Week Ending 18th November, 2001	Page 3 2 1
The Next World Movie Hit Stars... Afghan Refugees	posted 17 Nov 2001
Prior to 9-11 it was just another overlooked foreign language flick, but now Kandahar, a film about life in Afghanistan under the Taliban by Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, is a worldwide hit, with reports that even President Bush is clamouring to see it. The acting is a bit wooden, but that's because most of the performers are Afghan refugees who have never seen a movie before... Hmm, when it makes it to Australia, I wonder if it will be accompanied by disclaimers like "THE SCREENING OF THIS FILM SHOULD IN NO WAY BE SEEN AS AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE CHILD-DROWNING QUEUE-JUMPERS WHO APPEAR IN IT"...
The Fluffer... Yes, It's Another Porn Posting	posted 17 Nov 2001
Once upon a time, a film like The Fluffer would be consigned to the gay porn rental market, but such is the Boogie Nights-inspired fascination with films about the workings of the porn industry that it has earned a review in the film section of the New York Times. In short, it's about a starry eyed film buff who earns the right to become a "fluffer", off-stage oral erection sustainer, for a self-obsessed porn star that has become the object of his affections.
Lights, Camera... Virtual War!	posted 17 Nov 2001
Although much of the discussion about Hollywood's involvement in the war effort has so far has focussed on possible gung-ho movie scenarios and getting Harry Potter to the troops, the really interesting stuff is happening in the field of virtual reality... The Institute for Creative Technologies, a virtual reality training tool developer that has the likes of the scriptwriter of Apocalypse Now working as a consultant, has been devising interactive films set in places like Bosnia which allow the audience of military personnel to direct the on-screen action.
Blockbuster Season Approaches... Get Ready For The Toy Wars!	posted 17 Nov 2001
Forget the box office, this summer the real battle will be fought out on the shelves of toystores across the country with Harry Potter, Monsters Inc and Lord of The Rings vying for control of the product tie-in market that amounts to a whopping $7.6 billion in the US (and that's during a slow year!)... As an amusing sideline, check out this Jim Knipfel article about his hunt for a Godzilla action figure.
Intelligent Scriptwriting Triumphs Over Dumb, Star-Studded Glitz	posted 17 Nov 2001
And finally, I must doff my cap to Lantana... At a time when the local film industry seems obsessed with its capacity to lure brain-dead big-budget productions to our shores and praise gets heaped on not-even-particularly-good schlock like Moulin Rubbish-Heap, its uplifting to see a modest film with a finely crafted script and some real acting get the recognition it deserves by winning everything worth winning at the AFI awards. Welcome back, Ray Lawrence!
Get Your Hands On Smiling Jack's Choppers	posted 16 Nov 2001
...Thanks to the good folks on the Sky digital show Auction World Dot TV in the UK, who have been auctioning off 11 of Jack Nicholson's teeth... Mr Nicholson, who knew nothing of the auction prior to its announcement, is not amused.
Movie Monsters : From Downright Scary to Cute and Cuddly	posted 16 Nov 2001
Once upon a time, they were nightmarish figures that threatened to suck our blood or raze our neighbourhood with their atomic-ray breath... Now, they're all fluff and CGI with benignly gruff demeanours and a "misundertood tender side"... What has happened to movie monsters? Find out with Boston Globe's Sarah Bayliss.
Rambo Is Back !!!	posted 16 Nov 2001
Come on! You didn't expect this?... He's been to Afghanistan once already and managed to whup the Russians single-handed. Why not send him back to smoke out Osama Bin Laden? That's just what Sylvester Stallone thinks and so he's bashing out a script for Rambo IV... I hope he ups the ante on his last trip by sucking anthrax out of his elbow this time...
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