Cool News
The SXSW / 15th Anniversary AICN SECRET SCREENING this Monday @ The Paramount!
Hey folks, Harry here...
I've been reading a lot of rumors about the AICN SECRET SCREENING this coming Monday at SXSW - and it seems places like HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, VARIETY, the Austin Chronicle - and a ton of blogs have all gotten the notion that I've gotten some giant Summer film.
I just want to set everyone's expectations correctly. When I was approached to do this screening for SXSW this year, I was told to either do a film opening after the first of JUNE or to pick a great fun vintage flick and just have a blast with it. Well, the reality about SUMMER films - especially this summer's films - they require an awful lot of visual effects work, in most cases fx work up till 3 weeks prior to release. Now I did have an October film for a bit of time and an August film for another bit of time, but the reality was - both those films were works in progress and eventually they decided they needed to at least get finished first.
After that - I decided to just go vintage. That doesn't mean I won't have a spectacular special guest - because I will. And there will be an incredibly awesome Q&A discussion - but you should know that all these folks that claim to know something, know nothing. There's only 1 person at SXSW that knows the title. One. There's only 1 person on the staff of AICN that knows the title. And they're ecstatic - because this is a film you rarely get to see big.
For those that are coming, know that you're in for an awesome trailer reel, a great film and a great guest... oh - and all the makings of one of those nights that if you're there, you won't forget.
I'm actually ecstatic at how things turned out. I kind of didn't want the 15th Anniversary AICN screening to just be an act of promotion. I wanted it to be about the love of a film that I dearly love. Something that I can share with the great PARAMOUNT THEATER filled with fellow film lovers that are there, for whatever may play.
This film does something better than this one thing has ever been down before or since. There's hope that it could be overshadowed shortly - but in my heart, I believe it never will. This is a film that is in fact COOL. Very cool. And I'm ecstatic to be presenting it with my guest this Monday evening at 10pm.
Also - earlier on Monday at the Austin Convention Center will be the 15th Anniversary AICN panel with a great deal of AICN luminaries from our past as well as our present. I know I'm not being seen around town much this SXSW, the reason for that is I'm still recovering from my surgery. Long hours in theaters is not really the best thing for me right now. Continual exercise and rest is what the doctors have ordered, so I'm taking it easy. Believe me when I say, I wish I could be watching 5-6 films a day, but I couldn't handle more than a couple right now, before lying down.
See y'all Monday
Harry
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+ Expand All
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here's my post about the 15th Anniversary AICN SECRET SCREENING this Monday!
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http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ytscreeningroom
girl walks into a bar -
Crazy excited.
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Godzilla '98
:p -
the only film that matters this year... saw it this morning and am going again thursday.
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E.T.
and the film that he thinks might overshadow it shortly- 8mm... -
I was really hoping this post was gonna involve free tickets. :(
Why couldn't SXSW be delayed by ONE WEEK so I'd have a damn paycheck?? -
meant super 8, not 8mm. two very different "kids" movies
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The FP.
ya' heard? -
Mar 12, 2011 6:59:35 PM CST
It'll be CE3 or ET...then the reel will "burn up" and JJ will present Super 8
by zillabeast
C'mon....Super 8 has been wrapped for quite a while now....you know they're gonna have it ready :P
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...at SXSW must know. That's 1 person. The director and programmers don't know? The management at the Paramount doesn't know? The projectionist or revisionist that's putting it together don't know. How about the filmmaker ang guest relations people, that fly in and book hotels for the "special guest"; they don't know? Cause print traffic must know.
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He started making cold puns like fucking Schwarzenegger.
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Mar 12, 2011 8:41:34 PM CST
Plus, the prequel is out this year.
by danielplainviewonvacationinboston
And he said "there's hope it could be overshadowed". Easy, people.
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Is it possible to get tix for thus without a badge?
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AICN, classic movie, The Paramount. Friggin' awesome.
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I agree... all the cold comments, and he says he hopes it will be overshadowed shortly----the prequel is coming out and such.
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Calling it now. If that is what it will end up being, that would be one hell of a cool screening to be at.
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It has played several times at the Alamo. There's nothing special there (in playing it again, because I don't deny the movie is special).
Now MADMAX with Mel Gibson in attendance, THAT would be a miracle. -
JUNE
SUMMER
PARAMOUNT THEATER
COOL
...didn't seem to be any reason to be capitalizing those. I'm sure it probably means nothing at all, but possibly... hints? -
Mar 13, 2011 3:09:44 AM CDT
Ooh maybe its THE HANGOVER 2 with Charlie Sheen in attendance
by zillabeast
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We know the dude is a massive fan.
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Holy shit, Delusions of grandeur much? What an absolutely absurd and impossible statement. So in other words there are people out there expecting Super 8, a JJ Abrams film, to not only completely destroy anything we've ever seen from Abrams thus far by margins measuring in the hundreds of percents, but be a bona fide instant classic ans masterpiece. That is just.....it's insanity is what it is. Just lunacy.
