From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #928 Reply-To: aml-list Sender: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk aml-list-digest Thursday, December 19 2002 Volume 01 : Number 928 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 10:07:50 -0700 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: RE: [AML] _West Wing_ > >I find "The West Wing" unwatchable. Mainly because it is >pretty much pure wish-fulfillment of/by a group of people I >disagree with in pretty strenuous ways. I particularly hate >it when they get "topical" because it smacks so much of "see >how much better it would be if..." and becomes entirely unfair >when you consider that they operate with a script (where they >control all the actors, actions, and reactions) and a couple >months hindsight. > >Which is probably a good thing to keep in mind if we're so >bent on producing LDS art, frankly. How much of our art is >pure wish-fulfillment and thus unwatchable by those who don't >have the same wishes (or even some of who do)? West Wing is still in the Ratings and winning awards up the wazoo so it must be watchable by enough people to keep it on the air. But a show that, to me, speaks more for the niche where Mormon art should fit is the old Hill Street Blues series. Its Neilsen ratings were never that high (as I recall) but it was one of the first shows to be successful in fitting into a certain very loyal niche. I suppose having a Mormon block buster may eventually happen but I think we stand more of a chance in writing to niche markets, small markets that tend to be very loyal. SF, Romance, the genres. I'm thinking >of a lot of 80s seminary films I had to sit through and a >bunch of articles even today in the Ensign. Some of the >"faith-promoting" stories we tell ourselves are of this >type--wish fulfillment and an attempt to show how much better >things might be if... In my experience, closer examination >proves their foundations to be, well, shaky. So they end up >both off-putting and untrue (even if they actually happened) >by the time they're given conscientious examination. Wish fullfillment tv or movies don't bother me. If West Wing were about a bunch of conservative Republicans and were equally as well written, I would still watch it. Thom Duncan - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 10:36:19 -0700 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: RE: [AML] R-Rated Movies Imagine, if you will, an R-rated movie in which there is no nudity or even = the tiniest suggestion of sexual activity. In addition, there only is a = small amount of harsh language, but no use of the F word, and no more than = four or five milder profanities or vulgarities. There are no scenes in = this movie in which violence is depicted. Although violence is suggested, = you never actually see it occur; the entire focus is on the aftermath and = therefore the consequences of violence. So, it's rated R, but it has no = sex, no nudity, hardly any bad language and no on-screen violence. It's = also a movie of extraordinary craftsmanship and skill, superbly filmed, = written and acted. And yet it's rated R, and properly so. The movie to which I refer is The Ring. Now, The Ring is a horror flick, and as such, may not be everyone's cup of = Stephens' Mint Truffle. I love scary movies, and I thought this one was = highly entertaining, and superior artistically to almost anything I've = seen lately. But if you are the sort of person that loathes scary movies, = you won't like this one, and won't consider it entertaining or artistic. = That's perfectly all right. But the point I'm trying to make is this; here's a movie in which the = filmmakers used the R rated responsibly. I have a nine year old daughter, = and it is absolutely not a movie she should see. It would terrify her. = (Heck, it terrified me!) I think it would be tantamount to child abuse to = allow a nine year old to see this film. And, knowing this, I appreciate = the fact that the filmmakers also didn't corrupt their film by adding = gratuitous foul language to it, so that it would be sure get an R. = (That's one of my main objections to the rating system, BTW, that it = encourages filmmakers to do precisely that.). No, these filmmakers sought = an R rating because it's not an appropriate movie for children. It is a = virtuous, lovely, of good report and praiseworthy movie for some people, = specifically, adults who like scary movies. (Quick aside: ratings are = primarily a marketing tool. The MPAA generally either gives a film the = rating the filmmaker wants, or