Film Threat Newsletter Archive - JUNE 2004

[Chris Gore]

Here's the archive of issues for June 2004

[Chris Gore]

FILM THREAT IN SEATTLE!
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Get exclusive coverage of the 2004 Seattle International Film Festival all this week on FilmThreat.com

SELL YOUR STORY TO HOLLYWOOD BUYERS
JUNE 26 & 27 in Los Angeles! GREAT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY In West Los Angeles - Limited Seating. Every year over 500 million U.S. dollars are spent acquiring and/or developing new ideas/stories in Hollywood. Here's your chance to get your idea/story/script/book to the people who can DO something with it. Great opportunity to pitch 1-on-1 to Hollywood buyers. REGISTER TODAY!
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SELL YOUR FEATURE or SHORT FILM NOW!
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FILM THREAT.com
"Truth in Entertainment"
-- The leading source on REAL Independent films since 1985 --
==============================
Take 23 : June 7, 2004
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http://www.filmthreat.com
==============================

"Don't eat the big white mint."
- Road House (1989)

RIGHT NOW on FilmThreat.com:
==============================
--> INTERVIEWS!
--> FEATURES!
--> Plus, as always… TONS OF INDIE FILM REVIEWS!
Visit the site for these stories, tons of reviews and more!
========================================

THIS ISSUE "Right here, right now"
==============================
--> FILM THREAT POLL: Voting is your right
--> BOX OFFICE: Who's number one?
--> BIG SCREEN: Brutally honest reviews
--> INDIE THREAT: Indie and Underground reviews


==============================
There can be only one... ULTIMATE FILM FANATIC.
Hosted by Chris Gore
Fridays @ 10:30 PM starting July 9th.
ONLY on IFC
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==============================


CLASSIFIEDS "If you advertise, they will come"
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ADVERTISE IN FILM THREAT! As low as $175 for a 50 word classified! Reach 100,000 film fanatics in our newsletter and 300,000 readers on our site generating 15 million hits a month. E-mail advertise@filmthreat.com or get more details at:
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FREDERICK - CALL FOR ENTRIES!
Final weeks! 3rd annual Festival of Film, Frederick Maryland accepting entries for 2004. Early submission $15 by July 1st. Late submission $25 July 2nd to 15th. Accepting shorts and features. We encourage filmmakers and cast to present films personally and participate in discussion panels.
http://www.frederickfilm.org

POSTMARK PARADISE - AWARD-WINNING INDIE MOVIE
FILM THREAT'S Associate Editor Merle Bertrand called Postmark Paradise "... a fine, well crafted film... heartwarming and surprisingly unpredictable... It plays beautiful..." Now this award winning film starring Tantoo Cardinal and Natalia Nazarova is being distributed on DVD/VHS by Vanguard Cinema throughout North America. Info at PostmarkParadise.com, NataliaNazarova.com, and Vanguardcinema.com.
http://www.PostmarkParadise.com

DAM SHORT FILM FEST - CALL FOR ENTRIES
DSFF has extended its Early Bird Deadline to July 15th! The Dam Short Film Festival will be held February 4-6, 2005, in Boulder City, Nevada, and will feature 100 short films from all corners of the globe. All genres, subjects, and years are invited to submit. Boulder City, the historic home of the Hoover Dam, is a mere 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.
http://www.damshortfilm.org

DEFMAN PROUDLY ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR FIRST SANTA MONICA SHORTFEST and 6TH DEEP ELLUM FILM FEST - The first annual Santa Monica Shortfest, in Santa Monica, CA is seeking entries for its 2004 festival, to be held every Tuesday starting July 27 for 10 weeks. 1 short film will be chosen to screen every week outside before an audience of over 4000 on the Santa Monica Pier. Special events provide filmmakers with an exceptional opportunity for networking and showcasing their work. 6th DE/F2 opens CALL FOR ENTRIES June 1 Proceeds from all DEFMAN events provide funding for cancer relief victims through the Cancer Relief Fund. For an entry form, visit http://www.smff.com or http://www.def2.org

CALL FOR ENTRIES - HOLLYWOOD HORROR, SCI-FI, FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL
Presented by FilmThreat.com and Hollywood Film Festival(R) SUBMIT TODAY! "The festival is the ultimate networking opportunity for filmmakers looking for a break." - "Daily Variety"
http://www.hollywoodfestival.com

SONY DIGITALMASTER TAPE
Sony. The Technology Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival. Festival Dates: May 1-9, 2004. Visit the official festival web site: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/ Sony DigitalMaster(tm) tape. Ditch the Glitches. Designed for any mini-DV or DVCAM(tm) camcorders, DigitalMaster(tm) tape is far from ordinary.
http://www.digitalmastertape.com

SELL YOUR USED DVDS
For cash!!! No hassles, no gimmicks!
http://www.sellmydvds.com


BACK TALK AT FILM THREAT!
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NOW MORE THAN 1,000 MEMBERS STRONG! OVER 10,00 POSTS! The hottest movie message board on the net! What are they talking about this week on Film Threat's BACK TALK?
The Rock to take over Dirty Harry
Battle Royale redux
Clerks + Office Space = "Townies"?
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Tons of free stuff for MOVIEMAKERS

These are just some of the hot topics being discussed now in Film Threat's new BACK TALK section! So sign up, read what's on the minds of your fellow Film Threat readers and post a rant, a review or start a discussion thread of your own. Check it out here:
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FILM THREAT POLL "Voting is your right"
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Go to http://www.filmthreat.com to cast your vote on the following question:
Top reason I want to see the new Harry Potter...

1) Hoping that Alfonso Cuaron brings something new to the table
2) Gary Oldman
3) I'm a huge Harry Potter buff
4) My kids are bugging me to take them

Hoping that Alfonso Cuaron brings something new to the table is leading at 44%! Cast your vote on the site and check the results!


BOX OFFICE "Hollywood's horse race"
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Weekend of June 4-6, Source: Exhibitor Relations Co.

1/0 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban $92.6/$92.6
2/1 Shrek 2 $37.0/$313.6
3/2 The Day After Tomorrow $28.1/$128.7
4/4 Raising Helen $6.6/$24.1
5/3 Troy $5.7/$119.0
6/7 Mean Girls $2.9/$78.1
7/5 Soul Plane $2.8/$11.0
8/6 Van Helsing $2.3/$114.5
9/8 Man on Fire $1.0/$75.3
10/10 Super Size Me $0.8/$6.2


BIG SCREEN "Coming to a theater near you"
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From five stars "Perfect! * * * * *" to one star "Crap! *" totally honest movie reviews.

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
by Rick Kisonak
* * 1/2
Ever see a movie and then talk to people or read about it only to end up with the feeling you must have seen a different version than the one everybody else was shown? That's pretty much been my experience in the case of the latest Harry Potter installment. My thirteen year old son insists it's the best of the three. Review after review has hailed it as a reinvigoration of the franchise and credited director Alfonso ("Y Tu Mama Tambien") Cuaron with conjuring its darkest, most psychologically nuanced adaptation to date.
All I can say is I must have missed the greatest five minutes in the history of cinema when I made that run to the mens room. Here's what I did see:
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson regroup at Hogwarts for the new academic year. As happens every academic year, the place's staff has remained more or less the same with the exception of a particular position. Each year seems to bring a new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. Kenneth Branagh's preening, self- impressed Gilderoy Lockhart has been succeeded by the tweedy, mild mannered Professor Lupin, a teacher with a secret played by David Thewlis.
The big news on campus this time around involves the recent escape from prison of Sirius Black. Black, we are led to understand, is a violent, spellcasting desperado who played some part in the death of Harry's parents and now has set his psycho sights on the young wizard himself.
Like all Harry Potter movies, this one is too long by half or so. For the better part of two hours we wait for Gary Oldman to arrive on the scene and wreak black magic havoc. In the meantime, what we're treated to is less a story than a series of vignettes. Actually, vignettes may be too generous. A leisurely and loosely connected succession of excuses for showcasing J. K. Rowling concoctions is more like it.
The first is a scene in which Harry's gasbag of an aunt makes disparaging remarks about his late parents, prompting him to cast a spell which inflates her into a blowhard balloon that floats noisily into the night. Later, at school, Harry and the gang are introduced to the Dementors, a legion of flying Grim Reaper-style correction system spooks which have surrounded Hogwarts in an effort to intercept Oldman. They're clad in ragged gray robes from which skeletal hands protrude. And then there's the picture's other digital showpiece, the hippogriff. Harry befriends the flying creature-half horse, half bird-and is treated to a high altitude ride reminiscent of the ones he customarily enjoys aboard his broom during rounds of Quidditch.
Clearly this is Rowling at less than her whimsically inventive best. The inflatable aunt will bring to postteen minds the great expanding gourmand in "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life". The Dementors are not a lick scarier than the Grim Reaper in the Bill Murray movie "Scrooged" -and that was a comedy. As for the hippogriff: For one thing, there didn't seem to be a hippo involved. For another, the griffin's a combo creature that's been around for centuries. Making a griffin part of a different combination is hardly an act of invention. It's the equivalent of adding a lion's tail to a centaur and pretending the result is something new.
What has me totally perplexed are the reviews that go on about the film's inspired depiction of Harry's transition to adolescence, first encounter with hormones and moving display of teen angst. In the version of the film I saw, Radcliffe certainly had left ladhood behind and sprouted into a handsome young man, but, a few additional inches of height aside, I didn't notice a whole lot of difference in the wizard. Harry's brooded over the loss of his mother and father since the first chapter. His angst hasn't anything to do with hormones. And, unless it happened while I was in the bathroom, he didn't so much as contemplate putting the moves on Hermione. I haven't a clue what these critics are talking about. This is a Harry Potter who, believe me, is in no danger of being mistaken for Holden Caulfield.
I'm baffled also as to why anyone would regard this installment as darker than either of the others. "The Chamber of Secrets", after all, unleashed a murderous giant serpent on innocent children for god's sake. Exactly how is the presence of underfed floating prison guards more terrifying than that?
When Oldman finally arrives, "The Prisoner of Azkaban" offers a twist many may find anticlimactic and a time travel trick that's jolly enough fun but then screeches to a halt with a freeze frame leaving storylines dangling and plot points unexplained. I hesitate to contradict the fruit of my loins (especially now that he's nearly my height) but the third time seemed anything but charmed to me. Cuaron can't be blamed for shortcomings in the source material, of course, but he did depart in a number of respects from the approach perfected by Chris Columbus, the previous films' director, and aside from recruiting the splendid cinematographer Michael ("Angela's Ashes") Seresin, I can't see how changes he made are for the better.
If my moviegoing experience was magical in any way, it was only in that I once or twice nodded off for a spell.

THE CORPORATION
by Pete Vonder Haar
* * * *
The corporation as we know it has only been an institution of note for the last century or so. The 14th Amendment, which (among other things) instigated the concept of the corporation as “person,” and the Industrial Revolution led directly to the growth of the huge multinationals so prevalent today. In “The Corporation,” based on Joel Bakan’s book The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, seeks to examine the way in which corporations function, their impact on the world of today, and what may be in store for the future.
Billed as a “critical inquiry” into the workings of modern corporations, it is nevertheless pretty easy to see where the filmmakers’ sympathies lie. After some basic history, intercut with occasionally too-cute pop culture imagery, “The Corporation” settles into a groove by examining past and present abuses by the likes of Liz Claiborne, Wal-Mart, and Nike. Even more effective is their tactic of applying the psychiatric DSM IV diagnostic tool to corporations, detailing their inherent psychopathy. Corporations, we are reminded repeatedly, have no responsibility other than profit, and are therefore their categorization as “persons” may not be entirely accurate. Specifically, their reckless disregard for the safety of others would be considered criminal behavior by actual human beings.
Directors Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott effectively disarm the viewer with their relatively humorous prologue, which makes the later segments concerning damage to the biosphere, the alarming trend in genetic patents, and the increasing subversion of government authority all the more disconcerting. The film also makes potent use of interview footage, including such figures as economist Milton Friedman, Noam Chomsky, Ray Anderson - CEO of Interface, the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, who aims to make his company entirely sustainable by the year 2020. On the other side, executives from Goodyear and Shell are given ample opportunity to hang themselves. I thought at first that more viewpoints from the corporate side should have been offered, though most likely any other executive types would’ve stuck to the party line.
There’s also an eye-opening account of the efforts made by Fox to kill an investigative report by local Florida journalists about Monsanto’s use of dangerous bovine growth hormones to stimulate milk production. The reporters sued after being fired for refusing to alter their report once Monsanto threatened “dire consequences” for the network should the story run unaltered.
Perhaps the most disturbing part of “The Corporation” concerns manipulative marketing tactics used by companies to target children and the use of undercover marketing. The latter seems less outrageous when held against the use of such concepts as “the nag factor” to encourage kids to pester their parents for toys and trips to Chuck E. Cheese.
“The Corporation” attempts to end on an up note, discussing the occasional success of grass roots efforts like those of a small town in Bolivia, whose population stood up to Bechtel’s efforts to privatize their water supply. Given the weight of what has come before, however, it’s difficult to feel much optimism. “The Corporation” is powerful, infuriating, and ultimately sobering. Make an effort to see it.

