more info.
Serenity, created by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), is based on the short-lived but much-beloved TV series Firefly. The charity screenings are part of a worldwide fan campaign planned for the weekend of June 23, Joss Whedon's birthday.
Visit www.serenitynowtampa.com for more info.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Film Fan Finding:The Notorious Bettie Page
The Notorious Bettie Page is a brief glimpse into the life of 50's pin-up legend Bettie Page. Raised in a strict religious environment, the naive Page wanted to be an actress but ended up being immortalized for her nude and dominatrix photos and short films, even though she abandoned the industry after a few years to live out the rest of her life in religious activism.
Gretchen Mol is amazing in the role of Bettie Page. I had no idea she possessed the acting chops for a role like this. The story is interesting, the 50's fashion and ideology impeccably recreated, but the movie falls short. The Notorious Bettie Page offers only a hint of the real woman behind the legend and leaves the viewer knowing nothing new about such an interesting woman.
Film Fan Finding: B
Gretchen Mol is amazing in the role of Bettie Page. I had no idea she possessed the acting chops for a role like this. The story is interesting, the 50's fashion and ideology impeccably recreated, but the movie falls short. The Notorious Bettie Page offers only a hint of the real woman behind the legend and leaves the viewer knowing nothing new about such an interesting woman.
Film Fan Finding: B
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Oscar Winner Margaret O'Brien in St. Pete June 22
Sign Here Autographs is having the grand opening celebration of their new St. Pete location on Thursday, June 22nd from 4 - 8 p.m. There will be storewide sales all throughout the day and everyone who enters the store will receive a free gift.
Attending the grand opening will be Academy Award-winning actress Margaret O'Brien, star of such films as Jane Eyre, The Canterville Ghost and Meet Me In St. Louis. Also in attendance will be Randal Malone, president of the Motion Picture Council and star of MTV's Singled Out.
Sign Here Autographs is located at 1618 Central Avenue in St. Pete. Visit www.autographdealer.com or call 727-502-0974 for more info.
(cross-posted at Sticks of Fire)
Attending the grand opening will be Academy Award-winning actress Margaret O'Brien, star of such films as Jane Eyre, The Canterville Ghost and Meet Me In St. Louis. Also in attendance will be Randal Malone, president of the Motion Picture Council and star of MTV's Singled Out.
Sign Here Autographs is located at 1618 Central Avenue in St. Pete. Visit www.autographdealer.com or call 727-502-0974 for more info.
(cross-posted at Sticks of Fire)
Film Screening and Global Warming Forum Tonight
From WMNF's online calendar:
Film and Global Warming Community Forum -- Wednesday, June 21 -- The Tampa Bay Sierra Club and Sunrise Cinemas host a special screening of Al Gore's new film An Inconvenient Truth.
Join a discussion on the topic of global warming immediately following the movie. The show will start at 7:40 p.m., June 21 at Sunrise Cinemas in Old Hyde Park Village, 1690 W. Swann Ave., Tampa. A panel of local experts will field questions from moderator Rob Lorei and the audience. Cost is regular admission to the film.
Film and Global Warming Community Forum -- Wednesday, June 21 -- The Tampa Bay Sierra Club and Sunrise Cinemas host a special screening of Al Gore's new film An Inconvenient Truth.
Join a discussion on the topic of global warming immediately following the movie. The show will start at 7:40 p.m., June 21 at Sunrise Cinemas in Old Hyde Park Village, 1690 W. Swann Ave., Tampa. A panel of local experts will field questions from moderator Rob Lorei and the audience. Cost is regular admission to the film.
Film Fan Finding:The Da Vinci Code
Well, what can I say about The Da Vinci Code? Tom Hanks plays a Harvard professor of symbology who, while in Paris, gets pulled into a murder investigation that leads him and his new partner, a young French agent (played by Audrey Tautou), across Europe in search of the Big Secret hidden by a controversial centuries-old religious cover-up. Oh, and there's a fanatical, self-flagellating albino monk after them, willing to do anything to maintain the secret.
I enjoyed the book, but didn't like the movie so much. I don't know why, really. It's a fairly faithful adaptation, and I liked what director Ron Howard did with the historical flashbacks and the unique visual presentation of the puzzles and clues. Yet the film seemed tame, somehow. You never really worry about the heroes being in actual danger or think that their search will get interrupted. Scenes and characters that worked in the book seem silly and over the top in the film (see description of the monk above). Everyone and their brother is familiar with the basic plot, so I won't go into it here, except to remind people that it's fiction (no matter what Brown said in the beginning of his book).
