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Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society
Club Notice - 02/04/94 -- Vol. 12, No. 32
MEETINGS UPCOMING:
Unless otherwise stated, all meetings are in Middletown 1R-400C
Wednesdays at noon.
_D_A_T_E _T_O_P_I_C
02/16 Demo of Electronic Hugo and Nebula Anthology (MT 3D-441)
03/09 A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ by Walter M. Miller (Vividly Memorable SF)
03/30 THE MIND PARASITES by Colin Wilson (tentative)
04/20 VALIS by Philip K. Dick (tentative)
Outside events:
The Science Fiction Association of Bergen County meets on the second
Saturday of every month in Upper Saddle River; call 201-933-2724 for
details. The New Jersey Science Fiction Society meets on the third
Saturday of every month in Belleville; call 201-432-5965 for details.
HO Chair: John Jetzt MT 2G-432 908-957-5087 holly!jetzt
LZ Chair: Rob Mitchell HO 1C-523 908-834-1267 holly!jrrt
MT Chair: Mark Leeper MT 3D-441 908-957-5619 mtgzfs3!leeper
HO Librarian: Nick Sauer HO 4F-427 908-949-7076 homxc!11366ns
LZ Librarian: Lance Larsen HO 2C-318 908-949-4156 quartet!lfl
MT Librarian: Mark Leeper MT 3D-441 908-957-5619 mtgzfs3!leeper
Factotum: Evelyn Leeper MT 1F-329 908-957-2070 mtgpfs1!ecl
All material copyright by author unless otherwise noted.
1. Our next film fest will be a retrospective of the films by whom
many people believe to be the greatest American director--Frank
Capra. We will show two very different films with very different
styles. One takes place in the hustle and bustle of a then
contemporary city; one in the timeless mountains of Tibet. One
film is about mass political movements; one is about isolation. At
7 PM on Thursday, February 10, we will show:
Meet Frank Capra
MEET JOHN DOE (1941)
LOST HORIZON (1937)
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In _M_e_e_t _J_o_h_n _D_o_e Gary Cooper stars in the title role as down-on-
his-luck man who is chosen by a newspaperwoman to play the role of
the writer of a suicide letter the woman actually wrote herself.
It is not long before the fraudulent writer is chosen to head a
national political movement. John Doe discovers he is being used
as a puppet to manipulate public opinion. Along with Cooper the
film stars Barbara Stanwick, Edward Arnold, Walter Brennan, and a
cast of thousands of helots. The film was based on a short story
by Richard Connell. Capra shot five different endings to the film
before finding one that had sufficient audience appeal.
_L_o_s_t _H_o_r_i_z_o_n, James Hilton's classic fantasy novel about utopia in
the Himalayas, was adapted by Capra into a classic film, here
restored with the most footage currently available. Ronald Coleman
stars as Robert Conway, a British diplomat and one of a party of
plane passengers who find themselves kidnapped and taken to a
strange valley in the mountains where time seems to stand still.
Also starring are Jane Wyatt, Edward Everett Horton, Thomas
Mitchell, and Sam Jaffe as the High Lama. The score by Dimitri
Tiompkin is also a classic.
===================================================================
2. 24TH TOURNEE OF ANIMATION (a film review by Mark R. Leeper):
The _T_o_u_r_n_e_e is an annual event and one that I have come to look
forward to. At one point it was the only game in town for seeing
current animation and one could more or less expect to see the best
animation available. Success breeds competition however and other
animation fests have been going on the road. In addition Expanded
Entertainment also competes with themselves having a very similar
Festival of Animation that they have to save some of their better
animation for. So while previous fests have featured some really
excellent animated films including "Skywhales," "The Cow," and
"Balance," these days it is much less likely that there will be a
really terrific piece of animation. This year there were three
pieces I would call very good but nothing I would say is in the
class of the three films I just mentioned. On the other hand there
also was only one piece I could actually call poor. There were no
long self-indulgent pieces of what-am-I-looking-at? attempts at
avant-garde animation. So perhaps things balance out.
When I rate the films I will be rating them primarily on how good
the story was and how well it was told. I am no expert on
animation technique and the technology that produces it. I will
rate each as if it is a short movie and I will decide if I could or
could not recommend it to a friend with my tastes. There are no
plusses for a new animation technique, however impressive, if it
does not make for a good film. It should enhance the style of the
film if it is going to get points for the animation. However,
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really sloppy animation does get in the way of storytelling and so
there might be minuses.
