LA Asian Pacific Film Festival...Heartthrob Leehom Wang & "Love in Disguise" gala a blow-out! BANG BANG best first feature!

The atmosphere was electrically-charged at the CGV Theatre complex on Thursday evening as excited fans of Taiwan hearthrob Leehom Wang descended on the tony envrions at 1 Wilshire in Hollywood to catch the premiere of the his new romantic comedy-feature "Love in Disguise".

As the buzz in the lobby escalated to a fever pitch, Festival Officials scrambled to put the finishes touches on the glittering closing night Gala party in the spacious courtyard below as a local DJ began to spin sizzling hot upbeat platters sure to get the crowd hopping.

The 2011 Edition of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival had been a huge success!

During the course of the week-long annual fest, excited film buffs stormed the venues and packed the houses, anxious to take in an eclectic program of flicks - short, experimental, highly original, feature-length, and documentary in style and nature.

Once the opening night kicked off with a premiere of "FAST FIV"E (which has since zoomed to a No. 1 spot at box offices around the country) there was no looking back.

Justin Lin, the director of the franchise film series - by the way - is an alumni of the LAAPFF.

One of his first celluloid offerings was unveiled at the fest about nine years ago.

As I noted in my feature on the Opening Night Celebrations, this year - according to Co-Director David Magdael - the LAAPFF was "bursting at the seams".

"In the first two days the opening and closing night galas were sold out," he beamed.

Indeed, on both occasions, I had to elbow my way through the swarms of excited ticket-holders in a bold-faced effort to snatch up a seat, and muzzle my way into the 'open bar" to secure thirst-quenching exotic cocktails on the house!

Last night, at the closing gala, thrilled upscale guests chatted each other up - as they nibbled on mouth-watering chicken wings and gobbled up delectable sweet treats that were simply divine.

Though normally a tea-totler, I jumped in with gay abandon, and tossed back a few potent drinkie-poohs.

By the end of the night, my head was swimming, and I was ready to boogie with all the other filmgoers hot-to-trot and at-the-ready to end this year's celebrated fest with a resounding BANG!

Meanwhile, earlier in the evening, the Fest Directors announced the winners of the coveted LAAPFF awards.

Here is a rundown:
2011 LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

Documentary Feature:

Grand Jury Award

Documentary

THE HOUSE OF SUH
Directed by IRIS K. SHIM
Produced by GERRY KIM

Special Jury Award
Outstanding Director

IRIS K. SHIM
THE HOUSE OF SUH

Special Jury Award
Outstanding Cinematography

JASON WOODFORD
ONE BIG HAPA FAMILY

Special Jury Award
Outstanding Editing

JEFF CHIBA STEARNS
ONE BIG HAPA FAMILY

Special Jury
Prize for Human Rights

FINDING FACE
Directed by Skye Fitzgerald and Patti Duncan

Narrative Feature:

Grand Jury Award

Narrative Feature

LIVING IN SEDUCED CIRCUMSTANCES
Directed by Ian Gamazon and Produced by Quynn Ton

Special Jury Award
Outstanding Director

IAN GAMAZON
LIVING IN SEDUCED CIRCUMSTANCES

Special Jury Award
Outstanding Screenplay

STEPHANE GAUGER
SAIGON ELECTRIC

Special Jury Award
Outstanding Cinematography

GAVIN KELLY
WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE SUN

Special Jury Award
Best Ensemble Acting
ERIC MABIUS, FERNANDO NORIEGA
WILL YUN LEE & LUKE BRANDON FIELD
WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE SUN

Special Jury Award
Best First Feature

BANG BANG
Directed by BYRON Q

Special Jury Award
Breakout Performance for New Actor

RYAN GREENE
ONE KINE DAY
Directed by Chuck Mitsui

Short Film:

Festival Golden Reel Award

TEAMWORK
Directed by HONG SEO YUN

Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions Award

FIRECRACKER
Directed by SOHAM MEHTA

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

NARRATIVE FILM

RAKENROL
Directed by QUARK HENARES

DOCUMENTARY FILM

AMONG B-BOYS
Directed by Christopher Woon

For film fans who missed original first screenings last week, there wlll be an encore performance of a few this weekend at the CGV Theatre Complex.

The schedule is as follows:

SATURDAY MAY 7TH

11:00 AM

ITSY BITSY SHORTS 20...

1:00 PM

WHERE THE ROAD MEETS...

