response 253 of 292:

Jun 5 18:26 UTC 1999

I have not yet seen the movie, but I read that Jar Jar was "played" (voice,
at least) by a guy who *was* from Jamaica.

Re #247: I've read a similar complaint, that C3PO was the stereotype of an
effeminate, meek, appearance-oriented, etc. gay man.  Interesting to rewatch
Episodes 5 and 6 with that theory in mind... it holds up fairly well, if you
want to believe it, but is still kind of silly to my mind...


Isn't this the movie item?  Has anyone seen any *other* movies?  I watched
"Nobody's Fool" on video last night and I thought it was terrific.  Everyone
should see it.  :)

response 255 of 292:

Jun 7 16:03 UTC 1999

Cinerama Holiday
----------------

Last Saturday (May 29th) Carol and I drove to the only Cinerama theater in 
America - the New Neon Movie Theater in Dayton, Ohio.

Cinerama was a movie format created in the early 1950s, and is usually 
described these days as a precursor to Imax.  A Cinerama camera contained 3 
rolls of film, one pointed straight ahead, one to the left, and one to the 
right.  Together they could see 146 degrees of a scene.  The sound system had 
6 channels. 

To display a Cinerama movie, therefore, a theater needs three projectors which 
are somehow linked together so they stay in sync, a curved screen, and at 
least 6 speakers.  There are apparently only two such theaters in the world - 
one in England and one in Dayton.

Only a few movies were filmed in Cinerama.  The first was called "This is 
Cinerama", which began with a view from a roller coaster, and consisted of a 
lot of disjointed scenes designed to show off the medium.  I think the most 
famous Cinerama movie was "How the West Was Won" with Gregory Peck, Henry 
Fonda, and Jimmy Stewart. 

The screen manages to just about fill up your peripheral vision, which means 
the movie does a remarkably good job of making you feel like you're really 
there.  That was the idea - the creator of Cinerama had previously designed a 
simulator for gunners in the air force during the war, using (I think) 6 
projectors to make them feel like they were really in battle.

Cinerama also has one huge advantage over Imax.  Last I heard, Imax cameras 
were still so loud that it was impossible to record sound and film at the same 
time, so all Imax movies have the sound dubbed in afterward.  Not so with 
Cinerama, which makes it possible to film dance numbers and all manner of 
musical shows which you couldn't possibly dub. 

After "This is Cinerama", the producers of Cinerama polled viewers to find out 
what kinds of things they'd like to see filmed in Cinerama.  A large number of 
people said they'd like to see film of real and interesting places they could 
travel to vicariously. Thus the second Cinerama movie, "Cinerama Holiday", 
made in 1954. 

The print being shown at the New Neon is the *only* print of "Cinerama 
Holiday" left, and it is much deteriorated. Almost all its blues and yellows 
are gone; what's left is "vibrant pink-and-white." However, it is still sharp 
and clear, and the sound quality is excellent. 

"Cinerama Holiday" opens with a young couple from Switzerland (Beatrice and 
Fred Troller) arriving in St. Louis, Missouri, where they meet a hometown 
couple (John and Betty Marsh).  The couples are real people, not actors.  The 
filmmakers interviewed a lot of people before selecting them. They are young, 
good-looking, fun-loving types. John and Betty take the same plane back to 
Zurich (they are impressed that it only takes 18 hours to get there).  
Beatrice and Fred then travel through the U.S. while the Marshes visit 
Switzerland and France. 

Beatrice and Fred have definite ideas about what they want to see in
America, and they want to see as much as possible. Fred's motor-scooter is
lifted out of the plane and they head for the Wild West. First they stop
off in Las Vegas for some gambling, floor shows, and lots of glittering
lights. They are intrigued, because they say there is nothing like the
one-armed bandit in Switzerland. Their trip across the West takes them
zipping over rocky, deserty terrain on the motor-scooter, where they meet
some "real Red Indians" -- full-blood Apaches who are also prosperous
ranchers with names like Gus and Clarence. They finish their Western trip
in comfort, watching the scenery go by from the Vista-Dome of the
California Zephyr.

In San Francisco the Trollers visit a folk club called The Tin Angel.  On 
stage are Odetta, who went on to a career as a famous folk singer, and a lanky 
23-year old from Michigan named Larry Mohr.  The next year Larry would marry 
Jean Latimer (who can be seen in the front row in the scene at the club) and 
in December, 1955 (while Larry was in the army, stationed in France) they 
would have a daughter named Carol.  Later he would go on to very successful 
career as a Political Science professor at the University of Michigan.

