Sling Blade is the best thing to hit the screen
September 1997
Sling Blade is the best thing to hit the screen in years and has finally arrived
in Holland. It's the kind of film that I could go on about for hours, but let it
suffice here to suggest everyone go to see it. You can also check out the
Green Hartnett's review (which doesn't go on for hours).
Paul Verhoeven's Turk's Fruit will be appearing in Dutch cinemas once
again (in splinter new copies) beginning on September 18th. This is not only
an introduction to those who might be too young to remember the film, but
also a forerunner to the upcoming Dutch Film Festival which takes place in
Utrecht from September 24th till October 3rd at which star Monique van de
Ven will have the place of honor. Having drawn more than 3.5 million
viewers, this remains the most successful Dutch film made to date.
Yes, folks, among the 300 screenings there will be 140 feature films and
approximately 30 short films at the 24th International Film Festival of
Flanders in Ghent, Belgium between October 7th and 18th. 15 of the 35
premieres will be included in the official selection for the competition "The
Impact of Music on Film." Among the international jury members are
Dominique Janne (Farinelli), Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes
Back) and Gina Lolobrigida (Gina certainly gets around the festivals.
Wonder what she'll have to say this time.) The 4th annual retrospective "The
filmic memory" deals this time with the theme of Film and Repression to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the unforgettable House Committee on un-
American Activities (HUAC) and will include a combination of films made by
victims and informers as well as many movies whose release at the time
stirred up heated debate concerning the role of censorship. Full details are
available at the festival website http://www.surf-inn.be/filmfestival
The International Broadcasting Convention 97 will be opening its doors
on September 12th and running until the 16th at the RAI convention hall in
Amsterdam. The latest in image compositing and visual effects will be on
display as usual with continual demonstrations thoughout the day.
"De Eland" auction house will be holding an auction of theatrical clothing
from a private collection at their "Dependance 't Lieverdje" on September
22nd. Many of the costumes once did service on stage for the now defunct
"Haagse Comedie" theatre group and were worn by such notables of the
Dutch stage as Kitty Courbois, Fie Anderson, Jan Retel, and Ank van de
Moer. Viewing of the articles is possible on September 14th & 15th .
Fahrenheit 451 has recently been screened on BBC-tv's Moviedrome. Mel
Gibson is preparing to direct a new version of Bradbury's story and it should
easily surpass Truffaut's rendition in the same kind of way Michael Radford's
1984 version of "1984" did with Michael Anderson's 1955 version of "1984".
(Speaking of BBC's Moviedrome, why is it that all presenter's of this series
seem to feel a need to introduce the films to the viewer with a hushed voice
speaking in a condescending fashion?
Murnau's Faust received an open air screening on the Herengracht
(Gentleman's canal) in the center of Amsterdam August 8th with live
accompaniment by the Silent movie Music Company, consisting of Gunter
Al Buchwald (piano and violin), Matthias Stich (saxophone and clarinet), and
Frank Bockius (percussion). The boats were full, the atmosphere was
pleasant, the weather was wonderful and the film, as always, was a pleasure
to behold. The only questionable remark to be made is perhaps the strains of
Dies Irae used as a leitmotiv at the beginning and end of the film was not the
best of choices since the movie is, in fact, a film about love and redemption.
The Dutch Labour Party will be holding their 3rd annual Future Festival on
September 20th at the University of Amsterdam during which The Dutch films
"Zusje" and "Naar de Klote" will be shown as well as the now classic English
"Trainspotting."
Garbo returns, this month at the Dutch Film Museum in lots of toppers.
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is showing (until September 9th) a
retrospective of sketches of Holland made by James McNeil Whistler. One
can only wonder if this exhibition was designed to coincide with the release of
"Bean" starring Rowin Atkinson in the cinemas, a feeble film in which an art is
used to show art imitating art. James' mother must be turning in her frame by
now.
Robert Jan Westdijk's Siberia, starring Roeland Fernhout and Hugo Metsers
III as two charming con men opposite the Russian tourist Vlatka Simac, will
be released in the fall of 1998.
The International Film Festival of Rotterdam (which will be showing Jan
Svankmajer's Conspiracies of Pleasure) is slowly creeping toward us and
will take place from January 28th until February 8th of the coming year.
The BBC broadcast a program in their series Inside Story on August 6th
concerning the "Heaven's Gate" group. While watching the various clips with
Do (the leader guru of the group) I couldn't help wondering if anyone in TV
land has considered casting Mr. Roberts (from the American children's
series) in his first dramatic lead.
© 1994-2006 The Green Hartnett
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