A distant Federation outpost Fort Casey comes under attack by bugs. The team on the fast attack ship Alesia is assigned to help the Starship John A. Warden stationed in Fort Casey evacuate along with the survivors and bring military intelligence safely back to Earth. Carl Jenkins, now ministry of Paranormal Warfare, takes the starship on a clandestine mission before its rendezvous with the Alesia and goes missing in the nebula. Now, the battle-hardened troopers are charged with a rescue mission that may lead to a much more sinister consequence than they ever could have imagined....

I remember it well. A friend cut class on opening day to see it first, and reported back with disgust on the unresolved ending: 'If they don't make a sequel, it'll be worthless,' or words to that effect. Another friend and I waited in line for more than three hours in the parking lot of the old Avco Center Cinema in Westwood, California, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, and were overjoyed when we barely squeezed in. (Otherwise, we'd have to wait another two hours or more.) But we were young, and when the opening shot had concluded, we turned to each other with our mouths agape, and sat enthralled throughout.

Here's a fun footnote that I stumbled upon while going through my magazine collection after a recent move: A year before Star Wars opened, one man predicted that it would be the science fiction film of the decade.

In the July 1976 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, film columnist Baird Searles wrote:

I got a preview of a film this month that will probably only be going into production just before this sees print.

Bear in mind that magazine print schedule requirements would mean Searles turned in his column several months before July. He continues:

What do I mean by a preview, then? The gist of the script accompanied by a series of conceptual paintings which included sets, costumes, characters, and hardware; if it only half lives up to the promise shown, it will be the s/f film of the 1970s.

Searles then expresses his conviction about the filmmaker, a belief many science fiction fans probably held at that time:

What really gives me the confidence to come on this strong this far in advance is that it is written and produced by George Lucas, who is best known for American Graffiti, but who made an indelible impression on me with THX-1138, a film short on concepts but very, very long on style.

George, we had such faith in you then!

Lucas, like most great filmmakers, is not about to repeat himself; Star Wars -- the upcoming film -- is very, very long on concept. He obviously knows his science fiction; the script kept reminding me (in the best sense) of Heinlein, Herbert, Bradley, and above all, E.E. Smith given a contemporary sensibility. There is a totalitarian Galactic Empire; there are rebel planets, aliens, robots, battles in space, a superpowerful elite, laser swords, wizards, and just about everything you always wanted to see on screen but knew nobody would put there.

Here's another good observation for science fiction fans:

Perhaps the best clue to its science fictional sophistication is the fact that the film has nothing to do with Earth. Even in Forbidden Planet, the best example of this kind of thing to hit the screen so far, the ship comes from Earth; Star Wars is well beyond that.

Searles concludes:

Ballentine will release the novelization in the fall. Then all we do is keep our fingers crossed that it will be released on screen.

Ah, we were so young then.

Searles reviewed films for F&SF from 1970 to 1984 and wrote a book review column for Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine from 1979 to 1993, when he passed away.

What are your memories of first seeing Star Wars?

Sponsored by the really good chaps at CHICAGO CINEMA SOCIETY  which is increasingly becoming one of the go to locations in tow for genre stuff. They also have an upcoming Chicago debut for the fantastic Beyond The Black Rainbow coming later in June and a few other surprises I can't let you in on yet. But I can say that if you get out and support this event  many more gooooooood things will follow. 

Shaolin Archive director Dan Halsted will also be in attendance to discuss their collection, preservation efforts and increasing cultural awareness of Kung Fu cinema in America.

7:00 pm 

Fist of the White Lotus (1980) 

The directorial debut of Hong Kong cinema icon Lo Lieh, Fist of the White Lotus stars three of the most legendary Kung Fu forces in the history of cinema: Gordon Liu, Lung Wei Wang, and Lo Lieh himself as the villainous Priest White Lotus. Witness Acupuncture style, Embroidery style, and more exotic Kung Fu styles in the Shaw Brothers classic that inspired Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Vol. 2. 

9:00 pm

Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976)

One of the all-time classics of martial arts cinema and a fan favorite, Master of the Flying Guillotine is still incredibly rare thanks to the small number of circulating 35mm prints. Martial arts pioneer Jimmy Wang Yu stars as the One-Armed Boxer, locked in a deadly struggle for vengeance with the blind monk Fung Sheng Wu Chi and his titular Guillotine. Soundtrack by Krautrock innovators Neu! 