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I found this from one of the theater's blogs. There's speculation, but it doesn't sound like they know what movie is gonna show. Possibly some playful hints tho. Eh, maybe I'm reading too much into it. http://tinyurl.co m/4vzfmqo
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With Drew Barrymore as guest.
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Just moved to Austin, how do I get tickets for this or any screenings?
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Gotta be.
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Right on. Look at the filmmaking expertise in the opening 5 minutes of E.T. - an absolute masterclass in mood, suspense, style and excitement. Abrams is nowhere near on the same level as Spielberg, and by making Super 8 he's setting up expectations for himself he can't possibly meet. This whole "Abrams is the new Spielberg" internet meme is very, very strange.
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Mar 13, 2011 11:14:50 AM CDT
I enjoy the guessing game, but we're rarely on target.
by the reluctant austinite
I agree with the other Talkback comments that the big film that may "overshadow" a classic could very well be "Super 8", which AICN seems more excited about than any other film this Summer.
That means that it's likely the classic is a Steven Spielberg film. Maybe, just maybe, Harry actually got Spielberg to come and do a Q&A? Maybe "Super 8" was indeed the intended Secret Screening but it just wasn't quite ready yet.
If this guess is accurate (and who knows?), then what film would play? "E.T." is a good guess. "Close Encounters" is a possibility. I think even "Empire of the Sun" could be in the running. -
i'll bet anyone $20
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Mar 13, 2011 12:06:09 PM CDT
Oh crap. I just found out what it is. It's "Hook"!
by the reluctant austinite
Just kidding. It's actually "Batteries Not Included".
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I have also heard that it's Thor. Can somebody tell me if this screening is VIP only, if it's possible to purchase single admission tickets for this, and what time the special screening is supposed to show?
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That would be COOL!
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The thing from another world with Carpenter or Conan the barbarian with Conan Obrien.....maybe Ahnold makes more sense.
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Mar 13, 2011 3:34:10 PM CDT
Ahh, it's THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 5 with Michelle Rodriguez
by zillabeast
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Mar 13, 2011 4:12:30 PM CDT
If it were a Spielberg film possibly "overshadowed by Super 8 it could ONLY be....
by industrykiller!
War of the Worlds. That's the only Spielberg alien film that even has the slightest of possibilities of being actually overshadowed by Super 8. His other alien films (the horrid Indy 4 doesnt count) are classic films, titans of cinema. Abrams, who I by no means hate, by ANY realistic estimation of any of the work he's done this far, TV or film, just does not have that him him. Although I think him homaging Spielberg is kind neat, but wouldn't go further than that.
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To the talkbackers suggesting films opening this year you need to read the article again, as Harry states:
"After that - I decided to just go vintage"
and
"And they're ecstatic - because this is a film you rarely get to see big"
So it's not Super 8, Thor, X-Men First Class or any other upcoming films. My guess is Conan The Barbarian with John Milius or Schwarzenegger in attendence.
The only doubt is that Harry states it's due to be overshadowed this year, and anyone who saw the teaser trailer is in no doubt the new version will completely fail to overshadow the original. -
It's "The Vikings" with a Kirk Douglas Q&A.
Kirk is, of course, still in the middle of his Supporting Actress Oscar presentation... -
Excuse the grammar, I had just rolled out of bed after a long long night.
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That's the only guess I could think of
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That's my guess.
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FACT.
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I can but dream...
Whatever it is, Harry, enjoy it! I've had 11 years worth of pleasure, interest and fun wild speculation with this site, and I hope many other people feel the same. -
Goonies
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Sreening and print confirmed.
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that's my guess!
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Sorry Harry overheard some late night talk at the paramount tonight ... But your secret is safe with me sir
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*WINK * WINK *
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Mar 14, 2011 4:30:43 AM CDT
GOJIRA 1954 with homeless, radioactive Japanese kids in attendance...
by elgato73
I'm going to Hell but I could not resist...
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and Richard Kiel
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Wonderful.
Share a website with you ,
put this url in google sirch
(http://www.chic-goods.com/ )
Believe you will love it.
We accept any form of payment.
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With Steve Ditko in attendance, griping all night long about Stan. Should be fun!
Honestly, in today's digital age (where movies can be watched at home with near-theater quality), even if I was in the area, I wouldn't be too worked up about seeing a movie I've already seen (probably a million times) on the "big screen." It would have to be one of my 5 or 10 all-time favorites for me to give a shit, and what are the odds of that?
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Mar 14, 2011 11:17:30 AM CDT
I agree The Thing w/Kurt Russell..ooorrr..Tron w/The Dude
by openthepodbaydoorshal
Jeff Bridges...that....would.....rock. And Jeff could bring his band along.