Jean Reno and Ian McKellan were excellent casting choices. Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou? Not so excellent. I seem to recall more of a romantic relationship in the book between the two lead characters, but am sincerely grateful that we didn't see that between Hanks and Tautou. (Talk about an ick factor.) Speaking of which, Hanks seemed too old and Tautou seemed too young. Wasn't there anyone in their thirties who would agree to star in this film? And yes, Hanks' hair was horrible and annoying.
Film Fan Finding: B
I enjoyed the book, but didn't like the movie so much. I don't know why, really. It's a fairly faithful adaptation, and I liked what director Ron Howard did with the historical flashbacks and the unique visual presentation of the puzzles and clues. Yet the film seemed tame, somehow. You never really worry about the heroes being in actual danger or think that their search will get interrupted. Scenes and characters that worked in the book seem silly and over the top in the film (see description of the monk above). Everyone and their brother is familiar with the basic plot, so I won't go into it here, except to remind people that it's fiction (no matter what Brown said in the beginning of his book).
Jean Reno and Ian McKellan were excellent casting choices. Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou? Not so excellent. I seem to recall more of a romantic relationship in the book between the two lead characters, but am sincerely grateful that we didn't see that between Hanks and Tautou. (Talk about an ick factor.) Speaking of which, Hanks seemed too old and Tautou seemed too young. Wasn't there anyone in their thirties who would agree to star in this film? And yes, Hanks' hair was horrible and annoying.
Film Fan Finding: B
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
WMNF Screening of "The Refugee All Stars"
Tomorrow (Wednesday) evening at 7:30 p.m., WMNF presents the documentary film The Refugee All Stars at Sunrise Cinemas in Old Hyde Park.
The Refugee All Stars, still not commercially released, has won prizes at film festivals across the nation, including the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Festival in Los Angeles. This documentary tells the story of six musicians from Sierra Leone who form a band while living at a refugee camp. The brutality of war is examined through the life-affirming music of these men.
Tomorrow's screening of The Refugee All Stars will be the only public showing in the Tampa Bay area. There will be a short discussion after the film led by a refugee service worker from Sierra Leone.
This screening is presented in conjunction with the Florida Center for Victims of Torture (a program of Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services). Tickets are $8. For more information, call WMNF at 813-238-8001 or visit www.wmnf.org.
Next Tuesday, June 20, the six-person group featured in the film will perform at Skipper's Smokehouse. Concert tickets will be on sale before and after the June 14th screening for the special price of $15 (tickets will be $18 at the door).
(cross-posted at Sticks of Fire)
The Refugee All Stars, still not commercially released, has won prizes at film festivals across the nation, including the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Festival in Los Angeles. This documentary tells the story of six musicians from Sierra Leone who form a band while living at a refugee camp. The brutality of war is examined through the life-affirming music of these men.
Tomorrow's screening of The Refugee All Stars will be the only public showing in the Tampa Bay area. There will be a short discussion after the film led by a refugee service worker from Sierra Leone.
This screening is presented in conjunction with the Florida Center for Victims of Torture (a program of Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services). Tickets are $8. For more information, call WMNF at 813-238-8001 or visit www.wmnf.org.
Next Tuesday, June 20, the six-person group featured in the film will perform at Skipper's Smokehouse. Concert tickets will be on sale before and after the June 14th screening for the special price of $15 (tickets will be $18 at the door).
(cross-posted at Sticks of Fire)
Friday, June 9, 2006
Go To Sunrise Cinemas For Free "A Prairie Home Companion" Stuff
Thanks to the fabulous Jan at Picture House and the wonderful Sonal at Sunrise Cinemas, I'm able to announce the following:
Beginning tomorrow, June 10, while supplies last, you can stop by the box office at Sunrise Cinemas at 1609 W. Swann Ave. and pick up a A Prairie Home Companion tote bag and bumper sticker, free of charge, just because you read this blog.
And you thought no good would ever come from reading this blog!
Beginning tomorrow, June 10, while supplies last, you can stop by the box office at Sunrise Cinemas at 1609 W. Swann Ave. and pick up a A Prairie Home Companion tote bag and bumper sticker, free of charge, just because you read this blog.
