Father Geek here with our regular Monday report, Euro-AICN, sent in to Geek Headquarter in Austin, Texas from our Euro-editor Robert Bernocchi in Rome, with help from Ethan in Eastern Europe, Ratbert in England, an Evil Spy somewhere in the Middle East, Deep Throat in France, and a host of reporters in Ireland, Germany, and other spots scattered around Europe. Lots of cooooooool info this week so ol' Father Geek will just let you get on to it...
Hi people. I'm working at this column and... I'm absolutelly nuts for Hayao Miyazaki's victory at the Berlin Film Festival. It's the first time an animated movie wins at a Festival so important. I just hope it means that we'll see Spirited Away soon in Europe and in the States. Thus, I prepared a complete list of winners at the Festival. Moreover, we have as usual a great bunch of news (including a very interesting international scandal about Spy Game), the clips from the LOTR documentary realised by The National Geographic and a great report by Ethan from the FEST. Last but absolutelly not least, we got a great preview as Deep Throat speaks about David Fincher's The Panic Room... Enjoy...
The Berlin film Fest winners are:
- Golden Berlin Bear
ex aequo to the films
Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi (Spirited Away)
by Hayao Miyazaki
and
Bloody Sunday
by Paul Greengrass
- Jury Grand Prix,
Silver Berlin Bear,
to the film
Halbe Treppe (Grill Point)
by Andreas Dresen
- Silver Berlin Bear
for the Best Director to
Otar Iosseliani
for his film
Lundi Matin (Monday Morning)
- Silver Berlin Bear
for the Best Actress to
Halle Berry
for her role in the film
Monster’s Ball
by Mark Foster
- Silver Berlin Bear
for the Best Actor to
Jacques Gamblin
for his role in the film
Laissez-Passer (Safe Conduct)
by Bertrand Tavernier
- Silver Berlin Bear
for an individual artistic contribution to
The Ensemble Of Actresses
in the film
8 Femmes
by François Ozon
- Silver Berlin Bear
for the best film music to
Antoine Duhamel
for his music in the film
Laissez-Passer
by Bertrand Tavernier
- The AGICOA award The Blue Angel for the best European film, endowed with the sum of EUR 25.000 to the director , goes to the creative ensemble of the film
Små Ulykker (Minor Mishaps)
by Annette K. Olesen
- The Alfred Bauer Prize, awarded in memory of the Festival founder, for a work of particular innovation, to
Baader
by Christopher Roth
LOTR clips from the National Geographic documentary
I'm absolutelly nuts for Hayao Miyazaki's victory at the Berlin Film Festival. It's the first time an animated movie wins at a Festival so important. I just hope it means that we'll see Spirited Away soon in Europe and in the States. Thus, I prepared a complete list of winners at the Festival. Moreover, we have as usual a great bunch of news (including a very interesting international scandal about Spy Game), the clips from the LOTR documentary realised by The National Geographic and a great report by Ethan from the FEST. Last but absolutelly not least, we got a great preview as Deep Throat speaks about David Fincher's The Panic Room... Enjoy...
The Berlin film Fest winners are:
- Golden Berlin Bear
ex aequo to the films
Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi (Spirited Away)
by Hayao Miyazaki
and
Bloody Sunday
by Paul Greengrass
- Jury Grand Prix,
Silver Berlin Bear,
to the film
Halbe Treppe (Grill Point)
by Andreas Dresen
- Silver Berlin Bear
for the Best Director to
Otar Iosseliani
for his film
Lundi Matin (Monday Morning)
- Silver Berlin Bear
for the Best Actress to
Halle Berry
for her role in the film
Monster’s Ball
by Mark Foster
- Silver Berlin Bear
for the Best Actor to
Jacques Gamblin
for his role in the film
Laissez-Passer (Safe Conduct)
by Bertrand Tavernier
- Silver Berlin Bear
for an individual artistic contribution to
The Ensemble Of Actresses
in the film
8 Femmes
by François Ozon
- Silver Berlin Bear
for the best film music to
Antoine Duhamel
for his music in the film
Laissez-Passer
by Bertrand Tavernier
- The AGICOA award The Blue Angel for the best European film, endowed with the sum of EUR 25.000 to the director , goes to the creative ensemble of the film
Små Ulykker (Minor Mishaps)
by Annette K. Olesen
- The Alfred Bauer Prize, awarded in memory of the Festival founder, for a work of particular innovation, to
Baader
by Christopher Roth
LOTR clips from the National Geographic documentary
- Golden Berlin Bear ex aequo to the films Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) by Hayao Miyazaki and Bloody Sunday by Paul Greengrass
- Jury Grand Prix, Silver Berlin Bear, to the film Halbe Treppe (Grill Point) by Andreas Dresen
- Silver Berlin Bear for the Best Director to Otar Iosseliani for his film Lundi Matin (Monday Morning)
- Silver Berlin Bear for the Best Actress to Halle Berry for her role in the film Monster’s Ball by Mark Foster
- Silver Berlin Bear for the Best Actor to Jacques Gamblin for his role in the film Laissez-Passer (Safe Conduct) by Bertrand Tavernier
- Silver Berlin Bear for an individual artistic contribution to The Ensemble Of Actresses in the film 8 Femmes by François Ozon
- Silver Berlin Bear for the best film music to Antoine Duhamel for his music in the film Laissez-Passer by Bertrand Tavernier
- The AGICOA award The Blue Angel for the best European film, endowed with the sum of EUR 25.000 to the director , goes to the creative ensemble of the film Små Ulykker (Minor Mishaps) by Annette K. Olesen
- The Alfred Bauer Prize, awarded in memory of the Festival founder, for a work of particular innovation, to Baader by Christopher Roth
LOTR clips from the National Geographic documentary
I've got two clips from the National Geographic documentary, which is on release today worldwide. This is a very interesting documentary, mostly focused on J.R.R. Tolkien work, but it contains also exclusive behind the scenes stuff. The clips show Hobbiton and the weapons used for the movie. You can see them by clicking here Do It Right Now! and here... Yeah, This Is The Spot.