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do they have the capabililty?
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Presented in 3-D Rape-O-Vision.
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Chris Hansen and a camera crew. He's gonna have nice little chat with all of you before the cops get there.
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Shaddup, will ya?
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Mar 14, 2011 11:44:25 AM CDT
Chris Hansen: "Now sir, why would attend a screening
by openthepodbaydoorshal
with baby powder and Vasoline?"
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with **fingers crossed** kathleen turner
she still makes me moist -
You guys should totally have planned a red carpet event; you know over at Reelnewz.com I'd host you the video for free, so you could embed it here. Going to video some of the panel and/or Q&A if you'd like that! :)
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Mar 14, 2011 12:54:23 PM CDT
Re: Kathleen Turner...really? She's as big as a house!
by openthepodbaydoorshal
Along with Beverly DeAngelo and Denise Crosby (Kirstie Ally always goes without saying), once hot ladies, to whom the years have not just been unkind...they've been brutal.
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"know that you're in for an awesome trailer reel, a great film and a great guest"
C'mon... there have been reports of a full-length Cap trailer being ready since March began. Even if the film itself is vintage, there's no reason there can't be some awesome footage showed as well, especially if the "special guest" is the director of one of this summer's big entries. -
Mar 14, 2011 1:04:43 PM CDT
PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES - with Special Guest, THE KRAKEN!!
by zillabeast
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Special guest: The Cup.
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Mar 14, 2011 1:37:50 PM CDT
Charlie Sheen spotted in San Antonio! Print of "The Wraith" at the Alamo!
by the reluctant austinite
Actually, that would be pretty damn cool.
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Come on, Harold, spit it out already!
And I don't mean that chili dog. -
Just thank your lucky stars it's not Joel Schumacher with the unawaited director's cut of 8MM.
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RUFIO!
RUFIO!
RUF--EE-OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! -
Come on, just the fact i watched it on DVD this weekend should be enough for you get you heads around.
GOONIES
and then Super8 -
Harold, you ginger-tufted dick tease ...
Naughty, naughty boy, you.
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i dont understand the reasoning that since you watched it this weekend on TV makes you think they are playing it on the big screen.
do you have a magic DVD player that shows what you watch to hundreds of people in the dark? -
... Of a CHOPPAH Film ...
'BAG OF DICKS: THE MOTION PICTURE'
Coming soon to a cornhole near you ... " -
Did you know that "Rufio" also happened to be the nickname of a certain petulant, control-freak, 10-minute-rape-scene-loving blackboxer back in college?
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you can blast beaks all you want but fuck off for associating that troll ass bitch with HOOK.
best williams score ever. -
Johnny Williams did his best work for NBC's Olympic coverage. Everyone with an ear that only barely works knows that.
Anyway, why DEƒUCK® am I talking to you, anyway?
Children should be seen and not heard.
CHOPPED. -
olympics over the NBC nighly news???
you crazy! but nothing can beat williams TV work for AMAZING STORIES.
nothing. -
ha!
two can play that game bitch -
The Sunday Night Football theme kicks Amazing Stories in the balls.
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@headgeek666
Harry Knowles
Stuck in elevator by stage at 15th Anniversary
10 minutes ago via Twitter for Android -
Mar 14, 2011 3:48:58 PM CDT
In all seriousness, my guess is "E.T." with Henry Thomas.
by the reluctant austinite
However, Harry said the guest in question may not actually have anything to do with the film shown. It might be just a celebrity fan of the film.
Calcifer, who apparently heard Harry gabbing the other night, got me thinking. He said "vintage doesn't necessarily mean older." Maybe he's showing "True Grit" with Haillee Steinfled. Jeff Bridges would be a major score with either "True Grit" or "Tron: Legacy". Or maybe he called Sly Stallone and got him to come down and show "The Expendables".
It's impossible to guess. It's almost sometimes a bad thing to do. Sometimes geek speculation sets the bar so high that disappointment is inevitable. I know. I've been to many of these screenings before. Before long everyone turns into raving, drooling maniacs and everyone has heard it's "Captain America" and Stan Lee is in the house. Then it turns out to be something much less with someone much less well known and we're told we suck unless we think this is awesome, but usually we turn our frowns upside down when it turns to indeed be awesome.
Case and point: One year I thought I was seeing "Spider-man 2" six months early with Sam Raimi or something like that when it turned out to be "Night Warning" with Bo Svenson. In retrospect, that was more awesome an experience than any glossy, modern, star studded flick could ever deliver. -
Mar 14, 2011 4:05:03 PM CDT
Another good guess: "The Iron Giant" with Vin Diesel!
by the reluctant austinite
Actually, that may be my best guess yet that fits all the criteria Harry describes. Diesel was an early BNAT guest, he's not REALLY in the film since he was voice actor, but he can certainly talk about it.