BUKOWSKI: BORN INTO THIS
by Eric Campos
* * * * *
IN LIMITED RELEASE! The man, the myth, the Bukowski. Here’s a movie that requires you to tie one on after, if not during the screening.
For a first time filmmaker who only turned onto Charles Bukowski about 10 years ago, “Bukowski: Born Into This” presents just about everything you want to know about the legendary poet and I don’t think I’m going to see a finer film at Park City this year. Bukowski is one of my all time favorite writers and now I have an all new respect for the man thanks to John Dullaghan’s phenomenal film. I’ll be breaking out Post Office, Ham On Rye, and Notes of a Dirty Old Man again very soon.
For Bukowski fans, this is a fuckin’ dream come true. The film is jam-packed with Bukowski interviews Dullaghan cribbed from other sources. These interviews include Bukowski expanding on debauched tales that readers have known and loved for years; he even does a little tour of the house he grew up and was beaten in as chronicled in Ham and Rye. You can tell it’s pretty tough on the guy and it’s almost as tough on the audience to watch. Other points of interst have us meet the various women Bukowski shared his dick with. He also takes an interviewer by his infamous mailman route.
But more importantly, we get to see a different side of Bukowski that many of us may not have known existed - the sensitive side. Now, certainly some of this sensitive side has shown through in some of Bukowski’s writing, but did you ever think you’d see the man cry? In “Born Into This,” you get to see just that. During an interview, Bukowski reads a poem about one of his ex-girlfriends and upon mentioning her name, breaks into tears, reading the rest of the piece while crying. I haven’t been so shocked since I saw John Lydon cry while talking about Sid Vicious in “The Filth and the Fury.” But of course, he recomposes himself and reverts back to the Bukowski we are all familiar with by saying, “Shit, I read you the wrong poem.”
As far as people who aren’t quite familiar with Bukowski’s work, but are curious, they may just find their new literary addiction. Either way, this is an amazing documentary. I understand filmmaker Dullaghan went through seven years of hard work to finally bring this film to us, so I sure as shit hope he gets all the accolades he deserves. I’m pretty sure Bukowski is smiling down on him from that big watering hole in the sky.

Discuss these reviews and more on our BACK TALK section here:
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INDIE THREAT "Reviews of REAL indie films"
========================================
Film Threat will review anything. Send us your indie feature, short, DVD, underground video and prepare yourself for acclaim or ridicule.

OPEN HOUSE
by Jim Agnew
* * * *
SCREENING AT THE EGYPTIAN THEATRE IN LOS ANGELES, JUNE 10TH! Singing, dancing and real estate? That’s what you get in "Open House," the first ever “Fantabulous” real estate musical comedy. But what the hell is a real estate musical comedy? It’s an over the top song-fest featuring Anthony Rapp, James Duval, Sally Kellerman and Jerry Doyle. "Open House" opens with, you guessed it, an open house. This isn’t any ordinary open house, this is one hosted by an energetic and off kilter real estate agent named Barry Farnsworth. Barry sings and dances while extolling the virtues of the home he’s attempting to sell.
When a young couple calling themselves “sexy swipers” stop by to check the place out (and steal a few items as well) they too get in on the action as they break into song and dance. Throw in a singing jewel thief, another real estate agent with a penchant for tequila, a few not so wise cops and a few more dance numbers and that about sums up "Open House."
Songs like “Sellin' A Dream” and “Safe House Of Love” are performed with such sincerity that you’ll never look at escrow the same way again.
Directed by Dan Mirvish, "Open House" is a funny, fast paced and above all very unique film. A film filled with interesting and hilarious songs about real estate that you won’t be able to get out of your head. Who would have guessed real estate could actually be fun for someone other than a real estate agent in one of those ugly golden jackets?

ORWELL ROLLS IN HIS GRAVE
by Stina Chyn
* * * * 1/2
Be prepared. Be prepared to be shocked, infuriated, depressed, and terrified. Viewers of Robert Kane Pappas’s documentary “Orwell Rolls in His Grave” will experience this range of emotions and it’s absolutely vital in order to process fully the issues and arguments presented. Indicated by its title, Pappas’s documentary is about a “1984” reality that is slowly turning from fiction into fact. Pappas goes directly to the meat of his documentary with footage of former CNN and ABC news producer Danny Schechter giving a speech where he asks if the American people live in a democracy or a mediacracy. Media is supposed to check political abuse, instead it’s part of the abuse.
Before stepping in front of the camera to share how and why he decided to study the role of media and government, Pappas narrates “Could a media system controlled by a few global corporations with the ability to overwhelm all competing voices be able to turn lies into truth?” The director started making the documentary when Iran hostage situation was coming to an end and the nation was going through a gas crisis. Pappas observed the way that news was covered was changing as evidenced by Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post headlines.
Gas Stations Running Dry!
Hot, Humid, & No Gas!
Gas Crunch Hits the City!
Murdoch’s name is repeatedly brought up in the documentary as an example of the danger in the growing power of media corporations. Scholars, congressmen, and former news producers corroborate and elaborate on Pappas’s concerns. “Orwell Rolls in His Grave” addresses the ways in which the dissemination of information is controlled, marketed, and prioritized by a few large companies (Murdoch, Cox, AOL Time Warner, etc). Consumers have countless cable channels, record labels, film studios, radio stations, newspapers, and magazines at their disposal, but who owns them? Aurora Wallace, professor of Communication Studies at NYU, points out that “there’s an illusion of choice.” Utilizing this issue as a foundation, Pappas criticizes the 2000 Presidential Election, the FCC, and the weakening of American democracy. Charles Lewis, founder of The Center for Public Integrity, says that “in the 60s, three in four Americans trusted the government. Today, it’s one in four Americans.” The people are disillusioned. They don’t really feel represented in DC or in their states’ capitals. Professor Robert W. McChesney, founder of MediaReform.net and author of “Rich Media, Poor Democracy,” adds that the American people are being de-politicized. They don’t care about politics and they’ve given up on believing the government is working for the people.
“Orwell Rolls in His Grave” is comprised of title cards, still photos, interviews, the director’s voice-overs, and news footage. It covers numerous topics but moves with such fluidity that you never lose track of the documentary’s direction. Anyone who watches “Orwell Rolls in His Grave” could potentially seek a career analyzing the ever-tightening relationship between media and politics…or start a revolution.

COMEDY: THE OTHER BLACK GOLD
by Rory L. Aronsky
* * * *
INSANE SHORT! There’s slapstick, parody, satire, screwball, and black comedy. You can sautee it, stirfry it, bake it, and….oh, wrong review. All kinds of comedy exist, but the biggest problem in comedy is the stand-up comedians who constantly milk every clichéd joke, such as the one where an airplane should be made out of black box material. Or there’s that whole to-do with barely any sex after marriage. What is there to do about these ax-murderers of laughs, and even more so, how do we control the people that still laugh at jokes that are as dead as the cows hanging in butcher shops?
Shock research is one way to go, according to “Comedy: The Other Black Gold”, which explains that comedy is a precious resource, and there are still gold nuggets that have not been mined. Brian Santiago explains that scientists of theoretical comedy have discovered that there are 500,000 comedic premises in existence, and 450,000 have already been used. Where are the other 50,000? It’s up to comedians to find out and at the New Laugh Institute, scientists are working to find what is funny and original today, and where it can be found.
One thing’s for sure. Alicia Dattner, who is also a stand-up comedian, has come up with an original, this being a parody of a public service announcement. Forget “Save the Whales” for now. Those laughs need to be found fast, and this is a good start toward that. There’s nothing worse than an unoriginal bit of comedy that people still laugh at because there’s nothing else out there that’s funnier. There probably is, and that’s why there are filmmakers, writers, stand-up comedians, and other humorous types hard at work to bring those original skits and routines to the eyes of a public in need of better comedy.

Discuss these reviews and more on our BACK TALK section here:
http://filmthreat.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=29

GOT DISTRIBUTION? FILM THREAT DVD!
Do you have a great feature? Has it played some festivals and maybe even won an award or two? Has your film gotten good press? Are all the rights to music, talent, etc. cleared? And, despite all of this, do you still not have a DVD/video deal?! Consider distribution with Film Threat DVD! We're seeking the best independent and underground films that have been overlooked. Interested? Please send a synopsis, festival history, and other relevant press-related information about your film to Mitchell Bard, Film Threat DVD's East Coast Head of Acquisitions. For more information, e-mail: mbard@filmthreat.com
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END CREDITS "Written, produced, and directed by..."
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FilmThreat.com
-- The leading source on REAL Independent films since 1985 --
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FILM THREAT.com is a weekly e-mail newsletter and is published by The Gore Group, LLC. All material ©2004 Gore Group Publications. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission. You are, however, welcome to forward this e-mail to whomever you wish. All letters, comments and reviews sent to Film Threat in any manner are assumed intended for publication, unless stated otherwise.

FILM THREAT.com "Truth in Entertainment"
========================================
Read by Filmmakers, Movie Lovers and the Industry
--==========CUT-AND-PRINT==========--

[Chris Gore]

ALL YOUR FESTIVALS BELONG TO US!
==============================
Chris Gore will be at the CineVegas Film Festival this weekend June 17-20, get info at the site at:
http://www.cinevegas.com

Plus Eric Campos, Heidi Martinuzzi and more of the Film Threat crew will be at the Los Angeles Film Festival for 10 days reviewing films and interviewing filmmakers. Get the schedule of films at:
http://www.lafilmfest.com/

Get intense coverage of both CineVegas and LAFF on FilmThreat.com starting this week!