"Get a Haircut" by Mike Smith (USA)
Length: 5 minutes
Rating: fair
The lead-off piece may well have been the worst item in the whole
_T_o_u_r_n_e_e. At least in the first position the viewer is not
comparing it to something better that came before. This is kind of
a stupid rock song illustrated with slap-dash animation. It is
about a teen who is hassled by his family to get his hair cut and
to get a job and it builds up to a very uninteresting irony. This
is for the low end of the MTV crowd.
"The Stain" by Marjut Rimminen and Christine Roche (UK)
Length: 10 minutes
Rating: fair
Over-long and rather dull story of a family murder done in a
combination flat and 3-D animation. Most of the hand-drawn
animation seems to use intentionally weird view angles that obscure
characters' faces. The stop-motion is perfectly happy to show
faces. The whole story seemed filmed through a fly-specked screen.
I guess if you are anxious enough to see animation there are a few
minorly interesting points, but it is not much better than "Get a
Haircut."
"We Love It" by Vincent Cafarelli and Candy Kugel (USA)
Length: 5 minutes
Rating: fair
Americans love films but they also love to hate Hollywood and the
business of making films. I have never understood that. Perhaps
it is because I see everything that the film industry is accused of
happening in my own industry and people tend to take it as a matter
of course. In any case here we have a song telling the weird
genesis of an idea for a film. While people are saying they love
the idea for the film they keep wanting to make small changes that
are merely fundamental to the concept. Big deal. This is from the
filmmakers of "I Got a Warm Reception in L.A." and one of the two
films is superfluous. But at least this was the most entertaining
film to that point in the _T_o_u_r_n_e_e.
"The Path to the Abyss" by Georges Schwizgebel (Switzerland)
Length: 6 minutes
Rating: good
I think this was what Walt Disney originally intended to do with
_F_a_n_t_a_s_i_a until he decided it was not commercial. I think this
really is a translation to the screen the images an artist sees
when he hears a particular piece of classical music, in this case
part of Berlioz's _T_h_e _D_a_m_n_a_t_i_o_n _o_f _F_a_u_s_t. I am not sure the images
all go together, nor do they fit into _F_a_u_s_t, but it is a pleasant
enough piece to see and hear.
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"The Square of Light" by Claude Luyet (Switzerland)
Length: 4 minutes
Rating: good
This is a subjective POV of a boxer in the ring. He is getting a
little punchy and starting to hallucinate. This one may be the
most serious and disturbing piece in this year's _T_o_u_r_n_e_e. One
image, his seeing his opponent as a snarling gorilla, might have
gotten the filmmaker in trouble in this county if he were from the
U.S.
"Prehistoric Beast" by Phil Tippet (USA)
Length: 6 minutes
Rating: very good
I am not quite sure if the flowers are an anachronism or not, but
with that possible exception this is a reasonable recreation of the
Cretaceous. Tippet was a major contributor to _J_u_r_a_s_s_i_c _P_a_r_k and
the production of this film may have been somehow connected of
that. The concept may be a little over-familiar but there are some
nice variations.
"The Man Who Yelled" by Mo Willems (USA)
Length: 3 minutes
Rating: fair
This pointless little joke has an intriguing build-up only really
to disappoint with a wasted piece of absurd physical comedy. Why
go to all the effort to make an animated film if this is the best
idea you have for a story?
"I Think I Was an Alcoholic" by John Callahan (USA)
Length: 4 minutes
Rating: good
I am guessing that this is a true and autobiographical account of
the filmmaker's experiences, rendered in simple line drawings. At
times it is funny, other times it is tragic. I am also guessing
that this is Callahan's therapy for himself. But at least there is
a sense of humor to give you a reason to want to hear Callahan's
problems.
"Diner" by Gahan Wilson (USA)
Length: 6 minutes
Rating: very good
Gahan Wilson has been popular for his macabre humor and his
distinctive art style for many, many years. He is best known for
single-frame cartoons like the ones he published in Playboy and
Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. This film translates his
weird style to animation and a short story and it makes the
transition well. This piece is full of Wilson's horror/humor and
is a lot of fun.
"The Billy Nayer Show" by Cory McAbee and Bobby Lurie (USA)
Length: 2 minutes
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Rating: poor
I think this looked like a rotoscope demo tape. It appeared to be
two minutes of a stand-up comic who wasn't funny. It seems as if
somebody thought that rotoscope would make this something someone
wanted to see. Wrong!
"Little Wolf" by An Vrombaut (UK)
Length: 6 minutes
Rating: good
While this is not a particularly intriguing story, this tale of
wolves who chase sheep and bay at the moon does have some mythic
elements. It makes for a light but pleasant piece of
entertainment.