requires changes so that they can approve = that rating. The MPAA role, in other words, is not Objective Raters of = Films, though I think that's how they're often thought of). The reason I loathe the rating system, I've come to realize, is mostly = because of the way it functions in Mormon culture. For many Mormons, it = works like this: R equals Evil, PG-13 equals Questionable, PG equals Maybe = Okay, and G equals Wholesome which in turn equals Good. This is utter = nonsense, and it worries me; I think it can lead to or reflect habits of = mind that lead us away from, not towards, salvation. It might encourage = us to view art not as it is, but from a skewed and warped Pharisaic prism. = And so I detest the rating system. But The Ring shows me that there is a small way in which the rating system = might function properly, a small contribution it might make. It might = suggest to us that certain films, regardless of merit, aren't good for = little kids. I'm a parent, and I want to know that. Of course, I'm not = insane enough to take a child to see The Ring; I don't need a rating to = tell me that it's not something a child should see. The marketing told me = that. But I'm a film buff. If THAT were the way the rating system = functioned, with an R rating telling us that this film may be a good film, = a valuable film, but one you shouldn't take your kids to, then it may have = some small value in the world. And I think that's how it was intended. = If we could, in other words, eradicate the moral implications of the = rating system from our minds and from our culture, then the rating system = could have some usefulness. As it is now, I think it has no value. Eric Samuelsen - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 10:23:36 -0800 (PST) From: r talley Subject: Re: [AML] R-Rated Movies I very specifically remember sitting in Sacrament Meeting in 1977 when a letter from President Kimball was read over the pulpit to the congregation counseling us to not view R-Rated movies. It has since been reiterated by various leaders, including Prophets. We've been taught in the scriptures that the prophets are mouthpieces for the Lord. I think, when it comes to R-Rated movies, or anything else for that matter, it's a simple matter of obedience to the counsels of the Lord. We're all at different points of spirituality and something that may not offend one may be quite offensive to another. True, a movie rating may not be fair to a movie, but is that what matters, or is it whether or not we're willing to be obedient? My family has not and does not view R-Rated movies. I don't care what the justification is, we don't view them. We rarely view any movies because they are of such poor quality. I personally don't believe we can pick and choose what counsel we're willing to obey. As far as "art" contained in these kinds of movies, I just don't buy it. Of course, this is only my opinion, but it's one I can live with. Rebecca Talley __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 12:12:16 -0700 From: Christopher Bigelow Subject: RE: [AML] R-Rated Movies One of the first things I always point out when we do R-rated movies--and thank you, Jonathan, for holding the line on that for a year or two--is that on my mission to Australia, I watched several movies that were rated something called "M" (for mature, I believe) and avoided any movies rated "R." (No, I shouldn't have been watching movies at all, except for a handful of approved times, but at least I tried to save some spiritual face by avoiding R, like the true Saturday's Warrior I am.) After I returned home, I realized that several movies rated M in Australia were rated R in America. It turns out that Australia's M rating covered much of America's R territory, and Australia's R extended into some things that might have made it to NC17 in America. Like the sun and the flies and the levels of toxicity in snakes, spiders, and other creatures, the R rating in Australia is much more potent than in America. My point is, this is a worldwide church, so the Brethren can't really use the American R-rating as a prophetic benchmark. You will notice that the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlets do not even specifically mention the R rating. I certainly don't argue that we should give ourselves carte blanche on R-rated movies, but I have seen many deep, moving, important movies that are rated R. I bet nearly all the movies I've enjoyed the most and have made the biggest impact on me for both good and evil have been rated R. Chris Bigelow - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 12:16:47 -0700 From: "Susie Oslund" Subject: RE: [AML] Joyful Noise at Center Street Theatre I also saw "A Joyful Noise" at the Center Street Theatre. I thought the play was excellent. I appreciated the great casting--the actors were wonderful. I also enjoyed the use of the red objects at the end of the play, uniting every character in their respective need for Christ's atonement. Well done! Susie Oslund _________________________________________________________________ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 15:43:03 -0700 From: Christopher Bigelow Subject: RE: [AML] R-Rated Movies Here's an uncannily apropos item from today's Deseret News: BYU bars use of R-rated movies By Jeffrey P. Haney Deseret News staff writer PROVO - Brigham Young University has raised the red flag on the use of real-to-life Hollywood flicks to illustrate historical events. Professors at BYU this semester started following a policy that discourages showing R-rated movies in classes at the school owned by the LDS Church, whose members are counseled by top church leaders to avoid films with excessive gore, violence, profanity or nudity. The guideline - created to set boundaries for visual and literary materials used in class - says faculty should not "require students to view unedited R-rated movies, as a matter not simply of content but of obedience to prophetic counsel." The two-page statement urges professors to pick films, books, poems, paintings, music and sculptures that are "appropriate to BYU's mission and teach them in ways that invite the spirit of God into the classroom." "It is important to help students not only to understand the world but to stand firm against its evils - prepared to respond to its challenges with love, testimony, wisdom, eloquence and inspired artistry of their own," the policy says. BYU spokeswoman Carri P. Jenkins said, to her knowledge, faculty won't be disciplined if they don't adhere to the guidelines. The selection of visual and literary materials "will depend on the wisdom of the faculty," said Jenkins. But BYU's guideline tells departments to "counsel" with professors who "repeatedly choose inappropriate materials or who present materials in inappropriate ways." Students who object to material being used in class on moral grounds can ask to be given another assignment. If the professor declines, the student can take up the matter with the chairman of the academic department and college dean. "With this, there's a lot of invitation for discussion," said John S. Tanner, chairman of BYU's English department. Tanner, who helped cobble the guideline together using input from faculty meetings and previous policies used in the College of Humanities, said he hasn't received any feedback - for or against - on the guidelines. BYU bosses say the guideline will be reviewed in two years. Questions about classroom use of films that had been edited for content swirled after BYU's Varsity Theater stopped showing edited versions of R-rated movies in 1998. BYU's decision not to book edited and airline versions of R-rated movies came after an American Fork movie theater came under legal fire for snipping scenes from "Titanic." Controversy also enveloped nudity-sensitive BYU in 1997 when officials opted not to show four nude statues in an exhibit of works by French sculptor Francois-Auguste-Rene Rodin. Forwarded by Chris Bigelow - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 17:35:31 -0800 (PST) From: r talley Subject: [AML] Re: R-Rated Movies I think these quotes are quite clear on the subject of R-Rated movies and such. Bishop H Burke Peterson: Again I say, leave it alone. Turn it off, walk away from it, burn it, erase it, destroy it. I know it is hard counsel we give when we say R-rated movies, and many with PG-13 ratings, are produced by satanic influences. Our standards should not be dictated by the rating system. I repeat, because of what they really represent, these types of movies, music, tapes, and other products serve the purposes of the author of all darkness. President Ezra Taft Benson: We counsel you, young men, not to pollute your minds with such degrading matter, for the mind through which this filth passes is never the same afterwards. Don't see R-rated movies or vulgar videos or participate in any entertainment that is immoral, suggestive, or pornographic. Don't listen to music that is degrading. Elder Robert L Simpson: Why not make some effort to find out something about the next movie that will engage your family's undivided attention for two and a half or three hours and will probably cost you far more than you contributed to the poor and the needy that month. It goes without saying that all X- and R-rated movies are automatically eliminated. Elder Joe J Christensen: It is very unreasonable to suppose that exposure to profanity, nudity, sex, and violence has no negative effects on us. We can't roll around in the mud without getting dirty. It is a concern that some of our young Latter-day Saints, as well as their parents, regularly watch R-rated and other inappropriate movies and videos. Elder John H Groberg: Oh, brethren, please don't sell your precious priesthood birthright for a mess of X- or R-rated pottage. Remember, the sand castles we build on the beaches of mortality, no matter how elaborate, will eventually be washed away by the tide. Only purity of hand, heart, and mind will allow us to tap into the ultimate power of the priesthood to truly bless others and eventually be able to build eternal mansions more beautiful and lasting than we can presently imagine. I don't think we, as adults, are any more capable of erasing impure images from our minds than the young men to which President Benson addressed his remarks. Our minds, just as theirs, will never be the same. If we've been counseled to "run" from such material, why don't we? Why roll around in the mud? Why pay money and encourage filmmakers to produce such films? Why not lift the bar and demand movies that rise above what is usually available? Why not produce profound, thought-provoking movies that don't wallow in the filth, but rather inspire us? Maybe I'm too idealistic, and maybe my views are too far removed from this list, but I just can't feel good about watching or reading something that I have to sift through junk to find something of value. Rebecca Talley __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 21:38:18 EST From: gkeystone@aol.com Subject: Re: [AML] R-Rated Movies My wife and I like Eric Samuelsen's comments on R-rated movies. We're wondering where you get the reviews so we can also become better informed before viewing movies? Glen and Kathy Sudbury - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 22:24:14 -0800 From: "Travis K. Manning" Subject: [AML] Re: [AML-Mag] Deseret Book Ad Campaign Chris Bigelow wrote: > Did customers outside of Utah get Dew's letter, I wonder? Did this whole > thing completely blindside DB, or did they anticipate the media coverage and > backlash? My guess is they were taken unawares; after all, it was RPE who > first broke the story. Dew who? Nothing in Spokane, Washington. Travis Manning - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 22:26:36 -0800 From: "Travis K. Manning" Subject: [AML] Re: [AML-Mag] Onion Skewers Orson Scott Card Chris, Where do you find this stuff! Travis Manning - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 23:31:26 -0700 From: "Jacob Proffitt" Subject: RE: [AML] R-Rated Movies - -----Original Message----- From: Shelley Christensen "I have two problems with the second argument. First, when counsel is given to the youth of the church from the prophet, we adults expect them to follow it. But it is highly unlikely for children to follow a commandment if their parents do not. In this way, President Benson was talking to the adults as well, though indirectly." Um. This is patently not the case as I tried to express in my prior post. I expect my children not to have sex--it is a commandment. Never mind what might be going on when my bedroom door is locked. I am telling them to follow a commandment that I myself am not following. Sure, you can state it in a way that encompasses both situations ("don't have extramarital sex") but youth are notoriously self-centered and leaves them with a situation where they can claim that we don't have to follow the same commandments they do. We can and do expect them to behave differently than we do because we are clearly in different situations. This is an important part of what we are trying to teach them--to learn how to apply the gospel teachings to themselves even when others around them are not following those gospel teachings (for whatever reason whether committing sin or simply having differing strictures). If we can't teach even this basic truth then we've kind of lost the whole concept of line upon line... "Lastly, I think it is very difficult to judge both the ratings of movies and books. The ratings for movies are not concrete. What would have been rated R twenty years ago is now PG-13. How can we continue to rate anything with a constantly changing scale? Books are harder to judge. We do not have a set scale to judge with. Plus we do not have the visual affect to judge off of. But I think we each know what is inappropriate for certain ages, and what will make us personally uncomfortable." Doesn't this contradict what you said as your first point? Some things are inappropriate for certain ages and are perfectly appropriate for others. That is clearly the case and should not be so easily glossed over when trying to discern the will of god given by his prophets. If counsel is clearly given to a specific group then people not in that group can and should be left to interpret if that counsel applies to them or not without being bullied into accepting inapplicable strictures just because someone else determines that they should. Jacob Proffitt - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 01:41:42 EST From: Derek1966@aol.com Subject: Re: [AML] R-Rated Movies In a message dated 12/18/02 11:20:03 PM, talleyrl@yahoo.com writes: << I very specifically remember sitting in Sacrament Meeting in 1977 when a letter from President Kimball was read over the pulpit to the congregation counseling us to not view R-Rated movies. >> What advice was given to members in other countries who have the same movies available, but not the US rating system? John Perry - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 23:42:07 -0700 From: Russell Asplund Subject: Re: [AML] R-Rated Movies On Wednesday, December 18, 2002, at 10:36 AM, Eric R. Samuelsen wrote: > > But The Ring shows me that there is a small way in which the rating > system might function properly, a small contribution it might make. > It might suggest to us that certain films, regardless of merit, aren't > good for little kids. I'm a parent, and I want to know that. Of > course, I'm not insane enough to take a child to see The Ring; I don't > need a rating to tell me that it's not something a child should see. > The marketing told me that. But I'm a film buff. If THAT were the > way the rating system functioned, with an R rating telling us that > this film may be a good film, a valuable film, but one you shouldn't > take your kids to, then it may have some small value in the world. > And I think that's how it was intended. If we could, in other words, > eradicate the moral implications of the rating system from our minds > and from our culture, then the rating system could have some > usefulness. As it is now, I think it has no value. I had to reply to this just because I think it is so dead on. One of my all time favorite movies, Terry Gilliam's Brazil, is rater R and also contains no real R-rated language, violence or nudity. But it is definitely an adult movie. There should be a rating for films that deal with difficult topics, but not offensive content. But there isn't. Does that mean there is no place for any film not directed at children and teens in the Mormon world? It's been a while since I've been back, but the Canadian rating system used to contain an indication of what the movie was rated R for. That was at least helpful. Russell Asplund - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 22:05:51 -0600 From: "kumiko" Subject: [AML] Box Office Report Dec. 14 02 Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross) Weekend of December 14, 2002 Report compiled by: LDSFilm.com [If table below doesn't line up properly, try looking at them with a mono-spaced font, such as Courier - Ed.] Natl Film Title Weekend Gross Rank LDS/Mormon Filmmaker/Actor Total Gross Theaters Days - --- ----------------------------- ----------- ----- ---- 8 The Santa Clause 2 4,051,966 2,207 45 Ken Daurio (screenwriter) 125,424,182 Cinco Paul (screenwriter) 46 Punch-Drunk Love 37,009 47 66 Actors/characters: 17,791,031 David Stevens, Nathan Stevens, Michael D. Stevens, Jim Smooth Stevens (James Smooth) 60 Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 18,635 5 955 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 14,488,957 63 Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure 14,946 9 675 Scott Swofford (producer) 13,727,876 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) Sam Cardon (composer) Stephen L. Johnson (film editor) 73 Ziggy Stardust & Spiders from Mars 6,311 4 159 Mick Ronson (2nd billed actor) 136,805 79 Galapagos 3,835 1 1144 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 13,851,528 80 China: The Panda Adventure 3,821 4 507 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 2,973,233 82 Jack Weyland's Charly 3,550 7 80 Adam Anderegg (director) 555,279 Jack Weyland (book author) Janine Gilbert (screenwriter) Lance