Movie Natters: February 27, 2007 Archive

"Please don't walk out of my movie"

Posted at 12:45 PM on February 27, 2007 by Euan Kerr

Director Terry Gilliam on the set of "Tideland" (Photo courtesy of THINKfilm)

Local lad Terry Gilliam talked to Steve Inskeep on NPR's Morning Edition today about how he wants people to give his new movie "Tideland" a chance. (It's now out on DVD after a rocky trip through the theaters.)

Gilliam, Monty Python animator and director of "Brazil," "12 Monkeys," and "The Fisher King" among many others, went so far as to film a personal message at the beginning of "Tideland" asking people to stay in their seats.

Apparently people have been upset by the fact that the little girl who is the central character measures out her Dad's heroin. She deals with the horrors of this by entering a Gilliam-esque fantasy world.

Intriguingly, during the conversation they talk more about the commonalities with "Little Miss Sunshine" where Alan Arkin played a grandfather with a drug habit, rather than "Pan's Labyrinth" where a little girl escapes from a wretched situation through her imagination.

Festival news (Fargo and MSPIFF)

Posted at 5:15 PM on February 27, 2007 by Euan Kerr

Fargo Film Festival: Not long now until the Fargo Film Festival lights up the Red River Valley skies. Check out the schedule: there's some great stuff showing.

Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival: I chatted with Vince Muzik over at Minnesota Film Arts, and he revealed the folks behind MSPIFF are talking about TWO festivals this year.

The first dubbed "MSPIFF 24 1/2" (a name which Vince says is an homage to Fellini) will take place from April 19-29, and will feature 50-60 films.

The second event will be in October (exact dates to be announced later) with the intention of taking advantage of the films floating round the big festivals at that time of year.

Long time festival director Al Milgrom (left) is gathering candidates for the April festival now. According to Muzik some of his favorites so far are: "The Sugar Curtain" (France/Spain), "Kamone Diner" (Japan), "Yacoubian Building" (Egypt) and "The Story of Pao" (Viet Nam).

That last film, is one of the first features shot in the Hmong language. It showed to packed houses for a couple of days in November at the Oak Street. Rather than wait till the Festival the Oak Street is bringing to back March 9th for a week.

Details of the MSPIFF will be posted on its web site as they become available. (Thanks to Vince for the picture.)