Boxoffice-July.2001

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Response No 3

W'M

This issue's film reviews...
DAY AND DATE:
'Jump Tomorrow"
CANNES I:
"Chelsea Walls"
"Distance"
"No Such Thing"
'"R Xmas"
AMERICAN FILM MARKET:
"Deuces Wild"
"Felix et Lola"
"The Hole"
"Julie Johnson"
"The King Is Dancing"
"The Martins"
"On the Nose"
"Skipped Parts"
"The War Bride"
SANTA BARBARA:
"The Adulterer"
"Artists and Orphans: A True Drama"
"Ashes of the Volcano"
"Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment"
"The Exhibited"
"Felicidades"
"Focus"
"A Galaxy Far, Far Away"
"The Gold Cup"
"The Legend of Love"
"Orphan"

'-,
SPECIAL REPORT: EUROPEAN EXHIBITION / CINEMA EXPO 2001
The Industry Standard: In this seventh issue of our 81st year, we examine successes in both circuit and
independent exhibition; report on what leading industry executives believe about hot-button issues of
the day; provide rosters for national exhibitor associations and leading European circuits; and give an
overview of the events, people and places of Cinema Expo 2001, being held June 25-28 in Amsterdam.
I
|
I
48 INDEPENDENT SHOWCASE: England's Futurist Cinema Company
Named for a derelict cinema on Liverpool's Lime Street, Mike Groves' Futurist in Merseyside marries a Victorian-era
f
with digital projection and could be the first in a Futurist chain focusing on alternative fare. By Chris Wiegand
hall
j
52 CIRCUIT PROFILE: Cyprus' K Cineplex 1
Once beset by Mediterranean video pirates, the island of Cyprus is experiencing a cinema resurgence thanks to the ^
multiplexing efforts of K Cineplex. Its next focus: Introducing a summer moviegoing season. By Melissa Morrison *
58 SPECIAL REPORT: International Distribution 1
BVI's Mark Zoradi, Miramax Worldwide's Rick Sands, UIP's Andrew Cripps, Hoyts' Paul Johnson and ACNielsen EDI's £
Tom Borys discuss release dates, piracy, independents, competition and cannibalization. By Christine James
a
59 EUROPEAN EXHIBITION ASSOCIATIONS *
A dozen leading exhibition associations, from Austria to the United Kingdom. Compiled by Francesca Dinglasan
60 GIANTS OF EUROPEAN EXHIBITION
Executive rosters, screen and site data, contact info and more for 30 top circuits. Compiled by Francesca Dinglasan
66 CINEMA EXPO: Schedule of Events
Where To Be, For What: The slate for Monday, June 25 through Thursday, June 28. Compiled by Francesca Dinglasan
67 CINEMA EXPO: Overview
An interview with Exhibitor of the Year Steve Wiener of England's Cine-UK highlights our Amsterdam convention
coverage, which also profiles all the awardees and provides a trade-floor booth list. By Francesca Dinglasan
JULY FEATURES
32 SNEAK PREVIEW: "Ghosts of Mars"
Terror writer/director John Carpenter imagines forward in
time to 2176 and a terraformed Mars. By Tim Cogshell
34 SNEAK PREVIEW: "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'
Filmmaker Kevin Smith closes his New Jersey chronicles
begun with "Clerks" by putting his comic-relief duo front
and center— if with lots of cameos. By Michael Tunison
36 COVER STORY: "Rush Hour 2"
m
BOXOFFICE vists the sequel's set and finds
players Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, helmer
Brett Ratner and producer Arthur Sarkissian
so confident of coming good fortune they're
already looking forward to part three By Wade Major
44 FIRST PERSON: Sound—The Mythical X-Curve
Addressing two perplexing problems: misinterpretation of
pink noise-based measurements and the improper equalization
that results in theatres. By John F. Allen
72 SPECIAL REPORT: ShowCanada 2001
From Quebec City: the events, the awards, the discussions,
and the debates—plus, those tarot readings. PLUS:
"Exhibition and the Internet." By Francesca Dinglasan
78 SPECIAL REPORT: LFCA 2001
At the recent Large Format Cinema Association annual,
giant-screen execs looked back to "Fantasia 2000" and
ahead to "Haunted Castle" and debated the merits (or
demerits) of non-family content. By Michael Tunison
79 SPECIAL REPORT: SMPTE 2001
Fulfilling its theme "The Cinema—Now and the Future,"
panelists at the Society of Motion Picture and Television
Engineers yearly meet agreed that digital cinema was the
answer—and the question. By Michael Tunison
114 CLOSE FOCUS: Richard Parton
The general manager of Greater Union and president of
MPEAQ (who will oversee August's 56th annual Australian
International Movie Convention, our focus next issue!) on
good theatre practices, change and tradition in the industry,
and the importance of office in trays By Kim Williamson
EDITORIAL STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BUSINESS STAFF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Kim Williamson kimw@boxoHice.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Christine James chnstinej@boxoffice.com
SENIOR EDITOR
Francesca Dinglasan francescad@boxoffice com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Annlee Ellingson annleee@boxot1ice.com
SR. EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING ASST.
Linda Andrade lindaa@boxoflice.com
EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING ASST.
Sandra Koscho sandrak@boxoflice.com
FEATURE CHARTS EDITOR
Wade Major (310) 456-2767; fax (310) 456-9750
CANADIAN CORRESPONDENT
Shlomo Schwartzberg (416) 928-2179
ARTICLE/REVIEW WRITERS
John F.
Allen. Bridget Byrne, Paul Clinton,
Tim Cogshell, Erin Lauten, Dwayne E. Leslie,
Lael Loewenstein. Wade Ma|or, Melissa Morrison,
Jordan Reed, Luisa F.
Ribeiro, Ed Scheid.
Michael Tunison, Chris Wiegand
INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTORS
Stephen Haytord, Christopher Pape
WEBMASTER
Ken Partridge kenp@boxoflice.com
PUBLISHER
Robert L. Dietmeier (773) 338-7007
NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Robert M. Vale (508) 224-9046; bobv@boxotficecom
ADVERTISING CONSULTANT
Morris Schlozman (816) 942-5877
BUSINESS MANAGER
Dan Johnson (773) 338-7007
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
Chuck Taylor (312) 922-9326
BOXOFFICE (ISSN 0006-8527). Published monthly by RLD Communications. Inc.. 203 N. Wabash Ave.. Suite 800. Chicago IL 60601.
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© 2001 RLD Communications, Inc All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited

Insurance
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X B()\oi I l( I
have
BffiErani
REEL
DEALS
Fulfills Dream at Universal
Joins the "Gang" at Miramax
Paints a Pretty Picture at USA
After shopping its wares around
town for several months— indeed,
coming thisclose to signing on
with AOL Time Warner, Dream-
Works has reupped its distribution
agreement with Universal
Studios, with whom the studio,
headed by Steven Spielberg,
Jeffrey Katzenberg and David
Ceffen, inked nearly upon startup
year extension, which expires in
June 2006, Universal will handle
international theatrical distribution
for DreamWorks' live-action
and animated pics through UIP.
In exchange for this service, Weinstein. "It goes without saying
DreamWorks will pay a fee
that he is one of the preemi-
depending on the number of nent filmmakers of all times."
"Miramax, as a company, has
titles released internationally,
always been and continues to be
by industry insiders. Universal on the cutting edge of the film
industry," Scorsese adds. "On a
also gains worldwide home
video and music distribution personal level, always
rights as well as the rights to utilize
characters and concepts created
found Harvey to be an innovator
who knows and loves cinema,
who is enthusiastic about movie
by DreamWorks in
Universal's
theme parks.
In addition, Universal will
invest $250 million in Dream-
Works, with the expectation of
reimbursement, in a cash infusion
that will act more as a loan
than an investment. DreamWorks
future and build on our outstanding
momentum."
"This alliance is particularly
gratifying for me because
Universal has been an important
part of my life for 32 years," adds
DreamWorks principal Steven
Spielberg. "I look forward to five
more years of a collaborative and
rewarding relationship."
"DreamWorks and Universal
have a five-year history that has
seen both companies grow a
great deal," says DreamWorks
principal Jeffrey Katzenberg, who
was visibly instrumental in striking
a deal for the company.
"After months of discussions with
various companies, Vivendi
Universal demonstrated their
belief in DreamWorks and their
commitment lo being the best
partner we could ask for. Their
reinvigorated company is at the
top of their game, and we are
proud to be in business with
them. This the best kind of
is
deal—and hopefully one that
will result in great movies and
greal success."
Miramax Films has inked a
five-year, first-look deal with
Martin Scorsese, helmer of the
minimajor's $100 million period
drama "Gangs of New York."
Scorsese will direct, produce and
executive produce projects that
will originate from both Miramax
and Scorsese. The deal also
includes a five-year, first-look
agreement with Scorsese's pro-
history and is always open to
gross, expects to produce at least
two features a year for the studio.
The arrangement gels nicely
with Zide/Perry's current production
deal with Helkon Media, a
four-picture, $50 million agreement
that includes the comedy
"Replikate" and three other titles
with
budgets between $10 million
and $15 million. Helkon
Intl. first Pictures will get dibs on
foreign rights to all MGM-
Zide/Perry productions.
In a move counter to the
Mouse House's recent spring
cleaning of producer deals,
Disney has reupped and expanded
its two-year, first-look deal
with Mike Karz's shingle Karz
Entertainment.
Karz has been a successful
prodm er ol television movies lor
"The Wonderful World of
Disney," including "Geppetto"
starring Drew Carey and "Model
Behavior" starring Kathie Lee
Gifford. Now he will produce
family-friendly fare for the big
screen as well, starting with
"Max Keeble's Big Move," starring
Alex Linz ("Home Alone 3"),
which is now in production.
Other titles in the pipeline
include "Bonehead," "Ghost
Patrol" and "Clemente," about
baseball player Robert Clemente.
"Mike's been a part of the
Disney family for a long time, so
it's great we can expand his
ducer, Barbara DeFina.
"That Marty would choose to
involvement,"
Jacobson, Buena
says
Vista
Nina
Motion
make Miramax his creative home Picture Group president.
have always "I really love working on family
wanted and imagined," says projects and comedies," Karz
Miramax co-chairman Harvey responds. "Disney's the perfect
place to do that."
Miramax genre arm Dimension
Films has inked a first-look
pact with American McGee, the
creator of such video games as
"Doom" and "Quake." Included
in the deal is the feature adaptation
of McGee's latest game
"Alice," a gory Gothic version of
"Alice in Wonderland." Wes
Craven is attached to helm.
"We are very excited to be
working with American McGee,"
says Dimension co-chairman Bob
Weinstein in making the
announcement. "We believe that
learning more about film."
"Gangs," which stars Leonardo
DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz
and Daniel Day-Lewis, is set dur-
I
ing the 1840s and traces the history
of New York's Irish crime he's incredibly talented and are
thrilled that he is crossing over
gangs. It recently wrapped production
will use the money to lessen its
substantial debt burden, pegged
into feature development with us."
at Cinecitta in Rome.
at one point at $1 billion.
Scorsese's filmography also
"We greatly value our relationship
USA Films has signed a firstlook
includes "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas"
and "Taxi Driver."
deal with Pretty Pictures,
with DreamWorks and its
principals," Universal president
the new production banner
and COO Ron Meyer says in MGM has signed a three-year, formed by controversial filmmaker
making the announcement. "We
Neil LaBute and producer
first-look deal with Zide/Perry
have enjoyed many achievements
together over the years, and literary management shingle ment, LaBute will direct a pic—
Entertainment, the production Gail Mutrux. As part of the agree-
culminating in our worldwide of Warren Zide and Craig Perry. his third for the company.
success with both 'Meet the The pair, which has produced "Neil LaBute has been working
am such hits as "American Pie," its
Parents' and 'Gladiator.'
with us at USA Films since
delighted that we can now take upcoming sequel and "Final the company's formation," says
USA chairman Scott Greenstein.
Destination" to a tune of $400
this great partnership into the
"He has been one of our core
million worldwide in box-office
creative collaborators, and we're
excited that he's going to direct a
third film for us."
USA previously released and
marketed "Nurse Betty," and
is in LaBute post-production on
"Possession," which stars
Gwyneth Paltrow.
Lawrence Bender's label
Lawrence Bender Prods, has
inked two separate two-year, firstlook
deals with producer Karen
Barber ("The Adventures of
Sebastian Cole") and writer-producer
Grayson Bell ("Fight Club").
"Lawrence is known for making
very diverse and interesting
films, and I feel that this will be a
productive relationship as well
as a terrific learning opportunity,"
Barber says.
"I am very excited to be working
with Lawrence because he
has a real talent for thinking out
side the box, which reflects the
originality of his films," adds Bell.
Bender himsell has a first-look
deal with Miramax.

M APPEARING!
*•**** ******^C
Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.
7401 S. Cicero Avenue • ( Ihicago, IL 60629
www.tootsie.com

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BOXOFFICE Studio Charts
Buena Vista
Columbia
iy2001:
818-560-1000
212-583-8000
arl Harbor, 5/25, Dra, PG-13, 173
n, DTS, SDDS, SDDS-8, SR, SRD,
ope Cuba Gooding Jr., Ben Affleck,
sh Hartnefl. Kale Beckinsale. Guy
rry, Tom Sizemore Dir Michael Bay
JDS, SRD, SRD-EX, Scope Voice
chael J. Fox, James Garner. Dir: Kirk
ise Gary Trousdale,
azy beautiful (formerly At 17), 6/29.
>m. PG-13, 95 mm. DTS, SDDS, SR.
=l D, Flat. Kirsten Dunst. Jay
?rnandez Bruce Davison, Taryn
anning. Dir: John Stockwell
O RELEASES SCHEDULED
ugust 2001:
le Princess Diaries, 8/3, Fan/Com,
min. DTS, SDDS, SR, SRD, Flat
ine Hathaway, Heather Matarazzo,
obert Schwartzman. Dir: Garry
arshall.
May 2001:
Time and Tide, 5/4, Action. R, 103 min.
ai, Nicholas Tse Dir: Tsui Hark,
A Knight's Tale. 5/11 PG-13, 132
,
DTS, SDDS, SDDS-8, Flat Heath
Ledger, Mark Add. Dir: Brian Helgeland.
Trumpet of the Swan, 5/11, Ani, G, 74
n, DTS, SDDS. Flat. Reese Witherspoon.
Dir: Richard Rich, Terry L. Noss.
June 2001 :
al. 6/1, Com, DTS. SDDS, Flat.
Rob Schneider, Colleen Haskell. Guy
Torry. Dir: Luke Greenfield
Crimson Rivers, 6 22 NY/LA, DTS, SDDS
Baby Boy. 6/27. Com/Dra, R, 128 min,
DTS, SDDS, Flat, Tyrese, Ving
Rhames Dir: John Singleton
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, 7/1 .
• -'
PG-13, 101 min, DTS, SDDS. Voices
g-Na. Dir: Hironobu Sakaguchi.
America's Sweethearts, 7/20,
Rom/Com, DTS. SDDS Julia Roberts
Billy Crystal. John Cusack, Catherine
Zeta-Jones. Dir: Joe Roth.
August 2001:
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
September 2001:
5/18, Ani, DTS, SDDS, SRD Voices
Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy.
Dir: Kelly Asbury. Andrew Adamson.
Evolution. 6/8, Com, DTS, SDDS, SR.
SRD. David Duchovny, Julianne Moore
Orlando Jonest Dir: Ivan Reitman.
(CURRENT)
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (formerly
Woody Allen Untitled), 8/10. DTS.
SDDS, SR. SRD. Helen Hunt, Charlize
n, Dan Aykroyd. Dir: Woody Allen.
May 2001:
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
What's the Worst That Could
Happen?. 6/1. Com, DTS. SDDS.
Martin Lawrence, Danny DeVito, John
Leguizamo, Glenne Headley. Dir: Sam
Legally Blonde, 7/13, Com, DTS.
SDDS. Reese Witherspoon, Matthew
Davis, Selma Blair. Oz Perkins, Luke
Wilson. Dir: Robert Luketic.
August 2001:
Ghost World. 8/3, Com, DTS, SDDS,
SR. SRD. Thora Birch, Scarlett
Johansson. Dir: Terry Zwigoff.
Original Sin (formerly Dancing in the
Dark), 8/3, Thr, DTS, SDDS. Angelina
Antonio Banderas. Dir: Michael
Cristofer.
ball, 8/17, Acl'Thr, DTS, SDDS-8.
Chris Klein, LL Cool J, Jean Reno, Rebecca
Romiin-Stamos. Dir: John McTieman.
Jeepers Creepers. 8/31 Hor. DTS, SDDS.
,
Philips, Justin Long Dir: Victor Salva.
September 2001
May 2001:
About Adam, 5/9 NY/LA, 5/18 exp.
Dra'Rom Kate Hudson, Stuart
Townsend. Dir: Gerard Stembndge.
Calle 54, 5 11 Tito Puente. Dir:
Fernando Trueba.
Scary Movie 2. 7/4, Com, DTS,
Faris, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayar
Kathleen Robertson Dir: Keenan Ivo'
Wayans.
Italian For Beginners. 7/13 NY/LA.
August 2001:
alypse Now Redux. 8/15 NY/L
axp. 8/31 exp. Dra. R, Scope.
n Sheen, Marlon Brando, Rober
Duvall. Dir: Francis Coppola.
Serendipity, 8/17. John Cusack, Kat
Beckinsale Dir: Peter Chelson.
40 Days and 40 Nights, 8'24, Jo:
stt, Shannyn Sossaman. Dir
Lehmann.
:
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. 8
Com. Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith. Di
Smith.
ig Trouble. 9/21. Com, DTS, SDDS,
R, SR D Tim Allen. Rene Russo,
nna Herk, Stanley Tucci, Omar Epps.
ndy Richter Dir: Barry Sonnenfeld.
9/7, Thr, PG-13. 111 min
DTS, SDDS, SDDS-8. Scope Leelee
ski, Diane Lane, Stellan
Skarsgard. Trevor Morgan. Dir: Daniel
Sackheim.
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
ictober 2001
lax Keeble's Big Move, 10/5, DTS,
DDS, SRD Alex D. Linz Dir: Tim Hill
:orky Romano. 10/19. Com, DTS.
DDS. SR, SR D, Chris Kattan, Vines:
haw, Peter Falk. Richard Roundtree,
,.-„-.. Glave Dir: Rob Pritts.
CMING:
lubble Boy, Summer, DTS. SDDS
.R. SR D, Flat. Jake Gyllenhaal,
;woosie Kurtz, John Carroll Lynch,
lave Sheridan Dir: Blair Hayes.
he Count of Monte Cristo. Fall, DTS,
;DDS, SR. SRD Jim Caviezel, Guy
'earce Dir: Kevin Reynolds.
flonsters, Inc., 11/2. Ani, DTS, SDDS,
iR, SR D, SRD-EX, Flat Voices ot Billy
Irystal. John Goodman. James Coburn.
enniter Tilly Dir: David Silverman, Pete
he Royal Tenebaums, DTS, SDDS,
5R, SRD Gene Hackman, Danny
Slover, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray Dir:
Ves Anderson
ieauty and the Beast (Reissue),
/1/02, IMAX
October 2001
Riding in Cars With Boys, 10/19,
Dra/Com, DTS, SDDS. Drew
Barrymore. Steve Zahn, Adam Garcia,
Sara Gilbert. Brittany Murphy Peter
Facinelli, Marisa Ryan, Desmond
Harrington. Dir: Penny Marshall.
COMING:
Adaptation, Fall,
Dra/Com, DTS.
Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep,
Chris Cooper Dir Spike .lon.-e
The One, 11/2, DTS, SDDS. Jet Li,
Delroy Undo, Jason Statham, Carla
Gugino Dir: James Wong
" 2/7, Dra. DTS, SDDS
SDDS-8 Will Smith, Jamie Foxx,
Jeffrey Wright, Mario Van Peebles,
Mykelti Williamson, Nona Gaye. Dir:
Michael Mann,
Adam Sandler's 8 Crazy Nights (for
merly Whiley and Davey), 12/14, DTS,
SDDS Voices of Adam Sandler, Rob
ider. Kevin Nealon, Tyra Banks.
Dir: Seth Kearsley.
Blackhawk Down, 3/1/02, Act/Adv,
DTS, SDDS. Josh Hartnett, Tom
Sizemore, Eric Bana, Sam Shepard.
Dir: Ridley Scott.
Panic Room, 1st Qtr 2002, Thr, DTS,
SDDS Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker,
Dwight Yoakam. Jared Leto. Dir:
David
Spider-Man. 5/3/02, SDDS
SDDS-8. Tobey M.Kiuin Will. -in Onlac
James Franco, Kirsten Dunst. Dir: Sam
Deeds, 6/21/02, DTS, SDDS. Adam
s.indlei Winona Ryder, Peter
Gallagher, Dir: Steven Brill
"
i Black 2, 7/3/02. DTS. SDDS
Smith. Tommy Lee Jones, Johnny
Knoxville Dir Barry Sonnenfeld.
Stuart Little 2. 7/19/02. DTS, SDDS.
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
COMING:
Time Machine, 12/25, DTS, SDDS, SR
SRD Guy Pearce, Mark Addy. Philip
Rosco, Phyllida Law, Sienna Guillory,
Jeremy Irons. Samantha Mumba Dir:
Wells.
SDDS. SR, SRD.
After Man. DTS. SDDS. SRD.
DTS. SDDS. SRD.
Catch Me If You Can, Dra, DTS,
SDDS, SR, SRD.
Keeper, DTS, SDDS. SRD.
"
The I"
Dl s
SDDS, SRD. Dir: Danny De Vito.
Neanderthal. DTS, SDDS. SRD.
Untitled Charles Lindbergh Project
DTS, SDDS. SRD. Dir: Steven
Spielberg.
The Castle, 1/11/02. DTS. SDDS. SR.
SRD Robert Redlord, Mark Ruflalo.
James Gandolfini, Clitton Collins Jr. Dir:
Rod Lurie.
Road to Perdition. Spring 2002, DTS,
SDDS, SR, SRD, Tom Hanks, Paul
Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig. Dir
Sam Mendes,
Collateral, 2002, Thr, DTS, SDDS, SR,
SRD.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. 2002
DTS. SDDS. SR. SRD. Dir: Kelly
Asbury and Lorna Cook.
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
Born Romantic, Fall Jimi Mistry, Jane
Horrocks. Craig Ferguson, Catherine
McCormack. Adrian Lester. Dir: David
CO, Fall. Dra. DTS, SDDS, Jeremy
Davies, Angela Lindvall, Elodie
Bouchez, Billy Zane. Dir: Roman
Coppola.
•s Wild, Fall. Dra, R, DTS. SDDS
Stephen Dorff. Fairuza Balk. Frankie
Franco, Brad Renfro,
Matt Dillon Dir Scott Kalvert.
Killing Me Softly, Fall. Erotic thriller.
DTS, SDDS Heather Graham, Joseph
Fiennes, Natascha McElhone. Dir: Chen
Kaige.
No Such Thing (aka Monster), Fall,
Satiric fable Robed John Burke, Sarah
Polley, Helen Mirren. Dir: Hal Hartley
Pumpkin. Fall, Black comedy, DTS,
" '. Christina Ricci, Hank Hill.
Brenda Blethyn, Dominique Swain. Dir:
Adam Broder & Anthony Abrams.
Windtalkers. 119. Act/Dra. DTS.
SDDS Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach,
Christian SI, Him Noah tanmeiich Mark
Rutfalo, Martin Henderson, Roger Willie
Dir: John Woo.
Bandits (formerly Outlaws), 4th Qtr,
Rom/Com, DTS, SDDS Ban a Willi-.
Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett Dir
Hart's War, Holiday, Dra, DTS. SDDS.
Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell, Cole Hauser.
Prr denary Hoblit
Basic Instinct 2, 2002, DTS, SDDS
Sharon Stone.
COMING:
Daddy and Them, 2nd Qtr, Com, R
SR, SRD Laura Dern, Billy Bob
Thornton. Kelly Preston, Ben Affleck
Diane Ladd Dir Billy Bob Thornton
Birthday Girl 3rd Qtr NY LA, SRD.
Ben Chaplin. Nicole Kidman, Ma
Kassovitz. Dir: Jez Butlerworth
na Paradiso (Director's Cut),
Qtr. Dir: Giuseppe Tornatore
Impostor. 3rd Qtr, R. DTS, M(
Phiter, Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stow
Tony Shalhoub, Vincent D'Onofrio, I
Gary Fleder.
The Third Wheel. 3rd Qtr.
Gangs of New York, 12/21, Dra.
Leonardo DiCaprio. Daniel Day b
Cameron Diaz. Liam Neeson, Jirr
Broadbent Dir Martin Scorsese
The Shipping News 12 25. 1 4 02
Dra Kevin Spacey. Cate Blanchett,
Dench, Rhys Itans. Dir: Lasse
Pinaro 1.' 28 NY/LA.
Kate and Leopold, 208/02. i\
Hugh Jackman. Natasha Lyonne. D
James Mangold.
Texas Rangers, 1st On 2002 Wes
PG-13, DTS. SRD, Scope Ashton
kulrher Usher Raymond, James V
Der Beek, Dylan McDermott. Dir: Si
A View From the Top, April 2002.
Gwvnelli f'altiow, Christina Aepleg.
Maik lialtalo Dir Bruno Banelto
The Importance of Being Ernest.
'•.,!
I
Reese VVltheispeen, Colin Firth.
Frances O'Connor Pri Clival Park
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July, 2001
323-956-5000
310-369-1000
212-649-4900
212-373-7000
212-556-2400
IELEASES SCHEDULED
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
Moulin Rouge 5 18 NY LA, 5/27
sneak, 6.1 wide, PG-13. DTS. SR.
SRD, Scope Nicole Kidman. Ewan
McGregor, John Leguizamo. Dir; Baz
The Mummy Returns 5 4, Act Adv.
DTS, SDDS, SRD Brendan Fraser,
Rachel Weisz. John Hannah. Oded
Fehr, The Rock. Arnold Vosloo Dir
Stephen Sommers.
Angel Eyes 5 18, Dra, R. DTS, SDDS
SR, SRD, Scope Jennifer Lopez,
Cviezel, soma Braga, Terrence Dashon
2001:
IELEASES SCHEDULED
Tomb Raider, 6 15, DTS, SRD Angelina Doctor Dolittle 2 6 22, Com, DTS,
Jolie, Daniel Craig. Jon Voight, lam Glen SRD, Scope Eddie Murphy, Krislen
Leslie Phillips Dir Simon West.
Wilson, Raven Symone, Lil' Zane D
Pootie Tang. 6 29. Com. DTS. Chris Steve Carr
June 2001
The Fast and the Furious (aka Street
Wars, Redline). 6/22. Act/Adv. DTS.
SDDS, SR. SRD Vin Diesel. Paul
Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle
Rodriguez. Rick Yune Dir Rob Cohen
Swordfish 6 8 Sus ActDra. DTS.
SDDS. SR, SRD. Scope John Travolta
Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry. Don
Cheadle. Dir: Dominic Sena.
A.I., 6 29, SF Dra. DTS. SDDS. SR,
SRD, Flat. Jude Law, Haley Joel Osmem
Frances O'Connor Dir Steven Spielberg
IELEASES SCHEDULED
Bassett Dir Frank Oz
2. 8,3. Com. DTS. SDDS,
Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker. Chris
, Don Cheadle. roselyn Sanchez.
1 Newbold. Stephen Sable Dir:
Ratner
ikaround Guys. 8.31 . Dra. R.
SDDS. SRD. Dennis Hopper,
Malkovich. Seth Green. Vin
It, Barry Pepper. Dir: David Levien
in Koppelman.
Rat Race, 8 3. Com. DTS. SR. SRD
John Cleese. Whoopi Goldberg. Kathy
Bales. Dir: Jerry Zucker.
Planet of the Apes. 7 27. DTS. SR.
SRD. Scope Mark Wahlberg. Paul
Giamatti, Helena Bonham Carter Dir
Tim Burton,
All That Glitters. 8/31 . DTS. SR. SRD
Mariah Carey, Max Beesley. Terrence
Howard Dir: Vondie Curtis-Hall.
Jurassic Park 3, 7/18, Act'Adv, DTS.
SDDS, SR. SRD Sam Neill. Alessandro
Nivola, Tea Leoni. William H Macy
Pie 2. 8/10. Com, DTS.
SDDS. SR. SRD Jason Biggs,
Shannon Elizabeth. Alyson Hanmgan,
Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara
Reid, Seann W Scott, Mena Suvari,
Eddie Kaye Thomas. Dir: J.B Rogers
Captain Corelli's Mandolin. 8/17.
Rom/Dra, DTS, SDDS. SR. SRD.
Cage, Penelope Cruz. Christian
B.i'e i Dir: John Madden
Cats and Dogs 7 4, Am/Live
Action/Fam, DTS. SDDS, SRD, Flat
Susan Sarandon. Tobey Maguire Dir:
Larry Guterman
August 2001
Osmosis Jones, 8/10. Am. PG-13,
DTS, SDDS, SR. SRD, Scope Voices:
Chris Rock, David Hyde Pierce, Dir:
Tom Sito. Piet Kroon
American Outlaws, 8 17. PG-13. DTS.
SDDS. SRD, Flat Colin Farrell. S(
Caan. Timothy Dalton Dir Les Maytield,
Summer Catch, 8 24, Rom, PG-13.
DTS, SDDS, SRD Flat Freddie Prinze
Jr, Jessica Biel Dir: Michael Tollin
mber 2001:
2001:
September 2001:
ters, 9 14, Com, DTS. SDDS.
Trevor Fehrman. Elden Henson,
iew Lawrence. Martin Starr. Mary
Moore Dir Andrew Gurland,
ne.10'12. DTS. SDDS, SRD. Al
o. Catherine Keener. Jason
artzman Dir Andrew Niccol.
m, 10/26. Dra. R. DTS. SDDS.
Snoop Dogg. Pam Gner, Michael
hss. Clifton Powell. Ricky Harris.
:mest Dickerson
Shot Victor Fox? (Formerly
nditional Love) Fall. Com. DTS.
3, SRD. Kathy Bates. Rupert
Meredith Eaton. Dan Aykroyd.
E Hogan
0.11/2. DTS. SDDS. SRD.
el Washington, Robert Duvall,
Connelly, anne Heche, Dir: Nick
-ord of the Rings: Fellowship of
ling. 12 19, Fantasy. DTS. SDDS.
Eli|ah Wood. Cate Blanchett.
Astin. Dominic Monaghan. Billy
Peler Jackson.
In Powers 3. DTS. SDDS. Mike
5
: riday After Next. 2002. DTS.
3. Ice Cube
n X. 2002. Hor. R. DTS. SDDS.
Kane Hodder. Lexa Doig Yani
an, Knsti Angus. Jonathan Potts,
»a Ade Dir James Isaac,
.ord of the Rings: Two Towers
Unas 2002. DTS. SDDS Elijah
1. Liv tyler. Cate Blanchett. Brad
ft Dir Peter Jackson
it Schmidt. 2002. DTS. SDDS
Nicholson. Hope Davis. Dermot
iney Dir Alexander Payne
bout the Benjamins. 2002. DTS.
3. fee Cube. Mike Epps
• 2.2002. DTS. SDDS Wesley
t», Kns Knstofferson. Norman
us Dir Guillermo Del Toro
\p. 2002, DTS. SDDS Vin Diesel.
a Tate. Timothy Olyphant
to A House. 2002, DTS, SDDS
KBne. Knsten Scott Thomas.
jn. 2002 DTS, SDDS
lb Odenkirk
2. DTS. SODS Sean
Michele Pferfter. Dakota Fanning
Nelson
JE
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
NO RELEASES SCHEDULED
Shooter DTS Tommy Lee Jones Dir
William Fnedkin
The Stand
Zoolander, DTS. SR, SRD Ben Stiller.
Owen Wilson, Milla Jovovich, Jerry
Stiller, Will Ferrell Dir Ben Stiller
Joyride toimerly Squelch), 9/21. Act.
R. DTS. SR, SRD, Scope. Leelee
Sobieski, Steve Zahn, Paul Walker Dir
John Dahl
October 2001
Behind Enemy Lines. 10/5, DTS. SR.
SRD Gene Hackman. Owen Wilson.
David Keith. Gabriel Macht. Dir. John
Hell, 10/19, Act, DTS, SR. SRD.
Johnny Depp, Ian Holm, Nigel
Disaster Area SR, SRD Vince
Vaughn Dir Harold Zwarf
Fantastic Four, SR, SRD
High Crimes, DTS, SR, SRD Ashley
Morgan Freeman, Jim Caviezel.
Amanda Peet. Adam Scott Dir Carl
Franklin.
Little Beauty King SR, SRD,
~ e Booth DTS, SR, SRD Colin
Farrell, Forest Whitaker. Katie Holmes,
Radha Mitchell, Ron Eldard Dir Joel
Schumacher
Slack Knight 1 11/02. DTS, SR.
SRD Martin Lawrence. Tom Wilkinson
Dir Gil Junger
Minority Report B 28 02. DTS. SR.
SRD. SRD-EX Tom Cruise. Colin
Farrell. Samantha Morton Dir Steven
The Dubbed Action Movie: Enter the
Fist. 2002, Com. DTS. SR. SRD Steve
Jaennili'i Iiinri t.1'1 Hniinn
Philip Tan Dir Stove Oedokerk
The Bourne Identity, 9 7, Thr. DTS.
SDDS. SR. SRD Matt Damon. Franka
Potente. Chris Cooper. Clive Owen,
Brian Cox, Judy Partitt. Adewaie
Kinnuoye-Agabaye Dir: Doug Liman
K-Pax. 10/5. Fan/Adv. DTS. SDDS. SR.
SRD. Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Alfre
Woodard, Mary McCormack. Dir: lain
Softly.
COMING:
Eye See You (formerly The Outpost.
Detox. D-TOX). Fall. Sus/Thr. R. DTS.
SDDS. SR, SRD. Scope. Sylvester
Stallone. Tom Berenger. Polly Walker,
Kris Knstofferson. Jeffrey Wright Dir
Jim Gillespie.
Spy Game, 11/21, Thr. DTS, SDDS.
SR. SRD Robert Redford, Brad Pitt.
Catherine McCormack Dir Tony Scott
A Beautiful Mind. 12 14. Dra. DTS.
SDDS. SR. SRD Russell Crowe. Ed
Harris Dir Joe Johnston
Rock Star (formerly Metal God. So You
'"
iaBeARockStar).9,14.Com,R,
DTS. SDDS. SRD, Scope Mart* Wahlber
Jennifer Aniston Dir Stephen Herek
Training Day 9 21. DTS. SDDS.
Scope Denzel Washington, Ethan
Hawke. Dir: Antoine Fuqua.
The Heist, Dra, DTS, SDDS, SR, SRD.
Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Delroy
i. Sam Rockwell Dir David Mamet
Salton Sea DTS, SDDS, Flat Val Kilmer,
October 2001:
Collateral Damage 10/5. DTS. SDDS.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ellas Koteas.
Francesca Neri Dir: Andrew Davis.
City by the Sea. 10/19. DTS. SDDS.
Robert De Niro. Frances McDormand.
James Franco, Eliza Dushku. William
Forsythe Dir: Michael Caton-Jones
13 Ghosts. 10 26 SDDS. DTS. Flat F
Murray Abraham, Tony shalhoub.
Shannon Elizabeth Dir Steve Beck,
Hearts in Atlantis, DTS, SDDS,
Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis Dir
Scott Hicks.
Juwanna Man. DTS. SDDS. Flat.
Miguel A Nunez Jr , Vivica A Fox,
Kevin Pollack. Tommy Davidson Dir
Jesse Vaughn
COMING:
The Affair ol the Necklace, Fall, DTS.
SDDS Hillary Swank. Simon Baker.
Adrien Brody. Jonathan Pryce.
Christopher Walken Dir Charles Shyer.
I Potter and the Sorcerer s
Stone, 11/16, SDDS. DTS. SR. SRD.
Scope Daniel Radclitfe. Emma Watson.
Rupert Grinl. John Cleese. Robbie
Collrane Dir Chris Columbus.
Oceans 11 12 14 DTS. SDDS George
Clooney. Brad Pitt. Julia Roberts. Mart
Wahlberq, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle
Dir Steven Soderbergh
The Majestic (formerly The Bi|Ou).
2 21 DTS. SDDS Jim Carrey. Martin
Landau. Allen Garfield. Bruce Campbell
Frank Darabont
irlotte Gray. 2002. DTS. SDDS.
Scope Cate Blanchett. Billy Crudup,
Michael Gambon, Dir: Gillian
Plulo Nash .'002. DTS. SDDS. SR.
SRD. Flat Eddie Murphy Dir Ron
Underwood
in of the Damned 2002. DTS.
SDDS, Scope Aaliyah. Sluart

AUGUST
TRAILERS
In the waning days of summer,
romance fills the air
e of 1999's "The Si
August 2000 produc
Cowboys" ($90.5 million), "Hollow Man" ($7
AUGUST 3
Princess Diaries
this family comedy based
on the novel by Meg Cabot
(ostensibly the first in a series),
newcomer Anne Hathaway stars
as a typical San Francisco teen ning Enid's signature specs, for
who is thrown for a loop when example— for ticket discounts
she discovers she's the only or free concessions on opening
daughter of the prince of the weekend. Market to the college,
rather than high school,
small European principality of
Cenovia. When her grandmother,
the queen, shows up to teach
crowd, though: "Ghost World"
has been rated R for strong language
her how to be a proper princess,
the apparent must decide
and some sexual content.
heir
whether to stay in the States as a
normal teenage girl or accept her
royal responsibilities. )ulie
Andrews ("The Sound of
Music"), Robert Schwartzman,
Heather Matarazzo ("Welcome
to the Dollhouse"), Caroline
Coodall ("Schindler's List") and
Hector Elizondo ("Runaway
Bride") co-star. Carry Marshall
("Runaway Bride") directs a
script adapted by Gina Wendkos
("Coyote Ugly"); Whitney
Houston (TV's "Rodgers &
Hammerstein's Cinderella"),
Debra Martin Chase and Mario
Iscovich (a co-producer on
"Runaway Bride") produce.
(Buena Vista, 8/3)
Exploitips: Promote literacy
among young adults by collaborating
with a local bookstore to
sell copies of this hardcover
(published in October 2000 by
HarperCollins) either by offering
a discount to ticketholders at the
store or by setting up a booth in
the lobby. The pic is rated C. See
Production Notes, page 20.
Russell Smith ("The Man in
the Iron Mask") produce.
(MCM, 8/3 ltd)
Exploitips: Clowes' comic,
scheduled for a reprint this past
April, is a cult favorite.
Encourage fans to dress up as
their favorite characters— don-
Original Sin
Antonio Banderas ("Spy
Kids") and Angelina Jolie
("Tomb Raider") star in this
thriller, set in the late 1800s,
about a wealthy Cuban coffee
merchant who decides to
marry an American woman.
He soon realizes, however,
is that his bride a deceptive
seductress. Thomas Jane (TV's
"61*") co-stars. Michael
Cristofer (TV's "Cia," which
also starred Jolie) writes and
directs; Kate Cuinzburg ("A
Thousand Acres"), Denise Di
Novi ("Message in a Bottle")
and Carol Lees produce.
(MCM, 8/3)
Exploitips: Have fun with
Banderas' character's occupation,
promoting your coffee
if you have one, and
selection,
adding Cuban blends to the
menu. Held from February, perhaps
in hopes of capitalizing on
the success of summer tentpole
"Tomb Raider."
Ghost World
Based on the underground
comic by Daniel Clowes,
dark comedy stars Thora
this
Birch ("Dungeons & Dragons")
and Scarlett Johansson
("The Horse Whisperer")
as Enid and Rebecca, best
friends known for their wry
observations who have
recently graduated from high
school. With Enid facing
going to college in a city
across the country and
Rebecca considering getting
a job and moving into an
apartment of her own, the
girls risk changing their lifelong
friendship forever.
Renfro ("Bully"), III
Douglas ("The
Next Best Thing")
and Steve Buscemi
("28 Days") costar.
Terry Zwigoff
("Crumb") directs;
Clowes and Zwigoff
strip!; Lianne
Halfon (an executive
produi cr on
"Crumb"), |ohn
Malkovich and
Rush Hour 2
Stars Chris Tucker and Jackie
Chan and director Brett Ratner
re-team for this sequel to the
1998 action comedy hit "Rush
Hour." "Rush Hour 2" picks up
where the last one left off, with
the mismatched pair on a
plane to Hong Kong. As they
become increasingly entangled
in a criminal conspiracy,
their adventures lead them to
Hong Kong, Los Angeles and
Las Vegas, where they must
use all their talents to trap one
of the world's most feared
gangsters. Zhang Ziyi ("The
Road Home") and Chris Penn

BUIL
D Dolby
17.l-M2IOI • www.dolbv.co

l M lllivnllii i,
writers on the original film, scripts; "Rush
Hour's" Arthur Sarkissian and Roger
Birnbaum produce. (New Line, 8/3)
Exploitips: "Rush Hour" grossed more
than $250 million worldwide. Its sequel
moves much of the fish-out-of-water comedy
to Hong Kong. Cet into the international
spirit by decorating the lobby like a
Hong Kong market with paper lanterns,
etc., and offering Hong Kong fare for a limited
time on your concession stand.
Larger
circuits might even collaborate with a travel
agency to give away a vacation for two
to the Pearl of the Orient. BOXOFFICE talks
to Tucker, Chan and Ratner in this month's
cover story on page 36.
the form of a scavenger hunt in your city or
neighborhood, with an opening weekend
package of tickets and concessions or a private
screening party as the ultimate prize.
The Deep End
Tilda Swinton ("The Beach") stars in this
noir thriller as a soccer mom who takes
matters into her own hands when she discovers
in
her backyard the dead body of an
older man with whom her teenage son has
been involved. Her cover-up goes awry
when a bookie shows up with an incriminating
videotape. Goran Visnjic (TV's "ER")
and Jonathan Tucker co-star. "Suture's"
Scott McGehee and David Siegel direct,
write and produce. (Fox Searchlight, 8/1
Exploitips: "The Deep End" was nominated
for the Grand jury Prize and won the
Cinematography Award at this year's
Sundance Film Festival. BOXOFFICE gave the
pic four stars in its fest coverage in the April
2001 issue, saying "While relying on the compelling
performance of lead Tilda Swinton,
writers/directors/producers Scott McGehee
and David Siegel go a step further,
film as visu.ill\ arresting .is its story."
All Over the Guy
romantii comedy as two single twent)
things who are set up by their respccti\
friends bul do everything in their power
fall in love. Adam Goldberg ("Saving
creating a
Ryan") and Sasha Alexander (TV's "Dawson's
Creek") co-star with appearances by Christina
Ricci ("The Man Who Cried") and Lisa Kudrow
("Lucky Numbers"). Julie Davis ("I Love You,
Don't Touch Me!") directs; Susan Dietz,
Donnie Land and Juan A. Mas produce. (Lions
Gate, 8/3 NY/LA/SF, 8/17 exp)
Exploitips: "All Over the Guy" recalls in
theme and tone "The "Broken Hearts Club,
an indie that grossed $1.7 million— not bad
for a platform release that peaked at 53
screens. Market "All Over the Guy" directly
to gay/lesbian groups on your local college
campus, as its potential crossover audience
could be preoccupied with romance
"Original Sin," comedies "Rush Hour 2"
and "Rat Race" and indie "Tortilla Soup."
See Actor's Studio, page 24.
Ripoll
("Twice Upon a
Yesterday") directs a
script by "Stand and
Deliver's" Tom Musca
and Ramon Menendez
and "Woman on
Top's" Vera Blasi; John
Bard Manulis ("The
to the concession menu (see recipe below).
See Actor's Studio, page 24.
AUGUST 10
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Woody Allen ("Small time Crooks")
directs, writes and stars in his Litest comedy,
set in 1940s New York. Helen Hunt
("Cast Away") plays an efficiency expert
who clashes with Allen's investigator when
she's hired to bring his office in line.
Charlize Theron ("Sweet November"), Dan
Aykroyd ("Pearl Harbor"), Wallace Shawn
("Company Man"), voiceover arlist David
longer, stirring frequently.
Pour in the chicken stock and add the
chipotle chile (if desired). Bring to a boil,
reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered,
for 20 minutes. Stir in the tortilla
chips and cook 10 minutes longer until
the chips soften. Remove and discard the
chile. Serve hot, with cilantro, avocado,
Crema, lime wedges and some extra
Ogden Stiers and Elizabeth Berkley ("Any
Given Sunday") co-star. "Small Time
Crooks'" Letty Aronson and Helen Robin
produce. (DreamWorks, 8/10)
Exploitips: Allen parted ways with his
longtime producing partner Jean
Doumanian after seven pictures together,
ultimately suing her for allegedly withholding
proceeds from his films. He subsequently
inked a three-picture deal with
DreamWorks after the success of "Small
Time Crooks, " his most commercially profitable
film. Held from early summer.
American Pie 2
The original cast of "American Pie"
including Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth,
Rat Race
Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian
In this ensemble comedy—whose players
Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott,
include Breckin Meyer and Amy Smart, Tortilla Soup
Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Natasha
both of "Road Trip," Whoopi Goldberg Hector Elizondo ("The Princess
Lyonne and Eugene
Diaries")
Levy— returns for this
("Kingdom Come"), Seth Green ("America's
sequel to the sleeper comedy hit that grossed
stars as Martin in this English-language
remake of Ang Lee's
more than $200 million
Sweethearts"), Cuba Gooding Jr. ("Pearl
Martin's Tortilla Soup
worldwide.
"Eat Drink Man
Harbor"), Jon Lovitz ("3,000 Miles to
Graceland"), Kathy Najimy ("The Wedding
Rowan
Woman," transplanted 5 garlic cloves, peeled
Details on the plot are
Planner"), Atkinson ("Bean"), John to the Latino community
10 Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered scarce, but rumor has
Cleese ("The World Is Not Enough"),
3 tablespoons olive oil
in
Los Angeles. A
it that the pic takes
Wayne Knight (TV's "Seinfeld" and "3rd
place a year later when
1 large yellow onion, diced
master chef and the
Rock From the Sun"), Kathy Bates father of three unmarried
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper the boys and girls are
("Titanic") and Dean Cain ("The Broken
Hearts Club")—a Las Vegas casino magnate women, his char-
acter has lost his sense
8 cups chicken stock
home for summer
1 dried chipotle chile, stemmed and break from their first
year at college, and
of taste but not his zest seeded (optional)
invents a new game on which his high
rollers can bet. He pits six ordinary contestants
3/4 pound tortilla chips
Jim (Biggs) is preparing
for life, attracting the
for an unexpected visit
against each other in a race from attention of attrac-
an
Vegas to New Mexico and a locker stuffed
The
garnishes: 1/2 cup cilantro leaves; 1
avocado, peeled, seeded and chopped; from Nadia (Elizabeth).
tive grandmother in
neighborhood. 1/2 cup Crema; 2 limes, wedged Helmer J.B. Rogers
with $2 million in cash. only rule is his
Jacqueline Obradors Puree the garlic and tomatoes in a
there are no rules. Jerry Zucker ("First
("Say It Isn't So") joins
Knight") directs a script by Andrew
blender until smooth. Heat the olive oil "American Pie's" original
("Six Days, Seven
Breckman ("I.Q."); Zucker, "The Mummy Nights"), Elizabeth in a large stockpot over low heat. Add the
filmmaking team,
Returns'" Sean Daniel and Jim Jacks and Peha ("Lone Star"), onion, salt and pepper and cook, stirring which includes scribe
Janet Zucker produce. (Paramount, 8/3) Tamara Mello (TV's frequently until pale brown and Adam Herz and producers
Exploitips: Set up your own rat race in
Paul Weitz
"Popular") and Raquel carmelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the
Welch co-star. Maria tomato puree and cook 10 minute (who directed the original),
Chris Weitz,
Warren Zide, Craig
Perry and Chris Moore.
(Universal, 8/10)
Exploitips: Though
some critics declared
that this spring's
"Freddy Got Fingered"
was the proverbial nail
Basketball Diaries")
in the coffin for the
produces. (IDP, 8/3) crisp fried tortilla chips.
gross-out comedy, this
Exploitips: "Tortilla
Soup" features elaborate tantalizing feasts
prepared by chefs Mary Sue Milliken and
sequel gives it yet another whirl. Expect an R
rating. Give coupons to ticket buyers for discounts
Susan Feniger. Collaborate with a local
on the infamous dish at the conces-
Mexican-American chef to sell dinner-anda-movie
sion stand. See Actor's Studio, page 28.
packages that include a multision
course meal either on site or at a nearby
add soup
Osmosis Jones
restaurant. Alternatively, tortilla
In this live-action/animated action/
adventure comedy set inside the body of a
construction worker named Frank, Chris
Rock ("Down to Earth") voices the title character,
a streetwise white blood cell who
teams up with a rookie cold tablet in a race
to thwart an evil virus that is out to destroy
Frank. Bill Murray ("Charlie's Angels"),
Molly Shannon ("I )r. Seuss' I low the Grinch
Stole Christmas") .mil ( hris Elliott ("Snow
Day") co-star in the live-action sequences,
whiih are direited bv "Me, Myself &
Irene's" Peter and Bobby Farrclly, who also
produce; Laurence Fishburne ("The
Malrix"), David Hyde Pierce (TV's
"Frasier"), producer (though not on this pic)
loel Silver, Brandy ("I Still Know Whal You
Did Last Summer") and William Shatner