Williams (producer) Micah Merrill (producer, film editor) Tip Boxell (co-producer) Bengt Jan Jonsson (cinematographer) Aaron Merrill (composer) Actors: Heather Beers, Jeremy Elliott, Adam Johnson, Jackie Winterrose Fullmer, Diana Dunkley, Gary Neilson, Lisa McCammon, Randy King, Bernie Diamond, etc. Mark Twain's America 3D 497 1 1627 Alan Williams (composer) 2,290,963 OUT OF STEP AT DESERET BOOK - "Out of Step" can now be ordered online from Deseret Book. It IS in stock. "Out of Step" is also available online from Latter-day Harvest (ldharvest.com) Or just pick one up at your local LDS bookstore. If you don't see it, ask for it by name. We are aware that a number of stores quickly sold out of their initial shipments. ALSO AT DESERET BOOK - Also available for order online (and for sale in bookstores): "Spirit of the Sabbath: Music That Uplifts and Inspires", featuring an eclectic collection of music by film composer and LDSFilm.com co-webmaster Thomas C. Baggaley http://deseretbook.com/store/product?product_id=100054113 CHARLY NATIONWIDE RELEASE PLANS (PRESS RELEASE) - Your chance to see the hit independent film "Jack Weyland's Charly" is coming Super Bowl Weekend. The movie that has been leaving audiences laughing and crying will open in select theaters across California, Arizona, and Nevada on January 24th, 2003. This is an expansion release with new cities being added each week through the end of April. Charly will open in the following cities in January: Alaska (Anchorage) Arizona (Phoenix) Idaho (Boise) Nevada (Las Vegas) California: East Bay Fresno Los Angeles Orange Sacramento San Bernardino San Diego San Francisco San Jose Temecula DAYTON PROFILE - George Dayton is briefly profiled in a Deseret News article published last Sunday about single people in Utah. There's a nice photograph of him inside the HaleStorm offices, standing in front of the "Singles Ward" logo. Dayton, the head of theatrical distribution for HaleStorm, previously worked on film productions for his father, legendary producer/director Lyman Dayton. George Dayton is credited as a producer for at least two of Lyman Dayton's movies: "Where the Red Fern Grows (2000) and "The Last Resort" (1997). The newest feature film from HaleStorm, "The R.M." premiers on Utah screens in 6 weeks: on January 31st, 2003. LDSFilm.com correspondent Thomas C. Baggaley will be at the premier and will give you a full report. Speaking of which... You can now pre-order "The R.M." soundtrack at HaleStore (www.halestore.com) - featuring new music from Maren Ord, Sugarland Run, One Cent Stamp, Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband and the new single "Go Back" by Sweethaven. SUDDENLY UNEXPECTED ONLINE UPGRADE - A completely revamped website is online for the upcoming Latter-day Saint-themed feature film "Suddenly Unexpected." There are pictures of all the cast members, crew details, and a ton of photos from the production. http://www.suddenlyunexpected.com/ BOOK OF MORMON MOVIE CASTING UPDATE - Gary Rogers' Book of Mormon movie website (http://www.bookofmormonmovie.com) has updated information about the casting of the film... A round of callbacks was held at the director's house on 11 December 2002, with a small group of actors. Among the actors present were Jacque Gray (lead actress in "God's Army") and Richard Clifford (the actor who played troubled photographer from "Brigham City"). The website still invites actors to send in video auditions for 3 possible remaining parts: Joseph Smith, Moroni, Nephi. An audition will be held in Los Angeles, but ONLY for the part of Nephi (the lead role). The Los Angeles audition will NOT be an open audition. Those interested in auditioning there will need to submit photos and information beforehand. The "Filmmakers" page on the website lists two new people, apparently Hollywood veterens: Allen Lafferty as Production designer/art director, and Scott S. Lafferty as set construction coordinator. There are already some photographs of set models, including one of the ship that Nephi and his family build. HONORED AT SLAMDANCE - Of the 1,800 short film submissions received by Slamdance this year, only 12 were picked to play in the competiton, two of which were student films, and were made by Latter-day Saint film students at BYU. It is the first time they have ever had two student films in the competition. The films are "Peluca" written and directed by Jared Hess, and "The Snell Show" written and directed by Andrew Black, based on the short story by BYU screenwriting professor, Darl Larsen. (Both short films also competed