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movies-digest         Sunday, January 3 1999         Volume 02 : Number 149



[MV] The Faculty review
[MV] Hollywood Online Weekly Dispatch
[MV] Screen It  Newsletter (December 30, 1998)
[MV] REVIEW: HILARY AND JACKIE
[MV] Movie News - 12/30/98
[MV] Movie News - 12/31/98
[MV] TOP 10 FILMS OF 1998
Re: [MV] TOP 10 FILMS OF 1998....anyone out there?!
[MV] Film Threat Weekly : 1-4-99 :  Take 1

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 01:40:42 -0800
From: "Jason Cormier" <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] The Faculty review

Or otherwise known as The Crapulty.  Yeah - another Teen Scream rip off.  No
thrills or chills (let alone spills -and only a few kills)  I expected a lot
more from the tag team duo of Rodriguez (Desparado and Dusk till Dawn) and
scribe Williamson (Scream) but this is just another Invasion on the Body
Snatchers crossed with The Thing.  Seen it, been there, blah blah.  I'm
getting bored just writing this review!  Don't bother...fail.


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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 05:52:08 -0800 (PST)
From: [e-mail] (Hollywood Online)
Subject: [MV] Hollywood Online Weekly Dispatch

                Hollywood Online Weekly Dispatch

Hello movie fans!

Welcome yet again to the Hollywood Online Weekly Dispatch, delivered
FREE OF CHARGE to your e-mail box every week. Instructions for
unsubscribing appear at the bottom.

The Hollywood Online Weekly Dispatch is THE source for detailed news
about the latest movie and video releases, Hollywood events, special
movie site features, exclusive interviews and audio clips. The web's
number one information source for movie soundtrack news, premiere
coverage, and much more.

"Patch Adams" and "Stepmom" crowned the box office this past Christmas
weekend. This week's new films probably won't ascend to that height, but
a couple have Hollywood buzzing about some Oscar-worthy performances,
notably Nick Nolte in "Affliction" and Emily Watson in "Hilary & Jackie."
Check out these and the rest of films opening this week . . .

****************************************
NEW MOVIES RELEASED THIS WEEK
****************************************
(in alphabetical order)

Movies Opening
December 30, 1998

"Affliction"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?affliction
Drama: Nick Nolte stars as a small town New England cop who is
still haunted by an abusive past. Nolte's friend takes a wealthy
businessman on a hunting trip - and only his friend returns alive.
Nolte, who has achieved nothing in the eyes of ex-wife Sissy Spacek,
obsesses over the "accident" which may have involved foul play.
December 30, 1998 - LA/NY release

"Another Day in Paradise"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?anotherday
Drama: Melanie Griffith and James Woods are dysfunctional elders
in this coming of age tale of a 14-year-old heroin junkie. Set in
the Midwest of the late '60s - early '70s, it co-stars Vincent Kartheiser
as a wiry adolescent who supports his habit through various petty crimes.
Woods, a professional thief, takes Kartheiser under his wing in pursuit of
the perfect score.
December 30, 1998 - LA release

"The Hi-Lo Country"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?hilocountry
Drama: Stephen Frears ("The Grifters") directs this study of two
friends (Woody Harrelson and Billy Crudup) in the fading post-World
War II American West.
December 30, 1998 - LA/NY release

"Hilary & Jackie"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?hilaryjackie
Drama: Emily Watson and Rachel Griffith portray gifted musicians
Jacqueline and Hilary du Pre, sisters growing up in 1950's England.
Watson rises to international fame with her prodigal talents while
her sister, played by Griffith, marries and begins a family. The
constant touring becomes a tremendous strain on lonely, depressed
Watson, who looks toward her sister demanding the unthinkable.
December 30, 1998 - LA/NY release

"Playing by Heart"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?playingheart
Drama: A large ensemble, including Gillian Anderson, Sean Connery,
Anthony Edwards and Gena Rowlands, experience varying facets of love
in this Los Angeles-set drama.
December 30, 1998 - LA release


****************************************
SHOWTIMES MOVIE LISTINGS
****************************************

http://showtimes.hollywood.com/

Now that you've seen what's coming out this week, here's the best way
to find out where it's playing in your neighborhood, and when! Plus,
get maps, theater information, and much more -- everything about movies
at Hollywood Online!


****************************************
NEW VIDEOS RELEASED THIS WEEK
****************************************
(in alphabetical order)

Videos Released
December 29, 1998

"The Avengers"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?avengers
Action/Adventure: Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes add their own charisma
to the characters of Emma Peel and John Steed in this update of the '60s
television spy series. The stylish duo set out on a near impossible mission
to stop madman scientist Sean Connery, the creator of a weather changing
machine capable of destroying the world.

"BASEketball"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?baseketball
Comedy: "South Park's" Trey Parker and Matt Stone co-star as devout
sports fans disillusioned by the corruption and commercialism of their
favorite pastimes. Fooling around one afternoon, they invent a goofy game
called baseketball- an unusual mixture of basketball and baseball. Before
they can reach for the six-pack, they're caught up in a whirlwind of money,
contracts and cheerleaders.

"High Art"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?highart
Drama: Radha Mitchell plays a hard-working twentysomething woman trapped
in a bad job and a listless relationship. A leak in her apartment ceiling
opens up the door to neighbor Ally Sheedy, who was once a famous photographer.
Intrigued by each other's lifestyles, the two become working partners and
highly intimate friends.

"Knock Off"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?knockoff
Action/Adventure: Jean-Claude Van Damme delves into his effeminate
side as a high fashion jeans designer in Hong Kong. To bring down a
terrorist conspiracy led by the Russian mafia, he teams with mysterious
beauty Lela Rochon. Saturday Night Live alum Rob Schneider tags along
for comic relief. Action auteur Tsui Hark directs.

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love"
http://www.hollywood.com/cgi-bin/TARGET/indexmg.cgi?fools
Drama: Larenz Tate stars as R&B singing sensation Frankie Lyman,
an entertainer married to three different women played by Halle Berry,
Vivica Fox and Lela Rochon. After his death, all three claim legitimate
right to his earnings as the one lawfully wedded widow. While sorting
through their histories with the man, they begin to share a special and
unique bond.


****************************************
HOLLYWOOD NEWS
****************************************

HOLLYWOOD ROUNDTABLE - Our columnists' reflections on all things cinema.
http://www.hollywood.com/news/roundtable/

'Stepmom' - The perfect movie for Christmas
http://hollywood.com/news/roundtable/Friday/12-25-98/


THE PRESSROOM
http://www.hollywood.com/pressroom
The best premiere coverage, celebrity photos and interviews on the web!
New this week:

"The Faculty" Premiere
http://www.hollywood.com/pressroom/premieres/faculty/faculty.html

New Year's Resolutions
http://www.hollywood.com/pressroom/events/newyear/award_newyear.html

Kevin Spacey Interview ("Hurlyburly")
http://www.hollywood.com/pressroom/interviews/kspacey/kspacey.html

Maya Angelou Interview ("Down in the Delta")
http://www.hollywood.com/pressroom/interviews/mangelou/mangelou.html


****************************************
HOLLYWOOD ONLINE: FEATURES
****************************************

HOLLYWOOD ONLINE'S FIRST ANNUAL TRAILER AWARDS
http://sites.hollywood.com/trailerawards/

Vote now for your favorite trailers of movies from 1998.
We've picked the nominees, YOU pick the winners!
You could win a trip to the premiere of "Austin Powers:
The Spy Who Shagged Me."

