READERS: Welcome to our annual January film issue: This year we have top 10 film and etc. by MYE AND JOE - they do the film zine called Two Tickets (Mye is also assistant manager at the Inwood), and by Jessica Cruise, a photographer and chief of staff at the Inwood. Also, an article on how to make a full-length film for $5 plus our Newsreel with a spotlight on European cinema. LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
Mye's List
1. The Spanish Prisoner - Mamet turns yet another fine. clever and sophisticated screenplay
2. Happiness - an observant look at modern American culture and family
3. Deja Vu - a must-see for all romantics; mature and intelligent
4. Central Station - a devastatingly beautiful lesson in morality and humanity; best soundtrack of the year; if you love children, you must see it.
5. Life is Beautiful - a fable-like tale sure to be a classic; simple. sweet and magical
6. Elizabeth - everything about it was so dazzling that I'm not even sure if I followed the story
7. Buffalo 66 - endearing and memorable characters; breaks all the rules in traditional cinema (Godard would have been proud)
8. Fireworks - another auteur. Kitano embeds this masterpiece with symbolism, irony and all forms of Japanese-ness to give it a remarkable sense of transcendence
9. The General fascinating based-on-a-true-story movie about Ireland's most famous gangster
10. Regeneration - WWII story; the antithesis of "Saving Private Ryan": good acting. fully developed story. and a non-American perspective on a war that was not just about Americans.
10.5. Hands on a Hard Body - `98 was a great year for documentaries. but this Texas one about the perseverance of the human mind and spirit in a ridiculous contest for a pick-up truck is a real winner! You'd have to see it to believe it.
Joe's List
1. Nil By Mouth - Gary Oldman's raw and unflinching. semi-autobiographical portrait of an alcoholic family
2. Pi - fascinating thriller with provocative ideas about the universe
3. The Spanish Prisoner - suspenseful and satisfying all the way through
4. Buffalo 66 - original and offbeat; unforgettable cast of characters
5. The Zero Effect - terribly underrated detective comedy
6 Mr. Jealousy - terribly underrated. witty date movie
7. Hands on a Hard Body - unbelievably perceptive. entertaining and suspenseful documentary; you won't believe your eyes or ears
8. Live Flesh - Pedro Almodovar's latest and finest
9. Waking Ned Devine - full of unpredictable turn of events when a lotto winner dies and the Irish town tries to split the money
10. The General - great mix of action and Irish humor; a fine performance from Jon Voight
10.5. The Replacement Killers - Chow Yun-Fat is back. what else can be said?
Jessica Cruise's Top Ten
Here's my list for the best of `98! It's a mix of different stuff including re-issues:
(10) Grease-What's not to like about this movie, great songs, great dancing, and great f
(9) Ma Vie En Rose- Technically released in 1997 but we didn't get it until Feb. 1998 -
Plus it's still a great film, period.
(8) Ian McKellen- An actor and a very good one. This year he did two roles, each very different from the other, with the greatest of ease.
(7) lNWOOD THEATRE- Working here has been one of the best experiences of my life.
(6) Sliding Doors - Rarely seen gem. I found its technique of alternating two different roads taken quite impressive.
(5) Gods and Monsters - A very very good example of less is more. Exceptional storytelling on a modest production budget.
(4) Elizabeth- In one word, Awesome!
(3) The Wizard of OZ -Possibly one of the great films of all time. Even though it wasn't widescreen, I did view that way. The projectionist messed up on the framing, so he/she cropped it to a rectangular format for my viewing pleasure!
(2) Citizen Kane My first time seeing the film. It was so nice to watch it where it should be seen, on a theatre screen Thank god I never spoiled it for myself by seeing it on video!
(1) Touch of Evil re-edited with new sequences and a new soundtrack. Very impressive and a treat to watch! Orson would've been proud!
JESSICA CRUISE, Chief of Staff, INWOOD
THEATRE.