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21) Boxoi 1
1< i
Production Notes: Debra Martin Chase, "The Princess Diaries"
Producer Debra Martin Chase doesn't pull rabbits out of
hats, and she doesn't make people disappear into thin air. But
she is in the business of making magic. For the past several
years, Chase has been bringing movies to the screen, both large
and small, that remind us, she says, that "we are only limited
by our vision." In "Courage Under Fire," a female captain from
Desert Storm is the first woman to be awarded the Medal of
Honor. The documentary "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream" is
the story of "Hammerin"' Hank Aaron, who broke Babe Ruth's
career home run record in April 1974. "Rodgers &
Hammerstein's Cinderella" is a version of the classic fairy tale
in which Cinderella, against all odds, lives happily ever after.
Chase's latest project is no less heartening. In "The Princess
Diaries," 10th grader Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) discovers
that she is the sole heir to the throne of Genovia; she's
a real-life princess. "The movie is a metaphor for growing up,"
Chase says. "If adolescence is a time when we're concerned
with self and our wants and desires, and adulthood is the time
when we realize that there are obligations and responsibilities
that are greater than ourselves, this is Mia's journey into that
new territory. It's a coming-of-age story."
Like many of the characters that inhabit the magical worlds
being a lawyer was my 'saleable'
asset," she remembers. She eventually
staff joined the creative at Columbia,
and then took over the helm at Denzel
Washington's production company,
where she produced films such as
"Devil in a Blue Dress" and "The
Preacher's Wife."
Chase is enjoying every bit of her journey.
Her favorite aspect of producing, she
is says, "being able to have influence on
culture." She is particularly proud of
"Cinderella," which starred Brandy
Norwood as Cinderella and Whitney CHASING THE DREAM:
Houston as the Fairy Godmother. "It's Debra Martin Chase
very rewarding when people tell me how produces "The Princess
much our version of 'Cinderella' meant to
them, how much it meant to their kids—and how much it meant
to young girls of color to see a Cinderella they could identify with."
As a young African-American girl spending all her time at the
movies, Chase grew to appreciate the profound effect the media
can have on people's views of the world. "Wherever possible, I
in her films, Debra Martin Chase also is on a journey that started
to chip away at some of the stereotypes and preconceived
try
when she was a young girl. "My father is the biggest movie
buff I know," Chase says. "I was one of those kids who spent
notions that we nave about each other." But that is by no means
her only objective as a producer. "It's important for me to make
every weekend in the movie theatre" being transported to the movies about the African-American experience, but it's equally
faraway worlds of "The Sound of Music," "Doctor Zhivago" important for me to make good movies, period
and "Roman Holiday."
"Society has become so complicated," Chase continues. "I think
we we Despite her early passion for the movies, Chase decided to it's important that all still dream, and realize that each have
become a lawyer. But after graduating from Harvard Law the ability to make our dreams come true." Erin Lauten
School and practicing law for a few years, she discovered that "The Princess Diaries." Starring Anne Hathaway, Julie
her heart wasn't in it. "When you're a corporate lawyer, you're Andrews, Robert Schwartzman, Heather Matarazzo, Caroline
helping other people get out of trouble, so you're never creating
Goodall and Hector Elizondo. Directed by Garry Marshall.
anything," Chase says. "I wanted to make something." Written by Gina Wendkos. Produced by Whitney Houston,
In 1989 Chase moved to Los Angeles to get into the movie
business. "I started as a lawyer at Columbia Pictures, because
Debra Martin Chase and Mario Iscovich. A Buena
release. Family comedy. Rated G Opens 8/3.
Vista
("Miss Congeniality") voice characters in the
animated half, helmed by Piet Kroon (who
worked on "The Iron Giant") and Tom Sito
(who worked on "Fantasia 2000" and
"Antz"). Farrelly brother partner Bradley
Thomas, Zak Penn and Dennis Edwards (an
associate producer on "Space Jam") produce.
(Warner Bros., 8/10)
Exploitips: "Osmosis lones" originally
had some PG-1 3-worthy sequences (not
unsurprising, given the Farrelly brothers'
involvement), but Warner Bros.' wanted a
kids-friendly film, so the scenes were
dropped, and the film has been rated PG
for bodily humor.
Raw Deal:
A Question of Consent
This graphic, controversial documentary
follows the alleged rape of 27-year-old
stripper Lisa Gier King at a Florida fraternity
house. During the party where she was
entertaining, one of the residents videotaped
the incident. When a judge viewed
the tape, he dismissed King's case and had
her arrested for filing a false report.
Eventually the tape was released to the
media, sparking a national dialogue on the
incident. The film includes the footage and
interviews with those involved. Billy
Corben directs and produces; Alfred
Spellman produces. (Artisan, 8/10)
Exploitips: Schedule time for a postsi
reening panel disi ussion on this polarizing
issue inviting local representatives of
the Greek system, women's groups and
media to parth ipate i the filmmakers and
subjects themselves.
Innocence
In this Australian romance, an old man
reminisces about a love affair he had 50
years earlier. On a whim, he contacts his
old beau, who's stuck in a loveless marriage,
and the two reunite to discover that
their feelings for each other haven't
faded. Julia Blake and Charles Tingwell
star. Paul Cox ("Molokai: The Story of
Father Damien") writes,
directs and produces.
(IDP, 8/10 ltd)
Exploitips: "Innocence" tied for the
Grand Prize of the Americas and won
People's Choice Award at the 2000
Montreal World Film Festival, where BOX-
OFFICE gave it 2.5 stars in the November
2000 issue, saying, "Cox brings a high-cultured
solemnity to the proceedings. IBut]
he's so busy lighting incense sticks at the
altar of pure romantic love that he loses
touch with the basics of the story.
waydowntown
This comedy skewers cubicle culture in
a tale about a trainee who avoids succumbing
to corporate indoctrination like
his kooky cohorts, meanwhile making a
bet with his colleagues as to who can stay
indoors the longest. Fabrizio Filippo, Don
McKellar ("eXistenZ")
and Cordon Currie
("Left Behind") star. Gary Burns directs,
writes and produces; James Martin also
scripts; Shirley Vercruysse also produces.
(Lot 47, 8/1 1 NY/LA)
Exploitips: "waydowntown" won the
Best < anadian Feature Film at the Toronto
International Film Festival last year, where
Boxoffice gave it 3.5 stars, calling it "a
cogent yet hilarious indictment of our souldestroying
urban existence.
David Caruso ("Proof of Life") stars in
this horror movie about a group of asbestos
removal workers assigned to an abandoned
insane asylum. Josh Lucas ("The Deep
End"), Peter Mullan ("The Claim") and
Brendan Sexton III ("Boys Don't Cry") costar.
Brad Anderson ("Next Stop
Wonderland") directs and writes; Stephen
Gevedon also co-scripts; "Mr. Death: The
Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter Jr.'s"
David Collins, Dorothy Aufiero and
Michael Williams produce. (USA, 8/10 ltd)
Exploitips: Anderson also has "Happy
Accidents" coming out in a fortnight. The
two would make an interesting double bill
in that "Accidents" is
a bizarre twist on his
usual romantic comedies and "Session 9" is
a complete removal from the genre.
The Turandot Project
This documentary details the production
of the Puccini opera "Turandot," helmed by
acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou,
at the Forbidden City in Beijing. Allan
Miller directs; Margaret Smilov produces.
(Zeitgeist, 8/10 NY)
Exploitips: Given that "The Turandot
Project" will l>e released onl\ in New York,
commandeer the talent in\ olved in this film—
either Miller or Zhang or conductor Zubin
Mehta—to participate in a post-screening
Q&A on opening weekend. Meanwhile, buy
a CD of the opera and pipe through your
lobb) and auditorium PAsystems.

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found
Actor's Studio: Jacqueline Obradors, "Tortilla Soup
Based on Ang Lee's "Eat Drink Man Woman," "Tortilla
Soup" transplants the Taiwanese tale about generational
conflict to a Latino Los Angeles family. Martin (Hector
Elizondo) is a master chef and widowed father of three
headstrong daughters who use his elaborate homemade
Sunday dinners to make various shocking announcements.
But by the end of the film, he surprises them with
an unexpected announcement of his own.
"It is a universal film," says Jacqueline Obradors, who
plays the middle daughter Carmen. "Audiences of all
types will enjoy this movie. It doesn't matter whether
STIRRING THE "SOUP":
Jacqueline Obradors (center)
dances with co-stars Tamara
you're Asian or Latin or whatever you are. We're all
human beings who come from families and have issues
Mello and Elizabeth Peiia.
and relationships and things to overcome and deal with."
Carmen has inherited her father's culinary gift but at his insistence has pursued a career
in business instead. The complex dynamic between father and daughter is one that
Obradors can relate to in her own life. "Relationships are very complicated," she says. "I
have relationships that are very complex and have gone through many changes, and
they've evolved over the years. That's inevitable in relationships that are worth keeping."
Carmen likewise battles with her older, prudish sister (Elizabeth Peha) and younger,
free-spirited sister (Tamara Mello). With three sisters of her own, Obradors understands
that the relationships among sisters can be "very complex. They can be competitive
and all that good stuff. But you also have that love that bounds you together."
Present throughout and witness to all of this family's unexpected revelationsthreats
to move out, introductions to new beaus, marriage proposals— is the film's
star: the food, all prepared on camera from scratch.
Obradors, who hadn't cooked much before landing the role, took lessons from
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, consummate L.A. chefs specializing in Mexican
and Latin fare. "It was like an art," Obradors says of the classes. "Everything from how
you wash it and how you cut it. And everything with your hands. It was really beautiful,
and I myself really wanting to get in there with the food, and now I use
my hands [to cook] all the time. It's really fulfilling. I love it now."—Ann/ee Ellmgson
"Tortilla Soup. " Starring Hector Elizondo, Jacqueline Obradors, Elizabeth Pena,
Tamara Mello and Raquef Welch. Directed by Maria Ripoll. Written by Tom Musca,
Ramon Menendez and Vera Blasi. Produced by John Bard Manulis. An IDP release.
Drama. Rated PG-13 for sexual content. Opens 8/3
Actor's Studio: Sasha Alexander, "All Over the Guy
If not for an injury, actress Sasha Alexander likely
would have performed triple lutzes for nitpicky international
ice-skating judges at the 1988 Olympic Games.
The Malibu native began her training at just four years
old and lasted until her knee gave out at 14. But the
now 27-year-old sheds no tears for flag-waving glories
lost.
"It would have been a great experience," she says.
"But I believe life takes us where we need to be."
JUST ONE OF THE "GUYS":
It was Alexander's dance experience that took her
Sasha Alexander stars with Adam
to her first showbiz gigs. Along with stage acting in
Goldberg in "All Over the Guy. "
her early teens, she boogied in Janet Jackson and
Debbie Gibson videos and even signed up to be in a sugary pop group dubbed
Everything Nice. The all-girl quintet honed their act in local L.A. clubs, but after five
years Alexander grew impatient—and grew up. "We were like five Britney
Spearses," she says. "I wanted to go to college and move on."
She didn't move too far, attending USC film school to learn more about working
behind the camera. After graduation, a more experienced Alexander collaborated
on numerous projects, one of which—"Battle of the Sexes"—played at Sundance.
She subsequently snagged a small part in Michael Polish's "Twin Falls, Idaho," followed
by an ensemble role in the short-lived TV drama "Wasteland." In between that and
her current gig on "Dawson's Creek," she spent four weeks shooting "All Over the Guy"
for director Julie Davis, a role that calls for some romantic interaction with co-star Adam
Goldberg ("Saving Private Ryan"), which the married Alexander puts into perspective.
"My husband's a director, so he understands what I do," she says. "Does he like
me making out with my handsome co-stars? Absolutely not, but he's okay with it."
And according to her, the on-screen relationship with Goldl^erg came naturally.
"He's such a great actor—creating years of chemistry with him wasn't hard."
In addition to "All Over the Guy" and "Dawson's Creek," Alexander recently shot
another TV pilot based on the comic book series "Ball and Chain." But she doesn't
mind the small screen, so long as the project interests her. "I just don't want to end
up on something that bores the hell out of me," she says. "Otherwise I'll fake a knee
injury and get out of there." Jordan Reed
"All Over the Guy." Starring Dan Bucatinsky, Richard Ruccolo, Adam Goldberg
and Sasha Alexander Direi ted by Julie Davis. Written by Dan Bucatinsky. Produced
by Dan Bucatinsky, Susan Dietz, Donnie Land and Juan A. Mas. A Lion's Gale I ilm
release. Romantic comedy. Not yet rated. Opens 8/3 NY/LA/SF, 8/17 exp.
summer. But this holiday it becomes obvious
that one may have outgrown the other,
and the two struggle with their emerging
sexuality and budding relationship. Karen
Alyx co-stars. Anne-Sophie Birot directs
and co-writes her debut; Christophe
Honore scripts; Philippe Jacquier produces.
(Winstar, 8/17 NY/LA)
Exploitips: Winstar picked up "Girls
Can't Swim" and "Under the Sand" out of
Toronto, capping a three-picture deal with
French sales office Celluloid Dreams that
included the Iranian film "The Circle."
AUGUST 24
40 Days and 40 Nights
Josh Hartnett ("Pearl Habor") stars in this
romantic comedy as a young man who,
after a brutal breakup, swears off contact
with the opposite sex for the 40 days and
40 nights of Lent. In the meantime, he
meets the girl of his dreams. Shannyn
Sossaman ("A Knight's Tale"), Vinessa Shaw
("Eyes Wide Shut") and Griffin Dunne
("Famous") co-star. Michael Lehmann
("The Truth About Cats and Dogs") directs a
script by Rob Perez; Michael London produces.
(Miramax, 8/24)
Exploitips: "40 Days and 40 Nights"
has its work cut out for it, going up
against last week's "Serendipity" and this
weekend's "Summer Catch." It does have
an advantage, however, in that its two
stars previously starred in two of the summer's
early standouts: "A Knight's Tale"
and "Pearl Harbor." Start campaigning
early for this one, putting trailers for it on
those May releases.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Jason Mewes and director/writer/star
reprise their roles Jay Kevin Smith as and
Silent Bob for this fifth and final installment
in his New Jersey chronicles. Here, they
catch wind that the comic "Bluntman &
Chronic," based ostensibly on them, is
being made into a movie. Upset that
they're getting no moolah for the use of
their likenesses and fed up with the badmouthing
at their expense on the Internet,
they head out on a cross-country road trip
to sabotage the film's world premiere.
Several characters/actors from Smith's
"View Askewniverse" return, including
Joey Lauren Adams ("Chasing Amy"), Ben
Affleck (all but "Clerks"), Jeff Anderson (all
but "Mallrats"), George Carlin ("Dogma"),
Matt Damon ("Chasing Amy," "Dogma")
Shannen Doherty ("Mallrats"), Jason Lee
(all but "Clerks"), Alanis Morissette
("Dogma"), Brian O'Halloran (all four), and
Chris Rock ("Dogma"). "America Pie 2's"
Jason Biggs and Shannon Elizabeth, Marc
Blucas (TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"),
"Star Wars'" Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill,
AM tarter ("Final Destination"), ludd
Nelson ("Light It Up"), Seann William Scott
("Evolution"), Jon Stewart "Big Daddy"),
James Van Der Beek ("Varsity Blues") and
"Saturday Night Live's" Will Ferrell and
Tracy Morgan co-star. Smith's partner Scott
Mosier produces. (Miramax, 8/24)
Exploitips: Among the first to plant itself
on the August W release date, "Jay and
Silent Boh Strike Back" was ultimatel)

Originators of Concession Nachos.
m

j
Accidents" at Sundance 2000 in the April
2000 issue, citing the pic's complex char-
acters that prove "Anderson's a consummate
writer and director."
j
moved two weeks later to avoid competition
from comedies "American Pie 2,"
scheduled for the same time, and "Rush
Hour 2," due out a week earlier. Smith
keeps his fans updated regularly on his
website at www.newsaskew.com/va5. To
hear it from him directly, see BOXOFFICE's
Sneak Preview on page 34.
Catch
Freddie Prinze Jr.
("Head Over Heels")
is the catch in this romance set against a
baseball backdrop. Prinze portrays a college
player who's simultaneously trying to
impress major league scouts and a wealthy
girl vacationing in Cape Cod, where he's
participating in a summer league. Jessica
Biel (TV's "7th Heaven"), Brian Dennehy,
Matthew Lillard ("Love's Labour's Lost"),
Marc Blucas ("Jay and Silent Bob Strike
Back") and Wilmer Valderrama (TV's "That
'70s Show") co-star. Mike Tollin makes his
feature directorial debut and produces
with "Varsity Blues" director/producer
Brian Robbins and Sam Weisman; Kevin
Falls (TV's "Sports Night") scripts. (Warner
Bros., 8/24)
Exploitips:
This could be a fun opportunity
to invite local talent scouts to observe
and offer pointers to wannabe baseball
players before opening weekend matinees—
well, at least pitchers and catchers
(hitters in the parking lot could result in
some unhappy car owners). Or set up a carnival
game wherein kids can throw pitches
into a
catcher's mitt for concession stand
prizes. Be sure to promote at local baseball
games, perhaps shelling out for an
announcement over the PA system or an ad
with discount coupons in the program.
BOXOFFICE profiled Prinze, Lillard, Blucas
and Valderrama in January 2001 's Young
Hollywood cover story.
Soul Survivors
Melissa Sagemiller ("Getting Over
Allison") stars in this thriller as a coed who
is haunted by a car accident that killed her
boyfriend, leaving her hovering between
the dead and the living. Casey Affleck
("Drowning Mona"), Wes Bentley ("The
Claim"), Eliza Dushku ("Bring It On") and
Luke Wilson ("Charlie's Angels") co-star.
Steve Carpenter, who penned "Blue
Streak," directs and scripts; the "I Know
What You Did Last Summer" franchise's
Neal Mortiz and Stokely Chaffin produce.
(Artisan, 8/24)
Exploitips: Like "American Pie 2" earlier
this month, "Soul Survivors" appeals to a
teen audience but is rated R for violence
and gore, sexuality and language and will
likely be a critical target in the wake of the
FCC's movie marketing findings. Prepare
your staff to card underage teens who will
be attracted to the pic's horror elements and
hot young cast.
Famous
Produced by thespian Mira Sorvino
("Summer of Sam") and featuring a bevy of
celebrity cameos including Sandra Bullock,
Spike Lee and Charlie Sheen, "Famous" is a
mockumentary about a couple of up-andcoming
actors eking out a living in New
York. Laura Kirk and Nat DeWolf star and
script; Griffin Dunne ("Practical Magic")
directs; Dolly Hall ("54") produces. (First I
Look, 8/22 NY/LA)
Exploitips: BOXOFFICE gave "Famous"
three stars in its Cannes coverage in the
August 2000 issue, saying, "There are
some amusing moments, including affec- i
tionately irreverent riffs on the acting profession,
the competition it elicits among
friends and the desperate lengths some
\
actors will go to in order to get work. But I
the third act of this story loses some of the
lightness and breezy spirit that kept it
aloft. " Held from March.
Happy Accidents
Marisa Tomei ("What Women Want")
and Vincent D'Onofrio ("The Cell") star in
this romance as star-crossed lovers— literally.
After meeting in Central Park, he tells
j
her that he's a visitor from the future,
searching for her since finding an old photograph
of her and falling in love. She
debates dumping him or putting up with
|
his lunacies because he's still the best
boyfriend she's ever had. Brad Anderson
("Session 9") directs and scripts; Susan A.
Stover ("High Art") produces. (IFC, 8/24)
Exploitips: BOXOFFICE reviewed "Happy
The Bard once again proves his ageless
popularity in this modern day remake of
"Othello" set in the world of high school
basketball. Mekhi Phifer ("I Still Know
What You Did Last Summer"), Josh
Hartnett ("40 Days and 40 Nights"), Julia
Stiles ("Save the Last Dance") and Martin
Sheen ("Apocalypse Now Redux") star. Tim
Blake Nelson directs; Brad Kaaya scripts
based on Williams Shakespeare's play;
Anthony Rhulen, Eric Gitter and Dan Fried
produce. (Lions Gate, 8/24)
Exploitips: Capitalizing on the recent
spate of Shakespeare updates, not to mention
the glut of teen-themed pictures,
Miramax's genre arm Dimension picked up
worldwide rights to this single-letter title
for a cool $4 million in addition to a guaranteed
$10 million in prints and advertising.
The pic apparently climaxes with the
bloody killing of four students, however,
and its release date was repeatedly pushed
back in the wake of the Columbine school
shooting, the Federal Trade Commission's
report on media violence and, more
recently, the shooting at Santana High in
San Diego. The filmmakers were reportedly
frustrated when Miramax kept delaying
its release, and the minimajor quietly
offered up the distribution rights. There
were initially no takers, but Lions Gate,
which also took Kevin Smith's controversial
"Dogma" off Miramax's hands, ultimately
acquired the pic.
Vulgar
In this comedy, a pathetic professional
clown, struggling to connect with his
young audiences at kiddie parties, decides
to reinvent himself as Vulgar, a transvestite
clown who shows up at stag parties to
shock the bachelors expecting strippers.
Brian O'Halloran ("Jay and Silent Bob
Strike Back") stars. Bryan Johnson, a Kevin
Smith protege, directs and scripts his debut;
Monica Hampton, another Smith cohort,
produces. (Lions Gate, 8/24)
Exploitips: "Vulgar" played at the 2000
Toronto Film Festival, where BOXOFFICE
gave it one star in the November 2000
issue, saying, "Badly written, directed and
acted, 'Vulgar' is empty-headed and disposable."
Maybe Baby
Hugh Laurie ("Stuart Little") and Joely
Richardson ("The Patriot") star in this
British romantic comedy as a couple whose
relationship is challenged as they try to
conceive a child. Ben Elton directs and
scripts his feature film debut; Phil Mclntyre
produces. (USA, 8/24)
Exploitips: "Maybe Baby" opened in the
United Kingdom in June 2000 and grossed
£3.4 million (US$2.27 million) there.
AUGUST 31
All That Glitters
Pop singer Mariah Carey stars in this
love story about a young singer who overcomes
her turbulent childhood to become
a star, hooking up with a bad-boy DJ along
the way. Max Beesley ("The Match") costars.
Vondie Curtis-Hall
("Gridlock'd") directs; Kate
Lanier ("What's Love Got to
Do With It") scripts; Carey
and Laurence Mark
("Finding Forrester") produce.
(Fox, 8/31)
Exploitips: "All That
Glitters" is less a break from
Carey's day job than an
extension of it: She is joined
by fellow musicians rapper
Da Brat and soul singer Trie
Benet, and the soundtrack
consists of original music
written bv her. Arrange with
a local music store to sell
the soundtrack right at the theatre, perhaps
even giving copies of it away to the first few
ticket buyers.
Jeepers Creepers
In this horror movie, a brother and sister
discover something horrific in the basement
of an abandoned church that follows
them on what was to be a routine road trip
home from college that turns instead into a
race for their lives. Gina Philips and Justin

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Tel: (626)480-0755 / Fax: (626)480-0855
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www.ltilamps.com
Response No. 127

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what color Reese Witherspoon's hair would be in Legally
Blonde 'his first feature fiL Questions like "What colons
blonde?" "What color is the ideal blonde? How do you
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passionate
Lone star. Victor Salva ("Powder") directs
and scripts; Barry Opper and Tom Luse produce.
(MGM, 8/31)
.
Exploitips: With a cast of virtual
unknowns, "Jeepers Creepers" has its work
cut out tor it, going up against this weekend's
"Knockaround Guys" and last weekend's
"Soul Survivors" for roughly the same
audience. The pic is rated R for terror violence/gore,
language and brief nudity.
Knockaround Guys
|ohn Malkovich ("Shadow of the
Vampire") and Dennis Hopper ("Jesus
Son") star in this drama about four sons ot
notorious Brooklyn mob bosses trying to
retrieve some lost cash in a Montana town
Barry Pepper
patrolled by a corrupt sheriff.
^'Battlefield Earth"), Seth Green ("Rat
Race"), Vin Diesel ("The Fast and the
Furious") and Andrew Davoli ("The Yards )
David Levien and Brian
co-star.
Koppelman, who scripted "Rounders,
and script their helming debut;
direct
Lawrence Bender ("Pulp Fiction," "Good
Will Hunting") produces. (New Line, a/3 I
Exploitips: Apparently, at the beginning
of the film, Peppers character approaches
his father, played by Hopper on a handhall
court about taking on added responsibility
within the family organization. Shot
at Coney Island's Seaside Handball
Courts, handball champions consulted on
the scene and even played some background
characters. Coordinate with local
'handball players to set up a makeshift
court in your theatre parking lot and challenge
patrons to knock around a tew balls
in a two- or three-day tournament on
opening weekend.
Vengo
Famed flamenco dancer Antonio Canales
stars in this Spanish ode to flamenco dancing
as a proud clan leader who must fight to
end the bloody feud that's been raging
between his family and a rival clan for generations.
Tony Gatlif ("Mondo") directs cowrites
and produces; David Trueba (
Two
Much") scripts. (Cowboy, 8/31)
Exploitips: Invite a local flamenco troupe
to provide pre-show entertainment in your
theatre lobby or auditorium, and play flamenco
music over the PA system.
Les Destiniees
In this French romance, Emmanuelle
Beart ("Mission: Impossible") Charles
Berling ("The Bridge") and Isabelle Htipperl
star in a love triangle centering around a
Protestant minister whose family owns a
porcelain factory. He is estranged trorn his
wife who is suspected ol infidelity, and, as
he contemplates ending the marriage he
voting, independent
falls in
woman.
love with
Olivier
a
Assayas ("Irma Vep I
directs and co-scripts; lacques Fieschi
,
-plate Vendome") scripts based on the
novel In I it titles (Tiardonne; Bruno Peser^
rVola\"'prt'tlutes. (Winstar, 8/31 ltd)
Exploitips: BOXOFFICE reviewer/ "Les
Destiniees" out of Toronto last \ ear in tin
November 2000 issue, saung. Uiougi
well acted and mounted, les Destiniees i-
, sluggish movie. It gets the details of it
timeframe right, but it completely misses it:
emi 'Ik

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Hate
David Lynch Presents
r UNDATED
Bhopal Express
David Lynch ("The Straight Story") lends
his name to this drama set against the lethal
gas tragedy in Bhopal, India in 1984 when
poison gas clouds from the Union Carbide
factory spread over 20 square kilometers,
killed more than 8,000 people and injured
more than 500,000. The story is dramatized
through a newlywed couple as they try to
pick up the pieces in the aftermath. Kay
Kay, Nethra Raghuraman and Naseeruddin
Shah star. Mahesh Mathai directs; Piyush
and Prasoon Pandey script; Deepak Nayar
("The Buena Vista Social Club"), Tabrez
Noorani and Philip von Alvensleben produce.
(Phaedra, August undated)
Exploitips: Moviegoers will likely be
interested to learn more about this tragedy,
so be prepared, cooperating with a local
bookstore to stock materials on the event
and co-sponsoring a panel discussion or
Q&A in conjunction with opening weekend.
In Search of Peace
Michael Douglas ("One Night at
McCool's") narrates this documentary that
chronicles the first two decades of Israel's
existence, from 1948 to 1967, examining
the origins of the Middle East conflict.
Richard Trank, who produced "The Long
Way Home," directs and produces; Marvin
Hier ("The Long Way Home") also produces.
(Seventh Art, August undated)
Exploitips: Seventh Art also released the
Oscar-winning documentary "The Long
Way Home, " which examined the activities
of European Jews from the fall of the Third
Reich to the formation of Israel in 1948.
Book the two films as a double feature.
The Journey
In
this documentary, recent college grad
Eric Saperston travels the country, seeking
wisdom from America's top CEOs and
celebrities, including Billy Crystal, )immy
Carter, former Texas governor Ann
Richards, Henry Winkler, former Coca-Cola
CEO Donald Keough and musician Arlo
Guthrie. Saperston directs, scripts and produces.
(Seventh Art, August undated)
Exploitips: Saperston traveled the country
in a 1971 VW bus for seven years to
gather the footage for this film, which was
financed by grilled cheese sandwich sales
at rest stops along the way and private
donations from the subjects of the film.
Rudyland
New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is
the unwilling star of this documentary that
criticizes his "quality of life" campaign that,
the filmmakers feel, has displaced the
artists, activists and poor who had made the
lower east side of Manhattan their home.
Matthew Carnahan and John Philp direct.
(Seventh Art, August undated)
Exploitips: At the pic's premiere a year
ago. sponsored In short-film series promoter
Firewater Films, 10-inch Rudv voodoo
dnlls were given away complete with inns.
I or Inn, see if you can commandeer . i setoi
your own to hand out on opening night.
Won't Anybody Listen?
This documentary follows the trials and
tribulations of the struggling rock group NC-
1 7, toplined by brothers Frank and Vince
Rogala, as they try to land a recording contract
in Los Angeles. It includes observations of the
business by industry insiders. Dov Kelemer
directs. (Seventh Art, August undated)
Exploitips: Even if nobody else will listen to
NC-17's music, your moviegoers can: Their
tunes are available for purchase on their website
at www.NCI7music.com— no domestic
shipping costs, and they pay any tax!
On the Edge
In this drama, 19-year-old Jonathan
Breech (Cillian Murphy) ends up in a psychiatric
hospital after a near-fatal accident in a
stolen car. There he befriends sensitive Toby
("Deep End of the Ocean's" Jonathan
Jackson), who blames himself for his
brother's
accidental death, and falls in love with
Rachel ("Ghost Dog's" Tricia Vessey), who
can't believe anyone could love her. Stephen
Rea ("The End of the Affair") co-stars as
Jonathan's doctor. John Carney directs and
scripts; Daniel James scripts; "Agnes
Browne's" Jim Sheridan and Arthur
Lappin
produce. (Universal Focus, August undated)
Exploitips: Though a domestic production,
"On the Edge" was shot in Dublin and
other parts of Ireland and produced by
Hell's Kitchen, the production shingle
behind "In the Name of the Father.
LATE MOVIE MOVES
Pootie Tang
Chris Rock ("Down to Earth") produces
and co-stars in this comedy based on a skit
from his now defunct "Chris Rock Show"
about crime fighter/recording artist Pootie
Tang, a cool cat whose slang is so hip it's
indecipherable. Nonetheless, he's looked
upon as a hero and a role model as he battles
a huge corporation and its evil productscigarettes,
alcohol and fast food. Star Lance
Crouther and writer/director Louis C.K. are
both "Chris Rock Show" vets and scribes on
"Down to Earth." Caldecot Chubb ("Eve's
Bayou"), David Gale ("The Original Kings of
Comedy") and Michael Rotenberg ("Down to
Earth") produce. (Paramount, 6/29)
Exploitips: "Pootie Tang" bows on a prejuly
4 weekend virtually devoid of major
studio releases, with the significant exception
of Steven Spielberg's family-friendly
"A.I." Its biggest competition will most
likely come from Columbia's "Baby Boy,"
however, released just two days earlier.
Both pics feature largely African-American
casts, though "Pootie, " as a comedy, harbors
more crossover appeal.
Pandaemonium
Linus Roache ("The Wings of the Dove")
and John Hannah ("The Mummy Returns")
star in this historical drama as Samuel
Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth,
dueling romantic poets during the French
Revolution who loved one another like
brothers until rivalry and jealousy drove
them apart. Samantha Morton ("Sweet and
Lowdown") and Emily Woof ("Velvet
Goldmine") co-star. Julien Temple ("The
Filth and the Fury") directs a script by Frank
Cottrell Boyce ("The Claim," "Hilary and
Jackie"); Nick O'Hagan (who line produced
"Wilde") produces. (USA, June ltd)
Exploitips: BOXOFFICE gave "Pandaemonium"
two stars at the Toronto Film
Festival last year in the November 2000
issue, calling it "a ghastly marriage
between MTV and Ken Russell."
Legally Blonde
Reese Witherspoon ("American Psycho")
stars in this comedy as a Beverly Hills blonde
who is dumped by her fraternity boyfriend,
who wants to meet a more worldly girl while
he's in law school at Harvard. Determined to
prove that there's more in her head than
blonde roots, she enrolls, too. In over her
head, she suffers countless indignities but
eventually proves herself by winning a big
case. Luke Wilson ("Charlie's Angels"), Selma
Blair ("Down to You") and Matthew Davis
("Pearl Harbor") co-star. Robert Luketic
directs; "1 Things I About You's" Karen
McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith script based
on Amanda Brown's unpublished book; Marc
Piatt ("Josie and the Pussycats") and Ric
Kidney ("Fear") produce. (MGM, 7/13)
Exploitips: Outfit your staff in blonde
wigs for the opening of this film, and,
although the blondes in "Legally Blonde"
are naturally so, collaborate with a local
hair salon to give discounts on dye jobs for
those who bring in tickets from opening
night. See Director's Chair, page 28.
Wet Hot American Summer
Janeane Garofalo ("The Adventures of
Rocky and Bullwinkle") stars as the director
of Camp Firewood in this spoof of the summer-camp
genre of the late '70s and early
'80s. It's the last day of camp, and, while the
campers prepare for the climactic talent
show, the counselors deal with pent-up sexual
frustration and their last chance at summer
romance. David Hyde Pierce (TV's
"Frasier"), screenwriter Michael Showalter
(MTV sketch comedy "The State"), Marguerite
Moreau, Paul Rudd ("The Cider
House Rules") and Molly Shannon
("Osmosis Jones") co-star. David Wain ("The
State") directs and scripts; Howard Bernstein
(an associate producer on "The Myth of
Fingerprints") produces. (USA, July undated)
Exploitips: BOXOFFICE gave "Wet Hot
American Summer" three stars at the
Sundance Film Festival in the April 2001
issue, saying "Silly and self-aware, 'Wet Hot
American Summer' first elicits chuckles at
such throwaway lines as 'Meet me at the picnic
table in 1 seconds, ' then belly laughs as
the action expands to a preposterous scale."
MORE MOVIE MOVES...
FilmFixx dares "Baise-Moi" on 6/1 in LA,
6/29 in NY and 7/6 in Austin...Vitagraph,
American Cinematheque and Rhino partner
on a re-release of "Quadrophenia" on 6/1 in
SF, 6/15 in Cleveland, 6/22 in Cambridge,
6/30 in NY, 7/20 in Chicago, 7/13 in
Minneapolis. 8/3 in LA and 8/31 in Seatlie.
Artistic I ii ense dec Lues "Lei It Snow" on
(.'T. in NY and is none the "W.I.S.O.R." on
6/22 in NY... Kino re-releases "The Blue
Angel" on 7/1 i...New Yorker's "Adanggaman"
comes on 7/1 1 in NY. .and S trand
puts on "The Monkey's Mask" on 7/27. JUJU

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"SILENT" PARTNER
34 BOXOFFICE
Kevin Smith "Strikes Back" in the Final Episode
of His New Jersey Chronicles
For
a long time, writer/director
Kevin Smith resisted the idea of
focusing an entire movie on Jay
and Silent Bob, the signature minor characters
he's worked into all his screen
efforts from "Clerks" on. While the comic
book-loving stoners, played by a mute
Smith and longtime friend Jason Mewes,
were favorites with fans, the filmmaker
himself questioned how many people
would want to sit through an hour and a
half of the pair's goofy misadventures.
"People would ask, 'Why don't you do
a Jay and Silent Bob movie? Those guys
are great,'" Smith says. "I was like, 'I don't
know if you can do a Jay and Silent Bob
movie. Like, one guy doesn't even f—ing
talk, and they kind of work best as comic
relief—these little humorous ninjas that
run in, say some funny sh- and get out so
they don't overstay their welcome.'"
It wasn't until the time came to write
the fifth and apparently final installment
in his "New Jersey Chronicles" comedy
cycle that Smith relented and decided to
give Jay and Bob partisans what they
wanted. Tying together many of the characters
and plot strands from "Clerks,"
"Mallrats," "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma,"
"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"
follows the titular slackers as they
attempt to stop the making of a movie
based on their dimwitted exploits. This
storyline continues a twist from "Chasing
Amy" in which the comic book creators
played by Smith regulars Jason Lee and
Ben Affleck launched a superhero title
inspired by Jay and Silent Bob, thinly disguised
as "Bluntman and Chronic."
"Banky [Lee] from 'Chasing Amy' sold
the rights to the 'Bluntman and Chronic'
comic to Miramax to make a feature,"
Smith explains. "And Jay and Bob learn
about it, so they go see Holden [Affleck],
who used to share the rights. And
Holden's like, 'I have nothing to do with it,
but I wish I still did, because the Internet
buzz is huge." And Jay and Silent Bob are
like, 'What the f— is the Internet?'"
This development allows Smith, an avid
'Net surfer who keeps in contact with his
followers via the website for his View
Askew Productions banner (www.viewaskew.com),
to spoof fan-oriented movie
sites and the ferocious media culture that
by Michael Tunison
drives them. The trigger for this is an "Ain't
It Cool News"-like fictional site called
Moviepoopshoot.com, which posts a story
about the "Bluntman and Chronic" movie
"and then all these posts where everyone's
like, 'Jay and Silent Bob suck— terrible
comic, terrible characters, one-note jokes,'"
Smith says. "Every piece of criticism I've
ever received on every movie I ever made is
in those posts that we show in the movie."
Along the way, "Jay and Silent Bob Strike
Back" catches up with many of the series'
most memorable characters, including those
played by Jeff Anderson and Brian
O'Halloran in "Clerks," Renee Humphrey
and Shannen Doherty in "Mallrats" and
Joey Lauren Adams in "Chasing Amy."
Others making cameos include Alanis
Morissette (reprising her version of God
from "Dogma"), Matt Damon, George
Carlin, "Saturday Night Live's" Will Ferrell,
Judd Nelson, Chris Rock. James Van Der
Beek, Jason Biggs and Star Warriors Carrie
Fisher and Mark Hamill.
With characteristic self-deprecation.
Smith says that the movie's emphasis on
guest stars developed at least partially out
of initial doubts about how well he and
Mewes could carry the story as lead actors.
"It was just a matter of how do you tell
that slory without the audience growing
weary of those characters after sitting
with them for 90 to 100 minutes," he says.
"And that's where, I think, all the other
characters came in—all the cameos and
sh-- like that. Because there are sequences
where the onus of making people laugh is
not on Jay's shoulders—it's on the shoulders
of a Will Ferrell or a Ben Affleck or
a Jason Lee or a George Carlin. Somebody
else gets to take the stage in the
scene and we're kind of reacting to them."
When they began looking at completed
footage, however. Smith and Dimension
Films chairman Bob Weinstein agreed
that Mewes was delivering some hilarious
work as the trash-talking Jay. As production
continued, Smith kept giving Mewes
additional screen time.
"He's really come into his own as an
actor," Smith says. "What started out as
a friend of mine jumping in front of a
camera and basically trying to act like
himself has turned into him becoming
an actual performer with method."
Smith himself has grown artistically over
the course of five movies, and now he says
it's time to bid his familiar New Jersey series
farewell. His post-"Jay and Silent Bob"
plans include the possibility of writing and
directing a long-hoped-for screen version of
Gregory MacDonald's comic mystery
novel "Fletch Won." which recounts the
first
big case for the wisecracking reporter
character Chevy Chase portrayed in the
'80s movies "Fletch" and "Fletch Lives."
Lee heads the list of actors Smith would
like to cast as a younger Fletch.
"It just feels like it's time to move on
and do something different," Smith says.
"Not necessarily get away from comedy—
just not use the same characters all
the time. Try to tell a different story with
different characters."
Is there any chance he'll return to Jay,
Silent Bob and the other familiar characters
from his first
five films? Smith doesn't
think so. "Some people are like. 'If it does
big business, don't you want to do a sequel?'
I'm like, f— no," he says. "Go out on a high
note, man, and don't touch it again." HH
"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back."
Starring Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith.
Directed and written by Kevin Smith.
Produced by Scott Mosier. A Dimension
release. Comedy Not yet rated. Opens 8124

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BOXOFFICE Visits On the
"Rush Hour 2" Set With
Players Jackie Chan and
Chris Tucker, Producer
Arthur Sarkissian and
Director Brett Ratner
and Finds the Stars
and Filmmakers
Hoping to Win
Fortune Again
—and Again
by Wade Major

Kong and back to Los Angeles again has done precisely what
it set out to do: deliver a sequel that is bigger, better, funnier
and faster than its popular predecessor, all the while remaining
true to the first film's simple recipe for success.
"We tried to do the best we can to give to the audience."
says Chan in his endearingly broken English. "But we still
have our own rules: less special effects, less gunfights, more
real tilings. Most important, I think, is to always follow the
formula of part one: comedy, action, no real violence, no
dirty things. Always happy-go-lucky."
Ironically, it was precisely that philosophy that elicited
skepticism from many industry observers when the first
"Rush Hour" was released in the summer of 1998. The
notion that a buddy movie without either big-name stars or
elaborate special effects and rated PG-13 could win the love
of audiences was unthinkable. That neither of the leads were
white seemed to only further marginalize the project's potential.
Producer Arthur Sarkissian smiles as he recalls the initial
battles. "Disney didn't want to do it because they didn't
believe in a Jackie Chan movie at $25 million. So they put it
into turnaround." Eventually. Sarkissian set the film up at
New Line, where then-production chief Mike De Luca agreed
to champion it. But Sarkissian saves his highest praise for the
man behind the camera. "I give a lot of credit to Brett." he

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Private Ryan," not to mention such ulti-
says of director Ratner. "It wasn't just mate also-rans as the American "Godzilla"
and "Lethal Weapon 4."
that he wanted to make a Jackie Chan
movie. What came off very smartly was "The better the movies, the more business
for everyone," Sarkissian that he wanted to do a big American
reasons.
action movie with Jackie Chan and not
do what Jackie Chan does in Hong
Kong, which is wall-to-wall action. He
wanted to bring the quality of American
filmmaking to it."
Key to that quality, as Ratner saw it,
was tapping the proud American
"Buddy Movie" tradition by pairing
Jackie with the motor-mouthed, up-andcoming
comic he had just worked with
on the comedian's debut film, "Money
Talks." "Chris Tucker is to 10-year-olds
today what Eddie Murphy was to me
when I was 10," says Ratner, citing such
classics as "48 HRS." and "Beverly Hills
Cop" as inspirations. "The most important
thing you need to have in a hit
movie is chemistry." he adds. "And these
guys have chemistry."
The
rest, of course, is history. "Rush
Hour" went on to become the most
successful New Line release ever,
earning more than $300 million worldwide
and elevating Chris Tucker and
Jackie Chan here in the States to the
bona-fide superstar status that Chan has
long enjoyed internationally.
"Jackie Chan is amazing at what he
does." Tucker says. "Nobody else in the
world can do it. All he needed was somebody
like me to bring him to America.
Because his talent, with a good story
and with some comedy, is unbeatable."
Adds Chan, "I do whatever Chris and
Brett tell me to do! I trust them.
Whenever they change my dialogue,
when 1 speak this way, that way, I trust
them. But, when the fighting scenes
come, that's me." Jackie's collaborative
spirit is especially impressive for someone
with extensive directing, writing and
producing credits of his own. "Everybody
helps each other, and we become
really buddies," he says.
"Chris Tucker trusts me with the
action comedy. I trust him for verbal
comedy. It's really buddy now."
It is precisely that buddy chemistry
that New Line is banking on to elevate
"Rush Hour 2" past the competition in
what is a summer movie season at least
as crowded as any in memory. With
mega-blockbusters like the Jerry Bruckheimer/Michael
Bay epic "Pearl Harbor,"
Steven Spielberg's "A. I.." "Planet
of the Apes" and "Tomb Raider" massing
on screens well into August, one
might think that the "Rush Hour" gang
would feel nervous. In fact, the situation
carries a bit of deja vu, flashing back
three years to when the first "Rush
Hour" triumphed amid a field that
included another double-listed assault
from the Bruckheimer/Bay and Spielberg
camps: "Armageddon" and "Saving
"I'm not concerned about anyone giving
us competition. I know we have a movie
that works. I know it's better than the
first one. And I also know that nobody
has seen Chris Tucker for three years.
That's a very, very, very big plus."
Using a mirror-image approach in its
sequel design. "Rush Hour 2" picks up
precisely where the first film left off,
taking the two detectives out from
Tucker's Los Angeles and depositing
them in Chan's Hong Kong, where they
must work to bring down a ruthless
Triad chief, played by "The Last Emperor's"
John Lone.
"It's really the reverse of the first
one," Ratner says. "Instead of Jackie
being the fish-out-of-water in L.A.,
Chris is now the fish-out-of-water in
Hong Kong." Many of the ideas for the
sequel, in fact, came when Ratner and
Tucker went to Hong Kong for the film's
Asian premiere. Recalls Ratner, "We
would be walking in the street and Chris
would try to talk to people—and no one
understood what he was saying. They'd
ignore him. He started singing Michael
Jackson in a Karaoke bar and people
thought he was crazy. I said, 'Chris,
we've got to shoot the sequel here.'"
Although the extensive Hong Kong
location shoot proved challenging for
many, it was business as usual for Chan.
Compared to many of his earlier Hong
Kong efforts, like the two-year, multinational
"Armour of God" shoot that
nearly cost him his life, working at
home on a Hollywood production like
"Rush Hour 2" was tantamount to taking
a vacation. "The American crew
they're not used to it," says Chan. "The
parking lot has no caterer. They have to
eat at a restaurant. And there are no
motor homes. Chris and me. we have to
change in a small car. But for me it's
still good! Because American productions
really care about the worker. They
take care of everybody."
Part of what compelled Ratner to go
to Hong Kong, oddly enough, was the
chance to shoot in difficult locales that
weren't immediately obvious to a native
like Chan. "I picked these locations in
the grittiest areas, where you see old,
rundown buildings with new buildings
in the background. We shot right there
in the fish market and the meat market
where the pigs are slaughtered. It wasn't
easy shooting in that environment. We
didn't have trailers and we barely had
chairs. But, as I told Jackie, an American
audience has never seen anything
like that. Having Chris walking through
the market and watching them chopping
the heads off of chickens is really interesting.
Just to see Chris walking down
thai street—that makes for good fishout-of-water
comedy."
The
scene being shot on this quiet
Sunday afternoon in downtown
Los Angeles, just one door down
from The Pantry restaurant owned by
outgoing city mayor Richard Riordan, is
typical of the "Rush Hour" formula.
Chan and Tucker enter an office building
lobby to make an inquiry of the desk
guard, only to find themselves suddenly
in hot pursuit of a suspect. Moments
later, they emerge at a loading dock,
where they are confronted by an ominous
group of Triad thugs led by the
beautiful star of "Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon," Zhang Ziyi. In little
more than a minute of screen time, audiences
will be treated to a characteristic
blend of comedy, action, camaraderie
and at least two unexpected turns.
"I shoot these movies like thrillers."
Ratner explains. "Everything has to be
motivated—every fight, every punch.
That's why '48 HRS.' worked. That was
a very serious movie. The bad guys were
great villains. And, for this film, we've
got great villains."
Ratner praises Lone and Zhang for
the professionalism and realism they
bring to their characters, taking special
pride in the signing of Zhang well before
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
opened on American screens. "Her part
was written for a man," he says. "But
when I saw her, I said, 'I'm going to
make it a girl.' We even added fifteen
more scenes for her."
"Brett really keeps his ear to the
street," Tucker says. "He knows what's
going on and who's the hottest new upand-coming
star. So he was really smart
about picking her and putting her in a
big part. And we found a very funny
comedy element between me and her
that you wouldn't find in anything else,
except maybe a James Bond movie."
Another aspect particularly unusual
about the "Rush Hour 2" set is that it's
positively crawling with children. Most
have come at the invitation of friends or
family involved with the production, but
all of them clearly know Chris Tucker
and Jackie Chan, a fact that speaks volumes
about "Rush Hour's" familyfriendly
appeal to preteen demographics
that have not historically embraced previous
buddy pictures. While Tucker
takes time out to put some basketball
moves on a pair of 10-year-old boys,
Chan catches the adoring eye of a sixyear-old
girl named Megan, finally inviting
the star-struck youngster to sit on his
lap for a photo opportunity. It's all in a
day's work for two performers who have
seen their stars rise exponentially on the
strength of their very unique chemistry.
After failing at his two previous
Hollywood efforts ("The Big Brawl" in
1980 and "The Protector" in 1985). one
would think Chan would be particularly
grateful to have finally captured the lovt
of American fans. And one would bt
right, although, to hear him tell it, i'