U F F
There can be only one...
ULTIMATE FILM FANATIC.
Hosted by Chris Gore
Fridays @ 10:30 PM starting July 9th.
ONLY on IFC
Take the UFF Challenge:
http://www.ifctv.com/uff/uff.html
==============================


FILM THREAT.com
"Truth in Entertainment"
-- The leading source on REAL Independent films since 1985 --
==============================
Take 24 : June 14, 2004
==============================
http://www.filmthreat.com
==============================

"I wish you would get out of my life and shut up!"
- Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

RIGHT NOW on FilmThreat.com:
==============================
--> INTERVIEWS!
--> FEATURES!
--> Plus, as always… TONS OF INDIE FILM REVIEWS!
Visit the site for these stories, tons of reviews and more!
========================================


FREE NAPOLEON DYNAMITE SCREENING!
========================================
FILM THREAT invites you and a guest to an advance screening of NAPOLEON DYNAMITE in select cities. Download your free "Napoleon Dynamite" screening pass at:
http://www.campuscircle.net/nd


THIS ISSUE "Right here, right now"
==============================
--> FILM THREAT POLL: Voting is your right
--> BOX OFFICE: Who's number one?
--> BIG SCREEN: Brutally honest reviews
--> INDIE THREAT: Indie and Underground reviews


CLASSIFIEDS "If you advertise, they will come"
========================================
ADVERTISE IN FILM THREAT! As low as $175 for a 50 word classified! Reach 100,000 film fanatics in our newsletter and 300,000 readers on our site generating 15 million hits a month. E-mail advertise@filmthreat.com or get more details at:
http://www.filmthreat.com/Advertise.asp

PALM SPRINGS INT'L SHORT FILM FEST & MARKET
Call for entries! Tenth Annual ShortsFest, August 31 - September 6, 2004, presenting over 300 short films with concurrent Film Market featuring over 2000 short film entries, making it the largest short festival and market in North America. Awards in 20 categories featuring $14,000 in cash prizes and $7,500 in film stock. Winning films in qualify for AMPAS consideration. DEADLINE: 07-15-2004. Call 760-322-2930.
http://www.psfilmfest.org

FREDERICK - HURRY - CALL FOR ENTRIES!
Final weeks! 3rd annual Festival of Film, Frederick Maryland accepting entries for 2004. Early submission $15 by July 1st. Late submission $25 July 2nd to 15th. Accepting shorts and features. We encourage filmmakers and cast to present films personally and participate in discussion panels.
http://www.frederickfilm.org

CALL FOR ENTRIES - 2004 HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL
DEADLINE: JUNE 30, 2004 - SUBMIT TODAY! FEATURES, DOCUMENTARIES, SHORTS AND SCREENPLAYS. Prior winners and finalists have been acquired by HBO, IFC, and Miramax among many others. In addition, the festival will have Special Issues with "The Hollywood Reporter," "Daily Variety," and "Screen International." These issues will be sent to over 220,000 industry execs around the world. Access buyers. SUBMIT TODAY!
http://www.hollywoodfestival.com

SELL YOUR STORY TO HOLLYWOOD BUYERS
JUNE 26 & 27 in Los Angeles! GREAT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY In West Los Angeles - Limited Seating. Every year over 500 million U.S. dollars are spent acquiring and/or developing new ideas/stories in Hollywood. Here's your chance to get your idea/story/script/book to the people who can DO something with it. Great opportunity to pitch 1-on-1 to Hollywood buyers. REGISTER TODAY!
http://www.hollywoodawards.com

SELL YOUR FEATURE or SHORT FILM NOW!
eFilm Market Online - digital film marketplace. World's first Internet film marketplace where film sellers meet film buyers. Upload everything world buyers need to make buying decisions in minutes: script, screener, trailer, and more! 2 MONTH FREE TRIAL - Sign up at efilmonline.com
http://www.efilmonline.com

POSTMARK PARADISE - AWARD-WINNING INDIE MOVIE
FILM THREAT'S Associate Editor Merle Bertrand called Postmark Paradise "... a fine, well crafted film... heartwarming and surprisingly unpredictable... It plays beautiful..." Now this award winning film starring Tantoo Cardinal and Natalia Nazarova is being distributed on DVD/VHS by Vanguard Cinema throughout North America. Info at PostmarkParadise.com, NataliaNazarova.com, and Vanguardcinema.com.
http://www.PostmarkParadise.com

DAM SHORT FILM FEST - CALL FOR ENTRIES
DSFF has extended its Early Bird Deadline to July 15th! The Dam Short Film Festival will be held February 4-6, 2005, in Boulder City, Nevada, and will feature 100 short films from all corners of the globe. All genres, subjects, and years are invited to submit. Boulder City, the historic home of the Hoover Dam, is a mere 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.
http://www.damshortfilm.org

DEFMAN PROUDLY ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR FIRST SANTA MONICA SHORTFEST and 6TH DEEP ELLUM FILM FEST - The first annual Santa Monica Shortfest, in Santa Monica, CA is seeking entries for its 2004 festival, to be held every Tuesday starting July 27 for 10 weeks. 1 short film will be chosen to screen every week outside before an audience of over 4000 on the Santa Monica Pier. Special events provide filmmakers with an exceptional opportunity for networking and showcasing their work. 6th DE/F2 opens CALL FOR ENTRIES June 1 Proceeds from all DEFMAN events provide funding for cancer relief victims through the Cancer Relief Fund. For an entry form, visit http://www.smff.com or http://www.def2.org

CALL FOR ENTRIES - HOLLYWOOD HORROR, SCI-FI, FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL
Presented by FilmThreat.com and Hollywood Film Festival(R) SUBMIT TODAY! "The festival is the ultimate networking opportunity for filmmakers looking for a break." - "Daily Variety"
http://www.hollywoodfestival.com

SONY DIGITALMASTER TAPE
Sony. The Technology Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival. Festival Dates: May 1-9, 2004. Visit the official festival web site: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/ Sony DigitalMaster(tm) tape. Ditch the Glitches. Designed for any mini-DV or DVCAM(tm) camcorders, DigitalMaster(tm) tape is far from ordinary.
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FILM THREAT POLL "Voting is your right"
========================================
Go to http://www.filmthreat.com to cast your vote on the following question:
Are all the Harry Potter movies basically the same?

1) Yep. Different movies, same old crap.
2) No. Each movie presents a bold new adventure like no one has ever seen.
3) No comment. I don't do the Potter.

Yep is leading at 65%! Cast your vote on the site and check the results!


BOX OFFICE "Hollywood's horse race"
========================================
Weekend of June 11-13, Source: Exhibitor Relations Co.

1/1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban $35.0/$158.1
2/0 The Chronicles of Riddick $24.6/$24.6
3/2 Shrek 2 $24.0/$354.0
4/0 The Stepford Wives $22.2/$22.2
5/0 Garfield $21.6/$21.6
6/3 The Day After Tomorrow $14.5/$153.1
7/4 Raising Helen $3.8/$31.4
8/5 Troy $3.4/$125.6
9/13 Saved! $2.5/$3.7
10/6 Mean Girls $1.5/$81.3


BIG SCREEN "Coming to a theater near you"
========================================
From five stars "Perfect! * * * * *" to one star "Crap! *" totally honest movie reviews.

THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK (PG-13)
by Pete Vonder Haar
* * *
Minor Spoilers Ahead
“Pitch Black” was one of 2000’s pleasant surprises. It was derivative as hell, sure, and the plot was far-fetched enough to give you hives if you wanted to dwell on it. But strong performances – especially from Radha Mitchell as the spaceship pilot and Cole Hauser as a junkie mercenary – and striking visuals helped elevate it over the usual genre schlock. Of course, “Pitch Black” also introduced us to leading man Vin Diesel, whose mass-murdering, “shine job”-equipped Riddick was the embodiment of unrepentant self-interest (until the movie’s end, anyway). When he colorfully informed Keith David’s Imam how much he hated God, it represented a nice Plissken-esque take on the anti-hero, voiced in a way not often seen in mainstream studio pictures.
This brings us to “The Chronicles of Riddick,” which is less a sequel to “Pitch Black” than Chapter 1 to the latter movie’s prologue. With the exception of a handful of references to events in the first movie and two supporting characters, “Chronicles” wipes the slate clean. Writer/director David Twohy says he envisions this as the first in a trilogy of films featuring the now not-quite-so mysterious Riddick, and it’s certainly ambitious enough. Twohy immediately shoves the audience into a new, sprawling mythology, where a race of evil space warriors (known as – don’t laugh – Necromongers) are spreading throughout the universe at the urging of their Lord Marshal (Colm Feore), killing all who refuse to convert to their faith. Meanwhile Riddick, on the run from mercenaries in the five years since the events in “Pitch Black,” is forced to travel to the planet Helion Prime to discover who has put a $1.5 million bounty on his head.
Riddick, predictably, becomes embroiled in Helion Prime’s struggles against the Necromongers at the behest of his old pal Keith David. Along the way, we also learn something of his ancestry, courtesy of the elemental Aereon (played by Judi Dench, who must’ve taken this role as a favor to her grandkids). Riddick also discovers the fate of “Jack,” the only other “Pitch Black” survivor. She’s all grown up, goes by “Kyra” these days, and killing is now her business as well. While all this is going on the Lord Marshal’s loyal lieutenant, Vaako (Karl Urban), begins to ponder the pros and cons of betrayal with urging from his wife (an unpleasant Thandie Newton). Riddick’s quest will eventually take him from arctic exile to Helion Prime to the molten prison planet Crematoria before reaching a climax that not many will see coming.
For space opera fans who’ve been disappointed by the two “Star Wars” prequels (not casting too wide a net, I hope), “The Chronicles of Riddick” is a pleasant surprise. It’s been a long time since anyone bothered to create a new, big budget cinematic mythos out of scratch, and Twohy has poured a great deal of money into the look of his movie. The planetary designs and spacecraft are reminiscent of those found in “Stargate” and “Dune,” to name two obvious inspirations, and it’s hard to find fault with someone broadening the scope of his narrative to include, in essence, the entire universe. There’s a great deal of background to be explored, and one can only assume Twohy will get to that in the sequels.
Like its predecessor, “The Chronicles of Riddick” wears its influences on its sleeve (the Necromongers bear more than a passing resemblance to the Borg, for example) and one is forced to drive through a few obvious plot potholes to reach the ending (why does a prison planet pay for prisoners?). The acting is also a bit stiff, as the principals find themselves uttering dire portents at every opportunity (with the exception of Nick Chinlund as a hapless mercenary). Riddick himself has obviously been spending his time on the run in the company of some Schwarzenegger movies, and the one-liners get old quick. He’s also undergone a metamorphosis from mysterious stranger to the Tick: he’s well-nigh indestructible. Riddick performs such ridiculous acts of superhuman athleticism that, by the end, the audience no longer feels the need to be impressed when he escapes the latest jam. Inserting someone like Riddick into the world of intergalactic politics is an interesting twist, but time will tell if it plays a larger part in his growing love for humanity, on display in the film’s final third.
“The Chronicles of Riddick” isn’t going to win over the art house crowd, but you could do a lot worse for summer entertainment.
Like, say, “Garfield.”

GARFIELD: THE MOVIE (PG)
by Pete Vonder Haar
1/2 star
Movie studios are notorious for exploiting a popular cultural phenomenon and throttling it until the moviegoing public eventually tires of paying to watch. Hollywood’s gone bananas for post-“Star Wars” science fiction, youngsters unexpectedly turning old in the wake of “Big,” and sarcastic post-modern horror a la Kevin Williams, just to name a few recent examples. Given this, it’s a bit stupefying that Fox would put out a “Garfield” movie a full 20 years after the eponymous comic strip’s popularity had peaked.
Everyone remembers “Garfield:” the ubiquitous suction cup plush toys that adorned every Chrysler Caravan in the 1980s; the comic strip compilation books that were seemingly released every equinox; the cast of characters who were so well-drawn they sported three whole facial expressions (except for Odie, I think he had two). Problem is, the strip stopped being mandatory suburban refrigerator decoration around the time of the first Bush Administration. Better strips have come (and, in the case of “Calvin and Hobbes,” gone) in that time, and “Garfield” now shares the dubious “Does anybody read this crap anymore?” niche with the likes of “The Family Circus” and “Snuffy Smith.” Does the fact that we’re finally seeing a “Garfield” movie mean creator Jim Davis has discovered a new perspective for his characters? Does he have something new to say about his cartoon world?
Grievously, no. “Garfield” remains one of the most shamelessly marketed properties of all time, so the inevitable feature film is merely the logical climax to a product blitz that already includes bowling balls, oven mitts, and a line of Richard Petty-related products (there was also a cartoon released at some point). True to form, the film is packed with references to how much Garfield loves lasagna and hates Mondays. But if “Garfield: The Movie” succeeds at all, it’s in the way Davis has so adroitly capped off his decades-long merchandising blitzkrieg.
Trouble is, “Garfield: The Movie” isn’t made for fans of the comic strip. Oh sure, the titular cat is fat, cantankerous, and sarcastic, but his owner Jon (Breckin Meyer) is simply a well-meaning (if generally befuddled) guy, rather than the clueless boob of the comic. Jon’s love interest, the veterinarian Liz (Jennifer Love Hewitt) actually shares Jon’s attraction, and Odie is no longer a googly-eyed slobber machine, but just a regular dog. In fact, Garfield is the only animated character in a film desperate for a more outrageous supporting cast. Fox is obviously trying to aim for a younger demographic, as the ample belches, farts, and feline ass-shaking demonstrate, but they’ve chosen a hopelessly weak vehicle to go up against summer juggernauts like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Shrek 2.
The threadbare plot involves Jon taking in Odie as a favor to Liz, much to Garfield’s dismay. When Odie is dognapped by an evil TV host, however, the lethargic cat springs into action to rescue his new roommate, making sure to mix in some “extreme” staircase surfing and more product placements than I’ve seen since “Josie and the Pussycats” (I counted three overt Wendy’s references, though there may have been more). People will temper their criticism of “Garfield: The Movie” by reminding us it’s “for kids” and therefore shouldn’t be held to the same rigorous standards as other movies. Unfortunately, that argument only works when your finished product isn’t a cynical attempt to cash in on a recognizable character by coaxing your wide-eyed audience into buying Goldfish crackers and Pepsi, as is the case with “Garfield: The Movie.”
What about Bill Murray? Good question. Anyone who thinks Murray is above material like this after his Lost in Translation accolades should remember it was just a few years ago he was doing movies like Charlie’s Angels and “Larger than Life.” The man has never been that discriminating. Garfield comes across like Peter Venkman’s dumber, furrier nephew, and Murray throws himself into every obvious joke and unfunny one-liner. He earns his paycheck, but it’s nowhere near enough to salvage the disaster unspooling onscreen.
The funniest thing about “Garfield: The Movie” is only indirectly related to the film itself; it was when I realized that Bill Murray-as-Garfield singing James Brown’s “I Feel Good” is actually less funny than Murray’s brother John’s anti-gravity rendition of the same song from 1985’s “Moving Violations.” And that’s saying something. The best way for Fox to atone for releasing this shameless pile of crap is in the manner befitting all unwanted kittens: put all the negatives in a bag filled with rocks and sink them in a very deep river. Sprinkle some garlic over the water for good measure, to make sure the movie never rises to torment the living again.
No kittens were harmed in the writing of this review.

