Week Ending 9th September, 2001	Page 1
Reservoir Dogs Action Figures !!!	posted 5 Sept 2001
That's right! To mark the 10th anniversary of the release of Reservoir Dogs, the film's characters are being turned into a series of action figures! Now you can re-enact all your favourite scenes - the Madonna discussion, the Mexican stand-off, even the torture sequence! (A razor and detachable ear are included as accessories)... This goes straight on to my Christmas list!
Ry Cooder Fined For Filming in Cuba	posted 5 Sept 2001
The doco Buena Vista Social Club has been credited with doing more to improve relations between US and Cuba than anything attempted in the political arena in the past 42 years... But this means little to the US Treasury, who recently slapped a $25K fine on Ry Cooder for spending money in Cuba during the filming of that movie. Mr Cooder, however, might have the last laugh... This law under which he was fined has long been considered unconstitutional, so if he goes to court he may get it struck down.
Sean Penn : Cinema Revolutionary	posted 5 Sept 2001
Without a doubt, Sean Penn is a complex man... On the one hand, he is the part owner of an exclusive Manhattan restaurant who once made headlines for chucking a hissy fit when a big studio refused to send a private jet to fly him to a movie screening... On the other, he is a firebrand who, during his visit to the Edinburgh Film Festival, lashed out at American culture and global capitalism, calling for a revolution both in the movies and in the streets. On the subject of Hollywood films, he also quipped that all you need to do is 'put two thoughts into your movie [and] you're already well up on them'... Way to go, Sean! We need more ex-stars like this to counterbalance the bland clones!
From Disgraced Silent Movie Star To Theme Restaurant...	posted 5 Sept 2001
Fatty Arbuckle was a silent star who depending on who you believe was either a monster or a tragic victim. In the early days of the Hollywood silent scene and at the height of his fame he was charged with rape but latter acquitted. His career was finished and he was left a broken man... Read about his trial in this article, then grab the family, jump in the station wagon and head out to Fatty Arbuckles Amercian Diners. In the friendly atmosphere, you and the family can discuss Fatty's trial and the death of the mentally unstable women at the centre of the rape allegations all while having a huge American style meal. (posted by Anthony)
Written & Directed By the Pentagon	posted 4 Sept 2001
The Guardian reports that the US military has routinely forced rewrites of Hollywood films in return for access to military hardware and the use of locations. The rewrites have generally been designed to present the US military in a heroic light and thereby serve as 'more of a commercial for them'... Films that followed orders and got to play with the Pentagon's toys include Armageddon, Air Force One, Pearl Harbour and Top Gun... Films like Apocalypse Now, The Thin Red Line, Full Metal Jacket and Platoon, however, didn't even pass the physical...
The World's Hardest Film Quiz !!!	posted 4 Sept 2001
This posting is especially for Celluloid Dreams' resident Movie Brain James, and any other dead-serious cinephiles out there. It's the Village Voice's annual film quiz, which claims to be the hardest in the world. Best of luck with it!... The winner receives a $250 gift certificate at the bookshop or video store of their choice. (Sadly though, I suspect this is restricted to bookshops and video stores in Manhattan.)
The 60 Film Experiment	featured on Celluloid Dreams
The 60 Film Experiment (which was mentioned on Celluloid Dreams a couple of weeks ago) is an initiative on the part of Rayon Films that aims to produce 60 films in one year! 12 of these films will churned out of each of the 5 Rayon Film centres around the world. To get involved in this cinematic adventure, all you need is an idea whose time has come... If want to find out more, turn up to the information session at the Valhalla on Thu 6th Sept, or check out the web site.
QueerDoc 2001	featured on Celluloid Dreams
Queer parenting in New Zealand, gay seniors in New York, the impact of gruelling drug regimens on HIV+ people, Lesbians Go Mad In Lesbos, Plushies & Furries, same sex in the animal kingdom, web cam boys, and 63 minutes of Asian gay men kissing... These are just some of the topics that will be covered by QueerDoc, Sydney's annual festival of queer documentaries, which runs from Sept 6-9 at the Chauvel. Go to their website for the complete programme.
A Sexy Hunk Of... Raspberry Creme Brulee	featured on Celluloid Dreams
So what sort of man really turns women on?... Apparently, one with lashings of cream and raspberries. At least, that was the outcome of a study that flashed a series of images at a group of women and monitored their heart rates to determine levels of excitement. Leo DiCaprio hardly registered at 92 beats per minutes, 'Our' Russell aroused a little more interest (99 bpm), and Brad Pitt scored best among the hunks with 105 bpm... But the readings really went off the scale when they brought out the desserts! A chocolate truffle sent female pulses racing to 135 bpm, and the raspberry creme brulee whipped them into a frenzied 142 bpm. (FYI : Average heartrate is 70 bpm.)
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