Seattle International Film Festival
-----
AAA -----
`Adrenaline Drive' Japan, 1998 Director: Shinobu Yaguchi Cast: Hikari Ishida, Masanobu Ando, Kirina Mano, Yutaka Matsushige U.S. premiere 111 minutes FORCED TO VISIT a yakuza's lair after an ucar accident, Suzuki, a meek clerk, is about to have his fingers broken when a sudden explosion kills off the whole gang - almost. Meanwhile, timid nurse Shizuko dreams of the "new self" predicted by her horoscope, unaware that she will soon be on the run with Suzuki in a roller-coaster adventure. From the director of the dark comedy "My Secret Cache," a hit last year at SIFF. May 22, 12:30 p.m., Harvard; May 26, 7:15 p.m., Pacific.
`The Adventures of Sebastian Cole' U.S., 1998 Director: Tod Williams Cast: Adrian Grenier, Clark Gregg, Margaret Colin, Aleksa Palladino, John Shea 112 minutes THIS COMEDIC coming-of-age story takes an off-kilter look at "alternative" family arrangements. Sebastian is a troubled teen who dabbles in sex, drugs and dangerous pranks. But when his unorthodox father disappears into self-indulgent narcissism, young Sebastian must teach himself how to face the world. May 28, 9:30 p.m., Pacific; May 31, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian.
`After Life' Japan, 1998 Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda Cast: Arata, Erika Oda, Susumu Terajima, Takashi Naito, Kei Tani, Toru Yuri 118 minutes IN THIS SLYLY humorous vision of the afterlife, 22 people are seen sitting in a nondescript building in the middle of winter. An offscreen voice - a kind of guidance counselor for the dead - explains that each of them has two days to select a single memory to be re-created, saved and carried into eternity. This simple idea is the basis for a sympathetic portrait of people in life's ultimate transition. May 23, 6:30 p.m., Broadway.
`After the Rain' South Africa, 1999 Director: Ross Kettle Cast: Paul Bettany, Louise Lombard, Ariyon Bakare World premiere 110 minutes THIS EXPLOSIVE FILM tells the story of three young adults during a time of civil unrest in South Africa, as an Afrikaner, his girlfriend and a black man are thrown together and forced to deal with their inner demons and the turmoil engulfing their country. This edgy drama is the feature film debut of director Ross Kettle, adapted from his critically acclaimed 1992 stage play "Soweto's Burning." June 5, 9:15 p.m., Harvard; June 6, 3:30 p.m., Harvard.
`All the Little Animals' Britain, 1998 Director: Jeremy Thomas Cast: John Hurt, Christian Bale, Daniel Benzali, James Faulkner 112 minutes THE DIRECTORIAL DEBUT from "Little Buddha" producer Jeremy Thomas stars John Hurt as Mr. Summers, a strange hermit whose mission is to properly bury little animals killed along the highway. When a mentally challenged young man runs away from his cruel and greedy stepfather, Mr. Summers steps in to help the boy discover some peace and face the realities of the past. May 28, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; May 31, 12:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Amerikan Passport' U.S., 1999 Director: Reed Paget Documentary 83 minutes DESCRIBED AS "the first Lollapalooza-type movie from the grunge generation," this film documents the epic journey of filmmaker Reed Paget through 12 war zones across five continents. Caught in the midst of the Tiananmen Square uprising, drinking whisky in Cambodia and hitchhiking with Contras in Nicaragua, "Amerikan Passport" evolves into a wry dissection of man's predisposition toward violence. May 29, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Angel of the Night' Denmark, 1998 Director: Shaky Gonzalez Cast: Maria Karlsen, Mette Louise Holland, Tomas Villum Jensen, Ulrich Thomsen 87 minutes VAMPIRE RICO MORTIS haunted mankind for centuries, until he was vanquished . . . but not completely, as Rebecca and her friends discover when they spend the night in an old mansion. This is a camp-fest from beginning to end. May 21, midnight, Egyptian; May 30, 9:30 p.m., Valley Drive-In, Auburn.
`At Sachem Farm' U.S., 1999 Director: John Huddles Cast: Minnie Driver, Nigel Hawthorne, Rufus Sewell U.S. premiere 105 minutes IN THIS QUIRKY comedy, Ross is a frustrated musician and a lousy businessman with a cockeyed plan to rescue his family's estate, Sachem Farm, from certain ruin. After his insane uncle, frigid girlfriend and a telepathic acquaintance throw his well-laid plans into dissarray, Ross finds himself torn between his artistic ambitions and material success. June 5, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian; June 6, 6:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' U.S., 1999 Director: Jay Roach Cast: Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Elizabeth Hurley, Kristen Johnston, Rob Lowe, Gia Carides 100 minutes WHEN AUSTIN POWERS loses his ability to shag like mad, he learns his archnemesis Dr. Evil has resurfaced from his penthouse atop the Space Needle and traveled back in time to steal Austin's mojo. Following Dr. Evil back to the Swinging '60s, Austin fends off a motley collection of henchmen in an effort to regain his groove thing - and return to the '90s. Closing Night Gala: June 6, 6:30 p.m., Pacific.; $30.
`Autumn Tale' France, 1998 Director: Eric Rohmer Cast: Marie Riverie, Beatrice Romand, Alain Libolt, Didier Sandre 110 minutes ERIC ROHMER, the Academy Award-nominated director of "Claire's Knee" and "My Night With Maude," completes his "Tales of the Four Seasons" series with this contemplative comedy, set in the Rhone Valley, that finds a contently married woman (Marie Riviere) auditioning would-be partners for her widowed best friend (Beatrice Romand). May 22, 6:30 p.m., Harvard; May 26, 5 p.m., Harvard.
-----
BBB -----
`The Basement and the Kitchen' U.S., 1999 Director: David Fickas Cast: David Fickas, Pam Cook, Mo Gaffney, Ric Barbera, Luiggi Debiasse, Terence Winter, Jeff Wiens World premiere 108 minutes THIS COMEDIC SCI-FI thriller follows Lloyd, a deeply paranoid man who believes himself to be the victim of a massive government conspiracy, as he frantically tries to manage his burgeoning madness. Traci, his childhood friend, wants to persuade him to abandon his delusions - having no reason to believe his wild stories. Until, that is, she stumbles across the secrets hidden in the kitchen. June 2, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; June 4, 5 p.m., Harvard.
`The Basket' U.S., 1999 Director: Rich Cowan Cast: Peter Coyote, Karen Allen, Robert Karl Burke, Amber Willenborg, Jock MacDonald, Eric Dane World premiere 105 minutes SET IN THE PACIFIC Northwest, the film tells the story of families forced to pick up the pieces of World War I as they deal with the arrival of a strange teacher with unconventional methods and a new game - basketball. In a time of pain and prejudice woven against a backdrop of great natural beauty, "The Basket" celebrates triumph and hope in a rapidly changing America. June 5, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Battleship Potemkin' Russia, 1925 Directors: Sergei M. Eisenstein, Grigori Aleksandrov Cast: I. Bobrov, Beatrice Vitoldi, N. Poltavseva, Julia Eisenstein, Grigori Aleksandrov 65 minutes A CLASSIC FILM, and frequently judged the best movie ever made, "Battleship Potemkin" dramatizes the naval mutiny at Odessa, a pivotal moment preceding the Russian Revolution. Director Sergei M. Eisenstein's masterful use of cross-cutting and montage created a new visual style and grammar for modern cinema. June 5, 8 p.m., Paramount; June 6, 7 p.m., Paramount.
`A Beautiful New World' China, 1998 Director: Shi Runjiu Cast: Jiang Wu, Tao Hong, Wu Bai, Chen Ning, Ren Xian Qi U.S. premiere 97 minutes COUNTRY BOY Zhang Boa Gun moves to Shanghai to claim an apartment he won through a newspaper competition. Upon arriving, he's distressed to find that he must wait a year to claim his prize. Thereafter, he wanders the neon-lit city, attempting to fend off the unwanted advances of scammers and losers trying to cheat him of his new home. May 28, 7:15 p.m., Broadway; June 1, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Beautiful Sunday' Japan, 1998 Director: Tetsuya Nakashima Cast: Teruyuki Kagawa, Ittoku Kishibe, Masatoshi Nagase, Kumi Nakamura, Tsutomu Yamazaki U.S. premiere 93 minutes A YOUNG COUPLE reacts to bad news by grabbing a catcher's mitt and playing softball. An elderly neighbor ascends to the roof and announces that she's a visitor from another planet. These are just a few of the characters populating a film that traces the daily interactions of a group of apartment dwellers in downtown Tokyo, a story that humorously conveys the anxieties of contemporary life. May 14, 5 p.m., Harvard; May 16, 9:15 p.m., Harvard.
`The Bed' Czech Republic, 1998 Director: Oskar Reif Cast: Michal Przebinda, Stanislava Jachnika, Jana Hruskova, Martin Stavel, Sylva Langova-Williams U.S. premiere 90 minutes FOR THE FIRST TIME, teacher and family man Lubosh Urna has the chance to reflect on the dominating influence that women have had on his life - from the safe confines of a funeral urn containing his ashes. In this surrealistic fable, the bed embodies his place of conception, birth and death, and connects his current stay in the afterworld as he re-constructs the events of his life. June 3, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; June 6, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Bedrooms & Hallways' Britain, 1998 Director: Rose Troche Cast: Kevin McKidd, Hugo Weaving, Jennifer Ehle, Simon Callow 96 minutes LEO, A 30-YEAR-OLD gay man, yearns for a serious relationship, whereas his housemate, Darren, is content with casual sex. When Leo goes to a male group-therapy session, he reveals some secret infatuations, instigating a rethinking of sexual identities. This brash comedy offers a generous perspective on contemporary relationships. May 14, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 16, 3:30 p.m., Pacific Place.
`Beefcake' Canada, 1998 Director: Thom Fitzgerald Cast: Daniel MacIvor, Josh Peace, Carroll Godsman, Jonathan Torrens, Jack Griffin Mazeika, Joe D'Allesandro 97 minutes IN THE REPRESSED '50s, sexuality (gay and straight) hid behind the gleaming physiques and fitness advice found in muscle magazines. With the chronicle of the rise and criminal prosecution of the man who invented the genre, director Thom Fitzgerald blends interviews, archival footage and fiction into "Beefcake," an entertaining look at the underground culture of the Hollywood bodybuilders of the '50s. May 30, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian; June 2, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
`Beloved' / `Friend' Spain, 1999 Director: Ventura Pons Cast: Josep Maria Pou, Rosa Maria Sarda, Mario Gas, David Selvas U.S. premiere 90 minutes A TERMINALLY ILL literature teacher, Jaume, is attempting to come to terms with his imminent death. Hopelessly attracted to David, a self-absorbed, amoral student, he becomes obsessed with leaving the young man a magnum opus - his treatise on the meaning of love. Philosophy, poetry and art all figure prominently in this drama. May 28, 9:30 p.m., Broadway; June 1, 2:45 p.m., Egyptian.
`Bent Familia' Tunisia/France/France, 1997 Director: Nouri Bouzid Cast: Amel Hedhilli, Nadia Kaci, Leila Nassim, Raouf Ben Amor 105 minutes A VIEW of the situation of women in Tunisian society, this film observes three thirtysomething girlfriends who share a mute frustration with the restraints placed on them by their culture. After losing touch, they are reunited years later and find mutual strength, support and affection that enables them to hold on to their ideals and take charge of their lives. May 19, 7:15 p.m., Broadway; May 21, 5 p.m., Broadway.
`Beshkempir, the Adopted Son' Kyrgyzstan/France, 1998 Director: Aktan Abdykalykov Cast: Mirlan Abdikalikov, Albina Imsheva, Adir Abilkassimov, Bakit Dzhylkychiev 81 minutes THE SECRET of one boy's birth, tied to the ancient tradition of his Kyrgyz village, makes for an unusual rite of passage. "Beshkempir, the Adopted Son," shot in black and white, with the use of color in certain scenes, was the official 1998 Kyrgyztan Oscar submission for best foreign film. May 17, 7:15 p.m. Harvard; May 19, 5 p.m., Broadway.
`Besieged' Italy, 1998 Director: Bernardo Bertolucci Cast: Thandie Newton, David Thewlis, Claudio Santamaria 92 minutes DIRECTOR BERNARDO Bertolucci tells the story of two people living parallel lives - one a prisoner of his own artistry, the other afloat in a foreign culture. Shanduri, a young woman from a repressive African country, moves to Rome and cleans house for Jason Kinsky, an eccentric composer. Warily circling each other, the two strangers forge an unlikely alliance. May 14, 9:30 p.m., Pacific; May 15, 3:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Betrayal' Brazil, 1998 Directors:Arthur Fontes, Claudio Torres, Jose Enrique Fonseca Cast: Fernanda Montengro, Fernanda Torres, Drica Moraes, Ludmila Dayer, Daniel Dantas, Pedro Cardoso, Jorge Doria, Fransisco Cuoco, Alexandre Borges, Jose Henrique Fonseca, Tonico Pereira U.S. premiere 105 minutes A MARRIED WOMAN approaches a young man at a bus station. A colonel's pretty daughter seduces her sister's fiance. A betrayed husband confronts his wife at the moment the waiter brings champagne. These episodes, based on short stories written by Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodriguez, form the core of this sensual film about marriage, betrayal and redemption. June 1, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; June 3, 2:45 p.m., Pacific.