"AT FIRST SIGHT" TICKETS
http://www.hollywood.com/contests/atfirstsight/index.html
Win two FREE movie tickets to see
"At First Sight." Brought to you by Visa!

"YOU'VE GOT MAIL" SPECIAL FEATURE
http://hollywood.com/sites/youvegotmail/index.html
Win a CD or poster! Check out Videos and Photos from the movie.

"THE PRINCE OF EGYPT" SPECIAL FEATURE
http://hollywood.com/sites/princeegypt/index.html
Videos, Photos, Fun Stuff - Win a poster, T-shirt or CD!

"THE THIN RED LINE" SPECIAL FEATURE
http://hollywood.com/sites/thinredline/index.html
Photos, Videos, News, Quiz


DIGITAL REVOLUTION
http://digital.hollywood.com/digital/

Everything you could want to know about DVDs, laser
discs, industry developments, and all the latest titles.

Pick of the Week:
"Scream"
http://digital.hollywood.com/digital/movies/moviepage/0,1133,135,00.html

*****************************************************************
                               ADVERTISEMENT
*****************************************************************
NetFlix.com (http://www.netflix.com/default.asp?promoid=15785950)
Looking for that hard-to-find DVD? With over 2,000 titles, NetFlix.com
has what you want. Simply select your rental, receive it within 2-3
business days - watch it as often as you like for a full 7 days! Return
it using the prepaid, pre-addressed return-mailer. No hassles, no long
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*****************************************************************

MOVIE CRITIC
http://www.hollywood.com/critic/index.html

"Patch Adams" was assaulted by critics, while "Mighty Joe Young,"
"Stepmom" and "The Thin Red Line" fared better. Check out what they're
saying about the movies opening this week!


MOVIETALK
http://www.hollywood.com/movietalk/

Hear your favorite celebs in their own words, behind the scenes,
unrehearsed, and in glorious RealAudio! This week:

Susan Sarandon, Julia Roberts ("Stepmom"); Robert Duvall, John Travolta
("A Civil Action"); Charlize Theron ("Mighty Joe Young").


MOVIETUNES
http://www.movietunes.com

MovieTunes at Hollywood Online is the best source for movie music
news and coverage -- audio clips, interviews, art, forums, and more.

Best movie scores of 1998:
http://www.movietunes.com/DrToons/best/98score.html

Soundtrack of the week:
"City of Angels"
http://www.movietunes.com/soundtracks/1998/cityangels/


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Thanks for being a part of Hollywood Online -- where we're all about
movies!(r)



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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 12:00:54 -0500 (EST)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: [MV] Screen It  Newsletter (December 30, 1998)

Welcome to the Screen It! Newsletter (December 30, 1998).

This week at the movies, a slowdown after the Christmas onslaught with
only three films opening, all in very limited release.

On home video, a weak "Stepford Wives" teen flick, a "hard body"
romantic drama, and yet another adaption of an Elmore Leonard novel
compete for your rental dollars.

Next week, reviews of the highly anticipated WWII flick, "The Thin
Red Line" (Nick Nolte, Sean Penn) and other releases.


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NEW MOVIE REVIEWS FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30TH:

"ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE" (1998) (Vincent Kartheiser, James Woods) (R)
Drama: A middle-aged, drug-addicted couple (including Woods) shows a
younger couple of similar persuasions (including Kartheiser) the better
ways of living life as criminals.  With lackluster criminal exploits,
an extremely low budget feel, and some occasionally laugh-out-loud bad
acting, this film, with its ugly and unlikeable characters and
increasingly irritating moments, will be hard pressed to find much of
an audience and should make a quick beeline for the video stores.
The R rating comes from extreme profanity (nearly 300 "f" words),
violence, drug use, and sexually related material.


(Limited Release)
http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/another_day_in_paradise.html

__________________________________________________


"HILARY AND JACKIE" (1998) (Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths) (R)
Drama: Two musically gifted sisters (Watson & Griffiths) deal with their
talents, and the close-knit competition it generates between them, as
they grow up in 1950's England. While not for everyone's tastes -- those
who liked "Shine" are the likely appreciative audience -- the film
definitely gets better the more time one gives it to develop. Although
not a happy tale by any means, the strong and poignant performances
from the leads make it worth recommending.  The R rating comes from
profanity and sexually related material.


(Limited Release)
http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/hilary_and_jackie.html

__________________________________________________


"THE HI-LO COUNTRY" (1998) (Woody Harrelson, Billy Crudup) (R)
Drama:   Two friends' (Harrelson & Crudup) attraction to the same woman,
who's married to a man who works for their business rival, can only spell
trouble for everyone involved in a small, post-WWII southwestern town.
While the film's plot isn't anything spectacular, it's dramatically solid
and Harrelson's performance may just be the best of his career.
Originally scheduled long ago to be directed by Sam Peckinpah, British
director Stephen Frears ("The Grifters," "Dangerous Liaisons") more
than adequately pays homage to the old Western.  The film's R rating
comes from violence, sexually related material, and brief profanity.


(Limited Release)
http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/the_hi_lo_country.html

__________________________________________________


NEW VIDEO REVIEWS FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 5TH:


"DISTURBING BEHAVIOR" (1998) (James Marsden, Katie Holmes) (R)
Horror/Thriller: After his family moves to a small town, a teenager
(Marsden) discovers a sinister secret behind the behavior of a group of
near-perfect teens who wish to bring more kids into their fold.
Essentially stealing and marginally modifying the plot from the 1975
film, "The Stepford Wives" (where Katherine Ross discovers the
technologically sinister secret behind all of the pleasantly dutiful
and docile married women of Stepford), this film features a tepid plot,
horrible pacing with nearly no suspenseful buildup of genuine scares,
and only adequate performances from its predominantly teen cast. With a
domestic gross of a bit more than $17 million, the film's R rating comes
from violence, profanity, and some drug use.


(http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/disturbing_behavior.html)

__________________________________________________


"HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK" (1998) (Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs) (R)
Romantic Drama: A forty-year-old woman (Bassett) must decide whether to
continue in a relationship with a man (Diggs) half her age.   Although
this picture should please its target audience (those who loved "Waiting
To Exhale"), it's unfortunate that the film's plot and tempo are
scattered all over the place. Had as much effort been used in developing
a tighter and more believable story -- as was done in showing off lots of
finely tuned bodies in minimal clothing -- the film would have fared much
better.   Rated R for profanity and sexually related material, the film
managed to gross more than $37 million domestically.


