Harry Knowles Screens ROTK and The Passion at BNTA5- Mel Gibson & Peter Jackson attend

Hey folks, Harry here... Figured I'd join in on this format of Nordling's just a bit...

1. RETURN OF THE KING is the finishing flourish on what is definitively the greatest single narrative trilogy in the history of cinema. This film gives a new meaning to scope in film. A new meaning to the term epic. Peter Jackson has honestly created a final film that absolutely just owned me for every second it played. And in the way of the world, I'm just a very small hobbit in my own little shire of Austin... and I'm thankful for that, every day.

2. HAUNTED GOLD - I learned that my instincts on this film and this story were so exactingly perfect with the BNAT audience that there were moments of John Wayne's girlish fop punches that I thought I was going to go into convulsions from listening to the audiences actual shock at how bad a fighter John Wayne started out as. Hehehehe... FANTASTIC. By the way DUKE (John Wayne's Horse) rules the Earth and could kick Shadowfax's ass I bet!

3. THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN MARVEL - I learned that intentially using one film as a lost leader for one of the greatest films of all time should not only be done, it commands to be done. I also learned that I must find a full print of this original serial as many people wanted to see the whole serial. hehehehe... God I love BNAT-ers.

4. Buster Keaton's THE GENERAL - After screening RETURN OF THE KING - I had two major programming issues. What on earth can play after RETURN OF THE KING and not disappoint? Secondly, What could I screen for Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and THE QUEEN OF THE GEEKS? (no other name is ever required from this point on btw and all future prints of her films will carry this title for Her name.) The idea was to reboot the audience... Take them as far cinematically speaking as humanly possible from RETURN OF THE KING. Give them a totally different perfect film experience, and THE GENERAL affords that. Guy Forsthe and his band's live music score performed live was once again genius. Over 2/3rds of the audience had never seen the film. Now they have learned how to salute an entire approaching ranks while making out with your babe! IMPORTANT LESSON!

6. ANCHORMAN is going to be absolutely #@%&ing hysterical. When you behold Will Ferrell's erection, you'll send off for 10 penis patches to put on your ~%*# all at once. My god, he'd make Jenna Jameson feel like a Virgin!

7. THE BODYGUARD - Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba! Viva! Chiba!

8. Chan Wook Park's OLDBOY is absolutely genius. The film is one of the most thrillingly disturbing and arresting works of cinema I have ever seen and is the very best film that David Fincher has never made. The reason for that is the soul of the conflicts within the very society that makes up SOUTH KOREA and the Korean experience in general. The film is an absolute picture of how REVENGE is never a straight road. Better than any contemporary set film made anywhere in the world today.

9. SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW trailer is one of the most perfect, beautiful, holy *!%$ cool as %#@* wanna see wanna see my god, let's watch that again and again and again and again things I've ever seen. Paul Dini took me aside after it played and weeped about how desperately he wanted to see that film... right now.

10. NID DE GUEPES is gorgeous on the big screen. I've seen the film perhaps 60 times on DVD - finally seeing it on the big screen with a BNAT audience proved once again, why the Drafthouse and in particular this audience is the greatest ever.

12. GINGER SNAPS 2 - mass female masturbation scenes are very important for the sanity of all. Does this happen? Is there somewhere where 40 young girls are lined up and asked to freely masturbate and explore the power of their own hands? Also Blondes are bad news.

13. HAUTE TENSION -- Sometimes 20 blows to a killer's head with a fence post wrapped with barbed wire... sometimes you have to go a little farther than that.

14. Watching the SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW trailer again was absolutely necessary!

15. TEENAGE MOTHER - is literally the single greatest late night unsuspecting grindhouse ambush film in the history of mankind. This movie hand the audience clapping along, snapping their fingers... digging the funky cool threads, the single most amazing spasmotic dork monkey ever to be named DUKE in film history... and then had the nerve to feature a 5 minute dance number in which he figures heavily. I was laughing non-stop. The Hot Rods were awesome. Also, this film taught me that I have never been more happy and secure in my own sexual identity as a man... and will never again ponder the dreamy notion of being a pregnant woman.