WHAT YOU NEED:
1. Own or borrow a video camera.
2. $5
3. A major film Co. that's innovative.
[see Musea#71 Guerilla Theater]
Most new filmakers max their credit cards, borrow money from every friend they've got, and beg cash from their parents. All this to put together, on a shoestring budget, a usually amateurish film project that is then rejected at the film festivals - too few slots - and ends up going nowhere. OUCH! There's got to be a better way for filmakers to get their films made (and for that matter we should add that there must be a better way for struggling actors to get started)
THERE IS: Pretend MUSEA has a film Co looking for indie projects. The 1st thing we would do is tell you new filmakers the truth: "We KNOW you don't have access to expensive sets and costumes, 1st rate actors, special effects, and high tech cameras and editing equipment. That's not what we're looking for in indie filmakers. What we want from you is: vision to see a project from beginning to end plus a hard working personality that can finish it in a timely manner; story and scriptwriting talent; an ability to shoot and edit a scene; an ability to direct actors and get the best out of them; and a talent for managing the complete production of a movie project."
So we SAY "Don't spend the $$$, instead do a 1st DRAFT MOVIE
"And how do you do that?" You query.
1. Find, write, or adopt for the screen; a COMPLETE SCRIPT that has everything - dialogue of course, but also how each scene is shot-camera angles, edits, etc, plus, the sets and costumes, the mood, the music; the purpose of the scene-what's expected of the actors,- the WORKS!
2. Find a cast to shoot the film, the best you can manage at $0 budget. (This gives new actors a chance plus much needed experience)
3. Buy some blank video cassettes. [That's what the $5 is for]
4. And shoot the film THIS WAY:
Before each scene the director comes on camera and SAYS what the set will look like, what the costumes will be, what type of shots & edits, etc. [All this the viewer will IMAGINE]. Then the actors do a read thru of the scene. Then the director says cut and comes back on camera with any final remarks about that scene. Then start scene #2 the same way, etc- till the film is finished.
We, at Musea Film Co. get the finished 1st draft film/video in the mail and our team of film lovers looks at it for potential of being re-shot with all the professional stuff that a major film Co. can muster.
VIDEO POPS IN, is turned on, and it might go something like this: [based on the Musea film script "MR & MRS" The Courtship.]
[Director comes on camera and says the following] "There are no credits at the front, only a shot of a blank red screen. One invisible hand writes Mr - A 2nd hand writes & Mrs - both in blue ink.
Fade into 1st scene. Close up of the folded hands of a woman on a couch. Voice over is her telling her friend that -she has found "a love, a true love", etc. The speech sounds a little bit corny.
Camera pulls back to both women on the couch as 1st woman finishes her soliloquy . Then off camera a voice yells 'Cut!' and camera pulls back to a wider shot (back and up over their heads) showing that this is a soap opera set. There is no music. The scene ends.
[Now 2 actors on a couch - extras playing the soap opera crew, run through the scene. End of scene director returns on camera and says:]
"This scene is foreshadowing the soap opera star's real-life romance with the piano teacher we will meet in scene #2"
Then the director does the same with scene #2,3,4, etc. until the film is finished.
SEE HOW IT WORKS?
The indie filmmaker gets a break by making a bare bones film that costs him virtually nothing, new actors get a break, and the major film co. knows exactly what they're getting if they approve a film project; and they should know, even before the film is made, exactly how good it will be and almost exactly how much it will cost.
Everyone wins.
What do you think of this idea? Let us know. Oh and a footnote: It would probably be best for 1st time directors to shoot SHORT STORY FIRST.
If a 2 hr. film is like a novel, a short story film is like a short story. It still has all the elements of a big movie, but none of the filler. (See Musea's ART S. REVOLUTIONARY HANDBOOK for details on the idea of short story films)
FILM FESTIVALS: Film festivals are becoming more and more influential each year. Here's a listing of some of the oldest and/or most celebrated: