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Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society
Club Notice - 10/23/98 -- Vol. 17, No. 17
MT Chair/Librarian:
Mark Leeper MT 3E-433 732-957-5619 mleeper@lucent.com
HO Chair: John Jetzt MT 2E-530 732-957-5087 jetzt@lucent.com
HO Librarian: Nick Sauer HO 4F-427 732-949-7076 njs@lucent.com
Distinguished Heinlein Apologist:
Rob Mitchell MT 2E-537 732-957-6330 robmitchell@lucent.com
Factotum: Evelyn Leeper MT 3E-433 732-957-2070 eleeper@lucent.com
Back issues at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4824
All material copyright by author unless otherwise noted.
The Science Fiction Association of Bergen County meets on the
second Saturday of every month in Upper Saddle River; call
201-447-3652 for details. The New Jersey Science Fiction Society
meets irregularly; call 201-652-0534 for details, or check
http://www.interactive.net/~kat/njsfs.html. The Denver Area
Science Fiction Association meets 7:30 PM on the third Saturday of
every month at Southwest State Bank, 1380 S. Federal Blvd.
1. URL of the week: http://www.filmforum.com/universal.html. A
schedule for the Film Forum's Universal horror film festival,
running in New York October 30 through November 12. [-ecl]
===================================================================
2. This week's MT VOID is brought to you by the AltaVista Search
Engine. AltaVista. You can't figure how we make money. We can't
figure how we make money. AltaVista. [-mrl]
===================================================================
3. Well, Halloween is coming and I suppose we ought to have some
sort of special Halloween selection of films for the sporadic
Leeperhouse film festival. I have given it a little bit of thought
and I want to make this one as close as possible to being a history
of the horror film in a single evening. That is pretty much
impossible, but this may be as close as one can get without showing
some sort of compilation documentary. There have been three major
cycles of the horror film. There was the German Expressionist
cycle in the 1920s, there was the Universal Films cycle in the
1930s and 1940s, and there was the Hammer Films cycle in the late
1960s and the 1970s. I wanted to pick the best film of each cycle
and I think I pretty much have done that. And because they are
relatively short films, I think we can fit three in. On Thursday,
October 29, at 7 PM we will be showing:
NOSFERATU (1922) dir. by F. W. Murnau
THE BLACK CAT (1934) dir. by Edgar Ulmer
THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968) dir. by Terence Fisher
Of the three films above, this NOSFERATU is probably the best known
to fantasy fans. It is the first film version of Bram Stoker's
DRACULA. The film was essentially plagiarized by Murnau and given
a dreamlike atmosphere, seldom match since, that has haunted
filmgoers across the years. Max Schreck plays the vampire in a
peculiar makeup that makes him look like a white bat. The
Expressionist art movement in film distorts scenery to reflect
internal fears of the characters and that adds immensely to the
atmosphere of this film. In addition many then-experimental
techniques were used for the special effects for the film. Among
the obvious ones are under-cranking the camera, primitive stop
motion, and photographic reversal of light and dark.
The Expressionist approach of the visual display of emotion was
adopted by Universal Pictures for the best of their horror films.
They employed it only in the early years, but while expressionism
survived in Universal's films, fostered by European immigrant
directors, they made some of the most enduring and macabre films
ever from the American film industry. These films are periodically
rediscovered (as they are featured this month on the Turner Classic
Movies cable channel). But the films that usually get shown are in
their series featuring Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman.
Their two best films were probably THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN
(commonly seen) and THE BLACK CAT (almost never shown). The latter
is a short film, 66 minutes, that is one of the most macabre black
comedies (if indeed it was intended to be comic) ever pulled from a
director's psyche. This was the first pairing of Boris Karloff and
Bela Lugosi in a film. Here they play two mortal enemies going
back to World War I, who meet to wreak supremely melodramatic
vengeance on each other in an fort, still undermined with dynamite,
but now decorated sublimely in the style of the Bauhaus. For a
66-minute film what goes on, and what is implied has gone on in the
past, is amazing. I have seen multiple studies of this film,
almost never mentioned is the heady mixture of morbid themes from
classical music. Weird film.
The Universal artistic horror style eventually was lost as a new
more mercenary group of executives got control of the studio in
that late 1930s. The horror film went into a decline and
eventually seemed redundant with the horrors of the real world.
Dracula seemed tame compared to Nazis who would kill tens of
thousands of people in a single day. In the late 1950s a British
studio made horror more visceral and visual and won new audiences.
Hammer Studios made horror films in color and generally used a lot
of stage blood. Like Universal, most of their best known films
were in a Frankenstein and a Dracula series. Their best work was
in 1968 when they made two very fine and bloodless films: a science
fiction film QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (a.k.a. FIVE MILLION YEARS TO
EARTH) and THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (a.k.a. THE DEVIL'S BRIDE). The
latter is an adaptation by Richard Matheson, fairly accurately, of
a novel by adventure writer Dennis Wheatley. Unlike most films of
the time (like ROSEMARY'S BABY) the existence of the classical
views of witchcraft and are not used as a surprise ending, they are
assumed from the first reel. The approach is like an adventure
film with the black magic an integral part of the story line.
PLEASE NOTE: RSVP is requested if you are coming. [-mrl]
===================================================================
4. The 1998 Toronto International Film Festival (film reviews and
commentary by Mark R. Leeper) (part 3 of 6)
THE CRUISE (United States)
CAPSULE: Black and white documentary about Timothy Speed Levitch,
free soul and tour guide on the Gray Line. This is a 76-minute
portrait of a very strange person, advocate of the existential "The
Cruise" and enemy of the Anti-Cruise. Levitch seems to have strong
opinions about nearly everything. Rating: 6 (0 to 10), high +1 (-4
to +4)
- Bennett Miller directs and edits footage a film about Timothy
Levitch, a $200/week tour guide from New York City who is a
genuine original.
- Levitch talks in similes, opaque metaphors, literary
references, and just plain strange comments.
- Levitch seems incredibly overqualified for his job on
occasion.
- Other times he seems little more coherent than some of the
homeless.
- Recently Levitch was certain that the city was angry at him
for some wrong it imagined he committed. Manhattan has now
forgiven him, also for no obvious reason. He sees this anger
in the shortness of the lower buildings.
- His customers on the Gray Line are flooded with literary
allusions and quotes.
- Levitch sees the grid street plan of Manhattan as being
stifling.
- He took great offense when someone told him, "Everybody likes
the grid plan." He also took great offense when the Gray Line
told him he had to wear a red T-shirt as part of his uniform.
These restrictions are part of the "anti-cruise" and he is "in
love with the frantic chaos of the limitless universe."
- His favorite diversions include going to the plaza between the
World Trade Center towers, spinning himself dizzy, then lying
on his back and looking up at the towers.
Following the movie it was back to the room where Evelyn wanted to
catch up a little on her sleep. I worked on reviews.
When we got to Charles Street we found that the line was very long,
stretching around the corner, down Charles almost a whole block.
We talked to the people ahead of us in line. The man was a co-
author of a book called VIDEO TO GO.
FINDING GRACELAND (United States)
CAPSULE: In a current-day cross-country trip a man picks up a
hitchhiker who claims to be Elvis Presley. Harvey Keitel,
Johnathon Schaech, and Bridget Fonda star. David Winkler directs
the film with a lot of heart. Rating: 7 (0 to 10), 2 (-4 to +4)
- A man haunted by the death of his wife a year earlier picks up
a hitchhiker who is more trouble than he is worth. He is a
freeloader without money and though he does not look the part
he claims to be Elvis Presley. This is a warm film along the
lines of MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. It toys with (without
endorsing) the para-religious cult of worshipers of Elvis.
- Not much resemblance to Presley, but perhaps that works.
- That Keitel is good will come as little surprise. Bridget
Fonda pulls off a real tour de force as a Marilyn Monroe
impressionist, even doing her own singing impression of
Monroe. Johnathon Schaech, a Peter Gallagher look-alike,
holds his own as the main character.
- Priscilla Presley is executive producer, though her
contribution was mostly after production started. She checked
the script for accuracy and arranged for shooting at
Graceland.
- Nice regional photography.
- It seems unlikely that main character would let anyone else
drive his classic car.
- Keitel does not do his own singing.
- Definitely an enjoyable film even for people who are not Elvis
fans (which includes me).
- It is not clear if there is supposed to be a surprise twist
involving the car accident. You don't have to be Sherlock
Holmes to figure it out. Yet the script makes it seem like
something kept secret.
WIDE PRAIRIE, a 6-minute short is colorful, but not really
exceptional.
SWEETY BARRETT (Ireland)
CAPSULE: In a remote Irish fishing village the village simpleton
comes into conflict with a corrupt and tyrannical policeman.
Nicely filmed and well acted but the story is overly familiar and
invites comparison to SLING BLADE. Rating: 7 (0 to 10), +2 (-4 to
+4)
- Directed by Stephen Bradley
- Mentally retarded circus performer is let go by the circus and
must fend for himself. He comes to live in a fishing village
and makes friends with a young boy. He is on a collision
course with a corrupt policeman who rather than fighting the
local crime actually directs it.
- There is a lot of nice local feel to the film.
- The story is a bit stereotypical and predictable. Director is
a first timer, however.
- Good menacing performance by Liam Cunningham.
- Rather appealing young Irish child. Most of the characters
are appealing, though showing a little more of life in the
village might be a good idea.
- It's a little hard to judge Barrett's intelligence level at
times. He seems almost simple by choice.
- Cruel jokes are played on Barrett by people of village. He
just tolerates them.
- Seems like a big buildup to not very much of a climax.
After the movie I picked up a tuna sub and took it to the room.
Kate liked her films including a Kazakhstan film called SILENCE.
09/13/98
Up about 7 AM.
Every film that gets shown gets the same leader tape. I guess the
symbol for this festival is a sculpture of two babies sort of
curled up in defensive positions. What that has to do with film I
am not sure but it is on the posters and the lead tape shown before
each film shows the sculptor actual chiseling the sculpture from
stone. The only real connection to film I can see is the babies
have their fists in their mouths and it seems to be saying that
babies should be kept quiet in movie theaters. The lead tape also
has a variety of humorous references to an Air Canada contest. But
since the little ads are always intended humorously, they are
somewhat better accepted, although Air Canada does not have a good
reputation due to the recently settled strike that complicated many
people's travel arrangements. It does show that people will be
more tolerant of ads when humor is generously applied. I am a big
believer in the use of humor.
The films here represent a spectrum from films you see because you
will never get another chance to those you see to get a jump on
other people. Since I review films I am hoping to see films that
will play at home. At the Montreal Festival I saw only one film
that played in theaters in New Jersey. That was THE ADVOCATE, and
it was just a mediocre film. We are seeing some much better films
in Toronto. Dan Kimmel, a friend and a reviewer from the Boston
area, recommended Toronto over Montreal's film festival and he
certainly was right.
DANCING AT LUGHNASA (US/Irish)
CAPSULE: Change comes to a household of five unmarried sisters
during the Donegal, Ireland summer of 1936. Some well-observed
performances, but this is not a film in which a whole not happens.
It is unusual for Meryl Streep to play so negative a person, though
she does make the character understandable. Rating: 7 (0 to 10), 2
(-4 to +4)
- Kate (Meryl Streep), Christine, her out-of-wedlock son
Michael, Agnes, Maggie, and Rose live in a small cottage.
Michael (as a man many years later) is the narrator.
- Kate, the eldest, is a self-righteous tyrant. In town she is
everybody's least favorite schoolteacher, cruelly but well-
nicknamed "the gander". She is incredibly judgmental and
inflexible. Always can sum up in one or two well-chosen
sentences why someone else should be serious and should not
enjoy life.
- Two visitors come this summer. Uncle Jack (Michael Gambon), a
missionary physically back from Africa, mentally still there.
Also visiting is Jack Evans, Michael's handsome father, on his
way to fight for the Republicans in Spain.
- A Michael Gambon performance is always worth seeing.
- Nice photography of Irish country life.
- Puritanical Kate is fighting the coming of change.
- Rose is a little simple-minded and is tempted to go off with
Danny Bradley who is married but separated.
- Michael has no memories of his father and father must win over
son.
- Uncle Jack is like the fool in KING LEAR. From his strange
and addled mind come the most logical thoughts.
- A different and mostly unsympathetic role for Streep.
- Interface of religion and two different kinds of paganism.
- Release will probably be in November accompanied by ads in
Variety saying "For your consideration..."
Evelyn thought there was a good chance we could get in for Sam
Raimi's A SIMPLE PLAN. We lined up, but there was no way to get
in. We got our second choice.
THE BUTTONERS (Czech, in Czech and English)
CAPSULE: A series of comedy sketches inter-related dealing with
absurd uses of science, strange sexual perversions, marital
infidelity, etc. The result is occasionally funny, but much more
often the pieces just seem to fall flat. It could be, however,
that some of the humor has been lost in the translation. Rating: 3
(0 to 10), -1 (-4 to +4)
- Made for Czech television.
- Written and directed by Petr Zelenka.
- Several inter-related skits: Japanese learn to swear in the
final hours before the Hiroshima bomb is dropped while the
bomber crew swears a blue streak, a cab driver has two
consecutive set of passengers who want to use the cab for sex,
two pairs of prospective in-laws meet each other and discover
each other's perversions, a couple plays odd games near a
railroad track, a laid-off railroad employee and his wife
discuss a plan to send sperm into space, the pilot of the
Enola Gay is resurrected by seance, etc.
- Props from one skit show up in the next, then turn out to be
connections between skits.
- Historically inaccurate about the bombing of Hiroshima.
- There are sufficient links between the segments to put them in
some chronological order, much like PULP FICTION.
- Very negative on United States and the decision to use the
bomb without examining the historic alternatives.
- The film has a sort of cult following in Czech Republic, much
like Monty Python over here. It is unlikely to be seen in the
US.
- Some of the concepts are very strange including a party of two
bourgeois couples who each have their own weird perversion.
- The structure is more interesting than the content.
When the film was over we just barely had time to get to the next
film.
GOD SAID "HA!" (United States)
CAPSULE: This is a one-woman show. Julia Sweeney (who played the
androgynous Pat on Saturday Night Live) relives the humor and
horror of having her brother and parents move in with her just
before her brother was diagnosed with lymph cancer. Not all of the
humor works and some of the telling style seems a little
artificial. But most seems sincere and is frequently moving.
Rating: 6 (0 to 10), 1 (-4 to +4)
- Sweeney got a divorce and a house by herself when her brother
was diagnosed to be in the last phase of lymph cancer. He
moves in with her and so do her parents. This would have been
a trying time in anybody's life. Her humor concerns jokes
made about her parents, her brother, her attempts to date, and
generally how her life was going. Some moments are very
funny, some touching, some not quite on the mark.
- Performance in the style of Spaulding Gray's SWIMMING TO
CAMBODIA and MONSTER IN A BOX.
- The show seems sort of artificial in some ways. After a
particularly trying moment the lights change and she turns her
back to the audience and gets a glass of water. It is as if
the emotion has all been orchestrated. Of course this is
really a performance of a stage play that she had enacted
hundreds of times before this version was filmed. It has to
have a different emotional impact once it has been performed
on the stage for years. Still parts do still pack a wallop.
- One wonders how much the stories have been embellished.
- Balancing her love life and her parents living in while taking
care of her brother.
- Certainly some of the hardest moments she will face in her
life.
- Sweeney does have a nice self-assured style.