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42 Bo\oi h< i

doesn't exactly make his job any easier.
"The Jackie Chan audience, they're two
kinds," he says. "One, there's the old
audience. They've been watching my
Asian films a long time. They know my
real action. The other kind is a new
audience, the family audience. They just
know me from "Rush Hour."
"But now they rent all the old films on
video. So, when I'm making American
film, I have to go by American rules.
American jokes. But in Asia they don't
understand. The comedy they don't
understand. So I say, 'Okay. I have to
keep making two kinds of film. One
American film, one Asian film. Two
kinds of movies. So I go nonstop."
Chris Tucker, on the other hand, has
been more selective, bucking conventional
Hollywood wisdom by taking a
three-year hiatus from acting altogether.
"I try to pick and choose good stuff," he
explains. "And it just so happened that
nothing came about. That's when 'Rush
Hour' came back up. And I had so much
fun the first time I knew we could take
this one to the next level.
"Jackie and me, we got to know each
other really well on the first one. So now
we're really close, and the characters are
better developed. Because we really are
two guys coming from two different
worlds. And the audience gets into it
because they're not only laughing and
having a good time, but they're learning
about two different cultures."
"It's even better now because they
know each other." says producer Sarkissian.
"When you look at them, you remember
the way they met and you can
still see that they really can't understand
each other. They say things to each other
and you see it in their eyes. It's not
forced. It's the way they are. And that's
why I love these two together. They're
not going out of their way to be 'a duo.'
They just do it out of who they are."
Tucker laughs, recalling a particular
instance where the spontaneity of their
chemistry got a little out of hand.
"Jackie kicked me! You know, Jackie's so
hyper on the set. But it was fun. I could
have been kicked by anybody—somebody
on the street or some unknown
person." Tucker smiles, caressing the
cheek where he took the hit. "But Jackie
Chan kicked me, so I kept it. I was like,
'Yeah.... I
get kicked by the best!'"
for the future, the likelihood of
Asmore "Rush Hour" films rests
firmly on the fate of "Rush Hour
2." Chan, whose own career is littered
with successful sequels, is the most vocal
proponent of keeping the franchise on its
feet. "I keep telling Chris and Brett, "We
have to make this one the best we can
because we want to do part three, part
four!' People still say to me. When you
making "Drunken Master 3'".'' No matter
how. we have to make part three."
Tucker waxes a bit more pragmatic,
though no less optimistic. "I'll take it
one step at a time. It's up to the fans. If
they like this one and they want to see
another one, if people want it badly
enough, then they'll get it." mi
"Rush Hour 2. " Starring Jackie C iian.
Chris Tucker. Zhang Ziyi and Roselyn
Sanchez. Directed by Brett Ratner.
Written by Jeff Nathanson. Produced by
Arthur Sarkissian and Roger Bimbaum.
A New Line Cinema release. Action/
comedy. Not vet rated; rating expected to
be PG-13. Opens 8/3 wide.
Concession Stands, Box Offices, Cafes,
Bars and other Service Points

44 Boxoi I
if I
FIRST PERSON: Sound
THE MYTHICAL
"X" CURVE
The Curve That's Not a Curve
by John F. Allen
These
measurement
difficulties stem
from the fact
that real-time
analyzers do
not distinguish
between the
first arrival of
sound directly
from the
speaker, and the
reverberation in
the room.
all the topics I have covered dur-
the past 21 years, one of the
Ofing
most important—sometimes controversial—is
the subject of cinema
sound system measurement and equalization.
Without a doubt, the misinterpretation
of the present pink noise-based measurements,
along with the improper
equalization that results, are two of the
most difficult and perplexing problems in
the world of motion picture sound.
Technicians are familiar with the drill.
Microphones are placed in the theatre
and connected to a real-time analyzer.
Steady state pink noise is played through
each channel of the sound system.
Equalization adjustments are made to
each channel until the measurement of
the pink noise, as seen on the analyzer,
conforms to a specified curve called the
X curve. See Figure 1.
Once this is completed, the sound system
is deemed to meet "industry standards"
and everything will sound just
perfect every time.
Right?
Well, not exactly. Although these
methods have been questioned by some
and abandoned by others, the majority
of technicians have valiantly struggled
to implement them. Though sometimes
successful with older theatre speakers,
these methods have proven unpredictable,
particularly when used with
modern loudspeakers. Technicians can
encounter channel-to-channel measurements
that might differ as much as 8 dB
in a given one-third octave band. Unfortunately,
too few have recognized that it
is simply impossible for identical speakers
in the same room to measure so wildly
differently when they sound so similar,
unless the speakers are defective or the
measurements are wrong.
As I have described in previous articles,
the reason for these measurement
difficulties stems from the fact that realtime
analyzers do not distinguish between
the first arrival of sound directly
from the speaker, and the reverberation
in the room. Our brains do make such
distinctions. Indeed, we suppress some
reverberations, focusing our hearing toward
the direct sound.
By including the reverberation in the
measurement, real-time analyzers corrupt
the relevant data we are really trying
to obtain. The result is that the
equalizations done solely according to
such methods are often nothing more
than the inverse of the reverberation's
accumulated frequency response being
applied to the direct sound.
We typically wind up with a sound
system in which none of the screen
channels sound the same, except that
they often tend to sound shrill with poor
bass. The stereo image is reduced in both
width and depth. Worst of all, the equalization
can be so radical that some
sounds, particularly dialogue in loud
scenes as well as a large percentage of
the background effects, are wiped out
and never heard by the audience.
Despite its
shortcomings, the pink
noise-based measurement method
as well as the X curve actually
evolved from some excellent, though
often misunderstood, work done by
Dolby's loan Allen in the 1970s. Theatre
loudspeakers of that time suffered from
both a limited frequency range as well as
a rather poor frequency response. Both of
these deficiencies can be helped, sometimes
dramatically, with the careful use of
one-third octave equalization.
In the 1970s, if one wished to take
advantage of these benefits, a simple
and affordable method of measuring a
loudspeaker in a theatre was needed.
The relatively inexpensive method using
steady state pink noise was gaining popularity
at the time. Although it was later
replaced with newer and far more costly
methods, such as the Time-Energy-
Frequency (TEF) system and other
computer-based systems, the cinema
world has stayed with it.
Although pink noise can be very convenient
when working with electroniccircuits
and magnetic tape recorders, it
has always been problematic when used
with loudspeakers. This is because, by

including the reverberation, loudspeaker
measurements done with a real-time
analyzer do not always correlate well
with the superior swept sine wave measurements
made in an anechoic chamber—let
alone what we hear. Also, it was
quickly realized that,
when using pink noise,
loudspeakers measured
very differently in rooms
the size of living rooms
and much larger rooms
the size of theatres.
Although a directional
speaker that sounds right
to the ear in a living room
may indeed exhibit a flat
upper-frequency response
with a real-time analyzer
and pink noise, such will
not be the case when a
speaker is in a room the
size of a theatre. When
equalized with pink noise
to show a flat response in
a theatre, speakers deliver
sound with too much treble.
The resulting sound is
unnatural, way too bright
and impossible to listen to. This, again,
is due to the far greater reverberation of
the larger room being included in the
measurement. Because there is more lowfrequency
reverberation, the lower frequencies
appear to have a
greater amplitude than do
the higher. Looking at such
a measurement on a realtime
analyzer, the higher
frequencies appear to be
rolled off. See Figure 1.
The
X curve was an
attempt to normalize
the shape of such
a measurement in a large
room. It resulted from
measurements made of
theatre speakers after they
were equalized to sound
the same as a set of studio
monitors placed at the
console position. When
the two sets of speakers
sounded as close as they
could, the theatre speakers
exhibited a frequency response
that was basically flat from 100 Hz
to 2000 Hz and rolled off at a rate of 3 dB
per octave above 2000 Hz. when playing
pink
noise and measured on a real-time
analyzer. Below 100 Hz, the X curve
showed a rolloff of these lower bass frequencies.
But this is primarily due to the
weakness of the older theatre speakers in
the bottom octave. Rolling off the bass a
little would help prevent these systems
from being overloaded and damaged.
It was also noted that larger theatres
would exhibit a somewhat steeper highfrequency
rolloff and smaller theatres
would exhibit a slightly reduced rolloff
of the high frequencies. This finding was
officially noted in 1990. Beyond that,
there have been few additional guidelines
to aid technicians in the interpretation
of these measurements and the
equalization of cinema systems.
THEORETICAL H~ I UHlll
Several years ago, the measurement
system evolved with the use of four
microphones placed around the auditorium
to pick up the sound. Some have
steadfastly defended this approach, yet
RtFU
H CURUE
in the final analysis it is no better than a
single microphone pickup. Different,
yes. But whether one uses a single microphone
or four, by including all the reverberation,
the resulting measurements are
equally unreliable. Though some have
been critical of the way cinema sound
systems are measured and equalized, I
think the real disappointment is that, as
the loudspeakers have evolved, the
methods employed to measure then
behavior in theatres have not evolved far
enough or quicklj enough.
loan Mien's work of a quarter centui\
ago was important and should not be
understated. It represented a valuable
component in Dolby's efforts to introduce
Dolby Stereo as well as improve
cinema sound. It later became the basis
ther insights into what the
shape of the curve might
be with full-range highoutput
loudspeakers in
for the SMPTE 202-M as well as the
ISO-2969 motion picture audio standards.
It also opened the
door for many other
improvements in all aspects
of movie sound and
paved the way for the
introduction of wideband
three-way loudspeakers as
well as sound systems
with a nine-octave response,
first introduced to
movie theatres by my
company in 1979.
In fairness, because the
original work on the X
curve was done with older
theatre speakers having
significant frequency response
and frequency
range limitations, it was
impossible to glean fur-
theatres of different
sizes. Such speakers were unavailable
at the time. That has now changed
and a lot has been learned. Indeed, both
loan and I have separately presented
papers with similar findings
on the varying shapes
of the X curve. That our
findings are so similar is
striking because they were
arrived at with completely
different contemporary
speaker systems.
n 1995. after 15 years
of experience with
I! -three-way as well as
four-way full-range speaker
systems in movie theatres,
I presented a chart
that I called the "Real X
Curve" in presentations
to the International Theatre
Equipment Association
and the SMPTK. 1
later published this advanced
curve for the first
time in BOXOFFICE in
1997. See Figure 2. Among other things,
this chart confirmed Dolby's early finding
that the rate of the high-frequency
rolloff changes with the volume o\
the
theatre and Us reverberation time. In
addition, for the lust tune it also showed
that the knee o\' the curve also changes
depending on the size oi' the room, and
can be as high as S kll/ before the rolloff
begins. The Real \ Curve also slums
that real-time measurements o\' the frequencies
below KID 11/ arc also room
dependent Some theatres will exhibit a
slightlv rolled-off bass region, but mam
will show quite an elevated measurement
.Ink, 2(HU 45

46 BOXOHKK
in these frequencies. From this we see
that the practice of automatically and
artificially rolling off these lower frequencies
contributes to the lack of bass
in many motion picture sound systems.
During the International Theatre
Equipment Association's
technical seminars in
1999, loan Allen presented
his own findings on the
characteristics of realtime
analyzer measurements
of pink noise in
theatres of different sizes.
His findings were virtually
identical to those in Figure
2. His presentation
also included so-called
waterfall charts showing
how the shape of the pink
noise measurement actually
evolves as reverberation
accumulates over
time and results in response
curves of varying
shapes. See Figure 3.
The bass build-up
below 100 Hz is also seen
in this graph that he has
kindly provided for this
article. He pointed out
that the X curve itself
"is
a myth." That is to say,
the high-frequency rolloff
seen when measuring pink
noise with real-time analyzers
does not indicate a
rolloff in the frequency
response of the sound system.
He reminded us that
the rolloff seen in such
measurements is a result
of the accumulated reverberation
being included in
the measurement.
Now that the varying
shapes of the X curve are
more clearly understood,
are we now fully prepared
to equalize cinema sound
systems to perfection?
Well, not quite. We have a
problem. Before we can
properly equalize a sound
system with pink noise, we
need to know what the
shape of the curve should be for the particular
theatre we are in, when the
response we actually hear with program
material is flat. Determining that
requires the use of screen speakers with
a flat on-axis frequency response.
Because most high-frequency horns
used in cinemas are the constant directivity
type, with their own characteristic
rolled-off high-frequency response, finding
the correct place for the knee of the
curve for a particular room is unlikely.
Perhaps less difficult is knowing how the
lowest frequencies should measure. The
best way to handle the frequencies below
100 Hz is to adopt a "what you see is
what you get" policy and do not equalize.
Another equally frustrating problem
is the inability of the pink noise / realtime
analyzer approach to accurately
convey what is going on in the frequency
range from about 100 Hz to 400 Hz.
Steady State
fleuerb Build-up of Pink Noise Against Time
RERL" H CURJE WITH POSSIBtE RESPONSE BETWEEN IBB -4BB HZ
For the sake of simplicity, my own Real
X Curve chart does not show how these
frequencies can sometimes measure at
reduced amplitudes, rather than flat, in
good-sounding systems. See Figure 4. In
my experience, however, the actual shape
of the frequency response depicted by
an analyzer in these frequencies is not
consistent from theatre to theatre, even
though the sound systems involved may
have the same tone.
Furthermore, the way that speakers
behave in these frequencies can be inlltienced
by the room. How they should
measure with pink noise is also room
dependent. Sound systems tuned so that
the analyzer shows a flat response between
100 Hz and 400 Hz will often
sound bloated, boomy or "honky," while
others will sound fine.
There seems to be as many solutions
to the challenges of tuning motion picture
sound systems as
there are technicians and
authors who choose to
write about them. Constant
readers of this magazine
are surely familiar
with my approach. (See
"If They Knew What You
Were Missing. Part
Three" in the Nov. 1997
issue of BOXOFFICE.
This article may also be
downloaded at www.
hps4000.com/pages/spe
cial/missing.pdf.) It is.
however, an admittedly
personal approach that
relies on art as much as
equipment. But the proof
of the success of any technique
is in the listening,
not in the rhetoric.
Those really interested
in learning what works
best merely need to stick
their heads in the different
rooms, set up different
ways, and hear for themselves.
Fortunately, the
differences are evident,
making judgments easy.
A new measurement
system is needed. Whenever
it arrives, the inventors
will surely find themselves
standing on the
broad shoulders of loan
Allen. Until we have a
method for measuring
reliable
what something
sounds like, it turns out
that his original approach
to the equalization of
those older theatre speakers
of the 1970s remains
the best solution to tuning
a sound system. By
comparing the sound
heard from theatre speakers
to a known high-qual-
source, one can hear the difference
ity
and make adjustments accordingly.
Since there are still no such measurement
methods, we will need to rely on
our ears for listening.
mm
Copyright 2001 John F Allen. All
Rights Reserved.
John F. Allen is the founder and president
of High Performance Stereo in
Newton, Muss, lie is olso the inventor of
the HPS-4000 cinema sound system and
in 1984 was the first to bring digital sound
to the cinema John Allen can be reached
hy email at johnfalleiua Itps4000.com.

OOOOOOOOJ 1)
»i'|^
Organization Host
European Exhibitor Associations.
Circuit Rosters

INDEPENDENT EXHIBITION SHOWCASE
1 Ml TO THE FUTURIST
K Whv Patrons Kppn Rptiirninc*
Why Patrons Keep Returning
to Mike Groves' U.K. Theatre
by Chris Wiegand
Mike
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN: The Futurist Cinemas entrance.
inspiration during a 1997 visit to a former
Swedish missionary chapel in Oregon.
The scenario is not quite as bizarre as it
sounds, as the chapel had been partly
converted and was one of a popular chain
of unique brewpubs that screened films.
Customers would arrive at the chapel and
order their food and drink, which they
then consumed at a table from where they
also watched the movie.
Extremely impressed by what he saw in
Oregon, Mike returned to the U.K. intent
Groves, the charismatic on establishing at home what he describes
director of the Futurist as a "brew and view" cinema. He
Cinema Company, is a man
with a mission. He wants to make cinemagoing
a special event and not just a visit to
approached various cinema companies
with his plans but found that they were
keen on developing such a set-up only
"a dark box on a ring road." In short, he within the multiplex environment.
wants to make a night out at the movies Feeling that these companies were somewhat
more of a night out, mixing fine films
missing the point, Mike decided
with fine food and drink, as opposed to that he could do it on his own and aimed
the blockbuster-and-a-box-of-popcorn to put his ideas into
combo offered at the local multiplex. He
Mike Groves recognizes
practice in his hometown
of Birkenhead,
is full of original ideas, and all he needs
now are the right buildings to fit them in. near Liverpool. A suitable
the importance of a relaxed
The history of Mike's Futurist Cinema
venue presented
Company is a short one and has its roots itself in the high-gothic
form of Birkenhead's
not just in three different cities, but in
three different countries. The Edinburghbased
Town Hall, which dates
press consultant had always wanted from the Victorian
to run his own cinema, and he found new period, and had handily
been recently fitted
with a state-of-the-art
digital projector and
two 35mm projectors,
which were rescued from a cinema that
had closed down and were supplied by
the Projected Picture Trust.
Mike was particularly attracted to
the idea of having a one-screen, multipurpose
venue, with a bar at the back,
and a floor space where rake scaling
could be used one day and then replaced

thought
I ime
spare time he designed a smart and stylish
website for the company and also set
about writing copy for publicity material.
It was here that his background in marketing
and PR came in handy. Mike also
realized early on that, for the company to
survive, it had to be very much a part of
the local scene. He tested out public interest
in Birkenhead by enclosing response
forms with mailings sent out by the economical
development agency, the
Hamilton Quarter. "The response was
fantastic." he remembers. "People were
writing back saying, 'This is great—something
really different."' He emphasizes
the significance of the website, which not
only helped to establish the Futurist's
image and raise awareness of it, but also
facilitated feedback from the public. This
interaction was to set the mold for the
way the Futurist would operate.
With evidence of such substantial pub-
uturist founder Mike Groves.
lic interest
in the company.
Mike
approached
the council,
who supported
him
and agreed
to allow
him to rent
the facilities
at the Town
Hall, for an
opening
season of
movies at
the end of
2000. It was
then
Mike
that
was
at last able
to put into
practice
his
many ideas for unique screening events.
The list of these shows that he not only
has an eye for a good idea, but also an ear
for a catchy name to accompany it. The
"brew and view" event was reborn as
"Reel to Meal." as Mike collaborated with
some local caterers to provide the food.
THE FUTURIST
43 Hamilton St., Hamilton Quarter
Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside
England CH41 5AA
Ph: 0870 241 1616
www.futuristcinema.com
Most Useful Boxoffice Feature:
Studio News / Charts
Favorite Boxoffice Feature:
Tech Talk
Earliest Movie Memory:
"Being taken to see 'Diamonds
Are Forever' and seeing that
amazing space buggy!"
Italian cuisine accompanied
Campbell Scott and
Stanley Tucci's 1996 picture
"Big Night" and
German dishes with lager
and hock were laid on for
writer-director Tom Tykwer's
inventive feature
"Run Lola Run."
Another strand of the
season, entitled "Moving
Conversations," offered
evenings of "witty and
amusing discourse followed
by a surprise
movie." Designed to
examine "life in films and
life," films in the first of
these conversations was
with the MP and noted
film bull' Gerald Kaufman.
Unsurprisingly, it was
Mike who acted as interviewer
at this sold-out
event. Kaufman, a big fan
of the classic Hollywood
musical, chose "Bells Are
Ringing" as his surprise
movie. A later guest,
British film industry giant
Michael Grade, chose the
Ealing classic "The Ladykillers"
as his feature and
the audience, needless to
—
say, was delighted.
While choosing his own films for the
program, Mike couldn't help including
personal favorites such as the slick Steve
McQueen crime caper "Bullitt." In
another themed event of the season, he
selected Carlos Saura's "Tango" and the
Beatles biopic "Backbeat" as onscreen
accompaniments to the acclaimed
Wirral International Guitar Festival.
Other neatly named Futurist programs
include "Spool Britannia" (showing the
best new britflicks); "Scream Too" (special
screenings for adults with noisy
babies); and "Democratic Delights."
where members of the audience are
given a choice of one of five films, the
most popular of which is screened.
Favorite Recent Movie:
"'Magnolia.' I it was
an absolute tour-de-force
a fantastic movie!"
Favorite Concession Item:
Sorbet. "At least it's vaguely
healthy!"
Advice To Other Exhibitors:
"Smile. Make sure that the
people selling the tickets,
selling concessions and showing
people to their seats are
smiling. There's no harm in
being friendly and natural with
your customers."
SCREEN SHOT: The Futurist auditorium.
Personal passions such as "Bullitt"
aside, Mike is more than willing to listen
to his audiences when programming. In
a mailing, he asked for their views on the
kinds of films that they wanted to see,
and this garnered unsurprising requests
such as black-and-white favorites, musicals
and homegrown features. He also
observed that people of Merseyside
wanted to see the smaller releases and
international features that escaped the
multiplexes. Due to this feedback, much
of the filmic fare screened at the
Futurist seems destined to be retrospective,
but Mike doesn't see this as a weakness.
"People want to see classics," he
comments, calling attention to recent
U.K. re-releases such as "Singin" in the
Rain" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
Mike is currently preparing the next
program at Birkenhead Town Hall, but
lie also has his eye on other venues
around the country. The ideal, of course,
would be a chain o( distinctive Futurist
cinemas, each with their own unique
feel, housed in attractive and perhaps
unusual venues, operating full-time and
catering to then specific audiences. But
outside investment must be found first,
and Mike must also look to expand the
company and lake more people onboard.
"
will tell," he muses, "but
I believe
that m> basic idea is B iiooA one. and I
have ambitions for it!" Considering his
evidenl passion foi movies, his entrepreneurial
skill and the success of the company's
screenings so far, the future and
the 1 uturist could indeed be
brieht for Mike Groves.
verj
H
Jury, 2IMH 4 l >

Machines You Can Write Off.
People You Can't.
Every day, throughout the U. S. and
around the globe, the National Crisrina
Foundation is putting donations of used
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work—at no charge to donors or
recipients—helping train people with
disabilities, students at risk and those
who are disadvantaged to become more
independent and productive in their live:
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CINEMAEXPO EXTRA: Exhibition Profile
SIGHTS ON CYPRUS
K Cineplex Brings the Modern Multiplex
Maybe
to a Mediterranean Isle by Melissa Morrison
they weren't the eyepatch-wearing,
treasuremarauding,
high-seasthieving
lot that menaced Cyprus'
coast centuries ago. But they were
pirates nonetheless.
These Mediterranean pirates hijacked
Hollywood releases and
showed them on videotape, robbing
the island's theatre owners of their
livelihood—and their customers the
cinemagoing experience.
With the advent of video in the
early '80s, the Greek side of Cyprus
the island is split. Cold War Berlin-like,
between Greek and Turkish rule
became a cinema wasteland. Theatres
became warehouses. Some were torn
down. Those that managed to hang on
faded from underuse. As many as 120
screens closed in the rural villages,
according to Alexandros Karapatakis.
Karapatakis is the director of financial
affairs and strategic objectives for K
Cineplex, a circuit that is leading Greek
Cyprus' cinema revival.
Fast-forward to 2001. The circuit has
opened two multiplexes, each in different
cities, and has a third due to debut this
fall
in the capital of Nicosia. Ultimately,
the circuit plans to have five complexes.
That's downright piddly by American
standards. But when you consider
that Greek Cyprus has a population of
just under 600,000 people, and that
five multiplexes are expected to give K
Cineplex at least a 50 percent market
share, you get a sense of how the exhibition
landscape has transformed
since the bleak '80s.
And K Cineplex is looking toward
the future with an eye not only to help
its own business, but to invigorate the
island's cinema industry as a whole.
"We do not want to monopolize.
We are looking forward to competition
in order to improve," Karapatakis
says. "Competition is healthy;
competition is good."
Twenty years ago, however, the only
competition was from video pirates,
who got the movies from elsewhere.
such as Asia and the Middle East, he
says. At one point, 700 video clubs
operated in Greek Cyprus.
Artist rendering ot K Cineptex's
"In each corner there was a video
club renting these tapes for less than 50
American cents," he explains.
The hero that first took on the
pirates in this case was a distribution
company, D&H Film Distributors, that
worked with Hollywood studios to help
the industry recover. It was slowgoing
in the beginning.
"Previous exhibitors didn't have the
confidence to reopen," Karapatakis
says. "Many changed businesses. So the
company had to prove to people that
there was potential in this industry."
The distributor leased an old
building, refurbished it and started
screening movies there. At first, the
piracy continued, unabated.
"Pirates would pass by the cinema
and see which posters were displayed outside
and they would immediately release
them on video," he says. "The company
faced tremendous losses 'till '91 and
extensive threats from video pirates."
The exhibitors gained the advantage
when the D&H, with the help of
the American embassy, got an antipiracy
law passed. It protected 80
American film titles from being released
first on video. The first court
case the industry won against the
pirates involved the movie "Batman."
With the pirates hobbled, exhibitors
began to reopen their theatres, including
the region's first double-screen thc-
Larnaca, scheduled to open this month.
atre. Today screens total 38, 10 of
which are in the territory's villages.
Those numbers aren't very impressive
to many Americans, but for a nation
barely half the size of Connecticut,
that's a major turnaround.
Now K Cineplex is going one step
further by bringing American-style
complexes to the island. Three years
ago, it introduced the first five-screener
in the mountainous "second city" of
Limassol, population 120,000. The cinema
features state-of-the-art equipment
such as digital sound, stadium seating,
and—very important in this part of the
world—air conditioning. The plex
holds 1.000 seats total, with each auditorium
ranging from 150 to 350 seats.
As a result. Litnassol's exhibition business
has increased by 55 percent,
Karapatakis says, doubling residents'
former once-a-year trips to the movies.
In July, a six-screen K Cineplex is
scheduled to debut in the city of
Larnaca, population 70,000. And the
company continues to ratchet up the
screen count with a planned sevenscreener
in the capital o( Nicosia. That's
supposed to open late fall. (All the cinemas
share the name oi' the company.)
In 2000. the total number o[' admissions
in Larnaca, a seafront town known
for its ancient Greek ruins, set a landmark
by selling one million-plus tickets.

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S4 Kiimimii I-
rus," he means the southern part of the
island, which is Greek territory. Turks
occupy the northern part of the country,
with a border patrolled by the UN. The
former British colony became independent
in 1960, but independence has been
characterized by tensions between the
island's Greek majority and Turkish
minority. In 1983, the Turks declared
their side of the island—about one-third
of the entire country—the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus, a nation
whose status is recognized only by
Turkey. Nationals from both sides avoid
traveling to the other's territory.
"They're doing their business and
[living] their life, and we're doing our
life on this side," Karapatakis says.
Because Greek Cypriots are fluent in
English—the island is a former British
colony—Hollywood films are shown in
the original language. They're released
on the island at about the same time
they are in Europe, typically several
months after their American debuts.
Some, such as last May's "The Mummy
Returns," are released simultaneously
with their stateside opening.
Now K Cineplex is hoping moviegoers
are as receptive to another American
import: the summer movie season.
"What used to happen [is that] cinemas
in the summer period would close
down," Karapatakis says. "Peak season
was in winter, low season was in summer-
the opposite of what happens in
the United Slates. Theatre operations
K Cineplex 's
five-screener in Limassol.
"These numbers may sound very would close during summer season,
small. ..but to Cyprus—that's been because most [theatres] didn't have adequate
air conditioning or would release
through this piracy—it's a great achievement.
From 50,000 admissions to one [the same] titles that they released in winter.
Now the.. .prejudice that cinemas in
million in 15 years in a population of
70,000 is a great achievement."
summer is a dead industry is changing."
When Karapatakis refers to "Cyp-
Air-conditioned K Cineplexes stay
open all summer long. Cyprus is a popular
spot for European tourists, and the
company is trying to draw visitors by
advertising in hotels, water parks, billboards
and tourist maps. Last year, the
campaign increased attendance by
about 25 percent, Karapatakis says.
"It's
to create more awareness that
there is a proper moviehouse on the
island," he says of the campaign.
"After you've been on the beach and
seen all of Cyprus and want to spend
a few hours at the movies, there is a
proper moviehouse."
For locals, the custom is for families
to attend afternoon and weekend
shows, while teens and young adults
dominate evening screenings. K Cineplex
added a daily afternoon show to
the traditional evening schedule, plus
an even earlier one on weekends.
"It has become very popular for people
with part-time jobs and families," he
says of the earlier shows. "It has maximized
the number of shows per day."
The K Cineplex in Limassol has also
experimented with Americanizing its
concession stands and adding larger
sizes to the usual popcorn and candy bar
fare. Popcorn, for example, traditionally
only comes in a small-portion size. The
results have been promising, he says.
But the biggest concessions change
has actually been to reduce the opportunities
to visil the snack bar.
"We arc the onlj circuit that does not
have intermission," he savs. The company
decided to eliminate the break, during
which customers were encouraged to
visit
the snack bar, after surveying customers.
"We believe a movie is a
dream—you cannot cut a dream in the
middle. The producer has produced that
film for someone to see from the very
first minute to the very last minute and
not have a commercial for Coca-Cola in
the middle of a hot scene."
Ticket prices in Cyprus equate those
in America—about $8, or four Cyprus
pounds. And, as in the States, admissions
are discounted for children. After
customers have purchased their tickets,
they can wait in a cafeteria. Future K
Cineplexes will include a food court
containing a well-known food franchise,
Karapatakis says. He adds that
the company uses mainly American
consultants for its architecture, acoustics
and technical building.
The food court is part of K
Cineplex's ultimate goal to build complete
entertainment venues adjacent
to the cinemas.
"In three or four years, we hope it
will be a one-stop entertainment destination:
bowling clubs, nightclubs, arcades,
water parks, restaurants," he
says. "Our model is the United States."
matter what
No
the lure,
though, K Cineplex's mission
is to get people going to
the movies again—this time lo watch
swashbucklers battling it out on the
screen, not down the street.
"We are trying to bring people back
to the big screen, people who used to go
to the movies back in the '70s and '80s, M
he says. "This progress thai has been
made is due to the dedication and loyally
we have toward this." Hi

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1
'
2001 Great States Theatre Convention
REGISTRATION FORM
—1^I—

CINEMAEXPO EXTRA: Special Report
THINK GLOBALLY,
ACT LOCALLY
Sho West's Panel of International Distributors
Exhorts Action on Hot-Button Issues
by Christine James
West 200 Ts International Day
Sho
got underway with a seminar concerning
global exhibition's hot-button
issues, featuring commentary from
Buena Vista International president Mark
Zoradi, president of Miramax Worldwide
Distribution Rick Sands and United
International Pictures president Andrew
Cripps, and moderated by Tom Borys, president
of the box-office data tracking company
ACNielsen EDI. Utilizing information
garnered by his company, Borys synopsized
the international market's Year 2000 results,
citing mixed performances, such as the U.K.
and Mexico's upticks in admissions,
Germany and Spain's stable figures and
Australia's 7.4 percent downturn, and a
small decrease in total worldwide grosses.
ACNielsen EDI, taking a sample of the
91 top international performers, determined
that of those films, 46 percent of the 1999/
2000 box office was international ($7.65 billion)
and 54 percent was generated in the
U.S. and Canada ($8.91 billion), translating
to the international take being 85 percent of
struggle in
foreign markets due to the contrasting
humor sensibilities of different cultures.
On the other hand, nine out of the top
10 global blockbusters performed markedly
better internationally, said Borys: The
total take balanced out to 58 percent international,
42 percent North America.
Borys also observed that worldwide
release dates are compressing, with 35 percent
of titles launched within two weeks of
their foreign debut.
UIP's Cripps addressed the necessity to
shake complacency toward the problem of
piracy, asserting that "the losses arc too
large to ignore," pointing to Motion
Picture Association statistics that estimate
that the I f.S. film industry lost %} billion to
piracy in 2000 alone, and that admissions
can be affected if high-quality pirated
goods are made available in a more timely
fashion than theatrical releases, which are
delayed by print availability, dubbing and
subtitling, the rating process, marketing
development, talent availability for promotional
campaigns and other factors. To
help control piracy, Cripps advised
exhibitors to maintain vigilance over the
protection of property, advocate and support
relevant laws (like the WIPO copyright
treaty and performance
and phonogram treaty)
and enforcement, and
give consumers choice,
comfort and convenience
in a theatrical
environment. Piracy
"is not a victimless
crime," said Cripps.
"It affects all of us."
Miramax's Sands
presented the independent
distributor's perspective,
contending
the North American gross. There is strong that indies are forced
film-by-film variation, however, with North to spend at the same
American comedies being the most likely to levels as the major studios
to compete to get
people in theatres. They
must also implement
other strategies for
their product to stand out: Sands said
Miramax uses film festivals like Sundance,
Venice, Berlin and Cannes to generate buzz
and award nominations. All distributors
must tailor their ad campaigns for different
countries. Sands noted, using France
their U.S. release, while 60 percent open at
certain international sites within one month
and 22 percent bow between a month and a
half and two months. Only 17 percent of
as an example: The country does not permit
TV spots for films, so the print ads are
far more important and the visuals need to
be especially strong.
films take more than two months to make Zoradi of Buena Vista International
tackled the topic of home entertainment's
evolution and its impact on the motion piclure
industry, pointing out that despite the
success of cable. Pay TV, satellite TV. video
and DVD over the last three decades, theatrical
admissions increased from 900 million
in l
l )70 to 1.5 billion in 2000, and box
office shot up from $1.4 billion in 1970 to
$7.7 billion in 2000. "New formats will continue
to emerge," Zoradi acknowledged, citing
VOD—video on demand—as the next
major medium; however, he believes that, as
in the past, they will not have a significant
negative impact on theatrical exhibition.
In a panel discussion following the presentations,
Borys, Cripp. Sands and Zoradi
were joined by Paul Johnson of Australia's
Hoyts Cinemas, who reported that international
exhibitors are learning from the mis-
ACNielsen EDI's Tom Borys. Buena Vista International's Mark Zoradi,
UIP's Andrew Cripps, Miramax International's Rick Sands and Hoyts' Paul
Johnson comprised ShoWest's Global Distribution panel.
takes of the U.S., starting with a "clean
sheet and fresh new cinemas" and a "strategy
of not cannibalizing each other." Of
America's current status, the panelists were
optimistic. "We're getting rid of non-performing
assets— theatres that don't make
sense—through US. bankruptcy laws." said
Sands of the upside of the industry's
numerous recent Chapter 1 1 filings.
To strengthen the industry, Zoradi
advised thai exhibitors think o( their
theatres as retail environments, making the
most of trailers, POP and merchandise. I le
also stressed the importance o( collaborating
with distributors and dissipating the
"huge mistrust" and tendency to "butt
heads" thai comes from both sides.
Johnson agreed: "Distribution's success is
definiteh our success."
ttW

J9)6
I
CINEMAEXPO EXTRA: Associations
EUROPEAN EXHIBITOR
ASSOCIATIONS
AUSTRIA
Fachverband der
Lichtspieltheater u.
Audiovisionsveranstalter
Wiedner Hauptstrasse 63
Postfach 340
1040 Wien
AUSTRIA
PHONE: (43) 1 50 105 3525
FAX: (43) 1 50 105 3526
E-MAIL: kinosf« vvko.at
PRESIDENT:
Komm. Rat Horst Rober
SECRETARY GENERAL:
Dr. Kurt Kaufmann
BELGIUM
FCB—Federation des Cinemas
de Belgique/Federatie van
Cinema's van Belgie
241 rue Royale
B- 12 10 Brussels
BELGIUM
PHONE: (32) 2 218 14 55
FAX: (32) 2 217 23 72
E-MAIL: fcb'a euronet.be and
fcblto euronet.be
CONTACT: Guy Morlion
DENMARK
Danish Cinema Association
Overodvej 10
DK-2840 Holte
DENMARK
PHONE: (45) 45461052
FAX: (45)45461053
E-MAIL: danhio^/ post.tele.dk
I RL: www.danske-biografer.dk
CONTACT: Mette Schramm
FINLAND
Finnish Cinema
Owners Association
Kaisaniemenkatu 3 B 29
SF-00100 Helsinki 1
FINLAND
PHONE: (358) 9 63 63 05
FAX: (358)9 17 66 89
E-MAIL:
I
RL: wwu.fimiikam'ari.'fi
CONTACT: Raija Nurmio
FRANCE
FNCF—Federation Nationale
des Cinemas Francais
15. rue de Berri
75008 Paris
FRANCE
PHONE: (33) 1 53 93 76 76
FAX: (33) 1 45 63 29 76
E-MAIL: fncffefncf.org
PRESIDENT: Jean Labe
GERMANY
Hauptverband Deutscher
Filmtheater e.V.
GroBe Presidenten Str. 9
D 10178 Berlin
GERMANY
PHONE: (49) 30 23 00 40 41
FAX: (49)30 23 00 40 26
URL:
http://l 94. 1 95.240. 1 48/kino_hdf.htm
HOLLAND
NVB—Nederlandse Vereniging
van Bioscoopexploitanten
Jan Luykenstraat 2
NL 1071 CM Amsterdam
HOLLAND
PHONE: (31 ) 33 20 67 99 261
FAX: (31) 33 20 67 50 398
E-MAIL: infotenfc.org
I RL: www.nl'c.or g
PRESIDENT: A.J. Weststkate
DELEGATE FOR
EUROPEAN AFFAIRS:
Jan Van Dommelen
SECRETARY GENERAL:
Frank Van Der Putle
CONTACT: Barbara Groen
ITALY
ANFC—Associazione
Nazionale Fsercenti Cinema
Via ili Villa Patrizi 10
00161 Rome
ITALY
PHONE: (39) 6 88 47 31
FAX: ( 44 04 255
E-MAIL: ufficiocinemafi apsweb.il
I RL: uuu.agisweb.il
PRESIDES t \lbcrto I ranceseom
CONTACT: Mario Mazzetti
FICE—Federazione Italiana
dei Cinema d'Essai
Viadi Villa Patrizi 10
00161 Rome
ITALY
PHONE: (39) 6 88 47 33 57
FAX: (39) 6 440 42 55
E-MAIL: fieefaatzisweb.it
URL: www.fice.it
PRESIDENT: Domenico Dinoia
CONTACT: Mario Mazzetti
NORWAY
Film & Kino
National Association of
Municipal Cinemas
Dronningensgate 16
P.O. Box 446 Sentrum
0104 Oslo
NORWAY
PHONE: (47) 22 47 45 00
FAX: (47) 22 47 46 99
E-MAIL: lenefa kino.no
LRL: www. filmucb.no/filmogkino
SWITZERLAND
Procinema
P.O. Box 7563
3001 Bern
SWITZERLAND
PHONE: (41) 31 387 37 00
FAX: (41) 31 387 37 07
E-MAIL: info«/ procinema. eh
LRL: www.procinema.ch
OFFICE MANAGER:
Daniel Lupoid
UNITED KINGDOM
The Cinema
Exhibitors Association
22 Golden Square
ondon Wll -9JW
England
PHONE: (44) 207 734 9551
FAX: (44) 207 734 6147
E-MAIL:
cca ii cinema uk.flecli.co.uk
( I II I I EXEC! IDE:
John Wilkinson

60 Hoxoiiki
EUROPEAN GIANTS
OF EXHIBITION
abai
mam
>ire<
An Alphabetical Listing of European Theatre Circuits
by Francesca Dinglasan
AB SVENSK
FILMINDUSTRI / SF BIO
Filmstaden Kasunda /Kasundavagcn 150, Spina
Stockholm 169 86
SWEDEN
PHONE: (46) 8-680-35-00
FAX: (46) 8-710-44-60
E-MAIL: stefan.klockby@sf.se
\\1 MM I I- , sf.se
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Ab Svensk Filmmdut-tn (Pmdiu I ton/Distribution):
Rasmus Ramstad, President
Stefan Klockby, VP, Corp. Communications
Anders Bergholm, Acquisition
Ann-Krishn Westerberg, Intl. Sales
kersten Bonnier, Held ot Production
SF Bio (Exhibition):
Jan Bemhardsson, President, SF Bio
Srure Johansson, Programming Director
Steven Sodergren, Concession Manager
Marie Sahlstrom, Marketing Director
YEAR FOUNDED: 1919
TOTAL SCREENS: 181
TOTAL SITES: 31
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 181
SITES LAST YEAR: 31
NEW (2000) SCREENS:
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Sweden
AMC ENTERTAINMENT
(CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS)
106 West 14th Street
Kansas City, MO 64141
USA
PHONE: 816-221-4000
FAX: 816-480-4617
WEBSITE: www.amctheatres.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Peter C. Brown, Chairman, President & CEO
Philip M. Singleton, COO
James Beynon, Treasurer
Craig Ramsey, CFO
Mark McDonald, Exec. VP, International Ops.
Richard Fay, President, Film Marketing
YEAR FOUNDED: 1920
TOTAL SCREENS (Pans only): 20
TOTAL SITES (Paris only): 1
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 20
SITES LAST YEAR: 1
NEW (2000) SCREENS:
THEATRE LOCATIONS: France
62-64, Blvd. Pereire
Paris 75017
FRANCE
PHONE (33) 1-42-12-02-92
FAX: (33) 1-42-12-01-18
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Bruno Frydman, President
VI \i;hi[ \IH n |992
AREA CATALANA D'EXHIBICION
CINEMATOGRAFICA, S.A. (ACEC)
SPAIN
PHONE: 34-93-323-64-26
FAX: 34-93-323-72-23
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Jaume Camprecios Pujol, President
Enric Gratacos Carles, VP
Francisco Garcia Bascunana, Manager
YEAR FOUNDED: 1985
TOTAL SCREENS: 234
TOTAL SITES: 37
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 207
SITES LAST YEAR: 41
NEW (2000) SCREENS: 27
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Spain
B.V. BI0SC00P
EXPLOITATIE MINERVA
PHONF (31)20-64-46-823
FAX: (31) 20-64-48-946
E-MAIL: info@minervagroep.nl
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Jan W. Verhoef, Managing Director
Haig Balian, Managing Director
Ron Sterk, Assistant Director
TOTAL SCREENS: 59
(43 Minerva-owned; 16 Minerva-contolled)
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 34
NEW (2000) SCREENS: 25
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Netherlands
CGR CINEMAS
Immeuble Procine
8, Rue Blaise Pascal
ZI de Perignv
La Rochelle Cedex 1 17039
FRANCE
PHONE: (33) 5-46-44-01-76
FAX: (33) 5-46-44-55-85
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Jean-Luc Raymond, President
Roger-Mare Lecoq.Geneial Directoi
i >h\ iei l
the, ( lenera] Secretary
[ocelyn Bouyssy, Running
I lira t"i
Renaud Gucnn, Marketing Direclol
Samuel Melisson, Programming Director
Pascal Perrels I I
ing t"i
AL

CINE UK LTD.