Ratbert here, with a lot of stuff for us...
After a few weeks away, here's some (unusual!) news items from me..
A possible big-screen version of the classic 1970s cartoon Jamie and the Magic Torch is being talked about.
Programme makers Fremantle Media are looking for "an adventurous red-headed boy" aged between five and nine years old for an advertising campaign and "a possible big screen version", according to Ananova.
The original series followed the adventures of a small boy called Jamie and his trusty sideckick, Wordsworth the dog. The psychedelic cartoon romp also had the rather strange claim to fame that it was co-written by one of the 1970s pop group The Rubettes. It was last year voted into 29th place in a poll of the top 100 children's television programmes ever.
The search for the young star will begin in Manchester, as the original series was made by local company Cosgrove Hall, who also produced such cartoon classics as Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, The Wind in the Willows and Noddy.
A joke from Monty Python's Life Of Brian has been voted the best ever film line.
The poll was won by Terry Jones' riposte: "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!" Second was Michel Caine's line in The Italian Job: "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"
The poll by BOL.com The film is being made by director Tom Reeve and producer Todd Moyer, who
created the thriller Virus.
The romantic adventure comedy is about the legendary tale of the dragon
slaying knight who saves a princess and becomes the Patron Saint of England.
Insiders say the project is being shot in studios in Luxembourg and on
nearby locations over the next two months.
Purefoy starred in the period pieces Mansfield Park and A Knight's Tale.
The Michael Winterbottom-directed film had its official premiere in
Manchester, home of the Factory Records empire it depicts.
Hook is played in the film by Ralf Little.
The bassist told NME.COM "We wanted the music to stand up not the personalities, and I think it still
does. Every Joy Division track, every New Order track sounds fantastic."
New Order have contributed a new track to the 24 Hour Party People's
soundtrack.
Here To Stay, the band's collaboration with the Chemical Brothers, will
appear on the closing credits of the final version of the film.
Hook said: "We finished it today, which is typical. We missed our own thing.
But we finished it today at Bernard Sumner's house, so it'll be on it next
time."
24 Hour Party People is due for release in the UK on April 5, with the
soundtrack available on April 1.
A piece of news from Britian conserning Superman!
McG is to direct the new superman movie according to the Guardian.
McG will have a job on his hands to revive the man of steel as a viable box office hero. The last Superman film was Superman IV: The Quest for Peace 15 years ago, and DC Comics' favourite son was beginning to look a little tired even then.
On hand to help is JJ Abrams, the creator of Alias and Felicity, who is writing the screenplay. It is hoped a new movie could be in cinemas within two years.
BeezleBot out.
P.S SAVE FUTURAMA
Been a long time since I last wrote you.
As you might already know, I'm in the Middle East.... in the center of havoc
and turmoil...
Well I have some news that might interest you as well as many readers out
there.Remember the article I sent you a long time on the censorship issue
the middle east regularly faces?
Well this time it's Spy Game. All distributors were convinced that Spy Game
would never be released in the Middle East due to the part where Brad Pitt
has to kill a Sheikh in Beirut with the assistance of a Palestinian doctor
and/or the assistance of the Lebanese Militias... well the idea as you might
understand wasn't quite accepted in this part of the world... the killing of
a Sheikh???? I don't think so especially knowing that most of the locals in
the UAE are Sheikhs... The Lebanese Forces doing that? Killing an Aab??? I
don't think so??? Or even a Palestinian??? Nop, "this will not stand...
man!!!!" Not in this part of the world!