THE CONTROL ROOM
by Tim Merrill
* * * * 1/2
IN THEATERS IN LIMITED RELEASE! Jehane Noujaim's "Control Room" begins in March 2003, days before the start of America's so-called "Operation Iraqi Freedom." 40 million Arab viewers were tuned in to Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular (and only independent) news outlet, to watch George W. Bush's declaration of war on Saddam Hussein and his regime. We all watched it. But in "Control Room," we pull back to a far different perspective than we're used to: that of Al Jazeera's producers and journalists, on their own turf, their headquarters in Qatar and their office in U.S. CentCom, outside Baghdad.
Three Arab stars emerge in this fascinating documentary. Senior Producer Sameer Khader acts as our eyes and ears at headquarters, while reporter Hassan Ibrahim is our man on the ground. Deema Khatib is a young female producer who never seems to leave the control booth. These three hold us spellbound as we watch them fight to transmit the news in what is - for them - as truly "fair and balanced" a manner as possible, though many in the U.S. might disagree. Of course the biggest complaint about Al Jazeera is that it's biased against America. Well, duh. Fox News is the number-one cable news network in this country; is Fox News not blatantly biased? Yes, one might say - but Al Jazeera is biased toward Saddam and bin Laden and terrorists in general. See "Control Room" and be well disabused of that notion. (Anyway, even if Al Jazeera were biased that way, again one must ask: Fox News is biased toward an administration that is responsible for the deaths of how many civilian innocents in Iraq and Afghanistan? Do the math.)
The U.S. military and media are here represented chiefly by Press Officer John Rushing, an earnest and movie-star cute young man who does his level best to understand the Arab viewpoint while defending the U.S. military action in every possible way. He often succeeds, but is never really able to explain away the ever-shifting motives for Bush's war. As journalist Ibrahim phrases it, the fundamental, unchanging U.S. motive seems to be, "Democratize or we'll shoot you."
In the end, the greatest achievement of "Control Room" may be to simply remind us, as Americans, that in this age of mega-corporate U.S. news media there are other perspectives on world events besides those of Fox, CNN, MSNBC-ABCBS and whoever else feeds us our information. And just because Al Jazeera doesn't toe the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Rove party line, that hardly makes it a mouthpiece for Al Qaeda. Showing dead Arabs on TV is simply being honest and showing what resulted from U.S. bombs being dropped and guns being fired. Yes, many people on both sides have been and continue to be killed in Iraq. But Al Jazeera is under no obligation to be happy about the U.S. invasion or Arabs of any kind being killed, nor to hide the images they've recorded of Arab dead, nor to "get with the program" the U.S. wishes them to. TV news is all about the spin, the slant, the angle. They have theirs and we have ours.
President Bush can blather all he wants about how "You are either with the U.S. or you are with the terrorists." "Control Room," unlike the oil-besotted Leader of the Free World, is intelligent and nuanced enough to understand that there are many, many valid viewpoints to be found between those two extremes.

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INDIE THREAT "Reviews of REAL indie films"
========================================
Film Threat will review anything. Send us your indie feature, short, DVD, underground video and prepare yourself for acclaim or ridicule.

YOU GOT NOTHIN’
by Dean Edward
* * * *
DANCES WITH FILMS 2004 FEATURE REVIEW! Good natured audience pleaser about two lower level collectors for an East coast loan shark on the trail of a $400,000 debt plays like a low-rent version of “Get Shorty”, with the Travolta character cut in two, presumably so he’ll have someone to talk to.
Childhood friends Joey Carlucci (Angelitto) and Dominick Mazzetti (Langa) are in the employ of a bookie named “Big Tommy” Cesaro (Cortese), chasing down delinquent debtors and debating Italians in baseball in their spare time. After they catch a wayward Russian by surprise, impressing the boss, they get assigned to bigger things: track down lying weasel Willy Starks (McNamara), a slippery con artist who absconded with $400,000 of Cesaro’s money.
After visiting Starks wife in jail, they discover that Starks is in sunny Southern California. Joey has a farewell dinner with his secret girlfriend, Nickie (McCormick), who is the daughter of “Big Tommy”. Not wanting to get whacked for dating the boss’s daughter, Joey and Nickie dine in the kitchen of the local café, where the passing waiters and cooks emerging from the nearby meat locker kill the romance. Nickie is frustrated with the secrecy and with Joey’s inability to find a real job; Joey just wants to keep things as they are. Why is it, when you tell a woman that she is bitching about something, she will interpret this as being called a bitch?
Joey and Dominick fly to Los Angeles, and we have our FOW (or ‘fish out of water’) jokes, with the duo being severely misunderstood by a gay bellhop named Ricardo (Gallegos), who offers himself in a manner that is borderline understandable. They locate Starks, who is doing business in a strip club with two dangerous looking Cubans. Stationed outside his house, in a convertible that won’t open, Joey gets hungry and breaks in, only to be attacked by Rachel, Starks' 10 year old daughter. Freaking out because he has knocked her unconscious, with Stark and the Cubans coming in the front door, Joey and Dom escape with her in tow.
Newcomers Langa and Angelitto make a definite splash with their first feature, which was shot in high definition and looks terrific. The two have a good natural chemistry together, and the inevitable comparisons to Affleck/Damon will be a great help to them. Their script is also surprisingly taut, lacking the usual pretentious crap so evident in most maiden cinematic voyages. The dialogue is sharp and funny, and the characters are as colorful and memorable as those in an Elmore Leonard novel. This has been an audience favorite at such festivals as Cinequest and the Back East Picture Show, and it’s easy to see why. These two have a real future in Hollywood, and I can’t wait to see their next effort.

I WANNA BE EVERYTHING
by Rory L. Aronsky
* * 1/2
DANCES WITH FILMS 2004 SHORT REVIEW! Taken as a whole, “I Wanna Be Everything”, despite its message that it’s possible for women to be filmmakers just as much as men, doesn’t add up to much because it doesn’t contain much that can really make a connection. This documentary’s aim is to give a glimpse into the Girls’ Film School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but at times ends up looking more like an extended commercial for the school instead of really giving insight into what goes on here. Sure there is footage of the girls of the program editing their films, shooting, learning about cinematography, camerawork, and acting, but it doesn’t feel like a whole lot is learned.
The guides into the school are three girls, Melanie, Kimani, and Jessie who all come from different backgrounds, from a Navajo reservation to a dead-end town in South Carolina. Once they get settled into the school, they disappear into the background. The footage showing everything involved in the program, from editing to acting to directing, goes far too fast and feels like a bit of a cheat considering everything that the girls are doing. The emphasis here for them is to try their hand at what they never really thought would be possible for them. But there are times, especially when Jenniphr Goodman of “The Tao of Steve” talks to the students, where more time in the school would have sufficed. It almost ends up feeling like a mess of footage that’s screaming to be made into an extended commercial to advertise the school. This is probably a school that has not been seen or heard of by many outside of the participants, instructors, and various media that have come upon it, and it needs more time in there.
Watching these girls trying to make their films is absolutely amazing and some of the result, seen briefly is actually kind of good. But without more footage, it doesn’t feel like much of a connection is made here. We learn enough about Melanie, Kimani, and Jessie before they come to the school, but the school would have benefited from more of a focus on it.

ERNEST BORGNINE ON THE BUS
by Rory L. Aronsky
* * * * 1/2
The years of being a major player in Hollywood were good to Ernest Borgnine. It shows not only in the rich roles he had in films like “Marty”, “The Emperor of the North”, and “The Wild Bunch”, but also through his 40-foot bus, The Sunbum, which he takes on a trip through the Midwest with his son Cris, and director Jeff Krulik along with Krulik’s crew, following along in a much smaller Winnebago.
Borgnine is not a man who complains about the roles he missed out on, about performances he could have done better, and he’s certainly not about trying to make himself look young enough to the point of crossing the illegal line. What’s found in this warm, engaging documentary is a man who’s always up for a good chat, whether it be about his movies, his bus, or past travels. Krulik is smart in not focusing on “The Poseidon Adventure” or “Marty”. They’re famous roles for him, but Borgnine has probably talked nearly to death about them. Instead, Borgnine reminisces about his part in a Michael Curtiz musical called “The Best Things in Life Are Free” and notes how some people are surprised when he tells them that he’s done a musical.
What’s even more remarkable than the wonderful stories he shares about such films as “Willard” and “The Devil’s Rain”, and TV shows like “McHale’s Navy” and “The Love Boat”, is how he’s genuinely excited about traveling cross-country in his beloved luxury bus. As he leads the camera through a tour of Sunbum, which no words can properly describe (though I’m sure some RV enthusiasts can find the right ones), he seems just as appreciative of his transport now as he probably ever was.
Borgnine may be an actor of many roles, but there’s no moment where it looks like he’s acting for the camera, save for a moment when he comes out of a bar near the Miller beer factory and feigns drunkenness as he seems to wobble down the steps, but it turns out not to be that way. The people that he meets along the way are very friendly, and who wouldn’t be friendly to such a man as him? On the one hand, they were probably impressed with his work in one way or another and on the other, he’s got this energy for travel, this energy for meeting people that’s mesmerizing in its own way.
In today’s world of soundbites, celebrities on the cover of People along with many tabloids, and constant media tracking of major stars, it’s remarkable to watch Borgnine just come up to people and introduce himself. Borgnine doesn’t force his credentials upon anyone, and doesn’t say, “You’ve got to remember me. I was in a lot of movies, goddammit!” Here, Borgnine is Borgnine and while his star doesn’t shine in Hollywood today, it’s a fine way to learn about parts of his life and loves straight from him. If people recognize him, that’s fine. And if they don’t (as it happens occasionally), then that’s fine too. It’s a perfect mixture of talk from him about roles of long ago and his visits to various small towns, factories, and food stops. More than anything, it’s a documentary that observes and notices above all that while Borgnine may not be noticeable in the Hollywood of today (looks like he’s doing some indie films here and there and that’s good enough for me), he loves the life he’s leading at this moment. The ability to travel in this monster of a bus excites him and it’s easy to feel that same excitement in getting this kind of access to him. This is a great effort and it’s one of my favorite documentaries.