FINNKINO OY
Koivuvaarankuja 2
Vantaa 01640, FINLAND
PHONE: (358) 9-131-19344
FAX: (358) 9-131-19343
E-MAIL: yritysmvvriti@finrikino.fi
WEBSITE: www.finnkino.fi
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Timo Manty, President
YEAR FOUNDED: 1986
TOTAL SCREENS: 74
TOTAL SITES: 17
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 72
SITES LAST YEAR: 23
NEW (2000) SCREENS: 2
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Finland
GAUMONT CINEMAS
30, Av. Charles de Gaulle
Neuilly-Sur-Seine 92200
FRANCE
PHONE: 33-1-46-43-20-00
FAX: 33-1-46-43-24-28
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Jean-Louis Renouv Managing Director
Germinal Anton, Programming Director
YEAR FOUNDED: 1895
TOTAL SCREENS: 362
TOTAI SITES (Paris onlv): 14
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 252
SITES LAST YEAR (Paris only): 18
NEW (2000) SCREENS: 110
THEATRE LOCATIONS: France
JOGCHEM'S THEATERS B.V.
Postbus 127
3750 GC Bunschoten
THE NETHERLANDS
PHONE: (33) 298-48-84
FAX: (33) 298-49-08
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
J. van Dommelen, President
YEAR FOUNDED: 1932
TOTAL SCREENS: 102
TOTAL SITES: 27
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 95
SITES LAST YEAR: 25
NEW (2000) SCREENS: 7
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Netherlands
KINEPOLIS GROUP N.V.
Eeuwfeestlaan 20
Brussels 1020
BELGIUM
PHONE: (32) 2-474-26-00
FAX: (32) 2-474-26-06
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Joost Bert, CEO
Florent Gijbels, CEO
Jan Staelens, CFO
Gilbert Deley, COO
YEAR FOUNDED: 1975
TOTAL SCREENS: 324
TOTAL SITES: 25
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 212
SITES LAST YEAR: 16
NEW (2000) SCREENS: 112
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Belgium, France, Italy,
Netherlands, Spam, Switzerland, Poland
LAUREN FILMS
Balmes 87
Barcelona 08008
SPAIN
PHONE: (34) 93-496-38-00
FAX: (34) 93-496-38-01
WEBSITE: www.laurenfilm.es
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Antonio Llorens Olive, CEO
Antoni Badimon Vives, Executive Director
THE
MOST POWER
SINCE 1984, Manutech has manufactured
premium, lightweight electric
powered backpack blowers and vacu-
HK ' ums. We make
h'fJJ'7
the Blohard, a
twin motor, high velocity backpack
blower/cleaner, and the Bakuum, a
large volume, high-lift backpack vacuum.
By concentrating
on just
LLUjuum
these two products, Manutech has been
able to refine them and maximize
quality. We believe these products to
be of the highest efficiency, utility and
durability, and at very affordable
prices.
CONTACT US today for a free
brochure or more information at
1-800-676-2569.
EjMANUTICH
2080 Sunset Drive 1-800-676-2569
P.O. Box 51295 Tel 831-655-8794
Pacific Grove, CA Fax 831-655-8967
93950 info@manulech.com
www.manulech.com
62 llovtii k i
Response No 92

I
Maria [ose Pueras, LheatreOps.
\.i\ in Villarrova. Equipment Buvcr
Irene Rabal, \dvertising .V Pub I lirectoi
[gnacio I'uobla, Commercial Director
TOTAL SCREENS (4/1)1 ("ill
rOl \l SITES: 20
Mil AIKl LOCATIONS: Spain
LES IMAGES MEGARAMA
62, Grande Rue
Besancon 25000
FRANCE
PHONE: (33) 1-45-00-01-22
FAX: (33) 1-45-00-53-46
Peter J. Brady, VI'. c onstruclion
lames I [ughes, VP, Concessions
rhaddeus [ankowski, VI' & Genera] Counsel
I. nnes Mini. n. \ I' i lprr.itn.ns
Stephen Sohles, VP, Management Into Sys
tinstopher Baum, VP, New Business Dvpt.
Elaine Purdy, Asst. VP, Marketing & Advertising
YEAR FOUNDED: 1936
l< H \l M Rl I \SiL k only) 22-1
S< KM \'SU k
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Jean-Pierre Lemoine, General Director
NATIONAL AMUSEMENTS
(SHOWCASE CINEMAS)
200 Elm Street
Dedham, MA 02026
USA
PHONE: 781-461-1600
FAX: 781-326-1306
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Sumner M. Redstone, Chairman
Shari E.
Redstone, President
Jerome Magner, Sr. VP, Finance & Treasurer
William J. Towey, Sr. VP, Operations
George Levitt, Sr. VP, Film Booking
William J. Moscarelli, VP, Real Estate
Richard Sherman, VP, Finance & Adi
Mark Walukevich, VP, Film Internati
John Bilsborough, VP, Ops. Internatr

PHONE: (33) 1-71-72-30-00
FAX: (33) 1-71-72-31-00
E-MAIL: pathe@pathe.com
WEBSITE: www.pathe.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Eduardo Malone, Chairman
Xavier Rigault, Managing Director (France)
YEAR FOUNDED: 1987
TOTAL SCREENS: 315
TOTAL SITES: 37
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 280
SITES LAST YEAR (France only): 24
NEW (2000) SCREENS: 35
THEATRE LOCATIONS: France, Netherlands
PATHE CINEMAS
(NETHERLANDS)
1070 AX Amsterdam
NETHERLANDS
PHONE: (31) 20-57-51-751
FAX: (31) 20-57-51-777
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Lauge Nielsen, Managing Director
TOTAL SCREENS (Netherlands only): 96
TOTAL SITES (Netherlands only): 14
SCREENS LAST YEAR (Netherlands only): 80
SITES LAST YEAR (Netherlands only): 12
NEW (2000) SCREENS (Netherlands): 16
THEATRE LOCATIONS:Netherlands
SANDREW METRONOME AB
SWEDEN
PHONE: (46) 8-762-17-00
FAX: (46) 8-762-17-80
E-MAIL: klas.olofssonia'sandrewmerronome.c
WEBSITE \v\\ ws.ukIivu mi't i onome.com
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Klas Olofsson, President & CEO
Berril Sandgren, COO & Sr. Exec. VP, Sandrew
Metronome International AB
kim Vestergaard, CFO & Treasurer
Bo Christensen, Sr. Exec. VP, Sandrew Metronome
Denmark A/S
Jukka Vilhunen, Sr. Exec. VP, Sandrew Metronome
Finland Oy AB
Leif Lindhlad, Sr. Exec. VP, Sandrew Metronome
Distribution Finland Oy AB
Frida Ohrvik, Sr. Exec. VP, Sandrew Metronome
Norway A/S
Fredrik Brehmer, Sr. Exec. VP, Sandrew Metronome
Sverige AB
Staffan Wallhem, Sr. Exec. VP, Sandrew Metronome
Distribution Sverige AB
YEAR FOUNDED: 1926
TOTAL SCREENS: 126
TOTAL SITES: 26
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 115
SITES LAST YEAR: 27
NEW (2000) SCREENS: 11
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Denmark, Finland,
SOREDIC
3E, rue de Paris—BP 135
Cesson-Sevigne Cedex 35513
FRANCE
PHONE: (33) 2-99-83-78-00
FAX: (33) 2-99-83-29-37
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Philippe Paumelle. President
YEAR FOUNDED: 1968
TOTAL SCREENS: 90
TOTAL SITES: 11
SCREENS LAST YEAR: 75
SITES LAST YEAR: 30
NEW (2000) SCREENS: 25
THEATRE LOCATIONS: France
Manufacturing dependable low voltage lighting solutions with
a commitment to integrity of service.
Eliminate the Glare
Stadium Lighting Systems
with dual dimming control
= INDUSTRIES, INC. ===
1961 McGaw Avenue
Irvine, California 92614
(949)442-1601 phone
(949)442-1601 fax
info @ tempoindusfries.com
ir.tempoindustries.com
64 Boxoiik i

I M
i l,n.
I
1
2 1)S( R| I \S
i lallahei i It i
louse,
NS
te
til
UFA-THEATER GMBH & CO.KG
Semperstrasse26
Hamburg 22303, Gl RMAN\
PH0N1 (49)40-450-68-0
FAX: (49) 40-450-68-201
Ml ml,." 1. 1. .kmo.de
Ul USUI wwu ut.ikinii.de
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Stephen Lehm.inn, CEO
YEAR FOUNDED: 1917
TOTAL SCREENS (5/01): 234
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Germany
UGC CINEMAS
24, ave. Charles de Gaulle
Neuilly-Sur-Seine 92522, FRANCE
PHONE: (33) 1-46-40-44-30
FAX: (33) 1-46-24-37-28
E-MAIL: contact@ugc.fr
\\l ISM 1
'.UgC.l
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Guy Verrechia, President
TOTAL SCREENS: 766
TOTAL SITES: 88
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Belgium, France, Ireland,
Spain, UK
UNITED CINEMAS INTERNATIONAL
15821 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 545
Encino, CA 91436
USA
PHONE: 818-808-1600
FAX: 818-461-9639
WEBSITE: www.uci-cinemas.co.uk
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Joseph Peixoto, President & CEO (Los Angeles,
Calif, offices)
Jim Burk, Exec. VP (Los Angeles)
lustin Ribbons, General Counsel (Manchester,
England)
Steve Knibbs, Sr. VP, Northern Europe (Manchester,
England)
Jose Batlle, Sr.
VP, Southern Europe (Barcelona,
Spain)
Howard France, Sr. VP, New Business Development
(Los Angeles)
Noel Connelly, Sr. VP, Real Estate (Manchester,
England)
TOTAL SCREENS (worldwide): 1034
TOTAL SITES (worldwide): 115
TOTAL SCREENS (Europe): 881
TOTAL SITES (Europe): 97
SCREENS LAST YEAR (worldwide): 878
SITES LAST YEAR (worldwide): Hill
st Kl \s
I I ASI YEAR (Europe): 713
SHIM \s| Yl AK (Europe) HI
\l W (21)1111) St Kl I (worldwide) I
\l W 1 [Europe) IhS
[III MKI l(H \ll(i\S Argentina, Austria, Brazil,
( hin.i. I ngland, I .ernianv, Ireland, Italv, Japan,
Panama, Poland, Portugal Spain,
VILLAGE CINEMAS INTERNATIONAL
Ird I loor, W.irnei I
London WCTX8WB
U.K.
PHONE: (44) 20-7984-6990
FAX: (44) 20-7984-6991
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
r n,
l.uwan
98 rheob.ild's Ko.id
WARNER BROS. INTERNATIONAL THEATRES
41100 Warner Blvd., Building 160, Suite 250
Burbank, CA 91522-1602, USA
PHONE: 818-977-6278
FAX: 818-977-6040
I Ml I IIVI ROSTER:
Millard L. Ochs, President
David Bent, VP, Operational Finance, Info. Sys. &
Administration
Dave Pearson, Sr. VP, Worldwide Ops.
Paul Miller, VP, Finance-
James Birch, VP, Business Allans & (,en
Peter Dobson, VP, Intl.
Film Relations
Ira Stiegler, Sr. VP, Architecture & Planning
Chris Sanders, Dir., Group Purchasing
Counsel
YEAR FOUNDED: 1988
TOTAL SCREENS (Europe): 575
TOTAL SITES (Europe): 58
SCREENS LAST YEAR (Europe): 468
SITES LAST YEAR (Europe): 50
NEW (2000) SCREENS (Europe): 107
THEATRE LOCATIONS: Australia, Italy, Japan,
Portugal, Spam, l.nw.in, I nitrd kingdom
WARNER LUSOMUNDO
CINES DE ESPANA S.A.
Minipark 1— Edificio B-l Planta, c/Azalea Nl,
Urbani/acion el Soto de la Moraleja
Madrid 28109, SPAIN
PHONE: (34) 91-658-5358
FAX: (34) 91-658-5356
WARNER LUSOMUNDO
SOCIEDADE IBERICA DE CINEMAS
Rua Luciano Cordeiro, 113,1
Lisbon 1150, PORTUGAL
PHONE: (35) 1-21-318-7300
FAX: (35) 1-21-318-7389
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Manuel Faustmo. Managing Director
WARNER VILLAGE CINEMAS
98 Theobald's Road
London WC1X 8WB, UNITED KINGDOM
PHONE: 44-207-984-6750
FAX: 44-207-984-6831
WEBSITE: www.wamervillage.co.uk
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Mclvvn Angell. Managing Director
WARNER VILLAGE ITALIA
Piazza Augusto Imperatore, 3, Scala C/2nd pian
Rome 00186, ITALY
PHONE: (39) 06-68-81-11
FAX: (39) 06-68-80-85-78
EXECUTIVE R( STER
Antonio Maldonado, Managing Director
YELMO CINEPLEX, S.L.
Madrid 28008, SPAIN
PHON1 mi"! 758-96-00
FAX (34)91-548-29-40
WEBSITl www yelmocineplex.es
EXECUTIVE ROSTER:
Ricardo Evole Martil, President & CEO
Angel Poveda Gallego, Financial Dii
Enrique Vinas, Programming Dii
Pablo Noguerolea Mktg & Dvlpmnl l'n
Enrique Martinez,
I
t.
onstruction &
Rafael Urio, Operations Dii
igr
i
\s| -,1 \K 226

CINEMAEXPO 2001
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
RAI International Exhibition and Congress Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
June 25-28, 2001
D-20.I
10.00-11.00
11.15-12.30
MONDA Y, JUNE 25
Convention Registration
RAI Onyx Lounge
Trade Show Registration
Holland Hall #11
Cinema Expo Hospitality Lounge
RAI Auditorium Lounge & Terrace
Media Salles Seminar
Technical Seminar: Digital Cinema
Forum Centre
Lunch
Co-Sponsor: Media Salles
RAI Auditorium Lounge & Terrace
Screening: "Serendipity"
Miramax International
RAI Auditorium
Miramax International Refreshment Break
RAI Auditorium Lounge & Terrace
Screening: "The Fast and The Furious"
UlP/Universal Pictures
RAI Auditorium
Opening Night Dinner
Sponsor: UIP
West Hall #3
Screening: "Tomb Raider"
UlP/Paramount Pictures
RAI Auditorium
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27
1 Convention and Trade Show Registration
RAI Onyx Lounge
\ Breakfast and Product Reel
Sponsor: Warner Bros. Intl. Distribution
RAI Auditorium Lounge & Terrace
10 Screening: "Cats & Dogs"
Warner Bros. International
RAI Auditorium
10 Cinema Expo Hospitality Lounge
RAI Auditorium Lounge & Terrace
M) Cinema Expo Trade Show and Luncheon
Holland Hall #11
10 Walt Disney Animation Program
RAI Auditorium
JO Beverage Break
RAI Auditorium Lounge & Terrace
H) Screening and Product Reel:
"Atlantis"
Buena Vista International
RAI Auditorium
?0 Dinner Party
Sponsor: Buena Vista International
Off Premises
TUESDA Y, JUNE 26
7.30-18.00 Convention Registration
RAI Onyx Lounge
8.00-18.00 Trade Show Registration
Holland Hall #11
8.00-8.30 Continental Breakfast
RAI Auditorium Lounge & Terrace
8.30-10.00 Concession Seminar
Host: The Coca-Cola Company
Forum Centre
10.00-17.00 Cinema Expo Hospitality Lounge
RAI Auditorium Lounge & Terrace
10.15-12.30 Screening From MGM
RAI Auditorium
12.30-14.15 Opening Day Luncheon
Co-Sponsors: A.C. Nielsen/EDI and
The Hollywood Reporter
West Hall #3
14.30-18.00 Cinema Expo Trade Show and
Cocktail Party
Sponsor: Dolby Labs
Holland Hall #11
18.00-20.00 Screening from 20th Century Fox
RAI Auditorium
20.00-21.45 Gala Dinner Party
Sponsor: 20th Century Fox
West Hall #3
21.45-24.00 Screening from 20th Century Fox
RAI Auditorium
THURSDA Y, JUNE 28
8.00-18.00 Convention and Trade Show Registration
RAI Onyx Lounge
8.30-1 1 .30 Continental Breakfast—Trade Show Floor
Holland Hall #11
10.00-17.00 Cinema Expo Hospitality Lounge
RAI Auditorium Lounge & Terrace
11.00-13.00 Screening: "Animal"
Columbia TriStar Film Distributors Intl.
RAI Auditorium
13.00-14.30 Luncheon
Sponsor: Columbia TriStar Film Dist. Intl.
West Hall #3
14.45-16.45 Screening: "Evolution"
Columbia TriStar Film Dist. Intl.
RAI Auditorium
19.00-20.00 Gala Champagne Reception
Sponsor: Eastman Kodak
RAI Auditorium Lounge

1
PECIAL REPORT: CinemaExpo 2001
EXHIBITOR OF THE YEAR
a career so successful, in fact, that it
will be recognized at the 200
CinemaExpo convention with the
exhibitor of the Year Award.
This lifelong devotion to the exhibition
industry began in 1 970. when
Wiener, then a University of Miami
Btudent, took an entry-level position
at ABC Florida State Theaters.
Although he would go on to spend 22
years working for different exhibition
companies throughout the United
States. Ins application to ARC tinned
out to be the only one he ever had to
Cine-UK's Steve Wiener
submit. "I never left," Wiener
explains to BOXOFFIC E. "The company
kept changing hands and getting
sold, and every time it got sold,
I got promoted."
His ascension through the ranks
of his ever-changing employer
would eventually land him in New
York, where he spent six years as an
executive for Cineplex Odeon. He
explains that he remained with the
Canada-based circuit until "Warner
Bros, made an approach and offered
me the position of managing director
in Europe.
"First time ever I was out of the
last year. Also a sure sign of the circuit's
United States in my life," says
success is the number of new
first job I had was to dig a Wiener about accepting his post at cinemas scheduled for grand openings.
In addition to multiplexes bow-
Thehole for the time capsule [to WB International Theatres, which
commemorate the opening required him to relocate to the UK. ing in September and December of
of a new theatre]," recounts Steve "I didn't have a passport [and] didn't this year and throughout 2002,
Wiener, the amicable CEO of Cine- know anything about living outside Wiener says there are 1 1 additional
UK. one of the fastest growing theatrical
circuits in England, about his first
of the United States."
Despite the challenge posed by
sites being planned.
With all the prosperity and power
the exhibition industry. "Then being thrust into a completely new the success of his company has
stint in
I had to put the letters up on the marquee,
country and way of life, Wiener says afforded him, what Wiener describes
and I was scared of heights. I he knew exactly what not to do in as his favorite aspect of working in
[also] had 1.353 rocking chair seats to order to succeed in his new environment.
the exhibition business might come as
"The most important thing somewhat of a shock to many people.
test to make sure they worked because
it was the first cinema the [chain] ever you have to remember—and this is "When I used to work in the field. ..I
had with rocking chairs. That's how I
no matter whether you go from a used to love to know where all the
started in the business."
U.S. company to a UK company, or good parts were in a movie," he says.
Perhaps it's this initiation into the a U.S. company to another U.S. "I'd stand at the back of the auditorium
right before it happens. There's no
world of movie theatres— in which company— is you don't go in and
Wiener was forced to overcome fears start telling people the way you used better feeling that to stand there and
and pay meticulous attention to the to do [things] and the way it should just watch the audience's reaction."
tiniest of details—that best explains be done," he says. "People take Now, at this year's CinemaExpo
the success of a career that spans offense to it. And the quickest way to convention, it will be an audience's
three decades and two continents. It's make a mistake is to assume that just turn to watch Wiener's reaction as he
because this is the way the accepts his Exhibitor of the Year
Americans do it. it's right."
Award. Outside of his family, com-
Wiener's open-minded approach
to entering the UK market seems to
have contributed a great deal to his
understanding of the territory's
tnoviegoing needs, as evinced by the
growth of his own circuit, Cine-UK,
which he founded si\ years ago. "We
decided to go into the smaller towns
where we could spend our lime promoting
the product ami getting people
into the habit of going to [see]
films because lhe\ haven't had a
decent facility—and in some cases,
no facility for more than 10
years," he explains. "We wanted to
spend our time and money on teaching
people to go back to the movies
and not [just] saying, "We're better
than the other guy.'"
By all accounts, the strategy looks
to be working. During its first 12
months in operation, the first Cine-
UK theatre, which opened five years
ago and is located in the town of
Stevenage, attracted 400,000 moviegoers.
That figure, according to
Wiener, jumped to nearly 700.000
prised of his wile Jenny, his twin sons
Jared and Dennis and his daughter
Allison. Wiener says he's aware that
"there are probably going to be a
lot
ol people in the room saving. 'I
.'"
should have got it before he got it
Wiener, however, is good-natured
aboul the silent criticism
l
hej
might be right." he says. "But can
I
guarantee you, there's no one that's
going to appreciate [the award] more
than me." Francesco Dinglasan

( , .nl, i, l Michael
AB Global AIS 162
Grocnneitade 93. 2
DK-SOOO Aarhus C
Denmark
Contact: Asger Bak
4CCO Acoustic Panels 272
11390 Armand-Chaput H1G 157
Montreal, Quebec
Canada
Contact: Francois Brisebois
Adaptive Micro Systems Europe ...
25 Rue Irene Joliot Curie
38320 Eybens
France
Contact: Eric Iemmi
A DDE France 227, 228; 233, 234
14 rue Gorge de Loup
69009 Lyon
France
Contact: Didier Rosset
AEBSrl 287,288
Via Brodolini N. 8
Crespcllano. Bologna 40056
Italy
Contact: Chiara Vican
Alisma Expo 311
Yictor\ Square. 2
Office 2028
196143 St. Petersburg!!
Amitotic Acoustics Ltd. 226
3A Visvesvarava lnd'1 Area
560 048. Bangalore
India
Contact: Kimi Alexander
BGW System
13130 Yukon Ave.
ls,1
Hawthorne. CA 90250
United States
Contact: Barbara Wachner
BKSTS-The Marine Image Society ...33t
5 Walpole Court
Laline. Studios
W5 5ED London
United Kingdom
Contact: Wendy Laybourn
BlazePoint Ltd. 104
LInit 2. Tower Estate
OX44 7XZ Chalgrove
Oxford
United Kingdom
Contact: Dons Pfingstner
Burosit Bum Donammlan '..,v,
Tigaret A.S. 294. 215; 302, 303
DcmirtasOrgani/e Sanayi
Bolgesi Nilufer Sokak
P.O. Box 1
16369 Bursa
Turkey
Contact: Safak Ulker
C. Cretors & Company 138, 131
3243 N. California Avenue
Chicago. IL 60618
United States
Contact: Gino Nardulh
CCSIPaeer Cats 23V, 241). 241; 252
253, 254
Max-Planck-Str. 15 B
D-40699 Erkrath
Germany
Contact: Maikc Beuscher
Cinemeccanica SPA ....223. 224; 237,
Vialc Campania. 23
20133 Milano
CINEMAEXPO 2001
TRADE SHOW BOOTH LIST
Compeso 19'. 198. 199. 2(111
Carl-Zeiss-Ring 9
D-85737 Ismaning
Germany
Contact: Harald Stumpf
Crown International 168
1718 W. Mishawaka Road
Elkhart. IN 46517
United States
Contact: Nicole Kline
Data Display 368, 369
Deer Park Industrial Estate
Lnmsivmon Co.
Clare. Ireland
Contact: Paul Neville
Decor Fab:
707
Drake House
Drake Avenue
TW1S 2 AW Staines
Middlesex
United Kingdom
Contact: David Archer
DestroS.P.A 133,134,135
Via Marco Polo 1
35020 Albignasego(PD)
Italy
Contact: Dino Chiarotto
Deutsche Theaterbau 349, 350, 351.
352, 353
Jagerstrabe 6
D-09380 Thalheim
Germany
Contact: Christian Pelzer
Diana Licit! Design 251
Brookamp 2
48607 Ochtrup
Germany
Contact: Diana Licht
Digilal Theater System....309, 310
5171 Clareton Drive
Augora Hills. CA 91301
United States
Contact: Korilyn Colburn
Dolby Laboratories ...161,169, 170
Wootton Bassett
SN4 8QJ Wiltshire
United Kingdom
Contact: Peter Seagger
Duuure Services B\ 115
Korte Muiderweg 2
LR Weespl382
The Netherlands
Eastern Acoustic Works
One Main Street
Whumsville. MA
United States
Contact: Kathleen Tavares
Elementos de Diseno Para
El Espcctaculo 244; 249
Y.ildcrnbas. 59
1-2X007 Madrid
Spain
Contact: Luis Wassmann
EOMACUK Lid. 219, 220
235. 23t
Unit 96 Silverbriai
Sunderland Enterprise Park East
SR5 2TQ Sunderland
United Kingdom
Gallon
I a Roja 21.280
Spain
( oiitaei Roberto Melgos
El S Digilal Cinema /
Ezcaray Iniernaiional 326, 327, 328
Ctra. Santo Domingo
Apdo. Correos, 5
26280 Ezcaray
La Rioja, Spain
Contact: Jesus Gomez Monge
Fast Food Systems 347, 348
Unit LHeadleyPark9
Hcadle\ Road East. Woodley
Readina. Berkshire R95 4SQ
United Kingdom
Contact: Mane Withers
Figueras Seating 173, 174, 175, 176,
177. 178
08186 Lilca De Munt
Barcelona. Spain
Contact: Nuria Puigdamenech
Film Ton Technik 755
Jahnstr. 37-41
40215 Dusseldorl. Germany
Contact: Thomas Ruttgers
FTT Kinekspert 154
Ul. Przvbvszewskiego 167
93120 Lodz. Poland
Contact: Richard Jankowski
Ghigm S.A 297, 298
Av. Vesale 13
B-1300Wavre
Belgium
Contact: Philippe Chevalier
Global Cup 193
Av. Presidente Juarez #139-B
Tlalnepantla
Edo. De Mexico 54090
Mexico
Contact: Alfonso Ruelas
Gold Medal Products 779, 780
10700 Medallion Drive
Cincinnati. OH 45241
United States
Contact: David Garretson
Gould Evans International 209
4041 Mill Street
Kansas City, MO 641 11
United States
Contact: Margaret Bowker
Gradas Lighting 148
Chapel Mill. Park Green
Macclesfield SK 1 1 7LZ
Cheshire, England, UK
Contact: Jill Coward
Grammer GmbH 267, 268
Sulzsacher Strasse 105
92224 Aurerg. Germany
Contact: Kersdin Schlinke
Harkness Hall Ltd. 205, 206
The Gate Studios
Station Road
WD6 1DQ Boreham Wood
Herts. United Kingdom
Contact: Ian Sim
DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEA!
MP's Andrew Cripps
Born in
Sri Lanka,
educated in Atlanta,
Ga. and
fluent in Japanese from having
worked in Tokyo, UIP
president and COO Andrew
Cripps' multicultural experiences
have no doubt
helped him throughout his
to UIP's London office. H
was promoted to his cturen
position in April 1999.
In addition to his profl
sional duties, Cripps is als
busy at home with a youn
family, comprised of three
year-old Emily, one-yean
career, which is being honored
at this year's Cinema-
Expo convention. The UIP
veteran, who oversees product
rollout in 60 territories
throughout the world, will
be receiving the Distributor
of the Year Award at the
Amsterdam show.
Cripps first joined UIP,
which handles film distribution
for Hollywood studios
Paramount, Universal and
Dreamworks, in 1986, signing
on as executive assistant old Anna and wife Louise.
Previous recipients I
to the general manager.
Japan. He quickly ascended the CinemaExpo Distil
the company's ranks, climbing
utor o( the Year Awar
to the post of vice pres-
include Miramax film:
ident, sales. South East Asia Rick Sands. 20th Centur
1988 and senior vice president,
Fox link's Jim Gianopua
in
international sales in and Buena Vista Intl.
1990, for which he relocated Mark Zoradi. —FD

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VTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
IN MARKETING
Columbia TriStar Film
Distributor Intl.'s Nigel Clark
Nigel Clark, Columbia
TriStar
Film Distribltor
International's execuive
vice president of marking,
will be receiving the
nternational Achievement
n Marketing Award at
rinemaExpo 2001.
An UK native, Clark has
pent 1 1 years with Colum-
)ia, first serving in the com-
>any's London office as
lirector of marketing for
Europe, Middle East and
Hollywood Reporter 34(1
Wilshire Blvd
\ngeles. CA 90036-4396
id Stales
act: Sand> Knight
tnga Projects B.V. 144. US,
147
Box 9434
GK Utrecht
Netherlands
act: Annckc Kolfsclioten
bourne Hill
9JP Winchester
pshire. United Kingdom
act: Peter Noerkjaei
motion II I) lilt)
cour des Petites I
ce
act
Paris
Gildas Jeuland
curies
national t'aper 105
Louis Meyer Mi
| goo
rerland
act: Jack Miller
VtS.P.A 114. IH
Vbegg 75
150 Bonjone
I. Italy
act Riccardot roce
Optic (.rnhll 159, 160
i-vandenhocck
5D-370KI
tingen
nany
let
Katja Korzcn
Africa. In 1996. Clark
relocated to the studio's
Los Angeles office to serve
as senior vice president,
international marketing.
In his new job, Clark was
responsible for overseeing
activities in all territories
outside of the United
States and Canada. As a
result of his effective marketing
efforts in such
worldwide blockbusters as
"Men In Black," "My Best
Friend's Wedding" and
"Charlie's Angels," Clark
was promoted to his current
position in 2000.
Previous recipients of
the International Achievement
in Marketing Award
include Gerry Lewis and
Co.'s Gerry Lewis, 20th
Century Fox Intl.'s Scott
Neeson, Universal Pictures'
Nadia Branson and marketing
vet Hy Smith. — FD
ITEA 27.?
244 West 49th Street. Suite 200
New York. NY 10019
United States
Contact: Terri Westhafer
1TET Tick,
Moloveien 16
Bodoe 803S
Norway,
( ontacl Birgitte Andersen
AS 213,214
Jack Roe tCS) Ltd. 163, 164
Poplar House
Peterstow, Ross-on-Wye
HR9 6JR Herefordshire
nited Kingdom
Contact: Sandie Caffelle
JIM Professional 166, 167
8500 Balboa Blvd.
Northndge.CA 91329
I tilled Si.ites
(ontacl Mike McCarthy
Johnson Wright Flooring ltd.
Arcon House
Siindcilaiul K «
\l 10 9LQ Gateshead
Kne& Wear
United Kingdom
Contact: Brian Johnson
Jos, I toitek-Kino I sport ,12. 313
u Hlavnu804
6X7 65 Strain
( /cell Republic
( ontacl l "I'
Kinetics \oise ( ontrol 211
6300 Ireland Place
Dublin nil 41017
nited States
P
Kino Ho v ///
Hobjergvej 2
I I III loelloe - I I. niu.irk
Contact: Tanja Lambertsec
Kinoton (.nihil 116,317, 118,
319. 320. 321
Indusliicstr. 20a
821 10 Germering
Bavaria. Germany
Conl.icl I Imar Orf
Km loudspeakers Ply Ltd.
POBox 57
Ilackham5163
Australia
Conl.icl I'etei 1 awson
l.e Film Francois 266
150 rue (ialhcni
92514 Boulogne Cedex, France
Contact: Patrick Caradec
Lesna 250
X4X7 8lh Venue III/ 2X2
Montreal. Quebec. Canada
Contact: Gilles Duhaime
./s2
Lino Sonego 207, 20H; 221. 222
Via Resel 25
31010 Pianzano Di Godega. Italy
Contact: Viviana Favero
Martek 216. 2 17
37 Willow Lane
Willow Lane Industrial Estate
CR4 4NA Milcham
Martin ludio 116. 117
Century Point Halifax Road
Cressex Business Park
HP12 3SL England. UK
Contact: Maureen Hayes
MD1 27/
1440 Raoul-Churrette J6E 8S7
Johette. Quebec
Canada
Contact: Marcel Desrochers
Media Suites 113. 114
Via Soperga. 2
20127 Milano, Italy
Contact: Rosella Gioffre
Media Technology Source .
10501 Florida Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55438
United States
Contact: John Ayotte
MeguSystems. Ine 1S3. IH4. IH5. 1X6.
1X7, IXX
435 Devon Park Drive
The 500 Building
Wayne PA 19807
1 nited Slate
Contact: Cathy Neifeld
Mcoplu Prerof 346
Kabelokova I
75000 Prcrov. Czech Republic
Contact: Jancar /denek
\lieroeine 27S
Via Michelino51/2
40127 Bologna. Italj
( ontacl I nsiina Righetti
HM Technology P.L.C 131
l''!'i"s,'„'iliw.,il
it! idee Road
MM R Marketing 154. 155. 156
Herwigsmuhlenwee 1c
Kassel 14123
(lei in. ins
i ontacl Vndreas Dietiel
Mohiliario 119, 1211
( alk-.lelSol «<
s.ui Rafael ( hamapa
Nam alpan, Mexico
i
i
Vrgueta
Miillisalo Intei national
I IS
Mundoeolor Internucionul, S.A 11(1
(/Alicante No. !6(Poligono Induslnal
bnollar)
Sant Boi Dc Llobregat
8830 Barcelona. Spain
( ontacl l red Hoffmann
SAC 274
>5 Easl Wackei
( hicago, IL 60601
United Stales
( .-[it.Ki ( liuck Winans
\ingho Dafenii Movie & T\
25'
Qilipu Yangming West Road
Yuyae Zhejiang 31540
Contact: Shiny Chen
Xissin Optical 330
Octagon ltandels (.nihil 1411
Huplleitenweg 10
D-82456 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Germany
Contact: Georg Wettlaufer
OsramGtnbh ISV. IVO
Nonnendammalle 44-61
D-13629 Berlin. Germany
Contact: Jorg Leismueller
PA Installations 215
3-4 Hoel Rhosyn
Llanelli SAI48QG
farms. Wales, UK
Contact: Tony Golley
Equipment
Pepsi-Cola Intl. 255, 256; 269, 270
700 Anderson Hill Rd.
Purchase. NY 10577
United States
Contact: Nico Hogeveen
Perkin Elmer Optoelectronics 106
44370 Christy Street
Fremont. CA 94538-3180
United States
Contact: Denise Ortega
PMG. Inc 329
1800 Baltimore Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64108
lined States
Contact: Jim McGinness
Popcorn Company 258, 259
Holmer Berg 17
D-23942 Dassow. Germany
Contact: Stefan Lemke
Popcorn USA 137
Postbus 580
Ohmweg 7
',442 Woerden
The Netherlands
Contact: Paula Da Silva
Prerost S.R.I 21)1
Via Fermi 8
20019 Settimo
Milanese. Italy
Contact: Paolo Prevost
Proyeaon 132,333
Avd. Del Puerto. No. 107
6022 Valencia Spain
i, i I i jiium.o LaFuente
QS( ludio Products 299
16
's M.u \lllllll I .Ilk'
( osla Mesa. I \ 92626
'nited Stales
( ontacl (nub t ao
93103 Montreuil
i. nice
( ontacl Valerie < aucheteu
A-(,S In,,, national 141. 142. 141
'
No 6th Road Pac \

PRODUCERS OF THE YEAR
Working Title Films'
Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner
British
filmmaking
partners Tim
Bevan and Eric
Fellner, who run Europe's
most successful production
house Working Title Films.
have been named this
year's CinemaExpo Producers
of the Year.
In addition to celebrating
the box-office triumph
of their latest release
"Bridget Jones' Diary." the
duo looks forward to rolling
out several other highprofile
features throughout
Ricos Products 136
621 S. Flores
San Antonio. TX 78204
United States
Contact: Enrico Falanga
RMB International 324, 325
133 rue Colonel Bourg
1 140 Brussels. Belgium
Contact: Use Hellemans
Schneider—Kreuznach 126, 127
Postfach 2463
D-55513 Bad Kreuznach, Germany
Contact: Bruno Molitor
Screen Digest 212
Lymehouse Studios, 8 Georgiana Str
NWI 0EB London. UK
Contact: Anoushka Taneja
Screen International 202
33-39 Bowling Green Lane
EC1RODA London, UK
Contact: Victoria McAra
Seating Concepts, lnc 307. 308
2255 Hancock Street
San Diego. CA 92110
United States
Contact: Trisha Gatto
Series International 289, 290
2224 Last Winona Avenue
Warsaw. IN 46580
United States
Contact: Alberto Samper
Skeie Seating 360, 361
P.O. Box 4
N-4301 Sandnes, Norway
Contact: Bjorn Sirnes
Smart Devices, Inc.lPanastereo, Inc. ...:
5945 Peachtree Corners East
Norcross, GA 30071
United Stales
Contact: Robin Klamfoth
Sonr Cinema Products Europe Ltd.
141, 142; 149. 150
25 Golden Square
W1R6LU London. UK
Contact: Caroline Underhill
Sound Associates 195.196
Keeble House
81 Island Farm Road
KT8 2SA West Molesey
Surrey. UK
Contact: Jerry Murdoch
..210
1A Menvale Road
SWI5 2NW Putney
London. UK
Contact: Tony Fren
..366
Midsummer House
405 Midsummer Blvd
MK9 3BN Central Milton Keyne
United Kingdom
Contact: Debbie Roza-Mercier
TK Architects, Inc. 242
106 West llth Avenue. Suite 1900
Kansas City. MO 64105
United States
Contact: Tamra Knapp
TapTixLtd. 225
PO Box 1036
Karmiel 21651
Israel
Contact: Hadar Cohen
The Trane Company 124, 125
Professional partners
2550 Corporate Exchange Dn\e.
since 1992, Bevan and Fellner
have reached a five-year
Suite 200
Columbus. OH 43035
United States
agreement with Universal
Contact: George Jenkins
and Canal+. In exchange
TS.com HIS
for financial backing and
worldwide distribution.
Working Title will produce
predominantly European
/ It,;, Stereo Lahs 2^5; 248
films for the studios. — FD 1SI Bonetti Drive
San Louis Obispo. CA 93401
United States
Contact: Clint Koch
Stage Accompany 191. 192
lumciti-iiroit /;;. /;:
Anodeweg 4
1513 E. St. Gertrude Place
Ishio Europe BV.....337, 338
1627 Hoorn
Santa Ana, CA 92861
Skv Park Breeuetlaan 16-18
The Netherlands
United States
UWOudeMeer
Contact: Tom Back
Contact: Renee Reeder
The Netherlands
2001, including Michael Lehmann's
"40 Days and 40
Nights," John Madden's
"Captain Corelli's Mandolin"
and Joel Coen's "The
Man Who Wasn't There."
Stein Industries 165
22 Spratiue Avenue
Amityville, NY 11701
United Slates
Contact: Andrew Stein
Strohhe Ticket 112
8870 Izegem
Belgium
Contact: Katrien Strobbe
Strong International 229, 230,
231, 232
4350 McKmley Street
Omaha. NE 68112
United States
Contact: Ray Boegner
Suministros Kelonik S.A 171. 172
C/Badajoz 1 59 Bis
8018 Barcelona
Spain
Contact: Jose Fiestas Ruana
Theaterwerkstatten llammann Gmnll
156. 157
Landeshr. 125
D42327 Wuppertal
Germany
Contact: Klaus Janssen
77/.Y Division, Lucusfilm Ltd. ...181. 182
PO Box 10327
San Rafael. CA 94912
United Stales
Contact: Christina Lohrisch
Ticket and Labeling
Solutions! BocaSystems
Laan Van Vreoenoord 1
Rijswijk 2289
The Netherlands
Contact: Joen Braams
Ticket International Cmhh .
263. 264
TechnicPark
54550 Daun. Germany
Contact: Robert Weyrauch
Contact: Arjan van Velzen
V'enners Computer Systems 314,
322, 323
249 Upper 3rd Street
\\ nan Gate West
Milton Ke\nesMK9 IDS
United Kingdom
Contact: Rod Bint
Veronese Paolo... ..304
Via Montefior No. 12
20128 Milano. Italy
Contact: Paolo Veronese
Vogel Popcorn 143
7 45 Metro Blvd.
Edina. MN 55439
United States
Contact: Martin Olesen
Western Cinema Services .
1 Cowanwav
Widnes WA8 9B7
Cheshire. UK
Contact: Ronald Cross
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN FILMMAKING
Director Ivan Reitman
Reitman, whose
Ivan
long list of credits
include "Ghostbusters,"
"Kindergarten Cop,"
"Twins" and last year's
box-office smash "Road
Trip," will be honored at
CinemaExpo 2001 with the
convention's Award of Excellence
in Filmmaking.
Reitman began his career
as a theatrical play producer
and his stint on Broadway
earned him Tony Awards for
the musical "Merlin."
Counted among his first
directorial efforts for the
big-screen are "Meatballs"
and "Stripes," which helped
launch comedian Bill Murray's
career. Reitman eventually
added the title of producer
to his credits, both
helming and producing such
comedies as "Twins," "Junior"
and "Dave."
Redman's latest release
"Evolution" is the second film
to rollout under an agreement
between his production house
The Montecito Picture Co.
and Dreamworks.
Total box-office gross
by all films helmed and/
producd by Reitman
estimated to exceed S:
billion. —FD

AUSTRALIAN
INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
previews of the latest films from major and
independent distributors
Prominent local & international guest speakers
Trade show with up to seventy exhibitors
Attendance of local & international stars, directors &
producers
Australian Box Office Achievement Awards
The Australian Star of the Year Award (previous winners
Tara Morice, Jacqui Mckenzie, Geoffrey Rush, Hugo
Weaving, Hugh Jackman, Bill Hunter, Russell Crowe,
Paul Mercurio, Heath Ledger)
Social golf tournament
The Kodak Marketing Award for an Australian feature film
Seminars & workshops
Great prizes to be won throughout the Convention
Social functions as an opportunity to interact with
REGISTRATION FEES
(per person)
(Full and day registrations include all convention activities covering
meals, receptions, films, seminars and the trade show.
There are no part day or function only registrations.)
Full registration
(~) FULL REGISTRATION if pad before 6 July A$682.00
FULL REGISTRATION if paid after 6 July
AS858.00
Daily registration
Q
Q
TUESDAY -DAY REGISTRATION A$176.00
WEDNESDAY -DAY REGISTRATION A$297.00
(~) THURSDAY - DAY REGISTRATION AS297.00
FRIDAY DAY REGISTRATION
-
A$297.00
;
/• :(• "• .!'•"( I :AT t;
A$77.00
inclusive of GST Registrations close on 31 July 2001 or 90oner If My
r further details please contact Pauline Parker. MPEAQ, PO
31 .STAFFORD CrTY OLD 4053
one/ 61 7 33565671 Fax 61 7 3356 ti
4014
Tall: mpeaq@powerup.com.au
MAJOR SPONSORS
I
itch. Carrol & Coyte Unrated, Beyond Rms, Buere Vista Hernaticnal. CoUTtila TrlStar Firns.
Metre Pictures. Potential Flms. PER Sham I
• irted International Pictures. Warner Bros

SPECIAL REPORT: ShowCanada Recap
VIVE LE CANADA

DAY TWO:
NATO President
John Fithian Delivers
"The State of the Industry"
In
his address to exhibitors and
distributors at this year's
Show Canada convention,
National Association of Theatre
Dwners president John Fithian coyly
llluded to previous NATO head
William Kartozian's excellent timing
D stepping down from the position in
1999. "My predecessor chose a good
ime to retire." said Fithian.
Fithian's remark is. of course, quite
/Slid. Since he took over as topper of the
vorld's largest exhibition trade associaion
two years ago. several of the largest
heatre circuits in the United States have
seen forced to file for Chapter 1 1 protecion
from their creditors, while others
;till
are being bought out by investors at
wholesale prices: repercussions from the
>overnmental outcry against sex and vioence
in the media are affecting cinema
n\ nets and operators; and looming SAG
ind WGA strikes threatened the livelilood
of the entire industry.
Touching on these and several other
ssues during his speech. Fithian
emained optimistic about the future of
>oth domestic and Canadian exhibition,
n the United States, he blamed the
industry's current woes on the overbuilding
of modern plexes to the point of saturation,
with domestic screen count
reaching 38.000 at its highest point. He
stated that "since last June, there has been
a reversal" in regards to this trend, with
overall screen count in the U.S. presently
standing at 35, 700. Fithian added that
the rate of closure was continuing at
about 200 screens per month.
Despite the seeming severity of these
mass theatre shutterings, Fithian
explained that they are necessary steps
to take in rebuilding a healthy industry.
He further expressed his belief that "the
new infusion of money" into the business—evidently
referring to, but never
directly mentioning. Denver billionaire
Philip Anschutz. who acquired UATC
and Edwards Theatre Circuit and is
attempting to take controlling interest in
Regal Cinemas— indicated that "a
recovery is at hand," since individuals
outside of the business are so clearly
interested in getting involved.
Since ShowCanada took place in late
April. Fithian forecasted the outcome of
Hollywood strike negotiations. He conveyed
confidence that resolution was
imminent, stating that matters involving
"the artistic debate have been basically
resolved" and that it was "down to a
question of money—and not very much
money." Failing a timely settlement, however,
Fithian noted that Hollywood studios'
recent increase in production had
resulted in "20 percent more films ready
to go," compared with previous years.
That being the case, he believed that
exhibitors would not be likely to notice
the lack of films,
—
unless the strikes continued
for a prolonged period.
As for matters of sex and violence
both in terms of their onscreen depictions
and exhibitor responsibility in
keeping underage children from attending
films with such content— Fithian
stated that, at the moment, NATO is
waiting to see "what the government will
and will not do" about legislating the
entertainment industry. He also alluded
to the debate currently taking place in
Canada regarding nationwide ratings
standardization. Unlike in the United
States, a film's rating is determined on a
province-by-province basis, sometimes
resulting in a product receiving different
ratings depending on where it's playing.
Another topic discussed by Fithian
was one that even his predecessor couldn't
escape: digital conversion. Fithian's
stance was simple, remarking, "It's not
time yet." He noted that NATO is continuing
to work with several industry
organizations, including SMPTE, to
ensure that the rollout takes place only
after equipment standardization has been
established. Fithian also stated that there
still remains the age-old question. "Who
bears the cost?" a debate between exhi-
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bition and distribution certain to continue
for a few more years—and be discussed
at many more conventions.
Fithian closed his afternoon discussion
by extending his thanks to the trade
association of Canadian theatre owners
for their continuing alliance with
NATO. "Exhibition has been too fragmented,"
he commented. "But significant
progress towards unification is [taking
place] around the world."
DAY THREE:
Buena Vista and WB
Party Canuck-Style
Treated
to a cocktail reception
hosted by Buena Vista
Pictures Distribution Canada
Inc.; a dinner banquet sponsored by
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Kodak
Entertainment Imaging and Covitec;
and a casino activity event courtesy of
Voir. Hour and Ottawa Express and
NOW Magazine, ShowCanada delegates
enjoyed their third night in a row
of nighttime festivities.
After dinner, song-and-dance group
"Ten Dance" grooved for the crowd,
which watched the performers appreciatively
until the roulette and blackjack
tables could wait no longer.
DAY FOUR:
Canadian Exhibition
Industry Update
At the Motion Picture Theatre
Association of Canada's annual
general meeting. Lightning
Group president Howard Lichtman had
a wealth of data and some sobering news
to share with ShowCanada delegates
eager to hear an update on the stale of
domestic exhibition.
Though the statistics reflecting the
results of the industry's performance in
2000 certainly were far from disastrous,
Lichtman's address illustrated how numbers
can oftentimes be deceiving. For
example, while North American boxoffice
take last year exceeded the $7 billion
mark for only the second time in
history, Lichtman pointed out that overall
admissions actually took a tumble.
Accounting for the record-breaking
box-office numbers were hikes in
ticket
prices, which, on average, rose by 6.1
percent in the U.S. to $5.39 and 11 percent
in Canada to C$6.20 (US$4.30).
Also deceiving, according to Lichtman,
are quarterly results. He reported that
while U.S. movie attendance figures bode
well—with ticket sales up in first-quarter
2001 to 310.8 million compared with 278
million for the same period in 2000—there
is still a waiting period to see whether the
upswing continues throughout the year.
"It's more important to concentrate on
annual results." said Lichtman.
Lichtman's month-by-month analysis
of the Canadian market was a case-inpoint.
Though the normally busy summer
period actually saw turnstiles drop
by eight percent in 2000. he reported that
"November was a record month [due to
the strength of products in release],
including "Meet the Parents,' "Charlie's
Angels," 'Grinch.' and "Castaway."'
Lichtman added that the trend continued
into December and the holiday period,
with ticket sales climbing by 25 percent
during the timeframe.
Lichtman also touched on U.S.
admits per capita, which he describes as
"an important number for the U.S.,
Canada and the rest of the world." He
noted that Americans tend to go to the
movies more often than their Canadian
and European counterparts, averaging
5.2 visits to the cinema last year. The latest
statistics available for Canadians indicate
that in 1999 they frequented movie
theatres just 3.2 times, while Europeans
went only 2.1 times during the year.