Tickets available for $9 online pre-sale  and $13 at the door

Friday, June 1

Portage Theater 

4050 North Milwaukee Avenue  

Chicago, IL 60641

(773) 736-4050

That in itself is something of an accomplishment; Smith has been so hell-bent on creating and maintaining a bad-ass indestructible uber-macho on-screen superior smirking presence over the past decade that he's become nearly insufferable. It's something of a refreshing marvel to see Smith play second banana to Brolin.

Did Smith himself realize, after four years away from the screen, that he needed to dial it down, or did Sonnenfeld encourage him along a goofier, more relaxed, more empathetic path? Either way, it works, and clears the road for Brolin to deliver an easygoing piece of work, suggesting (but not entirely imitating) the younger Tommy Lee Jones.

That's all part of the highly-skilled craft involved in being a journeyman director. To be clear, by using the term "journeyman," I'm not damning with faint praise or denigrating Sonnenfeld's talents. Instead, I have in mind the idea of an educated apprentice who has learned his trade and has been practicing it effectively and professionally for years. Sonnenfeld may not be a master filmmaker, but he is fully capable of making sprightly, pleasing entertainment, and that's no easy task in today's environment of studio-driven, big-budget, blockbuster pictures.

In the 30s and 40s, Sonnenfeld would likely have made a good living handling whatever assignment he was given by a studio. He would have made more pictures in more genres; it's easy to imagine him handling a swashbuckler followed by an adventure in the desert followed by a screwball comedy followed by a "woman's picture" followed by a chamber drama. Perhaps he would have started in the Silent Era as a cameraman, serving his apprenticeship in that field before convincing an enterprising producer that he had the right stuff to call the shots.

In reality, Sonnenfeld found his calling while attending NYU in the early 1980s, initially shooting nine porn films in nine days before fortuituously meeting fellow NYU graduates Joel and Ethan Coen, who needed a cinematographer for a trailer intended to raise money for their first feature. Sonnenfeld photographed both the trailer and the feature: Blood Simple.

Sonnenfeld's work with the Coens extended to the brightly comic Raising Arizona and the darkly artificial Miller's Crossing, but during this period he also shot Danny DeVito's black comedy Throw Momma From the Train, as well as Rob Reiner's nostalgic romance When Harry Met Sally and murderously dramatic Misery.

He moved into the director's chair withThe Addams Family, which was financially successful, followed by For Love of Money, which was not. The two films marked his comedy territory, however, the former mining laughs from deadpan expressions and ornate production design, and the latter showcasing a frantic lead (Michael J. Fox) against a backdrop of a dispassionate, beautifully detailed world. Neither film had a strong script -- The Addams Family relied upon its premise and For Love of Money leaned heavily on Fox's somewhat limited charm and star power -- yet they showed that Sonnenfeld could squeeze as much juice as possible out of his material.

Courtesy of credited screenwriters Paul Rudnick and Scott Frank, respectively, Sonnenfeld delivered better movies in Addams Family Values and Get Shorty because he had better material, with more richly-delineated characters that allowed his comic instincts to accent rather than substitute for depth.

And those films set up the success of Men in Black, featuring wonderful chemistry between grizzled character actor Tommy Lee Jones and ascending star Will Smith. Their relative positions in the celebrity firmament reflected their relationship in the movie, with Jones training Smith, knowing (and accepting) that the younger man will eventually rise to greater prominence.

Sonnenfeld stumbled badly with Wild Wild West, Big Trouble, and Men in Black II in the next few years, and RV was pretty much a complete disaster. It's not so much that Sonnenfeld lost his touch as much as it is true that the material was not good enough. Certainly, the studio director who does not write his own material can shape and influence the script; Sonnenfeld maintains he did this with the original Men in Black but was unable to do so sufficiently with Wild Wild West and Men in Black II, as examples. Beyond that, the director is responsible for a film's tone, and Sonnenfeld acknowledges the glaring problems in that regard on Wild Wild West.

And that's why Men in Black 3 is such a pleasant surprise. Whatever behind-the-scenes turmoil the film may have suffered -- rumors were rife that production shut down so the script could be rewritten, among other reported tribulations -- what counts, finally, is what's on the screen. It's not as good as the original, but it is definitely an improvement on the sequel, and that, too, is the mark of a respectable journeyman. As a consummate professional, Barry Sonnenfeld deserves a commensurate degree of respect for his craftsmanship.

Hollywood Grind is a column on filmmakers working within and through the studio system. Men in Black 3 opens wide in North America on Friday, May 25.