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FILM THREAT.com "Truth in Entertainment"
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PALM SPRINGS INT'L SHORT FILM FEST & MARKET
Call for entries! Tenth Annual ShortsFest, August 31 - September 6, 2004, presenting over 300 short films with concurrent Film Market featuring over 2000 short film entries, making it the largest short festival and market in North America. Awards in 20 categories featuring $14,000 in cash prizes and $7,500 in film stock. Winning films in qualify for AMPAS consideration. DEADLINE: 07-15-2004. Call 760-322-2930.
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==============================
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FILM THREAT.com
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Take 25 : June 21, 2004
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"What the f--- are robster craws?"
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RIGHT NOW on FilmThreat.com:
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--> INTERVIEWS!
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Visit the site for these stories, tons of reviews and more!
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THIS ISSUE "Right here, right now"
==============================
--> FILM THREAT POLL: Voting is your right
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FREE NAPOLEON DYNAMITE SCREENING!
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"DON'T ASK DON’T TELL"
Gay porno? Bill Clinton’s intern policy? George Bush’s cocaine past? NO… it’s Monty Python meets Michael Moore, dripping with social satire and peppered with superfluous half-naked TROMA babes. The kinky cult classic DADT -- no DVD collection complete without it! Available now at Amazon.
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DIFF - CALL FOR ENTRIES
27th Starz Denver International Film Festival, October 14-24, 2004, CALL FOR ENTRIES! "Denver’s festival is one of the best I have ever been to! Great films, well-organized, fantastic parties and amazing people behind the scenes." -Chris Gore, Film Threat. DEADLINE: July 15, 2004. E-mail: dfs@denverfilm.org
http://www.denverfilm.org

FREDERICK - HURRY - CALL FOR ENTRIES!
Final weeks! 3rd annual Festival of Film, Frederick Maryland accepting entries for 2004. Early submission $15 by July 1st. Late submission $25 July 2nd to 15th. Accepting shorts and features. We encourage filmmakers and cast to present films personally and participate in discussion panels.
http://www.frederickfilm.org

CALL FOR ENTRIES - 2004 HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL
DEADLINE: JUNE 30, 2004 - SUBMIT TODAY! FEATURES, DOCUMENTARIES, SHORTS AND SCREENPLAYS. Prior winners and finalists have been acquired by HBO, IFC, and Miramax among many others. In addition, the festival will have Special Issues with "The Hollywood Reporter," "Daily Variety," and "Screen International." These issues will be sent to over 220,000 industry execs around the world. Access buyers. SUBMIT TODAY!
http://www.hollywoodfestival.com

SELL YOUR STORY TO HOLLYWOOD BUYERS
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POSTMARK PARADISE - AWARD-WINNING INDIE MOVIE
FILM THREAT'S Associate Editor Merle Bertrand called Postmark Paradise "... a fine, well crafted film... heartwarming and surprisingly unpredictable... It plays beautiful..." Now this award winning film starring Tantoo Cardinal and Natalia Nazarova is being distributed on DVD/VHS by Vanguard Cinema throughout North America. Info at PostmarkParadise.com, NataliaNazarova.com, and Vanguardcinema.com.
http://www.PostmarkParadise.com

DAM SHORT FILM FEST - CALL FOR ENTRIES
DSFF has extended its Early Bird Deadline to July 15th! The Dam Short Film Festival will be held February 4-6, 2005, in Boulder City, Nevada, and will feature 100 short films from all corners of the globe. All genres, subjects, and years are invited to submit. Boulder City, the historic home of the Hoover Dam, is a mere 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.
http://www.damshortfilm.org

DEFMAN PROUDLY ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR FIRST SANTA MONICA SHORTFEST and 6TH DEEP ELLUM FILM FEST - The first annual Santa Monica Shortfest, in Santa Monica, CA is seeking entries for its 2004 festival, to be held every Tuesday starting July 27 for 10 weeks. 1 short film will be chosen to screen every week outside before an audience of over 4000 on the Santa Monica Pier. Special events provide filmmakers with an exceptional opportunity for networking and showcasing their work. 6th DE/F2 opens CALL FOR ENTRIES June 1 Proceeds from all DEFMAN events provide funding for cancer relief victims through the Cancer Relief Fund. For an entry form, visit http://www.smff.com or http://www.def2.org

CALL FOR ENTRIES - HOLLYWOOD HORROR, SCI-FI, FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL
Presented by FilmThreat.com and Hollywood Film Festival(R) SUBMIT TODAY! "The festival is the ultimate networking opportunity for filmmakers looking for a break." - "Daily Variety"
http://www.hollywoodfestival.com

SONY DIGITALMASTER TAPE
Sony. The Technology Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival. Festival Dates: May 1-9, 2004. Visit the official festival web site: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/ Sony DigitalMaster(tm) tape. Ditch the Glitches. Designed for any mini-DV or DVCAM(tm) camcorders, DigitalMaster(tm) tape is far from ordinary.
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BACK TALK AT FILM THREAT!
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Jersey Girl - what did I miss?
Bill Clinton Memoir Title Challenge
Mulholland Dr... what the hell????
My problem with White Chicks
Condolences To Canada

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FILM THREAT POLL "Voting is your right"
========================================
Go to http://www.filmthreat.com to cast your vote on the following question:
Vote for Tom Hanks' best role:

1) Viktor Navorski from "The Terminal"
2) Robbie Wheeling from "Mazes and Monsters"
3) Chuck Noland from "Cast Away"
4) Allen Bauer from "Splash"
5) Forrest Gump
6) Rick Gassko from "Bachelor Party"
7) Sam Baldwin from "Sleepless in Seattle"
8) Detective Scott Turner from "Turner & Hooch"

Rick Gassko from "Bachelor Party" is leading at 54%! Cast your vote on the site and check the results!


BOX OFFICE "Hollywood's horse race"
========================================
Weekend of June 18-20, Source: Exhibitor Relations Co.

1/0 Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story $30.0/$30.0
2/0 The Terminal $18.7/$18.7
3/1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner on Azkaban $17.4/$190.3
4/3 Shrek 2 $13.6/$378.3
5/4 Garfield $11.0/$42.0
6/5 The Stepford Wives $9.2/$39.4
7/2 The Chronicles of Riddick $8.3/$41.4
8/6 The Day After Tomorrow $7.5/$166.7
9/0 Around the World in 80 Days $6.8/$9.6
10/8 Troy $1.7/$128.9


BIG SCREEN "Coming to a theater near you"
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From five stars "Perfect! * * * * *" to one star "Crap! *" totally honest movie reviews.

THE TERMINAL (PG-13)
by Pete Vonder Haar
* *
With “The Terminal,” Steven Spielberg gives us his second comedy in as many years (2002’s “Catch Me If You Can” marked his first real foray into the territory since the disastrous “1941”). For most of the last two and a half decades, Spielberg has busied himself with action-adventure (“Jurassic Park”), historical drama (“Schindler’s List,” “Amistad”), and Indiana Jones movies. It stands to reason, therefore, that one might feel a little apprehension when approaching a new Spielberg film that doesn’t fit into those parameters: are we going to get the happy-go-lucky caper hijinx of a “Catch Me?” Or will we be saddled with the sappy romantic stylings of an “Always?” The answer, as it pertains to “The Terminal,” is “yes.”
Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) is in a bit of a bind, immigration-wise. It seems that while he was en route to NYC there was a military coup in his Central European homeland of Krakozhia. Navorski soon discovers the United States doesn’t recognize the new government, rendering his passport invalid. Unable to return home and forbidden from entering the United States, Navorski is relegated to a transitory existence in the international terminal at JFK Airport.
Inspired by the story of Iranian refugee Merhan Nasseri, who has lived in Terminal One of Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport since 1988, “The Terminal” wants to be many things: the saga of an innocent abroad; a feel-good tale of the fish out of water who earns the respect and camaraderie of his fellow man; and a bittersweet love story. Spielberg has minor success with the first two, the third…not so much. It isn’t that Catherine Zeta-Jones’ character Amelia is too young for Navorski (Hanks is actually 12 years younger than her real life husband), there just isn’t any chemistry between the two. The romantic subplot sputters along weakly for half the film, then dies. This might damage the film, if we actually cared about the outcome of their relationship.
It being New York City (and a Spielberg movie), Navorski of course has to encounter a multicultural array of colorful supporting characters, “Moscow on the Hudson” style. There’s Chi McBride as the gruff African-American baggage handler with a heart of gold, Diego Luna as Enrique, the Latino food services employee with the hots for Zoe Saldana’s INS officer, and Kumar Pallana as Gupta, the Indian custodian who mops random areas of the terminal and then waits for passengers to wipe out on the wet floor. This “rainbow coalition of airport tradesmen” trope is worsened by gratuitously turning Navorski into a local hero. We already feel a certain amount of sympathy for his plight as it is. Why tack on the part where he helps the Russian trying to smuggle Canadian drugs back to his dying father (aside from allowing Spielberg a chance to get a dig in at the current Administration’s drug policy, that is)?
There also has to be a bad guy, and Dixon, Stanley Tucci’s officious prick of a Customs official, fits the bill nicely. Dixon places a few obstacles in the way of Navorski’s happiness - which the latter easily avoids - then ends up wringing his hands as the denizens of the terminal ultimately come together to thwart his schemes (“I’d have made it too, if not for those meddling Sbarro employees”).
Speaking of Sbarro, I have to tip the (authentic Nike Classic Tailwind) cap to Dreamworks on this one. “The Terminal” is a veritable cornucopia of product placement. Every scene is framed by a Starbuck’s, or Border’s, or Brookstone. Navorski uses quarters obtained from the luggage cart return to stuff his face at Burger King. Repeatedly. And with an almost sexual satisfaction. He also impresses Amelia with his Hugo Boss suit, conveniently carted around in a Hugo Boss bag, which he bought on special from the Hugo Boss store. It’s like watching a movie in the atrium of your local mall.
Hanks does his best, which might be attributable to the fact he’s essentially giving us the Adventures of Forrest Gump’s Smarter Balkan Brother. Navorski is, at first, a hopeless rube (Krakozhians have apparently never encountered prepaid phone cards or pagers, which is a little unbelievable even for someone from an ex-Soviet republic). He speaks almost no English when he arrives, yet the Customs officials insist on laying everything out for the audience by talking to him as if he does. He eventually learns the language and even gets a job in the airport, but the ending - following two full hours of padded plot development - comes and goes so fast you may find yourself wondering if you missed something. Of the cast, only Pallana makes an impression, and that for his passive sadism.
There are worse movies out there than “The Terminal,” but few that feel quite so…unnecessary.

GRAND THEFT PARSONS
by Chad Bixby
* * * *
David Caffrey's gentle-spirited comedy-drama "Grand Theft Parsons" is based on a legendary rock'n'roll incident so strange it could only have happened in early-'70s Southern California. This rollicking, mellow-rolling film is a lightly fictionalized account of the pact made by country-rock icon Gram Parsons and his wild-ass road manager Phil Kaufman: whoever died first would have his body brought out to Joshua Tree National Monument, in the SoCal desert, by the one left alive. There, the corpse - presumably still young and good-looking - would be set on fire, thus setting the spirit free...or something like that. People just did this sort of thing back then.
On September 18th, 1973, Gram Parsons fulfilled the "dying first" part of the bargain. The cause was general overindulgence in alcohol and drugs; the location, a room at the Joshua Tree Inn, ironically enough. The fact that Parsons - late of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, compatriot of Keith Richards and Emmylou Harris, and maker of the influential masterpieces GP and Grievous Angel - had checked out for good at age 26 wasn't surprising to anyone who knew him, and Kaufman knew him better than anyone. But what still amazes rock cultists to this day (and the Cult of Gram is one of the most fanatical) is that if Kaufman is to be believed, he actually managed to make good on their crazy deal. Of course, Kaufman did do time with one Charles Manson back in '67, and his autobiography is titled Road Mangler Deluxe - so that gives you an idea of where his head is at.
The story begins as Kaufman, played with surprising grace and feeling by "Jackass" ringleader Johnny Knoxville, gets the bad news and hauls ass out to Joshua Tree only to find that he can't spring Parsons' body from the local hospital. Back in L.A., heÕs confronted by Parsons' golddigging shrew of an ex-girlfriend, Barbara (Christina Applegate, pure hell-on-wheels). Barbara has in her talons a scrap of paper bearing Parsons' signature, allegedly willing her his guitar, his tape masters and just about everything else. Squeezed between Barbara and his own unhappy girlfriend (lovely Marley Shelton), Kaufman does the only thing he can: get hold of a flower-power-painted hearse and hightail it down to LAX to intercept Parsons' coffin.
The hearse's owner is another problem, however. Larry Osterberg (Michael Shannon) is an acid-fried, yogafied hippie oddball who can't let Bernice, his beloved bolt-bucket of a hearse, out of his sight. So he becomes the chaffeur on Kaufman's mad quest. Shannon is a zonked-out deadpan master and provides the comic relief in this comedy, if that's possible.
At LAX, further complications arise when Parsons' straitlaced father Stanley (good old Robert Forster) shows up to collect his son and fly with the body back to New Orleans. Needless to say, this time Kaufman won't relent and succeeds in getting his grubby hands on the coffin - and the chase is on. Hilarity and heartbreak, as they say, ensue - all the tune of an amazing soundtrack featuring not only many Parsons tunes but also everyone from Springsteen and Country Joe to current disciples Starsailor and The Soundtrack of Our Lives. The movie feels like 1973 must have felt, and the sublime music certainly sounds like it.
"Grand Theft Parsons" is a goofy, easygoing ride most of the way, yet it proves unexpectedly touching once all the characters involved in the fate of this one prized stiff arrive at the same spot and must agree among themselves what to do with it, to honor Gram's wishes or their own. And it doesn't hurt that the man who plays Parsons in life and in death is Gabriel Macht, who looks uncannily like The Man Himself.
Top it off with a cameo by the real-life Phil Kaufman, and you've got a rock'n'roll road movie like no other. Wherever he is, Gram should get a kick out of it.