Harry loves the movie. I do too. It might be "topped soon" by "Super 8", but it fits well into that genre. It's vintage, but not old. -
Mar 14, 2011 4:13:04 PM CDT
Or maybe Harry got a hold of the new RED DAWN (with guest stars Charlie Sheen and Patrick Swayze)
by zillabeast
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Mar 14, 2011 4:17:44 PM CDT
My guess keep coming: "Fire and Ice" with guest William Stout!
by the reluctant austinite
The best example of Frazetta characters moving on film? Hmmm. That's a shot in dark that just jumped into my brain.
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Damn Austin sucks during SXSW - anyone with a job can't afford to go part time with the crazy badge prices. So we get shut out by a bunch of hipster douchebag tourists who tie up traffic and go on and on about how they think Austin is sooooo awesome and how they really want to move here and grace us with their bullshit year-round. I guess it's ok if you are in the restaurant/bar business. But I'm not so fuck those people and fuck their awesome SXSW events. Ok, back to my shitty job....
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Mar 14, 2011 4:29:16 PM CDT
Holy shit, it's not "E.T.", it's "Mac and Me" with free McDonalds for everyone!
by the reluctant austinite
The secret guest is Ronald McDonald. He's bringing Mayor McCheese, Grimace and the Hamburgler, so keep your eyes on your free big macs. That son of a bitch, Hamburgler, was only recently released from prison and the word is he hasn't reformed at all.
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Half of that movies pull is not knowing what happens in the movie. Showing it would ruin that mystery way too soon. JJ likes surprises. So I highly doubt it is the movie.
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Mac and me is a crime against humanity but all that have endured it have an innate kinship.
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They showed Abrams' new Trek movie early under the guise of it being a Trek II screening. So nothing's impossible
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You leave Jack Burton alone. Lu Pang was seen driving in from San Antonio.End of line.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMW3W-
G43gI
You might be right shifty. Still as someone who is dying to see Super 8. 50% of the reason for this is not knowing what it's about. -
Just saw Roger Ebert headed into the State theater. Could it be Beyond the Valley of the Dolls?
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No ... wait ... that's just the janitor.
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silence Of the lambs.
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Judge Smails must know!
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Somebody spill the beans.
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Did they confiscate phones?
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Mar 14, 2011 10:30:08 PM CDT
I don't follow him, or Twat. Sure it will be posted soon...
by mistermanreturns
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I'd be pissed.
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awesome
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Googled....
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Was hoping for something more... But, I'm assuming that it is a favorite in here?
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And I was a kid in the 80's....
Maybe is because it wasn't big outside the US? -
Thought it might be more "iconic". I saw it once, on release (was in college). Remember it being a bit violent for Disney, at the time.
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Makes sense. Plus, with his Disney connection...
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Mar 14, 2011 10:44:18 PM CDT
Dragonslayer....and the reel didn't disentigrate into TRANSFORMERS DARK OF THE MOON or anything?
by zillabeast
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I saw the trailer on IMDB and I think the theatrical release was Paramount's and the video release was Disney's....
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One of my favorite 80s films. Can't beat Emperor Palpatine getting scorched by one of the best-looking film dragons. And Ralph Richardson going mano-a-mano with the dragon, still an epic ending.
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but back in the mid-80s, I was fortunate to be at USC Film, Critical Studies, and we saw some classics with amazing guests...."Double Idemnity" with Fred MacMurray, "Anatomy of a Murder" with Jimmy Stewart, the yet-unreleased "Brazil" with Terry Gilliam, "Hitler's Children" with Edward Dmytryk, "Dance, Girl, Dance" with Lucille Ball, "Psycho" with Janet Leigh, blah, blah, blah. In this case, I was hoping for a 70s classic, like "Taxi Driver" or "Chinatown."
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...though apparently Buena Vista did the overseas release for it.
I'm still more interested in the trailers they showed. Shame it wasn't the rumored Joss Whedon appearance with Avengers Pre-Vis materials. -
So it makes sense.
Robbins directed dragonslayer. -
Mar 14, 2011 10:57:56 PM CDT
I just remember taking my little sister to see it...
by mistermanreturns
that summer of 81, and she was a bit upset. Doesn't the dragon kill a girl/princess/whatever??
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At least on twitter....
I would have hoped for Harry Potter, and Captain America at least.
*No worries, misterman... -
Mar 14, 2011 11:00:18 PM CDT
Of course, I also took her to "The Black Hole" a few years prior.
by mistermanreturns
And Anthony Perkins was gutted. All in all, she shouldn't have trusted her brother...
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Hahaha, I still remember my uncle taking me and my little cousin (7 yr old girl) to see Jurassic Park. Since the theatre was packed, we got front row seats!!! Way better than 3D, but way too shocking for my cousin....