(http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/how_stella_got_her_groove_back.html)

__________________________________________________

"OUT OF SIGHT" (1998) (George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez) (R)
Drama: A federal marshal (Lopez) tails a laid back bank robber (Clooney)
and must deal with her growing romantic feelings for him.  While many
critics gushed over this film and its characters, we were lukewarm to
the anemic plot and the picture overall.  Certainly not bad, but not as
much fun as the other recent adaptions of Elmore Leonard novels ("Get
Shorty," "Jackie Brown"), this film had a domestic gross of $37 million
and gets its R rating from profanity and violence.


(http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/out_of_sight.html)

__________________________________________________



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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 10:31:59 -0700 (MST)
From: Scott Renshaw <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] REVIEW: HILARY AND JACKIE

HILARY AND JACKIE
(October)
Starring:  Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths, David Morrissey, James Frain.
Screenplay:  Frank Cottrell Boyce, based on the memoir "A Genius in the
Family" by Hilary and Piers Du Pre.
Producers:  Andy Paterson and Nicholas Kent.
Director:  Anand Tucker.
MPAA Rating:  R (sexual situations, profanity, adult themes)
Running Time:  121 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.

     From its opening minutes, HILARY AND JACKIE promises intriguing spins
on a couple of time-worn dramatic set-ups:  the competitive siblings, and
the tortured artistic genius.  We first meet our sister protagonists as
children in 1950s England -- Hilary Du Pre (Keely Flanders) soaring on the
flute while Jacqueline (Auriol Evans) saws flatly on her cello.  It is
Hilary whose talent lands her on a BBC broadcast, earning her adulation
from her parents and others which spurs Jackie to a ferocious commitment
to improving her own musical skills.  Soon it is Jackie whose performances
are receiving standing ovations, the adult Jackie (Emily Watson) who rises
to international aclaim while Hilary (Rachel Griffiths) slips into
comfortable domesticity with her husband Kiffer (David Morrissey).

     Director Anand Tucker's adaptation of Hilary's memoir (co-written
with brother Piers) introduces some provocative questions regarding how
and why a prodigy becomes an artist.  Jackie's success surpasses Hilary's
not through superior inate talent, it is suggested, but through superior
effort, exemplifying the 99% perspiration in that aphorism about what
makes genius.  The film also introduces a wild card in the form of the
dance and movement classes both girls take, lessons which seem to
contribute to Jackie's uniquely passionate style but hinder Hilary's
efforts to excel at her own instrument.  The tension between the sisters
is set in what happens after their apparent childhood destinies flip-flop:
how Hilary abandons music altogether, and how Jackie comes to feel trapped
by her own success.

     If Tucker and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce had explored the
siblings' relationship as effectively as they explore their respective
careers, HILARY AND JACKIE might have been a brilliant film.  As it
stands, it's a pretty good one which offers wildly disparate insight into
its two main characters.  At one point in the first hour, a title card
with the single word "Hilary" launches us into one sister's world when
Jackie's success first divides them.  This leaves us with Hilary, whose
interior life is left something of a mystery to us as she chooses marriage
and family over music.  There's a spark of curiosity as Jackie makes an
incredible request of her sister, but we never get a clear enough sense of
why Hilary grants that request.  The author chooses to remain enigmatic
herself, allowing the spotlight to shift entirely to Jackie in this story
with the same questionable selflessness she chose in life.

    There's hope that their relationship will become clearer when the
"Jackie" section begins, but that's not the case.  Instead, the story
begins a fascinating look at Jackie's love-hate relationship with her
music, which she feels is the only reason anyone loves her.  Emily Watson
gets a showy role as the artist who struggles with her own identity and,
eventually, with multiple sclerosis.  It's a great performance as a great
character, yet it's disappointing that we watch her interact with her
cello nearly as much as she interacts with Hilary.  Though Jackie's sense
of isolation is the theme of the film's second half, it doesn't allow us
to understand what these two women were to each other.  HILARY AND JACKIE
is a revelation when it allows us to see what people surrender for art, as
well as why people surrender their art.  As a family affair, it's more
labor than genius.

     On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 sister acts:  7.

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
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                    http://www.inconnect.com/~renshaw/
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 12:57:07 -0700 (MST)
From: The Reporter <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] Movie News - 12/30/98

Leading up to the Christmas holiday, the most popular movie
at the video rental counter was not some traditional holiday
film. The Video Software Dealers Association says for the
week ending Dec. 20, "Lethal Weapon 4," starring Mel Gibson
and Danny Glover, was the No. 1 home rental video in the
U.S. The Harrison Ford and Anne Heche romance "Six Days,
Seven Nights" was second, followed by "The Mask of Zorro,"
"The Negotiator" and "Dr. Dolittle."

                        -=> * <=-

Sean Connery back as James Bond? Not quite, says the British
Broadcasting Corp. But Connery, 68, has been approached
about playing 007's long-time nemesis, Ernst Blofeld, in
Sony Pictures' upcoming remake of "Thunderball." But it's
not clear if Sony will be allowed to make the movie. The
studio is in a legal tussle with MGM over the rights to
remake the 1960s classic. MGM is already at work on its next
Bond movie, "The World Is Not Enough," which will again star
Pierce Brosnan in the title role.

                        -=> * <=-

Jackie Chan is a frugal fighter, one who washes his own
underwear and socks every night in a hotel because laundry
charges are too high. The action star also frets over
wasting soap. "I go to the Beverly (Hills) Hotel, I use the
soap one day, two days. I take the shower cap and wrap the
soap in it and travel with it," he told the Los Angeles
Times. "The new generation, they just waste it," he said.
"When we were young we didn't have soap." Chan's latest
film, "Rush Hour," pulled in more than $130 million, his
share of which should pay for a lot of soap. Chan said a
sequel is planned.

                        -=> * <=-

Despite reviews you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy,
"Patch Adams" debuted as No. 1 at the holiday box office
this weekend with $25.3 million, while the dying mother
story "Stepmom" (with Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon),
with $19.4 million, battled "You've Got Mail" ($19.1 mil)
for second place, estimates showed Sunday. "The Faculty" and
"Mighty Joe Young" opened to mediocre box office tallies
against tough competition, while "The Prince of Egypt" got a
small boost in its second week. (Even so, with a cumulative
gross of about $40 million, it has only a remote chance of
recouping its budget -- estimated as high as $100 million --
in the initial domestic theatrical run.) "The Thin Red Line"
and "A Civil Action" opened to packed houses in
limited-release, Oscar-consideration runs.

                        -=> * <=-

Now that Joseph Fiennes has entered the hunk arena (thanks
to his playing opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in "Shakespeare in
Love"), his personal life is suddenly under scrutiny --
though those interested in it are getting no help from the
actor himself. Like his better-known, older brother Ralph,
Joseph enjoys his privacy and won't discuss his love life.
"What is sad is the angle of a lot of the press is the
gossip," Fiennes told the Boston Herald. "It's a
chicken-and-egg thing. Is it the readers who want the
gossip? Or journalists who want to give it to please their
editors? I don't know where it lies, but it isn't where the
(acting) work lies."

