This Just In - DVD Releases

Godzilla Raids Again (Gojira No Gyakushu) 1955, Japan
Set down on a remote island, pilots Tsukioka (Hiroshi Koizumi) and Kobayashi (Minoru Chiaki) stumble upon the earth-shaking terror of two gigantic creatures locked in battle. When the huge reptiles are reported to Japanese government scientists, it's determined that one monster is a relative of the infamous, city-stomping Godzilla. The beasts' mighty clash takes them to Osaka, where -- not unexpectedly -- mass destruction ensues.

Kamen Rider: The First, 2005, Anime, Japanese
Set on world domination, evil terrorist organization Shocker kidnaps young college student Takeshi Hongo and turns him into one of its cyborg killing machines. Sent to assassinate a female reporter, Hongo instead ends up regaining his human awareness and resolves to use his new powers to battle Shocker. This futuristic actioner is based on the classic Japanese program "Kamen Rider," which premiered on television in 1971.

Nietzsche and the Nazis, 2006, Documentary, Germany
Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party drew upon the works of famous philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche to justify their World War II atrocities and quest for power. In this documentary, professor Stephen Hicks explores Nietzsche's teachings and determines whether the Nazis correctly interpreted their meaning. History buffs and philosophy enthusiasts alike will appreciate the thorough examination Hicks conducts of this controversial topic.

Romantico, 2005, Documentary, Mexico
Director Mark Becker's moving documentary follows Mexican mariachi singers Carmelo and Arturo, who pour their passion and talent into their music, performing for largely unappreciative audiences on the streets and in the watering holes of San Francisco. But despite the hardships and meager income, the two immigrants persist in pursuing their art, chasing the dream of a better future for themselves -- and their families.

Kidnapped (Cani Arrabbiati), 1974, Italy
In the wake of a horribly bungled robbery, desperate thieves in need of a clean getaway kidnap a group of hostages and drag them along for the ride. Italian filmmaker Mario Bava directs this 1970s cult classic that was never actually finished because of a major financing snag. This edition includes two versions of the movie: Bava's original film with a few newly created sequences and a version that features footage shot by Bava's son, Lamberto.

Your Big Chance

Budapest, Hungary

The Central European Pitch Forum is seeking scripts.

Twelve writers will get a one-month online consultation session with acclaimed international screenwriters and story editors, including UK writer-director Richard Kwietniowski, screenwriter and the Polish Film Institute's deputy director Maciej Karpinski, Italian writer-director and screenwriting professor Christina Kallas, writer and president of the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe.

The competition is organized by FadeIn, an independent initiative of young Hungarian screenwriters, along with the Motion Picture Public Foundation of Hungary.

Then, following a rewriting period, the writers will receive an all expenses paid trip to the Pécs International Film Festival, Sept. 27-30, 2007. The writers will receive a two-day intensive training from European coaches Jürgen Wolff, UK and Franz Rodenkirchen, Germany, and the opportunity to pitch their scripts to 15 prominent European producers.

The competition is open for screenwriters who do not yet have a producer attached to their feature film projects. The program gives preference to scripts where the writer is NOT the director of the project. When the writer/director is the same, entrants must include a cover letter explaining why they want to direct the film.

Scripts must be in English and entries are welcome from every MEDIA country and the Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia).

In addition, the writers of the best stories will win a €10,000 cash prize.

Applications will be accepted from through May 15, 2007.

Further information: www.fadein.eu/pitchforum.

Black Book

I can’t wait to see this movie. I’m a sucker for intrigue and spy movies. I’ve always loved the Hitchcockian average man put in extreme situations theme.

Black Book (Zwartboek) appears to be a return to traditional movies by Dutch director Paul Verhoeven. After RoboCop, Basic Instinct and Showgirls, this story appears meaty, beautiful and thrilling.

It will show as part of the Magnolia at the Modern series in Fort Worth in May, and Filmies plans a group outing. So be watching.

The film stars Carice Van Houten and Sebastian Koch, whom we loved in The Lives of Others.