in the LDS film festival earlier this year.) The Slamdance film festival begins on January 18th in Park City. You can read "The Snell Show" online. This is the story which was the basis for the award-winning short film. The story is very short, only 9 paragraphs long. The film is very short too - but longer than 9 paragraphs. Maybe 10. MORE RECOGNITION FOR "THE BELIEVER" - Previous Sundance award-winner "The Believer," an independent feature film which premiered on cable TV and had a limited theatrical run, was included in the American Film Institute's list of the Top 10 Best TV Programs of 2002. "The Believer", starring Latter-day Saint actor Ryan Gosling as an Orthodox Jew who embraces neo-Nazism, was controversial but almost universally acclaimed by movie critics. The movie, written and directed by a Jewish filmmaker, was singled out by the AFI largely because of Gosling's tour de force performance. The paragraph below is from the AFI website: RATIONALE [for being named to the Top 10 list]: THE BELIEVER is proof that television can take the most difficult and disturbing of subject matters and bring them to a national audience with style and grace. Ryan Gosling's performance stands out among the year's most extraordinary acting achievements. The other movies and series named in AFI's Top 10 TV Programs of 2002 list were: Boomtown, Door to Door, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Gathering Storm, Gilmore Girls, The Simpsons, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, The West Wing. TELOS SCORES BIG - Some of Utah's most talented filmmakers have been attracting attention from Hollywood studios. Tyler Measom (director of the 2nd Place LDS Film Festival film "Fall of Man") and Shawn Rapier (co-writer of "Fall of Man") have sold their feature length comedy screenplay "Weekend Wedding" to Friend Entertainment in Los Angeles. It is currently in development. They have been commissioned by April Films, Los Angeles, to pen the comedy script tentatively titled "Untitled High School". WILLIS MOVIE TO BE RELEASED - "The Life of David Gale" is scheduled to be released in hit theaters on February 21st. The movie stars Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet. Latter-day Saint actress Katherine Willis (who served a mission in Portugal) has a small role as an anti-death penalty activist. Willis is remembered for her lead actress role in Rocco DeVilier's directorial debut "Pure Race" (1995). Willis also starred in the TV movies "Moment of Truth: Stalking Back" (1993) and "Little Heroes" (1992). She starred in the independent feature film "The Right Girl," but that movie has not yet been released. She had a small role as a police officer in the s.f. thriller "The Faculty" (1998). "The Life of David Gale" (2002) tells the story of a University of Texas professor (Spacey) who opposes the death penalty and finds himself on death row, falsely accused of murdering another anti-death penalty activist. TOP TEN UTAH CELEBRITIES LIST - Salt Lake Tribune columnist Dan Nailen names "Top 10 Utah Celebrities" list. 8 of the 10 are Latter-day Saints: 10. Karl Malone 9. The Squatters St. Provo Girl 8. Superdell 7. Neleh Dennis 6. Utah's congressmen 5. Ron McBride 4. Mitt Romney 3. Gov. Mike Leavitt 2. Rocky Anderson 1. Main Street The article (Headline: Utah's Most Boring, Overexposed Celebs) ran in the Salt Lake Tribune on 17 December 2002. "SAINTS OF WAR," a new Latter-day Saint-themed feature film by director Ryan Little ("Out of Step") and producer Brian Brough, will be produced in Jan. through the end of Feb. WILD WILD SPORTS ANNOUNCEMENT: Park City Television (PCTV) is producing a new show called Wild Wild Sports. We are looking for any Wild Sports Videos, Extreme Sports, Videos of Crashes or Bloopers, Fun Sports and most any Action Sports Video that is Provessionally Shot and Edited. We will air your video on PCTV and give you recognition. Call 435-649-0045 with questions. * * * PRINCESS AND THE PEA OSCAR NOMINATION POSSIBLE - Mark Swan's Utah-made animated feature "The Princess and the Pea" is among the animated feature films eligible for Best Animated Feature Academy Award this year. The nominees will be announced Feb. 11. Winners will be honored March 23. From an Associated Press article: [QUOTE] Seventeen films are eligible to compete for the 2002 feature animation Oscar, including the part live-action "Stuart Little 2." Among the nominees are four from Disney: "Lilo & Stitch," "Return to Never Land," "Treasure Planet" and "Spirited Away," a 2001 Japanese film released in English this year. "Spirited