Another intertcrritoi comparison
drawn by Lichtman ir )lved attendance
figures. He observed that ticket
sales dropped in Canada last year by
seven percent to 92.5 million, while
the U.S. recorded only a three percent
dip. Lichtman, however. again
warned delegates not to be fixated on
the single statistic, pointing out that
previous to the decline, there had
actually been a steady rise in attendance,
with ticket sales growing by
11.5 percent in 1997, 14 percent in
1998 and 9.1 percent in 1999.
In terms of the number of theatrical
releases available during 2000.
Lichtman reports that a total of 478
were rolled-out during the 12-month
period, up from 461 in 1999. He said
that the upsurge in releases is an issue
of great importance to theatre operators
since "it balances the power of
exhibition-distribution relationships."
He also explained that the recent proliferation
of multiplexes has served as "an
advantage to distribution," and the
increase in
releases actually helps level
the playing field.
Also on the rise, according to
Lichtman. is the number of babyboomers
frequenting the cinema. While
in 1999 the over-40 demographic
accounted for 32 percent of the
moviegoing populace—compared to
the teen/young adult set. which comprised
40 percent—the two age groups
ended up switching places in 2000.
Individuals between the ages of 12-24
equaled 28 percent of moviegoers, while
those over 40 accounted for 40 percent.
Turning to Canadian screen count,
Lichtman noted that the mass theatre
shutterings taking place in the U.S. are
beginning to be mirrored in the northern
territory. He attributed Canada's screen
count increase last year, which jumped
by 14 percent to 2,174, to lease deals
made several years ago requiring
exhibitors to follow through with construction
and opening of new sites.
Underscoring results from first-quarter
2001, which saw 64 less new theatre
openings and 75 more closures compared
to the three-month period in 2000.
Lichtman believes that this recent data
more accurately reflects what will happen
in Canadian exhibition over the
next several months.
PRESENTING THE FANTASTIC 4
XR171
ANTI-STATIC
Lichtman
closed by noting
that the "current crisis" in
industry,
the
including the string
Of Chapter 11 filings taking place in
the U.S.. is "devastating to investors,
but good for exhibition in general " Bj
"allowing exhibitors to break leases
[on underperforming theatres],"
Lichtman feels that theatre operators
will be able to move towards recovery,
and aua> from the 1996-2000 theatre
building boom thai cost exhibitors
"between $3 and S4 billion."
Man

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Website: www.goUCS.com
Japan Office:
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Fax:011-81-3-5440-3102
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PROJECTION
& SOUND
EQUIPMENT
NEW & USED
ShowCanada Seminar
Examines "Exhibition
and the Internet"
Tribute Publishing president Canadians still remain 40 percent less
and CEO Sandra Stewart, likely to make online purchases. The reasons
moderator of the Show-
for this discrepancy? Brown cites
Canada seminar "Exhibition and the
How
Canadians' heightened concerns about
Internet: to Get the Most from
Your Website," set the tone of the convention's
security and the small quantity of online
sites in the territory selling their wares.
Monday afternoon event by Brown insists, moreover, that
the
outlining its two main objectives: to
help theatre owners and operators
determine a "revenue model for their
tools designed to
drive interest in the
site" and to get the group to define
goals regarding
their respective on-
ventures,
line
whether they be
core businesses or
simply advertising
actual core business.
The first speaker,
AOL Canada's director
of business
development Carole
Brown, encouraged
delegates to take a
look at the local
state of e-business
by reporting on
Internet growth
taking place in the
Seminar moderator Sandra Stewart
business opportunities afforded by the
Canadian online market remain remarkably
wide open. She notes that
19 percent
of the country's Internet users have
high-speed dial-up
access—double the
amount in the U.S.
because of Canada's
better cable infrastructure
and its cheaper
price. She also believes
that the wireless market
is especially
promising, calling it
"the fastest growing
product." Estimating
that by 2005 all phone
calls will be made
wireless, she encourages
exhibitors to look
towards this particular
aspect of the digital
world as a potential
revenue source.
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between the ages of 13-17. Of that
group, 60 percent claim that they
watch online film clips, compared to
adults, who only comprise 18 percent
of video clip watchers.
What Clements says she found to
be universal among all age groups is
the feeling that "there's not enough
diversity on sites." Sharing her findings
that "sites targeting specific
releases negatively impacts usage,"
she insists that it's "not just content,
but application" that encourages
repeat visits. Clements notes
that, in general, individuals do not
come to a site with the intention of
reading a great deal of text.
Instead, she encourages exhibitors
to explore the possibilities of e-
commerce, including selling tickets
and movie-related merchandise
online, as well as to forge new
opportunities by building relationships
with their clients via the 'Net.
Sympatico.ca vp Nicholas
Gaudreau—who addressed the topic
"What Makes a Website Attractive?"—echoed
Clements' observations
regarding the need to balance
online content versus application by
noting. "People don't want to read
the Web, they want to use it." Based
on his personal experience of building
what is now a highly successful
site, Gaudreau outlined five basic
rules of thumb, which, if incorporated
correctly, he says are sure to keep
people coming back to a Web page:
1. Offer free downloadable
stuff, such as screensavers and
desktop themes.
2. Give them interactivity,
including virtual greeting cards
and online games.
3. Make their life easier.
Gaudreau's examples included the
option for users to "rate-a-movie,"
which, besides furnishing an interactive
component, also allows individuals
to see what others have said
about a film before deciding if they
wish to see it, and a "find a movie"
feature that provides showtimes and
directions to cinemas.
4. Make them win by offering
contests and sweepstakes.
5. Share exclusivities, such as
trailers and images. Important,
though, is to offer as many formats
as possible, including Real Player,
Windows Media and QuickTime,
for easy viewing.
In addition to these elements.
Gaudreau also emphasizes the importance
of ensuring that a web site is as
last as it can possibly be. "The number
one reason people are pissed oil is
when a sue is slow." he sa\s. "Surfers
want to get things done."
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SPECIAL REPORT: LFCA 2001
THE BIG PICTURE
LFCA Ponders Large-Format Content
Does
a new wave of large-format
films aimed purely at
entertaining
audiences represent a bigger,
brighter future for the giant screen or a
betrayal of its traditional association
with science and nature documentaries?
Is the large-format industry merely an
oversized extension of mainstream
Hollywood or does it have a special
responsibility to educate viewers'?
Triggered by the recent release of such
distinctly noneducatonal large-format
films as the horror-themed "Haunted
Castle" and the rock concert documentary
"All Access," the issue of content
dominated discussion when filmmakers,
exhibitors and other professionals
involved in this specialized branch of the
movie business met at the Large Format
Cinema Association 2001 Annual
Conference and Film Festival, held May
16-19 in Los Angeles. Indeed, industry
leaders sometimes seemed to be
by Michael Tunison
Christopher Palmer, president and
CEO of National Wildlife Productions
Inc. ("Whales," "Dolphins"), touched
off a conference-long debate with a controversial
call
for "films that are wholesome,
experience-driven presentations
with sound educational content." In a
speech delivered during "The Future of
Large Format Films" panel. Palmer
warned against "simply hawking
35mm films on steroids.
"Films on horror, sex and
violence will damage the unique
identity of this industry," he
said. "Families will no longer see
large-format films as a familyfriendly
safe haven. Our unique
differentiation in the marketplace
will have been destroyed,
and our market edge blunted."
With its creepy storyline and
graphic scenes of undead torture,
nWave Picture's 3-D thrill
wrestling over the very soul of large format
show "Haunted Castle" came big cheese: Animation
at a time when giant-screen films up frequently in discussions ^tteTears"
have been expanding from museums to about both the merits and com- LFCA keynote speaker.
the multiplex, facing new market pressures
mercial potential of narrative-
in during the '"Making of
and pondering the revolutionary driven entertainment films for large-for-
Large Format Films: The Experience"
possibilities offered by digital mat theatres. "Haunted Castle" director panel, meant to explore nuts-and-bolts
moviemaking technology.
Ben Stassen offered a filmmaking issues.
direct rebuttal to
""I think that rather than focus on a
"Since "Fantasia
Palmer's arguments kind of
[2000]' opened in
January 2000, the^^fc*^2«
perfectionist, isolationist attitude
about the industry, what we should
during a questionand-answer
session at say is we have to make really good
business has. in
the "Future of Large- films," Swofford said. "The common
many respects,
Format Films" panel. denominator on all the successful films
polarized— it has
"Who are you to has been that in spite of the mission
split, said Andy tell the
hot
exhibitors statement of a theatre or the mission
TOPIC: LFCA's panel on "The Future of
Gellis, senior VP tor
that they might be statement of an organization, if the film
Large-Format Films" included, from left to right,
film at IMAX and Mary Kaye Kennedy, Christopher Palmer,
Andy
too lame-brained to is good, it's very difficult to ignore."
moderator Gellis, Mark Katz and Fred Bell.
moderator of
,
the
know how to pro- Animation director Don Hahn, at the
conference's "The Future of Large gram their theatres' ?" Stassen said. "Who conference to discuss the upcoming largeformat
Format Films: What films should we are you to tell me as a filmmaker what
re-release of his 1991 Disney hit
make and why?" panel discussion
kind of film I should put on the screen?" "'Beauty and the Beast," alluded to the
"There are commercial theatres on
content issue during his keynote address.
"I have no right to tell you what films
one side and institutional theatres on the
Noting that the large-format industry is
to make," Palmer responded, "'but I do
other side," Gellis said. "One has the have the freedom to ask you to use that still "a business in its infancy," Hahn
feeling that institutional theatres got unique human attribute—self-restraint—and
to fight a culture that says limitations should be placed on films to
compared current arguments on whether
there first and they may not be so happy
sharing the playing field with the newcomer.
anything that makes money is justifiable, similar hand-wringing that look place in
The split in the industry has trick-
that profit justifies the means."
the early days of animated features.
led down into the type of films that we Panelist Mark Katz, nWave's president
"There were a lot o\' debates when
make the materia], how we approach it.
of distribution, defended his com-
'Snow White' came out because
people
Is it a narrative film; is it a documentary?
Does one show one and not
show the
other? Is there room for crossover filmmaking?
Is it education versus entertainment?
Is it edu-tainment?"
pany's decision to push the envelope in
terms of content with "Haunted
Castle." Ultimately, it's viewers who
should decide what content they want
for large-formal theatres, he said.
"'This isn't about what one person thinks
or one organization thinks," Katz said.
"It's about what the audience thinks."
Representing exhibitors on the panel,
Edwards Theatres VP Fred Bell also
argued against placing too many constraints
on what should be shown on
large-format screens.
"Who makes the decision on what's
appropriate and what's not
appropriate? That's a very
scary thought," he said. "The
other thing is, from a business
standpoint, you have different
business models for different
locations. People have to have
flexibility on what works,
what doesn't work and the
need to try new things."
The content debate was
such a hot topic that it tended
to spill over into panels set up
to explore other themes.
Producer Scott Swofford
("Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure"),
for example, chimed
weren't sure you could watch a 75- or 80-
miiuite [animated] film without your
head exploding," he said. "And I know
main of you are grappling with the
same issues right now." Htm

i.. i.
in"-
SPECIAL REPORT: SMPTE 2001
DC DEBATE
SMPTE Looks Ahead to a Digital Future
hear many industry leaders talk
Toabout it, digital exhibition is virtually
a done deal. All that remains
are minor sticking points like when, who
and how much. And perhaps even why.
Those nitty-gritty details were the
focus of wide-ranging discussion during
the Society of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers 2001 Seminar,
held May 18-19 at the Pacific Hollywood
Theatre in Los Angeles. In keeping
with the confab's theme of "The
Cinema—Now and the Future." several
presentations were aimed at bringing
filmmakers, technicians, distributors,
exhibitors and others up to date on
exactly where digital cinema stands at
the moment, both in terms of quality
and commercial feasibility.
Panelists and other industry professionals
seemed nearly unanimous in
viewing digital as the wave of the future,
if only because it corrects the centuryold
problem of
image quality suffering
as film prints
deteriorate over time.
But when it came to
specifics such as how
quickly the shift
would or should
occur and what it
might mean to various
sectors of the
business, opinions year from now there will be
were much less uniform.
One source of
disagreement was
whether the current
generation of digital
systems is good
enough to give the
technology a green
light.
"I certainly believe
we have achieved a
proper minimum initial standard for digital
cinema," Walt Disney Motion
Pictures Group VP Phil Harlow said timing
the seminar's "Distribution iV
Exhibition Is There a Business ( asc foi
Digital Cinema.'" panel. "You have to
start someplace. The question is. are we
'
at a point that we could be proud ol \ie
we at a point that the people who create
the movies, the people who distribute (he
movies, the people who exhibit the
movies can saj to patrons, 'You are going
"Something tells me that
Mr. Lucas having a new
picture next Memorial Day
might provide a little hit of
push. I really think that a
750 or 1,000 [digital
cinema] systems."
—Phil Barlow, VP,
Walt Disney Motion
Pictures Group
by Michael Tunison
to have, if not equal to. a better
experience'? I think we're
there now."
Viacom Entertainment
Group executive VP Thomas
McGrath agreed that d
"is inevitable and something
we have to move towards," but
was more cautious in his
assessment of how close the industry
is to widespread deployment
of the new systems.
"Are we ready to implement
now? No," McGrath
said. "The quality is not there. [The projectors]
are too expensive. The methodology
for how to pay for it just doesn't
exist. But we are at the right point to
have this kind of serious and intense
conversation about how to go about
deploying it."
McGrath said Viacom's research supports
the idea that moviegoers regard
digital as at least
equal to 35mm film
in terms of image
quality. "The audience
can't tell the
difference, and that's
a good sign for digital,"
he said. On the
other hand, "other
than the novelty
effect with the first
couple of movies
that came out, we've
actually benchmarked
no statistical
difference with the
performance or the
attendance" at theatres
running digital
versus film.
"I can (ell you
From in\ experience
the bean-counting
in
side of the business that there is no
dynamic at work that says, 'upgrade technologies'
if the audience doesn't care."
Mc( hath warned,
Harlow disagreed, arguing thai there
is a business case to be made for going to
digital now. He pointed to factors such
as expanded possibilities
ii>i alternative
uses ol screens as potential sources ol
additional revenue foi exhibitors.
"We can deal with the COSl issue as we
go along, because there's a waj to ^\o
DEBATE TEAM: SMPTE's panel on "Distribution & Exhibition-Is
There a Business Case for Digital Cinema " included,
from left to right. Mats Enxon, Thomas McGrath,
Phil Barlow and J. Wayne Anderson.
that, too," Barlow said. "We're on record
at Disney as saying that the cost should
be borne in proportion to the benefit
received. It's easier to quantify, unfortunately,
the benefits to the studio than it
is to the exhibitor. We'll work something
out. Reasonable people can always work
something out."
R/C Theatres Chairman J. Wayne
Anderson agreed that digital exhibition
seems an inevitability. "It is happening,"
he said. "When will it happen in 1.000,
2.000. 3.000 [theatres]? I probably will
get myself on the hot seat for saying
this, but it's really gonna happen when
someone in the creative community
says, 'You've got a two-, four-, six-,
eight-week window in digital before we
release it in film. Just remember
'Jurassic Park' and DTS."
"Something tells me that Mr. Lucas
having a new picture next Memorial
Day might provide a little bit of a
push." Barlow said. "I realh think that
a year from now there will be 750 or
1.000 systems."
Adding an international perspective
to the discussion. Mats Erixon. head ol
technical operations for the Swedish
Royal Institute of Technology's
Advanced Media technology Lab, said
a group of 2N() multi-use "community
center theatres" in his countrj are eager
io embrace the digital Format,
"The) basicalK said, 'We have to go
digital or die.' \nd the reason is
they're tOO small to gel the films m
lime When llicx get the films, they're
in terrible shape, and it's the daj
before you can star! renting the DVD
01 \ I IS down .il the \ ideo shop
I 'lies are h.ipps to stall actualls bus
mg systems if someone could sas.

I
DTS.
|
TECH
TALK
SUPPLY SIDE
CYAN DYE SOUNDTRACKS
SUCCESSFULLY TESTED
by Annlee Ellingson
IN REAL-WORLD EXHIBITION
In an effort to kick-start the conversion to
cyan dye analog soundtracks, prints of a feature
film with pure cyan dye analog soundtracks
have been presented in regular commercial
exhibition for the first time ever. In
March, a limited number of 35mm prints of
the Miramax title "Get Over It," specially
manufactured by Deluxe Laboratories with
pure cyan dye tracks, were exhibited successfully
in selected cinemas. A larger-scale
test is anticipated this summer, and Dolby
Laboratories, one of the industry leaders fostering
the move to this new technology, predicts
that the first 100 percent cyan release
will occur within the next 12 months.
The test is an important step in film industry's
goal to eliminate the complex silverapplicated
optical soundtrack. Using dye
tracks will reduce stock waste; answer environmental
concerns; and add new flexibility
to the print manufacturing process.
However, older exciter-lamp soundheads
are not ideally suited for cyan playback, so
the widespread implementation of red-light
soundtrack readers is necessary for the fullscale
production of prints with cyan dye
soundtracks. The red-light readers are now
featured in virtually all new projector models,
and more than 55,000 projectors worldwide
are equipped with them.
Dr. Alan Masson, director of engineering
for Eastman Kodak, another company spearheading
the effort, encourages the industry
to complete the conversion. "The remaining
theatres now need to install red sound readers
without delay, in time for the switch to
distribution of all release prints with cyan
dye tracks," he says.
ON THE MOVE
DTS has appointed David
Woodworth as cinema marketing
manager. Woodworth
T be involved in launchmany
of the new theatrical
systems and products
being developed for the
motion picture industry by
His previous employers
include Tivix.com, Pacific Theatres and
MCM/Unitecl Artists.
DIGITAL CINEMA
MADSTONE MAD FOR
BARCO D-CINESTAR
Madstone Films, a produci
tor of digitally formatted the.i
ment, has purchased the first
Madstone Digital Distribu
(Madstone DDN), a nationwide network of
multipurpose digital cinemas, buying
Barco's D-CineStar digital cinema projection
system featuring DLP Cinema technology.
The sale also marks the first non-prototype
exhibitor purchase of a DLP Cinema projector.
(Barco sold a D-CineStar to post-production
house Eclair Laboratories in Paris [see
Tech Talk, April 2001], and there are currently
15 prototype DLP projectors installed
in various theatres throughout the U.S.)
The projector is housed at the Loews E-
Walk on 42nd Street in Manhattan, where it
will be used to test the varied types of programming
to be exhibited on screens within
the Madstone DDN. In addition, it will be
used to exhibit Loews' own bookings of digital
cinema feature films.
ON THE MOVE
Barco has appointed Joe i
DeMeo as digital cinema
strategic accounts manager.
DeMeo will be responsible SHF-*
for coordinating the devel- Hfc , .*
opment and direction of the
company's D-CineStar rollout
and serve as a liaison to
cinema projector dealer
organizations.
LARGE FORMAT
CORPORATE REPORT CARD
Recording a one-time $11 million restructuring
charge related to a 1 5 percent downsizing
of its workforce (see Tech Talk, May
2001), Imax Corp. reported a first-quarter
loss of $13.7 million, or 46 cents a share,
compared with a loss of $59.3 million, or
$1.92 a share, a year ago. Revenue for the
three-month period ending in March came
to $35 million, down from $54.7 million in
2000, due to weaker theatre system sales.
Iwerks, set to be taken over by SimEx (see
Tech Talk, May 2001), posted $355,000 in
fiscal third-quarter red ink, down from a $14
million loss during the same timeframe a
year ago. Revenue for the simulation-ride
and large-format company was $5.9 million,
virtually even with the three-month period
ending in March 2000.
ON THE MOVE
Imax Corp. has tapped Francis Joyce as its
CFO. Joyce assumes the position after serving
as VP, CFO and treasurer at theglobe.
com. He has also held executive positions at
CBS and Paramount.
Advanced Image Systems (AIS), a largeformat
equipment supplier, has announced
the additions of John Moon and Ernie Tracy
to its
NEW PRODUCTS
Stage Accompany will introduce the new SSA 110
and SSA 200 cinema amplifiers at CinemaExpo. The
SSA amplifer range is specifically designed to meet the
high demands of cinema sound reproduction, and
Stage Accompany developed these amps to be truly
digital cinema-dedicated. Visit Booths 191 and 192;
write 8917 Shore Court, Bay Ridge, NY 11209; call
senior executive team. Moon will provide
field service and training to AIS customers,
and Tracy will serve as the company's
director of sales and marketing. The pair
joins David Mariani, president and CEO;
Abbas Zamani, COO; Bob Serventi, CFO;
and Jeremy P. Welman, senior VP. In addition,
AIS has formed an affiliate relationship
with Sermar Entertainment, which will
provide
business services such as large-format
film booking, programming, marketing and
theatre equipment leasing to AIS customers.
Cinema Concepts has appointed Randi
Emerman as its managing director of largeformat
35mm trailer operations. In other
words, she will be working with producers,
distributors and exhibitors in the marketing
of large-format films on 35mm multiplex
screens. Previously Emerman served as the
of communications and marketing
director
at the Florida-based Muvico circuit and
served as chairman as ShowSouth.
WIRED WORLD
FANDANGO LISTENS TO THE MUSIC
Joining rival multiplatform ticketer AOL
Moviefone, Fandango has added teleticket-
(800) 955-7474; fax (800) 955-9564; e-mail back@stageaccompany.com; or log on to
www.stageaccompany.com.
Crown Audio has launched five SST (System Solution Topologies) cinema modules
designed for use with JBL's ScreenArray cinema speaker systems—the SST-4622, SST-3632,
SST-4632, SST-SBSC 3632T and SST-SBSC 4632T . Each new module simply plugs into the
back of a Crown Contractor (CH/CL) Series or CE Series amplifier and provides a high-quality
crossover, equalization and delay for each specific JBL ScreenArray loudspeaker. Write
1718 W. Mishawaka Rd., Elkhart, IN 46515; call (219) 294-8200; fax (219) 294-8329; or
log on to www.crownaudio.com.
RFS Inc.
has invented and manufactures the Xenlyte RFS 35 XHD optimization system
for standard and super-wide screen presentations. The greatest strength of the system is
ability to project at short distances on large-format screens up to 90 feet for indoor screens
and up to 150 feet for drive-ins and outdoor film festivals. Write 6969 Route Transcanada,
Ste. 105, St. Laurent, Quebec, CANADA H4T 1V8; call (514) 337-4956; fax (514) 337-
9790; or e-mail robert@generation.net.
CardLogix has announced that North American Cinemas, Inc. (NAG) will be expanding
its installations of the CardLogix Movie Gold smart cards aim\ software lot theatre ticketing
and loyalty. The CardLogix technology is the backbone of a comprehensive POS solution
that automates ticketing, builds customer loyalty and earns additional profit. It has
been successfully deployed in NACI's Roxy Theater, and, starting this May, NACI plans to
expand the system into nine existing and new theatres in its chain throughout the U.S.
Write 1 6 Hughes, Ste. 1 00, Irvine, CA92618; call (949) 380-1312; fax (949) 380-1428; e-
mail sales@cardlogix.com or log on to www.cardlogix.com.
the

i
•
a\
—
ing to its line of services. In addition to logging
on to www.fandango.com, moviegoers
can also now call 1-800-555-TELL to get
showtimes and buy tickets over the phone.
The voice-activated service is powered by
Tellme Networks. Other services at 1-800-
555-TELL include news, stock quotes, sports
and local restaurant information. Fandango,
whose partners include Century, Carmike,
Cinemark, Edwards, General Cinema, Loews
Cineplex and Regal, represents 14,000
screens in North America, 2,500 of which
are web- and teleticking-enabled.
HOYTS ONLINE
AT M0VIETICKETS.COM
MovieTickets.com, which recently struck
an alliance with AOL Movietone (see Tech
Talk, lune 2001 1, has added Hoyts Cinemas
to its online ticketing consortium. Hoyts
operates 926 screens in New England, New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland,
Virginia and West Virginia and joins the likes
of AMC, National Amusements, Famous
Players, Marcus and Muvico.
AMAZON FLOWS INTO THEATRES
Amazon.com, the online bookseller that has
segued into home video, music, electronics
and more, has launched its new In Theaters
channel, a feature that assists consumers in
choosing movies they'll probably like and aids
studios in marketing their product.
The program recommends upcoming titles
to its users based on items they've purchased
from the site, and there is a free newsletter
describing new releases that includes promotional
material for the films and local showtimes.
Amazon has already partnered with
Buena Vista Pictures Marketing to give its
pictures, such as "Pearl Harbor," preferential,
though not exclusive, treatment.
On a certain level, In Theaters competes
with AOL Movietone, MovieTickets.com
and Fandango in that it provides local showtimes
based on users' ZIP codes, but the site
has not indicated that it will venture into
online ticketing.
DC ADDED TO FILMSTEW
Entertainment industry B2B portal
FilmStew.com (see Tech Talk, May 2001 ) has
partnered with American Multiplexer
Corporation (AMC Network Services) to provide
digital and broadband video services
using the latter's terrestrial and satellite-based
multicast network. Among the applications
of this technology will be digital cinema distribution
through FilmStew.com's soon-tobe-launched
subsidiary Digital Booking
Systems for distributors and exhibitors, which
will ensure that the necessary infrastructure
and technological capabilities are in place
when digital cinema is widely deployed.
SITESEEING
In an effort to tap into the large-formal
moviegoing audience, BigMovieZone has
launi hed www.bigmoviezone.com, i
meel
ing place for fans of IMAX. The site is the
brainchild of K2 Communications, executive
producer of "Adventures in Wild
California," in partnership with "Everest"
and "California" producer and distributoi
MacCillivray Freeman, which have found
urrenl large formal film marketing opportu
nities
lacking.
9 ON THE 'NET: Christopher Pape,
President of Digital Bungalow,
Offers Nine Don'ts for Theatre Website Development
IReadcr note: In our April 2001 issue, Digital Bungalow president Christopher Pape, fresh
off redoing national-amusements.com, offered nine best practices for exhibition websites.
Here,
the head of the Boston-area web design and technology firm (www.digitalbunga
low.com), which has also launched a successful web strategy for The Wall Street journal,
switches gears and lists the worst practices for theatres' web development efforts.l
9. Don't be stale. 5. Don't forget to collect e-mail addresses.
Static content does not keep the user It is free advertising! Free marketing!
coming back for more. Just because you
have a brochure-ware site doesn't mean
the information can't
Nothing is better than "free." By collect
ing e-mails of patrons and users, you create
database
a of i
change on a daily or
captive audience that
weekly basis. Create a
you can e-mail every
week. National
site where the front
page shows the life and
Amusements does a
vitality of Hollywood
great job of this. Since
and your theatres.
their site's relaunch a
Show new announcements,
few months back, they
new contests,
have collected a long
theatre milestones,
ist of patrons who
events and new graphics
on your
receive a weekly
right front
huge
newsletter. It's a
page, and, more importantly,
hit with both patrons
keep them
and the folks at
changing.
National Amusements.
8. Don't reinvent the wheel.
If you do want to keep your site changing,
make sure you don't program statically.
In the long run, it's going to cost
you a bundle to hire a programmer every
time you need to change a news
announcement or press release. Having a
content manager is the solution. They are
more expensive as an upfront cost, but
they can save you money in months to
come. A content manager allows techphobic
people the ability to change content
on the site without having to know a
single bit about coding. In fact, if done
properly, you barely have to know how
to turn on a computer! This will keep
your site fresh, as if teams of sleepdeprived
programmers are working on
all your changes.
7. Don't hire your brother-in-law's 13-
year-old cousin—or the equivalent—to
build your site.
Many theatre websites out there look
like they were thrown together by hobbyists.
You wouldn't have an amateur
design your print brochures or the decor
of your theatres, so why would you allow
one to do your website? You can notice
the difference in the image that is portrayed
by sites that are thrown together
and (hose that are well designed. Your
online image is becoming increasingly
important as time goes by. Put it in trie
righl
hands.
6. Don't be scared of e-commerce.
E-commerce is a great tool that is
being explored by a new breed of
moviegoers. Frustrated by long lines,
patrons are beginning to pre-purchase
their tickets online, printing them out
on their home computers and having
them scanned al the theatre. It's the
e ol the future and will grow in
popularity as the Interne! permeates to
less conncc led areas and as . onnei tion
speeds increase.
4. Don't be boring.
You have a great industry and a
tremendous opportunity to be flashy.
People expect that from Hollywood
and they expect it from a theatre. So
many theatre sites are plain and uninteresting.
Get creative, dramatic and
stylish with your website. "Give me
Brando with a splash of Cruise.... No,
think it's Monroe with a touch of
no, I
Pamela Anderson." That's my best
director impersonation. Hopefully you
can do better.
3. Don't forget to advertise in your theatre.
The best way to make people aware of
your site is to plaster your URL in your
theatres, on the backs of tickets, on preview
screens and slides, on employee
shirts and buttons—anywhere a patron
will see it. Your server will be tested with
all the hits you'll get.
2. Don't expect repeat visitors without
offering them incentives.
If your site does not change, doesn't
have information such as movie times
and e-commerce or doesn't have games
or prizes, don't expect people to come
back. You need to provide a return incentive.
An easy and inexpensive way is to
give away prizes to users. National
Amusements has a very successful
Frequent Users Program, and, as a result,
their return rates are tremendous
1. Don't ignore the future.
With patron loyalty waning, it is even
more important to make a user's
moviegoing experiem e as enjoyable as
possible. This means accepting i
hange
and riding the ( utting edge. Give youi
patrons the option ol e ( ommen e mm\ ,\
means to finding mo\ ie times online Wi
aie seeing new technologies scratch the
sun. ii e of how the theatre business will
be run in the future. Make sure you are
prepared tin the c hanges lo come.

EXHIBITION
BRIEFINGS
TICKER TIME
LEAD STORY:
LCE CREDITORS RESIST BUYOUT
Creating a roadblock to the expected sale of
Loews Cineplex Entertainment to Canadian
firm Onex Corp. and Los Angeles, Calif.-based
investors Oaktree Capital Management and
Pacific Capital is a group of the New York
City-based exhibitor's unsecured creditors,
which recently filed a motion requesting that
its own Chapter 11 reorganization plans be
taken under consideration. In its filing with the
Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, an assembly
of LCE creditors—including Coca-Cola, HSBC
Bank, Simon Properties, J.D. Carlisle & Co.,
Allied Advertising and National Cinema
Supply—expressed concerns regarding talks
between the theatre circuit and its purchasers,
suggesting that alternative restructuring plans
be taken into account to ensure that "undervaluation
and any other manipulation that
may arise from secretive negotiations between
groups that have no interest in maximizing the
return to creditors." Industry experts have
speculated that the creditors' motive behind
the petition may not necessarily be to force
Loews into following their Chapter 11 reorganization
plan, but rather to compel the chain
to expedite final negotiations with its
investors. Onex, Oaktree and Pacific are
believed to have offered $850 million to purchase
LCE, which currently stands as the
nation's second largest exhibitor.
EDWARDS, ANSCHUTZ
MARRIAGE FINALIZED
As has been widely expected by industry
observers over the past few months (see
Exhibition Briefings, April 2001), Edwards
Theatres Circuit and sports and entertainment
mogul Philip Anschutz have reached
a final financial deal designed to facilitate
the movie theatre chain's reemergence
from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The
two parties have yet to disclose details of
the transaction, though it is widely believed
that Anschutz will gain controlling interest
in the Newport Beach, Calif.-based company,
which has been operated by the
Edwards family for more than 70 years. The
59-site circuit has been estimated to be
worth approximately $300 million, though
several analysts have speculated that the
purchase price most likely fell below that
figure. Anschutz—who counts Englewood,
Colo. -based UATC as one of his theatrical
holdings and is
currently attempting to take
over Regal Cinemas, the country's largest
exhibitor—would have power over nearly
20 percent of the domestic screens if he
succeeds in gaining controlling interest in
all
three circuits.
FALLING STER
Ster kinekor, one of the largest exhibitors
in South Africa, has announced plans to
shutter screens at home and sell assets
abroad in an attempt to recoup recent losses.
The Johannesburg-based company has
unveiled it will close down 90 screens,
GRAPH: Exhibition Stocks, % Change YT0 (5/231
Stock (close)
AMC (AEN)
Carmike (CKECQ)
CinemaStar (LUXYQ)
Enl. Prop. (EPR)
Gen. Cinema (GCX)
Loews (LCPFQ)
Marcus (MCS)
Stock (52-week)
AMC (AEN)
Carmike (CKECQ)
CinemaStar (LUXYQ)
Ent. Prop. (EPR)
Gen. Cinema (GCX)
Loews (LCPFQ)
Marcus (MCS)
First-quarter 2001 financials are in for a
number of domestic exhibitors, with
improvements over the previous year
being recorded almost across the board.
Columbus. Ga. -based Carmike Cinemas'
net loss shrank significantly from
first-quarter 2000's $8.1 million in red
ink, or 72 cents per common share,
compared to the current $1.2 million,
11 cents per share. Carmike 's revenues
during the three-month period fell
2.00
0.22
13.88
CIRCUIT-BY-CIRCUIT LOOK:
or
slightly
to $99.7 million, compared with
$101.5 million a year ago. According to
the circuit's quarterly filing,
revenue from
admissions remained about the same at
$68.6 million in comparison to last year's
$68.5 million. Revenues earned from
concessions, however, took a steeper
dive, falling from just under $33 million in
2000 to $31.2 million.
Over in Piano, Texas-based Cinemark
USA saw red ink shrink from 2000's $5.6
million to this year's $2.7 million, while
net revenue jumped by 1
2 percent to just
over $196 million. The circuit attributes
the rise to healthy admissions during the
three-month period, up by 14 percent to
nearly $128 million, and a boost in concessions
sales, which increased by 11
percent to almost $58 million.
Meanwhile, results for Entertainment
Properties Trust indicate that the company's
performance is essentially on par
with its first quarter in 2000. Revenue
earned during the three months ending
this March was almost static at $13.9
million, as basically was income from
operations, which inched up slightly to
$10.8 million from first-quarter 2000's
$10.7 million. EPR also saw depreciation
and amortization expense come
down a tad from last year's $2.7 million
to $2.6 million,
while net income totaled
$5.8 million, or 39 cents per diluted
- 96.77%
51.81%
+ 5.00%
0.195
0.000
0.000
0.244
0.016
0.000
0.422
share, down from last year's $6.2 million,
or 42 cents per diluted share.
Also filing its 10-Q quarterly report is
Regal Cinemas, which saw total revenue
during the three-month period skyrocket
by more than 20 percent to
just
over $287 million from $238.2 million a
year ago. The circuit attributes the jump
to "both higher prices per patron that
yielded $15 million and increased attendance
that contributed $35.5 million,"
Regal notes,
however, that other operating
revenue tumbled by $1.6 million
during the quarter due largely to the closure
of the circuit's Funscape entertainment
center franchise.
Despite the Knoxville, Tenn. -based
chain's revenue gain.
Regal recorded a
net loss of $92.7 million during the
three-month period, widening from the
previous year's $24.6 million in red ink.
The company attributes $2.5 million in
professional and consulting fees as well
as $61 million in costs associated with
theatre closures for the lion's share of
the distended loss.
Industry insiders believe that Regal will
seek Chapter 11 protection in the immediate
future.
Financials for the first
Chapter 11
quarter tollowing
reemergence were promising
for United Artists Theatre Circuit
The Englewood. Colo-based chain saw
net earnings for the three-month period
ending in March reach just over $1 million
compared with red ink of $10.4 million
in the previous year. The company
also recorded a 2.5 percent uptick in
revenues to a bit under $129 million.
UATC topper Kurt Hall expressed satisfaction
with the post-restructuring
results, noting that the reorganization
enables the chain to "defend and
expand, ..key market positions."

i
lotel
l
—
comprising 20 percent of its local operation,
because of the region's drooping attendance
figures, which have tumbled by nearly foul
million over the past four years. In addition,
the circuit intends to put its foreign holdings
up for sale, starting with its European arm,
Ster Century, which was founded just three
years ago.
Industry watchers also note that
executives at Ster Kinekor parent Primedia
have indicated that the company's cinema
circuit in the Middle East may also be
placed on the auction block. Combined, the
European and Middle Eastern theatrical
divisions have resulted in red ink of 16.5
million rand (US$2 million) for the conglomerate
over the past six months.
LEAVING A SIGNATURE
IN MODESTO
Signature Theatres has celebrated the
opening of a new 10-screener in Modesto,
( alii Ihe Oakland, Calif.-based chain has
refurbished the theatre to feature all-stadium
auditoriums, Dolby Digital surround sound
and highback, European-style rocker seats.
Other amenities featured in the venue
include six acres worth of free parking,
five-day advance ticket sales and a concessions
section dubbed Critics Corner, which
offers such goodies as grilled sausages,
pretzels, ice cream and specialty espresso
drinks. "Our company's roots in the
Modesto theatre market goes back 75
years," says Signature topper Philip Harris.
"We are delighted to bring this theatre to
the residents of Modesto."
MAGIC JOHNSON THEATRES
SPINS DISCS
As part of a promotional deal reached with
Universal Records, Loews Cineplex Entertainment
has entered into a marketing pact to
REGIONAL NEWS
2001 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
This year NATO of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan has awarded 10 $10,000
scholarships from the applications received. A committee of NATO board members
reviewed the applications and selected the following: Jennifer Lynn Bruflat
Fond du Lac, Wis.; Stephanie Marie Coe—Rice Lake, Wis.; Lisa M. Cimbel—
Wausau, Wis.; Christina Harrison— Platteville, Wis.; Kelly Hayek—Madison,
Wis.; Renee Heimdal—Lancaster, Wis.; Amanda R. Irwin—Madison, Wis.; Evie
Lee Langleau—Madison, Wis.; and Eric Schaitel—Madison, Wis.
Congratulations and best wishes to them in all their future endeavors.
— Contributed by NATO of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan
2001 MID-ATLANTIC NATO LEGISLATION AND SEMINAR-REUNION
LEGISLATION: D.C. and Maryland had a quiet 2001 legislative year, but not so in
Virginia. A "pornography" bill—HB 2807—was defeated, then HB 1 868 was dropped
in the hopper, calling for admittance to questionable movies by juveniles to be a class
one misdemeanor, resulting in civil penalty. The association eventually had this modified
to eliminate motion picture theatres, dealing only with video stores. This legislation
is a trend, behooving us to use extra effort to control who can buy a ticket to "R"
movies and to control youngsters from crossing to the wrong auditorium.
SEMINAR-REUNION: Thursday, July 12-Friday July 13, 2001. Tentative
schedule: Thurs., July 12, 6:30 p.m.—Reception (all invited); Dinner (on your
own). Friday, July 13, 10:00 a.m.—Meetings: NATO of DC, Md. and Va. (members
only); 12:00 noon—Luncheon (all invited); 7:00 p.m.— Reception (all
invited); 8:00 p.m.— Dinner (all invited).
Need more info? Call the Mid-Atlantic Office at (757) 722-5275 or Seminar-
Reunion chair Barbara Kimmitt at (757) 393-4383.
—Contributed by Mid-Atlantic NATO
Regional NATO offices and exhibition associations,
send your news clips to:
B0X0FFICE
Attn: Regional News
155 S. El Molino Ave., Suite 100
Pasadena, CA 91101
help sell a number of the label's releases at its
sites carrying the name Magic Johnson
Theatres, the New York City-based exhibitor's
partnership with basketball legend Earvin
"Magic" Johnson. Comprising 60 screens
throughout NYC, Los Angeles, Atlanta,
Cleveland and Houston, the highly successful
circuit will participate in promotional activities
such as CD giveaways at the ticketing box
office and large-screen monitors in theatre lobbies.
Hoping to reach the urban demographic
that frequents Magic Johnson Theatres, Universal
plans to push its hip-hop and R&B artists,
while Loews is looking at the partnership as a
possible model for other co-branding projects.
SUNRISE SURPRISE IN
SOUTH FLORIDA
Art-house independent circuit Sunrise Cinemas
recently bowed a new eight-screener in
Boca Raton, Fla Dubbed the Mizner Park
Cinema, the venue, which was formerly oper
Bted by AMC Cinemas, brings Sunrise's site
< ounl to live, with all of the circuit's specialtyfare
cinemas located throughout southern
l lorida rhe theatre < hain also ra ently < elevated
the 50th anniversary of its Gateway
Theatre site located in Ft Lauderdale, Fla.
Festivities ini luded a spa ial s< reeningol "An
Ameri< .in in Paris," whic h won the A< ademy
Award for Best Picture in 1951 the yeai thai
the Gateway first opened as well as a spc
cial guest visit from 90 yeai old lai k I legarty,
the theatre's First managei "We believe in the
movies," says NATO Florida president
and Sunrise head Mitchel
Dreier of his indie circuit. "And |we|
are proud to serve the many art,
independent and foreign film enthusiasts
in
South Florida."
ON THE MOVE
Indie movie theatre chain
StarNet Cinemas has named longtime
exhibitor Bob Zeitz as its new
senior VP of marketing. Zeitz,
whose 60-year career in the industry
has included stints at National
Amusements, Suncoast Cinemas,
( obb Theatres, Ajay Theatres and
Zeitz Theatres of New England,
was appointed to his post at
Jacksonville, Fla. -based StarNet
early this year.
CORRECTION
ami Entertainment has not sold
the majority ol its preferred stock
(Exhibition Briefings, |une 2001)
rhough New York ( ity based
Apollo Management pun based $92
million worth ol the Kansas < ity,
Mo based evhibiloi 's Series A i i in
vertible stot k and $158 million
worth ui Series B preferred sti » I the
private equity firm hi ilds only three
oul "i a total ol eight dire< tor seals,
ai i ording to AMI s Rii haul King
CALENDAR
Remember to save these dates:
Cinema Expo, June 25—28, RAI,
Amsterdam. Call (212) 246-6460
...Australian International Movie Convention,
August 14— 18, Royal Pines Resort,
Cold Coast. Call Pauline Parker at (61 7-
1
3356-5671 ...Great States Convention
CO
September 11—13, Kalispell, Mont. Call
(406) 587-1251 ...ShowSouth. September 19—20,
The Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Miss. Call Saundra
Conner at (770) 455-8988 ...Film IT Conference
l
and Exposition, October 18— ), Century Plaza
Hotel, Los Angeles, Calif. Call Dana Knox at (203)
254-7998 ...ShowEast, October il -November I
Marriott Worldwide, Orlando, Fla. C all (212) 246
6460 ...CineAsia, December
4—6, Central Grand Plaza
Hlim
i) ! Banfl
& Bangkok I onvention
Centre, Bangkok, Thailand.
Call (212) 2 16 6 160
...ShowCanada. April 20—24,
Spring I lotel, Mberta
II Adina Leboat(416) 969 i
SHOWI \S\

j ,
;
[
'
ITEMUS TAKES AIM AT TSG
Showing symptoms of a weakening econ-
omy, Toronto-based technology company
itemus has acquired New York-based
j
;
i
j
j
I
.
I
by Franceses Dinglasan
mm MCCAIN APPEARS
Cilia IN THEATRICAL AD
Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) is appearing
on a big-screen ad this summer designed
to educate moviegoers about gun safety.
Sponsored by non-profit group Americans
for Gun Safety, the ad, which began running
on May 18 and continues for one month, is
featured in 210 different cities across 44
states, with only theatres in Alabama,
Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Hawaii and
Utah not screening the preshow presentation.
In the ad, McCain implores adults to
keep guns in safe places at all times and
encourages children to tell a parent or
teacher if they know of someone planning to
use the weapon. Because the ad makes no
direct reference to gun control, a spokesperson
for the National Rifle Association has
given its support to the campaign.
SENATOR SEEKS LEGISLATION
AGAINST MARKETING PRACTICES
Senator Joseph Lieberman (D.-Conn.) has
been attempting to introduce legislation that
would hold the entertainment industry legally
liable for advertising sexually explicit or
violent product to children—an issue raised
by the findings of a Federal Trade Commission
report released last year that claimed
several media outlets intentionally and
aggressively marketed product featuring
adult themes to underage consumers (see
Hill News, November 2000). Although a follow-up
report conducted by the FTC last
May noted that many major Hollywood studios
made great strides in changing their
marketing campaigns since the original
investigation, it also insisted that there's still
room for improvement—an observation that
seems to support Lieberman's battle. Industy
observers believe that the senator's proposal
seeks to give the FTC power to punish companies
proven guilty of deceptive marketing
by using the guidelines established by the
Motion Picture Association of America's voluntary
film rating system. Critics of
Lieberman's campaign, however, have been
quick to point out that if the measure is
passed,
studios can simply avoid the threat
of penalty by releasing their product unrated.
WIDOW SUES CASTLE ROCK
Castle Rock and Warner Bros., which
released "Proof of Life" earlier this year, is
being sued by the widow of a stunt man who
died during the filming of the movie.
William Gaffney, a stand-in for actor David
Morse, was involved in a fatal accident
while shooting a scene in which his character
was driven in a truck along a mountainside
road. Caffney's death occurred when he
was thrown from the vehicle, which
careened off the side of a cliff. According to
the lawsuit filed on behalf of Karine S.
Caffney, her husband had been allowed to
work under dangerously unsuitable conditions,
including roads that were extremely
muddy fom recent rains and the lack of safety
barriers. The case is being tried in the Los
Angeles Superior Court.
STUDIO
NEWS
TOONED OUT
Also posting its first-quarter financials was
Viacom, which reported a net loss of $7.3 I
million, or zero cents a share, compared 1
with a $384 million loss during the same
j
timeframe a year ago. The figure includes a
one-time accounting charge of $452 million.
by Annlee Ellmgson when tnafs excluded, the conglomerate
In the wake of cutting back three percent
of its workforce, or 4,000 employees company-wide
(see Studio News, June 2001),
Disney has separately announced that it will
eliminate 250 jobs in its Burbank animation
facilities and institute pay cuts throughout its
animation division, including the staffs
France.
located in Orlando, Fla. and Paris,
The Burbank job losses will begin this
summer and conclude upon the completion
of "Treasure Planet" this winter. Disney also
has informed its Orlando-based staffers that
they could expect pay cuts of 30 percent to
50 percent when their contracts expire. The
studio will then return to producing one traditional,
hand-drawn feature at a time,
though there will continue to be two animated
releases from the company a year,
including the CGI pics produced by Pixar.
CORPORATE REPORT CARD
The Walt Disney Co. reported secondquarter
profits of $391 million, or 19 cents
a share, up 33 percent from $294 million,
or 14 cents, during the same timeframe a
year ago. The figure does not include a
one-time charge of nearly $1 billion mostly
due to the restructuring of its Go.com
Internet portal. With it, the studio posted a
loss of $567 million, or 26 cents a share.
Revenue for the quarter ending in March
fell four percent to $6 billion. Studio operating
income more than tripled to $164
million from $46 million last year.
Sony's revenues were up but overall profits
were down due to new accounting rules
(wherein advertising and marketing costs are
recorded immediately) in its year-end and
fourth-quarter financials. Net income fell 86
percent for the fiscal year to $134 million;
revenue rose nine percent to $58.5 billion.
At Sony Pictures, year-end operating income
was down 88 percent to $35 million; revenue
was up 12 percent to $4.4 billion. For
the quarter ending in March, company-wide
operating losses lessened slightly to $25 million;
revenues rose 17 percent to $15.4 billion.
And at the studio, operating income
jumped 1 7 percent to $1 56 million; revenue
climbed 29 percent to $1 .5 billion.
Fox parent News Corp. reported a profit
of $127 million, or 12 cents a share,
before extraordinary items, down 34 percent
from $1 93 million, or 1 8 cents a year
ago. Revenue edged up one percent to
$3.27 billion from $3.24 billion. The conglomerate's
filmed entertainment division
had a profit of $46 million, down from
$95 million last year.
MGM, like Sony, was the victim of
accounting-related charges in its first-quarter
financials, reporting a loss of $399.8
million, or $1 .86 a share, compared with a
profit of $5.2 million, or three cents a
share, in the same limeli.ime a \eai ago.
Without the $382.! million deduction, net
income for the first three months of the
year came to $12.6 million, or six cents a
share. Revenue fell slightly to $343.9 million
from $344.7 million.
earned $68 million, or 10 cents a share, in
the first quarter of 2001. Assuming several l
acquisitions occurred last year, revenue
grew six percent to $5.77 billion from $5.44 !
billion last year. The company's entertainment
division, led by Paramount, posted a •
net profit of $64 million and revenue of
.
$595 million, up 14 percent.
In its voluntary quarterly report, Vivendi
Universal revealed cash flow of $809 million
j
for the three-month period ending in March,
compared with $382 million in 2000.
Revenue rose to $5.3 billion from $4.8 bil-
lion. Universal Studios saw operating earn- i
j
ings increase to $121 million from a year-
;
earlier $2.7 million; revenue dipped slightly.
,
USA Networks reported a first-quarter net
,
loss of $19.5 million, or five cents a share, .
compared with a loss of $23.9 million, or
.
seven cents a share during the same time-
.
frame a year ago. Revenue rose 18 percent
to $1 .3 billion. USA Films' cash flow rose to : I
$2.2 million in the black from $1 million in I
the red last year.
Shooting Gallery in a stock-swap worth
approximately $20 million. In return,
Shooting Gallery will receive 71 million
shares in itemus, which provides business
solutions to Fortune 1000 companies, and
;
Shooting Gallery CEO Larry Meistrich will I
sit on itemus' board of directors.
Previously itemus had loaned the producj
tion and distribution shingle $7.5 million, I
which Shooting Gallery will now not have to
repay, and agreed to acquire its client and
production services in a stock-swap then
valued at $56 million for 80 percent of its
shares. Under the new arrangement.
Shooting Gallery will retain all of its brand-
.
name divisions and remain fully operational
under a new corporate parent.
"With this union, Shooting Gallery looks
•
forward to providing the foremost creative
and diverse media services," Meistrich says.
"This relationship leads to more successful,
profitable projects as media and technology
;
converge, taking our clients one step closer ,
to the most comprehensive solutions."
ON THE MOVE
Frederick Huntsberry has been promoted i
to CFO of Universal Studios Group, replacing
William Sutman, who had moved to I
Canal Plus Group after the Vivendi
J
Universal merger. Huntsberry had been CFO I
of Universal Studios.
|
After sharing the title for three years, Tom
Ortenberg has been named sole president of
|
Lions Gate Releasing. His former partner in I
crime, Mark Urman, will segue to president
of feature projects, a newly created position.
Nick Meyer and Sergei Yershov, meanwhile,
have been promoted to co-presidents oft
tive shuffles come just after the extension of
Lions Gate topper Jon Feltheimer's contract I
(see Studio News, June 2001).
J
Lions Gate Films International. The execuj

depends
u
INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Canadian News Notes by Shlomo Schwartzberg
LEAD STORY: NEW LCE OWNER TO INVEST
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN THEATRE ACQUISITIONS
Gerry Schwartz, president of Onex Corp. and head of the group
that has taken control of Loews Cineplex, has promised to expand
the company's presence in the North American exhibition market.
At Onex's annual meeting, Schwartz pledged to invest hundreds of
millions of dollars in acquiring theatres from troubled chains in
North America. Onex recently sold off shares of an airline catering
business and has over $1 billion to invest in acquisitions.
When Onex took over the bankrupt Loews Cineplex chain in
February, it closed a slew of theatres in Canada and the U.S. that it
deemed unprofitable. But while some high-profile Cineplex theatres
are still to be closed (the venerable York two-plex in mid-Toronto
has been sold and will be shuttered this month), most currently
operating will remain, says Mindy Tucker, spokesperson for Loews
Cineplex. "[There will be] one or two closings—nothing significant,"
she told BOXOFFICE.
GUZZO EXPANDS TERREBONNE PLEX WHILE
AWAITING COMPETITION BUREAU DECISION
Quebec upstart Guzzo Cinemas is awaiting a decision by
the Federal Competition Bureau on its challenge to the
Hollywood studios' "restrictivf
claims, deny product to independents.
The verdict won't
come down until the fall, says
Vince Guzzo, but already he
sees some of the distributors
acting in a "positive, con-
[wayl" vis a vis supplying
structive
films to
smaller
exhibitors.
Guzzo finds it significant
that Famous Players "is bringing
down their movie prices,
which is beautiful for paying
customers." The company
lowered its C$12 (US$8.40)
top admission price at its
StarCite Olympic Stadium to
C$9.50. (US$5.70) in order,
Guzzo claims, to compete
with his company's lower
Players and Cineplex, adding that famous' new pric