The urban legend known as 'The Father's Day Killer' began some years after the demise of serial rapist/murderer Chris Fuchman. Since the 1970s, the use of contraceptives has tripled in North America alone and a generation of fathers fell asleep with the covers pulled tight, buttocks clenched. †The story has become a fire-side cautionary ritual on camping trips, often used by fathers to warn their sons of the dangers of unplanned pregnancy. That deep seeded fear of penetration, violation and eventually death waned as the murder and rape of fathers continued to decline all over the world. Unfortunately those numbers didn't remain low, and it would seem that the legend is not yet complete.

TAZZA: THE HIGH ROLLERS

From the Director of The Thieves and The Big Swindle!

After losing his entire savings in an illegal, backroom card game, Goni (CHO Seung-woo, The Sword With No Name) discovers it was all a set up - he was swindled by professional gamblers. Enraged and desperate, he sets out to get his money back by any means necessary.

Impressed by the young man's determination, veteran gambler Mr. Pyeong (BAEK Yoon-sik, The Taste of Money) takes Goni on as his apprentice and teaches him all there is to know about hwatu , a card game also known as "The War of Flowers."

Now Goni is ready to make his debut in an underworld where the stakes are high and the rules are few: To win, you must be ruthless. The hand must be quicker than the eye. No game is safe. And there are no friends for life, just as there are no enemies for life.

Includes the feature film - plus almost 2 hours and 50 minutes of video extras - all with on/off English subtitles!

Features:
Tazza : Comic vs. Movie, Adaptation of the Comic, The Making of Tazza: The High Rollers , staff and cast interviews, character discussion by the cast and crew, documentary about action sequences, Hwatu Explained, deleted and alternate scenes (with on/off director commentary), promotional footage, plus 5 Points Pictures trailers.

Moss

A mystery-thriller from KANG Woo-suk, the director of the PUBLIC ENEMY films!

Hae-guk (PARK Hae-il, War of the Arrows) receives word that his estranged father has passed away, so he travels to the remote village where the older man lived to attend the funeral. However, when Hae-guk starts asking questions about his father's life - and unexplained death - the residents and their charismatic Chief (JUNG Jae-young, The Divine Weapon) exchange mysterious looks and seem anxious to rush him out of their village. Something isn't right, and Hae-guk is determined to uncover the truth... at any cost!

Includes the feature film - plus almost 90 minutes of video extras - all with on/off English subtitles!
Features:

"The Making of Moss," "The Beginning of the Story - The Comic Behind the Story," art and set design documentary ("The Birth of the Village"), make-up and effects featurette ("Come Out to the Real World"), poster shoot video, original South Korean teaser and trailer, cast and director bios, and 5 Points Pictures trailers.

Finding Mr. Destiny

Looking for your long-lost first love? Call the First Love Agency!

He's fussy, organized, and honest to a fault. When Gi-joon (GONG Yoo, Coffee Prince) is fired from his job, he opens the First Love Agency, a one-man organization dedicated to helping others find their long-lost first loves.

She's independent and feisty. Stage director Ji-woo (LIM Soo-jung, I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK) is dragged to the First Love Agency by her father, who is convinced she won't get married because she isn't over the handsome stranger she met during a long-ago vacation in India.

With a name and the dates of her trip as their only clues, can Gi-joon and Ji-woo work together to find her first love? Or will they discover that destiny has some surprises in store for them?

Includes the feature film and more than 30 minutes of video extras - all with on/off English subtitles!
Features:

"The Making of Finding Mr. Destiny," production video, poster shoot video, "A Second First Love" music video with Gong Yoo, TV commercial, original South Korean trailer, cast and staff bios, Q&A with Director Chang You-jeong, cultural and production notes, and 5 Points Pictures trailers.

Alice Lowe and Steve Oram star in what is being described as a 'dark comedy,' which the clip that's been released would seem to support. Both Down Terrace and Kill List have been bracingly original works, the first leaning more on the funny bone while the latter dipped into strange, violent, unhinged extremes.

I felt that Kill List was one of the best films of the year, so to say I have high hopes for Sightseers is putting it mildly. Here's the official synopsis:

Chris (Steve Oram) wants to show Tina (Alice Lowe) his world and he wants to do it his way - on a journey through this sceptred isle in his beloved Abbey Oxford Caravan. Tina's led a sheltered life and there are things that Chris needs her to see - the Crich Tramway Museum, the Ribblehead Viaduct, the Keswick Pencil Museum and the rolling countryside that separates these wonders in his life. But it doesn't take long for the dream to fade. Litterbugs, noisy teenagers and pre-booked caravan sites, not to mention Tina's meddling mother, soon conspire to shatter Chris's dreams and send him, and anyone who rubs him up the wrong way, over a very jagged edge...