THE STEPFORD WIVES (PG-13)
by Kevin Carr
* 1/2
Spoilers Ahead
When I say that I have no idea what the filmmakers were thinking when they made this movie, I say it with total and utter sincerity. I truly believe they didn’t know what they were doing. Were they making a dark comedy? A spoof? A true remake? A thriller?
Frank Oz used to be a good director, back when he was making movies like “The Little Shop of Horrors.” Now, his talent has fizzled away. Case in point, the beginning of “The Stepford Wives.” It was so familiar to his film “In and Out” that I almost believed they were on the same set. Replace a fake Academy Awards show in “In and Out” with reality television, and you have the same thing. (Maybe the problem is also with writer Paul Rudnick, who gave us the uber-forgettable “Marci X” last year.)
“The Stepford Wives” opens during a convention of television affiliates for a powerful women’s network. Leading the new slate of programming is Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman). She rattles through her accomplished emasculating reality shows. We see long clip after long clip of men-bashing TV before a honked-off former contestant tries to gun her down. Unfortunately for the audience, he missed.
After Joanna suffers an emotional breakdown, she moves to Stepford, Connecticut to start a new life with her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) and kids. Joanna's only friend in town is the dreary writer Bobbi Markowitz (Bette Midler) and the homosexual “wife” Roger Bannister (Roger Bart) - who is probably the best thing in the film during his pre-Stepford phase. Of course, all three notice that things are a little too perfect in Stepford - kind of like a full-time Amway convention.
The story and themes behind “The Stepford Wives” are way past their time. They’re products of the 1960s. Ira Levin originally wrote his book during the height of the sexual revolution when many women were busting out of the homes and into the workplace.
But now? It just doesn’t wash. My generation saw our mothers working. As adults, some of us are seeing our wives bring home a bigger paycheck. And trust me, we’re okay with that. The whole “Stepford Wives” fantasy just doesn’t work for us. In fact, most of us find it kind of icky to begin with.
So, the filmmakers tried to change the story a bit. It is no longer a story of men keeping their wives in subjugated roles. It’s about nerdy guys who start out married to successful, wealthy, powerful women (like when does that happen without Bill Gates’ salary???) and eventually forcing them into servitude.
In this respect, the film could have worked as a spoof on itself. But there are only hints of this in the plot. At times, it tries to be too funny, and at times it tries unsuccessfully to hammer home the original message from the 1960s. Ultimately, we’re left with a really, really unlikable couple that we’re supposed to root for. Near the end, I found myself wondering if it would be better for Joanna and Walter to be a Stepford family or for them to move back to New York. To be honest, either way they’re screwed.
Additionally, Frank Oz couldn’t resist several trite and overused Hollywood strawmen. Bette Midler’s character is Jewish, so we have the standard Christians-aren’t-sensitive digs. And after being Stepfordized, Roger decides to run for Senate, which wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t carry the narrow-minded message that anyone who wears an American flag pin on their lapel is a mindless drone.
Oddly enough, the ending of the film is the best and the worst part. It’s the best part because it does something different with the story. It goes farther than the original went. It takes us past the supermarket aisle. (Now, before you read any further, I’m going to warn you that the next paragraph contains spoilers if you don’t know the “secret” of the Stepford wives.)
But it only gets an A for effort and ambition. The film gets an F for execution. The ending, while different, is entirely predictable and silly. There’s a lot that doesn’t really make any sense. There’s a witch’s brew of ideas all being stirred around, and none of them settle out. It’s really quite a mess. Are the women robots? Or do they just have microchips implanted in their brains? I don’t know, and I’ll bet that you couldn’t get a straight answer about this from Frank Oz, either.
Okay, I’m done with the spoilers.
So, would I like to trade in my wife for the latest Stepford model? No thank you. But I’d gladly take a shot at refurbishing Frank Oz into a competent filmmaker again.

METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER
by Tim Merrill
* * * *
Metallica is arguably the greatest heavy metal band since the originators, Black Sabbath. And like the primordial Sabbs, Metallica has often sung about the horrors of war, literal and metaphorical ("Battery," "Disposable Heroes" and "One" are three tracks that spring to mind.) But with the real-life horrors of war ever present in our minds, why should anyone be interested in a 135-minute documentary about the internal warfare of this band of rich, pampered, arrogant rock stars?
It doesn't hurt to be a fan. This critic, it so happens, has been one since 1986, when the metal masterpiece Master of Puppets went gold with no radio or MTV play, launching Metallica's assault on the rock mainstream. The following years brought the epochal self-titled "Black Album," the two-year sold-out world tour, multiple Grammy awards. Metallica had boiled hard rock down to its essence, sent '80s poodle-hair metal packing, soldiered on while Guns N' Roses imploded, and blazed a trail for the introspective, intelligent skull-thumping of Nirvana and the Seattle grunge brigade.
But by the late '90s, the inevitable decline had begun: after two albums of relatively uninspired boogie rawk (Load and Re-Load), a bloated live double-album with the San Francisco Symphony and a weak song from the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack, Metallica fans started to dread what might come next. A DJ? Female backup singers and a horn section? A Diet Pepsi commercial?
Then it got even worse, when drummer and band spokesman Lars Ulrich decided to take on Napster – not a stance the fans welcomed – and the somewhat acrimonious departure of bassist Jason Newsted. The band’s influence was everywhere and its place in rock history assured (their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is guaranteed for 2008, their first year of eligibility). But the question remained: would the mighty Metallica survive into the 21st century? They’d given everything to their fans and made it to the musical mountaintop. They were multimillionaires, legends, rock gods – but could they compete with the likes of Korn, Limp Bizkit and, god help us, Creed?
If you’re not a true Metallicat, you’ve stopped reading already. If not, the most important thing to know about Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s fascinating new documentary “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster” is that it’s the most thorough examination of an album’s creation since the Beatles’ “Let It Be” (and nowhere near as depressing!) But the recording of the album in question, St. Anger, is only one facet of the film. The filmmakers’ real interest lies in revealing the traumas, insecurities and relationships of the band members. Fuck yeah, rock fans – it’s heavy metal therapy time!
Berlinger and Sinofsky were a natural choice to direct what began as a band-sanctioned, Elektra Records-funded documentary intended for MTV or perhaps network airing - a “promo,” in other words. The filmmakers had been the grateful recipients of Metallica’s largess when the band donated a large number of its songs for use in their two acclaimed “Paradise Lost” documentaries. Over two years and 600 hours of footage later, the filmmaking team had learned more about Metallica than anyone outside the band ever did. What no one expected was for the film itself to turn into such an “emotional journey,” such a “healing process” (try not to gag).
The process began sometime in 2001, when Metallica – not having recorded any original material in quite some time, in fact not having spent much time together at all – reconvened in a spartan porta-studio on the grounds of San Francisco’s Presidio. “We don’t want to be comfortable,” states lead singer-guitarist James Hetfield. The band’s producer, Bob Rock, would fill in on bass for the departed Newsted. Also present was a highly-paid “performance enhancement coach” named Phil Towle, a guy who essentially helps rich, famous and powerful men get in touch with their inner fuzzy-wuzzy Care Bear.
Problems emerged almost instantly, centering around Hetfield’s lack of inspiration and general unhappiness. While Ulrich and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett seem to have grown into responsible family men, content despite having entered middle age, Hetfield was clearly miserable; his troubles with self-expression were hardly limited to a lack of words to sing or riffs to play. Despite the ever-present Towle’s support, it’s exquisitely painful to watch these ass-kicking egomaniacs gently dancing around the real issues, trying hard to respect each other’s feelings. Kindness and compassion don’t come easy to this crew.
Hetfield doesn’t last long – soon it’s off to rehab for him, to deal with his 20-plus years of unrestrained alcohol abuse. In his absence, Berlinger and Sinofsky spend time with Jason Newsted, who is off performing with his own band Echobrain and seems fairly well-adjusted to life outside Metallica. They also interview former Metallica lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, whose obvious intelligence is exceeded only by his bitterness; despite having sold some 15 million records with Megadeth, he still apparently believes he’s achieved nothing. Best of luck to him.
It gets stranger. Suddenly, within the film, there’s debate about whether to continue with the film. There’s debate about unresolved feelings relating to the awful 1986 bus accident which killed original bassist Cliff Burton. There’s debate about whether Metallica has any future at all. In a word, it’s riveting. It’s also a testament to Berlinger and Sinofsky’s skill and empathy that by the time Hetfield returns to the scene – over a year after he left for rehab – it seems the fate of the free world hangs on what our headbanging heroes will do next. Hetfield begins writing, singing and playing his new so-called “recovery rock” – and bang, they’re off and running. Out comes “Frantic,” the band’s killerest song since “No Leaf Clover” five years earlier, if not since the glory days of 1991 and the Black Album and “Sad But True.” (Appropriately, “Frantic” ended up being the opening track on St. Anger.)
However, when the question arises of coach Phil Towle’s future with the band, things get dicier than ever. Apparently a little too used to his easy rapport with Metallica – not to mention his $40,000-a-month salary – Towle begins to be perceived as a possible drain on the band’s energies, like poor Brian Wilson’s infamous Dr. Eugene Landy but without the meds. “He’s under the impression he’s in the band,” Hetfield grouses at one point. (As it turns out, Towle still works with Metallica to this day.)
Hetfield and Ulrich deal with ego and power struggles, as ever, but the studio work is clearly more fun, and the results improve for all. (But percussion geeks looking for some explanation of Ulrich’s odd, pinging drum sound on the album are out of luck.) And while Hetfield rarely gives his standard glower a rest, Ulrich is always good for a laugh – especially when he drinks himself silly to dull the pain of selling a favorite Basquiat painting for $5 million. There’s even comedy in the fact that when Metallica finally selects a permanent new bassist - Robert Trujillo from Ozzy Osbourne’s band – Osbourne soon replaces Trujillo with, you guessed it, Jason Newsted. Heavy metal bands make such strange bedfellows.
Credit the band’s considerable respect for Berlinger and Sinofsky that they opted to buy back the intended promo film – now a mutant monstrosity of epic proportions - from Elektra for a cool $2 million, and let the filmmakers finish the project as they saw fit. The result will stand as one of the most intense, in-depth, warts-and-all rockumentaries ever made - VH1’s “Behind the Music” cranked up to 11 and beyond.
Commercially speaking? “Some Kind of Monster” could prove to be the smartest move Metallica could make. St. Anger may not have been the classic “return to form” that every Metallica fan was praying for, but it certainly pointed the band in a promising creative direction. Now, though, almost anyone who experiences this film - Metallica fan or not - will come out so curious to hear the album that it would be no surprise to see St. Anger, a year after it was first released, storm the top of the charts all over again.