And you thought no good would ever come from reading this blog!
MovieMaker Magazine Seeking Editorial Content
From the Florida Film Commissioner's Office (via email):
MovieMaker Magazine is seeking editorial content from Florida-area moviemakers for their upcoming 2006 "On Location" column.
The question being asked is: How has living in your individual city informed your work and increased your knowledge as a moviemaker? How has the city itself participated in your education as a visual artist? Why is living in your city an education in itself?
Comments must be no more than 50 words. Deadline: June 21, 2006. Selected entries will receive: editorial, e-mail and possible photo publication in an upcoming 2006 issue of MovieMaker Magazine, as well as a complimentary copy of the issue.
Please e-mail all entries to: onlocation@moviemaker.com, CC: Film1@MyFlorida.com and use "On Location: FLORIDA" as the subject line.
MovieMaker Magazine is seeking editorial content from Florida-area moviemakers for their upcoming 2006 "On Location" column.
The question being asked is: How has living in your individual city informed your work and increased your knowledge as a moviemaker? How has the city itself participated in your education as a visual artist? Why is living in your city an education in itself?
Comments must be no more than 50 words. Deadline: June 21, 2006. Selected entries will receive: editorial, e-mail and possible photo publication in an upcoming 2006 issue of MovieMaker Magazine, as well as a complimentary copy of the issue.
Please e-mail all entries to: onlocation@moviemaker.com, CC: Film1@MyFlorida.com and use "On Location: FLORIDA" as the subject line.
Thursday, June 8, 2006
Sneak a Peek at the Independents' Film Festival
From The Education Channel (via email):
Sneak a Peek at the IFF
The Independents’ Film Festival (IFF) has finalized its entry process for this year. More than 300 films from around the world were submitted into the festival with 20% coming from the Florida filmmakers. Since there are so many exciting films in the festival this year, which will be held in September, the IFF will host a series of “Sneak Peek” nights. We invite you to catch some of the fascinating, special films in our September on-air line up:
7:00 p.m. June 13, Foreign Films
7:00 p.m. July 11, Documentaries
7:00 p.m. August 15, American Films
All at The Education Channel, 703 N. Willow Avenue. Each evening will be two hours in length.
Admission is free but a reservation is necessary as seating is limited. To book your seat call: 813-254-2253 ext. 209.
The Independents’ Film Festival is a service of Tampa Educational Cable Consortium, a cultural, and educational organization devoted to celebrating excellence in the moving image. For additional information call 813-254-2253 or email info@educationchannel.org.
Sneak a Peek at the IFF
The Independents’ Film Festival (IFF) has finalized its entry process for this year. More than 300 films from around the world were submitted into the festival with 20% coming from the Florida filmmakers. Since there are so many exciting films in the festival this year, which will be held in September, the IFF will host a series of “Sneak Peek” nights. We invite you to catch some of the fascinating, special films in our September on-air line up:
7:00 p.m. June 13, Foreign Films
7:00 p.m. July 11, Documentaries
7:00 p.m. August 15, American Films
All at The Education Channel, 703 N. Willow Avenue. Each evening will be two hours in length.
Admission is free but a reservation is necessary as seating is limited. To book your seat call: 813-254-2253 ext. 209.
The Independents’ Film Festival is a service of Tampa Educational Cable Consortium, a cultural, and educational organization devoted to celebrating excellence in the moving image. For additional information call 813-254-2253 or email info@educationchannel.org.
Robocop and Rome
The Husband and I have been watching a lot of History Channel documentaries lately. We've caught a few of the "decoding the DaVinci Code" ones, some about the history of the Freemasons and a very interesting documentary about the engineering marvels of ancient Rome.
The show about Rome followed the usual documentary format -- a mix of talking heads, re-enactments, portraits and animation. There was one surprise, though. Guess who one of the talking heads was?
One Peter Weller of Syracuse University. Yep, Robocop himself lectured about the intricacies of the Colosseum. IMDb says that Weller is one of their most popular professors.
Now I'm on the lookout for Nancy Allen...
The show about Rome followed the usual documentary format -- a mix of talking heads, re-enactments, portraits and animation. There was one surprise, though. Guess who one of the talking heads was?
One Peter Weller of Syracuse University. Yep, Robocop himself lectured about the intricacies of the Colosseum. IMDb says that Weller is one of their most popular professors.
Now I'm on the lookout for Nancy Allen...