                        -=> * <=-

Steven Spielberg, who's been associated with seven of the
biggest grossing films of all time, told the Los Angeles
Times that he would love to see the studios stop advertising
how much money a particular movie has made. He says box
office grosses should not be the only reason people make
movies. Spielberg also said that, despite reports to the
contrary, he is going to make "Memoirs of a Geisha." He says
he just doesn't want to bring the movie out at the turn of
the century, which he likens to Mardi Gras in the movie
business.

                        -=> * <=-

* DIED: Actor Hurd Hatfield, 80, best known for playing the
eternally youthful lead in MGM's 1945 version of the Oscar
Wilde novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray," Friday, at a
friend's home in Ireland. Hatfield, who never married, "was
very young-looking until a year ago," a friend told The New
York Times.

                        -=> * <=-

* ENDOWED: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, with $530,000
from the state of Connecticut, to make a film about author
Mark Twain. State officials said much of the movie will be
shot in Connecticut since Twain wrote his best-known works,
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn," while he lived in Hartford.

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------------------------------

Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 13:31:38 -0700 (MST)
From: The Reporter <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] Movie News - 12/31/98

After nearly seven years of frustration and bit parts, actor
Jim Caviezel was contemplating moving with his schoolteacher
wife Kerry back to his native Washington state and studying
chiropractic medicine. Then he won a lead role in Terrence
Malick's "The Thin Red Line." "I was almost out the door,"
Caviezel, 30, told New York's Daily News. (Caviezel had been
up for a role in "The Hi-Lo Country" but that part
eventually went to Billy Crudup.) Getting the green light
from Malick, he said, was "like winning the lottery.
Everything from this point on is just cake."

                        -=> * <=-

Love letters between Britain's Queen Victoria and her
gamekeeper and confidant John Brown were unearthed by the
makers of 1997's hit film "Mrs. Brown," London's Times
newspaper says. The cache of letters, which the paper said
revealed the depth of the widowed 19th century queen's
friendship with Brown, was shown to film producer Douglas
Rae and writer Jeremy Brocks during the early stages of
their work on the film. Rae said he was alerted to the fact
that a woman, a descendant of Brown, had letters and
photographs of the two. They had been stored in an attic
trunk for years in her house near the Royal Family's
Scottish residence of Balmoral.

                        -=> * <=-

Because his new movie role in "The Beach" calls for him to
strut around in swim trunks -- and because he's put on a few
pounds this past year -- Leonardo DiCaprio is not only
working out with a personal trainer but is drinking a
protein powder favored by baseball record-holder Mark
McGwire, reports New York's Daily News. The paper blames
Leo's weight gain on his being laid up by knee surgery in
August and his "nightcrawler's regular diet of vodka and
cranberry juice." As a result, he's "been less than excited
about taking his shirt off." "The Beach" starts shooting in
January.

                        -=> * <=-

Robin Williams told Reuters he has an addiction problem --
computers. The star of "Patch Adams" says he's "massively
addicted to computers" and loves to play games on them.
Williams says one of the best things about the rise of the
Internet is that e-mail has revived the art of
letter-writing. On the other hand, he says the anonymity of
chat rooms can be difficult to handle. "You basically think
you're talking to Eileen, the 25-year-old bisexual, and it's
Earl, the 50-year-old postal worker in Ohio."

                        -=> * <=-

Which classic movie heroine would best survive as a '90s
woman? For nearly half (45%) of the 1,000 men and women
randomly surveyed, she's Scarlett O'Hara. So, to celebrate
the video rerelease and the DVD debut of the restored and
digitally remastered "Gone With the Wind," Warner Home
Video, MGM Home Entertainment and Bloomingdale's are joining
together for a nationwide search for the Scarlett of the
'90s. Winners will be announced Jan. 26, the 60th
anniversary of the first day of shooting of the most popular
movie ever made.

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------------------------------

Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 09:54:32 -0700 (MST)
From: Scott Renshaw <[e-mail]>
Subject: [MV] TOP 10 FILMS OF 1998

     Again it's time to venture into the critic's best friend and worst
enemy:  the year-end "best of" list.  Our decaphilic nature demands that
the list be one length and one length only, but as ever, don't think that
means this year's collection is on a par with any other given year's
collection.  It's too early in my career to begin hearkening back to the
good old days, so I'll spare us all the lament that the pickings are
growing slimmer.  I'll merely note that I present these ten films as
examples of what film-making can do right when so many people spend so
much money doing it wrong.  I'll also add that one choice this year marks
a radical departure, and a vote for the idea that great movies are great
movies no matter where you happen to see them.

     A few eligible films were not available for screening before the end
of the year in my neck of the woods, including noteworthy entries on other
top ten lists like RUSHMORE, THE THIN RED LINE, and AFFLICTION.  Contact
your local representative for the studios to let them know what a horrible
public relations blunder this could be.

     Avant:

1) THE TRUMAN SHOW -- I'm convinced that, if Paramount had chosen to
market THE TRUMAN SHOW without revealing its central plot point, it would
have been recognized as a masterpiece without reservation.  Even knowing
the story behind Truman Burbank's unique existence didn't hinder my
fascination with this brilliant social satire.  Andrew Niccol's marvelous
script gave it a brain, but Jim Carrey's career-turning performance gave
it heart.  Few films have captured American's relationship with television
as effectively, nor showed us the price we pay.  Most astonishingly, it
manages both a happy ending and a final line of dialogue that's absolutely
chilling.  Truly the year's best melding of film art and craft.

2) SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE -- No one since the Bard himself has had more fun
with the English language than Tom Stoppard...and curiously, he's used it
to greatest effect while having fun with the Bard himself.  Stoppard (who
also crafted ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD) co-wrote this smart,
effervescent speculative romance which skewered Shakespeare's plays,
oddball lit-crit theory, gender roles and -- of all things -- Hollywood,
all in the disguise of a simple love story.  Joseph Fiennes made a
charmingly overwrought artist, Gwyneth Paltrow his radiant muse, and Judi
Dench a scene-stealing Queen Elizabeth.  Crowd-pleasers with as much brain
as heart are a rare commodity; this one had humor, passion and wit to
spare.

3) HITMAN HART: WRESTLING WITH SHADOWS -- I broke with one tradition to
review this film in the first place, and I'll break with another to give
it its much-deserved place of honor.  The year's best documentary happened
to debut on television (the A&E network), but that doesn't diminish its
achievement one iota.  Framed as a year-in-the-life of one popular
professional wrestler -- Bret "The Hitman" Hart -- Paul Jay's brilliant
film managed to cover far more thematic ground than you'd expect.  It's a
tale of father-son relationships, of personal integrity, of entertainment,
and of the peculiar place where the wheels of capitalism grind individuals
into the dust.  Part character study, part social commentary and part
thrilling sports drama, HITMAN HART kept me enthralled sitting at home on
my couch, and that's even more impressive than keeping me enthralled in a
theater seat.