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Mar 14, 2011 11:08:54 PM CDT
I got my "film knowledge" from the "Late Shows" of the 70s
by mistermanreturns
...on Fridays and Saturdays. I was about 12, when I saw "Psycho". Guess that was my first trauma. HOWEVER, "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" disturbed me before that (saw its initial TV broadcast). Damn, I'm old...
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showed it to my 5 year old, its amazing 26 years on.
everyone should watch it again now
goonies never die -
Mom took me to see that in the theater - 6 years old. And good ol' "Nancy" was beaten to death with a club.
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Actually, I WAS disturbed by the dragons (baby?) eating the girl in "Dragonslayer" - not sure I'd show THAT to a five year-old....
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I guess I was too old to enjoy that, when it came out. I'm in the minority, I realize. Not a fan.
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I couldn't sit through Dragonslayer. I don't have anything at all against the movie and I love that Del Toro showed up to help Harry present it, but it's announcement took all the energy out of the room, and it only got worse when people all over the theater started leaving. Hard to watch a cult 80s flick (especially such a beat up print) when the mood just screams disappointment.
On the bright side, those that were elated when Dragonslayer was announced are probably having the time of their lives.
PS - For those wondering, the trailers were all vintage. Off the top of my head: Sword And The Sorcerer, Dungeons And Dragons, Krull, 7 Faces of Mr. Lao. -
Mar 15, 2011 12:08:42 AM CDT
I can't imagine that the choice went over really well.
by mistermanreturns
Too much hype will do that. Buzz kill.
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What a bunch of fake-ass hipsters.
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Even if you don't like it, it's going to be something special. Wish I could have been there. Happy 15th, guys!
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And I'm not a fake-ass hipster.
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...which was an animation method where the broad animation model's movements were computer-controlled, and the finer details were animated by hand. This created a 'natural' motion blur, as the animation camera shutter was left open for the computer-controlled moves of the dragon's head, wings, etc.
DRAGONSLAYER was a super-concentrated ILM effects effort (circa the RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK's VFX work), with Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, Phil Tippet and Peter Kuran (VCE animation) all working on it.
Kuran's effects animation was somewhat of a breakthrough, with details like animated fire and spark 'reflections' in the camera lens all animated by hand.
It also pushed the PG rating at the time, with the baby dragons munching on a sacrificial victm's foot.
The problem with the movie is that the leads were just plain dull, and the overall pacing of the film was insert.
Of course, it was an effects movie first and foremost, and for ILM's sequences, it came to life. -
When I saw it in '81, I'm pretty sure I was only one of a few people in the theater.
At least on DVD, you can skip to the dragon stuff. -
Maybe leading into a screening of the new remake.
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but Dragonslayer?! lame!
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harry fucked you all
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i wasnt there, but if i would have been there, fuck knows what i would have done. If del toro was there a directors cut of pans labyrinth would have been pretty good ? or maybe i'm just missing the point of this whole event.
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Lame.
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Would've loved to have been there! I saw Dragonslayer twice in the theater when it came out. Blown away by the story and the effects - which were like nothing Harryhausen had done to that point. I have great respect and admiration for Harryhausen, but this was the beginning of the end for his style of animation.
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to see Dragonslayer on the big screen again. I watched it with my 8-year old daughter two weeks ago, and she thought it was pretty good.
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It's liked Harry punk'd everyone. Dragonslayer? Really? Geez, what's next year's selection, "Q"?
I certainly would've left, but I'm rude like that. -
you dont know film. and you sure as hell dont appreciate film and its past.
you thought you were seeing a summer film and all you wanted was bragging rights of seeing it early. not every screening can be SCOTT PILGRIM or KICK ASS or STAR TREK...
though i might not agree with harrys pick, it was his choice and for ANYONE who has visited this site in the past, knows that harry has the attention span of a six year old hopped up on goofballs, so his pick could be something he truly wants to share with you, something hes been thinking about screening for a year, or more likely, something that popped up in a conversation, and harry thought, that would be cool to see on the big screen, which arguably it wouldve been.
it is always great to see older films on the big screen in a good crowd and these fake ass posers walking out just wanted to see something new--something that can be easily replicated in the next couple months.
and finally you fake ass wannabes who walked out of the screening, fuck you for making me defend harry.
shit -
"Q?"
i hope thats not a slam on Q?
if only i could dream to see larry cohen's epic film on the big screen.
you sir, are suspect! im watching you. -
That's what they paid everyone in attendance $300 a pop to say.
It was indeed actually a work print of Super 8.
I was there. I know.
And now I'm off to Japan. -
Mar 15, 2011 8:14:26 AM CDT
Dragonslayer! Oh yeah! That's cool, wish I could've neen there. I love the production design of that movie!
by stereotypical evil archer
Austin is the place to be.
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Mar 15, 2011 8:18:32 AM CDT
People walked out of Dragonslayer? Why were those fuckheads let in? Don't they understand the term "vintage?"
by stereotypical evil archer
Dragonslayer, ain't it cool? Hell yeah, it's cool!
