3/13/08

Don't miss rare opportunity to view classic film in 70mm format

by Bob Connally

The DVD news this issue is less exciting than the planned showing of the epic "Lawrence of Arabia" in its original 70mm format at the Cinerama later this month. But here we go…

Southland Tales (Rated R- Avail. 3/18)

In 2001, Richard Kelly’s “Donnie Darko” quietly came and went in theaters, but shortly after being released on DVD it became arguably the ultimate cult film of our time. “Darko” was highly entertaining and had a sense of atmosphere that few films achieve. Six years later, Kelly returns with his second effort, and is decidedly less successful.

“Southland Tales” opens on July 4, 2005. The movie had been sitting on the shelf for some time, so 2005 is meant to be the future. On this Independence Day, a nuclear blast hits Abilene, Texas. Over the next few minutes, we see the events of the next three years. USIdent watches our every move as we reach the summer of 2008.

Actor Boxer Santaros (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), a man with ties to the Republican vice-presidential candidate, has been missing for several days. Upon arriving back in L.A. with amnesia, no one knows where Boxer is, except for adult film star Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Together, they have written what turns out to be an eerily accurate screenplay about the Apocalypse.

Meanwhile, an L.A. cop (Seann William Scott) has been kidnapped by neo-Marxists who have replaced him with his twin brother (also Scott) to stage a murder on film. This is as far as I can go on explaining the plot without breaking out a road map that neither you nor I would understand.

Along the way, we are subjected to all manner of nonsensical pretentious tripe. We watch a woman dance from room to room over the course of several minutes, Kevin Smith wears a ZZ Top beard, and Justin Timberlake narrates between self-indulgent musical numbers. Also, Kelly seems to think that the mere presence of midgets is somehow comic gold. It's not. The humor and atmosphere present in “Darko” is practically non-existent.

A couple of things do hit the target and the three leads (the Rock, Gellar, and Scott) actually manage decent performances despite the horrendous material. Still, they can't save the sinking ship or, in this case, the megazeppelin and the floating ice cream truck. The supporting cast doesn't do nearly as well, particularly Lisa K. Wyatt as the most annoying character I've seen in a film since Jar Jar Binks. Every word out of her mouth is meant to be a riot. Between Kelly's dialogue and her shrill delivery, it’s excruciating.

At 144 minutes, "Southland Tales" is now shorter than when it premiered at Cannes nearly two years ago. Kelly needed to keep cutting. It wouldn't have made the movie any better but it would have at least stolen less of my life.

Either Kelly really thinks he's smart and actually isn't, or he knows he's not that smart but desperately wants the audience to believe he is. In either case, "Southland Tales" is a jumbled mess of a movie that offers little in the way of entertainment or imagination. 2/10.

Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm

Now to wash the “Southland Tales” from your mouth I highly recommend a thorough dose of one of the greatest films of all time, the way it was intended to be seen.

David Lean’s 1962 epic masterpiece “Lawrence of Arabia” will be playing in a limited engagement at Seattle’s Cinerama in 70 millimeter. “Why drive 30 or 40 miles to see a movie I can watch on DVD?” you ask. Because watching “Lawrence” in 70mm with an audience is more than watching a film. It truly is an experience.

To briefly explain about 70mm, the films we see on the big screen today are shot and projected in 35mm, unless of course they’re in digital, which is still hit and miss. 70mm is twice the resolution of 35mm film, creating an image that is breathtakingly clear. The Cinerama is the only theater in the state that runs films in 70mm and they rarely do so. This is due in part to the fact that no film has been shot in the 70mm format in over a decade.

As for the film itself, “Lawrence of Arabia” tells the grand tale of British officer T.E. Lawrence and his role in the Arab revolt during World War I. Played by then unknown Peter O’Toole (giving one of the great performances in all of cinema), we see Lawrence go from an inexperienced, even bumbling young officer to one of the most legendary and controversial figures in military history.

Director David Lean (“The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Doctor Zhivago”) gives the film a tremendous sense of scope while simultaneously creating an intimate study of Lawrence. To see the wide open shots of the desert and the introduction of Omar Sharif’s character is reason enough to see “Lawrence” on the big screen. This is all enhanced by Maurice Jarre’s musical score, which has influenced the work of composers ever since.

Also consider that the many wide shots that would employ a liberal use of CGI today were all done with real sets and real people. Not only that, but Lean insisted that O’Toole and Sharif be riding their camels no matter how tiny they would appear in the shot. That would never happen now.

It’s impossible to do this film justice in a few short paragraphs. It remains a staggering achievement by any standard and a film that has stood the test of time. I saw it at the Cinerama one year ago and I am eager to return. “It’s going to be fun.”

“Lawrence of Arabia” will play at the Cinerama on the following dates:

Sundays, March 16 and 23, 12 noon only

Tuesdays, March 18 and 25, 8 p.m. only

For directions, tickets, and more information visit www.cinerama.com. For more about 70mm I recommend www.in70mm.com.

Other New Releases:

March 18:

Enchanted (PG)

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (PG)

The Ice Storm- Criterion Edition (R)

Eight Men Out- 20th Anniversary (PG)

Battlestar Galactica- Season 3

March 25:

Control (R)- 8/10

The Kite Runner (PG-13)

Lost Highway (R)

Bonnie and Clyde- Ultimate Collector’s Edition

The Mist (R)