Away" is eligible despite its 2001 overseas debut because award regulations allow a one-year grace period for international movies, John Pavlik, spokesman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said Wednesday. "Stuart Little 2" can compete despite its real-life elements because more than 75 percent of it features some sort of animation, Pavlik said. The horse adventure "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" was DreamWorks' submission this year. Among the potential nominees were "Ice Age," "Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights," "Hey Arnold! The Movie," "The Powerpuff Girls Movie" and "The Wild Thornberrys Movie." Others on the list were "Alibaba & the Forty Thieves," "Eden," "El bosque animado (The Living Forest)," "Mutant Aliens," "Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie" and "The Princess and the Pea." [END QUOTE] Does Mark Swan's animated feature "Princess and the Pea" (made in Utah by a predominantly LDS cast and crew) have a shot at an Oscar nomination? Good news 1: There are 17 eligible films, so there may well be 5 nominees. Good news 2: The nominees will be chosen by a screening committee who will view all the films and vote by secret ballot to decide which films get nominated. This is very important, because hardly anybody on the planet has actually seen "The Princess and the Pea," as it has only screened at a few film festivals, and has not yet been released theatrically (exceptit has played in theaters in Los Angeles, which is a requirement for any Oscar nomination). Good news 3: "The Princess and the Pea" is a beautiful-looking, classically-animated film. Question: Will the committee consider it one of the year's 5 best? Of the 17 films, 5 seem to me to have no chance of receiving a nomination: Eight Crazy Nights, Hey Arnold! The Movie, The Powerpuff Girls Movie, Return to Never Land, and The Wild Thornberrys Movie. "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" and Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" will certainly be nominated. (In fact, the whole "nomination" process is almost superfluous. Just give give the awrd to "Spirited Away." It deserves the Oscar. It will receive the Oscar. Not only is it the best animated film of the year, it is one of the best films of the year, and it caps a stunning career for one of history's all-time greatest animators.) "Lilo & Stitch" and "Treasure Planet," both from Disney, are also among the year's best animated films, although neither on par with Disney's greatest classics. If "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron," "Spirited Away", "Lilo & Stitch" and "Treasure Planet" are ALL nominated, that would leave only one slot left, if the committee chooses to go with the maximum possible 5 nominees. "Stuart Little 2" is a fine movie, but will purists decline to vote for it? It is really a live-action film with photoreal CGI animation, rather than an animated film in the classic sense, or even a completely CGI-animated film such as "Shrek" and "Monsters, Inc." (Utah's Senator Orrin Hatch wrote one of the songs on the movie's soundtrack CD.) I'd call "The Princess and the Pea" a dark horse, but an Oscar nomination for it seems no more or less likely than a nomination for "Ice Age," "Stuart Little 2" and "Jonah: A VeggieTale Movie." THOMAS'S GUESS - Without having seen "The Princess and the Pea" or "Ice Age" or "Jonah: A VeggieTale Movie" - although I am familiar with the VeggieTales videos and yes, I've seen "Stuart Little 2"... Judging just by my observation of the goings on at the academy, my guess is that if any fifth film is nominated, it will be "Ice Age". Just a guess. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 00:09:55 -0700 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: RE: [AML] Joyful Noise at Center Street Theatre And you didn't come back and say Hi to me or Scott Bronson. Standing Rule: Anyone on this list who attends a play at the Center Street Theatre MUST hang around long enough to at least say hi to me and the Red-Bearded One. Especially for those of you whom we don't already know. Thom Duncan >-----Original Message----- > > >I also saw "A Joyful Noise" at the Center Street Theatre. I >thought the >play was excellent. I appreciated the great casting--the actors were >wonderful. I also enjoyed the use of the red objects at the >end of the >play, uniting every character in their respective need for Christ's >atonement. Well done! > >Susie Oslund - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #928 ******************************