»iU.-„li'.»i/AkiJ/_
INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
EUROVIEWS
European News Notes by Francesca Dinglasan
LEAD STORY: FRENCH EXHIBS
RAISE MOVIE PASS PRICE
PARIS—Although the introduction of all-you-can-see
movie passes into France by some of the largest local
exhibitors helped account for an upsurge in admissions last
year—more than 11 percent, according to the country's
CNC—a number of circuits have announced plans to raise
the price of their respective promotional tickets to offset losses.
Gaumont, MK2 and a collection of independent cinemas
have revealed that they will increase their monthly fee (based
on a six-month to yearlong commitment, depending on the
theatre chain) to 18 euros (US$16.50) from the current 15
euros (US$14). The price hike has been largely attributed to
the oversuccess of the pass, which is being used more frequently
than exhibitors originally anticipated. Other factors
contributing to the price hike are amendments recently passed
by France's National Assembly mandating that larger theatre
operators pay independent cinemas, which the government
body argues cannot compete with the bigger chains offering
the promotional ticket, a set fee every time a customer uses
the pass. Additionally, exhibitors must earmark 50 percent of
earnings made off the pass to distributors—or what the
French government defines as "rights holders."
Gaumont and MK2 instituted their promotional passes late
last year in response to competing French circuit UGC's special
monthly pass dubbed "Carte Illimite." UGC president Guy
Verrecchia has stated that, for the present time, his company does
not intend to raise the Carte Illimite's current monthly price.
and 21.4 million, respectively. The performance of these films
helped buoy admissions across the Continent to an estimated
844 million, reaching a 17-year high and outperforming the
U.S., which saw ticket sales drop by three percent during the 12-
month period. Countries leading the admissions upswing were
Ireland, which saw a nearly 20 percent jump, and the
Netherlands, with an increase of just over 16 percent. The one
segment of the industry that did not profit from the upturn,
however, was local product. European films accounted for
than 23 percent of cinema admissions in 2000, tumbling from
the 29 percent share it held during the previous year.
FRENCH FILMS FLOUNDER LOCALLY
PARIS—Among the Europeans demonstrating a proclivity
for American pics last year were the normally resistant Gauls,
according to France's Centre National de Cinematographie's
latest report. While the total number of films released in 2000
increased by a little over eight percent to 166 in comparison
to the previous year, with box-office receipts jumping by 8.5
percent to just under six billion francs (US$780 million), it
was Hollywood, and not the local film industry, that profited
from French moviegoing habits. U.S. films accounted for
almost 63 percent of the market share, increasing by nine percent
compared with 1999 results. Top performers in the territory
during the year included "The Sixth Sense," "Gladiator"
and "Toy Story 2." The CNC also cites cinema modernization
and multiplex construction, as well as the availability of promotional
movies passes (see Lead Story) for the increase in
turnstiles turns last year.
SEYD0UX BROS. CONSIDER MERGER
PARIS—In addition to the augmented pass prices, exhibition
industry analysts in France note that two of the territory's
largest theatrical circuits are continuing to discuss the possibility
of merging. Gaumont chairman Nicolas Seydoux is believed
to be encouraging his brother and Pathe topper Jerome Seydoux
to consider consolidation of the two chains under the companies'
existing joint venture Europalaces (see EUROVIEWS, February
2001 ). The Seydoux brothers have been disputing rumors
that the Europalaces banner was designed to facilitate a complete
Gaumont-Pathe merger ever since it was introduced last
year. Gaumont's financial difficulties, however, make consolidation
an attractive alternative for the company, which recorded a
loss of just under 440 million francs (US$60 million) last year.
Gaumont worker unions have rejected merger proposals in an
effort to protect jobs.
EUROPEANS FAVOR U.S. FARE
LONDON— U.S. big-screen fare fared well in European
Union territories last year, according to the latest study conducted
by the European Audiovisual Observatory. Looking at
the 15 territories comprising the EU, including Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, Finland. France, Germany, Greece. Italy.
Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
and the U.K., the report cites Hollywood releases "Gladiator,"
"Toy Story 2" and "American Beauty" as the top three ticket
sellers in 2000- -counting turnstiles of 24.6 million, 23.8 million
GERMANY'S MARCH MADNESS
BERLIN—France's neighbor to the east has also seen a health)
increase in theatre admissions, as evinced by the findings of the
German Federal Film Board. According to the organization's 1
est report. Teutonic exhibitors recorded a 56.6 percent attendance
growth last March in comparison to the same month in 2000. The
four-week period helped boost a particularly lackluster January
and February, resulting in a 12.4 percent cinema attendance
increase for first-quarter 2001 over the previous year. Ticket sale:-
during the quarter garnered DM513 million (US$232 million),
with March alone accounting for DM186 (US$84 million)—anl
1 1-year high in the territory. Top box-office hits during the period
include "What Women Want," "The Emperor's New Groove" and
local production "Das Experiment-Black Box."
EUR0N0TES
South African exhibitor Ster Kinekor has confirmed thai i
plans to exit the European market altogether by unloading its 51
percent stake in its continental cinema arm Ster Century (sei
Exhibition Briefings, pages 82-83)... German cinema circuit UFA
Theater has appointed Stefan Burger lo the position of head o
marketing. Burger, who replaces Anlje Siedel, previously served a
the company's head of marketing in eastern Germany... Tin
British Film Commission has named Clare Wise, a former free
lance producer, as Us new director. Wise's responsibilities in he
post will include day-to-day operations and marketing the UK. li
international filmmakers as a potential shooting location.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS
PACIFIC OVERTURES
Notes From the Pacific Rim by Francesca Dinglasan
LEAD STORY: OZ'S VILLAGE ROADSHOW
CONTINUES WITHDRAWAL FROM EUROPE
SYDNEY— Forging ahead with plans to scale back its exhibition
sector drastically.
Australian entertainment conglomerate
Village Roadshow recently sold exhibition assets in the
countries of Switzerland. Hungary and Greece. The company
disclosed in a statement that the three deals garnered a combined
AUSS94 million (US$48 million), with net profits totaling
AUSS45 million (US$23 million) after repayment of certain
debts. On a market-by-market basis, Village Roadshow sold its
13-screener in Switzerland to European exhibition giant Pathe.
its 50 percent interest in a Hungarian joint venture—comprising
45 screens in six venues— to local partner Intercom, and its
total holdings in Greece's Village Entertainment Park in
Athens to the Pradera European Retail Fund, although the Ozbased
corporation will continue to lease and operate the latter
site. Previous to this most recent round of theatrical unloading.
Village Roadshow sold its German chain to local exhibitor
Kinowelt and other Teutonic investors (see Pacific Overtures,
February 2001). and industry observers believe that the company
is currently negotiating a deal with Pathe regarding its
remaining theatres in Switzerland and France. Over on the
other side of the world. Village Roadshow also exited its joint
venture with Hong Kong-based Golden Harvest, relinquishing
theatres throughout the Pacific Rim.
"Having embarked some nine months ago on a program to
restructure our exhibition division, we have now achieved many
significant milestones in that plan," remarks Village Roadshow
managing director Graham Burke of the recent European
transactions. "The sale of Switzerland and Hungary combined
with the sale of our remaining interest in Village Entertainment
Park further reduces the capital committed to this division and
will assist in
raisins; the overall returns from exhibition."
AUSTRALIAN WATCHDOG VOWS
TO REVIEW EXHIB/DISTRIB CODE
S\ DNEY— During the annual gathering of Oz independent
theatre operators held last May. the industry watchdog
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission made a
commitment to review the current code-of-conduct guidelines.
which define the business practices of Down Under film
exhibitors and distributors. Smaller cinema owners in the territory
have vociferously asserted that the three-year-old code,
which is adhered to on a voluntary basis, has failed. Chief
among their complaints is that local distributors clearly demonstrate
favoritism toward Australia's largest circuits, including
HoytS, Greater Union and Village Cinemas, by providing these
companies with first-run product, while smaller theatres inusl
fight for access to the product. Australian cinema chain Reading
Entertainment, for example, has been waging a longtime wai
against the territory's film distributors, which the exhibitoi
claims has engaged in anti-competitive practices by refusing to
provide first-run films to the company's Market Street site m
Sydney, instead giving films to nearby theatres operated bj the
larger theatre chains (see Hill News. June 2001 I.
CINEMAS DOWN, SCREENS UP IN 0Z
SYDNEY—According to the latest report released by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics, while the number of cinema
locations in the territory has remained fairly steady over the past
few years—numbering 326 as of June 2000 compared with 325
during the 1996-97 period and 329 from 1993-94—screen count
has skyrocketed as a result of expanding multiplexes. During the
seven-year period, from 1993 to 2000, the total number of
Australian screens in operation increased by 44 percent to last
year's 1,513 from 1,050. At the same time, theatre auditoriums
appear to be getting smaller, averaging 247 seats in 2000 in comparison
to 308 in 1997 and 301 in 1994. The study also notes that
the Oz exhibition industry's operating profit has tumbled by just
over five percent to AUSS113 million (US$60 million) from
three years ago. although employment in the sector has grown to
include 9,282 workers in comparison to 7,739 in 1994. In terms
of ozoners, Oz is mirroring the U.S.: Drive-in theatres in the territory
have reached near extinction, with only 17 still in operation,
down from 1994's 41.
PARALLEL IMPORTS HURT KIWI BOX OFFICE
AUCKLAND—The film exhibition and distribution industries
in New Zealand are outraged by the Kiwi government's retracted
promise to prohibit parallel
importing of videotapes and DVDs
into the territory. Late last year, state officials announced they
would ensure that inexpensive product, which oftentimes included
pirated and legitimate goods, did not enter the country during
its theatrical release. The New Zealand government, however,
after facing pressure from local retail outlets, libraries, universities
and consumer advocate associations, recently backed down from
its original avowal. As a result of this reversal, box-office tallies in
some Kiwi markets have dipped by as much as 35 percent—figures
that local theatre owner organization the Motion Picture
Exhibitors Association will bring to the government in hopes of
getting the ban on parallel importing reinstated.
NEW ZEALAND STUDENTS EAGER FOR NEW CINEMA
WELLINGTON—Students attending New Zealand's Otago
University are keeping their fingers crossed that the local government
will approve plans for a new cinema. Independent theatre
operators Kevin and Rachel Wightman have submitted a
request to convert a building, which formerly served as a
church, into an 80-seat moviehouse. City councilors appear set
to greenlight the project, providing that the Wightmans' venue
meets certain operational conditions.
DO YOU HAVE EXHIBITION-RELATED NEWS
ABOUT THE PACIFIC RIM?
SEND CLIPS TO:
B0X0FFICE
155 S. El Molino Ave., Suite 100
Pasadena, CA 91101
Attn: Pacific Overtures
''• -"""
M

BOXOF
REVIEWS
JUMP TOMORROW ***
July 2001
DAY AND DATE: JULY 13
Starring Tunde Adebimpe, Natalia
Verbeke, fames Wilby and Hippolyte
Girardot. Directed and written by Joel
Hopkins. Produced by Nicola Usborne.
An IFC release. Romantic comedy. Rated
PC for thematic material, mild sensuality
and language. Running time: 96 min.
English-bom NYU film school graduate
Joel Hopkins delivers a low-budget
romantic comedy delight in the mod- and
lounge-styled "lump Tomorrow," a groovy
fable about the universal languages of
love, Spanish and
dancing.
Fellow NYU alum
and clay animator
Tunde Adebimpe
plays George, the
soft-spoken, introverted
son of deceased
Nigerian immigrants
who, out of respect
for their wishes, has
agreed to an arranged
marriage to a childhood
friend. The
thought of marrying
for love doesn't even
occur to him until a chance meeting
with a bright-eyed Spanish cutie named
Alicia (Natalia Verbeke) leaves him
hopelessly smitten. An encounter with a
love-addicted Frenchman named Gerard
(Hippolyte Girardot) further spurs his
inner Romeo as Gerard takes the young
man under his wing, determined to
secure for George the happiness that he
has been unable to find for himself.
Bui George is too honor-bound to
abandon his fiancee on a whim, no matter
how cute that whim may be.
Fortunately, fate smiles on them all
when, while traveling to Niagara Falls
for the wedding, George and Gerard
cross paths with Alicia and her snooty
English boyfriend Nathan (James Wilby)
hitchhiking their way to Canada. What
follows isn't exactly the most romantic
road trip, though it does give the characters
the chance to be exactly whom
they want to be—free from the strictures
of daily life, demanding jobs and social
obligations. And somewhere along the
way they discover the purest kind of
unconditional love
true romance unaffected
by circumstance.
Though the film
does not rely on it,
Hopkins' fondness for
the hip, mod stylings
of 1960s-era London
give "Jump Tomorrow"
a flavor all its own, a
ing that the world
which the story
takes place belongs
exclusively to its four
IFC's "Jump Tomorrow." romantic loners. It's
especially refreshing
that the
is set in the heartland of
Americana, yet numbers
white, male
no white American males among any of
its four leads—strangers in the strangest
of lands, all looking for love and finding
it and losing it in the least likely of
places.
In some ways the film resembles the
work of Hal Hartley, though Hopkins'
more moderated use of absurdism gives
"lump Tomorrow" a greater emotional
accessibility. And, though the film sometimes
meanders, Hopkins' heart is firmly
in the right place. Wade Major
*•••• OUTSTANDING
•••• VERY GOOD
••• GOOD
•* FAIR
• POOR
(no stars) BOMB
CANNES REVIEWS. PART I
Chelsea Walls R-66
Distance R-66
No Such Thing R-66
R-Xmas R-66
AFM REVIEWS (beginning on p-67)
Deuces Wild, Felix et Lola. The Hole, Julie
Johnson, The King Is
Dancing, The Martins,
On the Nose, Skipped Parts, The War Bride
SANTA BARBARA
onp-70)
The Adulterer, Artists and Orphans, Ashes of
the Volcano, Cinema Verite: Defining the
Moment. The Exhibited, Felicidades, Focus, A
Galaxy Far, Far Away, The Gold Cup, The
Legend of Love, Orphan, Settlers, 75 Degrees
in July, Speakers of the Truth, Thomas in Love
CURRENT REVIEWS
Angel Eyes R-75
Big Eden R-84
Brigham City R-83
Calle 54 R-77
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles R-82
Driven R-82
Fighter R-74
The Forsaken R-83
Jackpot R-74
A Love Divided R-75
Lumumba R-75
A Matter of Taste R-84
Moulin Rouge R-76
The Mummy Returns R-81
Pavilion of Women R-79
Petits Freres R-76
Russian Doll R-74
Shrek R-78
Time and Tide R-80
Too Tired to Die R-83
Town & Country R-82
Trumpet of the Swan R-79
Tuvalu R-81
The Young Girl and the Monsoon R-81
SPECIAL FORMATS
All Access
Journey Into Amazing Caves . . . .
'N Sync: Bigger Than
Live
DAY AND DATE: 7/13
R-77
R-78
R-77
Jump Tomorrow R-65
FLASHBACK: 1968
Planet of the Apes R-79
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Coming films already reviewed .
REVIEW DIGEST
. . R-80
Our monthly release overview R-84

—
CANNES REVIEWS
•**
NO SUCH THING
Starring Sarah Policy, Robert John
Burke, Helen Mirren and Julie Christie.
Directed and written by Hal Hartley.
Produced hy Pridrik Thor Pridriksson, Hal
Hartley and Cecilia Kate Roquc. A L'nitcd
Artists release. Satirical comedy. Sot yet
rated. Running time: 103 min.
In a change of pace from his distinctive
deadpan comedies. Hal Harley ("Henry
Fool") adds some contemporary twists to
the Beauty and the Beast legend. Robert
John Burke, who has appeared in three
Hartley films including "Simple Men,"
plays the sinister, foul-mouthed and harddrinking
Monster who has been terrorizing
remote areas of Iceland. Burke's makeup
effectively gives him the appearance of
being carved from a tree trunk.
The Boss (Helen Mirren) of a New
York TV news program continually drives
be
Robert John Burke and Sarah Polley i, UA
's "No Such Thing
her staff for exclusive coverage of the
worst news possible. When a camera crew
disappears after traveling to Iceland to
film the Monster, Beatrice ("The Claim's"
Sarah Policy), who has a menial job at the
show, asks to go to Iceland to investigate.
as her fiance is among the missing camera
crew. After Beatrice meets the Monster in
Iceland, she develops an unexpected sympathy
for him and. when she brings him
back to New York, the Boss helps turn
the Monster into the latest celebrity of
the moment.
While "No Such Thing" lacks the
unique style and unpredictability of
Hartley's previous comedies, with only a
few minor characters speaking m the
auteur's trademark deadpan style. Hartley
adds enough quirky and satirical touches
in the screenplay to keep the film entertaining.
I he two leads are well-cast: Polley
gives Beatrice a youthful determination
that contrasts well with the bitter anger of
Burke's Monster. Mirren takes what could
have been a throwaway stock character
and. with hard-edged delivery and commanding
presence, makes the Boss the
comic highlight of the film and .1 match lor
any monster. As the doctor who helps
Beatrice in Iceland. Julie Christie doesn't
have much to do except oiler a warm presence.
Ed Scheid
CHELSEA WALLS **
Starring Kris Kristofferson, Robert
Sean Leonard, Natasha Richardson, I'rna
Thurman and Steve Zahn. Directed by
Ethan Hawke. Written hy Nicole liurdcttc.
Produced by Pamela Koffler and Jon
Marcus. A Lions date release. Drama.
Running time: 1(19 min.
New York City's Chelsea Hotel is
famed as the place where artists from
Mark Twain through Arthur Miller and
Bob Dylan once lived. Though the hotel
has become run down, it is still a magnet
for young would-be artists who hope to
become part of the Chelsea's creative cycle.
This film is the feature directorial debut of
actor Ethan Hawke, who shot "Chelsea
Walls" in digital video. Considering the
talent that Hawke attracted to his film, the
final result is particularly disappointing.
Grace (Hawke's wife Uma Thurman)
and Audrey (Rosario Dawson
of "Josie and the Pussycats")
are poets struggling with their
writing and with the usual
romantic complications. Grace
is torn between an artist living
in the Chelsea ("The Cell's"
Vincent D'Onofrio) and a lover
who went Hollywood. Meanwhile.
Bud ("Lone Star's" Kris
Kristofferson) is an alcoholic
writer attempting to finally finish
his book while contending
with both his girlfriend (Natasha
Richardson) and his wife
(Tuesday Weld). And two wouldbe
musicians, Terry ("Driven's"
Robert Sean Leonard) and
Ross ("Happy, Texas'" Steve Zahn), drive
in from Minnesota in the hopes of jumpstarting
their careers.
Hawke's visual style is gritty and dimly
lit, exacerbating the fact that the young
residents of the hotel come across as selfindulgent
and tiresome, which in turn is an
accurate description of "Chelsea Walls"
itself. Like a bad improvisation exercise,
the superficially written characters ramble
on tediously about their lives, loves and the
art they're struggling to create. At a level
above the rest of the film are the scenes
with Kris Kristofferson. who gives his
character a world-weary self-awareness
an insight the other hotel residents lack.
— Ed Scheid
••
'R-XMAS
Starring l.illo lirancuto, Drcu de Muttco
and Ice-T. Directed hy Abel Perrara. Written
by Scott Pardo and Abel Perrara. Produced
hy Pierre Kal/on. A franchise Pictures production.
No distributor set. Crime drama.
Not yet rated. Running time: 86 min.
lln- only dung surprising about Abel
Ferrara's latest is thai if is such ,1 routine
view of urban crime from the director ol
Km:' "i New York" and "Bad
l ieutenanl "
( In- film lakes place during Christmastime
m New V>ik in 1993 while David Dinkins
prevalent than today. A husband and wife
(Lillo Brancato and Drea de Matteo. who
both appear on TV's "The Soproanos")
have a prosperous lifestyle, including a private
school education for their beloved
daughter. It turns out that their comfortable
life is financed by a secret drug-running
operation. During a "business meeting,"
the husband is kidnapped and a
gangster (Ice-T) demands a ransom from
the wife.
Throughout, '"R-Xmas" lacks the
intensity and raw emotions of Ferrara's
best efforts. The predictable events in the
script are staged with an unexpected
absence of Ferrara's forceful visual style.
The main characters are simply named
The Husband, The Wife and The
Kidnapper, emphasizing the disappointingly
generic nature of the entire effort.
— Ed Scheid
• ••
DISTANCE
Starring A rata, Yusuke Iseya, Susumu
Terajima and Yui Natsukawa. Directed and
written hy Hirokazu Kore-eda. Produced hy
Masayuki Akieda. No distributor set.
Drama. Japanese-language; subtitled. Not
yet rated. Running time: 132 min.
With "Distance," Japanese writer/director
Hirokazu Kore-eda continues the
exploration of death and loss that he
began with "Maboroshi" and "After Life."
Inspired by actual events, "Distance" takes
place in Japan three years after the Ark of
Truth cult killed 128 people through a
virus in the water supply. The self-appointed
killers were then slain by fellow cult members.
The cult has returned to proselytizing
and is under police surveillance.
In an unfocused and confusing beginning,
short scenes depict the everyday life
of a variety of characters in the crowded
apartments of contemporary urban Japan.
Eventually the film focuses on four people
preparing for a trip to a secluded lake. The
travelers are two young men, Atsushi
(Arata) and Masaru (Yusuke Iseya), businessman
Minoru (Susumu Terajima) and
teacher Kiyoka (Yui Natsukawa).
Eventually the purpose of the trip is
revealed a memorial service for relatives
who had been cult members.
After the travelers discover that their
bus has been stolen, they meet Koichi
(Tadanobu Asano). a surviving cult member
who unites the travelers to spend the
night in a rural cabin that their deceased
relatives had also used As [lie characters
reminisce about then loved ones, scenes
show them 111 different nine periods,
including being questioned bj
police.
flic intercutting between the different
stories gives the film .1 fragmented style thai
prevents it from achieving the high level ^t
Kore-eda's previous two features. But.
through the sensitivit) o\ Kore-eda's
screenplay, "Distance" is a compelling look
at the emotional anguish caused h\ the
death of famih members as well as the
endurance 10 cam on with life.—Ed Scheid
'' ?'"" M ifl M

THE HOLE
**•
Starring Thora Birch, Daniel Brocklebank,
Embeth Davidtz, Keira Knightley,
Desmond Harrington and Laurence Fox.
Directed by Nick Hamm. Written by Ben
Cort and Caroline Ip. Produced by Lisa
Bryer, Jeremy Bolt and Pippa Cross. A
Granada Films production. No distributor
set. Thriller. Not yet rated. Running
time: 103 min.
Given the recent direction of teenoriented
films in general and thrillers in
particular, "The Hole" is an undeniable
step in the right direction. At first glance,
the stylish, eerie thriller from director
Nick Hamm and writers Ben Cort and
Caroline Ip may seem like yet another
youthful suspenser of the "Scream" variety—one
more cautionary tale of thrillseeking
teens paying the price for their
overactive hormones.
But that's where the similarities end.
Bravely tackling a complex assortment of
perceptions and misperceptions about
contemporary teens, "The Hole" is ultimately
more about psychology than
thrills, an on- and off-screen game that
toys as much with its characters as with
the audience.
The story begins as Liz ("American
Beauty's" Thora Birch), disheveled and
dirty, runs frantically through the empty
halls of her prestigious English college.
As school officials and news media gather,
the events of the preceding 18 days are
methodically revealed, a nightmare that
began (as they all do) innocently when
four daring youths (Birch, Desmond
Harrington, Keira Knightley and
Laurence Fox) chose to ditch a field trip
for three wild days in an abandoned
underground bunker.
Just what transpired in the bunker isn't
immediately clear as Liz offers conflicting
reports to her psychological examiner
(Embeth Davitz), understandably reluctant
to relive the experience. Her story is
at first replete with holes and inconsistencies,
checkered recollections of what must
have been an unspeakably traumatic
ordeal. But, as the police investigation
progresses, the pieces slowly begin to fit,
albeit not necessarily in the right order.
Sporting a spot-on English accent,
Birch is the glue that holds the film
together, allowing the film the freedom to
make unexpected twists and turns based
on nothing more than the credibility of
her character.
There's much to be said, as well, about
the respect with which Nick Hamm treats
the script, ever careful to ante up the style
only when it serves the best interests of
the story.
A fine crew of seasoned technicians
also lend their support, with especially
praiseworthy work from "I Know What
You Did Last Summer" cinematographer
Denis Crossan and "Requiem for a
Dream" composer Clint Mansell.
— Wade Major
AFM REVIEWS
SKIPPED PARTS *l/2
Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bug
Hall, Mischa Barton, R. Lee Ermey,
Angela Featherstone, Peggy Lipton, Brad
Renfro and Drew Barrymore. Directed by
Tamra Davis. Written by Tim Sandlin.
Produced by Shelby Stone, Alison Dickey
and Sharon Check. A Lions Gate release.
Comedy. Rated R for sexual situations,
some involving young teens, and for language.
Running time: 100 min.
The most frustrating thing about "Skipped
Parts" is trying to figure out exactly what
kind of a movie it's supposed to be. As it
stands, writer Tim Sandlin's coming-of-age
tale, adapted from his own novel, veers in so
many directions, sending such a confusing
array of mixed messages, that even the most
tolerant filmgoer will find their forbearance
wearing thin well before the picture shuffles
to its surprisingly listless finale.
Bug Hall stars as Sam Callahan, the 14-
year-old son of a boozy, sleazy, irresponsible
single mother named Lydia (Jennifer
Jason Leigh) whose potential for embarrassing
her firebrand father (R. Lee
Ermey) in his forthcoming gubernatorial
campaign wins them an all-expense-paid
trip to the backwaters of Wyoming. Sam,
of course, views the new start with hope,
imagining that they might finally settle
into a normal existence away from his
grandfather's overbearing influence. But
the two are misfits from the start, with
Lydia as openly contemptuous of smalltown
life and its quaint denizens as Sam's
schoolmates are of him. After a time,
though, things start to click and Sam
makes friends with a precocious neighborhood
girl named Maurey (Mischa Barton
of "The Sixth Sense") while Lydia begins
shacking up with a husky Native American
named Hank (Michael Greyeyes).
What presumably sets "Skipped Parts"
apart from the usual coming-of-age fare is
its straightforward approach to sex, namely
the detached, almost comical way in which it
treats Sam's and Maurey 's eventual experimentation
with intercourse. Naturally, any
depiction of 14-year-olds having sex is
bound to raise eyebrows. The question here
is what point of view the filmmakers will
embrace in so doing. Suffice to say, it's a
question that is never properly answered.
One has to imagine that Sandlin and
director Tamra Davis ("Gun Crazy")
either didn't know what they wanted, or
believed that hedging their bets would
make the film appear pensive and provocative.
Whatever the case, the approach simply
doesn't work, at first satirizing the
coming-of-age genre, then later embracing
the very cliches it initially ridiculed.
Narrative expediency seems to be the only
reliable motivator in
the entire film, carefully
guiding characters through the briar
patch of common sense so as to spare the
filmmakers from actually having to take a
position on anything. If only someone hail
thought to spare filmgoers the ordeal of
their indecision.— Wade Major
ON THE NOSE
***l/2
Starring Dan Aykroyd, Robbie Coltrane,
Brenda Blethyn, Tony Briggs and Eanna
MacLiam. Directed by David Caffrey.
Written by Tony Philpott. Produced by
Scott Kennedy & Tristan Orpen Lynch. A
Cadence Entertainment and Subotica
Entertainment production. No distributor
set. Comedv. Not yet rated. Running time:
104 min.
Anyone bemoaning the lack of originality
in movies, particularly comedies,
will have much to crow about with the
Irish-Canadian co-production "On The
Nose." Boasting one of the strangest
premises ever conceived, the David
Caffrey-directed picture gets high scores
on several counts, from Tony Philpott's
strong original script to effortless performances
by seasoned veterans Dan
Aykroyd and Robbie Coltrane.
The setting is the Dublin Medical
College where Brendan (Coltrane), a longtime
porter, has made a remarkable discovery
regarding a 200-year-old severed
Aboriginal head. When struck just so by
sunlight, the head, which sits in a jar of
formaldehyde, acts like a kind of compass,
spinning around calibrated markings until
it comes to rest with its nose squarely on
the number that picks the winning horse at
the day's races.
Ironically, Brendan is the only one
who doesn't take advantage of the head's
abilities, having blown his own small fortune
on a gambling habit years earlier.
But, when his daughter wins acceptance
to a prestigious but pricey university that
he and his wife (Brenda Blethyn) can't
afford, old vices start to look a lot more
virtuous. Unfortunately, like the goose
that lays the golden eggs, the head has
other admirers only too eager to stand in
Brendan's way.
Though it's clearly Coltrane's movie,
there's no shortchanging Dan Aykroyd's
equally fine performance as the school's
philandering senior anatomist and one
of the nose's most grateful beneficiaries.
Aykroyd and Coltrane together provide
the film with solid comedic credentials
more than sufficient to offset any lingering
doubts about the appeal of so
bizarre a plot.
Kudos as well to scribe Tony Philpott
who wisely avoids making the head the
butt (so to speak) of every joke, relying
instead on the grounding story of Brendan
and his daughter to provide the film with a
welcome human element.
Should the film garner any notice in the
U.S., director Caffrey will likely earn the
attention that eluded him when his previous
effort. "Divorcing Jack." starring
Rachel Griffiths and David Thewlis, failed
to get a deserved domestic release. Just
about the only person who gets lost in the
fray is Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn,
whose capable but otherwise thankless
supporting turn makes short use of her
talents.— Hade Major

loose,
to war, Lily has also become pregnant.
Some time later, when word of the
Canadian relocation offers comes in, Lily
and her friend Sophie (also the bride of a
Canadian soldier) seize the chance to start
what they believe will
be better lives in an
exciting new land. For
Sophie the dream holds
true as she is warmly
received by her wealthy
French -Canadian inlaws.
Lily, conversely,
finds herself stranded
in the middle of
nowhere, trapped in a
meager existence on a
remote farm with a
spiteful mother-in-law
(Brenda Fricker) and a
resentful sister-in-law
(Molly Parker).
Superficially.
the
film could be seen as yet
another variation on
the "liberating outsider"
scenario (a popular
feminist theme as Anna Friel in '
far back as "Mary
Poppins," exploited most recently in
"Chocolat"). although in "The War Bride"
there is considerably more going on than
I.iK simpK teaching her in-laws how tocul
loose and live a little. The weightier theme.
which develops steadily throughout the
film, deals with the inescapable effects of a
global war anil the extent to which .1 conflict
can still wreak emotional Ilium on
those furthest removed from actual combat.
AFM REVIEWS
THE WAR BRIDE ••••1/2
Working from Angela Workman's sublime
young gangster who oversees both their
Staning Anna Friel, Brenda Flicker,
and sensitive script, director Lyndon territories. Toss in the obligatory Catholic
Aden Young, Loren Dean and Molly Chubbuck has orchestrated a profound priest, an assortment of ineffectual parents
Parker. Directed by Lyndon Chuhhuck. and moving journey, a film in which ideas and a "West Side Story"-style Deuce/Viper
Written by Angela Workman. Produced by and themes emerge from the interaction of romance between Bobby and Annie "The
Alistair Maclean-Clark and Doug Berquist. human beings, and not in competition Ice Cube" Polito (Fairuza Balk) and the
A Harvest Pictures UmitedlDB Entertainment
with them. Friel. Fricker and Parker form stage is set for a movie that looks, sounds
Inc. production in association with
and feels exactly like a hundred other
as potent a feminine triumvirate as the
languard Entertainment. No distributor movies have seen in a very long time, powerful
movies.
set. Period drama. Not yet rated. Running
actresses who bring as much richness Like "The Basketball Diaries." "Deuces
time: 107 min.
to the film's silences as to its words.
Wild" is a visually flamboyant exercise that
As Canadian soldiers funneled through Technical contributions of note include seems more concerned with generating
England on their way to combat in World superlative work from composer John
characters. It's
War II. many took English wives in whirlwind,
weekend romances. The gracious who help create a credible period texture much substance might detract from the
Sereda and cinematographer Ron Orieux, almost as though Kalvert is afraid that too
facile conflict than credible
response from Canada was to welcome its without succumbing to the melodramatic film's self-consciously glitzy style. And that
servicemen's wives and children with open artifice that usually dooms similar efforts. makes it difficult to care about any of the
arms, bringing them across the Atlantic
—
at Wade Major
characters, least of all those for whom the
government expense as the men continued
to fight in Europe. It is against this backdrop
DEUCES WILD *1/2
audience is meant to care the most. They're
like runway models showing off Kalvert 's
that the stirring English-Canadian Starring Stephen Dorff, latest collection, a mix of retro-chic and
Matt Dillon,
co-production "The War Bride" weaves its Brad Renfro, Balthazar Gettty, Fairuza contemporary urban style.— Wade Major
beautiful drama, following one such Balk, Norman Reedus, Frankie Muniz, and
woman from the war-torn ruins of Deborah Harry. Directed by Scott Kalvert. THE MARTINS **i/2
London to the emotional ruins of her husband's
Written by Paul Kimatian and Christopher Starring Lee Evans and Kathy Burke.
family half a world away.
Gamhale. Produced by W illi Baer, Michael Directed and written by Tony Grounds.
Vivacious Lily (Anna Friel) and quiet, Cerenzie and Fred Caruso. An MGM Produced by Greg Brenman, Dixie Linderand
Action!Drama. Rated R for strong
reserved Travis (Aden Young) seem temperamentally
release.
Bruce Davey. A Tiger Aspect Pictures and
violence, language, some drug content and Icon production. No distributor set. Comedy.
mismatched when they first
meet, but experience an undeniable mutual brief sexuality. Running time: 97 min. Not yet rated. Running time: 88 min.
attraction that leads them straightaway to
the altar. By the time Travis ships off again
Operating under the belief that there
haven't been enough movies about feuding
It's always easy to poke fun at England's
disenfranchised lower classes, especially
Italian-American street gangs in 1950s when their plight is self-inflicted. But when
Brooklyn, "The Basketball Diaries" director
they're like the lead characters in "The
Scott Kalvert returns with "Deuces Martins" (aka "Tosspot ")— too loathsome
Wild." a stuffed turkey of weary cliches
and regurgitated tough-guy subplots that
to be sympathetic, but much too pathetic to
be all that funny—nothing comes easily.
rip off just about everything from "West Lee Evans ("Mouse Hunt") stars as
Side Story" to Francis Robert Martin, the useless patriarch of an
Coppola's archetypal
S.E. Hinton adaptations
of "The Outsiders" and
"Rumble Fish." As if
the connections weren't
obvious enough, the
film even has Martin
Scorsese on board as
executive producer and
boasts a reconfigured
"Rumble Fish" score
rom composer Stuart
Copeland.
In a splashy flashback
intro. Deuces Leon
(Stephen Dorff) and
Bobby (Brad Renfro)
mourn the heroin death
of their brother on a
equally useless family, proud guardian of
urban blight and tackiness. The Martins
are the kind of clan that
single-handedly
brings down an entire neighborhood,
holding backyard barbecues over burning
tires and trailing debris everywhere they
go. If Robert even has a positive quality,
it's that he genuinely cares for his own: u lie
Angie ("Elizabeth's" Kathy Burke), pregnant
14-year-old daughter Katie and
eight-year-old son "Little Bob." If he can't
support them by getting a job, then he'll
bloody well win them a free vacation from
the "Dream Holiday" competition. But
luck runs from Robert even faster than (he
neighbors, leaving him continually high
and dry in his quest.
His options exhausted. Robert llnallv
resorts to drastic measures, resolving to gel
rain-soaked street, laying
blame squarely at K means using the neighbor's unloaded
Ins lannlv their vacation at any cost, even it
the led of (he evil
pistol 10 gei Ins way, lor w h.ii is ostensibl)
drug-dealing Viperchief
.1 comedy, the segue into .1 kind of "falling
Marco (Norman Reedus).
Down" storyline is .1 risk) proposition that
flash forward vcais latei ami Marco is doesn't reallj paj oil. though 11 does keep
set to be released from prison, threatening things livelv .md unpredictable Still, it's
the fragile truce that has allowed the two
I \.ins and Burke who ultimatelj save the
gangs lo share their common street like a film from itself, bunging a circus attraction
cunosiiv value 10 their characters'
kind Ol DM/. Before any kind of hell
break
1
though, it will have to go incurablj lu-.ikish behavior thai helps
through I iii/v Zenetti ("Rumble Fish's" compensate foi the Fad thai they're neither
Mail Dillon), the handsome hut ruthless likable noi funnj Wade Major

Gosse and Wendy Hammond. Produced by
Ray Angelic. A Shooting Gallery release.
Drama. Not yet rated. Running time: 98 min.
What begins as a promising look at one
woman's late-life intellectual awakening
becomes a drawn-out look at latent lesbianism
in "Julie Johnson," the latest from
acclaimed "Niagara, Niagara" director
Bob Gosse.
"Julie Johnson" stars Lili Taylor in the
title role, an average New Jersey housewife
whose world is largely confined to husband
(Noah Emmerich), kids (Mischa
Barton and Gideon Jacobs), backyard barbecues
and other assorted middle-class
routines. But Julie also harbors a secret
infatuation with science, stockpiling
"Scientific American" magazines in her
cupboards and reading them in private,
determined to understand the complicated
lingo in the articles. Realizing that if she
doesn't act now, she never will, Julie enrolls
in a community college computer class,
earning the instant admiration of the professor
(Spalding Gray) both for her work
habits and for what appears to be an
uncanny knack for programming. Husband
Rick, however, dislikes the idea, and best
friend Claire (Courtney Love), who reluctantly
agrees to take the course with her,
simply doesn't get it.
To this point, the film works rather
well, creating and developing believable
characters, credible dilemmas and tightly
manageable dramatic scenarios— all of
which makes the film's subsequent narrative
disintegration all the more disheartening.
No sooner has Julie begun to seize
control of her life than she takes the radical
step of kicking Rick out of the house.
Claire, inspired by her friend's courage,
takes similar action and walks out on her
equally useless mate, temporarily taking
root with Julie until she can find a place of
her own. Then, suddenly and without
warning, the film veers hard left, sidelining
its previous focus as Julie and Claire begin
exploring long-repressed feelings for each
other, finally falling headlong into a fullblown
lesbian affair.
Though there are undoubtedly many
such women who experience joint intellectual
and sexual awakenings, the attempt to
address them both in the short span of 100
minutes does a disservice to the film and to
audiences. Most audiences are likely to feel
betrayed by the belated lesbian detour,
which consumes so much time during the
film's second half that it's never able to fully
address Julie's intellectual development.
Either approach would have made a
fine film on its own. Together in one
fatal movie, they give short shrift to each
other, proving far too much for the otherwise
fine writing, good performances and
sensitive directing to overcome.— Wade
Major
AFM REVIEWS
•**•
JULIE JOHNSON ••
FELIX ET LOLA
Lili Starring Taylor, Courtney Lore, Starring Charlotte Gainshourg, Philippe
Spalding Gray and Noah Emmerich. Torre ton, Alain Bashung, Philippe du
Janerand and Ahmed Guedayia. Directed by
Directed by Bob Gosse. Written by Boh
Patrice Leconte. Written by Claude Klotz &
Patrice Leconte. Produced by Philippe
Carcassonne. A Zoulou production. No distributor
set. Drama. French-language; subtitled.
Not yet rated. Running time: 94 min.
In "Felix et Lola," French writer/director
Patrice Leconte again proves himself a
craftsman of uncannily diverse abilities
and tastes. Compared to his previous two
stateside releases—the Felliniesque "The
Girl on the Bridge" and the more traditionally
classical "The Widow of St.
Pierre"—"Felix et Lola" is a markedly
harder sell, a small, introspective character
piece that's neither exotic nor flashy, and
nowhere nearly as marketable as its predecessors.
Dramatically, however, it's every
bit the equal of anything that Leconte has
done previously, a simple romance
in which two ordinary people
find light through love to illuminate
the dark recesses of their
lonely lives.
Felix (Philippe Torreton) owns
and operates the bumper cars in
a traveling carnival. Lola (Charlotte
Gainsbourg) is simply one of his
many patrons, a sad-looking,
mysterious woman who, one day,
happens to catch his eye from a
distance. After a cordial meeting.
Felix hires Lola to help with the
cars, keeping the two in close
daily contact as their friendship
eventually blossoms into romance.
But, through it all, there remain
question marks about Lola's past that she
is reluctant to divulge, secrets that appear
to be tied to an older man who occasionally
stalks her from afar.
The beauty of "Felix et Lola" is that it
consistently refuses to follow the path of
least resistance, taking unconventional
risks and defying audience expectations to
a degree that clearly won't sit well with
some viewers. Leconte isn't interested in
supplying easy or even comfortable payoffs.
He's making a statement about the
power of love and perception, and the tangled
ways in which both can either reinforce
or destroy a life, sometimes in an
instant.— Wade Major
THE KING IS DANCING ****
Starring Benoit Magimel, Boris Terra!
and Tcheky Karyo. Directed by Gerard
Corhiau. Written by Ere de Castro, Andree
Corbiau, Gerard Corhiau and Didier
Decoin. Produced by Dominique Janne. A
Studio Canal production. \o distributor set.
Period drama. French-language; subtitled.
Not yet rated. Running time: 115 min.
With the Oscar-nominated successes of
"The Music Teacher" and "FarineUi" to
his credit, director Gerard Corbiau has
successfully carved himself a niche as the
cinema's foremost classical music expert, a
reputation he further solidifies with the
masterful "The King Is Dancing."
Like "Farinelli." "The King Is
Dancing" dramatizes a fascinating, scandalous
part of musical history, using
Philippe Beaussant's book "Lully Ou Le
Musicien Du Soleil" as primary source
material. The setting is the oft-filmed court
of King Louis XIV (Benoit Magimel). centering
primarily on the period of the boy
king's young adulthood when he sought to
assert himself against the excessive religious
piety of his mother and his advisors
by not only patronizing the most scandalous
of arts, but participating in them.
His love for theatre and dancing lead him
to embrace the work of the great playwright
Moliere (Tcheky Karyo) and the
expatriate Italian composer Lully (Boris
Terral).
Though the film occasionally bobbles
its focus in trying to do justice to the relationships
among these three figures, it is
Gerard Corbiau s "The King Is Dancing. "
Lully who is clearly intended to be the central
figure, an obsessive artist of unrestrained
passions plagued by an almost
fatalist proclivity for excess. As the characters
negotiate the precarious corridors of
17th century sex, politics, art and religion,
a beguiling kind of intrigue begins to take
shape in which dreams and principles fall
victim to the tides of history and the expediency
of an unpredictable monarchy.
Aside from the forgivable narrative
irregularities. "The King Is Dancing" is a
nearly flawless technical accomplishment,
an opulent period piece that takes full
advantage of actual historical sites, including
the Palace at Versailles, to recreate
places and events as meticulously as possible.
Contributions from cinematographer
Gerard Simon, art director Hubert Pouillc.
costumer Olivier Beriot and editors Ludo
Troch and Philippe Ravoet are but the
most noteworthy of the film's many Oscarcaliber
artisans, all part o( a remarkable
effort by Corbiau lo adhere as stringently
Performances bj Magimel. Karyo and
Terral are likewise impressive, forming a
tense triumvirate whose frequent collisions,
both artistic and political, never
leave the film for want of conflict.— Wade
Major