`Better Living Through Circuitry' U.S., 1999 Director: Jon Reiss Documentary 85 minutes INVESTIGATING the theme of "empowerment through technology," underground filmmaker John Reiss documents the fertile electronic dance and performance scene. From the music of Crystal Method and Electronic Skychurch, to the graphic designers, fans and rave promoters, this film takes a provocative look at the techno subculture. May 16, 9:15 p.m., Pacific.
`Better Than Chocolate' Canada, 1999 Director: Anne Wheeler Cast: Wendy Crewson, Karyn Dwyer, Christina Cox, Anne-Marie MacDonald, Peter Outerbridge U.S. premiere 101 minutes MAGGIE IS A closeted lesbian trying to keep her secret from a snooping, domineering mother, while attempting to live her private life. Meanwhile, Maggie's new lover is looking for a place to stay for a few days - at the exact moment her mother wants to visit. This is a romantic comedy that's steeped in sexual frustration and unexpected twists. May 15, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 17, 5 p.m. Egyptian.
`The Big Swap' Britain, 1998 Director: Niall Johnson Cast: Alison Egan, Kevin Howarth, Clarue Hayes, Maru Caven, Sorcha Brooks 121 minutes ONE NIGHT, five drunken couples - all close friends - decide to spice up their lives with a bit of "wife swapping." What begins as a bit of harmless fun soon becomes a Pandora's box of devastating secrets and lies. This darkly comic take on fidelity chronicles the obsessions and jealousies that threaten to destroy the friends' relationships and change their lives forever. May 18, 9:30 p.m., Pacific; May 20, 5 p.m., Pacific.
`Bingo: The Documentary' U.S., 1999 Director: John Jeffcoat Documentary World premiere 70 minutes SEATTLE FILMMAKER John Jeffcoat takes a look at all that is bingo - from welfare recipients to drag queens and the Catholic Church - in all its gaudy, bawdy and grandly humorous best. Filmed on location throughout the U.S., Europe and even on a floating Carnival Cruise Bingo Ship in the Caribbean, the film reveals an unexpected subculture of eccentric and tightly knit people for whom hope truly springs eternal. June 5, 9:15 p.m., Broadway.
`Bishonen ... Beauty' Hong Kong/China, 1998 Director: Manshih Yonfan Cast: Stephen Fung, Daniel Wu, Jason Tsang, Terence Yin, ShuQi 101 minutes IN THE SEXUAL underground of Hong Kong, a popular gigolo, Jet, makes the acquaintance of Sam, the hunkiest cop on the island. Sam's sweetness proves irresistible to Jet, and the two men begin an uneasy liaison that threatens to topple their precariously balanced world. May 22, 6:30 p.m., Pacific; May 27, 5 p.m., Harvard.
`Black Cat, White Cat' Yugoslavia, 1998 Director: Emir Kusturica Cast: Srdan Todorovic, Florijan Ajdini, Jasar Destani, Branka Katic 135 minutes DOUBLE-CROSSES, train heists and arranged weddings are just a few of the delights in this boisterous farce set in a Gypsy settlement on the banks of the Danube River. The intricate plot, involving a trainload of smuggled Jordanian gasoline and three generations of penny-ante hustlers, taps into the manic life force of the Balkans. Winner of the Silver Lion at the 1998 Venice Film Festival. May 31, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian; June 2, 9:30 p.m., Pacific.
`The Book of Stars' U.S., 1998 Director: Michael Miner Cast: Mary Stuart Masterson, Jena Malone, Delroy Lindo, D.B. Sweeney, Karl Geary 110 minutes IN THIS FRACTURED, dreamy fairy tale, which was filmed in Seattle, Penny spends her days caring for Mary, her ill teenage sister, and her nights selling her body to the highest bidder. It's up to Mary to keep the magic alive with her "Book of Stars and Lovely Things," a mystical volume that draws a mysterious young man into their lives. May 30, 9:15 p.m., Pacific.
`Breakfast of Champions' U.S., 1999 Director: Alan Rudolph Cast: Bruce Willis, Albert Finney, Nick Nolte, Barbara Hershey, Glenne Headly, Lukas Haas U.S. premiere 110 minutes DWAYNE HOOPER'S LIFE seems ideal, but in truth, wife Celia is a TV-addicted wreck, son George is a weakling and best friend Harry is a paranoid lingerie fetishist. Meanwhile, third-rate sci-fi writer Kilgore Trout, raised in Hoover's fantasies to the status of prophet, treks ever closer to Midland City. When Dwayne and Kilgore finally meet, things such as time, space and reality will have long since lost their meaning. May 15, 9:15 p.m., Cinerama; May 17, 5 p.m., Pacific.
`Buena Vista Social Club' Germany, 1999 Director: Wim Wenders Documentary 101 minutes WIM WENDERS' DOCUMENTARY of Ry Cooder's collaboration with Cuban all-star band Buena Vista Social Club offers a musical tapestry, plus behind-the-scenes interviews with the band's major players. A heady, invigorating brew from the director of "Wings of Desire." May 21, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; May 25, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
`Buttoners' Czech Republic, 1997 Director: Petr Zelenka Cast: Pavel Zajicek, Jan Haubert, Seisuke Tsukahara, Motohiro Hosoya 100 minutes THIS ROLLICKING film is composed of six interlaced stories that track a gallery of eccentric characters and bizarre situations. The first segment, set in Japan on Aug. 6, 1945, is a darkly humorous fable about tea ceremonies and the atomic bomb. The remaining five leapfrog through Prague 50 years later and involve hijacked taxis, sperm samples in outer space, and a psychologist's tragic mania for hygiene. May 14, 5 p.m., Egyptian; May 16, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian.
-----
CCC -----
`Can't Stop Dancing' U.S., 1999 Directors: Stephen Falick, Ben Zook Cast: Ben Zook, Melanie Hutsell, Margaret Cho, Bruce Daniels, Michael Irpino 90 minutes THIS SENDUP of '70s and '80s dance films features a host of well-known comedy names in the saga of a troupe of talentless dancers from Topeka, Kan., who head for Hollywood after losing their long-running gig at an amusement park. May 30, 9:30 p.m., Valley Drive-In, Auburn.
`The Castle' Australia, 1997 Director: Rob Sitch Cast: Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Sophie Lee 82 minutes THE KERRIGAN FAMILY is proudly, happily dysfunctional: Son is in prison for armed robbery, Dad drives a tow truck and Mom considers macaroni sculpture high art. But there's trouble in paradise when a planned airport extension forces them to leave their "castle," and Dad hires an inept lawyer to represent the neighborhood. This cheeky, optimistic comedy is quintessentially Australian, satirizing the media, current affairs and suburban living. May 14, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; May 16, 12:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Chance or Coincidence' France/Canada/Italy/Turkey/Mexico/USA, 1998 Director: Claude Lelouch Cast: Alessandra Martines, Pierre Arditi, Marc Hollogne 120 minutes MYRIAM, A BEAUTIFUL young professional dancer, seems to live a charmed life. Yet her fairy-tale existence is missing one thing: a child. Thus begins her singular, obsessive pursuit of motherhood that may cost her everything she loves. May 17, 9:30 p.m., Cinerama; May 20, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
`The Children of Chabannes' U.S., 1999 Directors: Lisa Gossels, Dean Wetherell Documentary 92 minutes A TALE OF COURAGE, resilience and love set during World War II, "The Children of Chabannes" tells the story of how the people of Chabannes, a tiny village in unoccupied France, chose action over indifference and saved the lives of 400 Jewish refugee children. Through interviews with one director's father and the other "children," the filmmakers re-create the joys and fears of daily life in that village. May 30, 3:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Chutney Popcorn' U.S., 1999 Director: Nisha Ganatra Cast: Jill Hennessy, Nick Chinlund, Madhur Jaffrey, Sakina Jaffrey 90 minutes REENA IS A YOUNG, second-generation Indian-American lesbian who designs tattoos, rides a motorcycle and totally defies proper Indian decorum. When her more conventional, happily married sister asks Reena to make a profound sacrifice, Reena must choose between her hard-won freedoms and family loyalty. May 26, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 30, 12:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Circus Palestina' Israel, 1998 Director: Eyal Halfon Cast: Jenya Dodina, Yoram Hatav, Amos Lavie, Bassam Zo'amat 85 minutes STEP RIGHT UP and watch what happens when a semi-broken-down Russian circus troupe sets up its tent amid the political disarray of the occupied West Bank. When the circus' lion goes out to find a lioness, he becomes the focal point of everyone's desires. Official 1998 Israeli Oscar submission for best foreign film. May 31, 9:15 p.m., Pacific; June 2, 2:45 p.m., Pacific.
`Coming Soon' U.S., 1998 Director: Colette Burson Cast: Mia Farrow, Bonnie Root, Gaby Hoffman, Tricia Vesey, Spalding Gray, Ryan Reynolds, Peter Bogdanovich, James Roday, Ryan O'Neal 101 minutes STREAM HODSELL is a down-to-earth Manhattan girl trying to decipher the harebrained advice of her ex-hippie, herb-mixing mother (Mia Farrow) and self-absorbed, cradle-robbing father (Ryan O'Neal). While preoccupied with her application to college, Stream is also homing in on life's more intimate pleasures. May 30, 9:15 p.m., Harvard; June 1, 12:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Conquest' Canada/Britain, 1998 Director: Piers Haggard Cast: Lothaire Bluteau, Tara FitzGerald, Monique Mercure, David Fox 92 minutes FROM THE DIRECTOR of "Pennies From Heaven" comes this spacey comedy about a beautiful young woman who shows up in Conquest, a fading prairie town, driving a red Alfa Romeo - with a trunk load of energy and emotional baggage. When the local banker enlists her help to try to revive the desiccated community, sparks fly, and the lives of the cynical old-timers are changed forever. May 31, 6:30 p.m., Broadway; June 3, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Creature' U.S., 1999 Director: Parris Patton Cast: Stacy "Hollywood" Dean, Buych Dean, Dusty Dean, Phil "Barbarella" Ascencio World premiere 64 minutes THIS FRANK DOCUMENTARY chronicles the life of Stacey "Hollywood" Dean, the superstar drag queen who left his North Carolina home to chase dreams of fame and fortune in Hollywood. As he began taking hormones to physically transform himself, Stacey experienced feelings of religious conflict, until a confrontation with his devoutly Christian parents changed his life. June 3, 7:15 p.m., Broadway.
-----
DDD -----
`Dance of Dust' Iran, 1998 Director: Abolfazl Jalili Cast: Mahmood Khosravi, Limua Rahi 73 minutes LLIA, A YOUNG BOY working in a brick factory in the Iranian desert, hears unintelligible whisperings from deep within the landscape. With rain always threatening to revert the bricks to mud and the sun an unforgiving furnace, this is a poetic portrait of a world in which an individual's fate is determined by forces beyond his control. May 23, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian; May 27, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
`Date Wine' Egypt, 1998 Director: Radwan el-Kashef Cast: Sherihan, Mohamed Nagati, Fayza Amasaib, Abla Kamel, Hamdy Ahmed, Manal Afifi U.S. premiere 110 minutes WHILE THE VILLAGE men migrate in search of wealth, young Ahmed remains behind with dreams of his own. When three of the men return to find that the boy they left behind has grown into a man who is now relied upon as the village's leader, turmoil ensues. May 26, 7:15 p.m., Harvard; June 1, 5 p.m., Broadway.
`Day of the Full Moon' Russia, 1998 Director: Karen Shakhnazarov Cast: Vladimir Ilyin, Valeri Premykhov, Valeri Storozhik, Anna Germ 93 minutes SOME 80 CHARACTERS populate this fractured cinematic game of tag that builds into a portrait of the Russian experience. Gangsters are gunned down, a boy gazes across the Siberian steppes, a lone hitman goes about his business, images drift and dissolve. May 20, 7:15 p.m., Broadway; May 23, 3:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Dead Dogs' U.S., 1999 Director: Clay Eide Cast: Jay Underwood, Joe Reynolds, Margot Demeter, Suzanne Carney, John Durbin, Joel Jahnke World premiere 92 minutes TOM IS DRIFTING through life, working a night shift as a security guard at the Driftwood Inn. Tom's brother - with Tom's ex-girfriend in tow - persuades him to assist in a robbery of the hotel, and Tom's life spins out of control after the heist goes awry. In the ensuing melee, everything that can go wrong, does. June 2, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; June 5, 12:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Dead Letter Office' Australia, 1998 Director: John Ruane Cast: Miranda Otto, George DelHoyo, Nicholas Bell, Syd Brisbane, Georgina Naidu 95 minutes ALICE HAS BEEN searching for her father for years, but her letters to him have been returned, stamped by the dead letter office. So when she gets a job at the office and meets Frank, a Chilean refugee with some family issues of his own, the two embark on a cautious exploration involving family history and identity. This quirky romantic comedy was the opening night film at the Brisbane Film Festival. May 18, 5 p.m., Pacific; May 21, 7:15 p.m., Broadway.
`Deadly Maria' Germany, 1993 Director: Tom Tykwer Cast: Nina Petri, Josef Bierbichler, Peter Franke, Joachim Krol 106 minutes A WOMAN LIVES trapped in her apartment with a loutish husband and a malicious, bedridden father. One day she looks out her window and spies Dieter in the apartment opposite hers. Maria yearns immediately for Dieter, but can she deal with the reality of an affair that could destroy the only life she has ever known? June 5, 3:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Desert Blue' U.S., 1999 Director: Morgan J. Freeman Cast: Brendan Sexton III, Kate Hudson, Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck, Sara Gilbert 110 minutes IN A REMOTE desert village, several colorful locals and transients are - for mysterious reasons - holed up in this sandpit. When the visitors are quarantined, the town locals turn out to have some secrets of their own. The cast includes SIFF-fave Christina Ricci. May 29, 9:15 p.m., Broadway; June 2, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Devils, Devils' Poland, 1991 Director: Dorota Kedzierzawska Cast: Justyna Ciemny, Pawel Chwedoruk, Grzegorz Karabin, Monika Niemcyzk, Danuta Szaflarska, Krzysztof Plewka, Jerzy Lapinksi 86 minutes WHEN A SMALL village in the Polish countryside becomes a camping site for a caravan of Gypsy wagons, the locals react with fear and suspicion. When a young girl, fascinated by the visitors' rich traditions, befriends one of the boys, she is ostracized by her friends and rejected by the insular Gypsy community. May 15, 3:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Dill Scallion' U.S., 1998 Director: Jordan Brady Cast: Billy Burke, David Koechner, Lauren Graham, Kathy Griffin, Jason Priestley 92 minutes A `MOCKUMENTARY' portrays the life and times of a laid-back country singer, Dill Scallion (played by Seattle's Billy Burke). The popularity of his trademark dance, "The Scallion Shuffle," rockets Dill to stardom, but Dill can't handle the pressures and broken bones. His girlfriend wants to share the spotlight, coffee gives him the shakes and his band is getting jealous. It's a fast journey up the ladder of fame and fortune . . . and a faster one back down. May 15, 6:30 p.m., Harvard; May 17, 5 p.m., Harvard.
`The Dinner Game' France, 1998 Director: Francis Veber Cast: Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret, Francis Huster, Daniel Prevost, Alexandra Vandernoot, Catherine Frot 90 minutes IN THIS FRENCH farce, Pierre Brochant meets his friends for a weekly dinner with an unusual condition: the one bringing the most fantastic idiot as a guest wins a prize. This week, Brochant has found a real prize-winner, but alas, the dinner is canceled. The idiot, however, just won't go away. Opening Night Gala. May 13, 7 p.m., Paramount.
`Divine' Mexico/Argentina, 1998 Director: Arturo Ripstein Cast: Francisco Rabal, Katy Jurado, Carolina Papaleo, Edwarda Gurrola, Bruno Bichir 112 minutes A MEXICAN CULT welcomes the new millennium with bizarre rites re-enacted from Hollywood biblical epics, led by a Nintendo-obsessed teenage prophet who must have sex with every man so that the sect can be saved. This high-octane absurdist fable is peopled by angels and madmen, each the focus of the camera's energy. May 22, 9:15 p.m., Harvard; May 25, 5 p.m., Harvard.
`Don't Tell Anyone' Peru/Spain, 1998 Director: Francisco J. Lombardi Cast: Santiago Magill, Lucia Jimenez, Christian Meier, Carmen Elias, Hernan Romero 109 minutes JOAQUIN SEEMS to have it all: His family is well-to-do, he's an ace student at the university and his girlfriends all think he's handsome. But when his uncompromising search for sexual identity destroys his coddled life, a new friend helps him uncover a hidden realm of physical and social liberation. June 1, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; June 4, 2:45 p.m., Pacific.
-----
EEE -----
`Earth' Canada/India, 1998 Director: Deepa Mehta Cast: Aamir Khan, Nandita Das, Maia Sethna, Rahul Khanna 108 minutes THE SECOND FILM in Deepa Mehta's evolving elemental series ("Fire" was her first), "Earth" is set in 1947 Lahore, on the eve of India's independence. Shanta is the nanny for a wealthy family's 8-year-old daughter, through whose eyes we watch events unfold. Three suitors - a Sikh, a Hindu and a Muslim - pursue Shanta, but love becomes dangerous amid religious and political differences. May 22, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 23, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Elvjs & Merilijn' Italy, 1998 Director: Armando Manni Cast: Edyta Olszowska, Goran Navojec, Giorgio Faletti, Toni Bertorelli, Julieta Koleva 93 minutes TWO REFUGEES, a Bulgarian Elvis impersonator and a Romanian Monroe look-alike, win a prize in a talent contest: a summer gig at an Italian coastal resort. This is the big chance they've been waiting for to fulfill their individual dreams of a better life. Unfortunately, they must cross the border illegally - and neither speaks the other's language. Yet they hit the road together, sharing the anxieties of an uncertain future. May 24, 9:30 p.m., Broadway; May 28, 5 p.m., Harvard.
`Emporte-Moi (Set Me Free)' Canada/Switzerland/France, 1998 Director: Lea Pool Cast: Karine Vanasse, Pascale Bussieres, Miki Manojlovic, Alexandre Merineau, Anne-Marie Cadieux U.S. premiere 95 minutes WATCHING JEAN-LUC GODARD'S film "Vivre Sa Vie," 13-year-old Hanna is bowled over by the character of Nana, in whom Hannah recognizes a symbol of absolute freedom and responsibility. So begins this beguiling film, which follows Hannah as she struggles to grow up amidst her difficult family and a girlfriend she secretly adores. And like the seductive screen image of Nana, Hannah will come to learn that she is also, above all, free. May 29, 6:30 p.m., Broadway; June 2, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian.
`Entre Las Piernas (Between Your Legs)' Spain/France, 1998 Director: Manuel Gomez Pereira Cast: Victoria Abril, Javier Bardem, Carmelo Gomez, Juan Diego, Sergi Lopez, Maria Adanez 100 minutes IN THIS PROVOCATIVE widescreen thriller about sexual obsession, Javier and Miranda meet at a support group for sex addicts - and make love that very night in an abandoned car. When they discover a corpse in the trunk, Miranda's jealous cop husband is assigned the case and Javier must prove his innocence. May 14, 9:30 p.m., Cinerama; May 17, 5 p.m., Cinerama.
`Expect the Unexpected' Hong Kong, 1998 Director: Patrick Yau Cast: Lau Ching-wan, Simon Yam, Ruby Wong, Hui Shiu-hung, Raymond Wong, Yo Yo Mung 94 minutes SET IN RAIN-DRENCHED Hong Kong, this thriller follows a group of gangsters who try to upstage a burglary in progress at the exact moment the cops show up to make a bust. When the police team scrambles to cover its tracks, a cafe waitress is trapped in a sudden and shocking finale. May 20, 9:30 p.m., Pacific; May 24, 5 p.m., Pacific.
-----
FFF -----
`Final Rinse' U.S., 1999 Director: Robert Tucker Cast: David Cale, Joey Ramone, Sebastian Bach, Terence Goodman, Jennifer Regan, Michael Hannon World premiere 92 minutes DETECTIVE MAX is hot on the heels of a serial killer known as Trojan, a maniac knocking off big-haired rockers and leaving his victims with a unique calling-card coif. With wink-wink, nudge-nudge references to John Woo and John Waters, "Final Rinse" exposes Max as something of an acid-casualty himself, who shares disturbing similarities with the killer. May 30, 9:30 p.m., Valley Drive-In, Auburn; June 2, 5 p.m., Harvard.
`Fire-Eater' Finland/Sweden, 1998 Director: Pirjo Honkasalo Cast: Elina Hurme, Tiina Weckstrom, Elena Leeve, Elsa Saisio, Vappu Jurkka, Jordi Borrell, Per Ragner 104 minutes A DRAMA that spans the turbulent lives and fortunes of three women - a mother and her twin daughters - through 50 years, from World War II until the present. Unfolding on the fringes of society, mostly in a rundown circus touring Central Europe, this multilayered and emotionally complex story depicts the ways in which cruelty, repression and alienation are handed down from one generation to the next. May 24, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; May 28, 5 p.m., Pacific.
`Following' Britain, 1998 Director: Christopher Nolan Cast: Jeremy Theobold, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell, John Nolan 70 minutes BILL, AN UNEMPLOYED writer, follows strangers at random as inspiration for his literary projects. When he ups the ante by getting too close to one of the strangers he follows, his innocent obsession takes an ugly turn and he is quickly entwined in something much more horrifying than petty voyeurism. May 27, 9:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Freak Talks About Sex' U.S., 1998 Director: Paul Todisco Cast: Steve Zahn, Josh Hamilton, David Kinney, Wayne Fedderman, Heather McComb, Arabella Field World premiere 90 minutes KEENAN IS STILL heartbroken two years after his girlfriend left him. Now, after living in a trailer in Arizona and trying to write the Great American Novel, he's back in upstate New York and desperately trying to get himself together. In this poignant film, Keenan's self-deprecating story merges with the oddball humor of his best friend, Freak, a cynical slacker with a perversely funny view of sex, love and morals. June 3, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; June 4, 5 p.m., Pacific.
-----
GGG -----
`Genghis Blues' U.S., 1999 Director: Roko Belic Documentary 88 minutes SAN FRANCISCO BLUESMAN Paul Pena sets out on a spiritual and musical pilgrimage to Tuva, the land on the edge of Asia where friendship and music are intertwined in the mysterious art of throat singing. Winner of the audience award for best documentary, Sundance Film Festival. May 25, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Get Bruce' U.S., 1998 Director: Andrew J. Kuehn Documentary 82 minutes HE'S BEEN ENTERTAINING us for years with his rare brand of wit and humor, but most of us have never heard of him: Bruce Vilanch. As comedy writer on almost every major award show and laugh doctor to some of Hollywood's biggest stars, the former Chicago Tribune reporter wound up writing comedy for some of Hollywood's biggest names. May 16, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Get Real' Britain, 1998 Director: Simon Shore Cast: Ben Silverstone, Brad Gorton, Charlotte Brittain, Stacy A. Hart, Kate McEnery 108 minutes THIS COMEDY follows the emotional trials of a sweetly romantic high-schooler whose affair with the school track star slowly awakens his burgeoning gay pride and identity. "Get Real" puts an English spin on a familiar teenage paradox. Winner of the audience award for best film at the 1998 Edinburgh Film Festival. May 28, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; June 3, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
`Getting to Know You' U.S., 1999 Director: Lisanne Skyler Cast: Heather Matarazzo, Michael Weston, Bebe Neuwirth, Mark Blum, Zach Braff, Bo Hopkins, Mary McCormack, Chris Noth 91 minutes JUDITH (Heather Matarazzo, "Welcome to the Dollhouse"), a self-reliant 16-year-old, and her brother Wesley, an academic overachiever, are stranded one afternoon in an upstate New York bus terminal. Judith's monotony is broken by a casual encounter with the fast-talking Jimmy, whose voyeuristic imagination lures the skeptical-but-bored Judith further and further from her reality. Based on short stories by Joyce Carol Oates. May 20, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 23, 3:30 p.m., Pacific.
`A Glass of Rage' Brazil, 1998 Director: Aluizio Abranches Cast: Alexandre Borges, Julia Memmertz, Ruth De Souza, Linne Dias, Marieta Severo U.S. premiere 72 minutes A MAN AND WOMAN engage in a game of psychosexual cat-and-mouse while staying at his farm outside of Sao Paulo, Brazil. But this femme fatale is every bit the man's equal - a talented journalist who subverts the usual power dynamic in his insulated world of manipulations and lies. June 2, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; June 5, midnight, Egyptian.
`Gomez: Heads or Tails' Germany/Switzerland, 1998 Director: Edward Berger Cast: Antonio Wannek, Lou Bihler, Heinz Werner Kraehkamp, Dagmar Manzel, Michael Schenk, Jenny Deimling 87 minutes SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD Dominik is a troubled young man growing up amidst the oppressive poverty of Berlin's urban jungle. On the verge of following his older brother into a life of crime, he meets a young girl who helps him rethink his dubious ambitions. But when the relationship implodes, Dominik's anger sends him careening toward tragedy. May 25, 9:30 p.m., Broadway; May 31, 12:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Grandma and Her Ghosts' South Korea, 1998 Director: Wang Shaudi Cast: Wen Ying, Zhuang Bowen, Jeffrey Xu, Zhuang Jianyu, Jian Dazhi, Wen Lichuan 80 minutes RICH WITH ANCIENT Asian rituals and beliefs, this animated feature opens the gates of the spirit world to unleash a lively and funny tale of magic. Sent to his grandmother on faraway shores during the month when the ghosts return to Earth, lonely DouDou struggles against his fears in a battle to save his friends and family from an evil spirit who has possessed his grandmother's cat. May 29, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
-----
HHH -----
`Hand of Fate' Canada, 1999 Director: Scott Morgan Documentary World premiere 101 minutes WHAT DO the Dalai Lama, Princess Diana and John Lennon all have in common? "Hand of Fate" answers this question with a portrait of six people from around the world with one magic thread that ties their lives together: the ability to foresee the future. From a Zulu shaman in South Africa to a celebrity clairvoyant in downtown Manhattan, this film offers a thoughtful examination of this avocation. June 5, 3:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Happy Birthday, Mr. Mograbi' Israel, 1999 Director: Avi Mograbi Cast: Daoud Kuttab, Shahar Segal, Ephraim Stan, Gidi Dar, Roni Pisker, Ido Berger, Avi Mograbi U.S. premiere 77 minutes DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER Avi Mograbi is producing a film about the celebration of Israel's 50th anniversary. At the same time, he's dealing with a dispute with an Arab neighbor over a parcel of land he purchased years before. As the pressure builds, Mograbi's story captures the essence of Israel today: a people's ethnic and historical roots fueling a battle over a land that was the birthplace of modern religion and enlightenment. May 24, 7:15 p.m., Broadway; May 28, 5 p.m., Broadway.
`Head On' Australia, 1998 Director: Ana Kokkinos Cast: Alex Dimitriades, Paul Capsis, Julian Garner, Tony Nikolakopoulos 104 minutes OVER A 24-HOUR period, a confused 19-year-old, Ari (Alex Dimitriades), confronts both his sexuality and repressive Greek upbringing. This uncompromising work depicts a protagonist moving from one encounter to another in his search for identity and fulfillment. Winner: best actor, Australian Circle Awards. May 25, 9:30 p.m., Pacific; May 29, 6:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Here We Are, Waiting for You' Brazil, 1999 Director: Marcelo Masagao Documentary 73 minutes NOTHING LESS than a comprehensive portrait of the 20th century, "Here We Are, Waiting For You" explores such grand themes as life, death, sex, war, politics and feminism - without the use of any dialogue - using an intermingling of found and archival footage, titles and a score. The resulting creation is as ambitious as its sprawling subject matter. May 14, 5 p.m., Cinerama; May 17, 9:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Hit And Runway' U.S., 1999 Director: Christopher Livingston Cast: Michael Parducci, Peter Jacobson, Kerr Smith, Judy Prescott 108 minutes WHEN LOWLY DISHWASHER Alex is offered the chance to develop his plot idea into a big-budget action movie script, he can feel the wind on his face as he sails into the sunset. There's only one problem - Alex can't write. Enter Elliot, a gay playwright who's as honest as he is socially inept. Watch out, as Alex and Elliot are about to rewrite each other's lives. May 26, 9:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood' U.S., 1998 Director: Michael Epstein Documentrary 86 minutes AN ACCOUNT of the turbulent seven-year collaboration between one of filmdom's greatest moguls and one of its greatest auteurs, this documentary offers a glimpse of the mechanics of power and personality amidst the demise of the Hollywood studio system. May 28, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
`The Hole' Taiwan/France, 1998 Director: Tsai Ming-liang Cast: Yang Kuei-mei, Lee Kang-sheng, Miao Tien, Tong Hsiang-chu 93 minutes TAIPEI IS IN the grip of an epidemic. Sections of the city have been quarantined and inhabitants are warned that victims of the virus behave oddly, crawling on the floor like animals. In the midst of this new-millennium panic, a nameless man and woman come to know each other through a hole in the floor of their rundown apartment. So begins this twisted tale from the director of "Vive l'Amour" and "The River." May 18, 7:15 p.m., Harvard; May 20, 5 p.m., Harvard.
-----
III -----
`I Stand Alone' France, 1998 Director: Gaspar Noe Cast: Philippe Nahon, Bandine Lenoir, Frankye Pain, Martine Audrain 92 minutes FOLLOWING the downward spiral of an unemployed man on the margins of French society, this disturbing study of alienation and moral degradation launches an all-out assault on the audience's nerves and moral assumptions. Uncompromising, but not without dark humor, "I Stand Alone" achieves a strange equilibrium through an unexpected happy ending. May 29, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian; June 1, 5 p.m., Harvard.
`I Want You' Britain, 1997 Director: Michael Winterbottom Cast: Rachel Weisz, Alessandro Nivola, Luka Petrusic, Labina Mitevska U.S. premiere 87 minutes A CORPSE is dumped into the sea. Nine years later, Martin is released from prison and returns to the small coastal town where he grew up to find Helen, the only woman he has ever loved. Told through the eyes and ears of Honda, a 14-year-old mute boy who records everything he experiences, this enigmatic film from the director of "Butterfly Kiss" and "Jude" reveals twisted and unnerving secrets of the past and present. May 21, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 26, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
`I.D.' Republic of Congo/France/Belgium Director: Mweze Ngangura, 1998 Cast: Jean-Louis Daulne, Gerard Essomba, Herbert Flack 94 minutes ARRIVING IN BRUSSELS in search of his daughter, Zairean king Mani Kongo's "identity pieces" - the elaborate headdress and necklace of his coronation - first elicit a heavy customs fine, then attract an unscrupulous antiques dealer. In a tragicomic series of adventures, Kongo's path crisscrosses with a zany cast of identity-seeking characters. May 25, 7:15 p.m., Broadway; May 30, 12:30 p.m., Broadway.
`An Ideal Husband' Britain, 1999 Director: Oliver Parker Cast: Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, Rupert Everett, Julianne Moore, Jeremy Northam U.S. premiere 111 minutes IN 1890s LONDON, a sultry temptress threatens to reveal the dark secrets of a happily married and successful politician (Jeremy Northam), causing his prized career and marriage to crumble. Based on a play by Oscar Wilde, the movie is a mix of melodrama and farce, with a cast that includes best-actress Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett. Selected as the closing screening, 1999 Cannes Film Festival. May 29, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian; June 1, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Ikinai' Japan, 1998 Director: Hiroshi Shimizu Cast: Dankan, Nanako Okouchi, Toshinori Omi, Ippei Soda 101 minutes IN THIS WISTFUL comedy, a young woman joins a three-day bus tour of Okinawa, which, unbeknownst to her, is a "suicide tour" scam to collect life-insurance money. Through visits to tourist sites and karaoke bars, the participants get to know each other and debate the merits of their course of action. Exploring many grand themes of Japanese culture, "Ikinai" tells its bittersweet story with a light heart. May 21, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; May 25, 5 p.m., Broadway.
`In That Land' Russia, 1997 Director: Lidia Bobrova Cast: Dmitry Klopov, Vladimir Bortchaninov, Alexander Stakheyev, Anna Ovsyannikova 85 minutes THROUGH THE PRISM of its rural citizens, this film chronicles the wrenching changes under way in the new Russia, and celebrates the humor and spirit of a population living in the hardest of times. Through intertwined episodes, we meet a series of eccentric characters whose day-to-day lives exemplify the inherent absurdity of trying to impose modern Western values on a vastly different society. May 25, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; May 29, 3:30 p.m., Harvard.
`In the Winter Dark' Australia, 1998 Director: James Bogle Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Ray Barrett, Richard Roxburgh, Miranda Otto 92 minutes A QUARTET of deeply disturbed characters populate a valley on the edge of Australia's Blue Mountains, where a series of livestock mutilations - and possible murder - has everyone on edge. Is it an unseen predator or something more sinister? Forbidding beauty, inner demons and touches of noir are woven into this adaptation of the acclaimed novel, which was the opening night film of the Sydney Film Fest. May 26, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; May 30, 3:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Insomnio' Spain, 1997 Director: Chus Gutierrez Cast: Cristina Marcos, Candela Pena, Ernesto Alterio, Maria Pujalte, Gines Garcia Millan 106 minutes YUPPIE TV PROGRAMMER Eva is going out with unemployed Adrian, while passionate Alba is on a sex-and-alcohol binge after being dumped by her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Juan, a hen-pecked real-estate salesman, is about to marry the shopping-obsessed Isabel. "Insomnio" weaves these stories into an outrageous portrait about love, '90s style. May 17, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; May 21, 5 p.m., Pacific.
`The Interview' Australia, 1998 Director: Craig Monahan Cast: Hugo Weaving, Tony Martin, Aaron Jeffrey, Paul Sonkkila 101 minutes USING LAYERS of deception and playing with the idea of verifiable truth, "The Interview" tells the story of Eddie Flemming, an ordinary man who is accused of murder and subjected to a rigorous interrogation by hard-nosed officer John Steele. This seemingly cut-and-dried case develops into a suspenseful story, in which either side may or may not be guilty. May 17, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; May 24, 7:15 p.m., Pacific.
`The Iron Heel of the Oligarchy' Russia, 1998 Director: Alexander Bashirov Cast: Alexander Bashirov, Rita Margo, Elena Yudanova, Inna Volkava U.S. premiere 75 minutes THIS ODDBALL political comedy, set in St. Petersburg, is about a diehard communist longing for the days before capitalism. Writer-director Alexander Bashirov also stars as Nikola, a lumpen proletarian who spends his days issuing stern warnings - to anyone who will listen - about the evils of bloated capitalists. When Rita joins Nikolai's cause and love blooms, they abruptly find themselves shadowed by a comic group of inept security agents. May 30, 6:30 p.m. Harvard; June 2, 2:45 p.m. Egyptian.
-----
JJJ -----
`Jam' Taiwan, 1998 Director: Chen Yiwen Cast: Cai Xinghung, June Cai, Vina Xu, Gao Mingjun, Jine Shijie 102 minutes KAI AND JIAJIA are a young unemployed Taipei couple who steal and resell cars in a city fueled by corruption, crime and money. When one of the vehicles turns out to be previously stolen for use in a gangland slaying, they attempt to return the auto, claim a reward and exit gracefully. May 25, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; May 29, 3:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Jinnah' Pakistan, 1998 Director: Jamil Dhlavi Cast: Christopher Lee, James Fox, Maria Aitken, Shashi Kapoor 110 minutes WITH BRITAIN on the verge of granting India its independence, diplomat Mohammed Ali Jinnah is advocating the creation of a separate nation for India's Muslim minority, much to the chagrin of his nemesis, Viceroy Lord Richard Mountbatten. This fanciful yet historically precise drama follows Jinnah as he contends with treachery, political back-stabbing and petty party squabbles, while Nehru and Gandhi are enlisted to help defuse India's explosive racial and religious tensions. May 25, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 29, 12:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Judy Berlin' U.S., 1999 Director: Eric Mendelsohn Cast: Barbara Barrie, Bob Dishy, Edie Falco, Madeline Kahn, Julie Kavner, Anne Meara 94 minutes RICH WITH eccentric characters, and shot in black and white, this film unspools the story of Judy Berlin, a young woman fleeing the ennui of suburbia for golden dreams of Hollywood. Along the way, she meets David, a high-school friend with whom she shares a strange bond. Winner of the Grand Jury prize for best director, Sundance Film Festival. May 21, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; May 24, 5 p.m., Harvard.
`Jose Rizal' Philippines, 1998 Director: Marilou Diaz-Abaya Cast: Cesar Montano, Jaime Fabregas, Joel Torre, Gardo Versoza, Gloria Diaz, Pen Medina, Monique Wilson 178 minutes JOSE RIZAL (1861-1896), a patriot and martyr, is a symbol of pride in the Philippines, where he helped launch that country's independence from Spain. This epic is an exploration of one complex man's life and passions. May 30, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian.
-----
KKK -----
`Keepers of the Frame' U.S., 1999 Director: Mark McLaughlin Cast: Alan Alda, Debbie Reynolds, Roddy McDowall, Leonard Maltin, Herb Jeffries, Stan Brakhage Documentary 70 minutes NEARLY 90 PERCENT of all silent films and 50 percent of sound pictures made before 1950 have been lost. "Keepers of the Frame" is an engrossing, in-depth examination of the history, science and struggles of artists and technicians committed to film preservation. Their story is an adventure, rife with discoveries of lost treasures. May 16, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Keiho' Japan, 1999 Director: Yoshimitsu Morita Cast: Kyoka Suzuki, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Ittoku Kishibe, Hideko Yoshida, Mirai Yamamoto, Kirin Kiki, Toru Emori, Naoki Sugiura 133 minutes DURING THE COURSE of a police interrogation, a psychologist assigned to a murder case concludes that the suspect, a young man named Masaki, suffers from schizophrenia. It looks as if he will be protected from criminal prosecution. But the doctor's assistant, Kafka, voices doubt about the diagnosis, and all are ensnared in a maze of half-truths, moral assumptions and perilous passion. June 1, 9:30 p.m., Broadway; June 4, 9:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Killer' Kazakhstan Republic/France, 1998 Director: Darezhan Omirbaev Cast: Talgat Assetov, Roksana Abouova 80 minutes AS BLEAK as its post-Soviet cityscapes, this is the nightmarish account of a young man's descent into a world of organized crime. When Marat hits a rich local's Mercedes, he accepts a questionable loan to pay for the damage. Subjected to daily humiliations and violence, Marat must contemplate the unthinkable to win his freedom. May 15, 9:15 p.m., Harvard; May 18, 5 p.m., Harvard.
-----
LLL -----
`The Last Best Sunday' U.S., 1999 Director: Don Most Cast: Angela Bettis, Douglas Spain, William Lucking, Daniel Beer, John Allsopp, Mickey Jones, Kim Darby World premiere 101 minutes WHEN TWO LOCAL toughs beat up Joseph, an 18-year-old Mexican-American high-schooler, he exacts a painful revenge and then flees to a supposedly empty suburban house. To his dismay, he finds a high-school acquaintance, Lolly, at home for the weekend while her parents are gone. What follows is a harrowing story in which the two adolescents face the racial and sexual barriers between them. June 3, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; June 6, 3:30 p.m., Broadway.