"Mr. Sandman" by Paul Berry (UK)
Length: 10 minutes
Rating: very good
Paul Berry was lead animator for _T_h_e _N_i_g_h_t_m_a_r_e _B_e_f_o_r_e _C_h_r_i_s_t_m_a_s, a
real tour-de-force of animation as impressive as anything that the
_T_o_u_r_n_e_e has to offer. Here he presents another child's nightmare,
a small horror story making really effective use of dimensional
animation. This one gets my vote for best of the _T_o_u_r_n_e_e.
"Words, Words, Words" by Michaela Pavlatova (Czechoslovakia)
Length: 8 minutes
Rating: good
Word balloons in comics are a metaphor for language. This
animation takes the metaphor several steps further. There are no
discernible words--a common mechanism in animated films that try
for an international market. Instead we see a physical
representation of how people use language by seeing what they do
with word balloons. Not everything works, but this piece has the
most intriguing ideas of any at the fest this year.
"A Tribute to the Dimensional Artistry of Will Vinton Studios" by Will
Vinton Studios (USA)
Length: 22 minutes
Rating: good
It seems a little odd that Will Vinton Studios is making a tribute
to themselves. I thought only incumbent politicians did that.
Perhaps they did not write the title themselves. In any case, what
we get is a disorganized collection of small pieces of animation.
A lot are commercials. Am I the only one who is getting tired of
the joke of raisins singing about hearing it through the grapevine?
There are some new things I had not seen, but it really is just
more of the same of techniques I had seen before. As far as a
grand finale, this was competent, but an uninspired twenty-two
minutes. They probably should have run "Mr. Sandman" or "Diner"
last.
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===================================================================
3. Top Ten Films of 1993 (film comment by Mark R. Leeper):
This has been the most impressive year for film since I started
writing reviews. Some films that did not even make my top five
list would have been my choice for best picture other years. While
most years I have no more than one or two +3 films, this year I
think I have ten.
The capper was something I have talked about as possible that I
never expected to see, a film I thought was much better than any of
my +4 films of the past. That means I have to either call it a +5
film or lump it in as a high +4. As you can see below I am still
indecisive, but unfortunately it is not a decision I expect to come
up again.
One of the interesting trends I see in this list is the recreation
of history. For a while the historical film was in decline since
filmmakers thought that history was not popular with today's
audiences. This year is not representative of that trend. We see
in the films below recreations of the Holocaust, a civil war
battle, and the war in Vietnam, and one film in part about Chinese
history early this century. More recent history is also
represented with the recreation of a British court case and the
research done in the fight against AIDS.
1. _S_c_h_i_n_d_l_e_r'_s _L_i_s_t: I have said before that it is impossible to
make a film about the Holocaust that does justice to the subject.
_S_c_h_i_n_d_l_e_r'_s _L_i_s_t comes as close as any film could. This is a
supremely powerful depiction of the banality of evil and--for once
on film--the seductiveness of good. As a special case, I leave
_S_c_h_i_n_d_l_e_r'_s _L_i_s_t unrated but very strongly recommend it.
2. _G_e_t_t_y_s_b_u_r_g: This film that contains more authentic military
history than any other film I have ever remember seeing. The film
itself is more than four hours and very little of seems to be
fiction or not well-grounded in historical record. Perhaps a
little is speculation, but the highest proportion of time is
reenactment of the most important battle in United States history.
This too is one of the best historical films I can remember.
Rating: high +3
3. _J_u_r_a_s_s_i_c _P_a_r_k: Steven Spielberg has tapped into the mother lode
of human dreams and sense of wonder. Michael Crichton's story may
be "Westworld" with dinosaurs, but for once the technical basis for
a science fiction film and the special effects are both
exceptional. Rating: +3.
4. _A_n_d _t_h_e _B_a_n_d _P_l_a_y_e_d _O_n: HBO gives us one of the best films of
the most compelling films they have ever made. This is a detective
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story, a story of politics and sex, and has a terrific script and
some very moving performances. HBO has made my top ten list
multiple times in the past, but this is the best film I have seen
from them. Rating: +3
5. _T_h_e _N_i_g_h_t_m_a_r_e _B_e_f_o_r_e _C_h_r_i_s_t_m_a_s: Tim Burton proves himself a
creative genius with a film deserving of instant holiday classic
status. Just about everything comes together and genuinely works
in the best Christmas film since Alistair Sim starred in _A
_C_h_r_i_s_t_m_a_s _C_a_r_o_l. This is a marvelously inventive animated feature
film. Rating: +3
6. _I_n _t_h_e _N_a_m_e _o_f _t_h_e _F_a_t_h_e_r: This is the true story of the
victims of a conspiracy by British police to scapegoat eleven
innocent people, many from a single family, for an IRA bombing.