3:30 PM

BANG BANG

6:00 PM

AMONG B-BOYS

8:30 PM

BOY

See 'ya there!

http://www.thetattler.biz

Bernardo Bertolucci...receives honorary Palme d'or @ Cannes Film Festival!

 



Officials at the Cannes Film Festival have just announced that respected Italian film director - Bernardo Bertolucci - will be presented with an Honorary Palme d'or at the opening ceremonies on May 11th on the picturesque French Riviera in the south of France.

A handful of notable directors have received the coveted award in the past - Woody Allen (2002) and Clint Eastwood (2009) - for example.

The President of the prestigious Festival - Gilles Jacob - will head up the much-ballyhooed celebrations on behalf of the discerning Board of Directors.

The filmmaker has distinguished himself as a great auteur with a remarkable body of work - that includes masterpieces such as the Conformist (1970), the Last Tango in Paris (1978) and The Last Emperor (1982).

Bertolucci has been lauded over the course of his enviable film career - not only for his particular focus on political and social issues - but, also - for his unrelenting bold-faced efforts to elevate the realm of celluloid - and its artistry - to the heights of profound thought-provoking imagery and unique poetic lyricism.

"The quality of his work which appears today in all its uniqueness, and the extent of this work we perceive every day more vividly, the strength of his commitment to cinema, and the ties that bind him to Cannes, make Bernaldo Bertollucci the first legitimate recipient." Jacob was quick to gush to the media at a press conference.

The Honorary Palme d'or will be presented on May 11th, at the "Opening Night" of the 64th edition of the Festival.

Robert De Niro, who chaired the Jury, is expected to be present for the auspicious occasion.

The Palme d’Or is usually awarded to one of the filmmakers in competition.

But, the honorary Palme d’Or has also been bestowed upon important filmmakers, when their work has been deemed "authoritative”  - and the director - has failed to wrangle the prize during the fierce annual competition.

Bertolucci was born in the Italian city of Parma.

The visionary director was the elder son of Ninetta (a teacher) and Attilio Bertolucci (who was a poet, a reputed art historian, anthologist and film critic).

Bertolucci's childhood influences appeared to spell his fate from the get-go!

He began writing at the age of fifteen, and early on, won several prestigious literary prizes including the Premio Viareggio for his first book.

Bertolucci's films tend to put a searing spotlight on themes related to sex, politics and cinephilia.

I recall attending the premiere of the "Last Tango in Paris" in Vancouver (Canada) and being thoroughly shocked by the subject matter.

The voyeuristic flick approached the issue of sexuality in an extremely carnal and disturbing way.

Too erotic (perverted?) for mainstream North American audiences?

Needles to say, there was quite an uproar when the controversial feature was first released in Canada, and outraged filmgoers have never looked at butter the same way ever since!

"The Conformist" dealt with fascist Italy and was seen as both artistic and intellectual in nature.

"The Dreamers" (released a scant few years ago) was one Bertolucci favorite of mine that underscored to me the auteur was still capable of seducing an audience with themes that resonated with truth and conviction while ruffling their sensibilities to the core.

The tony Cannes Film festival  - which usually features a must-see roster of leading-edge films - is attended by noteworthy film critics from around the globe - and likewise - attracts a jet set elite in the realm of film who are drawn to the exotic fest like moth to flame each year

See 'ya there!

http://www.thetattler.biz





Directing smooth as Butter!

Oliver Stone...honored with Director's Award! San Francisco International Film Festival!



Academy Award-Winner - Oliver Stone - is getting a nod from the long-running San Francisco International Film Festival.

Stone - who helmed blockbuster hits such as "Wall Street" and "JFK" - will be honored with a prestigious Festival Founder's Directing Award.

In honor of the occasion, the film society is slated to screen clips of Stone's work on April 27th in the bay area during the course of this year's Festival (which runs April 21st to May 5th).

Mr. Stone is expected to be appear in person on the night of the award celebrations (April 28th) for an on-stage interview which is expected to sell-out to capacity.

Former honorees have been highly-ranked in their craft, as well, and include notables such as Akira Kurosawa, Francis Ford Coppola, Spike Lee, Werner Hertzog, Milos Forman, Warren Beatty, and Clint Eastwood (to name a few).

Founded in 1957, the International Film Festival is the longest-running one of its kind in the Americas, and held each spring over a two-week period.

The highly-respected fest showcases upwards of 200 films each year and usually attracts an annual audience of 80,000 film-goers.