`The Last Contract' Sweden, 1998 Director: Kjell Sundvall Cast: Mikael Persbrandt, Micheal Kitchen, Pernilla August, Reine Brynolfsson, Bjorn Floberg, Jaqueline Ramel 114 minutes THE 1986 ASSASSINATION of Prime Minister Olof Palme, one of the major politicians in Swedish history, remains unsolved. As with the murder of President Kennedy, speculation and intrigue have been widespread. This thriller tells the story of how the killing might have happened when policeman Roger Nyman begins uncovering chilling information. Strangely, he receives little support from his superiors - do they not believe him, or are there sinister forces working against him? May 26, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; May 30, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Last Night' Canada, 1998 Director: Don McKellar Cast: Don McKellar, Sandra Oh, Callum Keith Rennie, Sarah Polley, David Cronenberg, Tracy Wright, Genevieve Bujold 90 minutes IT'S 6 P.M. and the world is ending in a matter of hours. How would you spend your last evening on Earth? That's the premise behind this unconventional comedy that, in the course of its story, spoofs just about everything from cell phones to road rage to '60s folk music. The story follows a group of characters as they strive to maintain their sense of humor in the face of their certain destruction. Winner of Best Canadian Feature Film, 1998 Toronto International Film Festival. May 21, 9:30 p.m., Pacific; May 25, 5 p.m., Pacific.
`Late August, Early September' France, 1998 Director: Olivier Assayas Cast: Mathieu Amalric, Virginie Ledoyen, Francois Cluset, Jeanne Balibar, Alex Descas, Arsinee Khanjian, Mia Hansen-Love, Nathalie Richard 105 minutes AN ILLNESS forces Adrien, once a best-selling author, to doubt his worth as a writer. His best friend Gabriel has a safe career as an editor at a publishing company, but is in emotional turmoil over his recent breakup with Jenny, and his new relationship with the younger Anne. "Late August, Early September" is an insightful look at the shifting of these interwoven relationships over a year's time. May 20, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; May 23, 3:30 p.m. Harvard.
`Lautrec' France, 1998 Director: Roger Planchon Cast: Regis Royer, Elsa Zylberstein, Anemone, Claude Rich 127 minutes HENRI de Toulouse-Lautrec, along with Renoir, Degas, Monet and Manet, was one of a generation of painters who revolutionized the world of art 100 years ago. Director Roger Planchon's energetic biography brings the substance and detail of this remarkable man and his love affair with beautiful model Suzanne Valadon to the screen with exuberance, humor and a colorful sense of life. May 19, 7:15 p.m., Harvard; May 23, 9:15 p.m., Pacific.
`Le Trou' France, 1960 Director: Jacques Becker Cast: Marc Michel, Michel Constantin, Jean Keraudy, Philippe Leroy 123 minutes THE FINAL FILM of Jacques Becker ("Casque d'Or") was never released in the U.S. Four hardened crooks are planning a break from the notorious La Sante prison, when a fifth jailbird is thrown into their cell, upsetting their plans. Jean Keraudy, the infamous "King of Escapes," stars as himself. June 6, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Let's Get Lost' Denmark, 1997 Director: Jonas Elmer Cast: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Bjarne Henriksen, Troels Lyby, Nicolaj Kopernikus, Jesper Asholt 95 minutes DIRECTOR JONAS ELMER offers a fresh and often hilarious slice of Danish life. Focusing on a woman with relationship problems and her three football-loving, beer-swilling, charmingly loutish male friends, it follows Julie's harebrained scheme to trap her unfaithful lover, a plan involving a sports fanatic, a frustrated novelist and an alluring neighbor. May 20, 5 p.m., Broadway; May 22, 6:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Life in Fog' Iran, 1998 Director: Bahman Ghobadi Cast: Nezhad Ekhtiar-Dini, Amaneh Ekhtiar-Dini U.S. premiere 90 minutes IN A COMPILATION of three short films, director Bahman Ghobadi tells the story of two brothers accused of stealing fish from the local mosque, of a boy who loses his notebook money on the way to school and of a boy forced to smuggle goods between the Iran/Iraq border in order to care for his younger siblings. May 30, 7 p.m., Egyptian; June 2, 5 p.m., Broadway.
`The Lifestyle' U.S., 1999 Director: David Schisgall Documentary 79 minutes TAKING AN IN-DEPTH look at the lives of America's "swingers," "The Lifestyle" follows a handful of the country's estimated 1 million couples who engage in recreational group sex as others might bowl or play bridge. May 24, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian.
`Limbo' U.S., 1999 Director: John Sayles Cast: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, David Strathairn, Vanessa Martinez, Kris Kristofferson, Casey Siemaszko U.S. premiere 128 minutes FROM THE DIRECTOR of "The Secret of Roan Inish" and "Men With Guns" comes this multilayered drama set in the wilds of Alaska. This is the story of a fisherman who hasn't been to sea in years due to an accident that killed his two friends. When he becomes involved with an emotionally ravaged young woman with whom he works, they both come to understand the meaning of physical and emotional risks. Sayles will be the subject of an in-depth, onstage interview before the first screening. May 27, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 31, 12:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`The Little Girl Who Fell From a Tree' Germany, 1997 Director: Michael Bartlett Cast: Floriane Daniel, Julia Jaeger, Dominique Horwitz 105 minutes SET IN BERLIN, this quirky psychosexual thriller tells the story of a yuppie gynecologist trying to hold his troubled family together. When a seductive young woman moves into the adjacent flat, his already unstable wife begins sliding dangerously toward full-blown psychosis. An abusive father, a tree and a hidden little girl all play into this cat-and-mouse game in which malignant secrets undermine an uneasy domestic relationship. May 19, 9:30 p.m., Broadway; May 22, 3:30 p.m. Harvard.
`Little Tony' Netherlands, 1998 Director: Alex van Warmerdam Cast: Annet Malherbe, Ariane Schluter, Alex van Warmerdam 95 minutes THIS NOIR COMEDY is about power and possessiveness within a less-than-harmonious menage a trois. In Holland, an illiterate farmer and his shrewish wife hatch a plot to have a baby with the help of a smart city girl. The director of "The Dress" and "Northerners" offers an exploration of the mistakes we somtimes make for love. May 19, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; May 23, 9:15 p.m., Harvard.
`The Living Museum' U.S., 1998 Director: Jessica Yu Documentary 81 minutes FROM THE OSCAR-WINNING director of "Breathing Lessons" comes this intimate look at the art and artists of the Living Museum, the only facility in the United States devoted solely to the art of the mentally ill. Through portraits of six artists, the film explores the controversial connection between madness and creativity. June 1, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
`Lola and Bilidikid' Germany/Turkey, 1998 Director: E. Kutlug Ataman Cast: Baki Davrak, Gandi Mukli, Erdal Yildiz U.S. premiere 94 minutes SET IN THE TURKISH immigrant community in Berlin, this atmospheric production follows 16-year-old Murat as he hesitantly experiments with his sexuality in parks and bars, dodging his hostile classmates and uptight, gay-hating brother. But when Murat falls in with nightclub performer Lola, one-third of a popular transvestite act at a local club, the teenager learns that little stays concealed for long. June 2, 5 p.m., Pacific; June 4, 7:15 p.m., Pacific.
`The Loss of Sexual Innocence' U.S., 1999 Director: Mike Figgis Cast: Julian Sands, Saffron Burrows, Stefano Dionisi, Kelly McDonald, Gina McKee, Jonathan Rhys-Myers 101 minutes WRITER-DIRECTOR Mike Figgis follows up "Leaving Las Vegas" with a surreal, experimental chronicle of one man's formative sexual experiences and awakenings - as a boy in colonial Kenya, an adolescent in '60s London and a grown man working in film. By stringing together seemingly unrelated happenings, Figgis creates a psychological portrait of the mysterious nature of love and sexuality. May 14, 7:15 p.m., Cinerama; May 19, 9:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Love Happens' U.S., 1999 Director: Tony Cookson Cast: Megyn Price, Ken Marino, Jenica Bergere, Ryan Bollman, Elizabeth Lackey, Vince Grant World premiere 88 minutes THIS SOPHISTICATED yet loopy comedy is about a girl whose commitment phobia leads to a prolonged outbreak of romantic mayhem. Lisa's record for staying with a man is 13 1/2 days. But when a cash wager with her mother makes her change her approach, and her current beau turns out to have some "problems" of his own, Lisa's life is turned on its head in a series of absurd coincidences. June 1, 7:15 p.m., Broadway; June 4, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
`The Lovers of the Arctic Circle' Spain, 1998 Director: Julio Medem Cast: Najwa Nimri, Fele Martinez, Nancho Novo, Maru Valdiviesio 112 minutes FROM THE DIRECTOR of "Vacas" and "The Red Squirrel" comes this film about two children whose lives are destined to be forever intertwined when they recognize a profound connection to each other - with serious implications for their friends and families. This crisply told fable is a meditation on romantic destiny. May 15, 9:15 p.m., Pacific; May 16, 3:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Lovers on the Bridge' France, 1991 Director: Leos Carax Cast: Juliette Binoche, Denis Lavant, Klaus-Michael Gruber 125 minutes WHEN LOVELY runaway Michele (Juliette Binoche) arrives at Alex's home on the Pont Neuf, Paris' longest bridge, he's immediately smitten and commences a whirlwind courtship. But when Michele's past catches up with her, Alex makes a heartbreaking decision that will pit his emotions against his reason. This vision of mad love is now regarded as a landmark of French cinema. May 17, 7:15 p.m., Cinerama; May 22, 9:15 p.m., Pacific.
`Lucy's Revenge' Burkina Faso/France, 1998 Director: Janusz Mrozowski Cast: Desire Koumsongo, Adrienne Koutouan, Aissa Maiga, Tom Novembre, Ann Gisel Glass U.S. premiere 87 minutes A LIVELY COMEDY in which traditional and modern Africans, out-of-touch whites and sorcerers mix and mingle. When the presidential couple, Adama and Albertine, are possessed by an "evil white spirit," Adama conveniently forgets his promise to hold free elections and Albertine will only eat European food. Four African souls cook up a plot to save them. May 20, 7:15 p.m., Harvard; May 23, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
-----
MMM -----
`Made in Hong Kong' Hong Kong, 1997 Director: Fruit Chan Cast: Sam Lee, Neiky Yim, Wenbers Li, Amy Tam 108 minutes AN ENGROSSING, edgy portrait of four teenagers going in different directions in a section of Hong Kong society driven by imminent violence. When street punks August Moon and Sylvester discover a suicide letter next to the body of a young woman, their ill-fated lives are shadowed by death. 1998 Hong Kong Oscar submission for best foreign film and winner of the jury award at the 1997 Locarno Film Festival. May 27, 7:15 p.m., Broadway; May 30, 9:15 p.m., Broadway.
`The Man Who Drove With Mandela' Britain/U.S./Belgium/Netherlands, 1998 Director: Greta Schiller Cast: Corin Redgrave 82 minutes IN 1962, NELSON MANDELA traveled incognito across South Africa, organizing armed rebellion against the apartheid regime. His cover was as a chauffeur for the elegant Cecil Williams, a leading Johannesburg theater director, freedom-fighter and a gay man. Williams' intriguing story is told using a combination of documentary filmmaking and monologues based on Williams' own writings May 19, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`The Mao Game' U.S., 1999 Director: Joshua Miller Cast: Joshua Miller, Kirstie Alley, Piper Laurie, Jeffrey Tambor 97 minutes World premiere
THIS FILM OPENS with a card game in progress between Jordan's mother and grandmother in which the stakes are staggeringly high - whoever wins the game wins custody of Jordan. So begins the 15-year-old child actor's odyssey through a less-than-placid life with a narcissistic, washed-up actress mother, an abusive father and the grandmother who loves him unconditionally. June 4, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; June 5, 6:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Mating Game' Greece, 1999 Director: Olga Malea Cast: Natalia Dragoumi, Lida Matssaggou, Natalia Styliandou U.S. premiere 100 minutes FROM THE DIRECTOR of "The Cow's Orgasm" comes a comedy that chronicles the trajectories of three sisters - an aerobics instructor, an architecture student and a stockbroker - as they struggle to sort out their conflicted desires. Conspiring to help each other meet "Mr. Right," they unwittingly find themselves trapped in a farcical mosaic of misunderstandings and mistaken identities. May 22, 9:15 p.m., Broadway.
`Mensaka' Spain, 1998 Director: Salvador Garcia Ruiz Cast: Gustavo Salmeron, Adria Collado, Lola Duenas, Maria Esteve U.S. premiere 105 minutes GUTSY REBEL David is a mensaka (motorbike messenger) who also plays drums in a rock band about to be signed to a major label. This gritty study of post-adolescent life in contemporary Spain follows David, his band mates and their girlfriends through a bewildering galaxy of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. June 2, 9:30 p.m., Broadway; June 6, 6:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Miguel' / `Michelle' Philippines, 1998 Director: Gil M. Portes Cast: Romnier Sarmenta, Gloria Diaz 114 minutes MIGUEL, A STRAPPING, optimistic Philippine lad, is sent to the U.S. to "make lots of money and find a blonde girl to marry." But the clan is in for a shock when the glamorous gal he returns with is himself, created by surgery and cosmetics, and renamed Michelle. This picture follows the clash of cultures as Michelle's family and friends slowly face their biases and prejudices. May 21, 9:30 p.m., Broadway; May 23, 12:30 p.m. Harvard.
