Boxoffice-April.2001

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Production Notes: Doug Yellin, "*N Sync: Bigger Than Live
If the very sight of *N Sync has the ability
to make girls swoon and scream in
deafening delight, what would happen if
they were to see their beloved idols 80
feet tall? The answer to that question can
be currently found in large-format theatres
across the country, where Iwerks' latest
production, "*N Sync: Bigger Than Live,"
is giving thousands of pre-pubescents 45
minutes worth of concert footage featuring
the wildly successful boy band.
The chance to film the group in action
was one that film producer Doug Yellin
says fit in extremely well with Iwerks'
vision for big-screen entertainment. "I really
believe that the concert venue affords a
lot of opportunities for large format," he
says. "One of the things large format
allows you to do is experience the concert
from [both] close-up and faraway."
*N Sync proved to be an especially
easy subject to film, says Yellin, because,
quite simply, they live up to their name.
"The singers and band all play as a synchronized
set," he explains. "With the
costumes the same, tne dance moves
exactly the same [and] the musical cues
exactly the same...l [could take] cameras
for different shows and put them in
different
locations. On any given song that
you see in 'Bigger Than Live,' there may
be eight to 1 4 camera angles, and they
intercut together perfectly.'
While Yellin lightly notes that his
musical proclivities are of a different
bent than *N Sync, naming the Beatles
Master of the Flying Guillotine
Made in 1975, "Master of the Flying
Guillotine" is a martial arts comedy about a
blind flying guillotine master who seeks
revenge on the one-armed boxer who killed
his disciples. But because he is blind, he
has to kill every one-armed boxer he comes
across. Jimmy Wang Yu ("Xiu Xiu: The Sent
Down Girl"), Kim Kang and Tak Chi Chen
star. Yu writes and directs. Wong Cheuk-
Hon produces. (Phaedra, May undated)
Exploitips: Rent the suits and ring to set
up one-armed sumo wrestling in the theatre
lobby or parking lot. (For legal reasons,
sponsoring a one-armed boxing match
probably wouldn't be such a good idea.)
The Story of
This American version of Pauline Reage's
erotic novel updates the story of a woman's
expression of love via kink. Phil Leirness
directs. (Phaedra, May undated)
Exploitips: Collaborate with a local
bookstore but with discretion. The material—often
compared to that of Marques de
Sade— isn't for everyone.
Speedway Junky
Jesse Bradford ("Bring It On") stars in this
drama as a military brat who runs away to
become a race car driver but runs into trouble
when a young swindler, played by
Jordan Brower, develops a crush on him
and introduces him to his gang of hustlers.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas ("I'll Be Home for
Christmas") and Darryl Hannah ("My
Favorite Martian") co-star. Nickolas Perry
writes and directs; Rodney Omanoft,
and Otis Redding
as some of the
first concerts he
attended, he is
well aware of the
social significance
the pop
band plays in
today's world. "In
the end, my musical
tastes are
irrelevant," he
says. "What we
were able to do
was capture this
phenomena and
give the experi- OUT OF "SYNC":
ence that hap- Doug Yellin produces "'N
pened the day of Sync: Bigger Than Live."
the concert to people in a theatre."
Of course, being more familiar with
Ringo than Lance carries a certain stigma
when at an *N Sync concert. "We're
leaving the concert and walking outside,"
recalls Yellin, "and a van's window
rolls down and this young girl
sticks her head out and goes, 'Hey old
man! What are you doing here?'" Little
did she know that he, just like her, was
making *N Sync bigger-than-life.
Francesca Dinglasan
"*N Sync: Bigger Than Live." Starring
*N Sync. Directed by John Bailey.
Produced by Doug Yellin. A Really Big
Film Corp. release. Large format. Not
rated. Now playing.
Randall Emmett, George Furla and Jeff Rice
produce. (Regent, May undated NY/LA)
Exploitips: Exhibitors may be tempted to
market this one towards teens or even preteens,
considering the appeal of Thomas,
but it's rated R for language, violence, sex
and drug use—nothing new in the realm of
teen sex romps, but this one has a darker
tone.
Kiss of the Spider Woman
William Hurt ("Sunshine") and Raul Julia
("The Addams Family") star in this rerelease
of the 1985 movie based on the
novel, which was also made into a stage
play, about cellmates in a South American
prison. One is a homosexual found guilty
of sex offenses who escapes his confines by
spinning stories based on the movies he
saw when he was free. The other is a political
prisoner who holds nothing but contempt
for his roommate. Hector Babenco
directs; Leonard Schrader scripts based on
Manuel Puig's book; David Weisman produces.
(Strand, May undated)
Exploitips: Island Alive originally distributed
this pic, which bowed on one screen
in New York before rolling out to an eventual
400. When the Island library ( hanged
hands, "Kiss of the Spider Woman" was
neglected and hard to find,
but eventually
the rights reverted back to Weisman. "Kiss"
was the first independent film to be nominated
for picture actor, director and
screenwriter Oscars.
The Long Run
Armin Mueller-Stahl ("The Thirteenth
Floor") stars in this drama set against the
backdrop of The Comrades, a physically
grueling ultra-marathon held each year in
South Africa, as a running coach who once
had aspirations of winning the race but
never achieved his goal. He discovers a
promising young runner who, after much
persuasion, agrees to run the race. South
African actress Nthati Moshesh co-stars,
lean Stewart directs; Johann Potgieter
scripts; "Cry, the Beloved Country's" Anant
Singh and Helena Spring produce.
(Universal Focus, May undated)
Exploitips: Organize a local marathon
(or collaborate with an existing one) to take
place on opening weekend, with proceeds
going to a local charity.
Pavilion of Women
In this adaptation of Pearl S. Buck's
novel, which is set in 1938 China, the
wealthy, intelligent Madame Wu shocks
her friends and family on her 40th birthday
when she announces she has selected a
concubine for her husband. Free of her
spousal duties, she finds herself falling in
love with an American missionary. Willem
Dafoe and Luo Yan star. Yim Ho ("Kitchen")
directs; Luo and Paul Collins script; Luo
produces. (Universal Focus, May undated)
Exploitips: Universale first-ever Chinese
co-production and the first time American
and Chinese film companies have made a
film together, "Pavilion" has been a labor of
love for Luo since the Chinese government
allowed the publication of Buck's books in
1994. Adapting the novel with help from
her Mandarin-speaking attorney Collins,
she designed a comprehensive business
plan detailing the particulars of shooting in
China, and Universal International agreed
to finance the production.
LATE MOVIE MOVES
*H Sync: Bigger Than Live
Justin, Joey, JC, Chris and Lance—known
collectively as *N Sync—star in this largeformat
concert film, shot mostly at the
Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich, during their
"No Strings Attached" tour. John Baily
directs; Douglas Yellin produces the Iwerks
production. (Really Big Film Corp., now
playing)
Exploitips: "*N Sync" comes with a
built-in audience— it's just a matter of getting
the word out to preteen girls at the
mall, at school, wherever. See Production
Notes, above.
On Hostile Ground
This documentary profiles three healthcare
professionals from different
regions of
the U.S. who are united by both fear and an
ongoing commitment to their patients after
the assassination of fellow abortion provider
Dr. Barnett Slepian. Liz Mermin and lenny
Raskin direct.
Catherine Gund, founder of
production company Aubin Pictures, produces.
(Cowboy, April undated)
Exploitips: All proceeds from this release
will be split between Planned Parenthood
Federation of America, whose America
Board of Advocates membei lulianne
Moore has lent her support to the film, and
A Iodic al Students for Choice.
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