In the past I have described the Show East experience from the trade-show vantage point. Not much has changed in the trade-show in recent years. This time I thought I would give my general impressions on the films I saw at Show East. I don’t believe I have given anything away and this contains no spoilers. The Recruit
A brilliant young CIA trainee (Farrell) is asked by his mentor (Pacino) to help find a mole in the Agency.
(I thought this was a bog-standard spy thriller. I enjoyed watching it once but don’t need or desire to see it again. I’m sure it will do well but not extraordinarily well in commercial theatres.)
Treasure Planet (8/70 large format presentation.)
A Disney animated version of "Treasure Island". The only difference is that the film is set in outer space with alien worlds and other galactic wonders.
(We saw only a 15-minute introduction to this film. I can see the full show this Thursday in San Francisco at the Metreon. I thought the art direction was brilliant but the story and cutesy Disney characters will undermine the adult enjoyment of the film. I don’t think it is necessary to see this film in 8/70 to enjoy it.)
Young Black Stallion (8/70 large format presentation.)
A young girl befriends a wild black stallion. This is a prequel to Black Stallion and in theory the same horse. The action takes place in Arabia and will be a nice pleasant portrayal of Arab people.
(Brilliant! I want to see this film at a large format theatre when it comes out next year. The photography is gorgeous and I was instantly in love with the characters. I can’t wait. We saw the preview only, it will be on the head of Lion King.)
Lion King (8/70 large format presentation.)
Life's greatest adventure is finding your place in the Circle of Life. Tricked into thinking he killed his father, a guilt ridden lion cub flees into exile and abandons his identity as the future King.
(Except for a couple of scenes like the opening shot, it isn’t necessary to see this in Large Format. The sound was pretty good though. It was good to see it again.)
I am pleased to see Disney (Mouschwitz) taking an interest in Large-Format presentation. I hope that this brings the format alive. We saw the show using a Mega Systems 8/70 large format projector. The images were very stable and looked great.
Bend It Like Beckham
A comedy about bending the rules to reach your goal, Bend It Like Beckham explores the world of women's football, from kick-abouts in the park to freekicks in the Final. Set in Hounslow, West London and Hamburg, the film follows two 18-year-old girls with their hearts set on a future in professional soccer. Heart-stopping talent doesn't seem to be enough when your parents want you to hang up your football boots, find a nice boyfriend and learn to cook the perfect chapatti.
(I am very exited about this film. I think it could be the next MBFGW. Some people thought it had a week plot line, but then so did MBFGW. I loved this film. It should do very well at art houses and should have a nice platform release schedule. If they put it out all at once and don’t let it grow, it’s dead.)
Antwone Fisher
Fischer was discovered working as a security guard (at the gate) at Sony. His life story of orphanages and abuse led to a screenwriting deal. Finding Fish is autobiographical.
(This is a pet project by Denzel Washington. It plays like one too. It is well acted and I was very moved by the story. I liked this film but I don’t hold much commercial hope for it. It is a small film.)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. gathered the best musicians from Detroit's thriving jazz and blues scene to begin cutting songs for his new record company. Over a fourteen-year period they were the heartbeat on every hit from Motown's Detroit era. By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They called themselves the Funk Brothers. Forty-one years after they played their first note on a Motown record and three decades since they were all together, the Funk Brothers reunited back in Detroit to play their music and tell their unforgettable story, with the help of archival footage, still photos, narration, interviews, re-creation scenes, 20 Motown master tracks, and twelve new live performances of Motown classics with the Brothers backing up contemporary performers.
(I saw this film instead of one of the next two. It is a nice documentary but it doesn’t offer much. I didn’t enjoy it as much as Hail Hail Rock & Roll. The music was great. I think this would have a nice run on HBO or VH-1 but not at a movie theatre. I could be wrong, I frequently am.)
Laurel Canyon
This is the story of a pot-smoking, freewheeling Los Angeles record producer (McDormand), with a rock star boyfriend (Nivola)... (I didn’t see this film.)
Real Women have Curves
Ana, a first generation Mexican American teenager living in East Los Angeles, has just graduated from high school. Because she is a talented writer, a caring teacher urges her to apply to college. Ana secretly is excited about the possibility, but her overbearing and hypercritical mother Carmen insists that it is time for her to help provide for the family by working in her sister's sewing factory. When a crisis arises at the factory, it seems as if Ana's fate is unhappily sealed, but her indomitable will to reach beyond a sweatshop life eventually leads her to burst, defiant and resplendent, through every restriction on her life. (I didn’t see this film, I did see the preview and it looks like targeted art-house fare.)
The Emperors Club
Kevin Kline plays a history teacher Arthur Hundert. he is confronted with a new student, a senator's son and a disruptive influence in his otherwise orderly classroom, and his life in general.
(This was nice but derivative. It plays like Dead Poet Society or Mr. Holland’s Opus. I enjoyed watching it, but I don’t have a lot of confidence in this film.)
Femme Fatale
A woman tries to straighten out her life, even as her past as a con-woman comes back to haunt her. This is Brian De Palma’s new film, staring Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Antonio Banderas and Peter Coyote.
(Most attending thought this was a very bad film and thought that it was a mistake to show it to the Show East crowd. I thought it was dreadfully slow and made more so by the choice of music. The opening caper is done to Bolero. Most thought that the acting and script were wanting. There was a nice 5-minute Victoria's Secret advertisement, which made the film for me.)
Pool Hall Junkies
Obsessed by the world of pool, Johnny (Mars Callahan) could be one of the best. But his mentor and "trainer" Joe (Chazz Palminteri), a shady hustler who decides how and who Johnny plays, is holding him back from his dream.
(I only saw the last hour of this film. Most thought it was wonderful. It is a commercial film. I did get to try a trick shot set up by the pool expert after the film. I made 13 out of 14 balls. Then I played a game of 9-ball with him. Or more accurately I held the stick and microphone while he ran the table. The entire cast was there for the dinner afterwards as well.)
I Spy
Based on the 1960's television series I Spy, A professional athlete (boxer - Eddie Murphy) has to help a U.S. government agent recover a missing jet.
(Yet another piece of shit from Eddie Murphy with Owen Wilson.)
I did have dinner (me and about a thousand other people) with Hugh Grant, Sandra Bullock (Joe Redifer had her in his booth) and Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi on Star Trek Generations). I actually chatted up Marina Sirtis a bit, just for the practice.