For God's sake... this is a movie afterall... BUT NO!!!! Authorities in this
part of the world think that basically that the American Propaganda will
diffuse into people's mind subconscously resulting to a certain alliance
with the "infedels"... :)
So what did the local distributor do??? Led by the $$$$$$ figure... he
agreed with the censor boards to cut the Beirut part... GUYS WE'RE TALKING
30 MINUTES OF a 2 hour MOVIE!!!!
The bulk of the movie is in Lebanon. The movie starts off where Pitt is
trying to save this person and gets caught risking capital punishment... in
Beirut you find out that that person is the one who has been caught... that
same person whom Brad Pitt falls in Love with..." well that "minute" detail
isn't going to be here... people are going to see pitt in Vietnam... Pitt in
Germany, Pitt in... CUT!... Pitt in Jail... Redford saving him??? Why did he
go to jail?? Why was she thrown in jail? That ain't important... Who was
that chick he was trying to save??? That ain't important... was that chick
using PItt as an asset??? that ain't important... IS the movie that short???
That ain't important... moral of the story??? No importance... ONLY CA$$$$H
is ... now that's "important"...
How could a company like Beacon Entertainment and Universal Pictures allow a
thing like that? How could they allow a distributor to cut a whole segment?
Or even if not the distributor but the censor, how could they accept to
release it anyway? How could Toni Scott (The director) or even David Arata
and Micheal FrostBeckner and whomever produced it accept that???
Well when the movie is released here i'll let you know people's reaction...
then again, DVDs are allowed... and the government doesn't give a flying
fuck... but in theatres they do...
Anyway, that's what this site is about... cool news... ain't it right?
Well, "I fid you barewell..." (A-la Jason Lee),
Evil Spy...
For the first time Since My Left Foot Ireland can claim three nominations at this year's Oscars.
The event which will be held in March in LA announced it's nominees last night for this years awards.
Irish singer and writer Enya has been nominated for an Oscar for the best song in a movie from The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Rings.
Her song May It Be was just one of the 12 nominations the film received.
The music and lyrics for the song were written by Enya, Nicky Ryan and Roma Ryan. These are the first Academy Award nominations for the trio.
The competition for the Oscar is up between Enya and the music for the films Kate and Leopold, Monsters INC, Pearl Harbour and Vanilla Sky.
The Irish have also been nominated for two short animated films. The first being a short film called Fifty Percent Gray by Ruairi Robinson and Seamus Byrne. While the second one is Give up yer aul sins by Cathal Gaffney and Darragh O'Connell.
- KANDAHAR by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. This film had a US release after the WTC bombing. It is not as stylish as great films ough to be but its` semi-documentary style is fleshed by the great subject and odd adventures consist its` substance.
- DUST by Milcho Manchevski. After refusing many Hollywood projects (including ill - fated DEVIL`S OWN) and being fired from the set of RAVENOUS, Manchevski returns to European cash and Macedonian locale. He is trying to create a spaghetti western with cowboys from America bounty hunting in Macedonia. People in former Yugoslavia will be overwhelmed by this one. But in fact DUST isn`t paelgraderticularly witty to attract audience outside Joseph Fiennes fanbase and spaghetii western die-hards.
- WAYDOWNTOWN by Gary Burns. Poor man`s FIGHT CLUB. Bad DV transfer. Good enough for arty crowd.
- ODE TO THE POET by Martin Srebotnjak. It is not a great movie but it is articulate enough to seize the attention of people who are sick of movie freakshows. Srebotnjak wrote, directed and acted in this one and he looks like one hell of a cool geek!
- Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN by Alfonso Cuaron. It is a balls-to-the-wall coming-of-age flick that presents the boyish rudeness which will always turn into melancholy when virginity fades. A definite recommendation.
- HANKER - DER TOT HOT EIN GESICHT by Jens Becker. A provoking docu about hangmen. It doesn`t drown in style but manages to keep you stunned on the level of essence.
- YUGODIVAS by Andrea Staka. A sloppy docu where interviewed women whine about the disintegration of former Yugoslavia.
- SCHECHARAZDE by Riccardo Signorell. It is a boring and shameless rip-off of Vinterberg`s FESTEN. He should pull some legal action against this mess.
- MAELSTROM by Dennis Villeneuve. This kinky guilt melodrama could have made some sense if author was able to control the metaphore.
- INVINCIBLE by Werner Herzog. This is the absurd flop by one of the eminent authors. I am not much of Herzog supporter but he used to be a great maverick creator in his days. This Tim Roth-starrer is lame and style-less retelling of the famous Hanussen WW-2 case...
- PANSION FOR DOGS by Stefan Komandarev. This turkey feels like Chekhov on tranquillisers doing GREAT EXPECTATIONS minus the girl. Just the boy and the old lady. Unwatchable.