Music is also the main event of their stay in New Orleans. Ardent jazz fans, 
they want to see the place where jazz was born. They visit an African American 
church service, and observe a funeral procession in which mourners and 
musicians walk solemnly from the cemetary through the streets. When the Saints 
Go Marching In takes on a stately, sad quality not usually associated with 
that tune. The New Orleans visit winds up with some hot jazz in a small club. 

In stunning contrast to the more exotic locations they traveled to, the 
Trollers go next to New England and a small-town harvest fair in Deerfield, 
New Hampshire, complete with livestock, hayride, and a Ferris wheel. (It seems 
a Cinerama camera is pretty portable, because the audience is treated to the 
view from a Ferris wheel seat--up and over we go!) You can almost smell the 
cider and the crushed autumn leaves underfoot. And they get a taste of 
American collegiate life at Dartmouth College, listening to the Men of 
Dartmouth singing traditional glee club choruses.

The choices the filmmakers made are intriguing, I think.  The movie really is 
an interesting look at some of the things that were going on in America in the 
early 1950s.  For all its extraordinary aspects, it also gives a real taste 
of what ordinary life was like at that time--the clothes, the cars, the ways 
of speaking, the look of the cities. Because of the way the medium was hyped, 
I was expecting more glamor and more showing off. I'm glad they didn't just go 
for cheap thrills. 

Meanwhile in Switzerland, the Marshes have chosen to sit back and let Cinerama 
plan their vacation. It begins in St. Moritz, where John tries out the bobsled 
run. This is almost the only gratuitous Cinerama "thrill" scene in the whole 
film, and worth every penny, as the sled whizzes down the long course at hair-
raising speed, down steep hills and around tight, high banked turns. For a 
tamer form of entertainment, the Marshes enjoy an outdoor performance of 
Holiday on Ice. (Figure skating sure has come a long way since the 1950s--no 
fast spins or overhead lifts, and very few jumps.) 

Then there's a lot of skiing, which (apparently) wouldn't have been complete 
without shots of ski-jumpers flying over the camera. This is followed by 
apres-ski featuring traditional Swiss fondue dinner and singalong.  (The 
recipe for the fondue is in the program.) 

After that it's on to Paris.  The experience of riding in a taxicab was never 
filmed quite like this, I think - it rivals the bobsled scene for excitement.
Art Buchwald, then a correspondent for the Paris Herald-Tribune, makes a cameo 
appearance, long enough to tell the Marshes that if they don't enjoy Paris 
it's their own fault.

They visit the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Louvre, a private fashion 
show by a famous coutourier (not named) in a private home, and a show at 
L'Opera de Paris.  Betty, after a long day, wants to go to bed, whereupon John 
leaves her (she's a bit huffy) to spend the night carousing with his old Navy 
buddies who are stationed in Paris.  They see a spectacular Can-Can show. 

There are some lower-key scenes in Paris, too.  The Marshes visit the graves 
of Napoleon and General Foch, and watch a very entertaining puppet show of 
Little Red Riding Hood.  You can see and hear the audience of children as they 
are watching the show, and that makes it a lot of fun.  They also get to visit 
a French home, and talk about the changes the war has made in France.  It 
really is like being taken on a tour by interesting hosts. 

At the end the two couples meet back in New York (John and Betty take the 
Queen Mary, which is a sight to behold in Cinerama).  Then they watch Cinerama 
film of planes landing on an aircraft carrier.  This is a bit gratuitous, 
but the Trollers had asked about it at the beginning of a trip.  We're told 
that the pilot whose jet we're in is making his first ever landing on a 
carrier, and that makes the experience a little scarier.

The experience of watching the movie was enhanced a lot by the fact that the 
operators of the theater in Dayton really take themselves seriously as
torchbearers for Cinerama.  The owner and camera operator came out and talked 
to the audience a couple of times before the show, and showed a video of an 
interview with Fred Troller, made a few years ago, where he recalled the 
making of the movie.  (He remembered Larry and Odetta, too.)  We also saw a 
short film (without sound) made recently in Cinerama by some Australians - it 
was the first time anyone in America had seen it (John the owner wasn't even 
sure if he'd threaded the film in upside down or not until it appeared 
correctly on the screen).  The newsletter of the Cinerama Appreciation Society 
is also available in the lobby.  The current issue includes pictures of John & 
Betty Marsh and Leonard Maltin at a special gala showing in Dayton in 1997. 

The center projector is not enclosed in a booth - instead you can stand in the 
lobby and see the whole thing.  It's huge, and so are the rolls of film.