4) SAVING PRIVATE RYAN -- It has already become a bit fashionable to wag
fingers at Steven Spielberg's World War II epic, noting that its substance
doesn't quite hold up to its viscera.  It's true that it lands its hardest
cinematic body blows with images of physical devastation, but I remember
the psychological devastation nearly as vividly.  The human faces of war
- -- including Jeremy Davies' unforgettable collapse into cowardice -- take
their place with the Normandy assault in an epic deserving of the term.
RYAN is a fascinating hybrid of the old-style patriotic war film and the
post-Vietnam "isn't war hell" tract.  It takes a chance on the notion that
war most certainly is hell, but that sometimes it's actually worth it.

5) OUT OF SIGHT -- Like most of Universal's 1998 offerings, OUT OF SIGHT
was a disappointment at the box office; unlike most of Universal's 1998
offerings, this one didn't deserve it.  Screenwriter Scott Frank, who did
a pretty good job once before of adapting Elmore Leonard for the screen
(with GET SHORTY), does an even better job in this funny, sexy and sly
caper.  The characters have every ounce of Leonard's oddball punch, giving
several of the performers (including stars George Clooney and Jennifer
Lopez) the best roles of their film careers to date.  Director Steven
Soderbergh, meanwhile, finds the unpredictable love story at the center of
the film and gives it remarkable zip.  OUT OF SIGHT is the cinematic
equivalent of great beach reading -- both unpredictable and effortlessly
entertaining.

6) HAPPINESS -- No sophomore slump was in evidence in writer/director Tod
Solondz's bitterly funny follow-up to WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE.  Many
critics and viewers attacked HAPPINESS as misanthropic, nihilistic or
gratuitously shocking, none of which captures the perceptive sadness at
the heart of this fascinating ensemble piece.  It happens to be the story
of people on a frustrating quest for happiness; the reason that quest
appears doomed is that most of them -- like most of us -- can only define
happiness in terms of things they don't have or can't have.  Solondz also
dared to put find the tortured humanity in society's monsters -- notably
Dylan Baker's chilling turn as a pederast doctor -- which made the film
even less palatable to many.  It may be hard to watch, but HAPPINESS shows
sympathy for a society lost in its longings.

7) A BUG'S LIFE -- John Lasseter, the brilliant director of TOY STORY,
steps down only half a notch for this marvelously kinetic piece of family
entertainment.  A BUG'S LIFE may have been the second of 1998's animated
insect films, but it turned out to be a hilarious triumph of visual
story-telling.  It also came up with the year's single most visionary
conceit -- the end-credits "blooper reel" of the computer-generated actors
- -- which made an already very good film feel like the work of a genius.
You could quibble with a couple of characterizations, but it's not worth
the effort.  Ninety solid minutes of smiles are too precious.

8) HURLYBURLY -- We've all seen other insider satires of film industry
types, filled with cynicism and self-loathing.  HURLYBURLY, based on David
Rabe's stage play, takes all that cynicism and self-loathing and gives it
a soul.  That soul belongs to the mid-level Hollywood player portrayed by
Sean Penn, a man trying to find some human connection in a place where
humans don't connect too much.  Penn's performance shows him at his edgy,
engrossing best, shifting between numbing himself to everyone else's
numbness and fighting against it.  His journey of re-discovery anchors a
film filled with sharp performances -- Meg Ryan as a burned-out stripper,
Kevin Spacey as Penn's heartless business partner -- and Rabe's
machine-gun dialogue.  Though confined a bit by its stage roots,
HURLYBURLY delivers both energy and unexpected optimism.

9) BELOVED -- "Too long," groused some; "too dark," complained others;
"too impenentrable," shrugged many.  Too bad.  Though its title hardly
reflected its general reception, BELOVED was an unforgettable film
experience.  At its center it's a ghost story, the tale of a spirit from
the dead that overwhelms the lives of the living.  It was also a story of
banishing those ghosts, of finding ways to move beyond the horror of a
bleak past.  Director Jonathan Demme's languid pacing, the source of so
many jabs at BELOVED, was critical to its atmosphere of foreboding; the
look and feel of this film were part of its haunting pull.  Oprah Winfrey
and Danny Glover acted as the tormented center of the story, but the
supporting performers -- Thandie Newton, Beah Richards and Kimberly Elise
- -- were even better.  BELOVED was a truly literary film, as well as the
most uplifting horror film I can recall.

10) THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY -- Peter and Bobby Farrelly found the
borders of good taste, then proceeded to trample them into oblivion in the
kind of comedy Mel Brooks used to make when he still had a sense of the
outrageous.  Sure, it had its slow patches.  It also provided the kind of
gut-level laughs comedies just don't produce much any more.  And don't
underestimate the importance of Cameron Diaz's effortless comic appeal on
the success of this film -- there aren't too many women who could play an
object of obsession effectively, or pull off that rather unique hairstyle
without looking stupid.  Silly, surreal (Jonathan Richman's wandering
minstrel) and consistently surprising, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
delivered big-time fun.

HONORABLE MENTION:  FRAT HOUSE, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, MEN WITH GUNS, LOVE AND
DEATH ON LONG ISLAND

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                      Visit Scott Renshaw's MoviePage
                    http://www.inconnect.com/~renshaw/
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------------------------------

Date: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 09:27:12 PST
From: "Danielle Conkle" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: [MV] TOP 10 FILMS OF 1998....anyone out there?!

    Hey I haven't heard much talking on the movie list, is everyone
still out there?!  I love making lists and i know you guys do too...does
anyone have a best & worst of 1998?  Or maybe some of you saw some
really great movies, that didn't get much attention, but should have?  I
would love to hear about all of them!!
   Danielle


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

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------------------------------

Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 19:25:11 EST
From: [e-mail]
Subject: [MV] Film Threat Weekly : 1-4-99 :  Take 1

Subj:    Film Threat Weekly : 1-4-99 :  Take 1
Date:    99-01-03 15:39:40 EST
From:    FilmThreat
To:    SeanJordan, FTWeekly00

FILM THREAT WEEKLY
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
"Hollywood's Indie Voice of the New Millennium"
=============================
Take 1 : January 4th, 1999
=============================
http://www.filmthreat.com
=============================

"Fasten your seatbelts.  It's going to be a bumpy night."
- - Bettie Davis braces for a rocky party in "All About Eve."

<===========Deluxe======Widescreen======Edition ===========>

THIS WEEK   "Right here, right now."
===========================================
ùù> NEWS: Where objectivity is strangely absent.
ùù> BOXOFFICE CHART: Who's number one at the boxoffice?
ùù> THE YEAR IN REVIEW: Meaningless "Best of" Lists for 1998
ùù> DIY FILMMAKING: Filmmaker War Stories
ùù> HATE MAIL: You like us. You really like us.


SUBSCRIBE   "Unless you already did."
===========================================
Subscribe/Unsubscribe by sending an e-mail to [e-mail].


BUY FILM THREAT T-SHIRTS   "Cures Nudity on Contact!"
===========================================
FILM THREAT T-SHIRTS are here and just in time!  You'll never have to suffer
the embarrassment of a NAKED body again with this miracle device!  Get one!
http://www.filmthreat.com/welcome.htm


CLASSIFIEDS   "If you advertise, they will come."
===========================================
Reach over 75,000 film fanatics on the net.  For our reasonable ad rates, e-
mail [e-mail].