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INDIE THREAT "Reviews of REAL indie films"
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THE HUNTING OF THE PRESIDENT
by Pete Vonder Haar
* * * 1/2
Some of you may recall the crap Hillary Clinton got for her comments in an interview about a “vast right wing conspiracy” arrayed against her husband, then-President Bill Clinton. “What a whack-job,” many of you muttered before flipping channels to catch “Arsenio.” Honestly, who could take seriously anyone who conjured up such paranoid fantasies in a public forum?
As it turns out, the First Lady might not have been that far off.
Based on the book by Joe Conason and Gene Lyons, “The Hunting of the President” tracks the long-running campaign to smear President Clinton. Directors Harry Thomason and Nickolas Perry preside over a series of interviews with former Clinton officials, Arkansas reporters, and a variety of individuals attached in some way or another to the Whitewater and highway trooper investigations. The result is an eye-opening and occasionally chilling look at the lengths to which some will go to destroy someone they perceive as a threat to their way of life.
According to former Clinton advisor Sidney Blumenthal, the President was stigmatized from the start. We hear from an Australian reporter who had contact with a member of an organization called the Alliance for the Rehabilitation of America, who used area private investigators to scrounge up interviews with women claiming to have had sex with Clinton when he was governor. From the accusations about Clinton’s liaisons with Paula Jones (and others) by two disgruntled Arkansas state troopers on up to the full-time effort to dig up dirt on the Clintons (the Arkansas Project), funded by billionaire Richard Scaife, “The Hunting of the President” traces these various efforts made by groups like A.R.I.A. and individuals like Jerry Falwell throughout Clinton’s presidency and attempts to uncover their fringe ideological agendas.
How successful is it? As successful as you want it to be, I guess. If you’re firmly in the anti-Clinton camp, this movie isn’t going to change your mind. Although one does have to wonder at the sheer amount of time and money sunk into Whitewater (after initial Independent Counsel Robert Fiske determined there had been no wrongdoing) with no results. If you’re pro-Clinton, all this movie will do is shore up the foundation of your conviction that Kenneth Starr and the conservative personal interests supporting him were on a mission to destroy Clinton and his legacy. Thomason and Perry trot out some pretty big guns to back up their claims, including Blumenthal, Paul Begala, Howard Kurtz, and – possibly the most effective witness for their side – David Brock, former reporter for The American Spectator and author of the book “Blinded by the Right,” which details his experiences working on the Scaife-funded drive to discredit Clinton. The message is clear, and powerfully told. Extra credit should be given for managing to get Susan McDougal to tell the story of her ordeal and imprisonment in her own terms.

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FILM THREAT.com "Truth in Entertainment"
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Read by Filmmakers, Movie Lovers and the Industry
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[Chris Gore]

FILM THREAT.com
"Truth in Entertainment"
-- The leading source on REAL Independent films since 1985 --
==============================
Take 26 : June 28, 2004
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http://www.filmthreat.com
==============================

"The assailant drew blood. Blood calls for revenge. Vengeance is a human right."
- Irreversible (2002)

RIGHT NOW on FilmThreat.com:
==============================
--> INTERVIEWS!
--> FEATURES!
--> Plus, as always… TONS OF INDIE FILM REVIEWS!
Visit the site for these stories, tons of reviews and more!
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THIS ISSUE "Right here, right now"
==============================
--> FILM THREAT POLL: Voting is your right
--> BOX OFFICE: Who's number one?
--> BIG SCREEN: Brutally honest reviews
--> INDIE THREAT: Indie and Underground reviews


FREE NAPOLEON DYNAMITE SCREENING!
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"DON'T ASK DON’T TELL"
Gay porno? Bill Clinton’s intern policy? George Bush’s cocaine past? NO… it’s Monty Python meets Michael Moore, dripping with social satire and peppered with superfluous half-naked TROMA babes. The kinky cult classic DADT -- no DVD collection complete without it! Available now at Amazon.
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DIFF - CALL FOR ENTRIES
27th Starz Denver International Film Festival, October 14-24, 2004, CALL FOR ENTRIES! "Denver’s festival is one of the best I have ever been to! Great films, well-organized, fantastic parties and amazing people behind the scenes." -Chris Gore, Film Threat. DEADLINE: July 15, 2004. E-mail: dfs@denverfilm.org
http://www.denverfilm.org

PALM SPRINGS INT'L SHORT FILM FEST & MARKET
Call for entries! Tenth Annual ShortsFest, August 31 - September 6, 2004, presenting over 300 short films with concurrent Film Market featuring over 2000 short film entries, making it the largest short festival and market in North America. Awards in 20 categories featuring $14,000 in cash prizes and $7,500 in film stock. Winning films in qualify for AMPAS consideration. DEADLINE: 07-15-2004. Call 760-322-2930.
http://www.psfilmfest.org

FREDERICK - HURRY - CALL FOR ENTRIES!
Final weeks! 3rd annual Festival of Film, Frederick Maryland accepting entries for 2004. Early submission $15 by July 1st. Late submission $25 July 2nd to 15th. Accepting shorts and features. We encourage filmmakers and cast to present films personally and participate in discussion panels.
http://www.frederickfilm.org

CALL FOR ENTRIES - 2004 HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL
DEADLINE: JUNE 30, 2004 - SUBMIT TODAY! FEATURES, DOCUMENTARIES, SHORTS AND SCREENPLAYS. Prior winners and finalists have been acquired by HBO, IFC, and Miramax among many others. In addition, the festival will have Special Issues with "The Hollywood Reporter," "Daily Variety," and "Screen International." These issues will be sent to over 220,000 industry execs around the world. Access buyers. SUBMIT TODAY!
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SELL YOUR STORY TO HOLLYWOOD BUYERS
JUNE 26 & 27 in Los Angeles! GREAT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY In West Los Angeles - Limited Seating. Every year over 500 million U.S. dollars are spent acquiring and/or developing new ideas/stories in Hollywood. Here's your chance to get your idea/story/script/book to the people who can DO something with it. Great opportunity to pitch 1-on-1 to Hollywood buyers. REGISTER TODAY!
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DAM SHORT FILM FEST - CALL FOR ENTRIES
DSFF has extended its Early Bird Deadline to July 15th! The Dam Short Film Festival will be held February 4-6, 2005, in Boulder City, Nevada, and will feature 100 short films from all corners of the globe. All genres, subjects, and years are invited to submit. Boulder City, the historic home of the Hoover Dam, is a mere 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.
http://www.damshortfilm.org

CALL FOR ENTRIES - HOLLYWOOD HORROR, SCI-FI, FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL
Presented by FilmThreat.com and Hollywood Film Festival(R) SUBMIT TODAY! "The festival is the ultimate networking opportunity for filmmakers looking for a break." - "Daily Variety"
http://www.hollywoodfestival.com

SONY DIGITALMASTER TAPE
Sony. The Technology Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival. Festival Dates: May 1-9, 2004. Visit the official festival web site: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/ Sony DigitalMaster(tm) tape. Ditch the Glitches. Designed for any mini-DV or DVCAM(tm) camcorders, DigitalMaster(tm) tape is far from ordinary.
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BACK TALK AT FILM THREAT!
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NOW MORE THAN 1,000 MEMBERS STRONG! OVER 10,00 POSTS! The hottest movie message board on the net! What are they talking about this week on Film Threat's BACK TALK?
The Greatest And Most Ridiculous Titles Ever
Fahrenheit 9/11
Top 10 Directors (Let's settle this once & for all)
Top Ten Best Comedy Sketches of All Time
When will they make a Simpson's feature?
Disney Just Keeps Shooting Itself in the Foot

These are just some of the hot topics being discussed now in Film Threat's new BACK TALK section! So sign up, read what's on the minds of your fellow Film Threat readers and post a rant, a review or start a discussion thread of your own. Check it out here:
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FILM THREAT POLL "Voting is your right"
========================================
Go to http://www.filmthreat.com to cast your vote on the following question:
Is Gary Oldman a good call for playing General Grievous in "Episode III"?

1) Yes. If anyone can do it, Gary can!
2) No. Oldman sucks!
3) It really doesn't matter. These prequels destroy everyone involved.

It really doesn't matter is leading at 57%! Cast your vote on the site and check the results!


BOX OFFICE "Hollywood's horse race"
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Weekend of June 25-27, Source: Exhibitor Relations Co.

1/0 Fahrenheit 9/11 $21.8/$21.9
2/0 White Chicks $19.6/$27.1
3/1 Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story $18.5/$67.1
4/2 The Terminal $13.9/$13.0
5/0 The Notebook $13.0/$13.0
6/3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban $11.4/$211.7
7/4 Shrek 2 $10.5/$397.1
8/5 Garfield $7.0/$55.7
9/0 Two Brothers $6.2/$6.2
10/7 The Stepford Wives $5.2/$49.0


BIG SCREEN "Coming to a theater near you"
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From five stars "Perfect! * * * * *" to one star "Crap! *" totally honest movie reviews.

FAHRENHEIT 9/11 (R)
by Pete Vonder Haar
* * * 1/2
Let’s get one thing straight, no documentary is objective. I don’t care if your old copy of Merriam-Webster’s says otherwise, show me a documentary – any documentary – and I’ll show you a filmmaker with a specific agenda they’re trying to support. Sometimes the subject matter is relatively benign (as in “Hoop Dreams”), sometimes less so (“Shoah”), but all of these movies are the result of the filmmaker’s choices in what to include and what to cull from their footage.
Sorry about that, but if you approach “Fahrenheit 9/11” with the attitude, “But it’s not objective,” there’s not much point in continuing.
Michael Moore is one of the most polarizing filmmakers of our time, and his films have received much more scrutiny than others of their ilk. Factual errors subsequently uncovered in “Roger and Me” and “Bowling for Columbine,” as well as in his books, have damaged his reputation and opened the door to widespread criticism of his techniques and accusations that he plays fast and loose with the facts to support his arguments. Some of these claims have merit (his continued incorrect assertions that the Bush Administration gave aid to the Taliban in 2000 and 2001), while others don’t – and if one wishes to criticize Moore for ambushing an old man suffering from senile dementia to debate the merits of gun control, well, maybe the NRA should have selected a spokesman actually capable of defending its position. With “Fahrenheit 9/11,” Moore still slips into hyperbole on occasion, but he makes his points forcefully and with less bluster than in previous efforts.
“Fahrenheit 9/11” is a wide-ranging attack on, among other things, the way the Bush Administration has run the country these last three and a half years, the Florida recount, the Bush family’s ties to the bin Laden family and the Saudis, and the Administration’s management of the war against Iraq. Along the way, Moore takes swipes at Congress, the Senate, and the media. More than any of this, however, “Fahrenheit 9/11” is an all-out assault on George W. Bush, and Moore pulls no punches. Where earlier Moore films showcased a fair amount humor, even when covering weighty topics, “Fahrenheit” – especially the latter half – gives us Moore at his most serious.
Oh, he still goes for the easy laugh. The gratuitous “feed” footage of Bush and company as they get primped and made up for the cameras, while humorous, would be just as accurate for any politician, be they Republican or Democrat. And the point of including John Ashcroft crooning a love ballad to America (of his own writing, we’re told) eludes me, except perhaps to demonstrate our Attorney General’s horrible command of lyrics. These are cheap shots, and one of the reasons Moore’s credibility suffers (though I don’t think I’ll ever be able to cleanse my brain of the image of Paul Wolfowitz licking his comb).
The film does better when Moore adheres to matters of public record, like the bin Laden family’s support of Arbusto Energy, the close ties between the Bush family and the Saudis, and actual statements by the President and his Cabinet. The comedic set-ups so prevalent in his earlier films are largely absent here, and the movie makes its most powerful statements when Moore removes himself from the picture altogether and lets the footage – whether of American soldiers humiliating prisoners or a mother grieving for a son killed in Karbala – speak for itself.
What you won’t find much of in “Fahrenheit 9/11,” however, is selective editing or manipulation of President Bush’s words themselves. Moore does succumb to the occasional gimmick, but like it or not, the President has a serious credibility problem when it comes to public speaking. You can highlight Moore’s unsupported allegations concerning exactly how much money the Bush family and their friends and business partners have received from the Saudis ($1.4 billion, according to the film), or take him to task for his blue sky pictures of women and babies in Baghdad before the bombing started, but you can’t deny many of his points: that Bush opposed both a Congressional and an independent 9/11 panel, that the mainstream media played cheerleader to the Administration’s Iraq War policies, and that Bush cut combat pay and veteran’s benefits even while publicly lauding the troops.
“Fahrenheit 9/11” is an undeniably powerful, if flawed, film. As a polemic, it’s hard to beat. As a historical document that shows audiences things about the war and the Administration they may not have previously seen, it’s indispensable. It’s also not going to change anyone’s minds. If you already hate Moore, watching 2 hours of concentrated footage of Bush mangling the English language with a smirk on his face isn’t going to alter your views. Moore is preaching to the converted. Even so, he is as focused as he’s ever been on the task at hand. Some scenes, such as those showing Iraqis dragging the burned bodies of Americans behind a car, are extremely disturbing, and that’s probably Moore’s point. Perhaps if we’d been reminded earlier on how horrible war really is, we wouldn’t have been so gung ho to put our fighting men and women in harm’s way.

