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| Fellini News Update #19 |
Researching and documenting the influence of Federico Fellini on popular culture.
January 20, 2007
Greetings from Fort Worth, Texas
Topics:
1.) OPENING CREDITS: Roma Cinema Fest 2007 - Fellini Tribute - Dream Notebooks
2.) IN MEMORIAM - Oriana Fallaci - Marcello Mastroianni Remembered - Robert Altman: Auteur
3.) FELLINI’S INFLUENCE - Leo DiCaprio - Beck - Dustin Hoffman - Neil Burger - Guillermo del Toro - Tom Tykwer -
M. Night Shyamalan
4.) REVIEWS - YouTube and Fellini - David Lynch Epic - Eminem vs. Fellini - Ginger & Fred On DVD - Marcello: A Sweet Life - AMARCORD Journal
5.) ODDS ‘n ENDS ‘n TRIFLES - Little Black Suit - Sports Report? - The Truth: Fellini & Emily Dickinson - Fellini’s Religion
6.) FESTIVAL NEWS - Galway Film Festival - Fellini In China - 44th New York Film Festival
7.) FELLINIANA ARCHIVE NEWS - New Calendar For 2007 - New Acquisitions
1. Opening Credits: Roma Cinema Fest
The second annual Roma Cinema Fest will take place, October 18 - 26, with a special tribute to Fellini.
More on this exciting event later.
The festival web site is here:
http://www.romefilmfestival.com/
Read a notice in the Hollywood Reporter:
Click Here
The legendary, Fellini Dream Books, sketches made by Fellini at the urging of his Jungian therapist,
will be officially debut at the Roma Cinema Fest.
Read more:
Click Here
and here:
Click to Read
2. In Memoriam:
Oriana Fallaci, a political writer and interviewer with a staunchly rightist slant died on September 15, 2006.
She conducted a memorable interview with Fellini in 1963 published in her book, Limelighters.
Read more about her controversial life, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriana_Fallaci
December 19, 2006 marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Marcello Mastroianni, prolific actor
and beloved star of six Fellini films. Celebrations honoring old Snaporaz were held in Rome and elsewhere.
Read more, here:
www.italymag.co.uk
and here:
www.lifeinitaly.com
If anyone personified the term, auteur, it was Robert Altman. Like Fellini, his movies have the
undeniable stamp of a particular kind on them. His recent death brought up a few comparisons with
Fellini, like their shared problems with producers and criticism for excessiveness.
The London Telegraph did a nice remembrance of Altman. Read it, here:
www.telegraph.co.uk
3.) Fellini’s Influence:
Leonard Di Caprio recently listed 10 movies that are most inspirational to him.
Fellini’s 8 1/2 rated #4. Read them all, here:
http://in.rediff.com/movies/2006/sep/21leo.htm
Pop musician, Beck, says that Fellini films have influenced his work.
Read more, here:
www.aolmusicnewsblog.com
There is no doubt that Dustin Hoffman is one of the most capable actors of his generation - that the films
he stars in are consistently good. But, mention the roles he turned down and you’ll bring him to tears.
Among those was the lead in Fellini’s City of Women, that Marcello Mastroianni ended up with.
Read an interview with Hoffman in the London Times, here:
www.timesonline.co.uk
Film director, Neil Burger, cites Fellini as his favorite filmmaker. A favorite topic of both men is the
blurred distinction of truth and illusion.
Read an interview with him as he discusses his latest film, The Illusionist:
Read it here
Read a review of Burger’s, The Illusionist, here:
www.philly.com
Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro’s latest film is being called a masterpiece, an adult fairy tale.
He is being compared to Fellini for his use of fantasy and magic realism.
Read a mini review, here:
www.newyorkdailynews.com
Speaking of magic realism, I’ve heard that Tom Tykwer’s new film, Perfume, has echoes of Fellini,
in a weird sort of way. His film, Run Lola Run, remains one of my all time favorites. Perfume is getting
mixed reviews from critics, but any film referred to as, “straight out of a Fellini wet dream”, can’t be missed.
Read a review, here:
http://www.thestar.com/article/168062
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, Lady in the Water failed at the box office, but at least it earned a
comparison with Fellini’s 8 1/2.
Read more, here:
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/138566
4.) Reviews:
I recently discovered YouTube.com and I’m still spinning from the shock. It’s almost too much to describe.
Basically, YouTube is a video sharing web site which allows viewers to upload, view and share video clips.
Both amateur and professional film makers are represented. Time Magazine named it, Invention of the Year, for 2006.
You have to see it to fully get it. It is definitely addicting.
I was astounded to discover over 300 Fellini-related videos at YouTube. Some are trifling, but many are essential.