According to their Mission Statement, San Francisco's International Film Festival is deeply rooted in the best and finest traditions of the appreciation of film - both as an art form - and as a meaningful agent for social change.

SFIFF features ground-breaking narrative feature films, live action and animated shorts, television and theatrical documentaries, experimental work and a variety of new digital media.

In addition, there is usually a smart lineup of industry panels and seminars, awards events, onstage tributes, retrospectives and the highly acclaimed Schools at the Festival program (which brings about 4,200 students in grades 1-12 into the festivities).

The offerings are screened at eight venues in the Bay Area.

In spite of its remarkable reach and scope, the much-anticipated Fest manages to remain intimate in many respects, while maintaining widespread appeal across the board in the community-at-large.

In sum, the fest combines a range of marquee premieres, international competitions, hard-hitting documentaries, digital media work and star-studded gala events - that ultimately - educate, enlighten, and inspire.

See 'ya there!

http://www.thetattler.biz



Charlie Sheen pot-boiler!

L'AMOUR FOU...Documentary on Yves Saint Laurent & male lover! CAESAR Award-Winning Film!

 

L'AMOUR FOU was the winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at the prestigeous Toronto International Film Festival this past year, and consequently, has been causing quite a buzz on the Festival circuit since winning the CAESAR for Best Documentary.

The documentary, directed by Pierre Thoretton (slated for a release on May 13th in New York IFC Center and on May 20th in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Royale Theatre) L’AMOUR FOU documents Pierre Bergé’s personal coming-to-terms with the death of his lifelong partner - Yves Saint Laurent - through the objects they shared in life.

In 1958, the legendary couturier met and fell in love with industrialist (patron) Pierre Bergé, thus forging a relationship that would endure fifty years of extraordinary success, emotional turbulence and lingering devotion.

Following the death of Saint Laurent in 2008, Bergé opted to auction off all of the art objects that were collected during the course of their unique union which spanned several decades.

Both men shared a mutual passion for beauty in objects, places, people - and most of all - by virtue of their personal and professional loving relationship.

The documentary takes an over-the-shoulder peak, as Berge muses about his long-time lover (and the treasures snapped up during the course of their exotic travels around the globe) as he catalogues and prepares to auction off their fabulous collection of art deco vases, African sculptures, and remarkable paintings by famed artists such as Modigliani, Picasso, and Matisse.

Touching!

http://www.thetattler.biz

Yves St. Laurent a leader in fashion & style!

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival...FAST FIVE premieres at Gala Opening Night! Directors Guild of America!

 

Fast Five to premiere @ Asian Pacific Festival!

One of the classiest cutting-edge film presentations in the country - the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival - kicks off  at the end of the month at the Directors Guild of America on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood (CA) April 28th – May 7th.

PR Rep - David Magdael - excitedly informed me over the weekend that this years's offerings will feature World Premieres, Sneak Previews, a James Wong Howe Retrospective, a C3 Digital Conference, thought-provoking Documentaries, and Narratives focusing on the voices of Asian Americans and Asian Peoples from around the globe.

For instance, JUSTIN LIN’s Newest Action-Thriller  - "FAST FIVE” (starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang and Dwayne Johnson - premieres on opening night at the ten-day festival.

“LOVE IN DISGUISE” - directed by Mando-Pop Star Leehom Wang (who also stars opposite respected actress Joan Chen) will premiere at the lavish closing night Gala.

In addition to the Director's Guild - other venues include - Laemmle's Sunset 5 Theatres and the CGV Cinemas (situated in culturally-rich Koreatown in downtown Los Angeles).

The prestigeous LAAPFF is also slated to launch the Asian Pacific Heritage Month  Festival which unveils and celebrates 180 films from both Asian Pacific American and Asian International Directors from over 20 countries.

“We are excited and proud to present the Los Angeles premiere of FAST FIVE as our Opening Night film,” enthused David Magdael (Film Festival Co-Director).

“Justin has been a part of our festival family since he was making short films back in his UCLA days. We remember when we premiered "BETTER LUCK TOMORROW" nine historic years ago and now to have his newest Hollywood action-thriller open the Fest is only fitting."

"Under Justin’s helm, 'The Fast and the Furious' franchise continues to make film history, as he continues to create some of the most ethnically diverse Hollywood blockbusters. This night will be a celebration of Justin as one of our directors who continues to excel through the industry and one who remains a true inspiration for our aspiring filmmakers.”