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Yeah, I saw "Q" on the big screen back in the day, and was bitterly disappointed. I know its taken on a bit of a cult following since then, but as a teen-ager I thought it sucked. I figure it's similar to Dragonslayer in that a small minority remember it fondly and love it, but the vast majority would be like, "wha...?!" (Q more so than DS.)
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Mar 15, 2011 8:43:27 AM CDT
I "know film" (quite well), as well as the term "vintage"
by mistermanreturns
And I would not have been happy with that choice. I would have wanted something older, and more significant. What is it with the "fake poser" bullshit that people are screeching? I will say, that if anybody went in there expecting to see a new film, then yeah, they aren't too bright. But "fake poser"?????
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You Roll the dice and take your chances when it's a secret screening like that. That's the point.
Sure it's not the first thing that pops up that I want to see in the big screen which is the point..to give underappreciated and maybe unseen films a new life. Sure I wouldve been temporarily let down by the choice but then I wouldve said why not and watched it since it's been quite some time. What I wouldn't have done is cried sour grapes and walked like a pussy who didn't get what he wanted. -
So, getting up and leaving instead of wasting two hours watching a movie he/she has no interest in seeing again somehow would make one a "pussy"? Considering how little info was provided about what movie was to be shown, I agree that patrons were "rolling the dice." But Harry was also rolling the dice, playing a movie that has a following of sorts but certainly wouldn't be high on most movie fans' lists of "flicks I gotta see on the big screen!" A unique choice, and I'm happy for those who enjoyed it, but I've gotta assume there were a lot of disappointed fans there last night.
And I disagree that everyone who left did so because they were expecting THOR or SUPER 8 or some other "new" movie. Had John Landis (or David Naughton!) popped out for a showing of "American Werewolf in London," the place probably would've gone nuts. -
Mar 15, 2011 9:48:38 AM CDT
What does Dragonslayer do better than any other film before/since??
by shiftyeyeddog
and what is it that might overshadow it soon??
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I didn't leave out of spite or because I was expecting a summer blockbuster.
I just wasn't interested in watching an ugly print of Dragonslayer with a crowd that didn't seem overly interested in it. -
i disagree..those people who walked out already "wasted" hours getting there and waiting in line and buying tickets and whatnot..
to wholly dismiss a film and walk out because its not SUPER 8 and what they initially wanted--oh well.
do these people walk out of films regularly? do they walk out of RANGO cause they thought it was going to be something other than they thought or do they have the conviction to stick with the whole film and give it a chance. this commonplace notion that a film has to be what i want right away and everyone around me should enjoy what i enjoy is retarded. as a film fan, i have NEVER walked out on a film, regardless of its quality. each and every one of those patrons last night had a differing opinion of what they wanted to see...so hell yes the chances were slim that they were going to see what they wanted. the people who walked out are nothing but spoiled little brats.
and considering all the shit that is going down in the world, a little fantasy is nice for a change of pace. -
you are as much at fault for not being overtly interested in the film.
suck it up and watch the fucking film since you took the time to leave your abode and travel through a tourist congested city to see "a secret screening"
my wife,who hates shit like dragonslayer, after all that, wouldve stayed.
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Just my opinion, but I would agree with Harry that Dragonslayer got the dragon right better than any film since. The design of the dragon is MY favorite in any movie since. Though How To Train Your Dragon was damn good, I prefer the realism of the dragon in Dragonslayer.
Other dragons that I had hopes for, but didn't quite deliver - Harry Potter 4, Beowulf, Dragonheart. I enjoyed them all, but the FX work on Dragonslayer was spot on for what I always pictured in my head
The possibility to overshadow comes from in the form of Smaug - a dragon that would have been partly designed by Del Toro for The Hobbit. -
I walked out of Ultraviolet. Hated it from the first frame and only made 30 minutes in and had to leave. Sometimes you just don't like a movie. I like Dragonslayer, but know a lot of people that hat it.
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The humans in Dragonslayer weren't as compelling.
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Walking out of RANGO before it ends is quite different than walking out at the beginning of a "secret screening" of a movie that EVERYONE IN THE ROOM HAS PROBABLY SEEN ALREADY. They knew what was coming, and weren't interested. I don't see the crime. My initial post said it would be rude to do so, but considering what goes on in movie theaters these days, walking out is near the bottom of the list of common rude behaviors at the cineplex.
Were I a fan of the movie, I'd rather sit in a half-full theater with other Dragonslayer fanatics than a packed house of shifting, snoring, disinterested movie-goers, anyway. -
It's SXSW, not Fantastic Fest of BTAN. This shows you are losing the pull you once had.