For example, you can view the Fellini TV commercials and deleted scenes from Fellini’s Casanova which are not
easily available elsewhere. There are also rare clips of Fellini directing Amarcord, Roma, Voice of the Moon
and others. You can see dozens of cleverly made Fellini tributes and homage's, musical performances of
Fellini film music, trailers, interviews, etc. etc.
Check out this cute little 3.5 minute comedy by Fellini’s lesser known brother, Melvin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqfhDHSHLaA
The most original and compelling Fellini video I watched at the aforementioned YouTube.com is, 8 1/2 Mile.
The film makers at AV Club combine edited clips and haunting music from Fellini’s 8 1/2 with the hard driving
Eminem song, Lose Yourself, featured in the film 8 Mile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wec3GCdV7yY
The new David Lynch film, Inland Empire, is a 3 hour epic that is being compared with late period Fellini.
Read a mini review, here:
http://theedge.bostonherald.com
Ginger and Fred, Fellini’s 1985 nostalgia fueled, sarcastic look at television finally gets a
Region 1 (USA) DVD release on Warner Home Video. Release date is, February 13.
Read more, here:
http://dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=63280
A new documentary film on Marcello Mastroianni is out.
Read a review, here:
www.variety.com
The AMARCORD journal published by the Fondazione Federico Fellini in Rimini, Italia has two new issue out.
Lots of good reading for the Fellini-o-phile. This attractive publication is printed in English and Italian.
Check out the web site, here:
http://federicofellini.it/
5.) Odds ‘n Ends ‘n Trifles:
GQ Men’s Magazine recently published their list of the 25 Most Stylish Movies of All Time.
Fellini’s 8 1/2 made the list at #5. (La Dolce Vita would have been the obvious choice.)
Marcello Mastroianni’s “black suit, white shirt and black tie screamed classic confidence - even though
his character was falling apart,” says GQ.
Check out the other 24 films and cast your vote, here:
www.newyorkdailynews.com
and here:
http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_5068
I’m always taken aback when I read a reference to Fellini in anything to do with sports,
especially American sports. In a review of the new Madden ‘07 video game in Sports Illustrated,
the name of the great Italian film auteur is invoked. Jocks everywhere are now wondering who the
heck Fellini is.
Read it, here:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com
Fellini was fond of saying that “the truth is never clear, but lies are easily understood by everyone.”
I recently ran across this poem by Emily Dickinson that, in more ways than one, reminds me a lot of
Fellini and his idea and expression of truth:
Click Here
Recently discovered on Google.com: Religions of the 25 Most Influential Film Directors.
A fascinating subject, for sure. Fellini is represented with references from several of his biographers.
One naturally thinks of Fellini as Catholic, but he was greatly influenced bu astrology and Jungian thought.
Read more, here:
http://www.adherents.com/movies/adh_dir.html
6.) Festival News
The Galway Ireland Film Festival will feature several Fellini films when it convenes in July.
Read more, here:
http://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/flash_splash.html
The 10th Shanghai International Film Festival will feature an Italian Film Panorama from January 19 - 28, 2007.
Organized by the Italian Ministry of Culture and others, the event will include the screening of 30 classic
Italian films, including, La Dolce Vita. Should be an interesting translation.
Read more, here:
http://www.siff.com/Articleen/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=170
and here:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117957076.html?categoryid=19&cs=1
The poster for the 44th New York Film Festival (2006) held last fall featured an iconic photo of
Fellini directing Satyricon. This may have something to do with the festival sidebar, “50 years of Janus Films.”
Janus was the company that first brought Fellini and other films to the USA, and is directly responsible for
the creation of “art house cinema.”
Check out the striking poster, here:
http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff/posters.html
7.) Felliniana Archive News:
Big news!
Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria 50th Anniversary Calendar for 2007 are now available. Each month of the year
features an 8 1/2" x 11" color image from the worlds largest private collection of vintage Fellini memorabilia.
Posters from several countries, still photos, pressbooks and other rarely seen material is pictured.
The spiral bound calendar has a total of 20 carefully scanned images and a brief essay, printed on heavy paper.
It opens up to a full size of 11" x 17".
Cost: $20. each. Domestic Priority shipping is $5. Global Priority International shipping is $10.
Order through Paypal () or send check to address below.
Recent acquisitions to the archive include:
Casanova - Japanese poster
La Dolce Vita - Japanese poster
Variety Lights - Danish programme
Il Bidone - Danish programme
Variety Lights (Luci del Varieta) - Rare set of Italian fotobusta posters
These and many other treasures will soon be available for viewing at the web site:
http://www.felliniana.com
I welcome contributions and feedback to this newsletter.
Please advise if you wish to be removed from the mailing list.
Don Young
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