By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

With much disappointment from both the publishing and motion picture worlds, Dan Brown’s Inferno made less than 20 percent of the film’s production budget. Inferno features the same formula we’ve already seen in The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. The new film offers a new wrinkle in which our hero, Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), suffers from memory loss. With great location shots in Florence and Venice, Inferno is not a bad movie, just a tired one.

High energy will be needed for the next three weeks as the 31st Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) kicks off this Friday evening at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. Dreamland is the feature film and it is truly a family affair. Directed by Robert Coppola Schwartzman, Dreamland features his mom Talia Shire and Beverly D’Angelo, who are expected to be in attendance for a Q & A and the opening night party. Most of the 43 feature films, 62 shorts and 20 plus student films with be screened at Savor Cinemas Ft. Lauderdale and Cinema Paradiso in Hollywood. Savor Ft. Lauderdale will host an Italian Film and Party Sunday night at 6 p.m. and there will be the usual cruise on Sunday.

Seeking to be fair and balanced, Festival Director & CEO Gregory von Hausch will be screening Michael Moore’s Trumpland and Dinesh D’Souza’s Hillary’s America on Monday afternoon.

Later that evening, Chief Zabu will make its east coast premier. Produced over 25 years ago, this offbeat comedy features character actor Allen Garfield and Zack Norman (who also directed) as real estate developers who seek to build on a small Polynesian island.

On election night, the Savor Cinemas will feature a “Nail Biter Buffet” and live election coverage. Regardless of political affiliation, this should be a fun night for both winners and losers.

Veteran’s Day weekend will keep FLIFF’s tradition of interesting programming. Besides appearances from Arlene Dahl and Bailee Madison, there will be a free screening of Fury, a World War II drama about tank combat.

For ticket prices, times and all locations, contact 954-525-FILM or visit www.fliff.com.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The 31st Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) unveiled its poster at Oceans 234 in Deerfield last Wednesday night, Sept. 28. At the poster dedication, President and CEO Gregory Von Hausch announced the premier of over 100 films in 17 days in November.

Besides turning sweet 16, actress Bailee Madison returns to FLIFF with Annabelle Hooper & The Ghosts of Nantucket, Bailee’s debut film as a producer. While most of the films will be screened at the Savor Cinema in Fort Lauderdale (formerly Cinema Paradiso, at 503 SE 6 St., Ft. Lauderdale), Dreamland will open the festival at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino (1 Seminole Way, Hollywood) on Friday, Nov. 4. Directed by Robert Schwartzman, Dreamland features performances by his brother Jason Schwartzman and his mother Talia Shire (known from performances like Rocky and The Godfather), who will be in attendance that evening.

Having earned an Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, Martin Landau will accept the FLIFF Lifetime Achievement Award. Along with co-stars Armand Assante and Michael Pare, Landau is expected to attend the screening of The Red Maple Leaf, the official closing night FLIFF film. In addition, Foster Hirsch returns to interview stage and screen legend, Arlene Dahl. These are just a few of the events and films planned for the film festival. Find out more and get tickets at www.fliff.com.

While the stalwart George Hamilton is not expected to attend this year’s festival, his film from last year’s FLiFF opens tomorrow, Silver Skies. This film is an ensemble comedy about seasoned citizens who are facing the foreclosure of their rental community.

Hamilton portrays Phil, an Alzheimer patient who thinks he is Dean Martin sometimes. Phil’s roommate, Nick (Jack McGee) sells programs at the racetrack. Each morning, they share breakfast with Eve (Barbara Bain) and Mickey (Jack Betts) who often gossip about the reclusive Harriet (Mariette Hartley), especially when a young, well dressed, black man visits her apartment three times a week.

While the foreclosure is the serious narrative, Silver Skies features comedic behavior from the main protagonists. There are also neighborhood romances featuring the [hussy] next door, Ethel (Valerie Perrine) and a recent widower, Frank (Alex Rocco), which is actually quite touching.

Not all of Silver Skies works. There is a scene involving sexual assault that is too graphic for the tone of this movie. However, the scene does set up a Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky joke that redeems it.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

It sounds like a broken record, but superheroes and Walt Disney Studios dominated the summer box office. Despite negative mainstream reviews, Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice did well at the box office, but did not rival Captain America: Civil War in both revenue and critical appeal. The 2016 box office crown goes to Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory, an animated tale with both story and heart.