The main character spent fifteen years in prison before an
enterprising lawyer uncovered the conspiracy and was able to
overturn the conviction. Pete Postlethwaite is particularly
effective as the main character's father who is imprisoned in the
same cell as his son. Rating: low +3
7. _T_h_e _J_o_y _L_u_c_k _C_l_u_b: These are the stories of four families who
emigrated from mainland China in the last generation. It is the
story of four mother-daughter relationships in the United States
and the story of the four mothers' lives in repressive and sexist
Chinese society. The stories are often heart-wrenching and often
inspirational. If this is a woman's film, as some have accused it
of being, it at least is miles ahead of something like _B_e_a_c_h_e_s.
Rating: low +3.
8. _M_u_c_h _A_d_o _a_b_o_u_t _N_o_t_h_i_n_g: No Laurence Olivier standing statue-like
and soliloquizing with stentorian speeches, Kenneth Branagh clearly
communicates why this is considered a comedy. He puts back into
Shakespeare the fun that the original audiences must have had. And
with proper delivery the language is not at all hard to follow.
This is a joyous film. Rating low +3.
9. _I_n_d_o_c_h_i_n_e: There is human drama, political spectacle, and
beautiful scenery in this _D_r. _Z_h_i_v_a_g_o of Vietnam. A story of a
love triangle is told against the backdrop of the Vietnamese revolt
against French imperialism. Very little has been done in film
about the Vietnam of this period. Rating: low +3.
10. _U_n _C_o_e_u_r _e_n _H_i_v_e_r: Most of the film revolves around the
personality of one of the main characters, which is only gradually
revealed in the film, so I will refrain from discussing it. This
is a thoughtful, intelligent film. A minor tragedy that is
surprisingly affecting. Rating: low +3.
===================================================================
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4. THE SIGN OF THREE: DUPIN, HOLMES, PEIRCE edited by Umberto Eco
and Thomas A. Sebeok (Indiana University Press, ISBN 0-253-35235-5,
1983/1988, 236pp, US$12.95) (a book review by Evelyn C. Leeper):
This collection of ten essays centers around the idea of
"abduction." Abduction appears to be a term coined by Charles
S. Peirce to signify what might be considered the third side of the
triangle whose other two sides are induction and deduction.
(Peirce was an American philosopher of the late 19th Century and
the founder of the pragmatic movement.) Abduction (also called
retroduction) does not attempt, as do induction and deduction, to
predict the future, but rather to explain the past. Peirce used a
bag of beans to explain the three forms:
- Deduction:
- All the beans in the bag are white.
- This bean is from the bag.
- Therefore, this bean is white.
- Induction:
- These beans are from the bag.
- These beans are white.
- Therefore, all the beans in the bag are white.
- Abduction:
- All the beans in the bag are white.
- This bean is white.
- Therefore, this bean is from the bag.
Peirce also apparently posited that we have a tendency to guess
correctly about the world. (If that were true, why do we have so
many contradictory religions--or scientific theories?) He further
claimed that this was due to our subconscious reading of "clues"
that we don't consciously recognize.
The application of all this to Holmes's methods is obvious.
(Dupin, in spite of top billing, is not as much in evidence in
these essays.) Holmes's deductive methods are clearly abduction,
and his ability to take details unnoticed by others and "guess"
correctly from them certainly helps support Peirce's claim (if the
doings of a fictional character can be said to support a real-life
claim--but then Holmes's observational talents were derived from
the real-life Dr. Bell's, who is discussed in one of the essays).
The essays provide an explanation of Peirce's theories and then
apply them to the various Sherlockian stories, as well as to other
uses. (The most interesting was a discussion of Giovanni Morelli's
method of attributing artworks, and its application to "The
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Adventure of the Cardboard Box.") At times descending (or
ascending) into the academically abstruse, these essays nonetheless
provide valuable insights into Holmes's methods even for the non-
academic reader. This is not the first analysis of Sherlock Holmes
I would recommend that someone read, but for those familiar with
the more common studies, this would be an interesting next step.
Mark Leeper
MT 3D-441 908-957-5619
leeper@mtgzfs3.att.com
Many errors, of a truth, consist merely in the
application of the wrong names of things.
-- Baruch Spinoza
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