However the finished product turns out -- it's not due for release until the end of 2012 -- the first trailer for the film makes it clear that Luhrmann, the man who never met a scene he didn't want to pack with energy and multiple diversions, is back in full measure. Whatever degree of subtlety that was present in 2008's Australia has been wiped out of mind.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Jay Gatsby, with Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. As Nick Carraway, Tobey Maguire narrates and appears briefly, as does Joel Edgerton and the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Also, we see resplendent period details, effusive Jazz Age recreations, a speeding car .. and very little quiet and meditation.

Bear in mind that The Great Gatsby will be comin' at ya in 3D. Does this trailer represent everything you've been hoping to see from Luhrmann's take on Fitzgerald?

(Aaron) Poole plays Leon Leigh, an antiques collector who inherits a house from his deceased mother only to discover that she had been living in a shrine devoted to a mysterious cult of angels. Once there he begins to suspect that the forces that drove his mother to suicide may still be lurking within the house.

All the Bonds.  All the girls.  All the action.  All in high-definition.  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment mark James Bond's monumental golden anniversary with the release of BOND 50, the complete Bond experience showcasing all 22 classic films on Blu-ray together for the first time ever, neatly packaged into one cool, sleek collectable box-set.  The collection will be available beginning September 24 in the United Kingdom and September 25 in North America with additional international markets to follow that week.  BOND 50 marks the debut of nine James Bond films previously unavailable in high definition Blu-ray and comes with a dossier of more than 122 hours of bonus features.

 

Set for release just prior to the theatrical premiere of SKYFALL, BOND 50 will offer a look at the latest Bond film through videoblogs shot with the cast and crew.  The BOND 50 collection also provides two all-new pieces that spotlight the history of 007.  "The World of Bond" takes a look at the style and attitude that is signature to Bond; pulling together the cars, the women, the villains and the music that have been a staple of these films for the past 50 years.  "Being Bond" profiles the six distinguished actors that have had the honor of portraying 007.

 

Additional bonus content in the BOND 50 collection includes cast and crew commentaries, the behind-the-scenes making of each film, in-depth interviews with every actor that played Bond, a closer look at the exotic locations as shot on-the-set, the women of Bond, the villains of Bond, Bond's cars and gadgets, music videos and much, much more!

 

Special Features:

 

·       DISC TWENTY THREE - Bonus Material

o   NEW - The World of Bond - the 007 films have a look, style and attitude that is signature Bond.  From the cars, to the women, to the villains and even the music, Bond films stand apart. The World of Bond takes the viewer through the best of five decades worth of classic James Bond in one thrilling montage.  The World of Bond showcases the fascinating and entertaining interplay among unforgettable moments of danger, seduction,  adventure and a dash of that distinguished humor that fans have cherished from the beginning up until now.  To add to the experience, The World of Bond featurette will also offer a Pop-Up Trivia option to challenge even the sharpest of fans with little known facts and interesting trivia from the Bond Universe.

o   NEW - Being Bond - there's only one James Bond - but he's proven too much for only one actor to play the role.  In the franchise's 50-year run, six distinguished actors have taken on the part and secured a spot in cinematic history. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig each reflect on the impact and importance of taking on such a famous role.  With this piece, gain insight into what each actor brought to the character and discover how they shaped the world's most timeless secret agent. 

o   SKYFALL Videoblogs - behind-the-scenes look at the making of SKYFALL from the cast and crew

 

·       DISC ONE-- Dr. No (Over 3 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Terence Young and cast and crew

o   6 Featurettes

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC TWO-- From Russia With Love (Over 3 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Terence Young and cast and crew

o   2 Featurettes

o   Animated Storyboard Sequence

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC THREE--Goldfinger (Over 5 hours of content)    

o   Commentary with Director Guy Hamilton

o   Commentary with the cast and crew

o   3 Featurettes

o   Original Screen Tests with Theodore Bikel and Tito Vandis

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

o   Original Publicity Featurette

o   Original Radio Interviews With Sean Connery

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC FOUR--Thunderball (Over 6 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Terence Young

o   Commentary with Editor Peter Hunt and Screenwriter John Hopkins

o   4 Featurettes

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC FIVE--You Only Live Twice (Over 4 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Lewis Gilbert and cast and crew

o   4 Featurettes

o   Animated Storyboard Sequence

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC SIX--On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Over 4 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Peter Hunt and cast and crew

o   4 Featurettes

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC SEVEN--Diamonds Are Forever (Over 4 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Guy Hamilton and cast and crew

o   3 Featurettes

o   Deleted Scenes

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

 