While losing money for their producers, Kubo and the Two Strings is stop motion (as opposed to computerized like Finding Dory) animation like the original King Kong and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Lacking the narrative intensity of Finding Dory, Kubo and the Two Strings is a contemplative motion picture about life, the rites of passage and spirituality. Like a good piece of Asian Literature or an Akira Kurosawa movie, Kubo and the Two Strings places an emphasis upon colorful visualization and primitive symbolism. While Kubo is an archetypal protagonist, he is a character. Expect Kubo and the Two Strings to be an Oscar rival to Finding Dory next awards season.

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) Director Gregory Von Hausch has announced the dates for this year’s festival: Friday Nov. 4 thru Sunday Nov. 20. While guests and honorees have yet to be announced, the venues have been announced with opening ceremonies at the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe and closing ceremonies at the historical Bailey Hall. The majority of films will be screened at either the Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood venues.

FLIFF will be a transformative festival. Much like old Joe Robbie Stadium, which is now called Hard Rock Stadium, Cinema Paradiso will now be known as Savor Cinema in honor of philanthropist Steve Savor. Having hosted several galas at his Villa di Palma in previous years, one can expect Steve Savor to energize the glamour aspect of South Florida’s biggest film festival.

In other news: this weekend, Tom Hanks stars as the title character, Sully, the commercial pilot who landed a jet airliner in the Hudson River. October sees the release of Dan Brown’s Inferno which is set in Florence, Italy and features a mystery evolving around Dante’s Inferno. Expect Tom Hanks to be in the news for the next two months, as Sully is directed by Clint Eastwood and Dante’s Inferno is directed by Ron Howard.

The People vs. Fritz Bauer opens Sept. 16 in local cinemas. Based on a true story, the film details German Attorney General Fritz Bauer’s efforts to bring Adolph Hitler’s chief bureaucrat, Adolph Eichmann, to justice.

With each passing Labor Day weekend, the memories of the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy fade into memory. Having turned 90, the old clown and humanitarian will be seen on the big screen on Sept. 23 in Max Rose. Playing the title character, Lewis is garnering his best notices since he was directed by Martin Scorsese in King of Comedy over three decades ago. Having recently been interviewed on the CBS Sunday morning program, it appears that Jerry Lewis will not fade into the darkness quietly.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

While weary from an intense three-week festival of screenings, red carpets and special events, the volunteers, staff and journalists closed the 30th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF30) on a triumphant note at The Ritz Carlton Hotel on A1A in Fort Lauderdale. Given the theme of history emphasized by George Hamilton’s return appearance to FLiFF, it was appropriate to end the festival near the beach where Where the Boys Are was filmed 55 years ago, which Hamilton was in.

FLiFF was only three years old when bassist Jaco Pastorious was beaten to death by a bouncer in a Wilton Manor’s bar. Much like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, [blues singer] Robert Johnson and Amy Winehouse, Jaco’s talent was not truly appreciated until his demise. To acknowledge his life, Cinema Paradiso will present an encore screening of the documentary Jaco this Thanksgiving weekend. Check Jaco out on the big screen with a nuanced sound system; you will enjoy seeing home movies of the Pastorius Family frolicking on Deerfield Beach during the 1970s.

Direct from Italy with English subtitles, The Wonders opens tomorrow. It is a bucolic film about a family of beekeepers in Tuscany. Despite living in a heavenly countryside, the parents struggle to live the simple life as their children become distracted by appearing on a reality television show. With gorgeous cinematography and Italian neoclassic realism, The Wonders is a quiet alternative to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and Creed.

In my 16 years of writing a film column for Thanksgiving, this year’s current news headlines make it difficult to find things to be grateful for. Yet, one can find peace in history. During the bloodiest days of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving,” and the United States of America has been celebrating this holiday for 152 years, now THAT is something to feel grateful for. (See more about Thanksgiving history on pg. 6).

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Spectre

Given the horrors we recently witnessed in Paris, the heroism of a fictional character like James Bond should feel false. Yet the Spectre box office has proven the value of movie escapism. Of all the Daniel Craig 007 adventures, Spectre feels like the most typical James Bond flick.

The film opens strong with Bond in Mexico tracking an assassin. From this endeavor, Bond finds a clue to a terrorist organization with links to previous movies, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. The mastermind of crime is Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) who employs Mr. Hynx (Dave Bautista), a huge henchman with a double barreled shotgun. Bond must rescue the beautiful Dr. Swann (Léa Seydoux), whose father was a soldier under Oberhauser.

