29 May 2004 - 4 November 2004
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Thursday, 4 November 2004 Now Playing: Fahrenheit 9/11 I did get the CD of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, but I'm not going to review this fascinating film. However, I'm going to buy the CD. It will become part of the historical record of G.W. Bush as President of the U.S.A., especially since he has now been elected legitimately. I'm sure Mr. Moore will be watching and filming during G.W.'s last term. What Moore sees, and edits, should prove as interesting to film and political buffs as Fahrenheit 9/11. xxxxxxxx FOR MORE ON FAHRENHEIT 9/11, THIS YEAR'S ACADEMY AWARDS, AND FILM FESTIVALS, see Archives One and Two . xxxxxxxx Monday, 25 October 2004 Now Playing: Political "Documentaries" Sorry, I've let this blog slip again, but I have a good excuse. I've been busy contesting Sinclair Broadcasting Group's blatant breech of FCC broadcast rules, and we got a partial victory. However, more on that later. It seems that political films are all the rage due to the elections. How great it would be if these were informative films, but this plethora of political films all have a particular political position to promote. Alliteration galore, a high-five for me! I've posted a page about some of them, click. Meanwhile, I've been waiting to rent the CD of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. You see, where I live, it takes time. It is now available at my local source, and I expect to rent it Wednesday. If I get it, I'll post my review this coming weekend. xxxxxxxx Saturday, 2 October 2004 Now Playing: A Busy Film Festival Season Unfortunately at this year's film festivals, most films from the U.S. shine where star quality can help festival promotion, but are sent to the rumble seat when awards are given. Film festivals have been arriving so fast and furious that I couldn't keep up with them on this blog. So, you can go to my Spain/Cinema Page and Festivals 2004 Page to read all the highlights. The global wave against the current American Administration in Washington's policies is hurting the U.S. film industry's bottom line, and is evidenced this year by the lack of U.S. films being showcased and awarded at international film festivals, not just in Europe, but worldwide. Never in my lifetime have I seen such a deliberate affront to the American film industry as is taking place this year. Click the links above and see for yourself. xxxxxxxx Saturday, 25 September 2004 Now Playing: Summer/Fall Film Festivals Coming Attractions: A Plethora of Political Films Political films are all the rage at this year's film festivals. It began at Cannes with Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. Now, the list is growing. [See] xxxxxxxx Monday, 13 September 2004 Now Playing: Zhang Yimou's latest film from China, Hero.
A PERSONAL COMMENT: I saw the first two and was impressed with the cinematography, visual effects, and directorial techniques. These films immediately reminded me of the films by Italian filmmaker, Bernardo Bertalucci, because it, like his films, is a visual feast for the eyes. If you liked Ang Lee's award-winner, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, then Hero is a must-see for you. [Trailer at Miramax][Slideshow at Yahoo][Zhang Yimou] xxxxxxxx Thursday, 09 September 2004 Now Playing: Carlos Saura's latest, El Séptimo día. The Seventh Day is a different kind of song and dance. Carlos Saura latest film, El Séptimo día (The Seventh Day) is based upon a true event, a massacre in Puerto Hurraco, a village in Extremadura, western Spain, one of the poorest parts of the country. On Aug. 26, 1990, farmers Emilio and Antonio Izquierdo emptied their shotguns on a rival family, the Cabanillas, and any Hurraco villager who got in their way. Nine people died. The film starring Victoria Abril, and produced by Andres Vicente Gomez through his Lolafilms is causing somewhat of a political brouhaha in Spain. Seventh Day is violent, but Saura's films almost always have
some form of violence. Remember ¡Dispara! (Outrage, 1993), and/or Also, this film is in no way related to Argentinean Gabriel Lichtmann's 14-minute film of the same name, released in 2000. That film is a light-hearted short feature on a serious subject: security measures the Argentine Jewish community was forced to adopt following anti-Semitic bombings of Jewish institutions. xxxxxxxxxx Tuesday, 07 September 2004 Now Playing: Fahrenheit 9/11 & Oscar Race. Film to forfeit possible nomination in Best Documentary category. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has a rule that no documentary film may be considered for the Academy Award in the Best Documentary Category if it is shown on television within nine months after it is released. Fahrenheit was release July 2nd, but Michael Moore is willing to forgo the nomination to have the film, which will be released on CD October 5, shown on TV before the November 2 National Elections.
xxxxxxxxxx Wednesday, 1 September 2004 Baghdad Goes Celluloid Part 2 Okay, I'm back. Had a great summer and hope you did too. Please, read this post from last November [See Archive One to verify.], and read what follows the post:
The 30-year-old first-time director says he wanted to look at what it means to face death. The film, which he hopes to finish shooting in two months, will then go to Lebanon to be developed and edited. Kodak has said it will do the developing for free. "My aim is to have the film shown at Cannes next year. I think that is what we deserve after all this." I'm making book that Rasheed makes it, and gets his message out. Salam Pax did it by writing a Blog.}
With further searching, after seeing something on TV about a company in Berlin, X Filme, which was helping Rasheed, I learned that, apparently, distribution is being arranged by that company. It is the same company in Berlin that assisted with the post production of Underexposure, X-Filme Creative Pool GMBH. Sorry, my German isn't good enough to be certain about the details, but WATCH FOR IT! xxxxxxxxxx Monday, 26 July 2004 MIMI IS ON VACATION!
I'll see you in September, unless there's some earth shattering news. Happy August, all! xxxxxxxx Sunday, 25 July 2004 Now Playing: Fahrenheit 9/11 -- still. Film tops $100 million, and Eisner says he enjoyed seeing it. Took a break from my extended vacation because I read an article from my Yahoo! Iberia, S.L., service,"Presidente de Disney encantado con "Fahrenheit 9/11," which roughly translates,"President of Disney charmed with Fahrenheit 9/11." Whoa, Nelly!