SUBMIT OR DIE
Entries being accepted in film, video, screenwriting and music competitions of
Saguaro Film Festival -- Arizona's best fest.  Entry forms and info:
http://www.extrcheese.com/afs

SOULDANCE FILM FESTIVAL - GET YOUR FREE TICKETS!
The souldance film festival, showcasing the best in indie films by women and
minority filmmakers will be held in Park City, Utah, January 24 - 29, 1999.
For more info call 212-971-5835.
http://www.souldancefilmfestival.com

EXTENDED DEADLINE FOR VALLEYFEST
We are accepting features, documentaries and animations for March 12-14
festival in Knoxville, TN.  NEW DEADLINE -- JANUARY 31ST.  For information or
entry form call 423-971-1792 or visit web site:
http://www.esper.com/valleyfest

5TH ANNUAL CUCALORUS FILM FESTIVAL
Showcase festival in Wilmington, NC (big film town) is geared towards
filmmakers.  All genres, film/video formats accepted -- anything goes! ENTRY
DEADLINES January 15, February 1. Information -- http://www.cucalorus.org.
Hang on slang on!
http://www.cucalorus.org

NO DANCE FILM & MULTIMEDIA FESTIVAL
1999 NO DANCE Film & Multimedia Festival returns to Park City. Preliminary
lineup announced on web site.  More details to follow for the first-ever DVD
festival - ONE DAY - ONE EVENT - ONE MOUNTAIN!
http://www.6161.com


THE NEWS   "Filtered and manipulated.  Just like the real news."
===========================================
Our top story...

SOULDANCE FILM FESTIVAL JOINS ALTERNATIVE
FESTS INVADING PARK CITY, UTAH IN JANUARY
The Souldance Film Festival, to be held on January 24 - 29, 1999 in Park City,
Utah, is planned to be a showcase of the best in feature films and shorts made
by women and minority filmmakers. The diverse programming of the Souldance
Film Festival includes feature films and shorts making their US premiere as
well as a number of films that have received critical acclaim and awards.
Films selected for this year's Souldance Film Festival are:

Feature Competition:
"My Fathers Love" an urban Mexican drama directed by Frank Aragon.  This film
is making its US premiere at Souldance.

"Naked Acts" directed by Bridgett Davis. After winning awards at many top film
festivals worldwide, this sensitive drama about a Black woman coming to terms
with her body, opened recently to sell out audiences at the Thalia Theater in
New York City. Variety called it "Fresh, funny and original."

"Cappuccino" is a critically acclaimed film noir feature directed by Craig
Ross, Jr. The film has received top awards at the Urbanworld Film Festival and
appeared at Lincoln Center for its New Director/New Films series.

"you say tomatoà" a romantic-comedy directed by Prentice Penny will make its
US premiere at Souldance.

Shorts in Competition:

"Aftermath" directed by Jaison Greene
"The Lion's Den" directed by Rick Gough
"Girl Talk" directed by Stacey Holman
"True" directed by Chuck Stone

Films will be screened in video on a state of the art Home Theater System.
Tickets are free to the public.
http://www. souldancefilmfestival.com


BOXOFFICE CHART   "Hollywood's Horse Race... and they're off!"
===========================================
Weekend of January 1-3, Source: Exhibitor Relations Co.

1/New PATCH ADAMS $20.1/$66.6 (2)
2/     2 STEPMOM $15.0/$50.4 (2)
3/     3 YOU'VE GOT MAIL $14.1/$77.9 (3)
4/     4 THE PRINCE OF EGYPT $15.1/$66.6 (3)
5/     7 A BUG'S LIFE $10.0/137.6 (7)
6/     6 MIGHTY JOE YOUNG $8.7/$28.8 (2)
7/     5 THE FACULTY $8.0/$26.3 (2)
8/     9 ENEMY OF THE STATE $5.0/$97.0 (7)
9/     8 STAR TREK: INSURRECTION $4.8/$58.7 (4)
10/ 10 JACK FROST $3.2/$31.2 (4)
- -/      - SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE $3.1
- -/      - THE THIN RED LINE .376 (2 Theaters)
- -/      - PLAYING BY HEART $.028 (1 Theater)
- -/      - THE HI-LO COUNTRY $.006 (1 Theater)


PICKS OF THE WEEK   "Stuff we wanna plug."
===========================================
SCREENWRITING CONTEST:
The deadline for the Second Annual Taos Land & Film Screenplay Contest is
January 25th, 1999.  The winner will receive five acres in the Cerro Montoso
filmmakers colony that overlooks the Rio Grande Gorge in Taos.  The award will
be presented at the fifth annual Taos Talking Pictures Festival April 15-18,
1999.  "The deadline has been moved up this year due to the large number of
entries we received last year (apx. 400) and the logistical/time problems
encountered in doing all the coverage and judging before the festival in
April. We'd like to encourage writers to submit their entries as early as
possible and to avoid the last-minute "term paper" syndrome we experienced
with entries last year.  The benefit to the writer is the sooner we get your
script the more attention we can give it and the more producers and agents
that can review it."
     The winning script will be optioned by TLFC in exchange for the five
acres.  The option will be negotiated with the author against a purchase price
ranging between $50,000 and $500,000 contingent upon the scale and scope of
the story and the successful development and production of it as a realized
motion picture.
     Additionally, finalists will be submitted to agents and producers who
have expressed interest in purchasing options and developing co-productions
with Taos Land & Film Company.
     TLFC also sponsors the Annual Land Grant Prize at the Taos Talking
Pictures Festival -- as part of their effort to encourage the building of a
film community in the well-known artist's colony and ski resort -- five acres
awarded to the most inspired feature film entered.  Previous winning
filmmakers and writers who are now land-owners on the mountain include, Chris
Eyre, director of "Smoke Signals"; Connie Marks, director of "Green Chimneys";
Gary Walkow, director of "Notes From Underground" and Reynaldo Cantu', author
of "Why Angels Cry."  Call Taos Land & Film at 310/396-9242:
http://www.taoslandandfilm.com

WEB SITE:
For the coolest in hard-to-find Hong Kong films check out Tai Seng Video.
They have a library of over 2,000 titles and everything from Jackie Chan, Jet
Li, Sammo Hung, Michelle Yeoh and John Woo.  Awesome.
http://www.taiseng.com

DVD:
If you love food, you will love "Tampopo".  The touching little film is about
a truck driver who teaches a young widow named Tampopo how to improve her
noodle restaurant. The film is one part spaghetti western with a helping of
satire, surrealism and screwball comedy.  Made by Japanese director Mansaku
Itami, who is renowned for his films that focus on social commentary such as
"A Taxing Woman", and The Gangster's Moll".  Get a great deal on "Tampopo" and
other movies at DVD Express -- they have the best deals on the web!  And don't
forget to tell 'em Film Threat sent you.
http://www.dvdexpress.com


THE YEAR IN REVIEW     "Meaningless Lists for 1998"
===========================================
Guaranteed to piss you off and create mountains of annoying e-mail, here it
is, our annual... BEST, WORST, MOST ANNOYING LISTS OF 1998!