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Mar 15, 2011 10:59:52 AM CDT
The measure of a "secret screening" should be whether it'd fill a theater if it wasn't "secret".
by chewtoy
Now, there's still the question of whether it's a presentation that *you'd* be interested in, so there's a gamble. I mean, they could have had footage of the next "Twilight" film and still pissed off a lot of people, but there's little doubt that they could have filled a theater and then some with people who would have killed to see that stuff.
I'm sure some people had a blast. I'm sure some people didn't get a chance to read Harry's post trying to dial back expectations as well, and so were sorely disappointed. -
I think it was a poor choice for this kind ofi screening. It's got killer effects for it's time and del Toro wasn't joking when he said the Dragon is one of the best in film, but I think they should have gone with something WAY more classic.
Super 8 or Thor certainly would have been cool, but personally I was hoping for the Thing. It's a classic, it's likely to be new to a lot of people in that audience, and most importantly it's really fucking good on all levels.
I'm sorry, but after it's effects, Dragonslayer does NOT have much to offer, the story is boring and the acting is barely above mediocre. I waited three hours in line for a ticket to get into this, and while I don't regret it, I could see why someone else would.
This would have been a perfect flick for an Alamo secret screening on some random weekend, but not for a huge event like this. Harry needed to wheel out a crowd pleaser, and this just didn't cut it. THAT's why people were leaving, as rude as they might be for doing so. -
Mar 15, 2011 11:17:03 AM CDT
i'd feel dumb for wasting time in line..only to walk out
by six demon bag
3 hours in line to ensure a seat and THEN to walk out?!?!
at least make it worth it..stick around and watch the film you just wasted all afternoon and night to have an opportunity to see.
whats two more hours and a film's worth of entertainment to lose?
harrys not about pleasing people, only himself. he shows films that people havent seen before (or on the big screen) and nothing makes him more happy than to introduce something new to someone.
THE THING (to harry) comes and goes all the time, but as i stated earlier, im sure dragonslayer was mentioned and that got harry all moist and he ran with it.
he wasnt trying to dupe anyone or pull a banksy, but only to share a film that at the moment he is in love with.
fuck him and fuck you for making me defend him.
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Mar 15, 2011 11:21:12 AM CDT
I jealous of those who got to see Dragonslayer on the big screen. Art divides.
by stereotypical evil archer
Dragonslayer is art.
30 years on and film has not seen a better dragon. -
I truly love this movie. I think it is outstanding across the board. From the story to the acting to the effects.
I thought the interaction between Galen and Valerian was fantastic, and I usually do not like peter MacNicol - he is too mannered.
I fell in love a bit with Caitlin Clarke, and was very saddened to hear of her death at such a relativley young age.
All of that being said, I have never waited in line for more than an hour for a movie in my entire life - midnight showing of Burton's Batman in '89 was first and last time.
I suppose I can understand though why some would be disappointed given the history of the event and the time they had to wait for what they expected to be a blockbuster.
I do think Harry should have floored those expectations moreso than he did, but I actually have no problem with people leaving a screening who did not want to be there. -
Mar 15, 2011 11:22:27 AM CDT
Damn predictive text. Sorry about the typos.
by stereotypical evil archer
-
It's worth waiting to hear a Q&A with Del Toro ANYTIME!
That guy is entertaining as hell, and even if I wasn't excited by the film, to hear Del Toro speak of his recent problems within the studio system would have been worth it.
I saw him last time he came to Austin with Hellboy 2 and that screening was epic. They even paid for all of our food at The Alamo. -
Mar 15, 2011 11:25:30 AM CDT
You think people wouldn't have walked out if "The Thing" played?
by thatchicken
Or "E.T." for that matter?
These are movies people have seen many times and can watch at any fucking moment. Sure, people go to revivals of movies like this all the time, but that's because they know what they're getting. There is no "surprise," outside of, say, BNAT, but everyone who goes to that one KNOWS that kind of shit is in store.
You also have to consider that the crowd in Austin for SXSW isn't comprised of just geeks who think a surprise screening of "Dragonslayer" would be a great way to spend a chunk of a night in Austin, a city that happens to be teeming with music, booze and pussy this week. There are hipsters, pseudo-hipsters, douchebags, hippies, flakes, journalists, hipster journalists, pseudo-hipster journalists, douchebag journalists, etc. crawling all over the place for stories. And what better story than a fucking "surprise" screening by Harry Knowles, who has been known to pull big-time bait and switches before (See: STINO).
"Gee, should I stick around and watch 'Dragonslayer,' which I've seen twice before, or should I go out, grab some nachos and liquor up some co-eds?"
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buncha fake ass bitches walking out had no business being there in the first place, think they were going to see GREEN LANTERN or SUCKER PUNCH
-
Mar 15, 2011 11:30:26 AM CDT
Again: Stay in with a bunch of sweaty nerds to watch "Dragonslayer"?
by thatchicken
Or go out and party with some drunk girls down to fuck?