Meanwhile the film topped $100 million today, too. It warms my heart that this politically partisan film is up there playing with the big boys in the movie industry, and without the big Disney daddy Eisner. [Article] xxxxxxxx Sunday, 4 July 2004 HAPPY JULY 4TH TO ALL! xxxxxxxx Saturday, 3 July 2004 Now Playing: The Lost City Cuban-born Andy Garcia (Ocean's Eleven, The Untouchables, The Godfather: Part III) is currently directing and acting in The Lost City, filming in the Dominican Republic. The film focuses on the transition in Cuba from President Fulgencio Batista's rule to Fidel Castro's takeover. Garcia's character, a cabaret owner, eventually leaves the country to go into exile in New York. Garcia's family left Cuba when he was 5, and he has been a staunch critic of Castro. xxxxxxxx Thursday, 1 July 2004 Now Playing: Fahrenheit 9/11 Coming Attractions: Groups seek to ban ads for the movie, and movie chain refuses to show the film. July 2nd, Fahrenheit 9/11 opened in hundreds of new towns and cities across the country, hitting a total of more than 1700 screens. You can find out where it is playing near you and how to get tickets by going to www.f911tix.com. Read about Moore's first week with F9/11 in theaters.
xxxxxxxx Tuesday, 29 June 2004 Now Playing: Coming Attractions: Following Fahrenheit 9/11 in Theaters. "According to studio estimates issued on Sunday, 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' in which Moore takes aim at President Bush and the war in Iraq, opened at No. 1 after selling about $21.8 million worth of tickets in the United States and Canada since June 25," as reported by Reuters. The movie earned more in its first three days of release in a peak of 868 theaters across North America than Moore's previous record-breaking movie Bowling for Columbine did in its nine-month run. In nine months it grossed about $21.5 million peaking at about 250 theaters, and setting the record for a documentary in regular movie theaters in the number of theater in which it appeared as well as the gross. That film also won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. It is important to note that most of the other movies in the top five with Fahrenheit 9/11 were playing in more than 2,500 theaters each. Another significant achievement. [Article]
xxxxxxxx Sunday, 27 June 2004 Now Playing: One Spotlight Film Receives Another Award Coming Attractions: Following Fahrenheit 9/11 in Theaters. Joshua Marston's Maria Full of Grace, a Spanish-language saga about a Colombian teenager who becomes a drug mule won the Audience Prize at the Los Angeles Film Festival yesterday. [Article] The film is one of my "Spotlight Films" for this year. See more about Spotlight Films on Spain Page. xxxxxxxx Tuesday, 1 June 2004 Now Playing: Moore's Documentary Gets U.S. Distributor Coming Attractions: Fahrenheit 9/11 opens June 25th. Less than five days after the Fellowship Adventure Group was formed by Harvey and Bob Weinstein specifically to market Michael Moore's award-winning documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, it will be released by a partnership of Lions Gate Films, IFC Films, and the Fellowship Adventure Group, opening June 25. Fahrenheit 9/11 won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It criticizes G. W. Bush's response to the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks and connects the Bush family with Osama bin Laden's. [Article] [MichaelMoore.com] More about the film, and the controversy, in previous entries >>>>>>>> xxxxxxxx Now Playing: Weinstein Brothers Buy Back Moore Documentary Bob and Harvey Weinstein finalized a deal Friday to buy back Michael Moore's controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 from the Walt Disney Company. Disney blocked the Weinstein's Miramax Films division from releasing the film because it is critical to G. W. Bush. The brothers formed the Fellowship Adventure Group, described as "a new special-purpose company," to personally acquire all rights to the film. The Weinsteins repaid their parent company for all costs of the film to date, estimated at around $6 million. They will also be responsible for all costs for finishing the film, and all marketing costs not paid by any third-party film distributors. Any profits, other than those paid to the Fellowship Adventure Group from the film's distribution, that might go to Miramax or Disney will be donated to charity, according to a joint press release from Disney and Miramax. [Full Article] Watch for it soon at your local movie theater. xxxxxxxx |
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Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou, and released by Miramax Films September 3rd,
earned about $9 million in three days of release in the U.S. It went on to top the box-office for two straight
weekends after its belated U.S. debut. Hero is Zhang's Mandarin-language saga of ancient China starring martial artist
Jet Li. Close behind it will be Zhang's House of Flying
Daggers, another martial-arts historical tale playing at
the Toronto International Film Festival and due in U.S. theaters late this year. It was released in China two years
ago, and nominated for a foreign-language Oscar last year. Zhang, 52, is one of China's most acclaimed filmmakers,
whose works include Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern and The Road Home.
Reuters reported that "Under Exposure" ("Ghayr Saleh"),a movie
examining Baghdad in the immediate aftermath of the U.S.-led war to overthrow Saddam Hussein, is filming in Baghdad.
What's the big deal? It's a big deal because it's not only the first film to be made in Iraq since the overthrow
of Saddam Hussein, but since the sanctions were applied in 1991, hardly any films have been made. "Under Exposure"
is directed by Oday Rasheed and his friends on a shoestring budget.
Tykwer is underwriting the Berlin-Baghdad Filmclub for cultural exchange
between Berlin and Baghdad, primarily for Iraqi students, filmmakers, writers, and artists to get their work exposed
beyond Iraq. This article reported that Underexposure was to be shown at the Filmclub 19 August.
Fahrenheit 9/11-
- A Boxoffice Hit