Here’s the synopsis from the press kit:

Holland 1944 – The final years of the Second World War find the beautiful singer Rachel Stein (Carice Van Houten) taking refuge with the Tsjempkema family in rural Holland. Once a popular and wealthy singer, Rachel has been waiting out the war like many Jews in Europe, separated from her family and a moment away from being caught by the Gestapo. Her temporary safe-house is destroyed by an Allied bomber under fire by a German fighter and Rachel is left in the arms of Rob (Michel Huisman), a sympathetic young boy, who promises to help her to safety. The next morning, Rob takes Rachel to her contact in town, who she hopes will help her find her family and escape across into liberated territory.
They arrive at the home of Mr. Smaal (Dolf de Vries) and his wife (Diana Dobbleman), a compassionate lawyer who has worked secretly to help Jews escape from Holland. Reluctantly, Mr. Smaal arranges for Rachel to join her family and cross enemy lines into Allied territory, marking her name and rendez-vous point in a little black leather notebook.
But during the dangerous crossing, the boat is ambushed by German troops. The Nazi’s ruthlessly kill the boats’ passengers and Rachel only narrowly escapes by jumping overboard into the river.
The next morning, Rachel is rescued by Gerben Kuipers, one of the leaders of the Dutch resistance. A kind and generous man, Kuipers offers Rachel a job and a safe place to stay. But embittered by the memory of the ruthless murder of her family, Rachel decides to become a resistance fighter to seek revenge against the Germans.

Goal Tending

Who says foreign films are all about crying, opera-singing clowns? Get ready for a heaping, helping of testosterone Italian and Argentine style
The controversial life of legendary Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona (photo above) makes it to the big screen by Italian director Marco Risi.
Maradona who wowed fans with his skill, was also suspended from playing in Italy in 1991 for drug use and was kicked out of the 1994 U.S. World Cup after failing a doping test. He also suffered a heart attack in 1999 following a cocaine overdose.
The film, Maradona, The Hand of God (Maradona, la mano de Dios), takes its title from the controversial World Cup goal scored by Maradona in which he illegally used his hand. The film uses a series of flashbacks to take us through Maradona’s life. It ends with a corpulent Maradona, strong out on drugs and strapped to a bed in a mental ward, followed by a tagline that says he’s slimmed back down and has not lost his will to fight.
Maradona is played by Italian actor Marco Leonardi, whom audiences will remember from Cinema Paradiso, Like Water for Chocolate and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. It was shot largely in Buenos Aires and features an Argentine cast.
The film makes its debut in Rome tomorrow. Maradona played for Napoli, but during World Cup competition played for his home country, including the 1990 World Cup, when Argentina eliminated Italy from competition.

This Just In: DVD Releases

Children of Men
Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron (below) helms this version of P.D. James's classic dystopian novel (and Oscar nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay), a futuristic drama set in a world in which humans have lost the ability to reproduce and subsequently face certain extinction. Things change when a single woman mysteriously becomes pregnant, prompting a conflicted government bureaucrat, played by Clive Owen (above) and his ex-wife, played by Julianne Moore (above) to join forces to protect her. Michael Caine co-stars.
A Lizard in a Woman's Skin (1971) – Una Lucertola con la Pelle di Donna
Deborah (Silvia Monti) has disturbing dreams about murdering her neighbor. After she relates the dreams to her therapist, her neighbor is actually murdered -- in exactly the same way Deborah's dreamed it! A police investigation ensues, along with some strange revelations, amazing chase sequences and bizarre plot twists. One of director Lucio Fulci's best films, Lizard in a Woman's Skin will keep you guessing until the end.

Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974 (1974) – Gokushiteki Erosu: Renka
In this taboo-smashing documentary by Kazuo Hara, the filmmaker turns his camera on his former lover, Miyuki Takeda. The strong-willed woman -- crusading feminist, bisexual, mother of an interracial baby with an African-American GI -- was a maverick figure, particularly in 1970s Japan. Hara captures his subject in excruciating detail over a period of several years in this keenly personal work, which caused a scandal when it was released.

Lola (1989)
Abandoned by her baby's father, reluctant young mother Lola (Leticia Huijara) struggles to get by in Mexico City. Torn between the duties of a life she didn't ask for and the freedom of the life she once enjoyed, Lola walks the delicate line between guilt and pleasure, responsibility and carelessness. Director María Novaro's debut film examines motherhood and redemption with startling honesty.

Reincarnation (2006)
A Japanese actress (Yûka) comes face to face with a slew of restless spirits when she signs on to star in a horror film -- the true story of a crazed professor's murderous rampage that left 11 victims, including his young daughter, in its wake -- being shot at the very site where the grisly killings took place. J-horror master Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge) directs this darkly mesmerizing tale of crime, punishment and redemption.

AFI Dallas International Film Festival 2007

Dallas launched a new film festival last weekend and several films play this week from our sister city countries. Here’s hoping the Lone Star International Film Festival, which debuts in November has equal success with film, glitterati and, probably most importantly, funding.
By the by, if you’re interested in volunteering your time or money for the Lone Star International Film Festival, email us at Filmies.