toman)
—
THOMAS IN LOVE * • •
Starring Benoil Verhaert, Ay Hit Yay,
Magali Pinglaut, Michcline /lardy. Alexandre
von Sivers and Frederic Topart. Directed hy
Pierre-Paul Renders. Written hy Philippe
Biashand. Produced hy Diana Elhaum. An
IFC release. Science fictioni comedy. Frenchlanguage;
suhtitled. Not yet rated. Running
time: 92 min.
The wilder possibilities of sex and
romance in the cyber age get the satirical
sci-fi treatment in "Thomas in Love," an
entertaining Belgian import about dating
in the year 2020. Director Pierre-Paul
SANTA BARBARA
Renders' lively debut feature may suffer
from the occasional narrative system error,
but its bold style and cheeky visual flourishes
make this idiosyncratic look at nearfuture
lonelyhearts worth plugging into.
Told completely from the perspective of
the unseen title character's computer
screen, this difficult-to-categorize work follows
the efforts of the agoraphobic recluse
Thomas (voiced by Benoit Verhaert) to
arrange fulfilling female companionship
that won't require him to leave his high-tech
apartment. In a series of offbeat videoconferencing
sessions, he connects with an
open-minded potential cyber-mate (Magali
Pinglaut), a video sex worker with a heart of
gold (Aylin Yay). an online psychologist
(Frederic Topart) and, most humorously, a
busty interactive "sextoon" programmed to
satisfy his private desires.
Between the film's garishly colored
backdrops, fanciful costumes and clever
video inserts. Renders and his creative
design team create a stylized future world
that is both funny and weirdly believable.
By rapidly cutting between different types
of on-screen interactions, the film deftly
pulls off the trick of telling its entire story
from the protagonist's first-person point of
view, a considerable challenge rarely even
attempted in the movies (the most famous
try is probably the less-than-successful 1946
adaptation of Raymond Chandler's "The
Lady in the Lake"). Only the fact that
Renders and screenwriter Philippe Blasband
run out of surprising ways to twist the concept
as they draw closer to the predictable
ending keeps "Thomas" from being a complete
turn-on. Michael Tunison
THE EXHIBITED • ••1/2
Starring Carsten Bjornlund, Regitze
Fstrup, Betina Henriette drove, Niels Peter
Johansen and Luis Mesonero. Directed and
written hy Jesper ./argil. Produced hy I inca
Wiedemann and I lelle I Isteen. No distributor
set. Documentary. Danish-language; suhtitled.
Not yet rated. Running time: 7 S min.
What do you get when you put 53
actors in a 19-room Copenhagen gallery
installation and instruct them to improvise
a 50-day live soap opera based on the
movements of ants hack in the desert of
New Mexico'.' Sheer madness of a kind
perhaps only maverick Danish filmmaker
Lars von Trier ("Dancer m the Dark")
could dream up. Writer-director Jesper
Jargil's documentary "The Exhibited"
plunges us into the orgy of weirdness that
was Von Trier's "Psychomotor I: The
World Clock" exhibition, documenting
this fascinating experiment in a way that
proves as dramatically engaging as it is
mind-bending.
The setup is unique, to say the least: A
video camera transmits real-time images of
ants scurrying across a patch of New
Mexican ground. In Denmark, a formula
based on their marching patterns triggers
lights in the exhibition's rooms to change
colors. The actors react to the changing
lights by shifting to a corresponding emotion
(anger, lust, etc.) based on a scheme
worked out for each individual character
ahead of time. The result is an unpredictable
role-playing exercise acted out
simultaneously in several rooms, to the
amazement of audience members watching
from the sidelines.
Shooting in the rough, handheld style
championed by Von Trier and other
Danish directors of the no-frills "Dogme"
movement, Jargil spends surprisingly little
screen time analyzing the exhibition's
premise and intent (Von Trier himself
makes only a brief cameo at the beginning).
—
Instead, most of the film is devoted
to the organically generated drama itself,
in which characters with colorful names
like The Cur, Smuck, Petite 2 and Emperor
fight, sulk, fall in love, plot murder and
even return from the dead. The over-thetop
storyline that ensues, reminiscent of
Von Trier's epic Danish miniseries "The
Kingdom," is weirdly compelling in its
own right. An added layer of tension is
created when disputes begin to develop
among the actors, raising the possibility
that characters might be killed off to
knock certain performers out of the exhibition.
As one actor puts it, "I regard ants
very differently now." Michael Tunison
75 DEGREES IN JULY • •
Starring Shirley Knight. William R.
Moses, Karen Sillas, Heidi Swedherg and
I /arris Yulin. Directed and written hy Hyatt
Bass. Produced hy Hyatt Bass and Jeanne
O'Brien. So distributor set. Drama. Not yet
rated. Running time: H6 min.
The Texas dust isn't the only thing laid
on a bit thick in "75 Degrees in July," a
Lone Star angst fiesta angling for "Hud"
territory but ending up closer to "Dallas."
Despite the best efforts of its capable cast
to crank up the heat, writcr-director-producer
Hyatt Bass' family drama rarely
pushes the mercury into the sweltering
range needed to make this type of western
soap opera really sizzle.
In the arid landscape of Bass' feature
debut, everybody is clinging to what's left
senile semi-shattered dream. Kay (Heidi
Swedberg) gave up on a promising singing
..mi,
i
Fed ("Falcon Crest" alumnus
William R, Moses), who u.is in lurn
forced to sell ins beloved Familj ranch to
K.h's rich papa (veteran charactei actoi
ol
—
Harris Yulin). Papa has an unlikely scheme
to build a resort on the land, while mama
("As Good As It Gets'" Shirley Knight)
entertains visions of traveling from hot
Texas to Paris, where she's heard the summer
climate maxes out at the mild temperature
indicated in the title. This long-dysfunctional
family dynamic finally implodes when
prodigal daughter Letty (Karen Sillas)
returns home from New York, where her art
career has brought her fame but little joy.
Though Hyatt's writing earns points for
some interesting observations about the
painful compromises so often
necessary to
get by in an imperfect world, the film fails to
develop its various conflicts in a way that
tells us much more about the characters
than we knew going in. Michael Tunison
A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY • •
Starring Roger Corman, Chris Yogler,
Joe Pesci, Andy Garcia and Meat Loaf.
Directed and written hy Tariq Jalil. Produced
hy Terry Tocantins, Biagio Messina and Joke
Fincioen. So distributor set. Documentary.
Sot yet rated. Running time: 70 min.
"A Galaxy Far, Far Away" aims to do for
the "Star Wars" saga what I997's hilarious
"Trekkies" did for "Star Trek": give viewers
a geek's-eye view of a pop culture phenomenon
that edges frighteningly close to religion
in terms of the central role it plays in
many fans' lives. Despite a boundless supply
of youthful energy, however, director Tariq
Jalil's guerrilla-style documentary is too
crudely assembled to be of much interest to
any but the most dedicated followers of
George Lucas' space fantasy franchise.
Using the fevered anticipation that greeted
the release of the 1999 prequel "Star
Wars: Episode I— The Phantom Menace"
as its launching pad, this low-budget effort
traces some of the ways "Star Wars" has
impacted the lives of those who nave
answered the call of the Force. We meet the
lovable freaks who waited up to 42 days in
line for a primo seat at the first public showings
of "Phantom Menace," a Boba Fett
impersonator who fears women are attracted
to his armor rather than his personality,
a Portland tribute band that performs "Star
Wars"-related tunes in full costume, and a
fan who has named his real-life son Anakin.
Though Jalil finds clever ways to broaden
the film's scope on the cheap (using home
video footage of "Phantom Menace"-
related events sent to him bv fans from
across the U.S.; talking to famous folks
about "Star Wars'" at a celebrity golf tournament),
"Galaxy's" clumsj structure and
unpolished editing contribute to a general
feeling of amateurishness. I lie camcorderlevel
audio qualitj is so bad at times that
certain on-screen remarks sound like thev
were transmitted from hyperspace Of
feel
course. "Stai Wars" completionists will
compelled to check oul Jalil's lilm anyway,
though the less fanatical maj wonder; as
I IncleOwen once asked a Jawa living to sell
him a faulty R2 unit. "I lev. uli.n are you
trying to push on us?" Michael Tunison

THE LEGEND OF LOVE
SANTA BARBARA
*••
Starring Maryam Moqadam, Yusef
Moradian and Hawass Palouk. Directed by
Farhad Mehranfar. Written by Farhad
Mehraufar and Mohammad Rezaee Rad.
Produced by Mohammad- Reza Sarhangi.
No distributor set. Drama. Persian-language;
subtitled. Not yet rated. Running
time: 83 min.
Iranian director Farhad Mehranfar's
"The Legend of Love" uses the slimmest
of narrative devices—a lone woman's
quest to find a loved one—to explore the
richly textured mysteries of Kurdish myth
and custom. Drenched in intoxicating
imagery from one of the more remote corners
of the planet, this unique cultural
odyssey proves surprisingly engaging
despite its slow pace and almost static dramatic
development.
The straightforward "fish out of water"
storyline follows a modern Iranian doctor
named Khazar (Maryam Moqadam) as
she journeys through the mountains in
search of her lover, a Kurdish doctor who
has been swept into the struggle for an
independent Kurdistan. With nothing but
quiet determination to keep her going in
the face of intimidating obstacles, the
heroine must rely on the kindness of the
open-hearted Kurds she meets along the
way. in the process developing an increased
understanding and appreciation of her
missing lover's ancient culture.
Though its episodic structure and relative
lack of driving conflict may test attention
spans accustomed to supercharged
Hollywood product, this third feature
from veteran documentarian Mehranfar
("The Tree of Life") rewards viewers with
haunting images of a time-lost region
where Dervishes twirl their long hair in
musical ceremonies and women descend a
rocky trail with heart-shaped chunks of
snow strapped to their backs. Moqadam's
sympathetic lead performance carries the
film with a mix of vulnerability and
strength that helps to bridge those
moments where the story is put on hold for
one of Mehranfar's frequent photo-essays
on Kurdish traditions. For Western viewers
whose knowledge of the Kurds might
not extend beyond a vague recollection of
their alignment with the U.S. against
Saddam Hussein, "The Legend of Love"
provides an intriguing window into one of
the lesser-heralded cultures of the Middle
East.
Michael Tunison
FELICIDADES ***l/2
Starring Pablo Cedrdn, Gaston Pauls,
Silke, Luis Machin, Carlos Belloso,
Mareelo Mazzarello and Cacho Castagna.
Directed and produced by Lucho Render.
Written by Pablo Cedrdn, Pedro Loeb and
Lucho Render. No distributor set. Comedyl
drama. Spanish-language; subtitled. Not yet
rated. Running time: 98 min.
Driven by a playful sense of life's fundamental
absurdity, the ensemble dramedy
"Felicidades" interweaves the stories of
various quirky characters on a singularly
weird Christmas Eve in Buenos Aires. It's a
promisingly sure-handed feature debut for
Argentinean commercial director Lucho
Bender, whose knack for drawing the
comic kick out of everyday twists of fate
raises comparisons to U.S. auteur Paul
Thomas Anderson of "Magnolia" fame.
In the topsy-turvy landscape of a
country where the Yuletide season comes
at the height of summer, strange obstacles
continually crop up to keep three unnamed
protagonists from what initially seem to
be unrelated goals. A shy doctor (Pablo
Cedron) manages to connect with a sexy
female stranger (Silke), but before he can
rendezvous with her back at her flat he
must help out a pestering paraplegic
(Mareelo Mazzarello) lonely for his
company.
Meanwhile, a young dentist (Gaston
Pauls) seeking a particular gift for his
child gets caught up in the efforts of a
group of corrupt police detectives to ransack
the apartment of an absent crook. In
yet another separate plot strand, a writer
(Luis Machin) finds himself on a bizarre
road trip with a stand-up comic (Carlos
Belloso) as both try to get back to Buenos
Aires in time for Christmas.
Scripted by director Bender, leading man
Cedron and Pedro Loeb, "Felicidades" (the
Spanish term for "happy holidays") treats
its characters with affection even as it tortures
them with an endless stream of awkward,
uncomfortable situations. Bender
and his charming cast take even the smallest
moments in surprising directions, particularly
when it comes to the various ethical
dilemmas that come to define the wellmeaning
but all-too-human protagonists.
True, the ending doesn't bring it
all together
quite as satisfyingly as one might hope,
but that seems a minor complaint to make
about film that is otherwise such a welcome
treat. Michael Tunison
ASHES OF THE VOLCANO *l/2
Starring Jose Gil, Amado Avendano and
Carlos Montemayor. Directed by Pedro
Perez Rosado. Written by Lilian Rosado
Gonzalez and Pedro Perez Rosado.
Produced by Emilio Oricdo, Manuel Calvo
and Jose Trullcnque. No distributor set.
Documentary. Spanish-language; subtitled.
Not yet rated. Running time: 87 min.
It would be difficult to name a current
documentary subject with more inherent
dramatic punch than the Zapatista guerrillas
and their fight for indigenous people's
rights in Mexico's Chiapas state.
Unfortunately, U.S. audiences interested
in understanding this pivotal point in
Latin American history will have to look
elsewhere than Spanish director Pedro
Perez Rosado's "Ashes of the Volcano." a
muddy, sell-indulgent exercise in cinema
verite journalism thai does little to clarify
what Subcommander Marcos and his skimasked
rebels arc doing up there in the
mountains.
A sequel to Perez Rosado's 1 994 Zapatista
documentary "El Dolor del Sueno."
"Ashes" assumes a familiarity not only
with the conflict, but also to some extent
with the specific subjects the director interviewed
in his earlier film. Little context is
given regarding how what happens onscreen
fits into the larger picture, to the
extent that even a viewer reasonably conversant
with the Zapatista cause from
English-language news accounts is in for a
frustrating time trying to figure out what is
taking place.
While Perez Rosado personally generates
a few moments of real drama when he
refuses to furnish soldiers at rural army
checkpoints with more than the minimal
information he's required to give them
under Mexican law, for the most part
"Ashes" plays like a home-movie record of
his latest trip to Chiapas—an excursion
that simply didn't unearth much in the way
of new information about what is happening
there. Of course, it's a given that the
fast-moving events in the year since Perez
Rosado finished the film have already
made "Ashes of the Volcano" something
of a historical relic. The bad news is it's a
relic not particularly worth digging up.
— Michael Tunison
*•*
THE GOLD CUP
Starring Wood Harris, Jim Haynie,
Sarah Lassez, O-Lan Jones, Tsai Chin,
Michael McShane and Mark Boone Jr.
Directed and written by Lucas Reiner.
Produced by Robert Shulevitz, Maud
Winchester and Scott Arundale. No distributor
set. Drama. Not yet rated. Running
time; 84 min.
With its complex symbolism and willingness
to plunge into abstract themes,
"The Gold Cup" displays an artistically
adventurous streak all too rare in
American indies these days. Some of its
quirky characters and intersecting story
elements deliver more impact than others,
but it's hard not to root for this lyrical
drama from writer-director Lucas Reiner
("The Spirit of '76") to succeed.
Set in and around a 24-hour cafe in Los
Angeles, the elliptical storyline focuses on
two offbeat romantic relationships that
overlap and to some extent inform each
other. The first kicks off memorably when
the mysterious artist-turned-salvage expert
Clayton (Wood Harris from "Remember
the Titans") finds a sensitive young
woman known as Precious ("Nowhere's"
Sarah Lassez) lying in a mud puddle. As
the film progresses, attention shifts from
their increasingly troubled relationship to
that of the eccentric, antisocial mathematician
Jack ("Bullworth's" Jim Haynie) and
a kind-hearted woman, improbably
enough named Jill (O-Lan Jones from
"The Truman Show"), who may be his last
hope for meaningful human contact.
Reiner, the brother of director-actor
Rob Reiner and son of comedy legend
Carl Reiner, seems less concerned in spin-

aurevs
ning a traditional linear story than in connecting
his characters to an imaginationprovoking
series of visual motifs and
philosophical concepts. The circular construction
of the overall film, for example.
ties into Reiner's repetition of both circles
and arrow figures on-screen, which in turn
relate to ideas about mortality and Jack's
obsessive mathematical attempts to go
"beyond" the concept of zero. At times,
such as when Clayton and Precious deliver
A TRUE DRAMA • ••
distributor set. Documentary. Not yet rated.
Running time: 44 min.
Ordinary people find themselves unexpectedly
cast as heroes on a mission of
hope in "Artists and Orphans: A True
Drama." the moving chronicle of an effort
to aid a group of children in the former
republic of Georgia. Winner of the
Soviet
Audience Choice Award for Best
Documentary at the Santa Barbara
International Film Festival, Lianne
Klapper McNally's uplifting film demonstrates
why few fictions can match the
emotional impact of a true story told
clearly and concisely.
SANTA BARBARA
The idea for the film came about as
director-actress Sharon Cans made plans
to lead a troupe of New York-based
actors, dancers and musicians to Georgia
to attend a new international arts festival
there. Researching conditions in the wartorn
country. Gans' group learned of the
heartbreaking plight of the countless children
orphaned or abandoned by their parents
in the troubled decade since Georgia
won its independence from Russia. "Artists
and Orphans" follows the visiting
Americans as they become caught up in
the lifc-or-death struggle to support a
small, privately run orphanage lacking
such essentials as food, running water, heal
and warm clothing as the harsh Georgian
winter approaches.
Running just 44 minutes. TV writer and
producer Klapper McNally's first independent
documentary draws its power lie mi
small, specific details that put the children's
situation in perspective better than
soap-box sermonizing ever could. At one
point, we learn that the cash investment
necessary to dramatically improve conditions
in the orphanage and change semes
SI 2,000. In another scene. $50 from the
pocket of an American volunteer makes
the difference in obtaining the crucial
pump necessary to restore running water
in the facility. There are some awkward
moments owing mostly to the film's humble
production values, but ones hates to
imagine a heart so hard that it won't be
melted by the time "Artists and Orphans"
reaches its weeper of a conclusion.
— Michael Tunison
SPEAKERS OF THE TRUTH •••1/2
alternating lines synchronized to the turning
of a merry-go-round, Reiner's artsy
approach can feel forced and pretentious. Starring Sid Ahmed Agoumi, Mireille
For the most part, however, the fine work Perrier, Jaap Spijkcrs, Monte Hendrickx,
of the mostly unknown ensemble and the Mahmoub Benyacoub and Ruhah Loucif.
arresting digital-video photography from Directed and written hy Kurim Truidiu.
cinematographer Judy Irola give the film Produced by Jeroen Beker and Frans van
an emotional accessibility rarely found in Gestel. No distributor set. Drumu.
such intellectually ambitious work. French/.Arabic!Dutch-language; subtitled.
— Michael Tunison
Not yet rated. Running time: 74 min.
For those willing to tackle its fragmented
narrative and surreal sense of time,
ARTISTS AND ORPHANS:
writer-director Karim Trai'dia's "Speakers
—
Starring Shawn Gaits, George Razmadze of the Truth" serves as a haunting
and Mother Murium. Directed, written and reminder that in much of the
produced hy Liunne Klupper McNally. No world freedom of speech is anything
but a given.
Driven by a dreamlike logic.
Trai'dia's nonlinear storyline follows
a brave Algerian newspaper
editor named Sahafi (Sid Ahmed
Agoumi) whose provocative
writings
have gotten him into hot water
with the authorities. Beginning
with the moment when two
unknown assailants come up from
behind him and press handguns to
his head, the story splits off into
two seemingly independent directions.
In one, Sahafi has taken a
friend's advice and begun the laborious
process of applying for residency in the
Netherlands as a political refugee. In the
other, he's remained in Algeria despite the
constant danger to his life.
By simultaneously traveling two divergent
paths the hero's life might have taken.
Traidia ("The Polish Bride") is able to
examine the different kinds of courage
required by those who break free from a
tragic situation and those who stay to face
it. Himself an Algerian who has lived and
worked in the Netherlands since 1979,
Traidia doesn't make obvious moral judgments
about which is the nobler of Sahafi's
dual destinies. The film explores the personal
and political
repercussions of both,
while the juxtaposition of the two stories
creates resonating echoes of meaning neither
would have generated on ns own.
A lilm thai could have easilj played .is
an artsv intellectual exercise benefits
immeasurably from the humane, dignified
presence Ol Agoumi. whose sad eves seem
io contain Ins country's troubled history,
likewise, rraidia and cinematographei
Jacques I infuse llie location pho
tographj wiih .i melancholy beauty thai
perfectly reflects the protagonist's state ol
mind. Michael Tunison
FOCUS
•••
Sturring lirandon Karrer, Trent Cameron
und Gary Gray. Directed and written by
Roger Roth. Produced by Echo Gaffney. No
distributor set. Drumu. Not yet rated.
Running time: 9H min.
The act of shooting photos becomes a
metaphor for cutting through life's distractions
in
"locus." the feature debut of musicvideo
and commercial director Roger Roth.
Though this earnest tale of a white shutterbug
and the talented young black boy he
trains to see the world through a camera's
eye doesn't always maintain the storytelling
clarity the title might imply, its visual
style and sense of dramatic urgency
make this low-budget drama more than
just a series of pretty pictures.
Initially lacking the necessary drive and
focus to pursue his lifelong dream of
becoming a professional photographer,
white twentysomething Robert (Brandon
Karrer) finds himself inspired for the first
time in years when he meets Marcus (Gary
^mu

ORPHAN
•*
Starring Marty Maguire and Charts
Michelsen. Directed by Richard Moos.
Written by Thomas P. Murtagh. Produced by-
Richard Moos, Thomas P. Murtagh, Shawna
Moos, Robert T. Morgan and Gerald J.
Frasco. No distributor set. Drama. Not yet
rated. Running time: 96 min.
The hitman thriller meets "Touched by
an Angel" in "Orphan," a somewhat overcooked
melodrama about a professional
killer brought back from the dead to watch
over the daughter of his last victim. Firsttime
director Roger Moos and a likable
cast manage a few diverting moments with
the script's creative plot twists, but they
never establish the dramatic credibility
necessary for this low-budget assassin
SANTA BARBARA
story to hit the target.
The intriguing premise concerns an
angst-ridden assassin named Jake (Belfast
native Marty Maguire) who knocks off a
mob-connected businessman, leaving the
latter's 12-year-old daughter Anna an
orphan. When Jake is subsequently rubbed
out by a rival triggerman ("Southie's"
Robert Wahlberg), he has a vision at the
moment of death: Anna's recently
deceased father sending him back to earth
to watch over the little girl. A spiritually
reborn Jake dutifully does so for 10 years,
during which time Anna grows into an
adult (Charis Michelsen) obsessed with
finding and taking revenge on her father's
killer, not knowing the latter is also her
secret guardian angel.
From the start, director Moos and his
cast have trouble playing Thomas P.
Murtagh 's stiffly written script in a manner
that feels real emotionally, while a running
plot strand featuring a call-in psychic Jake
befriends edges close to all-out camp. The
best at keeping afloat in these choppy dramatic
waters is the striking Michelsen
("Wonder Boys"), whose commanding
screen presence could easily make her a
star in a stronger role. Moos makes creative
use of some trippy jump-cut effects
and generally gets good mileage from his
limited sets and budget, but these elements
aren't enough to save "Orphan" as
it moves toward its predictable bloody
mess of a finish. Michael Tunison
CINEMA VERITE:
DEFINING THE MOMENT **l/2
Starring Michel Brault, Robert Drew,
Wolf Koenig, Richard Leacock, D.A.
Pennehaker and Pierre Parrault. Directed by
Peter Wintonick. Written by Kirwin Cox.
Produced by Adam Symansky and Eric
Michel. ,\o distributor set. Documentary.
Not yet rated. Running time: 102 min.
With reality TV and films such as "The
Blair Witch Project" lucratively biting off
cinema verite techniques left and right,
now would seem the ideal time to explore
the history of this influential filmmaking
movement. Unfortunately, the National
Film Board of Canada production
"Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment"
only sporadically captures the sense of
excitement that energized verite pioneers
in the late '50s and '60s, radically transforming
the way new generations of viewers
look at documentaries.
Inspired by the advent of lightweight
movie cameras and portable synchronized
sound equipment, the cinema verite phenomenon—alternatively
known as "direct
cinema" or "free cinema" by its proponents—jumped
back and forth between
the U.S., France, England and Canada as
filmmakers sought to record a truer, more
objective view of reality on celluloid.
Director Peter Wintonick's cinematic history
lesson features interviews with many
of the movement's leading figures, including
Richard Leacock, Robert Drew, Fred
Wiseman, D.A. Pennebaker, Karel Reisz,
Barbara Kopple and Michel Brault.
Though things get off to an amusing
start with an illustration of just how stodgy
nonfiction films were before our heroes
came along to liberate the form (a clip from
the hilariously dull industrial documentary
"The Extension Ladder" demonstrates how
to safely use the titular climbing device),
"Defining the Moment" quickly bogs down
with a film school-like rush of information
that covers a lot of ground, but itself
doesn't represent much of an argument for
documentaries as an exciting way to tell stories.
Though film lovers will appreciate the
labor that went into putting together this
ambitious project, one can't help but be
struck by how it suffers in comparison to
the riveting clips shown of still-powerful
verite classics such as "Primary" and
"Don't Look Back." Michael Tunison
•*
THE ADULTERER
Starring Chris Diamantopoulos and
Alice Ripley. Directed and written by
Douglas Morse. Produced by Ryan Baxter.
No distributor set. Drama. Not yet rated.
Running time: 85 min.
A story hook in search of a story, "The
Adulterer" follows the unromantic misadventures
of a young husband convinced
he should have an extramarital affair with
somebody... any body. The problem is that,
despite some refreshingly mature observations
about the idea of commitment in a
society that seems to have little
use for it,
writer-director Douglas Morse's low-budget
feature debut displays no more sense of
how to get what it wants than does its misguided
protagonist.
The episodic storyline follows New
York City film professor Dave (Chris
Diamantopoulos), a sensitive modern
male suffering from anxieties about his
cooling relationship with his wife (Alice
Ripley) and the vague feeling that life has
passed him by. At some point, he gets it
into his head that he ought to have a fling,
a plan that shouldn't be too difficult to
carry out considering the number of
attractive young women throwing themselves
at him. finable for some reason to
follow through on various enticing opportunities,
he decides to attend a testosteronepumping
weekend retreat meant to help
him get in touch with his inner macho man.
Though Morse deserves credit for
focusing his script on the gray areas of
human behavior mainstream Hollywood
usually does its best to ignore, the irritating
passivity of the protagonist and meandering,
episodic nature of the plot sap
whatever momentum "The Adulterer"
develops early on. The film wants desperately
to have intellectual edge but is undermined
by its self-help literature dialogue
and overall mushiness. Michael Tunison
SETTLERS **V2
Starring Ali Juddah and Dov Shurin.
Directed and produced by Sean McAllister.
No distributor set. Documentary. Not yet
rated. Running time: 62 min.
As a means of shedding light on the
ongoing tragedy being played out between
Jews and Palestinians in Israel, "Settlers"
raises more questions than it answers.
More of an idiosyncratic character study
than a picture of the larger issues foreigners
find so difficult to fathom, British journalist
Sean McAllister's highly personal
documentary has its share of compelling
moments, though its dual stories don't end
up telling us as much as we'd like to know
about their respective subjects.
Sent to Israel on assignment for the
BBC, McAllister ("Working For the
Enemy") encountered two local personalities
who, despite having opposing political
views, share a hammy quality that makes
them endlessly filmable. Ali Juddah, a black
Palestinian who spent 1 7 years in prison for
planting a bomb during the Six-Day War,
now uses his charm and unique perspective
to make a living as a tour guide. Dov
Shurin, an Orthodox Jewish radio host who
immigrated from Brooklyn, is a fascinating
mass of contradictions—a warm hippie
type who quotes Beatles tunes and helps a
old Palestinian man across an army checkpoint,
yet who rationalizes the actions of
extreme Israeli nationalists such as masskiller
Dr. Baruch Goldstein.
Dispensing with all pretensions of journalistic
objectivity, McAllister plunges
head-first into his subjects' lives, at one
point getting personally caught up in a
domestic drama in Juddah's household.
Elsewhere, the filmmaker is drawn into a
heated religious debate with Shurin, who
accuses him of being an anti-Semite. Though
often involving, neither of the individual
storylines nor their well-structured juxtaposition
really go anywhere once established.
Nor do the two subjects seem representative
enough of their respective sides in the conflict
(Juddah is part of a small minority
population descended from recent
immigrants; Shurin is
African
too eccentric an individual,
and too American) to give viewers
fresh understanding of why peace seems so
stubbornly unattainable in the land both
men call home. Michael Tunison

JACKPOT
**l/2
Starring Jon dries,
Garrett Morris ami
Daryl Hannah. Directed hy Michael Polish.
Written and produced hy Mark Polish and
Michael Polish. A Sony Pictures Classics
release. Comedyldrama. Not yet rated.
Running time: 96 min.
Hitih praise goes to the casting of
Michael and Mark Polish ("Twin Falls.
Idaho'Ts latest film. "Jackpot." Although
to blow any real (or imagined) chance at
success. The two sad sacks limp their way
through redneck towns, bickering and
fraternizing like a trailer-trash reduction
of genuine showbiz codependence. It's
obvious they need one another, but it's
—
just as apparent that their reliance
emanates from desperation and their
goals are destined to remain unmet.
"Jackpot's" premise revels all too
obviously in its built-in absurdity, the
comical mood of the karaoke performances
a constant reminder of how
endearingly pathetic such heartfelt posturing
is as an outlet for artistic expression
or a stepping stone to legitimate
music-industry success. Sunny's prima
donna stances— he insists on a clear path
to the stage, for example— are amusing
but standard indications of his delusion,
hinting at a lack of ingenuity on the part
of the filmmakers. His bratty tantrums
feel formulaic, and the occasional romantic
interludes become a necessity: something
else has to happen, or else we're just
watching two guys fight because one has
to sing Billy Idol.
Additional appealing casting decisions
abound, perhaps the most inspiring
being Allen Fawcett in a tiny role as a
karaoke jockey. Few will remember
Fawcett as the interminably cheerful host
of an '80s lip-synch show called "Puttin'
On the Hits." which featured embarrassing
contestants mouthing their favorite
singers in hopes of winning a cash prize.
After each performance, Fawcetl put on
his own fake rendition of excitement,
blurting out scores with a manic enthusiasm
bordering n the psychotic: "lor
onginahlv \ I'l Kl I < I S( OKI ()l
30!!!!" It's great to sec htm in such a fittingly
nostalgic part But. when a
karaoke film's blast-from-the-pasl cameo
stands out as its most memorable aspect.
the problems shuck lli.il much loudei
Jordan Peed
REVIEWS
RUSSIAN DOLL **1/2
Starring Hugo Wearing, \at alia
Novikova and David Wenham. Directed hy
Stravos Kazantzidis. Written hy Stravos
Kazantzidis and Allanah Zitserman.
Produced hy Allanah Zitserman and Hugo
Weaving. A Lot 47 release. Romantic com-
Rated R for some sexuality and language.
edy.
Running time: SH min.
An occasional!) bright little nugget
from down under. "Russian Doll" charms
the movie itself leaves little impression,
co-stars Jon Gries ("Men In Black") and
Garrett Morris ("Pistol Blues") prove a
with its gentle ribbing of the traumas of
modern romance, but. despite an engaging
refreshing road-buddy pair.
soundtrack loaded with jazz and
Morris makes an ideal Lester, a tired,
lowbrow sage struggling to channel the
music career of Sunny (Gries) into a shot
at stardom by first building a fan base
torch song classics (including a breathy
tune by Marilyn Monroe), this tale of
infidelity, friendship and improbable love
fails beyond to get the been-there. seenthat
stemming from backwoods karaoke competitions.
— prompting not much more than a
few empathetic smiles.
Sunny, a determined but foolish crooner
Harvey (Hugo Weaving), a would-be
hell-bent on making it to the big time novelist, realizes that his thorough
even at the expense of his wife (Daryl research skills make him far better suited
Hannah) and child—seems just as eager for detective work and so, to pay the rent,
he decides on an abrupt career change.
Hugo Weaving in Lot 47's "Russian Doll. "
All too soon. Harvey finds himself
drowning in cynicism as an infidelity specialist—a
malaise that's worsened when
he unexpectedly discovers his own
fiancee on the other side of his telephoto
lens in an illicit daytime romp. Turning
for support to his best friend Ethan
(David Wenham). whom he idealizes for
his perfect marriage. Harvey receives a
double whammy when he finds that
Ethan has begun an affair with a perky
Russian emigre. Katia (an effervescent
Natalia Novikova). An e-mail order bride
who arrives in Australia to find her
prospective bridegroom dc.nl ol .i sudden
heart attack. Katia apparently just wants
to have fun and maybe get her visa
extended as well. Ethan's scheme to keep
Katia safelj within Ins reach while still
hoodwinking his matchmaking wife
Miriam proves the last straw foi the
deflated Harvej
Nigerian-born \ussic Weaving (besl
known Stateside as the unremitting
Agent Smith m "The Matrix") brings an
amiable ruefulness i Harvey, .i roman
tic's romantic who's .ill but given up on
evei finding the Real rhing Mis dulled
resignation regarding love contrast mcclv
—
with Ethan's bra/en conniving and
Katia's earthy practicality. Co-writer and
producer Allanah Zitserman's resolve to
explore the world of Russian-Jewish emigres
gives the film its real edge of distinction
and provides a couple of fun
moments, but neither that nor Weaving's
affability is enough to get over the film's
stretches of predictability. Luisa F.
Riheiro
FIGHTER **l/2
Starring Jan Wiener and Arnost
Lustig, Directed hy Amir Bar-Lev.
Produced hy Amir Bar-Lev, Jonathan
Crosby and Alex Mantlet. A First Run
release. Documentary. Unrated. Running
time: 86 min.
Even among the countless stories of
personal heroism to emerge from the
Holocaust, pugnacious Jewish flier Jan
Wiener's experiences fighting Hitler with
the British Royal Air Force and as a
political prisoner during the postwar
crackdown in his native Czechoslovakia
rate as extraordinary. But, though the
sentimental journey a 77-year-old Wiener
takes back to the old country in
"Fighter" is certainly worth recording for
posterity's sake. Amir Bar-Lev's somewhat
directionless documentary only
occasionally musters the dramatic power
to stand out in the crowded field of similarly
themed films.
Director-producer Bar-Lev's feature
debut follows Wiener and a friend, Czech
writer Arnost Lustig, as the two septuagenarians
visit sites such as the Italian
town where Wiener found refuge after
escaping Nazi-controlled Czechoslovakia
during World War II and the hard-labor
camp where he spent five years after the
postwar Communist regime in his homeland
branded him a British spy.
Eventually, differences arise between
the scrappy Wiener and the onetime
Communist Lustig. who provokes his
friend with a different view of Czech
socialism and his desire to write his
own version of Wiener's wartime
adventures.
Bar-Lev structures the film to reach
climax when Wiener and Lustig's disagreement-prone
its
"Grumpy Old
Men"
relationship flares into a wounding argument
and the two threaten never to speak
again, but the fight and its aftermath
don't provide an especial!) satisfying
conclusion to the piece.
The strongest moments come when
Wiener is sunplv talking about some of
the heart-wrenching turning points m his
hie. such as when his despairing father,
convinced he would never escape the
N.i/is. committed suicide in front of him.
Such moments leave little doubt about
what inspired Bar-Le\ to gel Wiener's
Storj d.nvn on videotape, though the
me. ins .>i capturing that stmv's lull emotional
powei in .i documentary seems to
have eluded him Michael Tunison

*•
A LOVE DIVIDED
Starring Orla Brady, Liam Cunningham,
Peter Caffrey and Tony Doyle. Direeted by
Syd Macartney. Written by Stuart
Hepburn. Produced by Alan Moloney, Tim
Palmer and Gerry Gregg. A Cinema Guild
release. Drama. Unrated. Running time:
100 min.
For a story based on the truth, "A Love
Divided" lacks an essential dimension. Its
script aims for the emotional rather than
the explanatory. Its actors seem cued in to
the heartache. It's set in natural surroundings,
attractively filmed. It's carefully setdressed
with period colors and clothing
suitable to the locations—a bit too carefully
perhaps, fashion creeping in where it
never really held sway. The Irishness of it
all is there in the actors' faces and accents.
It's a story about troubles that have not
gone away but have only worsened since
this incident occurred in the 1950s. But,
despite all of these strong ingredients, it
fails to arouse much more than deep
annoyance. The true stuff of its reality
concerns much more deep-rooted passions,
so it's disappointing that, although it
makes you think—or as the Irish here say,
"tink"—for yourself, it doesn't really make
you feel for the people it portrays. True
sorrow eludes the screen.
It's the story of what happens in
Southern Ireland when a Protestant marries
a Catholic and they have children. Despite
grip of the culture and faith she's determined
won't bind her kids as it has bound
generations before her.
Orla Brady and Liam Cunningham
make a good-looking couple, but they
seem like actors doing an okay job rather
than real people deeply in love and emotionally
rent asunder. The actors playing
churchmen and the villagers are quickly
reduced by the script to token figures
unable to stay complex as they are forced
to take sides. A brokenhearted musical
lament heard a couple of times merely
shows up what's missing. And then there's
some heavy-handed symbolic stuff with a
recalcitrant horse that doesn't like being
stuck between plow shafts! Bridget Byrne
REVIEWS
ANGEL EYES ***1/2
Starring Jennifer Lopez, James
Caviezel, Sonia Braga and Terrence
Howard. Directed by Luis Mandoki.
Written by Gerald Di Pego. Produced by-
Bruce Berman, Mark Canton, Bernie
Goldmann and Elie Samaha. A Warner
Bros, release. Romance. Rated R for language,
violence and a scene of sexuality.
Running time: 103 min.
The fact that the major studios do
such an expert job of marketing bad
movies makes it all the more distressing
when they appear to have no idea how to
promote a good one. Such is the case with
Warner Bros.' "Angel Eyes," a meditative,
character-driven romance that, for reasons
unknown, is being pushed like some
kind of supernatural thriller in the vein of
"The Sixth Sense." Notwithstanding the
drawing power of star Jennifer Lopez,
Warner Bros.' misguided sales pitch seems
fated to alienate almost everyone, duping
thriller buffs into a movie they aren't likely
to enjoy while keeping the picture's natural
audience at bay with some of the
most distastefully deceptive advertising in
recent memory.
The romance in question pairs two
troubled souls: Sharon Pogue (Lopez), a
tough Chicago policewoman who has
become estranged from her family, and
"Catch" (James Caviezel), a mysterious yet
gentle loner. It's suggested in the film's
prologue that the two first met one year
all pledges between the couple that the
union is something personal and sacred earlier when Sharon helped save Catch's
only unto them and that they'll keep God
out of it, that, of course, can't happen,
life at the scene of a grisly automobile accident.
Though neither appears to remember
because religion is what has made them that previous encounter, something seems
who they are—a Protestant and a Catholic. to draw them together. For Sharon, Catch
When the Catholic woman wants to renege is an anchor, the emotional rock that her
on another pledge—the one she made to dismal family and personal relationships
have her children raised Catholic— by refusing
have failed to provide over the years. He's
to send them to St. Bridget's school to
be taught by nuns, fanaticism erupts from
caring,
principled.
understanding
At the same
and
time,
ferociously
he's clearly
beneath the surface of village life.
odd: He doesn't drive, lives in an unfurnished
Although the story is weighted against
slum apartment and refuses to dis-
the Catholic hierarchy that ferments a boycottclose
any details about his prior life. In
which leads to everlasting bitterness Sharon, Catch finds something more
and violence, it's difficult to sympathize abstract, someone who clearly needs to
with the mother, who flees from home and
husband with her little girls. Bossy priests
and a cowardly spouse are not well developed
enough onscreen to expose the real
give and receive love, despite her own best
efforts to the contrary.
Excepting a handful of early scenes
showing Sharon in the heat of beat police
work, "Angel Eyes" has none of the genre
staples that thriller fans might be expecting:
There are no car chases, no gunfights,
no spooky surprises, no lurking plot
twists. What it does deliver is a simple,
humanistic honesty and an approach to
unconventional romance that rings
resoundingly true.
Credit for the achievement lies squarely
with writer Gerald Di Pego and ace
actor's director Luis Mandoki ("When A
Man Loves A Woman"). By refusing to
allow the film to wander into the waters
of the tried, tested and pre-fabricated
mass appeal swamp, Di Pego, Mandoki
and their actors have inadvertently handed
Warner Brothers a specialty film that
the studio is entirely unqualified to
release. It could be that Lopez's star
power will prove sufficient to keep the
film in theatres long enough for word-ofmouth
to correct the marketing gaffes.
With blockbuster season fast approaching,
however, time is running out.— Wade
Major
LUMUMBA • *•
Starring Eriq Ebouaney, Alex Descas
and Theophile Moussa Sowie. Directed by
Raoul Peck. Written by Raoul Peck and
Pascal Bonitzer. Produced by Jacques
Bidou. A Zeitgeist release. Drama. Frenchlanguage;
subtitled. Unrated. Running
time: 113 min.
They say power corrupts, and it's sad
to see how often that cliche winds up
coming to pass. Even worse is when widespread
influence brings out the best in a
person, but his untainted vision and
intensity jeopardize the comfort and security
of the small-minded, fearful bureaucrats
around him, leading to his downfall.
Winner of the Best Feature award at
this year's Pan-African Film Festival in
Los Angeles. "Lumumba" tells the true
tale of Patrice Lumumba, the political
activist who rose to prominence during
the Congo's struggle to gain its independence
from Belgium in 1960. Eventually
seen as a threat by the still-involved
Belgians, to international interests, and
even to his own colleagues, Lumumba
was assassinated a mere nine months after
becoming his nation's first Prime
Minister.
In his haste to get to the meat of his
fictionalized story, director and co-writer
Raoul Peck—who also helmed the 1991
documentary "Lumumba—Death of a
Prophet"—skips over some significant
information that would have strengthened
his account, including that of its main
character's rise to power and respect in
his community. One minute Patrice is
hawking local beer in the town of
Leopoldsville, and the next he's jailed for
being a leading force in the Congo's fight
for independence. There's only a cursory
depiction of the supposed charisma that
influenced his constituency—not to take
away from Eric Ebouaney 's impassioned
performance in the title role—and of the
part the U.S. played in his eventual
downfall.
Even with those omissions, however,
"Lumumba" remains a tellingly discouraging
testament to the inherently complicated
and manipulative workings of a formerly
subjugated culture not fully freed
from its oppressors. Perhaps more importantly,
it also addresses colonialism's
infectious corruptibilitj transmitted to
once-heroic political revolutionaries who
fail lo put their people first, and how
those fallen leaders can crush the singular
man who attempts to use his newfound
power for the common good. Jordan
Reed

1 hough
'
MOULIN ROUGE *•••*
Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan
McGregor anil John Leguizamo. Directed
by Baz Luhrmann. Written hy Baz
l.uhrmann and Craig Pearee. Produced hy
Martin Brown, Baz Luhrmann and Fred
Baron. A Fox release. Musical. Rated PC-
Li for sexual content. Punning time: 126
REVIEWS
min
Ṅo film could have been a better
choice to kick off this year's Cannes Film
Festival. With its story set in the landmark
Parisian cabaret, its international
cast, and its glorious fusion of genres
including musical comedy and romantic
tragedy, "Moulin Rouge" embodies all
the reasons cinephiles come to Cannes.
As for the film itself, the latest work
b\ Baz Luhrmann ("Strictly Ballroom."
"William Shakespeare's Romeo and
Juliet") is an enormously ambitious opus
that for the most part manages to cover
the flaws in its canvas with stunning cinematic
artistry. Set at the turn of the last
century, the story concerns aspiring
writer Christian (Ewan McGregor), who
finds himself drawn into the world of the
seedy and spectacular Moulin Rouge
nightclub.
There he meets the hauntingly beautiful
courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman).
Much to her own surprise, Satine is
equally drawn to Christian, and their
courtship is played out in a love medley
that references everything from Elton
John ("Your Song") to the Beatles ("All
You Need is Love.")
Naturally, there are complications:
Satine has been promised by Moulin
Rouge proprietor Zidler (a terrifically
eccentric Jim Broadbcnt) to a wealthy
potential investor (Richard Roxburgh)
who has demanded exclusive rights to the
courtesan in exchange for his agreeing to
underwrite Christian's play. Add a diagnosis
of consumption to the mix, and
you've got "La Bohcme" played out as a
modern musical.
Technically. "Moulin Rouge" is nothing
short of dazzling. Its production
design by Catherine Martin and costumes
by Martin and Angus Strathie arcvelvety
and luxurious, recalling the heyday
of studio musicals and then some.
Donald McAlpine's camera work aptly
Captures the film's contrasting milieus,
speeding up to show the frenetic Moulin
Rouge, slowing down to show the deepening
relationship between Satine and
Christian. Songs are expertly chosen and
performed with a naturalism that again
recalls classic musicals, and dance
sequences choreographed by John
O'Connell to resemble Busby Berkeley
numbers
film general!) acted, with
I lie is well
particular praise due the versatile
McGregor, who enriches the material
with ,i heartfelt, empathetic performance
ih. it lenders Christian's earnestness
entireK credible. Kidman, for her part, is
sublime to look at, but there's a coldness
to her Satine that detracts from the pivotal
romantic scenes. Supporting turns
are fine, though John Leguizamo's
Toulouse Lautrec is rather more annoying
than he should be.
As spectacular as it is in so many
ways, "Moulin Rouge" never quite warms
the heart as much as it dazzles the eye.
But that's not to say it's a complete triumph
of style over substance; it's just
Nicole Kidman as Satine in Fox s "Moulin Rouge.
that what one takes away from it is a
powerful impression of Luhrmann as a
technically dexterous visual virtuoso.
— Lael Loewenstein
PETITSFRERES
••1/2
Starring Stephanie Touly, Hies
Sefraoui, Mustapha Coumane, Nassim
Izem, Ruchid Mansouri and Dembo
Coumane. Directed and written hy
Jacques Doillon. Produced hy Marin
KarmitZ. A First Run release. Drama.
French-language; subtitled. I mated.
Running time: 92 min.
In "Petits I Teres," French director
Jacques Doillon ("I'onclte") once again
tackles the subject of adolescence and
the trials and tribulations associated with
that particularly messj time in life, to
heartfelt but somewhat inadequate
results, (entering on a troubled I J-yearold
girl and the unlikely bond she forms
with a group o\ boys living in the pro
jects, the film maintains an uncannj documentary-style
realism, which is lamentabl)
interrupted from time-to-time bj
standard onscreen cliches about gang life
and societal woes
Aficr fighting with her unsavorj stepfather,
I. ih. i (Stephanie fouly) runs awaj
from home wilh liei
beloved and faithful
pitbull Kim in low She heads to I'.ilin. ,i
suburb on the outskirts ol I'.ms populal
ed in pooi Vrabsand blacks While wan
dering around, she meets [lies (Hies
Sefraoui), Mous (Mustapha Goumane).
Nassim (Nassim Izem) and Rachid
(Rachid Mansouri). four buddies who
take her into their fold. Their motives,
though, aren't so pure: With the intent of
making money off of Kim by putting her
to use in dogfights, the boys steal the
friendly dog while Talia sleeps at Mous
and his older brother Dembo's (Dembo
Goumane) apartment. The boys and
their street hardness, however, begin to
soften toward Talia, who herself has
earned the nickname "Tyson" after the
boxer for her tough-talking ways, and a
sincere friendship begins to develop
among them. The dilemma for the
boys—especially Hies, who has developed
romantic feelings for Talia—becomes
what to tell her about her dog. who she is
desperate to find.
Helmer Doillon is adept at the films
d'enfance genre, and "Petits Freres"
again displays his keen insight into the
minds and motives of youths. The film's
five central characters, buoyed by solid
performances by the young actors and
act less, are credible and always threedimensional,
compelling viewers to sympathize
wilh the group of friends, even if
they don't necessarily deserve approval.
Unfortunately, the film also has a tendency,
it seems, to uv to capture too much
reality, resulting in an oversaturation of
social issues being introduced: [lies menlions
the difficult) of his possible
romance with [alia (he's Arab, she's
Jewish I. Mous heals his youngei sisieis.
I. ih. i suspects hei stepfathei ol sexuall)
molesting hei youngei sister and soon.
the proliferation ol societal
issues are not overwhelming enough to
erase the effect oi the film's engaging
stor) aboul loyalt) and friendship,
"PetitS I reres" tries to cover loo man)
Francesco DingUuan

