Yippee!!! Looks like X-MEN has finally gotten the greenlight! Well, according to Bryan Singer anyway... It's after the Close Encounters piece... Read for yourself!!!

Tonight, I saw "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". And I waited in line for five hours to see it.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held a screening of a new definitive version of Spielberg's masterpiece. As soon as I heard about it, I started frothing at the mouth. "Close Encounters..." on the big screen. New director's cut. With cast and crew.

Of course, I didn't have a ticket to this sold out show, so I had to arrive at 3 P.M. The movie started at 8. When I showed up, there was already a line of five people. My people.

Five hours later, with standby ticket in hand, I entered the theatre. Small introduction from the senile critic from the L.A. Times, and the movie started (after about four minutes of technical difficulties- the lights kept going on and off).

All in all, it was the same great film, no noticeable changes, just a hybrid of the original version and the special edition. But it was great to see it on the big screen, my first time. After the movie, the L.A. Times guy held a question and answer session with cast and crew (no, Spielberg wasn't there, although he was on the guest list- apparently, he's in new York). The guests were Joe Alves (production designer), Bob Balaban (David Laughlin), Cary Guffey (Barry Guiler), Melinda Dillon (Jillian Guiler), Julia and Michael Phillips (producers), and Vilmos Zsigmond (D.O.P.). Lots of lame, "Entertainment Tonight"-style questions were asked ("It must have been strange to work in a special effects film. Was it hard pretending things were there when they really weren't?"), but there were a few great anecdotes, including a story from Bob Balaban, where he explained about his audition. He was told he'd have to speak French in the movie, and since he took two years of high school French, he thought he was qualified. So, when he auditioned, they told him to speak some French, and he gave them a long speech, which translated into "My French is horrible, you'd be idiots to hire me, I'm never going to get this job...". Needless to say, he got it.

The X-MEN NEWS

Okay, you wanted movie news, so here it is. Oddly enough, it's about the X-Men movie. You see, the fellow sitting in front of me was none other than Bryan Singer. After the film, I followed him up the aisle, and when we reached the theater exit, I said, meekly, "Uh, Mr. Singer...I just want to say that I'm a big fan of your work... and, uh, I just wanted to say hello." Then, surprisingly, he stopped, shook my hand, and asked me my name. Then we had a conversation. I told him I was anticipating the X-Men film, and he said, "Yeah, me too." I asked if everything was going well, and he said, yeah, now, it is. In fact, the script is done and the film was greenlighted three days ago. They're looking to go in front of the cameras in May (I think) and they're planning on a Summer 2000 release. Then, we parted ways, and my whole body shook from the coolness of what just happened.

Harry here... P.S. Bryan, Vilmos is an excellent DP!!!