`Money Buys Happiness' U.S., 1999 Director: Gregg Lachow Cast: ?? 105 minutes GEORGIA AND MONEY are fighting outside their friend's house the night he hangs himself, leaving behind a piano and a note that says "See ya." When the couple gets the piano and spends a day pushing it 50 blocks to their house, it provokes the greatest fight of all - to figure out what they want out of life. This Seattle-made film is a charming dark comedy with touches of poetic realism. May 15, 12:30 p.m., Cinerama.
`MuMu' Russia, 1998 Director: Yuri Grymov Cast: Lyudmila Makasakova, Alexsandr Baluyev, Vladimir Steklov, Elena Korikova, Irina Apeksimova U.S. premiere 101 minutes DO YOU KNOW what loneliness is? Based on Ivan Turgenev's classic Russian novel, "Mumu" is a profound exploration of a dowager's uncompromising attempts to escape her lonely world by attracting the attention of Gerasim, a deaf-mute groundskeeper who is in love with another woman. June 4, 9:30 p.m., Pacific; June 6, 9:15 p.m., Pacific.
`My Son the Fanatic' Britain, 1996 Director: Udayan Prasad Cast: Om Puri, Rachel Griffiths, Stellan Skarsgard, Akbar Kurtha 88 minutes Based on a short story by Hanif Kureishi, this comedy examines how different generations cope with the relocation to a new country and unfamiliar circumstances. Parvez is a thoroughly westernized Pakistani cab driver vexed by his son's devotion to Islam. When his son's spiritual fervor reaches new extremes - Parvez's jazz records being drowned out by the sound of Koranic incantations - their stormy relationship is strained to the breaking point. May 14, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; May 18, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
-----
NNN -----
`Night Train' Ireland, 1998 Director: John Lynch Cast: John Hurt, Brenda Blethyn, Pauline Flanagan, Rynagh O'Grady, Peter Caffrey, Paul Roe 94 minutes POOLE, A JUST-PAROLED con man, is determined to reform, and finds refuge in the suburban home of a domineering old woman and her repressed daughter, Alice. There he indulges his obsession with model trains while avoiding a gangster looking to collect an old debt. Poole and Alice, soulmates escaping into a make-believe world, eventually board a real train - the Orient Express - to escape their pasts. June 3, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; June 6, 9:15 p.m., Broadway.
`No' Canada, 1998 Director: Robert Lepage Cast: Anne-Marie Cadieux, Alexis Martin, Marie Brassard, Richard Frechette U.S. premiere 83 minutes THIS FILM is a surprisingly light farce, given its weighty subject matter: Japanese culture, Quebec's destiny and the atomic attack on Hiroshima. Set in 1970, it gallops between the World's Fair in Osaka and political separatists in Quebec. Against this turbulent backdrop, Sophie is a troubled Montreal actress in the middle of a personal crisis who has a baby on the way and a secret relationship with a blind translator. May 21, 7:15 p.m., Harvard.
`No Trace' Iceland, 1998 Director: Hilmar Oddsson Cast: Gudmundur I. Thorvaldsson, Dofri Hermannson, Nanna Kristin 93 minutes AFTER FIVE FRIENDS gather for a celebration that spins wildly out of control, a national sports icon - swimmer Gulli Bjorns - wakes up beside the naked body of a dead woman. No one remembers what happened, but as the questions fly fast and furious, Gulli wanders through a maze of half-truths and lies in his search for the truth against a backdrop of deception, manipulation and murder. May 17, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; May 19, 5 p.m., Pacific.
`Nothing' Poland, 1998 Director: Dorota Kedzierzawska Cast: Anita Kuskowska-Borkowska, Janusz Panasewicz, Inga Zawadzka, Adam Popielarski 80 minutes HELA AND HER abusive husband share a hardscrabble life in a Krakow tenement. Torn between an irrational love for her cruel partner and her adoration for her children, Hela is heartbroken by her profoundly destructive marriage. But when unexpected events force her to deal with the implications of a secret, she finds herself trapped in a world where she has few rights. May 14, 7:15 p.m., Harvard.
-----
OOO -----
`Of Freaks and Men' Russia, 1998 Director: Alexei Balabanov Cast: Sergei Makovetsky, Dinara Drukarova, Lika Nevolina, Victor Sukhorukov, Alyesha De, Chingiz Tsydendabayev 93 minutes BALABANOV, ONE OF THE NEW generation of post-Soviet directors, delves into the previously unmentionable decadence that pervaded pre-Revolutionary St. Petersburg. Two affluent families gradually become involved with an early-day pornographer, who preys on young women for daguerreotypes that are sold door-to-door. Disturbing and engrossing, with cinematic touches that reflect the sepia-toned photography of the day. May 27, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; May 31, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
`One Girl Against the Mafia' Italy/France, 1998 Director: Marco Amenta Documentary 56 minutes THIS DOCUMENTARY tells of a real-life heroine - teenager Rita Atria - who, in seeking justice for the murders of her father and brother, defies the Mafia's "code of honor" to testify before Italian prosecutors. Willing to pay the ultimate price - her life - Atria confronts the mobsters who shattered her world. May 29, 12:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Only Clouds Move the Stars' Norway, 1998 Director: Torun Lian Cast: Thea Sofie Rusten, Jan Tore Kristoffersen, Anneke von der Lippe, Jorgen Langhelle, Andrine Saether 95 minutes IN THIS STUDY of a young girl trying to come to terms with her little brother's death, 1l-year-old Maria is pushed into the role of caretaker while her family breaks apart under the weight of its grief. "Only Clouds Move the Stars" touches on such sensitive issues as death, loss and despair in an uplifting and affecting way. Official 1998 Norwegian Oscar submission for best foreign film. May 31, 6:30 p.m., Harvard; June 3, 5 p.m., Harvard.
`Open Bodies' France, 1997 Director: Sebastien Lifshitz Cast: Yasmine Belmadi, Piere Loup Rajot, Margot Abascal, Mohamed Damraoui, Malik Zidi 47 minutes HANDSOME REMI, son of a French mother and North African father, is an aspiring actor who works part time at an Arab grocery. When he answers an ad for film actors, he is drawn into a relationship with Marc, the director. His sexual identity soon becomes as open as his cultural one in this romantic observation of a young man whose life is still subject to revision. Showing with two shorts by Francois Ozon: "X2000" and "A Little Bit of Death." May 27, 7:15 p.m., Harvard.
-----
PPP -----
`P. Tinto's Miracle' Spain, 1998 Director: Javier Fesser Cast: Luis Ciges, Silvia Casanova, Pablo Pinedo, Javier Aller 106 minutes OVER GENERATIONS, a long line of P. Tintos have continued the twin traditions of raising hyperextended families and producing communion wafers for the Catholic Church. After marrying his sight-impaired childhood sweetheart, the youngest P. Tinto sets out to do the same, but 50 years later, with no child, what's a 70-year-old man to do? June 5, 6:30 p.m., Harvard; June 6, 9:15 p.m., Harvard.
`The Passion of Ayn Rand' U.S., 1998 Director: Christopher Menaul Cast: Helen Mirren, Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy, Peter Fonda, Tom McCamus, Sybil Temchen, Don McKellar, David Ferry 104 minutes THIS WARTS-AND-ALL biography of the Russian-born, American novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand stars Helen Mirren in the title role. Following her through academic superstardom and illicit sexual alliances, this film captures her difficult personality - and is both a testament to and a warning about genius being detached from conscience. May 15, 6:30 p.m., Pacific; May 18, 5 p.m., Cinerama.
`Pep Squad' U.S., 1998 Director: Steve Balderson Cast: Brooke Balderson, Amy Kelly, Jennifer Dreiling, Summer Makovkin, Adrian Pujol, Eric Sherman U.S. premiere 94 minutes AT OAK HILL High School, the student body is uniformly jaded: obsessed with sex, drugs, suicide and scoring a date with the coed who will win the coveted title of Prom Queen. Kidnapping, murder and wild partying ensue in the satirical "Pep Squad," culminating in a classic prom scene. May 30, 9:30 p.m., Valley drive-in, Auburn; June 1, 9:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Pirates of Silicon Valley' U.S., 1999 Director: Martyn Burke Cast: Noah Wyle, Anthony Michael Hall, Joseph Slotnick, John Di Maggio, Josh Hopkins, Gena Zamprogna World premiere 94 minutes IN THE EARLY 1970'S, two driven young men - one at Berkeley, the other at Harvard - tinkered with primitive electronic gizmos and rudimentary computer languages. One, Steve Jobs, would go on to found Apple Computers, while Bill Gates created the Microsoft behemoth. "Pirates of Silicon Valley" is a fascinating and often funny account of the clashing egos, alliances and personalities that revolutionized the way we think, play, communicate and work. May 15, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Porgy & Bess' U.S., 1959 Director: Otto Preminger Cast: Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters, Diahann Carroll, Clarence Muse 143 minutes UNAVAILABLE FOR YEARS in any form, Otto Preminger's adaptation of George Gershwin's classic folk opera follows the poor black residents of Catfish Row and a crippled beggar's love for a wayward girl. Oscar-winning score arrangements by Andre Previn and Ken Darby highlight the lavish production by Samuel Goldwyn, with standout performances by the cast. Presented in a one-of-a-kind 70mm print (with German subtitles). May 15, 3:30 p.m., Cinerama.
`Portland Street Blues' Hong Kong, 1998 Director: Raymond Yip Cast: Sandra Ng, Kwan Yue, Qi Shu, Alex Fong, Vinvent Wong 114 minutes SISTER THIRTEEN, the lesbian branch leader of the Hung Hing triad in Mongkok, wistfully recalls the pivotal relationships in her life, including those with her father, her junkie girlfriend Scarface and a handsome boxer. May 28, midnight, Egyptian.
`The Powder Keg' Yugoslavia/France/Greece/Macedonia/Turkey, 1998 Director: Goran Paskaljevic Cast: Miki Manojlovic, Nebojsa Glogovac, Ana Sofrenovic, Dragan Nikolic 102 minutes A MICROCOSM of life in contemporary Belgrade in which individual destinies meet, clash, blend and diverge in an ultra-noir portrayal of one night in that war-torn country. Winner of the European Film Critics Award for best film, "The Powder Keg" seethes with ferocious humor. Official 1998 Yugoslavian Oscar submission for best foreign film. May 29, 9:15 p.m., Pacific; June 4, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
`The Power of Kangwon Province' South Korea, 1998 Director: Hong Sang-soo Cast: Baek Jong-hak, Oh Yun-hong, Kim Yu-seok, Chun Jae-hyun, Park Hyun-yeong, Im Sun-yeong 109 minutes THIS MINIMALIST meditation on life's little tricks zigzags through its characters' lives in Korea's Kangwon province. When three girls out on a mountain hike stumble across a dead body, it sets a domino effect in motion, involving a university lecturer bedding a hooker and a pensive young man on a train ride. May 23, 9:15 p.m., Broadway; May 26, 5 p.m., Broadway.
`Praise' Australia, 1998 Director: John Curran Cast: Peter Fenton, Sacha Horler, Marta Dusseldorp, Joel Edgerton 98 minutes GORDON IS A listless, chain-smoking asthmatic with a rather insipid libido. Cynthia is a slightly pudgy nymphomaniac with a bad case of eczema. As their relationship heats up, Gordon willingly enters Cynthia's web of indulgence. A prize winner at the recent Toronto International Film Festival. May 16, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 19, 5 p.m. Harvard.
-----
RRR -----
`Rabbit in the Moon' U.S., 1999 Director: Emiko Omori Cast: Chizuko Omori, Frank Emi, Aiko Yoshinaga-Herzig, Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Harry Ueno 85 minutes PART DOCUMENTARY, part memoir and personal essay, "Rabbit in the Moon" weaves together facts, reflections and impressions about the meaning and lingering effects of the World War II internment of the Japanese-American community. This film presents Japanese Americans not as model citizens in the camps, but as actively critical, organizing protests and demanding their constitutional rights. June 1, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian.
`The Red Dwarf' Belgium/France/Italy, 1998 Director: Yvan le Moine Cast: Jean-Yves Thual, Dyna Gauzy, Michel Peyrelon, Arno Chevrier, Anita Ekberg U.S. premiere 102 minutes SHOT IN black and white, this tale chronicles the decay of well-intentioned virtue into malevolent vice. Lucien is a lonely dwarf tortured by his dim prospects for finding love. But when he unexpectedly succeeds in wooing a voluptuous vamp (Anita Ekberg), and then loses her, things take a bizarre turn. May 30, 6:30 p.m., Broadway; June 3, 2:45 p.m., Egyptian.