Spectre raises some great questions about field espionage and computer surveillance, yet the film offers no solutions. After the opening, the best thing about Spectre is the cat and mouse game between Bond and Mr. Hynx. When Hynx disappears, the film limps to its conclusion.

FLiFF this week

This weekend, Amy Madigan and her husband Ed Harris will visit the 30th annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and receive their Lifetime Achievement Awards. While the couple has worked as professional collaborators for years, their most critically-acclaimed work together was Pollock, Harris’s award-winning directorial debut.

Harris will attend the Florida Premier of The Adderall Diaries at the Cinema Paradiso- Ft. Lauderdale on Friday night at 8:15 p.m. (Film also showing at the Hollywood location on Saturday at 6 p.m). Harris portrays Neil Elliott, the vindictive father of Stephen Elliott (James Franco), who is a once successful novelist who has become addicted to Adderall.

Thirty years ago, Ed Harris starred in a locally-produced movie which included Blair Brown and Richard Jordan. The film was based on a best-selling John D. MacDonald mystery novel about corrupt small town politics, greedy land developers and Florida’s vanishing environment. Titled A Flash of Green, the film will be showing at Cinema Paradiso in Ft. Lauderdale at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21.

The film was directed by Victor Nunez, a Florida resident, who will be presented the Florida Prize award for his commitment to Florida filmmaking. The award will be given to him by Ed Harris. The awards ceremony and gala will be held at the Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood at 6:30 p.m.

For ticket information for the gala or any other FLiFF events, call 954-525-FILM (3456) or visit www.fliff.com.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy opens tomorrow at the Living Room Theater on the Florida Atlantic University campus in Boca Raton. This two-hour documentary observes two children whose fathers were Nazi War Criminals. Now senior citizens, the two live vastly different lives with contrasting philosophies. This film is a serious documentary that asks the question, “Is it character or environment that shapes one’s destiny?”

With a lighter tone, Look Again plays this Friday afternoon at Cinema Paradiso-Hollywood (CP-H) and Sunday evening at the Cinema Paradiso-Fort Lauderdale (CP-FTL) as part of the 30th Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF30). On the verge of incompetent suicide, Amit (Anand Rajaram) receives special glasses from his guardian angel. These glasses allow Amit to see other people’s good or bad auras. Told with a light touch, Look Again concludes like an Aesop’s Fable about prejudice. Director Daniel O’Connor is expected to be in attendance.

Since he had so much fun last year, George Hamilton returns to party with FLiFF. The actor will be seen in Silver Skies, a dramady about seniors being forced to move from their housing facility. Along with Hamilton, film creators Jack McGee, and Nestor and Rosemary Rodriquez, will attend this centerpiece film to be shown at the Sunrise Civic Center Nov. 13 at 7:15 p.m. (It will also show in CP-H on Nov. 14)

FLiFF’s Volunteer Coordinator Janet Schwartz and Membership Director Irwin Levenstein are sponsoring a showing of the 1967 film, Bonnie and Clyde, in tribute to Estelle Parsons. Having been awarded a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this film, Estelle Parsons will receive the FLiFF Lifetime Achievement Award. Film historian Foster Hirsch will conduct an onstage interview with Parsons to discuss her movie, television (Parsons played Beverly Harris on Roseanne) and academic career (teaching at Columbia and The Actors Studio). The screening begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Sunrise Civic Center with the Parsons-Hirsch interview and party scheduled afterward.

Cinema Paradiso will become Mel’s Drive-in Diner this Saturday night when Candy Clark accepts her Lifetime Achievement Award. Clark portrayed Toad’s (Charlie Martin Smith) love interest in George Lucas’s second film, American Graffiti, which was produced by Frances Ford Coppola. Like Parsons, Clark has an outstanding resume of film and television work. She has worked with Golden Age legends like Robert Mitchum, John Huston and Jeff Bridges, yet has remained viable on contemporary television shows like Criminal Minds.

To get a handle on all the films and festivities at FLiFF 30, call 954-525-3456 or visit the website www.fliff.com.