Dinner was at a small and very slow Middle Eastern restaurant. It
was just okay. My next film I see without Evelyn.
J'AIMERAIS PAS CREVER UN DIMANCH (French with subtitles)
CAPSULE: Liebes meets Tod. This was a film about sex and death. A
morgue attendant accidentally revives a dead woman through
necrophilia and brings her into his world which is heavy on orgies.
This film says something obscure about the relationship of sex and
death, but imparts no insights. To make matter worse this print
was poorly subtitled into English from French. Rating: 4 (0 to 10)
0 (-4 to +4)
- An attractive 18-year-old dies on a disco floor and gets sent
to a morgue. One of the attendants, Ben (Jean-Marc Barr) is
so attracted by her that he attempts necrophilia. We see him
crawling away after a shock. In the middle of sex the dead
teen has come back to life.
- The morgue attendant was just adding a new form of sex to his
collection of kinks. He was already part of a group that gets
together for S/M sex. The revived teen, Teresa (Elodie
Bouchez) joins them.
- Moral dilemma of Teresa's father. Ben has abused his
daughter's body, but in doing so has saved her life.
- Part of this opaque allegory is a man saved from suicide who
joins in the sexual hijinx. Also involved is a man in the
final stages of dying of AIDS, a close friend of the morgue
attendant. He does not get involved in the orgies.
- The subtitles of our print were white, often on a white
background making them often hard to read, but I don't think
there was a whole lot of meaning there that was lost.
- The title means "Don't let me die on a Sunday."
After the film I could not stay for question and answers since I
had to rush to the Cumberland for a collection of eight short films
all produced in Canada. The collection was called EVE-OLVE, the
name of the first film, though it was far from the best. It was
four generally rather weak shorts followed by a pause and then
there were four better shorts. It may have been that the better
ones were on 35mm rather than 16mm and while that does not insure
better quality it means that the filmmaker had to give the backers
more assurances that the film would be something someone would want
to see.
"Eve-olve" involves evolution choosing what species survive but
ironically they are surviving only for the indignities of office
life. The medium is Claymation.
"L'Amour, L'Amour, Shut the Door, Por Favor" is a set of surreal
images filmed around Toronto. Workers come out of they home and
bicycle off in perfect synchronization, a man rows a boat that is
on a street so cannot go anywhere, a naked child runs around in an
alley.
"Fish Bait": chaotic bordello scenes apparently filmed in one take
with no editing, just a camera sweeping back and forth. Pretty
pointless.
"The Fisherman and his Wife": The fisherman is a real jerk, his
wife murders him and sets his fish free. One more film showing
"groovy" violence of women against insensitive men.
"Shrink": The longest and probably the best of the films is about a
man going into psychiatric therapy and being cured in just one
visit.
"Sploosh": This film was reported to cost $45,000 in the papers.
It actually cost $4500, the director explained. I don't know how
he managed to spend that. The only way there would have been $4500
on the screen would have been if he had come in and stapled $3500.
In one scene humorous people describe the Loch-Ness-like monster
off-screen. We hear it but do not see it. In the second scene a
survivor is telling hat happens when he is abducted by off-screen
aliens leaving only two flaming footprints.
"Elimination Dance" is a strange takeoff on the marathon dance
craze of the 1930s. This one apparently has production credits in
common with LAST NIGHT. There are some funny bits.
"Phil Touches Flo" was made for the Fox Movie Channel. It is
something of a satire or operatic spaghetti Westerns. It was
filmed on the cheap in two days, but is a fairly good gag. This
has already played on the Fox Movie Channel, by the way.
We stopped at a book sale on the way back. At midnight the history
channel was running SHARPE'S BATTLE. I think that is the eighth
Sharpe film and I had seen only the first five. So between wanting
to see them in order and having to get up for a 9:30 AM film, I let
it go.
[to be continued] [-mrl]
Mark Leeper
MT 3E-433 732-957-5619
mleeper@lucent.com
Mathematics consists in proving the most obvious thing
in the least obvious way.
-- George Polya