`The Red Violin' Canada/Italy/UK/Austria, 1998 Director: Francois Girard Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Greta Scacchi, Sylvia Chang, Colm Feore, Don McKellar, Jason Flemyng 126 minutes AS IN THEIR last collaboration, "32 Short Films about Glenn Gould," director Francois Girard and writer Don McKellar examine the enigmatic power of music. A demanding artisan struggles to make the perfect violin with impeccable tone. Throughout the following centuries, the mysterious - and haunted - instrument will forever change the lives of the musicians who come to possess it. Winner of eight Canadian Oscars, including best film, director and script. May 22, 6:30 p.m., Egyptian; May 24, 9:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Regret to Inform' U.S., 1998 Director: Barbara Sonneborn Documentary 72 minutes FIFTEEN AMERICAN and Vietnamese women reflect on the impact of the Vietnam War on their lives. As the American women try to read between the lines of their husbands' letters, the Vietnamese recount the moment-to-moment uncertainties of life in a country at war. 1998 Oscar nominee for best documentary feature. May 31, 3:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Return With Honor' U.S., 1998 Directors: Freida Lee Mock, Terry Sanders Cast: Robbie Risner, Ev Alvarez 102 minutes A LOOK BACK at the experiences of American POWs in North Vietnam, made strikingly immediate by a wealth of previously unavailable enemy propaganda footage. Despite such will-breaking conditions, many POWs found ways to resist, such as one man's painting a cell wall with his own blood. June 2, 7:15 p.m., Harvard.
`Romani Kris' / `Gypsy Lore' Hungary, 1998 Director: Bence Gyongyossy Cast: Djocko Rossich, Mihaly Szabados, Silvia Pinku, Diliana Dimitrova, Sami Osman 93 minutes WHEN THE HUNGARIAN government's relocation of a Gypsy settlement sparks a violent confrontation, Lover - a proud, King Lear-like patriarch - sets off on a quest to locate his beautiful daughter, seeking forgiveness for a cruel act that he committed in a moment of outraged passion. In this film of stark beauty, Lover and the village fool journey through a countryside haunted by memory and tragedy. Official 1998 Hungarian Oscar submission for best foreign film. May 16, 3:30 p.m., Harvard; May 18, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian.
`Rosie' Belgium, 1998 Director: Patrice Toye Cast: Aranka Coppens, Dirk Roofthooft, Frank Vercruyssen, Sara de Roo 97 minutes IN THIS EXAMPLE of naturalistic storytelling, newcomer Aranka Coppens plays Rosie, a sensitive and bright 13-year-old who finds herself in trouble with the law and misunderstood at home. With her enormous capacity to daydream, she constructs a fantasy world as an antidote to the realities of her life in working-class Belgium. Official 1998 Belgian Oscar submission for best foreign film. May 29, 9:15 p.m., Harvard; May 31, 9:15 p.m., Broadway.
`Run Lola Run' Germany, 1998 Director: Tom Tykwer Cast: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Armin Rohde 81 minutes SEXY, RED-HAIRED Lola is racing as fast as her legs will carry her - she has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 deutsche marks and save her boyfriend from death at the hands of a malicious gangster. "Run Lola Run" is a blend of hyped-up dread and noir violence, where individual lives clash in an edgy dance of sex, money and guns. Official 1998 German Oscar submission for best foreign film. June 4, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; June 6, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian.
-----
SSS -----
`Santitos' Mexico, 1998 Director: Alejandro Springall Cast: Dolores Heredia 105 minutes IN A BLEND of fantasy, reality, and romanticism, "Santitos" is the odyssey of Esperanza Dias, a young widow who turns to superstition and faith when she's informed that her youngest child has died. Desperate to believe that the death was a hoax, her prayers summon a local saint who helps her redefine her faith and destiny. May 28, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; May 31, 3:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Saturn' U.S., 1999 Director: Robert Schmidt Cast: Scott Caan, Mia Kirshner, Leo Burmester, Anthony Ruivivar 95 minutes AT THE CORE of "Saturn" is a powerful love story between father and son, a love that must ultimately accept sacrifice as a condition for freedom. Drew is a young man trying to straighten out his own life while caring for his once-brilliant father. Complications arise when he meets a beguiling young woman. May 28, 7:15 p.m., Harvard; June 1, 2:45 p.m., Pacific.
`Say You'll Be Mine' U.S., 1999 Director: Brad Kane Cast: Justine Bateman, Gil Bellows, Nicky Katt, Rya Kihlstedt, Libby Langdon, Daniel Lapaine, Megan Ward World premiere 98 minutes IN THIS ROMANTIC comedy, Ben is a struggling writer who has been secretly in love with Julia since their freshman year in college. Although he is involved in a promising new relationship with Melanie, Ben is unable to let go of his feelings for Julia when she announces plans to marry his best friend. June 5, 9:15 p.m., Pacific; June 6, 3:30 p.m., Pacific.
`The Secret Life of Girls' U.S., 1999 Director: Holly Goldberg Sloan Cast: Linda Hamilton, Eugene Levy, Majandra Delfino, Meagan Good, Aeryk Egan, Andrew Ducote, Keith Bogart World premiere 90 minutes THIS TWISTED black comedy, set in 1973, tells the story of 15-year-old Natalie, a confused girl who discovers her college-professor father is having an affair with one of his students. Unwilling to passively watch her family dissolve, Natalie is transformed into an agent provocateur, challenging the clan's denial. May 29, 6:30 p.m., Harvard; June 3, 12:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`See the Sea' France, 1997 Director: Francois Ozon Cast: Sasha Hails, Marina de Van, Paul Raoux 52 minutes A YOUNG BACKPACKER, after gettign permission to pitch her tent on a family's lawn, finds a way to move into the life of her hostess. Showing with three other Ozon shorts. May 29, 3:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Sekal Must Die' Czech Republic/Poland/France, 1998 Director: Vladimir Michalek Cast: Boguslaw Linda, Olaf Lubaszenko, Jiri Bartoska, Agnieszka Sitek, Vlasta Chramostova 110 minutes SEKAL, AN aggressive landowner, gets anything he wants - from land to the mayor's daughter. This makes him a target for assassination by his neighbors. Official 1998 Czech Republic Oscar submission for best foreign film. May 24, 9:30 p.m. Harvard; May 26, 5 p.m., Pacific.
`Senso Unico (One Way)' Italy/India/Britain, 1999 Director: Aditya Basu Bhattacharya Cast: Lothaire Bluteau, Stefania Rocca, L.M. Kit Carson, Laila Rouass U.S. premiere 86 minutes PORN CARTOONIST Francesco is headed nowhere. The only woman in his life is Ghibellina, the voluptuous bike-riding creation of his comic strip who keeps popping up in his bedroom and studio - until Yasmin, a stunning actress, arrives in town to shoot an erotic thriller. June 3, 9:30 p.m., Pacific; June 6, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Shadow Boxers' U.S., 1999 Director: Katya Bankowsky Cast: Lucia Rijker Documentary World premiere 72 minutes A LOOK BEHIND the scenes of the controversial new sport of women's professional boxing. Following Dutch fighter Lucia Rijker as she battles toward her world championship bout, the film reveals the beauty and brutality of the sport, its punishments and its rewards. June 2, 7:15 p.m., Broadway.
`Shores of Twilight' Greece, 1998 Director: Efthimios Hatzis Cast: Stefanos Iatridis, Anna-Maria Papaharalambous, Dimitris Poulikakos, Yannis Petinoudis 101 minutes ALEXANDROS is a young man in love with a woman from afar. After taking a small boat around his native island, he comes ashore and meets three older men at night, who relate to him the stories of love in their lives. May 27, 5 p.m., Pacific; June 1, 7:15 p.m., Harvard.
`Show Me Love' Sweden, 1998 Director: Lukas Moodysson Cast: Alexandra Dahlstrom, Rebecca Liljeberg, Erica Carlson, Mathias Rust, Stefan Horberg U.S. premiere 89 minutes AMAL IS A SLEEPY town in Sweden and just about the most boring place on Earth for 15-year-old Elin. But when she finds her friendship with Agnes moving into uncharted waters, she panics and flees for safety in a relationship with a young male suitor. What follows is a story of first love - and the risks of taking chances with your heart. Official 1998 Swedish Oscar submission for best foreign film. June 3, 7:15 p.m., Harvard; June 5, 6:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Side Streets' U.S., 199 Director: Tony Gerber Cast: Valeria Golino, Shashi Kapoor, Leon Art Malik 116 minutes DIRECTOR TONY GERBER has fused contemporary New York City folktales into five humorous sketches taking place in New York's five boroughs on a sweltering hot summer day. In it, an aging Indian matinee idol, an Italian fashion designer, a Romanian gambler and a macho Chicano all find their lives intertwined in an array of chance meetings and hilarious accidents. May 16, 6:30 p.m., Harvard; May 20, 9:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Sitcom' France, 1998 Director: Francois Ozon Cast: Evelyne Dandry, Francois Marthouret, Marina de Van, Adrien de Van 85 minutes THIS SATIRE of bland suburban life tackles some darkly amusing topics. When the "perfect" father comes home to a surprise party, he responds by opening fire on his loved ones. By way of explanation, the action flashes to "several months later," where a pet rat and a family wheelchair are the fulcrum of an unbelievable cascade of increasingly absurd situations. May 28, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; June 1, 5 p.m., Pacific.
`Some Like It Hot' U.S., 1959 Director: Billy Wilder Cast: Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe 119 minutes BILLY WILDER'S DARK FARCE is a fast-paced parody of sexual stereotypes and movie icons. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis go in drag as musicians in an all-girl band to escape from the Chicago mob, finding romance and Marilyn Monroe along the way. Oscar-nominated for best director, best screenplay, best actor, and best costume design, it is still one of the funniest comedies of all time. Special 40th-anniversary presentation with a pristine, newly restored print. May 22, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Speak to Me Sisters' Sweden, 1999 Director: Maj Wechselmann Documentary U.S. premiere 90 minutes DIRECTOR MAJ WECHSELMANN spent two years traveling around South Africa looking for women who could speak about their struggle against apartheid. The result is a forceful portrait of some 19 women - the oldest being 86 and having spent 16 years in solitary confinement, the youngest being just 18 - who speak with a uniquely independent, yet unified, voice about the struggle to create a new government. May 24, 7:15 p.m. Harvard.
`Speaking in Strings' U.S., 1999 Director: Paola Di Florio Documentary 75 minutes THIS CHARACTER study spotlights the controversial, world-renowned violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, whose unorthodox, charismatic performances have earned her the title "bad girl of the violin." May 31, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Speedway Junky' U.S./Israeli, 1999 Director: Nickolas Perry Cast: Jesse Bradford, Jordan Brower, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Daryl Hannah, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Patsy Kensit 102 minutes ECHOING EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Gus Van Sant's themes of survival on the mean streets, "Speedway Junky" follows the exploits of a 19-year-old North Carolina auto racer who is ripped off in Las Vegas and finds himself on the street with nothing but a gathering brood of hustlers to fall back on. The desperate teens navigate through changing sexual identities and adolescent angst on a fast trip to nowhere. May 20, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; May 22, 3:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Speedy Boys' U.S., 1999 Director: James Herbert Cast: Andy Piedilato, Carter Davis, Aline Nari, Alessandra Palma, Kari Malievich, Sylvia Picchi 75 minutes TRAINING HIS CAMERA on Carter and Andy, two college-aged American lads spending the summer in Italy, director James Herbert has crafted a collage of images that explore the pursuit of beauty for its own sake. The two boys lounge around, flexing pecs of steel, while a bevy of women come and go, each bringing a unique radiance to the sensual proceedings. May 15, midnight, Egyptian.
`Star Sisters' Sweden, 1999 Director: Tobias Falk Cast: Terea Niva, Vania Lundmark, Fanny Kivimaki U.S. premiere 80 minutes IN THIS MAGICAL, contemporary fairy tale for children, three girls are born in the north of Sweden, all of them named Johanna. They grow up unaware of each other's existence. But one day, when they are 8, they meet during the Rose festival, celebrating the coming spring. Together they embark upon a risky adventure to recover a lost dog. May 22, 12:30 p.m., Pacific.
Such a Long Journey' Canada/Britain, 1998 Director: Sturla Gunnarsson Cast: Om Puri, Soni Razdan, Roshan Seth, Naseeruddin Shah, Sam Dastor, Kurush Deboo 113 minutes IN 1971 BOMBAY, a dedicated bank clerk sees his modest life unraveling when he agrees to do a favor for a mysterious old friend. He soon finds himself in over his head as his friend's associates draw him into a dangerous network of deceptions. May 18, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; May 23, 12:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Sweet Thing' U.S., 1999 Director: Mark David Cast: Michael Dalmon, Jeremy Fox, Ev Lunning Jr., Amalia Stifter World premiere 115 minutes SEAN IS A passionate young artist who has a lousy relationship with his abusive stepfather, a district judge in their hometown. When the judge decides to run for Congress, Sean's controversial paintings - lately attracting a lot of attention - make his father's PR manager very, very nervous. June 3, 9:30 p.m., Broadway; June 6, 12:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Sweety Barrett' Ireland, 1998 Director: Stephen Bradley Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Liam Cunningham, Lynda Steadman, Andy Serkis, Dylan Murphy 92 minutes SWEETY BARRETT is a big, strong, simple man who just lost his job at a circus. As he drifts into an Irish port town looking for work, he meets a sweet young woman and collides with a series of grifters, bootleggers and sadistic police officers who want to make his life a lot more complicated. Anchored by Brendan Gleeson's performance, the film is an unusual morality tale. May 24, 7:15 p.m., Pacific.