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It really does cut both ways. I don't pity those assholes for waiting in line to see it only to walk out later. It's Harry fucking Knowles. They should know better.
Still, even though Harry's post scaled back expectations somewhat, he needs to understand that he can't hype geek shit that appeals to him and his coterie of pimple-faced sycophants and expect everyone else to come along for the ride. -
i say watch DRAGONSLAYER and then ravage town with a little of the old in-out with the co-eds...
i would also go by BOOK PEOPLE too and pick up some great books.
is WATERLOO still there? -
Is there a way to refresh the page view/replies without having to click on the story header itself?
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"Spend 3 hours + $x to walk out on a movie you don't want to see again" strikes me as a better proposition than "Spend 5 hours + $x to sit through a movie you don't want to see again."
I mean, sure, they both sound like lousy evenings... but once the film was revealed, there was no changing the investment of time or money they audience had already made. The question from that point forward was whether they made the further investment of the next 2 hours watching a film they didn't want to watch, or whether they did something more enjoyable with that time. -
They sell porn magazines there?
-
I think you hit the nail on the head. For those who were bitterly disappointed, why compound that by staying?
I have no doubt though that the long wait fueled that disappointment more than would have been the case if it was just the usual wait for a movie. The longer the wait, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.
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3 hours and money and walk out with nothing?
or
5 hours and money and walk out with a film experience and a Q&A with del toro?
keep in mind, most people who walked were probably idiots who hadnt even seen the film but were just pissed that it wasnt a sneak preview they were hoping.
had i stood in line for 3 hours and paid good money to see a mystery film, id be damned if i was gonna stay and watch that film. i couldve been beautician and the beast and i wouldve stayed.
these people who initially walked into the theater to see a mystery film shouldve know approximately what to expect from the mind of harry. love him or hate him, he does what he does.
i could tell by the way he was writing up there that this was a film that would come out of left field, like he was trying to sell it to ya and take his word for it. he was trying hard to pimp it. he prolly knew some people would be disappointed that the hype didnt deliver, but i relly dont think that was the point. it was to show a lost gem that rarely gets to shine these days. -
porn mags?
new and used -
I'm gonna hafta avoid that sticky situation, then.
-
Mar 15, 2011 12:11:50 PM CDT
Dragonslayer? Starring that guy from Ghostbusters II and Ally McBeal?
by kid idioteque
I have zero familiarity with the movie, but given this was a SXSW-related event, that's a pretty underwhelming choice.
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You geeks never stop whining, do you?
Here, have yourself a shiny new iPad. That outta keep you distracted for five minutes.
CHOPPED. -
You tell em steve-Dave
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My badge is through the company I work for, so admission for me was free.
I stood in line for roughly 40-45 minutes.
I live in Austin, and I was already downtown for the trade show and the screening of Win Win.
So, in other words, it wasn't as though I went through some crazy, expensive ordeal to be there. It was really minimal effort on my part.
I think everything in regards to this screening would have been fine had Harry just come out and said "I'm bringing in Del Toro, and we're picking an old movie that we both love." -
Bloated manchild with reputation of hyping things to extreme levels hypes another event to extreme levels.
Bloated manchild followers of bloated manchild go right along with it, like the millennial suckers they are.
Bloated manchild disappoints bloated manchild followers en masse, and bloated manchildren leave feeling butt hurt and ripped off.
And I'm supposed to give a fukk?
Um, no. -
ok well,thats not that bad.
but to be fair: harry did basically spell it out that this was not your typical film, it was vintage, and that it was a special guest, who wasnt associated with the film.
which roughly translates in spazzspeak to: me and my friend have a film we REALLY like and would like to show it to you -
how was WIN WIN?
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Just let people do what they want to do, as long as it ain't impeding on anyone else. So some people felt like getting up and leaving? So what. As long as it didn't interfere with others' enjoyment of the show, why ya care?
Assuming that "most people who walked were probably idiots" is a mistake, IMO. There may have been as many different reasons for leaving as there were people who left. Lumping them all together as unappreciative morons doesn't help your argument at all.
They showed up for something, not at all sure what it might be, but hopeful for an enjoyable evening. When it turned out to be something they weren't interested in, they left. BFD.
And choppah, I realize you're too hip for this talkback, but if you REALLY didn't give a fukk, you wouldn't have bothered to write such a clever response. -
Pretty much your standard indie drama, but it had a lot of charm and slew of good laughs. I wouldn't of been disappointed had I payed for it.
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It seems you have this thread covered.
OHHHHHHHH!!!!
Be sure to tip your waitress. -
It was a slow day at work; what can I tell ya?
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If I were your boss, and I saw you fucking off on AICN, I'd send you out get an eight-ball and some Chinese hookers.
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I am aware of the "point" of mystery screenings. Your response to me seems directed at somebody else. You need to read earlier posts.
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