By Dave Montalbano

The 30th Annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, which runs Nov. 6-22, opens with three opening night films on Friday, Nov. 6: Michael Moore’s “Where to Invade Next” at 7 p.m. followed by “Jaco” at 9 p.m. at the Hard Rock Live, and “Boat Builder” with Christopher Lloyd at 8 p.m. at Cinema Paradiso in Ft. Lauderdale.

Jaco a one-time screening at the Seminole Hard Rock, is directed by Paul Marchand and produced by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo. This documentary examines the short life (36 years) of this Oakland Park resident who was called “The Best Bass Player who Ever Lived.” The Jaco Pastorius Park Community Center is named after him. Marchand, Trujillo and the Pastorius family is expected to attend.

Don’t miss The Boat Builder also on Friday with actor Christopher Lloyd (known for films like “Back to the Future”) in attendance to receive his Lifetime Achievement Award. Since his debut film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, he has amassed over 40 years of acting credits. The film is sponsored by make-up artist to the stars, Cyndi Boyar.

Also sponsored by Boyar, and Havana Air, is “3 Days in Havana,” showing on Saturday at the Cinema Paradiso in Hollywood and Sunday at Cinema Paradiso-Ft. Lauderdale. Actor Gil Bellows (known for “Ally McBeal,” “Shawshank Redemption,” etc.) will be here. With overtones of Sir Alfred Hitchcock and Film Noir, Bellows (who co-directed with longtime friend Tony Pantages) portrays a man who, while having a drink at a bar, suddenly gets sucked into Cuba’s primitive underground economy. This Spanish film with English subtitles will include a Cuba Libre pre-party on Nov. 8.

On Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, actress Loretta Swit will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at Cinema Paradiso, prior to the screening of the documentary, Never the Same, the Prisoner of War Experience. That evening, there will be a “M*A*S*H”-themed party at Villa di Palma, with some proceeds from ticket sales going to Swit’s charity, Ayla’s Acres, a No-Kill Rescue Organization for Pets. The film is also sponsored by Cyndi Boyar, who is a Hillsboro Beach resident.

More about FLIFF next week. For details, visit www.fliff.com.

The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers debuts at the Regal Shadowood Theatre in Boca Raton tomorrow. The film reviews tensions with Egypt and the 1978 Camp David Accords brokered between Egypt and Israel by President Jimmy Carter. Oscar-winning actors Michael Douglas and Christoph Waltz serve as the voices of Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin, respectively.

The Walk is a simple cinematic experience that deserves its box office success and critical acclaim. Told with exuberant energy, this film celebrates the core feeling of what it is to be a New Yorker.

The film opens with Frenchman Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) narrating his story from the torch of the Statue of Liberty. As Petit explains his early adventures as a wire walker, the camera pans back and reveals the old New York skyline, with the Empire State Building in the background and the Twin Towers in the foreground.

After years as a street performer, Petit assembles a team of like-minded individuals to manage high profile challenges. Petit gains notoriety in Paris when he crosses the bell towers of the Notre Dame cathedral. After being arrested and being put in jail for public disturbance, Petit sees himself on the cover of a Paris newspaper. After flipping the newspaper open, he reads that the World Trade Center Twin Towers would soon be nearing completion. Seeing this coincidence as a divine sign, Petit assembles an international team to walk a wire between the Twin Towers.

Released seven years ago, Man on Wire was an Oscar award-winning documentary about the same subject. The Walk is a complimentary film experience that provides cinematic detail as to the nuances of wire walking that stock documentary footage is unable to present. It is a full cinematic experience that needs to be seen on the big screen for full effect.

The 30th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF 30) begins in three weeks. FLiFF 30 will feature visits from Christopher Lloyd, Ed Harris and his wife Amy Madigan, and Gil Bellows, known for Ally McBeal and Shawshank Redemption, among others. Loretta Swit, from the television version of M*A*S*H, will be involved in a special Veteran’s Day screening and event.

Having been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as “the World’s Longest Film Festival”, FLiFF 30 will kick off with special pre-fest screenings. Brooklyn features Saoirse Ronan as an Irish Immigrant involved in a forbidden romance with an Italian man during the 1950s. Produced by Ty Flowers, Time Simply Passes is a 53-minute documentary about a man wrongly imprisoned for killing his own children. 3:13 is a documentary about a man who lost his fortune in the Great Recession and how he became a street person in Miami. With sunnier cinematography, Single in South Beach deals with the relationship issues of a material girl.