All in all the whole experience was a lot of fun.  I encourage anyone who's 
interested to make the trip to Dayton (it's about 3.5 hours from Ann Arbor) to 
see a show.  Info on upcoming attractions can be found at:

  http://http://www.neonmovies.com/cinerama.html

response 257 of 292:

Jun 7 20:03 UTC 1999

My understanding from the CPS newsletter is that the Los Angeles theater,
while built for Cinerama, doesn't currently have Cinerama projectors
installed, though they're working on it and hope to be able to show Cinerama
movies by summer of 2000.  There's also a theater in Seattle, bought and
restored by Paul Allen, which hopes to get Cinerama equipment next year.

response 259 of 292:

Jun 8 16:01 UTC 1999

NOTTING HILL (A-) -- An old-fashioned romantic comedy.
Julia Roberts is very touching, despite some corny lines 
she has to recite.  I've heard her say that she just stood
there and made herself do it as best she could.  It worked.
Hugh Grant I can take or leave, but he's well-cast in this
movie.  The Welsh actor who plays Grant's "flatmate"
is hilarious.  Gina McKee, who plays the part of Grant's
wheelchair-bound best friend, has one of those faces
that looks maddeningly familiar.  I don't think I've seen her
in anything else -- it must be she reminds me of someone.
She's a cross between Joely Fisher and Marisa Tomei,
if you can imagine that.  Mostly Joely Fisher.

response 261 of 292:

Jun 8 18:40 UTC 1999

Re the Cinerama discussion: Super-Cinerama was a projection format
that used a single projector and a curved screen (not as deeply
curved as the original 3-strip Cinerama screen, however). Unlike
3-strip Cinerama, it was not a photographic process per se. The
films exhibited in Super-Cinerama were actually made in some other
wide screen process -- such as Super Panavision or Ultra Panavision --
and reformatted to fit the Super-Cinerama screen shape.

I'm glad to hear that the Neon Theater in Dayton is still showing
Cinerama. Had hoped to make it down there a couple of years ago when
they opened and showed "How the West Was Won", but never got around
to it.

response 263 of 292:

Jun 9 14:14 UTC 1999

Notting Hill was rather weak in dialogue, but Bella (the hauntingly 
familiar one) is amazingly beautiful..

it was cute, and mostly forgettable..decent costumes at times

response 265 of 292:

Jun 10 04:37 UTC 1999

Yet one more Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace review:

Like most everyone else it seems, I would have to rate this movie 
as "Good."  The plot was thin, but I understand why.  The characters 
were under-developed, which I don't understand why.  And the effects 
were good, but not revolusionary.  And as for Jar Jar...I haven't made 
up my mind about him yet.  He's definitely annoying at times, but has a 
lovable quality about him.

Things I noticed:  It's been mentioned how Jar Jar's voice has a 
Jamacan accent to it, which I noticed.  Did you also notice that the 
voices of the Trade Federation reps had oriental influences, both in 
voice and costume, at least I thought so.  And Watto's sounded rather 
Russian.  I'm just wondering why Lucus did this.  Now about the Battle 
droids:  Were these the most pathetic pieces of scrap metal you've ever 
seen?  Take away their guns and they're useless.  It's a good thing 
there were so many of them cuz they were getting sliced and diced like 
some tossed salad.  The rolling ball droids were much more effective in 
a combat situation.

While I wouldn't want to pay full price to see it again, I'll 
definitely catch it when it comes to the dollar theaters.  And with the 
apparent sharp drop-off in attendees, that might be before Summer's out.

response 267 of 292:

Jun 10 12:50 UTC 1999

re #265- Someone else pointed out somewhere that there are limitations
to the type of accent possible. <shrugs> also, yeah the droids were 
getting sliced and diced- but they were facing two Jedi. ;) (Even in the
seen with the Gungans - however that's spelled - they weren't doing all
that badly initially...)

response 269 of 292:

Jun 10 17:22 UTC 1999

that's to make the one or two good guys look even more amazing and
like, powerful and stuff. <grins>

response 271 of 292:

Jun 11 01:04 UTC 1999

ACtually, I thought that the Trade Federation people were Chinese.

response 273 of 292:

Jun 11 17:31 UTC 1999

I liked Leo in "Titanic" and all... but as Anikan?  ewwwwww.....

response 275 of 292:

Jun 11 21:20 UTC 1999

        Had I known DiCaprio was going to die in Titanic, I would have gone
to see it sooner, at the movies.

response 277 of 292:

Jun 11 21:50 UTC 1999

both of those old rumors have been succeeded in the past weeks.