16. ROTTEN FRUIT - Utterly depraved and brilliant. Perfect Breakfast Entertainment!

17. UNDEAD - The Australian Spierig Brothers' film plays fantastic late late in a run. Specifically - anything that involves MARION delights the audiences endlessly. Also when the hot babe strips to her bra & panties for a logical plot reason... well... that's just great!

18. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST -- Never listen to a National Media coverage of alleged screenings. This film played to an audience 230 exhausted cinema loving movie worshipers from all around the world, every political and religious group... and the film received a 5 minute standing ovation and a 90 minute Q&A that included numerous questions grasping to understand what the "critics" of this film are talking about.

19. Mel Gibson -- It was stunning to do a 90 minute Q&A with Mel Gibson at the 28 hours of continual conciousness... and it seemed to go incredibly well. When he first came out he was seemingly quite nervous and visibly uncomfortable. I could see that he really had no idea what to expect from this audience in terms of "confrontations" and "feelings". Beginning with the tearful blessings and thank yous from one Houston Lady, to the applause for the sheer bravery to make non-traditional works of passion instead of just chipping away at another sequel. Well... It was gratifying. When one of Mel's associates was answering questions, watching Mel on his hands and knees autographing a couple of front row-ers' programs was... maybe the single best image I have from BNAT this year... actually... let me take that back...

Watching the look on the 11 year old girl's face who attended as she was seeing Peter Jackson and Mel Gibson in person. Watching Fran Walsh and "The Queen of the Geeks" interacting with everyone. The fear that we had killed Peter Jackson when suddenly he fell to the ground by a disguised platform of steps. I'll never forget the weight of that smoke grenade. I'll never forget hearing that SECURITY forgot their metal detecting wands. Watching an audience discover the genius of Chan Wook Park for the first time. Seeing the sheer joy on people's faces as each and every surprise hit them. Watching Eli Roth asking Mel Gibson how CABIN FEVER played business wise in Australia this past weekend, only to have Mel Gibson say, "Cabin Fever, what's that?" And the entire audience going into hysterics!

The moment where I was trying to start talking after RETURN OF THE KING and for some inexplicably emotional moment, I came very near the point of losing the ability to speak all together.

Watching 40 geeks trying their hardest to beat the living sh!t out of a life size papermache Harry Pinata... as the Harry Pinata took on all comers!!!

Watching TEENAGE MOTHER and sharing the experience with Tim League as we watched our cinematic terrorism come to pass, executed beyond our wildest dreams! (***me here, for those who don't know this movie continued the old roadshow shock of including footage of actual childbirth****)

Watching Father Geek give out TONS OF SideShow Toys! Watching BNATERS going around getting their yearbooks signed. Watching everyone talking with others based upon finding commonalities from the yearbook. And ultimately having the coolest BNAT T-shirts ever....

Here's another BNAT5 article about the Passion:

http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=16625

Nordling is the 1st in to express his views on Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST from BNAT 5!!!

Hey folks, Harry here... been awake now for 40 hours... I'm charged... BNAT this year was the single most extraordinary film experience of my life. Watching the programming just work film after film for me... was just bliss and with my top 3 favorite films I've seen thus far in 2003 being RETURN OF THE KING, OLDBOY and THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST... I'm just charged the the raw cinema injected into me throughout this festival. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST was astonishing in its very rough form. Score is about 30% in place with tons of temp, visual effects almost non-existent here... and of course digital instead of the lushness of Caleb's visuals when we see them in 35mm next year. Nordling is the first to chime in... there will be others... enjoy...
Nordling here.

First off, let me get this out of the way, I'll be sending my "Things I've Learned at BNAT 2003" in later on, and I want to thank Harry, Drew, Father Geek, Quint, and the rest of the gang for simply the best time at BNAT this year. Special thanks also go to Eli Roth, Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, and last but certainly not least, Mel Gibson.

Quick RETURN OF THE KING review... it's amazing, duh! Like you would expect anything else from me.

This will probably be the most controversial review I'll ever write for the site, if Harry sees fit to post it. Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST is a monumental statement of faith and it's possibly the most important religious film ever made. And unfortunately it's going to be completely misunderstood by people and groups with agendas. The fact is, this is a powerful film and this needs to be seen by the widest audience possible. This is an Important Film. Possible the first real Important Film of the 21st Century.