Lin and fellow bloggers from the web site - “You Offend Me You Offend My Family” - launched a film initiative (2010) to support aspiring Asian American filmmakers entitled “Interpretations".

“You Offend Me You Offend My Family” is the Fest's opening night community presenter.

INFO:

www.YOMYOMF.COM

Targeting the burgeoning online community of API filmmakers, “Interpretations” was designed to encourage and support this emerging talent pool, and give these artists a chance to share their unique perspectives and have their work seen by industry experts.

The response was phenomenal.

In fact, hundreds of films were submitted for consideration, of which - a handful were selected - for screening.

For opening night -YOMYOMF.com - will screen the premiere of “CAR TALK 2” (on a double-bill with FAST FIVE) which is a short film starring Sung Kang and R & B singing sensation Tyrese.

Danny Pudi, star of the hit NBC TV comedy - COMMUNITY - will host the opening night gala after the screenings. 

Another LAAPFF alum -  filmmaker Bertha Bay-Sa Pan (FACE) - offers up her latest hit romantic comedy (ALMOST PERFECT) as a Centerpiece Presentation (Saturday April 30 at the DGA).

 Director Pan-and her cast - Kelly Hu, Ivan Shaw, Edison Chen, Christina Chang and Kristy Wu - are expected to be in tow (schedules permitting).

“Bertha Bay-Sa Pan is a great example of the auteur who can write and direct and tell meaningful stories,” according to Abraham Ferrer, Festival Co-director.

“Her first feature - FACE - had its Los Angeles premiere with us after her Sundance breakthrough in 2002. She has since gone on to direct, write and produce features and at the same time establish her own production shingle – Slew Pictures," Ferrer noted fo the record.

"As our centerpiece film, we celebrate Bertha’s vision and her amazing talent.”

The Festival turns a spotlight on filmmakers - Wesley Chan, Ted Fu and Philip Wang (aka Wong Fu Productions) - and their own curated festival program.

WONG FU PRESENTS FAST FORWARD on Saturday April 30 at the DGA.

These filmmakers have been making viral videos since 2003 before You Tube existed.

Through the constant embracing of new methods of creating and distributing their work, these innovative artists have created their own path outside Hollywood's traditional means.

Wong Fu Productions has millions of followers from around the world and boasts of 600,000 subscribers on You Tube (where fans and filmmakers screen their work daily).

Other World Premieres include the following:

WEDDING PALACE

A romantic comedy directed by Christine Yoo
Written by Yoo and Robert Gardner
Starring Brian Tee, Margaret Cho, Hye-jeong Kang, and Steve Park.

(Friday, April 29, 8:00 PM DGA)

THE LULU SESSIONS

A documentary directed by S. Casper Wong
Written by S. Casper Wong and Luara Minnear

(Saturday, April 30, 7:30 PM DGA)

ENFORCING THE SILENCE

A documentary directed and written by Tony Nguyen

(Saturday, April 30, 5:00 PM Sunset 5)

HEART BREAKS OPEN

Drama directed by Billie Rain
Written by Rain and Basil Shadid
Starring Maximillian Davis and Brian Peters

(Monday, May 2, 9:15 PM CGV)

BANG BANG

Drama directed and written by Byron Chan aka Byron
Starring David Hunyh, Jessika Van and Walter Wong

(Tuesday May 3, 9:00 PM CGV)

AMONG B-BOYS

A documentary directed by Christopher Woon

(Wednesday, May 4, 9:15 PM CGV)

LOVE IN DISGUISE

Directed by Leehom Wang and
Starring Leehom Wang, Joan Chen and Crystal Liu Yi-fei
(Director Leehom Wang & cast to attend a Q & A)

(Thursday, May 5 at 7 PM at the CGV Cinemas)

CELEBRATION OF JAMES WONG HOWE

A special retrospective tribute to the late great James Wong Howe (award-winning cinematographer).

The Festival will present two works from the visual genius on Sunday May 1st.

Special support for the retrospective tribute to James Wong Howe is provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences; home movie footage courtesy of the Academy Film Archive and the James Wong Howe Estate

C3: THE CONFERENCE FOR CREATIVE CONTENT

Presented In partnership with The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE).

New Media has provided a playing field in which Asian-Americans are no longer the minority, but engaged at its forefront and often leading the charge.

With a market that has enthusiastically embraced digital platforms, the Asian-American audience has found a unified voice for visibility.

With leaders in the digital world as panelists and participants, C3 will shed light on the changing nature of media and allow audiences to connect with Asian American talent through an array of panels approaching new media from all angles.