·       DISC EIGHT--Live and Let Die (Over 7 hours of content)

o   Commentaries with Director Guy Hamilton, Roger Moore and Tom Mankiewicz

o   3 Featurettes

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC NINE--The Man with the Golden Gun (Over 5 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Guy Hamilton and the cast and crew

o   Commentary with Roger Moore

o   2 Featurettes

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC TEN--The Spy Who Loved Me (Over 5 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Lewis Gilbert and cast and crew

o   Commentary with Roger Moore

o   3 Featurettes

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

 

·       DISC ELEVEN--Moonraker (Over 5 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Lewis Gilbert and cast and crew

o   Commentary with Roger Moore

o   4 Featurettes

o   Original Theatrical Trailer

o   Photo Gallery

 

·       DISC TWELVE--For Your Eyes Only (Over 7 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director John Glen and the cast and crew

o   Commentary with Roger Moore

o   Commentary with Producer Michael G. Wilson and crew

o   4 Featurettes

o   Animated Storyboard Sequences for Snowmobile Chase & Underwater

o   Music Video performed by Sheena Easton

o   Deleted Scenes and Expanded Angles

o   Original Theatrical Trailer, TV and radio spots

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC THIRTEEN--Octopussy (Over 6 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director John Glen

o   Commentary with Roger Moore

o   4 Featurettes

o   Original Screen Tests with James Brolin

o   "All Time High" Music Video

o   Original Theatrical Trailers

 

·       DISC FOURTEEN--A View to a Kill (Over 6 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director John Glen and the cast and crew

o   Commentary with Roger Moore

o   4 Featurettes

o   A View to a Kill Music Video performed by Duran Duran

o   Original Theatrical Trailers and TV spots

 

·       DISC FIFTEEN--The Living Daylights (Over 5 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director John Glen and cast and crew

o   3 Featurettes

o   Deleted scenes with introductions from Director John Glen

o   The Living Daylights Music Video performed by A-Ha

o   Original Theatrical Trailers

 

·       DISC SIXTEEN--Licence to Kill (Over 6 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director John Glen and cast

o   Commentary with Producer Michael G. Wilson and crew

o   3 Featurettes

o   Licence to Kill Music Video performed by Gladys Knight

o   "If You Asked Me To" Music Video Performed by Patti LaBelle

o   Opening Titles Sequence

o   Original Theatrical Trailers

o   Photo Galleries

 

 

·       DISC SEVENTEEN--GoldenEye (Over 5 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Martin Campbell and Producer Michael G. Wilson

o   8 Featurettes

o   Deleted scenes

o   GoldenEye Music Video performed by Tina Turner

 

·       DISC EIGHTEEN--Tomorrow Never Dies (Over 9 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Roger Spottiswoode and Dan Petrie, Jr.

o   Commentary with Vic Armstrong and Producer Michael G. Wilson

o   2 Featurettes

o   Interview with Composer David Arnold

o   Deleted and Extended Scenes with introduction from Director Roger Spottiswoode

o   Tomorrow Never Dies Music Video performed by Sheryl Crow

o   The James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-Version)

 

·       DISC NINETEEN--The World Is Not Enough (Over 6 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Michael Apted

o   Commentary with Peter Lamont, David Arnold and Vic Armstrong

o   4 Featurettes

o   Opening Titles Sequence

o   The World Is Not Enough Music Video performed by Garbage

o   Deleted, Extended and Alternate Scene

o   Original Theatrical Trailer

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC TWENTY--Die Another Day (Over 8 hours of content)

o   Commentary with Director Lee Tamahori and Producer Michael G. Wilson

o   Commentary with Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike

o   5 Featurettes

o   MI6 Datastream Trivia Track with Branching Video

o   Opening Titles Sequence

o   Photo Galleries

 

·       DISC TWENTY ONE--Casino Royale (Over 1 hour of content)

o   Becoming Bond

o   James Bond: For Real

o   Chris Cornell Music Video

 

·       DISC TWENTY TWO--Quantum of Solace (Over 1 hour of content)

o   2 Featurettes

o   "Another Way to Die" Music Video

o   Original Theatrical Trailers

Starry Starry Night is the slightly fantastical tale of Mei, a 13-years old girl trying to deal with growing up, while still escaping to her own fantasy world when real-life problems prove to be too daunting to face. Mei finds a companion in Lee, an introverted young boy who just transferred from another school into Mei's class. When Mei's parents decide on a divorce, Mei runs off with Lee in search of a moment of untainted happiness and maybe even some romance.