Don't get me wrong. I love THE LORD OF THE RINGS films. Of course I do. But with THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST Mel Gibson has created Art. It has all the beauty of the works of the Middle Ages depicting the death of Jesus Christ. Inspired by the paitings of Caraveggio, various written works as well as the Gospels, Gibson has created an unparalleled work of art that will stand the test of time as one of the greatest religious films ever made.

I think a lot of the hatred coming towards THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST comes from those who primarily have not seen it. I have. Read closely. It is not anti-semitic. Not in the least bit. I understand the concern. To me, the Sanhedrin in the film felt more like a political organization than a religious one. In the film, it's obvious that Jesus threatens them politically, with their standing with the Romans and with their own people. They are frightened of Jesus, and must send him away from them.

My wife is Jewish, and she didn't feel like it was offensive at all. Our friend at BNAT, Roger Kaufman, also is Jewish, and he admired the skill and emotion of the film. They viewed the film in the context that it deserves - as a film, a work of art, not an abstract ideal. And in the film, Jesus is put to death because it has to be. It is a destiny He wishes to avoid if He is allowed, but He never shirks from the task.

But he suffers. Oh does He suffer. Jim Caviezel deserves so much credit for keeping Jesus human under so much torment. There were moments when I wanted it to stop, and Mel Gibson kept going, teling us, "You have to know. Even if you don't believe, you have to know."

And that's what's so great about this film. I really wish that Gibson had shown this film to fans first, instead of religious leaders. Because they don't understand. They can't know the emotion, the skill, the talent and the art that really goes behind making a film like this. There's one scene in the film, as Jesus falls, and his mother Mary (the phenomenal Maia Morganstern, giving a performance of little dialogue and great power) remembers a day when Jesus as a young child fell, and she was there to pick him up, but not this time. This time, she can only watch her son suffer in agonizing pain. It's powerful, so human, and devastating to watch.

Oh... just so you know... the MPAA will come down on this film like a stoning. The fact is that they can't cut anything. You would rob it of its power. If there's anything I urge so much, it's this: the MPAA needs to just rate it R, and please, stay away from the editing room. I hope that this happens, but the film is so controversial now that it may not be possible. In which case, I urge Mel to stay true to his remarkable vision.

After the film, Mel Gibson did a Q & A with the audience about the film, and let us know about some CGI shots and changes he wants to put into the film. There's one change I agree with - makign Jesus's eyes brown instead of blue. But the other changes he suggested... okay. They really aren't necessary. Sure, clean up the print, clean up some of the obvious CGI that you will need... but you literally have a perfect film here. Those additional scenes you talked about really aren't required. I would love to see them though, because if you can improve on this film, I'm all for it.

I realize I'm ranting here. I'm pretty tired - still haven't slept yet, can't, just can't - and really blown away by the power of this film. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST has possibly my favorite closing shot ever. It's a simple shot, and so well done, and it makes the film transcendent. As Mel Gibson himself said, "The film speaks for itself. It is what it is." Many groups of people are bringing something to this film that maybe, they probably shouldn't. This film played to Jews, Christians, agnostics, atheists, and all sorts of people with all sorts of religious backgrounds, and they knew to understand and approach this film on the contextual level it deserves. I think you need to approach THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST as a story, a film, and it shouldn't be second-guessed with religious or political agendas. It stands as a work of art. It's almost certain to be the best film of 2004. It is the first Great Film of the 21st Century.

Nordling, out.

...it will be curious to see how the Academy Award's industry treats it. (Although I have my suspicions...)

I wonder if it will be ruled inelligible for an Oscar. Mel has been screening it around the country (albeit in a rough cut workprint form).

This was shown to a paying audience (call it a charity screening if you wish, I don't know if it was a "non-profit").

The Academy doesn't permit the film to be altered after it's week long LA public screening "qualifying run". If Mel wants this film to be elligible for an Oscar in 2004 he'll need to lock the print and screen it in LA for a week in 2003 (the weeks are dwindling).

If he hopes to release it in 2004 for a 2005 Oscar, he may have blown his chance.

Some are saying that it will get an R rating but Mr. Gibson could always opt to release it unrated (does this film really need the MPAA?).

After all Kill Bill Vol. 1 got an R rating (with the only alteration being the screening of the final bloodbath battle in black and white rather than color as it was shown in Japan).

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