Rape of Euopa – Directors Bonni Cohen, Richard Berge, Nicole Newham; USA 2006, International Documentary Competition; Based on the book by Lynn H. Nicolas, Rape of Europa tells the epic story of the theft and destruction of Europe’s art treasures during the Third Reich. The film explores the history of Nazi art looting, along with dramatic efforts to safeguard and return displaced art. The filmmakers provide an eye-opening account of an often-overlooked chapter from a dark part of history.
7:30 p.m., Monday, March 26, Magnolia 4; 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, March 27, Magnolia 4.

Where the Sun Rises – Director/producer Grace Phan, Singapore 2006, International Documentary Competition; Xanana Gusmao of east Timor is a living legend: warrier, poet, leader and peace advocate. Where the Sun Rises tells the story of the president of the world’s youngest nation, from his bitter guerilla campaign against Indonesian rule to his amazing ability to forgive.
7:30 p.m., Monday, March 26, SMU Hughes-Trigg Theater.

Paprika – Director Satoshi Kon, Japan 2006, Premiere Series; Experimental scientists have developed a new psychiatric tool that allows a doctor to enter directly into his patient’s dream. A crisis arises when three devices are stolen and the thieves begin wrecking havoc in unsuspecting minds. It’s up to Paprika, the alter ego of one of the scientists, to defeat the threat. Director Kon creates incredibly lush and detailed visuals in this stunning animated spectacle.
7:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, Angelika Film Center 7

Drama/Mex – Director Gerado Naranjo, Mexico 2006; the seedy tourist town of Acapulco serves as the background for this bittersweet tale of three intense human relationships revolving around a suicidal old man, a 15-year-old runaway girl and a young couple. Infused with an infectious, youthful engery, Drama/Mex seamleslly interlaces characters, time and place.
9:30 p.m., Friday, March 30, Angelika Film Center 7; 4:15 p.m., Sunday, April 1, Angelika Film Center 6

Just Sex and Nothing Else – Director Krisztina Goda, Hungary 2005; Judith Schell stars as Dora, a 30-something playwright who is searching for her soul mate and frustrated at every turn. Deciding to be a single mother, she places an ad for “just sex and nothing else,” yet finds herself striking up a love/hate relationship with an actor who may be her perfect mate. Dora eventually begins to question what she really wants in this amusing, refreshing look at sexual politics.
7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 29, Magnolia 3; 5:15 p.m., Friday, March 30, Magnolia 3

Running on Empty – Director/screenwriter Bulich Akinci, Germany 2006; Burkhard Wahner is a traveling insurance salesman who, despite his odd demeanor, has a knack for landing clients. Driving endless miles along the Autobahn, he only stops to sleep and leave messages for his wife, promising to come home whe he's made enough money. He is hiding a tragic secret from his loved ones, hoever, and his perceived solution is equal parts selfless, desperate and haunting.

10 p.m., Wednesday, March 28, Angelika Film Center 7; 9:15 p.m., Saturday, March 31, Angelika Film Center 7

Mushishi – Director/screenwriter Hiroshi Nagahama, Japan 2006; The essence of the natural world is personified by strange, ancient natural forces called "mushi" that influence the lives of peopel for reasons yet unknown. Ginko is a "mushishi" who uses his shaman-like knowledge to help the affected come to terms with their afflictions. Brilliant animation and introspective storylines fuel this Japanese anime, a recent creation that has already climbed to classic status in Japan.

noon, Sunday, April 1, Magnolia 4

Lives of Others

Filmies saw The Lives of Others today. Truly fantastic.

I was skeptical that it could be better than Pan's Labyrinth and that some sort of film travesty had occured at the Academy Awards -- some political oversight by the Academy.

I was wrong.

The Lives of Others is a very emotional, moving, spy thriller.

This was certainly one of the best movies of 2006. It holds its own against the best picture nominees and could probably bump Little Miss Sunshine out or possibly The Queen. I liked the storyline of the Mexican nanny in Babel better than the whole of the movie. I loved The Departed, although it's a little foggy in my memory now. The Queen was a very well-acted movie and Little Miss Sunshine was nice and entertaining. I still haven't seen Letters from Iwo Jima, although it's sitting on my DVD player waiting for me.

Ulrich Muhe, who plays the Stasi Capitan Gerd Wiesler plays a perfect blend of Big Brother and priestly piety. Sebastian Koch, who plays playwright Georg Dreyman, and Martina Gedeck, who plays his actress girlfriend, are a great couple trying to survive the system. The scene in the photo above is one of many great moments, as Gedeck simply whimpers. "Just hold me."

The Lives of Others was captivating from the start and had me tearing up several times.

So, go see The Lives of Others. And if you really liked Pan's Labyrinth, don't feel cheated or robbed.

The best film won.