I Mi's
CALLE54 •*••
Starring Paquito D 'Rivera, Eliane Elias,
Chano Dominguez, Jerry Gonzalez anil the
Fort Apache Band, Michel Camilo, Gato
Barbieri, Tito Puente, Hilton Ruiz, Bebo
Valdes, Chucho \ aides. Dare Valentin and
Cliieo O'Farrill. Directed by Fernando Trueha.
Produced by Cristina Huete and Fabienne
Servan Schreiber. A Miramax release. Documentary.
Rated G. Running time: 105 nun.
A romantic and loving tribute to Latin
Jazz artists and the beauty of making
music, director Fernando Trueba's "Calle
54" can't help but raise the roof with its
ecstatic arrangement featuring "oldsters"
like Tito Puente and Gato Barbieri and
newer names like Eliane Elias and Chano
Dominguez presenting the tradition
and evolution of jazz filtered through
the Latin soul. Hardcore jazz aficionados
and those unfamiliar with
the distinctive Latin-flavored variety
will find much to tap their feet and
cheer about.
Travelling to the cold, snowy backdrops
of New York, New Jersey and
Stockholm, with a few side trips to
Puerto Rico and Havana, Trueba
introduces each artist, providing brief
voice-over of their personal and professional
histories before placing them in a
brilliantly lit and colored stage to cut loose
with their respective combos or bands. The
backdrops' hot reds, simmering oranges
and blinding yellows give way to cooler
blues, purples and browns, lending further
mood to the already vivacious pitch of
each number. Appropriately, the late Tito
Puente's set is all white. Chico OTarrill's
big-band sound is fittingly presented in
nostalgic black-and-white. Truebas keeps
his camera moving, but it never interferes
with or intrudes upon the style and work
of the artists involved. If anything, the
constant close-ups of hands —pounding
or caressing the keyboards, manipulating
valves or whacking bongo drums — provide
a fascinating visual metaphor for musicians
boldly grasping and shaping their
music in their own fashion.
The music varies across the board from
Spain's Dominguez's unusual and arresting
blending of flamenco and jazz to
Cuba's D'Rivera's more traditional mellifluous
saxophone. Brazil's classically
trained pianist Eliane Elias makes her
interpretation soothingly float just as
Dominican Republic's Michel Camilo's
elation sends listeners through the ceiling
with enthusiasm. The urge to stand an
applaud heartily after each number is
overwhelming.
Initially released in two cities last year
for Academy Award consideration, "Calle
54" was held up for broader distribution
incredibly due to being unable to secure a
soundtrack release arrangement. Since then,
Blue Note division has picked up
distribution, and a good thing too: Anyone
seeing this happily contagious film will just
have to have a copy. Luisa F. Ribeiro
REVIEWS
SPECIAL FORMATS
*N SYNC: BIGGER THAN LIVE •••
Starring Lance Bass, Joshua "JC"
Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick
and Justin Timherlake. Produced by Doug
Yellin, Iwerks Entertainment. A Really
Big Film Corp. release. Concert film.
Unrated. Running time: 4H min.
This large-format film delivers just
what it promises: one of the most popular
boy bands in the world 80 feet high and
just as close up as any preteen might ever
dream possible. The 48 minutes' worth of
concert footage,
spliced
together from
several different
shows
during *N
Sync's recent
"No Strings
Attached"
tour, brings
viewers not
only on
"N Sync: Bigger Than Live.
stage with
Lance, JC, Joey, Chris and Justin, but
right smack dab in their pretty little
faces. Every synchronized dance step,
every glow-in-the-dark costume and
every cornrow on Timberlake's head is
magnified to the nth degree, thanks to
Iwerks' special 8/70 cameras.
It's not just the guys, however, that are
bigger. The sound and lighting effects are
immense, lending a remarkably authentic
feel to the film's premise of recreating the
stadium concert experience. *N Sync's
catchy bubble gum pop blended with
thousands of screaming girls are accurately
deafening, while large floodlights,
which Iwerks says have been specially
installed in several large-format venues
just for this film, dance around the real
theatre auditorium in perfect unison with
the onscreen show.
Needless to say, the enjoyment
afforded by the glitz and glamour of this
production depends wholly on the spectator's
affinity for *N Sync. Twelveyear-old
girls, who comprise
share of the band's fan
the lion's
base—and
twelve-year-old boys looking to surround
themselves with these starry-eyed
demoiselles are sure to be pleased. For
those who do not fit into either category
and are still curious to see "Bigger Than
Live," it's advisable to come with a sense
of nostalgia and a sense of humor.
Nostalgia for one's own teen idolatry
will help put the *N Sync phenomenon
in context; humor's good when contemplating
the fact that while the film is certainly
"Bigger," the "Live" aspect is
doubtful in terms of the singing, anyway.
Francesco Dinglusun
ALL ACCESS: FRONT ROW.
BACKSTAGE. LIVE! PRESENTED
BY CERTS ***l/2
Starring Trey Anastasio, Carter
Beauford, Mary J. Blige, Joe C, George
Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Maty Gray, Al
Green, B.B. King, Stefan Lessard, Cheb
Mami, Dare Matthews, Moby, LeRoi
Moore, Kid Rock, The Roots, Carlos
Santana, Sting, Rob Thomas and Boyd
Tinsely. Directed by Martyn Atkins.
Produced by Jon Shapiro and Peter
Shapiro. An Imax. DocumentarylConcert
Film.
Unrated. Running time: 64 min.
Yes, that's the entire, actual title,
including the Certs bit—thus avoiding
the tragedy of anyone not knowing this
IMAX concert film was presented by a
breath mint. That notwithstanding, this
larger-than-life 75mm-format film is an
amazing experience that takes its audience
right through the Artists' Entrance
to a concert collage one couldn't experience
even if they were traveling with the
band. In order to provide a sense of
scale, veteran video and concert film
director Martyn Atkins (who filmed Tom
Petty and the Heartbreakers Live from
the Fillmore in 1999) begins this production
(after a nifty Certs commercial) with
a number of opening shots framed in the
various aspect ratios of 35mm film
stagehands work in 2.35:1, roadies tuneup
in 1.85:1, etc.—until suddenly the
entire screen, eight stories high, is
filled
with the presence of Sting rehearsing
"Desert Rose" with Cheb Mami.
Seamlessly, the afternoon rehearsal
becomes an evening performance in front
of a crowd of thousands.
This delightfully entertaining film is
made all the
more so by the
immense scale
of the IMAX
format. The
artists all talk
earnestly
about their love
of music and
performance
— includi ng
4/7 -V(V.',\s Front Row
the inimitable
Kid Rock, whose informed thoughtfulness
is wholly unexpected. They refer not
only to their own exploits but to their
influences, including many of the other
musicians performing on this bill. Rob
Thomas waxes lovingly about Carlos
Santana, Dave Matthews bubbles over Al
Green and Mobv is characteristically
droll about everything. As for the performances,
personal taste will determine
overall enjoyment, but all are exceptional.
Guitarist Trey Anastasio and B.B. King

ayered
do a hip-hop/blues set with The Roots
that is truly poignant; Funkmaster
George Clinton and crew drop the funk
bomb with songstress Mary .1 Blige;
Sheryl Crow performs "If It Makes
You Happy" solo while sitting on bar
stool; and Kid Rock gi\es an explosive
performance of "Ba With the Ba."
If there are any drawbacks to this
film, it's
the lack of curtain calls—each
artist only performs once—and. oddly.
though the sound quality is good, it
pales in comparison to the overwhelming
visuals. But overall, this IMAX presentation
is the next best thing to being
there and in some ways better.— Tim
Cogshell
JOURNEY INTO AMAZING CAVES
• ••
Starring Sancy Aulenbach and Hazel
Barton. Directed by Stephen Judson.
Produced by Greg MacGillirray, Stephen
Judson and Alec l.orimore. I Macdillivray
Freeman release. Documentary. I mated.
Running time: 41) min.
As educational and long in duration
as a high school geology class but significantly
more interesting, "Journey
Into Amazing Caves" follows two spelunkers.
Nancy Aulenbach and Hazel
Barton, in their quest to conquer
unknown territory. Their professional
goal is to recover for medical research
samples of the life-forms that live in the
ice ca\ es. underwater caverns and desert
crags they explore. Organisms that live
in such treacherous conditions are
called e.xtremophiles. which would also
be an appropriate appellation for these
incredibly strong, fearless and adventuresome
researchers who seem impassioned
by and addicted to their brand of
extreme science. We see them pulley
themselves across gaping canyons, climb
sheer cliff walls, rappel into precarious
ice crevasses and dive into subterranean
passages with what appears to be the
same level of casual effort it takes the
audience to sit in their chairs and watch
these life-endangering escapades. That
they make what they
do appear deceptively
easy somewhat
undercuts the
tension of then
exploits, but the
opportunity to have
an [MAX-sized
look at the interiors
of some of nature's
greatest
—
spectacles
that one is nol apt to
see in person without
attaining the
physical fitness level
ot. Bay, Xena, the
Warrior Princess. should
missed Christine Jame
.
REVIEWS
SHREK
•**
I :\ red h\ Mike Myers. Iddic Murphy
C ameron Diaz and John I.ithgow.
Directed
by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson.
W ritten by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and
Joe Stillman and Roger S.I I. Sclmlman.
Produced by iron Warner, John II. Williams
and Jeffrey Katzenherg. A DreamWorks
release. Animated. Rated P(i for mild language
and some crude humor. Running time:
S4 min.
After three years of relatively subdued
feuding between the DreamWorks and
Disney animation camps, Jeffrey
Katzenherg is finally taking off the gloves.
With "Shrek," adapted from the William
Steig book, the DreamWorks chief has
lobbed a most unsubtle bombshell at his
former employer, lampooning Disney's animated
fairy tale tradition with a long overdue
kick-in-the-pants certain to be
embraced as much by disenchanted adults
as by their easily enchanted children.
"Shrek's" title character is a brusque,
uncouth, Scottish-brogued Ogre (Mike
Myers) who wants nothing more than to
live quietly in his isolated swamp, unmolested
by the world outside.
Unfortunately, the diminutive
Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow)
has other plans, evicting every
imaginable fairytale creature
from the surrounding forest and
depositing them on Shrek's
doorstep. Among these is a talk-
Reiner's "The Princess Bride."
Precisely how mainstream family audiences
will respond to "Shrek" is a dicier
question. Many are sure to find the film a
bit too uncouth in its preoccupation with
bodily functions and sexual suggestiveness
while others will heartily embrace the shattering
of decades-old animation taboos
with respect to subject matter and character
behavior. Whatever the wider reaction,
fans and detractors alike should both find
much to admire in "Shrek's" skillful thematic
balancing act as it manages to poke
fun at a genre while exploiting that genre's
conventions for its own purposes. In the
end. "Shrek" is just as warm and fuzzy as
any of the Disney films that it mocks, playing
both sides of the fence without necessarily
tearing the fence down.
Like "Antz," "Shrek" is a co-production
between DreamWorks and computer animation
house PDI, a rival pairing to that
between Disney and Pi.xar which produced
the two "Toy Story" films and "A Bug's
Life." PDI's technical sophistication has
long been viewed as a step or two behind
that of Pixar, an assessment that "Shrek"
bears out with animation which, while
ative donkey, known simply as
"Donkey" (Eddie Murphy),
who makes Shrek his person
buddy project, whether Shrek
it likes or not.
The easily annoyed Shrek
wastes no time in confronting
Farquaad himself, demanding
that the squatters be cleared off
Shrek's" eponymous ogre (voiced by Mike Myers)
and his swamp returned to its
unsavory tranquility. But the scheming undeniably accomplished, still lacks the fluidity
Farquaad has other plans, offering Shrek a
of motion for which the Disney-Pixar
eal. he and Donkey can recover the lair
films are so renowned. At the same time.
II
tincess iona (Cameron Diaz) from the DreamWorks and PDI have evolved far
I
astle where a dragon has imprisoned her. beyond their "Antz" work with an attention
nd deliver her for Farquaad to marry. to character and background detail which,
Shrek may have his swamp back.
in some ways, exceeds Pixar's.
The ensuing odyssey, o\' course, is While such technical sophistication is
anything but a conventional fairytale important, more crucial is the quality of
l
quest between the jabs at
Disney are a host of other pop culture
references, nearly all of which emerge
at
the most unexpected moments anil
with as little restraint as possible
Bdent and timing both seem to be
.m 'Shrek's" side, too, I ike the live
action pictures "A Knight's rale" ami
'Moulin Rouge," between whose
release dates the DreamWorks film is
sandwiched. "Shrek" lakes an incvci
i Mi approach to a revered genre, liberally
l. Kiiii' its soundtrack with content
porary
rock tunes and campy in-jokes
At the same time, "Shrek" feels Oddlj familiar,
occasionally evoking shades ol television's
"I ractured l airy fales" and Rob
the voice casting, and it is in that aiea
where "Shrek" scores Us most resounding
triumph. Voicing the Ogre with his popular
Scotsman accent. Mike Myers is able to
both humanize and soften the character in
wavs nol immediately evident in the writing.
Cameron Diaz' unorthodox lake on a
post-femimst fairytale princess is likewise
accomplished, endearing vet amusing
without feeling cloving or manipulative
lis Eddie Murphy's Donkey, however, that
sleals the show as an upioanoiis. |abbeijawed
comic foil who gives new meaning to
the terra "wiscass" with a never-ending
stream ot one-liners thai promise to be
among the season's mosl memorable.
Wade Major

REVIEWS
FLASHBACK: 1968
What BOXOFFICE Said About...
Planet of the Apes
[Fox opens its remake of this sci-fi classic on July 27.]
Arthur P. Jacobs, that producer who has exploded his vast energy, rampant enthusiasm
and keen entertainment values upon the American movie scene of the 1 960s,
is following his fantasy "Dr. Dolittle" with another in
that genre, "Planet of the Apes." "Fantasy" is perhaps
too mild a word; "allegory" more appropriately
describes the intent behind this
super-science-fiction
production.
Based on Pierre Bou lie's novel as written for the
screen by two masters of the craft, Michael Wilson
and Rod Serling, this film has the weirdest cast of
characters since Charles Laughton's apeman slaves
inhabited the "Island of Lost Souls" over 30 years ago.
Three spacemen (Charlton Heston, Robert Gunner
and Jeff Burton) land on a planet to find the roles of
man and ape completely reversed. This fascinating premise is exploited to the
fullest via the effective direction of Franklin J. Schaffner; the remarkable performances
and make-up work (thanks to John Chambers); the stunning production
assets, such as Leon Shamroy's spectacular Panavision-De Luxe Color photography,
particularly in the early sequences shot in Utah and Arizona; and Jerry
Goldsmith's incredibly apt musical score. "Planet of the Apes" should be one of
the most popular films of the year.
EXPLOITIPS:
Tie in with promotional gimmicks using ape costumes on the street and in lobbies.
Hold special performances for school science classes and local horror fan clubs.
CATCHLINES:
Man Was Hunted, Caged, Forced to Mate by Civilized Apes
TRUMPET OF THE SWAN
in a World Unknown — "Planet of the Apes."
••
Voiced hy Jason Alexander, Mary
Steenburgen, Reese Witherspoon and Carol
Burnett. Directed hy Richard Roth and Terry
L. Noss. Written hy Judy Rothman Rofe.
Produced hy Lin Oliver. A TriStar release.
Animated. Unrated. Running time: 75 nun.
There's an unfortunate Saturday-morning-cartoon
quality to this adaptation of
E. B. White's children's novel of the same
name, extending from its flat animation to White's classic children's novels are
a shallowness of characterization and rightfully beloved and perhaps the most
unmemorable songs that, despite the level well known animated adaptation is the
of talent behind it, will leave the film to be charming 1973 Hanna-Barbera production
of "Charlotte's Web." which purists
appreciated only by the very young.
The story unfolds of a pompous but decry as too slushy, but which has nevertheless
proven a longtime favorite with
loveable Father trumpeter swan (Jason
Alexander) and his gentle mate (Mary children. A thoroughly impressive live
Steenburgen) who hatch three cygnets, two action/computer animated adaptation of
girls and a much anticipated son, Louis White's "Stuart Little" in 1999 confirmed
(Dee Baker), who, the parents discover that kids' stories could be delightfully fun
with shock, is mute and thus, as Father for adults too—and only makes this thin
says with utter dismay, "defective." translation all the more disappointing.
Initially unsettled and unsure how to han-
Composer Marcus Miller fails to provide
any magical spark in his tunes, which
feel and sound labored. Steenburgen,
Witherspoon and Joe Mantegna are all but
thrown away in then thin parts, and
dle his son's condition, Father finally
makes a bold decision and steals a trumpet
from a musical shop to give his son a voice.
Ostracized by his fellow young swans,
Louis makes friends with Sam, a young
boy who dreams of becoming an ornithologist.
Sam gets the brilliant Louis into
school where Mrs. Hammerbotham (Carol
Burnett, who breathes much-needed
vibrancy into the film with each of her
character's appearances) unflinchingly
teaches him to write. That and his skill
with his trumpet take Louis to nationwide
fame, enabling him to redeem his Father by
repaying the stolen trumpet and find happiness
with the swan of his dreams, Serena
(Reese Witherspoon).
Alexander's histrionics as lather lose their
charm fast Luisa F. Riheiro
PAVILION OF WOMEN ***l/2
Starring Willem Dafoe, Luo Yan, Shek
Sau, John Cho, Yi Ding, Koh Chieng Mun
and Anita Loo. Directed by Yim Ho.
Written hy Luo Yan & Paul R. Collins.
Produced hy Luo Yan. A Universal Focus
release. Period Drama. Rated R for sexuality
and war images. Running time: 119 min.
More than six decades after "The Good
Earth" spurred a momentary burst of cinematic
interest in the novels of famed
author Pearl S. Buck (two more were
filmed during the '40s and a fourth during
the '60s), that interest has been rekindled.
Ironically, "Pavilion of Women," produced
and co-written by its mainland-born star,
Luo Yan, is the first of Buck's novels to be
manifestly faithful to the source material,
filmed in China and with an almost entirely
Asian cast.
The English- language production takes
place on the eve of World War II in a
China that still clings to the vestiges of the
past, namely the practice of concubinage.
For the wealthy Wu family, and particularly
for Madame Wu (Luo Yan), the past is
an anchor, a way of ignoring the ominous
signs of communists lurking in the hills
and Japanese soldiers preparing for invasion.
It is also a prison, for Madame Wu is
a virtual slave to her husband, despite the
trappings of wealth. As a means to help
liberate herself, Madame Wu gives her
husband an orphaned peasant girl as his
second wife, hoping that refocusing his
attentions on another will, in some small
way, give her a modicum of freedom from
his whims. But reality intrudes in the form
of Father Andre (Willem Dafoe), the
American priest in charge of the local
orphanage, a man of reason and compassion
who rattles the Wu family's world I
with his unthinkable determination to put
human beings ahead of custom.
The relationship between Andre and
Madame Wu that drives the film is a compelling
one, sweepingly romantic on the
surface but powerfully symbolic below.
is also the filter through which the film
addresses many of the issues of the day,
almost all of which are still pertinent: the
role of communism, the Chinese struggle
with change, antagonism towards things
Western and the oppression of women
under the guise of tradition. That the film
never becomes preachj is its great strength.
That it was filmed in English, though commercially
sensible, is something of a dramatic
drawback, creating problems for
many of the Chinese actors who appear to
struggle with the dialogue.
Still,
despite these nagging weaknesses,
the film soars when it resorts to purely
visual storytelling. Director Yim Ho
("Buddha's Lock") is among Hong Kong's
most respected directors of dramatic material,
a multiple award-winner who knows
how to mount a spectacle and pull the
heartstrings. Here, he does it with confi-i
pa i
md
a rescue rph
It

age and a chilliim Japanese invasion— that
will leave few dry eyes in the house. Its an
achievement thai owes much as well to
Vim's esteemed collaborators: cinematographer
Poon Hang Sang (Jackie Chan's
"Who Am [?"), designer James Lung Wall
Sang (John Woo's "Bullet in the Head")
and composer Conrad Pope, a former
John Williams arranger/orchestrator
whose swooning, epic score almost singlehandedly
compensates for the script's
occasional glitches.
There is no question, however, that
Buck would have been proud of "Pavilion
of Women." a movie that not only faithfully
honors her book and pays tribute to the
beloved China of her childhood, but which
brings to the fore a major cross-cultural
triple-threat in the very talented Luo
Van.— Wade Major
TIME AND TIDE ***1/2
Starring Nicholas Tse, W ii Bai, Anthony
Wong, Joventino Couto Remotigue, Candy
Lo and Cathy Chui. Directed hy Tsui Hark.
Written hy Koan I hit & Tsui Hark.
Produced hy Tsui Hark. A Sony Repertory
release. Action. Cantonese-language; suhtitled.
Rated R for pervasive strong violence
and brief drug use. Running time: 113 min.
Like so many other notable foreign
directors before him. Hong Kong megamogul
Tsui Hark has followed up a lackluster
Hollywood interlude with a homegrown
return to form in "Time and Tide,"
an exercise in brutality so extreme that it
actually verges on the sublime.
Prior to his two forgettable Hollywood
detours with Jean-Claude Van Damme,
the Vietnamese-born Tsui made a name
helming such martial arts classics as the
"Once Upon a Time In China" series that
launched the career of Jet Li. At the same
time, he helped shepherd the careers of
directors like John Woo through his company
Film Workshop where such classics
as "The Killer" were produced. Ironically.
Tsui himself steered clear of gunplay films,
leaving the high-octane genre in the hands
of the director who would later bring it to
prominence in the west. Tsui's one major
effort in this area, in fact, came only after
Woo yielded the director's chair on "A
Better Tomorrow III," a follow-up to the
two films that first established the action
maven's now-famous style. It's more than
somewhat surprising, then, that Tsui
should choose to mark his triumphant
return to Hong Kong filmmaking with a
picture that not only treads on Woo territory,
both thematically and stylistically,
but actually rivals much of Woo's best.
The story begins as a mild yet serious
look at the world of professional bodyguards
as wayward young Tyler (Nicholas
Tse), hoping lo earn enough money to do
right b> his pregnant policewoman girlfriend
(Catbj Chui), takes a job with one
of Ileum Kong's premier protection agencies.
While on the job, he makes the
acquaintance of another expectant father
REVIEWS
named .lack (Wu Bai). a one-time mercenary
looking to construct a more quiet life
with wife Hui (Candy Lo). the daughter of
a prominent businessman whose safety has
been entrusted to Tyler's firm.
As any fan of Hong Kong cinema
knows, however, such arrangements are
always loo good to be true. For Hui's
father is not simply a businessman but a
powerful Triad crime boss who has been
targeted for assassination by none other
than Jack's old colleagues, newly arrived in
town from South America with a frightening
arsenal at their disposal and a determination
to exploit their old buddy's "inside
connection," no matter the cost.
It is at this point that "Time and Tide"
unexpectedly removes its gloves and
plunges the audience into a roller-coaster
ride for which they will surely be entirely
unprepared. And lest anyone forget that
this is, after all. a Hong Kong film. Tsui
invokes a series of twists and turns that
only further confuse the outcome, cluttering
the film's moral tone with ambiguity
and uncertainty. Whether or not Tyler and
Jack will find themselves on the same or
opposite sides isn't clear until near the very
end as betrayals, deceptions and doublecrosses
push the characters through a
series of increasingly treacherous set
pieces, culminating with a mind-boggling
finale certain
to be considered an instant
classic.
The almost non-stop action that dominates
the film's last half will remind some
of Woo's work on "Hard-Boiled," though
Tsui's efforts here are significantly more
complex from a narrative standpoint.
Whereas Woo's film reveled in what was
essentially a protracted climax, the highvoltage
action in "Time and Tide" is integral
to the ongoing story development, at
times seeming to generate more problems
for the characters than can possibly
resolved any time soon, if at all.
At a time when genuinely daring films
of this sort have largely disappeared from
Hong Kong screens, it's heartening to see a
veteran like Tsui Hark make such a rousing
contribution to their revival. It is also a
sobering reminder that talent isn't always
as transient as Hollywood taste-makers
might like to believe.— Wade Major
PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED: JUNE THROUGH OCTOBER FILMS
The alphabetical list below notes the issue of BOXOFFICE in which our review of an
upcoming film appeared, the star rating and the distributor/release date information.
"Aberdeen" • ••1/2: First Run, July/August undated; see November 2000.
"The Anniversary Party" +++112: Fine Line, 618; see April 2001.
"Better Than Sex" **l/2: IDP, 6115; see November 2000.
"Bread and Tulips" ++++: First Look, 7120; see April 2001.
"Brother" ++: SPC, 7120; see November 2000.
"The Business of Strangers" +++: 1FC, Fall undated; see April 2001.
"The Deep End" + +++: Fox Searchlight, 811; see April 2001.
"Downtown 81" 1/2: Zeitgeist, 7113; see September 2000.
"Greenfingers" ++: IDP, 7113; see December 2000.
"Happy Accidents" • ••: IFC, 8124; see April 2001.
"Hcdwig and the Angry Inch" ++ + V2: Fine Line, 7120; see April 2001.
"Innocence" ••1/2: IDP, 8110; sec November 2000.
"Les Destinees" ++: Winstar, 8131; see November 2000.
"Lost and Delirious" ••1/2: Lions Gate, 716; see April 2001.
"Maelstrom" + + + + : Arrow, October undated; sec December 2000.
"The Man Who Cried" ••1/2: Universal Focus, 618; see April 2001.
"Our Lady of the Assassins" *l/2: Paramount Classics, 917; see April 2001.
"Pandacmonium" ++: USA, 6129; see November 2000.
"The Prime Gig" •••1/2: Fine Line. 9114; see February 2001.
"The Princess and the Warrior" + + : SPC, 6122; see November 2000.
"Sexy Beast" •••: Fox Searchlight, 6113; see November 2000.
"Sidewalks of New York" • ••: Paramount Classics, '120; see May 2001.
"Songcatcher" •••1/2: Trimark, 6115; see April 2000.
"Together" •••1/2: IFC, JulyIAugust undated; see April 2001.
"The Vertical Ray of the Sun" + + + + : SPC, 716; see December 2000.
"Vulgar" • : Lions Gate. Summer undated; sec November 2000.
"Waking Life" •••1/2: Fox Searchlight, lull undated; see April 2001.
"Waydowntown" •••1/2: Lot 4", 8110; see November 2000.
"Wet Hot American Summer" •••: USA, 72//; see April 2001.

TUVALU
•••
Starring Denis Lavant, Chulpan
Hamatova, Philippe Clay and E.J.
Callahan. Directed and produced hy Yeit
Helmet: Written by Veit Helmer and
Michaela Beck. An Indican release.
ComedyIdrama. Not yet rated. Running
time: 86 min.
A nightmarish fantasy in the tradition
of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro's
"Delicatessen" and "The City of Lost
Children," German director-producer Veit
Helmer's "Tuvalu" impresses with its ability
to tell its loopy story almost completely
in visual terms. Unfortunately, its hyperstylized
imagery is too obviously derivative
of earlier films for Helmer's first feature
to stake out much new creative
ground for itself .
Written by Helmer and Michaela Beck,
the comically surreal plot concerns the
efforts of the shy, much-abused hero
(Denis Lavant from "The Lovers on the
Bridge") to keep his blind father's ramshackle
bathhouse in business despite the
constant obstacles placed in his way by
government safety officials, his own
weirdo family and the ruined building
itself. Enter a fetching young bather
(Chulpan Hamatova) with her own agenda:
to gather the machine parts she needs
to repair her boat and motor off to a new
life on the South Sea island of Tuvalu.
Shot in black-and-white, then colorized
for an interesting tinted effect. "Tuvalu"
takes place in the now-cliche vintage/postapocalyptic
setting familiar from Terry
Gilliam's "Brazil" and other genre movies.
The darkly humorous tone, visual design
and even the quirky looks of the actors are
particularly reminiscent of "Delicatessen,"
to the extent that "Tuvalu" plays almost
like a continuation of Jeunet and Caro's
1991 black comedy. That said, Helmer and
his excellent international cast demonstrate
a definite knack for this kind of
image-driven storytelling. "Tuvalu" is
mostly staged as a silent film; in an amusing
running gag, its few lines of dialogue
are in various languages, while the characters
do all their most important communication
with gestures and nonverbal sounds.
Helmer has clearly learned a lot from his
REVIEWS
pieces to make the 1999 hit "The
Mummy" seem like a Jane Austen chamber
drama. Mercifully, the fast-paced
fantasy adventure "The Mummy
Returns" is something of an improvement
over its predecessor, though let's
face it, that's not exactly comparing it to
the pyramids.
The new installment takes place nearly
a decade after the events depicted in
the first film, long enough for gun-slinging
adventurer Rick O'Connell (Brendan
Fraser) and hottie Egyptologist Evelyn
(Rachel Weisz) to have wed and raised a
precocious eight-year-old son (Freddie
Boath). The largely nonsensical storyline
concerns the latest resurrection of sorcery-wielding
mummy Imhotep (Arnold
Brendan Fraser in Universale "The Mummy. "
Vosloo), whose plans to conquer the
world tie in somehow to the O'Connells'
discovery of an ancient bracelet and the
impending rebirth of the dreaded
Scorpion King (wrestling star The
Rock).
As if this weren't enough plot for one
movie, we also learn that both Rick and
Evelyn have previously unmentioned
mystical destinies that help explain why
"Mummy Returns" requires only minimal
input from the actors to keep things
shallowly diverting.
Ultimately, it's hard to dislike a film
that so stubbornly refuses to take any
aspect of itself seriously—a lesson
Hollywood would do well to keep in
mind when churning out this type of B-
movie amusement park ride. Michael
Tunison
THE YOUNG GIRL AND THE
MONSOON +1/2
Starring Terry Kinney, Ellen Muth and
Mili A vital. Directed and written by James
Ryan. An Artistic License release.
Romantic comedy. i\'ot yet rated. Running
time: 90 min.
Hey, did anybody know that it's tough
to balance our ever-busier professional
lives with our personal ones, especially
when kids enter the picture? Hank (Terry
Kinney), the focal point of James Ryan's
transparent, mysteriously-titled directorial
debut "The Young Girl and the
Monsoon," seems about to keel over from
the burden. A prestigious photojournalist,
he precariously juggles his career, his
responsibility to his moody, divorcescarred
daughter Constance (Ellen Muth)
and his year-long romance with the lovely
young Erin (Mili Avital). And, wouldn't
you know it. sometimes he drops the ball.
Screenwriter James Ryan is also a playwright,
and his film sutlers from that vocational
influence. It's incessantly verbose, so
stuffed with explanation and exposition it's
as if Ryan finds the idea of even the most
basic visual expression unwarranted. (Save
when Constance catches Hank dancing
around the apartment late one night, in a
scene unfortunately reminiscent of that
school-for-the-blind ballet performance
from an old Saturday Night Live skit.)
And if making a movie that so heavily
relies on conversation, for God's sake don't
scrimp on the sound equipment. At
numerous times throughout, dialogue is
too muffled to understand.
Less egregious but quite baffling was
Ryan's casting choice for the 13-year-old
Constance. Muth. who must have been at
least 17 when she took the role (production
influences, even if he's followed a little too
notes say she's currently 19), does her
closely in their footsteps this time
around. Michael Tunison
they're always bumping into undead sorcerers
darndest to act immature and sulky a la
and their enchanted evil minions.
THE MUMMY RETURNS **l/2 Having established his "Mummy"
early adolescence, but physically she's
powerless against her far more advanced
Starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel mythos in the first movie, writer-director hormones. I he result is cloying inaccuracy;
Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Stephen Sommers is free to devote his
in her defense. Muth's task is insur-
mountable, the age gap too substantia] to
Fehr, Patricia Velasquez, Freddie Booth full attention to dishing out action and
and The Rock. Directed and written hy special-effects spectacle, jumping from pull oil'.
Stephen Sommers. Produced by James Indiana Jones-lifted tomb-raiding "The Young Girl And The Monsoon"
Jacks and Scan Daniel. A Universal sequences to Harryhausen?style monster provides no valuable insight on the trials
release. Fantasy. Rated PG-13 for sensuality
and some language. Running time: I2S
battles so quickly that the viewer scarcely
has time to register what's being ripped
and tribulations o\' modern life ami relationships.
Actually, that's not quite Hue:
min.
off and how silly it all is.
the Tom Waits song "Better Off Without
The 3,000-year-old villain with the Fraser and Weisz are no more believable
A Wife." played during the closing credits.
chewed-away faced is back, this time surrounded
by enough computer-generated as adventure serial heroes than they
were the first time around, though the
docs :i heller job doing so m three minutes
than rest oi' the film does in almost an
lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek tone of hour and a hall. Jordan Reed
creatures, magic spells and action set

—
—
a
REVIEWS
CROCODILE DUNDEE IN
LOS ANGELES **
Starring Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski,
Alec Wilson and Serge Cockburn. Directed
by Simon Mincer. Written by Matthew
Berry & Uric Ahrams. Produced by Lance
Hool and Paul Hogan. A Paramount release.
Comedy. Rated PC for some language and
brief violence. Running time: 9? nun.
With the snap of a crocodile's jaws, the
audience is transported Down Under to
Walkabout Creek, the home of Mick
"Crocodile" Dundee (Paul Hogan)—
place so small that one sweep of the camera
surveys practically the entirety of the
tourist-financed town.
Unexpectedly. Mick's girlfriend Sue
(Linda Kozlowski) receives grave news that
requires her to leave the Australian
Outback to work at her father's news publication
in Los Angeles. A mystery surrounding
one of her stories prompts Mick to elect
himself to help out by taking a job at an
unscrupulous movie studio to obtain inside
information. Soon Mick becomes a oneman
survivor show in which he is once
again pitted against the big-city jungle with
nothing but his knife and common sense as
weapons. Also along for the road trip is
son Mickey (Serge Cockburn), who has
misadventures of his own as he attends a
Beverly Hills school.
The choppy, fragmented story tries desperatelv
to modernize the fish-out-of-water
theme that worked so well in the original,
but winds up resorting to sitcom sleuthing.
Although the older, weatherworn Hogan is
still in great shape, the novelty of intoning
"G'day" to befuddled Yanks has run its
course. Dwayne E. Leslie
TOWN & COUNTRY
**l/2
Starring Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton,
Culdie Dawn, Carry Shandling, Andie
MucDowcll, Jenna Elfinan, Nastassja
Kinski, Josh llartnett, Charlton lleston and
Marian Seldes. Directed by Peter Chelsom.
Written by Michael LaughUn and Buck
Henry. Produced by . indrcw Karsch, Fred
Roos and Simon Fields. A New Line release.
Comedy. Rated R for sexuality and language.
Running time: 104 min.
How far can a movie get on the power of
Bging screen idol Warren Beam's llummoxed
reactions to various uncomfortable
situations'.' About as far as "Town &
Country." a frequently amusing if awkwardly
plotted infidelity comedy that ultimately
fails to Utilize the full potential of its highwatt
cast.
Initially a sophisticated Manhattan
quirk-fesl in the Wood) Allen vein, the stor
> line follows seem in;l'Iv rock-solid (amilv
ni.in I'orler (Beatty) as he and Ins vivacious
wile I llie (Diane Keaton) read to the news
that their close pal Griffin I "What Planet
Are Ybu I inm'V < ,.in\ Shandling) ha
been cheating on liis wife Mona (Goldie
Hawni I hen I'oriei funis himself involved
iii
uncharacteristic extramarital affairs with
Garry Shandling. Jenna Ellman and Warren Beatty in New Line's
a goofy cellist ("The Claim's" Nastassja
Kinski) and. even more disastrously, the
rebounding Mona. As he and Griffin escape
to the mountains to ponder their disintegrating
marriages. Porter embarks on even
stranger relationships with a pair of younger
women (Andie MacDowell and Jenna
Elfinan).
Director Peter Chelsom ("The Mighty")
and his capable players squeeze plenty of
idiosyncratic character humor out of
Michael Laughlin and Buck Henry's script,
particularly when it comes to some memorable
early material set in Porter and Ellie's
out-of-control household. They are less
successful veering into stranger territory in
the choppy second half, in which symptoms
of the film's widely reported production
problems begin to crop up. A darkly comic
episode about Porter visiting MacDowell's
character and her insane, gun-toting father
(Charlton Heston) feels like it was snipped
in from another film, while the attempt to
bring the story's numerous threads together
for the screwball finale is painfully contrived.
Beatty. Keaton. Hawn and
Shandling all have chances to shine in the
sorts of character roles they do best, but
unfortunately "Town & Country" doesn't
add up to more than the sum of some individually
funny parts. Michael Tunison
DRIVEN *1/2
Starring Sylvester Stallone. Burt
Reynolds, hip Purdue, Cilia Cershon, Til
Schweiger, Robert Sean Leonard and
l.stella Warren. Directed by Renny llurlin.
Written hy Sylvester Stallone. Produced by
Llie Somalia, Sylvester Stallone and Renny
llurlin. I Warner Bros, release, tctiondruma.
Rated PC- 1 1 for language and some
intense trash sequences. Running time: ll>
min. mn.
Barely limping to the finish line with a
Town & Country-'
.tailing storj and flal characters, "Driven"
ma) be the slowesl moving vehicle evei
endorsed b) the ( \K I racing federation
Despite .ill the effort thai went into its lavish
set pieces and special effects, this speedwa>
drama mostly serves to prove that just
because men make a living driving cars in
excess of 200 miles per hour doesn't automatically
make their personal lives interesting.
Co-star Sylvester Stallone's low-horsepower
screenplay centers on the rivalry
both on and off the track between talented
rookie Jimmy Bly (Kip Pardue) and reigning
king of the circuit Beau Brandenburg
(Til Schweiger). a veteran so focused on
winning that he dumps his fiancee (supermodel
Estella Warren) for being "a distraction."
When the pressure of a potential
CART championship starts getting to the
inexperienced Bly, the Machiavellian,
wheelchair-bound owner of his racing
team (Burt Reynolds) pulls a has-been driver
(Stallone) out of retirement to play
mentor to the kid.
While director-producer Renny Ilarlin
("Deep Blue Sea") and company earn
points for going against type with the mildmannered,
almost geeky Jimmy as the film's
nominal protagonist, Pardue ("Remember
the Titans") is so outmuscled In Stallone,
commanding German actor-director
Schweigei ("Maybe, Maybe Not") ami a
scenery-chewing Reynolds thai the stor)
feels centerless reaming with Harlin for
this first nine since "Cliffhanger." screenwriter-producer
Stallone handles dramatic
elements such as ,i love triangle between
Jimmy. Beau and Warren's racetrack
groupie character a painfull) on-the-
in
nose w.iv thai makes il hard to believe he
once east the mold lor a generation oi'
spoils dramas with his "Rocky" script.
Predictably, the action specialist Ilarlin is
mOSl al home with llie extensive racing
sequences, though he Overdoes the sillv
computer-generated crash shois to an
extent thai "Driven" sometimes feels more
like a videogame than a movie albeit one
noi as cleverl) conceived structured as the
average Nintendo offering Michael
Tunison

BRIGHAM CITY
••••
Starring Richard Dutcher, Matthew A.
Brown, Wilford Brimley and Carrie
Morgan. Directed, written and produced hy
Richard Dutcher. A Zion release. Dramal
Mystery. Rated PG-li for violence and thematic
material. Running time: 120 min.
It's rare that filmgoers find themselves
treated to the reinvention of a genre, particularly
one as entrenched in formula and
steeped in tradition as the murder mystery.
Yet that is precisely what awaits audiences
of "Brigham City," the newest film from
"God's Army" director Richard Dutcher.
Like "God's Army," which centered on
the experiences of Mormon missionaries in
Sheriff Wes Clayton (Richard Dutcher) in
Brigham
Los Angeles, "Brigham City" is a film targeted
first and foremost to Mormon audiences,
a niche market which Dutcher successfully
exploited to make "God's Army"
one of the most significant independent
successes of 2000. But whereas "God's
Army" explored matters of faith related to
those who must dwell and work in the outside
world, "Brigham City" casts its eye on
a community of faith as it struggles with the
encroachment of the outside world. It's a
scenario certain to give the film an appeal
far beyond that of an exclusively Mormon
audience, striking an especially resonant
chord in like-minded communities where
the values of faith and family are deemed
most sacrosanct.
As with most small municipalities, the
fictitious town of Brigham City, Utah feels
more like an extended family than a city.
Most of the townspeople are members of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints—the Mormon Church's formal
name—and know each other as either
friends or acquaintances. For Sheriff Wes
Clayton (Dutcher) and his deputy Terry
("God's Army" star Matthew A. Brown),
this limits their policing activities to coping
with overflowing irrigation
ditches or corralling
the occasional rowdy construction
worker. In many ways, it's an easier job than
the one for which Clayton is not paid, as
bishop and spiritual overseer for one of the
town's many Latter-day Saint congregations.
A routine patrol slop at an abandoned
roadside homestead, however, yields
a gruesome discovery that threatens to
REVIEWS
change everything: the bloodied, brutalized
body of a young woman.
Confirming the victim to be an out-ofstate
passerby, Clayton defers to the FBI,
hoping to keep the incident sufficiently lowkey
so as not to disrupt Brigham City's
fragile sense of security. But a second murder
elevates the stakes and raises the specter
of a serial killer in their midst—a veritable
wolf in the fold who will surely kill again if
not stopped. No sooner has the grim news
been leaked than the usual array of media
vultures descend upon a town that was once
scarcely on the map, bringing Clayton's
worst fears to fruition as peace and tranquility
are displaced by fear, suspicion and
paranoia. For Clayton, it's the
beginning of an ordeal that will blur
the line between his responsibilities
as a lawman and a clergyman. For
a citizenry once secure in the blessings
of its devoutly Christian faith,
it is the beginning of a trial that
promises to put that faith to the
ultimate test.
In the end, it is "Brigham City's"
focus on faith that sets it apart from
more conventional murder mysteries.
While exploiting the genre's
underlying narrative structure,
Dutcher has courageously chosen to
dispense with its essential purpose,
making the solution of the mystery
less an end in itself than a means to
a more humanistic end. It's a delicate
balancing act—maintaining the tension
of a mystery while emphasizing genuine
empathy with the characters—that
pays off handsomely, a forceful defense of
the power of faith that evokes genuine emotion
without the tacky trickery of melodrama.
Excellent work by composer Sam
Cardon and editor Michael Chaskes, along
with a talented cast of newcomers and veterans
(including Brown, Carrie Morgan,
Jon Enos and Wilford Brimley) contribute
to the effort. Wade Major
THE FORSAKEN *
Starring Kerr Smith, Brendan Fchr,
Izuhella Miko, Jonathan Schaech and Phina
Ooview. Directed and written hy J.S.
Cardone. Produced hy Carol Kottenbrook
and Scott Einhinder. A Screen Gems release.
Horror. Rated R for strong violencclgore, language
and sexuality. Running time: 91 min.
Sean (Kerr Smith) has one week to get
from Los Angeles to Florida to deliver a
vintage Mercedes, attend his sister's wedding
and get back home, or he will lose his
job. He's given only one rule, and a sensible
one at that: "Don't pick up any hitchhikers!"
He, of course, does not heed the warning.
His new traveling partner Nick
(Bendan Fehr) sets in motion his ulterior
motive for the ride when they happen upon
a recently-bit victim who has a telekinetic
link with her vampiric assailant. Nick hopes
that her host is the same one that gave him
a deadly blood disease that if not properly
medicated will cause him to transform into
a Forsaken. The only cure is to kill the host
on hallowed ground. As fate rears its ugly
head, their agendas cross when their newguest
accidentally bites Sean. Now it is a
race against time as the trio plays a deadly
game of cat and mouse against a band of
Forsaken.
This film goes to great lengths not to call
the nocturnal creatures vampires. They are
the cursed with a rare disease that infects
the body's blood supply. In the film, according
to a medieval legend, Abaddon, an
angel of hell, offered eternal life to a few
survivors of a religious crusade in the 1
1th
century. Unbeknownst to those who accepted
was a hidden clause in the contract that
made them have an unquenchable thirst for
human blood. Now there are only four
left—two in the United States, one in Africa
and the other in Europe.
The only true forsaken are the disillusioned
patrons seeking a good vampire
movie. There are no bats, flying bodies or
stakes driven through anyone's heart. The
second-rate vampire slayer antics are nothing
compared to those of the popular television
show of a similar theme. The rapid
use of choppy visuals intended to create a
cutting-edge intensity instead conveys ajarring
disorder, save for the carefree Forsaken
who nonchalantly stroll around during the
mayhem. Dwayne E. Leslie
TOO TIRED TO DIE **
Starring Takeshi Kaneshiro, Mira
Sorvino, Ben Gazzara, Jeffery Wright and
Michael Imperioli. Directed and written hy
\t bnsuk Chin. Produced by I ictor Hwang,
Donna Bascom and Connie Kaiserman. A
Phaedra release. Black comedy. Unrated.
Running time: 97 min.
"Too Tired To Die" is intended as sort of
a metaphysical black comedy, though the
metaphysics are questionable and it's hardly
funny. Kenji (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is a young
Japanese man living a lazy, directionless
existence in trendy downtown New York.
He dreams of Death—a beautiful seductress
played by Mira Sorvino—as she and two
soldiers pursue a young Arab man across
the deserts of ancient Baghdad. When he
wakes to engage another fairlj pointless day
of coffee and idle chit-chat with his friend
Fabrizio (Michael Imperioli of the popular
"Sopranos" cable television series), he sees
the young Arab man from his dream in a
dead run. Death's henchmen on his tail.
Kenji chases the boy. wanting to know how
he could be both in his dream and now in
the real world. When he catches him. Death
appears and spirits the boy away.
As confused as (he audience at tins
point,
Kenji goes on with Ins day. meets a
lovely German woman with whom he
begins a truncated romance, and engages in
a rather oblique conversation with a man
pretending to read Balzac, played with enigmatic
charm b> Jeffery Wright (of
"Basquiat" ami "Shaft"), later, Kenji
dreams of Death again, this lime waking to

!

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GENERAL MANAGER POSITION AVAILABLE.
Interested in opening and heading up the most innovative
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position driving this dynamic theatre to success. Open
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provide the daily heartbeat to Columbus, Ohio's hip
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SUBJECT:
TITLE:
COMPANY:
Richard Parton
General Manager
Greater Union Organisation
Sydney, Australia
Which do you use most: Mail, e-mail, phone or fax?
E-mail.
What is your favorite least essential item in your office?
In tray.
If elves were at work in the industry, what would their best bit of midnight magic be?
Provide more Australian-produced, "home-grown" box-office hits.
When you visit a Greater Union theatre, what are the most important things you check?
The welcoming, friendly staff; screen presentation; and poster displays.
What is the best movie made since 1910, when Greater Union was founded?
"'Crocodile' Dundee."
What has changed the most in the past 91 years about the exhibition business? What has
changed the least?
The one thing that has most changed is release dates. The least changed is the ongoing
exhibition/distribution film-hire term negotiations.
Note to Readers: As president of the Motion Picture Exhibitors
Association of Queensland, Richard Parton will oversee the 2001
iteration of the Australian International Movie Convention. Now in
its 56th year, the Down Under gathering will be held August 14-18
at the Royal Pines Resort on Australia's Gold Coast. For further
information, contact Pauline Parker at (61 ) 7-3356-5671.
114 BOXOI 1 l( I

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Digital Cinema Software Features
PC based setup with password security for tamper proof installations
Software configuration of crossover frequencies, parametric equalization, delay.
polarity, and gain
Speaker database with default parameters lor fast and accurate configurations
Digital delay adjustable in^/ps increments
Speaker Diagnostics function displays output voltage and current lor each amp
channel to identify opens and shorts in the loudspeaker
The Power Behind the Pictures.

1
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