`The Swindle' France, 1997 Director: Claude Chabrol Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Michel Serrault, Francois Cluzet, Jean-Francois Balmer, Jackie Berroyer, Jean Benguigui 105 minutes IN THIS COMEDY of manners, a pair of clever grifters find that their years of history together are tested when the pursuit of money becomes the ultimate goal and love slides dangerously toward deceit. May 23, 6:30 p.m. Harvard.
-----
TTT -----
`Tamaro: Stones and Angles' Switzerland, 1998 Director: Villi Hermann Documentary U.S. premiere 85 minutes THIS IS A ROMANTIC chronicle of the life of two artists: one from the mountains (the Italian-Swiss architect Mario Botta, who built a chapel in the alpine foothills) and a man of the sea (the Italian artist Enzo Cucchi, who painted the frescoes on it). The harmony of their ideas, the solidity of the chapel and the gentle fluidity of the frescoes are captured in this film about creative interplay and inspiration. June 4, 7:15 p.m., Broadway.
`The Terrorist' India, 1998 Director: Santosh Sivan Cast: Ayesha Dharkar, Bhanu Prakash, Sonu Sisupal 100 minutes LOOSELY BASED on the tragic assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, but stripped of all specific political references, this is a metaphorical examination of the mind of a young female terrorist who is chosen to be a human bomb. May 16, 6:30 p.m., Pacific.
`The Third Man' U.S., 1949 Director: Carol Reed Cast: Joseph Cotten, Trevor Howard, Alida Valley, Orson Welles, Bernard Lee, Wilfred Hyde-White 100 minutes AN UNINTELLIGENT but tenacious writer (Joseph Cotten) arrives in post-World War II Vienna to join his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles), who seems to have met with an accident - or has he? Stylish from the first scene to the last, with inimitable backgrounds of zither music, war-torn buildings and an incredible sewer chase scene. May 18, 7:15 p.m., Cinerama.
`This Space Between Us' U.S., 1999 Director: Mathew Leutwyler Cast: Jeremy Sisto, Poppy Montgomery, Erik Palladino, Clara Bellar, Vanessa Marcil, Alex Kingston, Garry Marshall World premiere 110 minutes TWO YEARS AFTER his wife's death, Alex's once-promising filmmaking career in L.A. is at a standstill. When a meeting with a dimwitted producer pushes him over the edge, Alex heads for his hometown of San Francisco. With little more than his Dodge Dart and a tape-recording of his wife's last phone message, Alex embarks on a journey of self-discovery in a series of comic misadventures. June 4, 7:15 p.m., Harvard; June 6, 12:30 p.m., Harvard.
`Thundercrack' U.S., 1975 Director: Curt McDowell Cast: Marion Eaton, George Kuchar 120 minutes A CROSS BETWEEN "Deep Throat" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," this sexy farce sends up all those horror films in which a group of strangers is forced to spend a stormy night in an old dark house full of eerie sounds, bizarre happenings and, in this case, a sexually active gorilla. This graphic camp classic was originally screened at the Seattle International Film Festival in 1977. May 22, midnight, Egyptian.
`The Tichborne Claimant' Britain, 1998 Director: David Yates Cast: John Kani, Robert Pugli, Stephen Fry, Robert Hardy, John Gielgud 98 minutes FOCUSING ON the life of Andrew Bogle, a black servant to the wealthy Tichborne family, this film follows his trip to Australia in search of the missing scion and heir to the Tichborne's fortune. Once there, he's plunged into a circus of charlatans, lawsuits and greedy in-laws who all want a piece of the family fortune. May 16, 6:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Titanic Town' Britain, 1998 Director: Roger Michell Cast: Julie Walters, Ciaran Hinds, Nuala O'Neill, Elizabeth Donaghy, Ciaran McMenamin, Jaz Pollock 100 minutes IN AN ATTEMPT to protect her family, an apolitical Irish housewife is thrust into the ruthless sectarian conflict in West Belfast. Primarily motivated by personal conviction, she ironically places both herself and her family at risk in this film about large and (tragically) enduring events. May 24, 5 p.m., Egyptian; May 27, 9:30 p.m., Pacific.
`To Walk With Lions' Britain/South Africa, 1998 Director: Carl Schultz Cast: Richard Harris, Ian Bannen, John Michie, Kerry Fox, Hugh Quarshie, Honor Blackman, Geraldine Chaplin World premiere 108 minutes RICHARD HARRIS stars as George, a plucky conservationist who rehabilitates lions born into captivity in Kenya - and who has an almost mystical rapport with them. When happy-go-lucky Tony arrives to help him manage the game reserve, the two men develop a unique bond as they struggle with poachers, bandits and corrupt government officials. Photographed in Africa, this is a story about majestic lions and the people who fight for them despite overwhelming odds. June 4, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; June 5, 3:30 p.m., Egyptian.
`Tokyo Eyes' Japan/France, 1998 Director: Jean-Pierre Limosin Cast: Shinji Takeda, Hinano Yoshikawa, Kaori Mizushima, Tetta Sugimoto, Takeshi Kitano 97 minutes K IS A YOUNG JAPANESE GenXer who has decided that the only way to deal with unacceptable behavior is to shoot the miscreants. He hooks up with Hinano, a ditsy hairdresser whose brother is a cop, and Hinano falls for him despite her knowledge that he's a murder suspect. May 31, 6:30 p.m., Pacific; June 4, 2:45 p.m., Egyptian.
`Tom's Midnight Garden' U.S., 1999 Director: Willard Carroll Cast: Greta Scacchi, James Wilby, Joan Plowright, Anthony Way, David Bradley, Penelope Wilton, Nigel Le Vaillant U.S. premiere 107 minutes EVERY NIGHT, as Tom lies in bed, the old grandfather clock in the downstairs hall stikes - 13! Discovering an enchanting garden in another dimension, Tom returns each night to meet Hatty, who mysteriously grows older - from a young girl to a young woman - while Tom remains the same age. Based on Philippa Pearce's Carnegie Award-winning fantasy novel, the film explores the essence of childhood identity that is inevitably relinquished to adulthood. May2:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Too Many Ways to Be # 1 Hong Kong, 1999 Director: Ka-Fai Wai Cast: Joe Cheng, Tat-Ming Cheung, Matt Chow, Ching Wan Lau 91 minutes THIS DARK COMEDY explores how seemingly inconsequential decisions can have life-altering consequences. The director, filming entire action scenes holding the camera upside-down, turns a low-budget gangster flick into a creative manifesto that has been interpreted, despite his protests, as a thinly veiled statement about Hong Kong's hand-over to China. May 25, 7:15 p.m., Harvard; May 30, 3:30 p.m., Pacific.
`Train of Life' France/Netherlands/Belgium/Romania, 1998 Director: Radu Milhaileanu Cast: Lionel Abelanski, Rufus Clement Harari, Michel Muller, Bruno Abraham-Kremor 100 minutes WINNER OF THE International Critics Prize at Venice, this is the tragicomic account of a community of Jews who secure a train and take the initiative to deport themselves - before the Nazis get a chance - in an attempt to reach Palestine via the Soviet Union. Blending broad humor, wishful thinking and astute observation, this film is a bittersweet fable about hope and optimism in the face of overwhelming odds. May 30, 6:30 p.m., Pacific; June 3, 5 p.m., Pacific.
`A True Mob Story' Hong Kong, 1998 Director: Wong Jing Cast: Andy Lau 113 minutes MOVIE-GANGSTER glamour is stripped to the bone in this film about the life of a man in a triad society. Betrayed by his gang for reasons he doesn't understand, and stalked by a vengeful madman, Cheung-Dee (Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau) fights to survive Hong Kong's violent underworld. May 14, midnight, Egyptian.
`Twin Falls Idaho' U.S., 1999 Director: Michael Polish Cast: Mark Polish, Michael Polish, Michele Hicks, Jon Gries 105 minutes SIAMESE TWINS Blake and Francis venture into the city in search of their mother, who abandoned them at birth, and end up finding a prostitute. Penny starts to fall in love when she recognizes the beauty beneath their unusual exterior, and an unforeseen tragedy makes her reconsider her relationship with the brothers. This portrait of the universal search for love features performances by real-life twins. May 27, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; May 31, 9:15 p.m., Harvard.
-----
UUU -----
`Under a Spell' Mexico, 1998 Director: Carlos Carerra Cast: Blanca Guerra, Mario Zaragoza, Daniel Acuna, Luis Fernando Pena, Luisa Huertas, Vanessa Bauche 125 minutes SET AGAINST the rich historical canvas of pre-war Mexico, "Under a Spell" describes the life of 13-year-old Elisco, who has a father who's a brutish longshoreman, a sister who leaves for the circus and a lover 20 years his senior. May 18, 9:30 p.m. Harvard; May 22, 12:30 p.m., Broadway.
`Unlucky Monkey' Japan, 1998 Director: Sabu Cast: Shinichi Tsustumi, Hiroshi Shimizu, Akira Yamamoto, Ikko Suzuki 106 minutes NISHIDA AND YAMAZAKI are about to rob a bank when another thief, dressed identically to them, comes running out with the loot. Accidently stabbing a young hairdresser in the ensuing chaos, Yamazaki realizes he has fallen in love for the first time - with the woman as she dies in his arms. Thus begins the first five minutes of "Unlucky Monkey," a surprising dark comedy that strips the action elements of the one-man-against-the-yakuza genre down to the marrow. June 4, midnight, Egyptian.
-----
VVV -----
`Via Satellite' New Zealand, 1998 Director: Anthony McCarten Cast: Danielle Cormack, Tim Balme, Rima Te Wiata, Brian Sergent, Jodie Dorday U.S. premiere 90 minutes TWINS CHRISSY and Carol (both played by Danielle Cormack) are deeply united by a family secret. While one twin competes in Olympic swimming, the other has given up on going for the gold in diving. When the entire family meets at their ditzy mom's house to watch Chrissy go for the gold, they discover she's scheduled a much larger family reunion - live for satellite TV. Twists and turns follow in the hours before airtime in this quirky comedy. May 19, 7:15 p.m., Pacific; May 21, 5 p.m., Harvard.
-----
WWW -----
`Welcome to Sarajevo' Britain, 1997 Director: Michael Winterbottom Cast: Stephen Dillane, Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Emira Nusevic, Kerry Fox 102 minutes THIS BRUTALLY realistic, unsentimental look at reporters covering the Bosnian war in Sarajevo is based on the true story of a British TV reporter who becomes outraged by the plight of orphaned children and finds his casual promise to a young girl - that he will lead her to safety - being put to the test. May 22, 3:30 p.m., Broadway.
`West Beirut' France/Lebanon, 1998 Director: Zaid Doueiri Cast: Rami Doueiri, Mohamad Chamas, Rola Al Amin U.S. premiere 105 minutes THIS LIVELY coming-of-age story follows an irreverent adolescent boy during the early stages of the civil war that divided Beirut into East and West. With an open manner and infectious grin, Tarek is on friendly terms with all the local toughs. But his life is rudely disrupted when his intellectual parents decide to flee the country in the wake of a bus bombing. May 14, 9:30 p.m., Harvard; May 16, 9:15 p.m., Pacific.
`When Love Comes' New Zealand, 1998 Director: Garth Maxwell Cast: Rena Owen, Dean O'Gorman, Simon Prast, Nancy Brunning, Sophia Hawthorne, Simon Westaway 94 minutes RENA OWEN ("Once Were Warriors") plays an aging singer whose career has sputtered in Los Angeles. Returning home to New Zealand, she tries to reinvent herself, only to be drawn back into the outrageous decadence of the music business. May 15, 12:30 p.m., Harvard; May 17, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian.
`The Wounds' Yugoslavia/France, 1998 Director: Srdjan Dragojevic Cast: Dusan Pekie, Milan Marie, Dragan Bjelorgrlic, Branka Katic 103 minutes TROUT AND PINKIE are two drugged-up teenage criminals - by turns brilliantly entrepreneurial, comically childish and murderously psychotic - who rise to the top of Belgrade's criminal underworld in this harrowing glimpse of a wounded society. May 20, 9:30 p.m., Broadway; May 24, 5 p.m., Broadway.
-----
XXX -----
`Xiao Wu' China, 1997 Director: Jia Zhang Ke Cast: Wang Hong Wei, Hao Hong Jian, Zu Bai Tao 108 minutes XIAO WU, a nondescript young man, lives a criminal life - without fear or remorse - in a shabby city somewhere in China. This film about young people alienated from society follows Xiao as he trudges through a humid netherworld of bar girls, cigarette smugglers and corrupt businessmen. When a promising romance goes awry, Xiao returns to his native village, where he is held accountable for his "modern" lifestyle. May 19, 7:15 p.m., Egyptian; May 21, 5 p.m., Egyptian.
-----
YYY -----
`You Can Thank Me Later' Canada, 1998 Director: Shimon Dotan Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Amanda Plummer, Ted Levine, Mark Blum, Mary McDonnell, Genevieve Bujold 111 minutes THE DYSFUNCTIONAL Cooperberg clan gathers in a Montreal hospital to await the results of their father's surgery. There the siblings, as vastly different as they are uniformly neurotic, enjoin each other with nasty zingers sharpened by pointed truths. Mix in a mistress posing as a nun (Genevieve Bujold) and a strong-willed matriarch (Ellen Burstyn), among other odd characters, and it's a madhouse. May 23, 6:30 p.m., Pacific; May 27, 5 p.m., Broadway.