C3 will run Saturday and Sunday.

(April 30 and May 1 at the DGA).

THE FLIP SIDE 10TH ANNIVERSARY

In 2001, Rod Pulido became the first Filipino-American writer/director to premiere at Sundance.

Pulido set up his own self-distribution of the film and went on to wake up audiences to new talent and new voices. The film will screen on April 30 at the Laemmle’s Sunset 5 preceded by a tribute to the late Faustino “Peping” Bacling (one of the film’s stars and a local community hero).

The 2011 documentary line-up includes the following projects:

THE BENGALI DETECTIVE
(Phil Cox)

THE HOUSE OF SUH
(Iris K. Shim)

ENFORCING THE SILENCE
(Tony Nguyen)

THE LULU SESSIONS
(S. Casper Wong)

WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME?
(Kimi Takesue)

ONE BIG HAPA FAMILY
(Jeff Chiba Stearns)

WORKING GIRLS
(Sammaria Simanjuntak, Sally Anom Sari, Yosep Anggi Noen)

FINDING FACE
(Patti Duncan and Skye Fitzgerald)

RESILIENCE
(Tammy Chu)

AMONG B-BOYS
(Christopher Woon)

One of the ongoing objectives of the LAAPFF is to support and present the best

With that in mind, the Festival organizers hand-picked the following films to screen which were directed and/or prodced by filmmakers based in the US (filming both in the US and overseas).

FAST FIVE
Justin Lin

SAIGON ELECTRIC
Stephane Gauger

WEDDING PALACE
Christine Yoo

ALMOST PERFECT
Bertha Bay-Sa Pan

LIVING IN SEDUCED CIRCUMSTANCES
Ian Gamazon

WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE SUN
Mun Chee Yong

ONE KINE DAY
Chuck Mitsui

HEART BREAKS OPEN
Billie Rain

BANG BANG
Byron Q

BOY
Taika Waititi

Sponsors of the 2011 LAAPPFF include:

PREMIERE
Directors Guild of America; CGV Theaters
PLATINUM
Coca-Cola; NBC Universal / Comcast; Wells Fargo; GOLD – Toyota; Solair;
SILVER
Verizon Wireless; Sony Pictures Entertainment
BRONZE
CBS Diversity; SAG; SAG Indie; STAR – Motion Pictures Editors Guild; Writers Guild of America, west; Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; Boeing; California Bank & Trust; Taipei Economic & Cultural Office; Ketel One; Shiftboard
AWARDS
Entertainment Partners
RECEPTION
Solair; Kyochon Chicken; Jinro; LA18 KSCI-TV; Stella Artois; Ketel One; Madang the Courtyard; Candy Chef
MEDIA SPONSORS
AngryAsianMan.com; LA 18 KSCI-TV; MNet; Glocal; LAWeekly
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
National Endowment for the Arts; Los Angeles County Arts Commission; Department of Cultural Affairs/City of Los Angeles
FOUNDATION SUPPORT
California Community Foundation; James Irvine Foundation; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
C3 SPONSORS
California Arts Council; SAG Producers-Industry Advancement & Cooperative Fund

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival presented by Visual Communications is the Southland’s premier showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific cinema. Since 1983, the Film Festival has presented over 3400 films and videos by Asian international and Asian American artists, and additionally features seminars and panels, in-person guest appearances, and filmmaker awards.

ABOUT VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS

Visual Communications (VC), the nation's premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, was established in 1970. The organization has established a lengthy track record of pioneering achievements in producing, presenting, and preserving more honest and accurate representations of Asian and Pacific Islander communities in America. Visual Communications is also recognized as an incubator of emerging Asian Pacific American cinematic talent. The organization's works have been exhibited in numerous venues and broadcast outlets around the world. The mission of Visual Communications is to promote intercultural understanding through the creation, presentation, preservation and support of media works by and about Asian Pacific Americans.

See 'ya there!

http://www.thetattler.biz



A premiere screening!

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art...Director Haskell Wexler hailed @ "Exposed" film series!



Film buffs warmly received filmmaker Haskell Wexler last night at the Castro Theater at a screening of his feature "Medium Cool".

"I got emotional just seeing my film again on screen," he confessed to the audience with a touch of sentiment in his distinctive speaking voice later in the evening when the lights went up and he trotted on to the stage to take a bow.