WHITE CHICKS (PG-13)
by Kevin Carr
* *
Let’s forget for a moment about all the other problems with “White Chicks.” Let’s forget about the overused storyline. Let’s forget about the clunky plot and shallow characters. Let’s forget about the racist undertones of the film.
Bottom line, the white chicks scare me.
Seriously. They’re freaky looking. They are the stuff of nightmares. In the beginning of the movie, Shawn and Marlon Wayans dress themselves up as Puerto Rican shop owners trying to score a big drug hit. And while the scene is probably more offensive to Puerto Ricans “Springtime for Hitler” would be to Holocaust Survivors, I will admit their make-up job is pretty darn good.
But when the two slap on the “white face” and pose as Hilton-sister wannabes, they’re just plain scary. They’re not remotely attractive, and they don’t look remotely real. The Wayans brothers look like they’re wearing old masks from the “Halloween” films. They have the kind of faces that make Michael Jackson look normal.
As the plot goes, Kevin and Marcus Copeland (Shawn and Marlon Wayans) are two bumbling FBI agents hanging onto their jobs by a thread. In order to get back in the good graces of their boss, they take a B.S. assignment to be the escorts to two potential kidnap victims, a not-so-subtle Hilton sisters knock-off. The Copeland brothers decide to put themselves undercover as the girls and root out the kidnappers themselves.
There was a time when Keenan Ivory Wayans still had an edge. Back in the days of “In Living Color,” no one could touch him. He and his Wayans clan had a biting wit that skewered many sacred cows. On the big screen, he’s done some fine work as well, most notably his blacksploitation spoof “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka!” Even the first two “Scary Movie” installments were pretty good with him at the helm.
But now? There’s nothing original about this. All these jokes have been overused since Eddie Murphy did the schtick on Saturday Night Live in the mid-1980s. There’s nothing daring about “White Chicks.” It’s the same old reverse racism jokes we’ve seen for years.
Here’s where Keenan Ivory Wayans missed the boat. If he really wanted to stir up some controversy and make a movie that would shake up racial politics, he should have made a movie about two white police officers posing as black girls. Imagine the politically correct pundits try to criticize the use of black face in a Wayans Brothers movie.
But sadly, “White Chicks” is nothing more than female “Amos and Andy” with the races reversed. Not that I was offended, really. I was just not interested.
However, “White Chicks” isn’t a total loser. I will admit there are some funny jokes in it. It reminds me of a line from the film in which an FBI agent asks another who he would rather have sex with – Pamela Anderson or Carmen Electra if both of them have a yeast infection (as well as Pamela Anderson’s not-so-sexy hepatitis C infection).
In some ways, this movie is like having sex with Carmen Electra with a yeast infection. It can be fun at times, and there are some genuinely good things there – but you’re gonna have to go through some pretty nasty stuff to get to them. Part way through the film, I started hating myself because I actually found some of it funny. I guess that goes to show that Keenan Ivory Wayans hasn’t totally lost it.
Still, if there ever was a demonstration that there is not equality with race, it is “White Chicks.” I’ve seen modern black stand-up from D.L. Hughley to Jamie Foxx, and these comedians are still rehashing the old “aren’t white people funny” jokes. This was funny and edgy once – like back in the 1970s when people like Richard Pryor first brought it on stage. But now we find ourselves thirty years later telling the same tired lines? If these jokes can still be made and the comedians are excused because they’re black themselves, then can it really be said that we’re making any progress as a society?

THE NOTEBOOK (PG-13)
by Peter Lowry
* * * 1/2
The latest movie to be adapted by novelist Nicholas Sparks is "The Notebook", brought to the screen by director Nick Cassavetes (John Q), and brought to life through a cast that takes what usually would have been a sub-par script and predictable clichés and turns it into something beautiful and unforgettable. It's a touching film that, while not going anywhere new, treads softly along like two young lovers walking on the beach for the millionth time together. That kind of familiarity is as comfy as an old shoe, providing the audience with an easy going feel that is hard to resist to get caught up in.
This film clearly begins and ends with its cast, which basically carried this film on its back the entire time. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are surprisingly exceptional as the young couple that shares a summer fling, which if course later blooms into the real thing. We are captivated by the young kids as they try their best to fight the usual clichés of rich snotty parents and their expectations of their daughter to marry someone well off rather than the poor boy who she is in love with. While we've all seen this done a million times, the film's lack of originality is made up for in spades by the story's sincerity and patience. The fact that it doesn't try to ram the predictable romance down everyone's throat was a nice change as we were allowed to relax and just enjoy the ride as opposed to waiting for another shoe (or hammer) to drop.
Gosling and especially McAdams give all-star performances, doing just enough to hand the reins over to the pros, who take what's left of the film and finish the audience off with some touching scenes that don't leave a dry eye in the house. James Garner was just enough to make the film work as his simple and elegant style gave a touch of class. His soft narration provided the audience a nice little breather, as well as some depth to the notebook as it's a character in itself, containing the keys to two people's history and a romance that didn't deserve to be forgotten. And even though many scenes may look trite in narrative, the emotions they conjure are surprising and very authentic. The audience was sniffling and even sobbing a great deal at the very end. It's been a long time since I've seen an audience weep this openly at a movie. You could have sworn they were watching "Schindler's List".
Another element that simply romances the audience into liking this movie was its direction and especially its cinematography. Nick Cassavetes and Robert Fraisse give us one spectacular shot after another, giving us breathtaking shots of what normally wouldn't be considered that great to begin with. One particular scene that was just flat out brilliant was shot in a river, taken with hundreds of ducks surrounding a boat that is slowly passing through. What looked like a scary amount of floating snappers looked elegant and beautiful, creating a magical movie moment that was not lost on its audience. Shots like this made what usually would have been a cheesy chick flick something more special and worth checking out.
While I personally liked this film, I'm sure it may some moviegoers the wrong way. Many scenes tend to drag at times and were desperately in need of editing. This film was over two hours long, but I could see at least twenty minutes that could have been cut out that wouldn't have made any difference in the final product. I am also sure that many people who are very cynical at heart will not be able to get past the usual clichés to enjoy the acting and spirit of the film. If you're the kind of person who is too picky and can't stand even the smallest bit of "seen that, been there" moments... then you might want to pass on this film, because its filled to the nuts with stuff like that. On the surface, this movie is just the same old, same old... but it can't be written off as just another tearjerker. Judging from the reaction from the crowd when it was all over, I say word of mouth for this film will be very good.
Overall, "The Notebook" is a surprisingly good film that manages to succeed where many other "chick flick" like romances fail. Despite the obvious clichés and predictable story lines, the movie manages to work because the actors made it work. Combined with some impressive camera work and direction, it makes for a very enjoyable day at the movies.

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INDIE THREAT "Reviews of REAL indie films"
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Film Threat will review anything. Send us your indie feature, short, DVD, underground video and prepare yourself for acclaim or ridicule.

JU-ON: THE GRUDGE
by Eric Campos
* * *
As in “The Ring,” another dead kid is on the loose, but this time he’s a lot cuter even if he is scary as hell, and he’s brought company. The “grudge” in question here is a curse born of one family’s inner-conflict and the murderous deeds that brought their lives to an end. This hateful curse now resides in the family’s unhappy home, often manifesting itself in the form of a little boy whose painted up to look like an uber-goth. Some may mistake him as a Fruits fashion victim, but those in the supernatural know realize that they’ve just seen a ghost and he’s none too friendly. Anyone who comes in contact with the curse, no matter how slight, is haunted by the boy and his curse of horrific images until the cursed becomes a brain dead zombie…or something like that.
We don’t really get to know much about the characters in “Ju-On” as the film is broken up into vignettes, each character getting their own chunk of time and that time is focused on revealing the spooky details of how they became acquainted with the curse. This general lack of basic storyline is engineered for maximum scares as the film plays out kinda like a greatest hits collection from a haunted house. The film succeeds in that respect to a certain point, but the lack of character development can cause quite a bit of confusion that’s bound to distract rather than pull the viewer into its web. Add that to the fact that these vignettes are not placed in a linear order and there’s apt to be more head scratching amongst viewers than nervous nail biting. Knowing this ahead of time, it’s best to just enjoy the spooky images and events. You don’t try to find meaning or depth in the spook house at your local county fair and this movie should be treated pretty much the same, especially since it doesn’t have very much in the way of payoff at the end. It’ll be interesting to see how all of this is handled in the U.S. remake.
So, basically, what you have in “Ju-On” is a collection of effectively scary sights and sounds - sound effects play a huge part in rolling that chill down your spine – and that’s about it. For a fan of horror, that should be enough to qualify for a good time. Just don’t expect an epic saga or anything.

DELIVERY BOY CHRONICLES
by Stina Chyn
* * * *
Not all singers are bad actors. Shawn Mullins, for instance, delivers an excellent performance in Stacey Childers’s film “Delivery Boy Chronicles,” a slap-stick comedy about food-delivery employees wishing to do something more meaningful with their lives. Like any good, comedic ensemble cast film, “Delivery Boy Chronicles” has a narrative anchor in one character and develops the others in a way that infuses the film with wit and purpose.
Mike (Ralph Price) and his friends Molly (Kelly Hobbs), Tig (Shawn Mullins), Magoo (Chet Dixon), and Shawn (Shawn Bost) work for Restaurant on Wheels, a food-delivery service. Mike, the narrative focal point, is waiting to unleash the businessman inside; Molly wants to better the world; Tig and Magoo are both exploring artistic _expression. Then there’s Shawn, the troupe’s bard, and Chris (Ray Stoney), who’s fresh out of college and has much to learn about the “real world.”
The characters’ individual goals intersect in a plotline that involves shrooms, Magoo’s sculpture artwork, His Holiness from Tibet, and a brief discussion as to whether or not forensics pathologists can prescribe pills. However random the visual and verbal humor might appear, it’s all there for a reason. The talking camel, the attacking ostriches, the assaulting bosom, and the lawn-chair cooler make you laugh until your stomach hurts, but they’re also very important to the plot. Without the talking camel (who later becomes a talking gorilla), Mike wouldn’t take more initiative in brainstorming for a lucrative business investment. There wouldn’t be the lawn-chair cooler, Molly wouldn’t discover Buddhism, and there wouldn’t be any mentioning of the Comprehensive Package, the most comprehensive of comprehensive packages.
Filmed on location in and around Atlanta, GA, “Delivery Boy Chronicles” is a zesty medley of odds-and-ends. The film’s comedic timing is excellent and includes the best exception to the notion that singers can’t act.

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FILM THREAT.com is a weekly e-mail newsletter and is published by The Gore Group, LLC. All material ©2004 Gore Group Publications. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission. You are, however, welcome to forward this e-mail to whomever you wish. All letters, comments and reviews sent to Film Threat in any manner are assumed intended for publication, unless stated otherwise.

FILM THREAT.com "Truth in Entertainment"
========================================
Read by Filmmakers, Movie Lovers and the Industry
--==========CUT-AND-PRINT==========--