BEST FILMS OF 1998
10. "A Civil Action": An intelligent script, astute director and a supporting
cast that makes up for its mediocre superstar.

9. "Permanent Midnight": Ben Stiller's Oscar worthy performance about a drug
addicted writer. Intense and well written.

8. "Primary Colors": Adrian Lester, Kathy Bates and Larry Hagman are great in
this film that was forgotten by most. Don't let Travolta scare you.

7. "The Big One": Terrific documentary from the director of the brilliant
"Roger & Me", Michael Moore.

6. "The Thin Red Line": Although the cameos were intrusive, this filmed "poem"
has brilliant performances throughout.

5. "The Big Lebowski": Jeff Bridges is Oscar worthy as "The Dude" and John
Goodman is hilarious, too bad most were expecting "Fargo".

4. "The Spanish Prisoner": Cambell Scott and Steve Martin are impeccable in
David Mamet's flawless tale about the theft of a secret "formula".

3. "Saving Private Ryan": Oscar Favorite, watch for Tom Sizemore's well
deserved nomination.

2. "Life is Beautiful": Roberto Benigni's bizarre masterpiece about one man's
struggle to save his child from the terrors of the Nazi Concentration Camps.

1. "A Simple Plan": Sam Raimi's brilliant tragedy about three men who find $4
million. The script is close to perfect and the characters are second to none.
Bill Paxton and Bridget Fonda are excellent but it is Billy Bob Thornton's
performance that steals the film.

Other notables: "A Bug's Life", "The Celebration", "Rushmore", "Bulworth",
"Out of Sight", "Love is the Devil", "Henry Fool", "Pleasantville",
"Ringmaster", "Gummo", "Happiness", "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", "Pi",
"Buffalo '66", "Safe Men", "Gods and Monsters", "Les Miserables", "Shakespeare
in Love", "Return to Paradise", "Truman Show", "Zero Effect".


WORST FILMS OF 1998
10. "Apt Pupil": Never before has a film made you actually want to side with a
murdering Nazi.

9. "Halloween H20" / "Psycho": Weren't these supposed to be scary?

8. "Deep Impact" / "Armageddon": An asteroid hitting earth is a good idea for
a film ... so why were these films so terrible?

7. "Baseketball" / "Orgazmo": Just plain unfunny. Maybe a laugh track would
have helped to point out the jokes. Stick to cartoons guys.

6. "Desperate Measures": Michael Keaton as an evil serial killer who exercises
with bags of water? Try to sit through this gem.

5. "Dr. Dolittle" / "Holy Man": Please take away Eddie's comedy license. He
has not been funny for years.

4. "Lethal Weapon 4": Don't even try to use the lame excuse: "But Jet Li was
cool!" HE WAS NOT and the producers didn't even try ... awful film.

3. "Knock Off" / "The Big Hit": Only going to say this once: "NO MORE MIXING
HONG KONG DIRECTORS WITH VAN DAMME" ... both films are just insulting.

2. "Mercury Rising": Alec Baldwin is looking more like Daniel every day and
Bruce Willis is worse than ever... not even going to mention the kid.

1. "Dee Snyder's Strangeland": Dee Snyder acting, writing & producing?  Zero
production value, terrible acting and a ridiculous script.  Absolutely the
most UNWATCHABLE film released in 1998.

Other crap that deems mentioning: "Sphere", "Godzilla", "Lost In Space",
"Patch Adams", "Avengers", "Urban Legends", "Soldier", "54", "Burn Hollywood
Burn", "Man in the Iron Mask", "Small Soldiers", "Night at the Roxbury",
"Species 2" and "Switchback", to name just a few ...


MOST OFFENSIVE ACTORS:
Eric Schaeffer (did he have a film in '98?)
Adam Sandler
Ben Affleck
Leonardo Di Caprio
Ben Affleck
Leonardo Di Caprio
Ben Affleck
Leonardo Di Caprio ... (you get the idea)


BIGGEST BOMBS:
"Baseketball": Did "Premiere" really pick this film to make over $100 million?
"Godzilla": Even though it made $120 million it really sucked!!!
"Species 2": Yes, it was released theatrically.


MOST SOUGHT AFTER NUDE SCENES:
Jennifer Love Hewitt: "I Still Know I Have Huge Boobs"
Christina Ricci: "The Opposite of Small" & "Buffalo 66DD"
Neve Campbell: "Wild Dykes"
Christina Applegate: "The Big _its"
Minnie Driver: "Hard Rain in My Pants"


MOST ANNOYING ROBIN WILLIAMS FILM:
How many films did he release this year?  Take your pick.


WORST SCENES:
"Armageddon": Liv Tyler & Ben Affleck's Animal Crackers - Apparently this was
shot later to add more "depth" to the romance ... it worked.
"Wild Things": Matt Dillon & Kevin Bacon's Shower Scene - Do you really want
to see "Bacon-penis"?
"Man in the Iron Mask": Leonardo Di Caprio - Any scene that involved him
actually speaking. Why did everybody have an accent but the king?
"Lost in Space" - THAT STUPID MONKEY!!!
"Shakespeare in Love": What is Ben Affleck doing in a period piece?
"Species 2": Every scene in which Natasha Henstridge was NOT naked.


MOST SURPRISING FILMS:
"Something About Mary"
"Zero Effect"
"Return to Paradise"
"Les Miserables"
"Dark City"


20 FILMS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 1999:
"Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" (June 11)
"eXistenZ" (April 23)
"Eyes Wide Shut" (July 16)
"Fight Club" (June 24)
"Freddy vs. Jason" (October 31?)
"Fu Manchu"
"Gladiator"
"The Green Mile" ("Summer")
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (Thanksgiving?)
"Idiots"
"Man on the Moon"
"Mystery Men" (July 9)
"The Ninth Gate"
"Romeo Must Die"
"Sleepy Hollow" (November)
"The South Park Movie" (April)
"Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (May 24)
"Stigmata"
"Stuck on You"
"The Talented Mr. Ripley"


DIY FILMMAKING:  "War Stories from the Frontlines of Filmmaking"
===========================================
Here we present another chapter in our continuing series focusing on the
trials and tribulations of making independent films.  These War Stories from
filmmakers who slaved to get it done will tear at your heart and might even
make you cry.  (Not really, but it sounds good to say that.)  Battle on indie
filmmakers!

INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER: Wiley Wiggins (a former actor, he played that junior
high kid Mitch Kramer from "Dazed and Confused" and also starred in "Love and
a .45") who has now turned filmmaker with his short film "Binary Cancer
Tacos".

THE SCOOP: "Binary Cancer Tacos" was shot in Hi-8mm video combined with
malfunctioning video game footage, Mexican TV satellite feed mess-ups on an
ailing old computer to produce something that masquerades as a story about
robots who make tacos or something.