The screening was part of a film series running in tandem with a major exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art titled:

Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera since 1870

According to the curators, the main thrust of the the provocative series is to cast a light on the - "shifting boundaries between seeing and spying, the private act, and the public image" - that challenge the viewer to consider how the camera has transformed the very nature of looking.

The series has attempted to accomplish this lofty feat by focusing on a collection of contemporary photographs, films, and video works (by both unknown photographers and internationally renowned artists) with the ultimate aim of examining the camera's most unsettling uses (including pornography, surveillance, stalking celebrity, and witnessing violence).

In a nutshell, the ambitious curators have sought to pose compelling questions about who is looking at whom and why.

The Wexler flick - which unfolded in a stream-of-consciousness documentary kind-of-style - turned an insightful lens on events leading up to the Chicago riots in the heady 60's.

The silver-haired auteur (a respected documentarian and cinematographer who worked Oscar award-winning films such as the drama "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf") fessed up at one point - during the informative Q & A session - that a handful of scenes (where a young mother searches for her son) were weak.

"The critics didn't like the end, either," he recalled to the rapt audience.

Of course, he was referring to a shot where a motorist takes a photograph of a tragic accident on the highway, as he drives by.

"We all end up in someone's film," he explained in his defense.

Wexler approached the project the way he did - in part - for economic reasons.

But, stressed bottom-line - that he blended fiction and reality in the storyline - for good reason.

"Everyone sees reality through their own lens."

Although, some of the footage is compelling, overall "Medium Cool" fails as a feature.

The drama is disjointed, sometimes lacks focus, and at times can't seem to decide what it wants to be in the final analysis.

The talented artist (with a knack for a celluloid language which consists primarily of images that often resonate profoundly) appeared to be making a commentary on the role of the news media one moment, while issuing up a cautionary tale about the horrors of "War" the next.

"Anyone who was anti-war was anti-establishment. And, the media was in on it," he asserted to the audience.

Some anecdotes caused the fans to roar.

"I wish I could remember some of the comments censors made about the nudity. The genitals bobbing up and down and that sort-of-thing," he wicked laughed in amusement.

The filmgoers - consisting of movie buffs and budding movie-makers - reacted with knee-jerk enthusiasm when he recalled being treated as the "enemy" by officials and Law Enforcement personnel on location in Chicago during the shoot.

"Because I wore blue jeans, I was the enemy."

I recall when I caught sight of the first promos for "Medium Cool" a few weeks ago at the Castro Theater, that they were so melodramatic in nature, when compared to today's standards.

How did Wexler come to name his project "Medium Cool"?

"One of the actors in the militant scene suggested it. He recommended that I also read Marshall McLuhan. But, I didn't understand McLulan's writing. I thought the title was great, though."

Some of the scenes in the flick are so darn jarring and out-of-whack.

The project is pretty dated now, too, and doesn't hold up in my humble opinion.

In contrast, "Blow Up" (Michelangelo Antonioni)  - a second feature on the bill - was still timely.

Too bad Wexler left the theater before the screening, he may have learned something about excellence in filmmaking.

Over the weekend, a smattering of films are slated for the SFMOMA event, too, including "Streetwise", "Pretty Baby", "Lost Highway", and "Deep End".

Check the programs at the Castro Theatre or the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for details.

See 'ya there!

http://www.thetattler.biz



http://www.thetattler.biz

Oscar Night America...@ California Film Institute! February 27th!

Hosts James Franco & Anne Hathaway



Many of the locals in San Francisco are plunking down $55.00 to celebrate all the glitz and glamour that the 83rd Annual Academy Award celebration has to offer on February 27th at Oscar Night America celebrations.

The Bay Area Oscar Theatre soirees are sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and expected to sell out!

Each guest will receive an Official Academy Awards program similar to the ones give out at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood just beyond the frenetic Red Carpet festivities on the star-studded strip.

In addition to the handful of HD state-of-the-art telecasts in San Rafael Theatres, there will be a silent auction with some pretty spectacular raffle items ready to be scooped up for a song.

*2 tickets to a World Series Champion San Francisco Giants baseball game
*2 tickets to the dazzling MTV Movie Awards & the after-party

The Oscar Night extravaganza includes scrumptious finger food (appetizers), a Gourmet Box Dinner, coffee beverages, and mouth-watering desserts.

The much-anticipated event benefits CFI Education and Outreach programs!

Tickets

www.cafilm.org

San Rafael Box Office
1118 Fourth Street
San Rafael

See 'ya there!

http://www.thetattler.biz



Black Swan nominated flick!