For late breaking FLiFF30 news, updates and schedule, visit www.fliff.com.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Having actors Jason Alexander and Pamela Shaw screen their movie Lucky Stiff at the Amaturo Theater in Downtown Ft. Lauderdale was cool Friday night under the glowing moon, but it was the locals who really shined at the 29th Annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. Given that we have another two weeks of screenings and parties, the FLiFF29 juggernaut is just gaining momentum.

Evolving from an Off Broadway musical, director Christopher Ashley filled Lucky Stiff with many cinematic touches. While most of the narrative takes place in Monte Carlo, most of the film was shot in a California studio with special effects technology. Throughout the movie, there is cartoon animation that enhances the corny themes that are found in American musicals. While this film is not a great movie, it is a goofy time passer.

Friday night set the stage for a fun weekend at Cinema Paradiso. Florida local Peter Wein, the radio host of Peter’s Living Room, set up his studio in the patio and interviewed the talent who were screening their movies. Along with co-host Audrey Lynn, Peter interviewed the cast and crew of Human Capital, Pie Lady of Pie Town and Traitors. Do a Google search for Peter’s Living Room and The Wei Network and one can hear these far-ranging interviews.

When dark skies began to absorb the Sunday skyline, It seemed as if luck was running out on FLiFF29. However, this miserable weather set the perfect stage for An Honest Liar, the documentary about Plantation resident, James Randi. While the first 2/3 of the movie features The Amazing Randi’s public career as a magician, the final portion of the film focuses on Randi’s private revelation. Randi also provides a lesson on class and dignity as he confronts a public storm that threatens his happiness. Always the consummate showman, at age 86, the Amazing Randi concluded his Q& A with a magic trick, much to the delight of the audience.

Week Two presents the FLiFF29 Centerpiece film, Frank vs. God at the Sunrise Civic Center Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. David Frank (Henry Ian Cusick) suffers travails similar to that of the Old Testament’s long-suffering Job. When his insurance company refuses to pay a claim, due to “an act of God,” Frank decides to sue God.

Given his work on the long-running television show Lost, Cusick appears to be the perfect casting choice as Frank. Cusick will be attending the party following the film; it’s co-sponsored by locals Diane Sobo and Cyndi Boyar.

As to why she decided to sponsor this film, Boyar responded, “I have a friend who is a big fan of Lost and Henry Ian Cusick.

I love the Sunrise Civic Center and this seemed like a natural fit.”

After this weekend, FLiFF29 will be 2/3 complete with many films selling out. For tickets and information, visit www.fliff.com or call 954-525-FILM.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.Com

For over 30 years, Liam Neeson has been a consistent character actor in support of actors like Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, and the Batman.

In his recent film releases, such as Taken, The Grey and Non Stop, Neeson has taken on the role as the iconic leading man in American movies. With A Walk Among the Tombstones, Neeson gives a simple performance, but with nuanced moments of vulnerability and nobility.

Former New York cop turned private investigator Matthew Scudder (Neeson) is hired by a shabby character that he meets at an AA meeting.

The shabby character reveals that his brother is a drug kingpin who needs a private investigator. It turns out that the wife of the drug kingpin has been murdered and the crime lord wants revenge.

However, revenge is not easy because the motives seem convoluted. Could the killers be from a rival gang? Could this be a conspiracy grown from the incompetency of the DEA?

Scudder unravels this mystery while confronting a personal demon of his own, alcoholism.

The best part about this film is the relationship between Scudder and TJ (Brian “Astro” Bradley), a homeless boy with sickle cell anemia. The relationship grows out of respect for great detective literature from Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, with life lessons about the importance of maintaining good pistol maintenance.

The biggest flaw in this film is the climatic ending. As Scudder takes matters into his own hands, we heard a narration expressing the 12 Steps of alcohol recovery. While the intention may have been noble, the juxtaposition between audio and the visual is jarring.

On a lighter note, The Skeleton Twins starring Saturday Night Live alumnus Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig opens this weekend. It is a story about estranged twins who decide to come to grips with maturity.

The 2014 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival has announced their celebrity line-up for the season, featuring veterans Jason Alexander and George Hamilton. The daughters of David Mamet and Robert Carradine, Clara Mamet and Ever Carradine, respectively, will be in attendance to promote their independent projects.

For more information about dates, times and ticket sales, call 954-252- FILM (3456) or visit www.fliff.com.