- FIREFLY DREAMS by John Williams. Welsh autor made a Japanese melodrama. It exploits emotions with the use of disintegrating marriage, mantally challenged cousin and senile granny. Otherwise crafty.
- IL MESTIERE DELLE ARMI by Ermanno Olmi. Typical Olmi fare. Celluloid novelism at its` worst.
- QUEEN OF THE NIGHT by Branko Schmidt. Croat coming - of - age dramedy is so amateurish that the hall trembled with unintentional laughs.
- DISCO PIGS by Kristen Sheridan. It could have been a great movie if Jim Sheriodan`s daughter just preserved the heartbreaking melodrama and leave philosophy be.
- JUMP TOMORROW by Gary Burns. Burns` film reminds of all the problems that could occur in an indie comedy that gets developed from an Award winnig shortie.
- DAS EXPERIMENT by Oliver Hirschbigel. It is a complete rip-off of Sam Fuller`s SHOCK CORRIDOR which was already shamelessly ripped-off by Milos Forman in ONE FLEW OVER COCKOO`S NEST. Decent.
- HOTEL by Mike Figgis. It is one of the low-budget features in which Figgis tries to find sanctuary for his tortured director soul. All-Star cast is involved in a Dogme-like plot which is fake but peculiar enough.
- TIRANA YEAR ZERO by Fatmir Koci. Albanian take on the concept of movies made by European money in order to humiliate the nation that made it. It feels like that Koci is trying to expose his national gutter and profit on it. As decent as these awful movies go.
- JALLA! JALLA! by Josef Fares. Pretty standard low-budget romcom. Heavy-handed at times but pleasant overall.
- DIE BAD by Ryoo Seung Wan. New Wave morality tale made under the strong Godard influence. Gritty, predictable Korean gangs tale.
God bless,
Ethan
Panic room has been shown to a few french journalists las
week. That because Jodie Foster was comin' in Paris
dubbing her part (she speaks fluentlty french) and do some
interviews. First I had to say this review can't express the
truly aestethic of Fincher's film. It wasn't finished yet at time
at the screening, so it has been screened on a digital video
tape, some sound,color and special effects were far from
the final result which will appear now in US at the end of march.
Anyway this tape was on an enough quality to get some
good hints on what Fincher wants here. Mainly on the
cinematography work which is truly amazing (I didn't have the
time to note the name of the other guy who shared the task
with Darius Khondji, the Seven's DOP but they reached here
a rarely seen level of work). Fincher's fans will indeed be in
known territory by meeting again Scorsese-esque camera
movement, or a very creepy mood. Not the same for the
story. David Koepp's job is very good but just leads Fincher
to some milder stuff than ALL his previous work. Strange
feeling that Fincher has to do some lighter film in purpose to
prove to studios that he's still bankable after the loss of
money that was Fight Club. In a way, Panic Room is a
Silence of the lambs for Sony, some very well made film
which will indeed will catch the breath of audience by being by
moments really violent but without the subversive subtext
that ran under Alien 3, Fight Club or The Game. The subtext
here is told by the relationship between a mother and her
daughter (perfectly played by Jodie Foster and newcomer
Kristin Stewart) and it is about to free oneself for his fears, to find
the inner strengh to get a new start. Anyway, if this angle is
interesting, it's what going outside this panic room that's
more enthralling. If Foster and Stewart's performance are
more than ok, Whitaker,Leto and Yoakam's as the three
burglars needing to enter this room, are way better..
Especially Leto and Yoakam's as really naughty guys.
That's their relationship that spares the film to be totally
lacking of originality, that leads Panic room to be something
else than the expected mature version of Home Alone. Quite
no booby traps here, this is supposed to be realistic, from
the unity of time to the use of violence which give the chilling
tone of that film. Panic Room is not a new Fincher's
masterpiece but a brillant film that probably will going very
very huge at box office to allow the guy to get on some more
personal and daring stuff. Panic Room will for sure sustain
the average audience but maybe not feed what Fincher's
fans are waiting for.
James Purefoy will play Saint George in a film based on the story of George
And The Dragon.
The movie will also feature Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze and The Green
Mile's Michael Clarke Duncan.
New Order's Peter Hook was among the audience at the first screening of the
new film 24 Hour Party People.
Luke Nicholas tells us the name of the director for the next Superman...
Evil Spy has a scoop about the Middle East banned version of Spy Game...
Ireland got three nominations at the Oscars and ShowBizIreland (http://www.ShowBizIreland.com)
is greeting the nominees...
Our serbian correspondent Ethan has a second report from FEST in Belgrade...
The Panic Room review by Deep Throat
That's all for today, folks
Robert Bernocchi
euroaicn@yahoo.com
http://www.caltanet.it/frm/cinema/