BUDGET: $5-10

WHY DID YOU MAKE IT?
Because in heartworm, worm doctors imprison video worm decay units. Cock-
marker undertow units monitor worm doctor corrosion kits.  (This was Wiley's
nutty answer: ed.)

WHAT SACRIFICES DID YOU MAKE ALONG THE WAY?
More producers realized that they probably shouldn't give me the lead in the
next Disney mah-jong playing telepathic monkey movie. Also I had to listen to
a bunch of people who saw it at a Texas Fine Arts Association block party tell
me what they thought it "meant".

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FILM?
Play it for people on drugs, telling them that it's actually tapes of the hit
television series "Riptide."  The short played at the TFAA opening night block
party and the second annual F3 film fest. I don't know if there is an audience
for it anywhere else. I'll probably sell it mailorder.

ANY PEARLS OF WISDOM?
Fast hard-drives. Magnetic distortion fields.  Learn to relish uncomfortable
silence. When all else fails, get really drunk start to take off your clothes.
There's no end in sight.

WAS IT WORTH IT?
Yes. It payed for two homeless people to  have a pack of cigarettes and talk
on tape about something other than their living situation.  One of the bums I
filmed had been waiting 20 years to sing Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" for
someone.

WILL YOU BE GOING TO SUNDANCE THIS YEAR?
Blah.  Probably not going to Sundance. Can't think of a reason why I should
really. I'll probably slum around SXSW a little and get drunk.  I need to suck
it up and do a big stupid movie so I can make a bunch of money to give to the
Zellner Brothers (Plastic Utopia) so they'll make a new movie. I'm thinking of
going to Japan to do tampon commercials.... Or maybe I could molest myself and
be driven to porn.

To find out more, surf over to:

http://www.fringeware.com/anathema/bios/wiley.html
Or e-mail Wiley at: [e-mail]

FILMMAKERS:  Hey!  How come my film isn't in this column?!!  E-mail your tales
to [e-mail] and answer the basic questions above.  Send us a copy of
your film and if it sounds cool, we'll run a story!  Send VHS review copies
to: Film Threat, 5042 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90036


HATE MAIL: You like us. You really like us.
===========================================
Send your ramblings to: [e-mail].

READ THE FINE PRINT
Dear Commercial Alert: I am a 26 year old  filmmaker/writer/student/waiter. I
have for many years appreciated the research and campaigning that Mr. Ralph
Nader has led in the name of fairness and liberty for the American people; But
now I can't believe what I'm hearing. What is all this negative commotion
about movie ads in the theatres? Aren't there many more pressing issues to
contend with in this chaotic world?
     I love movie trailers! Ninety percent of movie ads are grotesquely
manipulative and they often insult (but sometimes exceed) the merit of
the actual film they're promoting. However, they comprise a tradition that
I've witnessed throughout my entire life, and I believe that they
are harmless and quite useful, even fun in a campy sort of way! I always make
sure I arrive at a movie theatre in time to see every single
trailer before the movie begins, because no matter what type or genre of movie
I have come to see, the excitement I feel from watching trailers
sets my mood perfectly for watching the movie, and watching the ads is indeed
the icing on the cake for my complete cinematic experience.
     Another very important benefit of having people arrive at a movie during
the trailers is that people always have a little talking to do when they sit
down in the theatre, and the trailers provide a perfect time to talk with
companions without disturbing anyone's movie experience. I should also note,
at the risk of revealing the obvious, that I honestly do appreciate being
informed about what movies I can look forward to seeing (or avoiding) in the
near future.
     In regard to your argument concerning the "art" of cinema: The history of
cinema is the history of horrible movies and great films and everything in
between---taking away the "commercials" is not going to change that.
     By the way, there are usually about five to seven minutes worth of
trailers before a movie begins, so if skipping the ads is that important to
you, then show up a little late! If the exact showtime of the film is what you
want, then call the theatre (use the phone number they offer at the end of
their "showtimes" recording) and a theatre employee will be happy to give you
the film's exact screening time.
     Thank you for listening.
- - Jeff Britt
Austin, Texas
[e-mail]

FILM THREAT RESPONDS:
Hey moron, if you read everything in the story he is NOT talking about movie
trailers but COMMERCIALS for things like Coca Cola, McDonald's or Chevrolet.
We all love movie trailers and would not support a campaign to remove them
from theaters.  That is NOT what they are talking about.
     Disney, Miramax, Warner Brothers and other movie studios support the
permanent removal of COMMERCIALS at theaters.  One quick piece of advice: you
DO NOT have the right to an opinion.  You only have a right to an INFORMED
opinion.
     Go back and reread the original story, or better yet, have someone else
read it to you.  You really embarassed yourself.
- - Your pals at Film Threat

FACULTY REVIEW
In response to THE FACULTY review:  I really liked the fake screenplay with
Williamson and Weinstein, but my only question is, after mocking their whole
approach to making this stupid crap, why give it 3&1/2?  I saw it the other
day, and left thinking, okay, from the second scene I knew that Elijah Wood
and Jordana Brewster were going to get together by the end.  I hated the
script for that.  By the third scene, I knew that the country girl was the
head Alien.  By the fourth scene, I knew that I should have gone to see
Shakespearre in Love instead.  I mean come on, the whole reason the horror
genre experienced a revitalization is because of it's new found originality,
not because we wanted to see a different take on the 'pen in the eyeball'
shot.  The reason I haven't liked "Last Summer" or "Faculty,"  is because they
both have the same non-wit that the Scream movies promised us.  Where did it
go?  Why does every movie have to be like 'Angus"  meeting "The Monster Squad"
because that's what it seems like.....I'm getting sick of it.
P.S.  What a craptacular cameo by Harry what'shisface of 'aintitcoolnews' as
the no named teacher who says nothing and sweated badly even before becoming
an alien!
- - [e-mail]

DEAR FILM THREAT
I've enjoyed your newsletter for a few weeks now....after Rodney Conviser (aka
Comedy on Tap) put me on the list...I'm sure without asking.  And now that
you've made the very excellent choice to mention such a splendid upcoming
film, I guess I'll have to recommend this newsletter to a few of my friends.
     Keep up the good work.
- - Richard Hull
(One of the now many producers of SHE'S ALL THAT)
[e-mail]


END CREDITS   "Written, produced, and directed by . . ."
===========================================
Publisher / Chris Gore
Senior Editor / Ron Wells
Jr. Editor / Anthony Miele
Contributors / Merle Bertrand, Tom Meek, Victor Minjares

Send us films, videos, CDs, games, screening passes:
FILM THREAT, 5042 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 150, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Website: http://www.filmthreat.com
Edress: [e-mail]

FILM THREAT WEEKLY is published by The Gore Group, LLC.  All material ⌐1999
Gore Group Publications.  All rights reserved.  Contents may not be reprinted
without written permission of the author.  You are, however, welcome to
forward this e-mail to whomever you wish.  All letters, comments and reviews
sent to Film Threat Weekly in any manner are assumed intended for publication,
unless stated otherwise. Your name and e-mail address will be printed if
published herein. Not responsible for unsolicited submissions.

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