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Hollywood's summer dogs© St. Petersburg Times, published August 11, 2000 The dog days of summer movies are here, when Hollywood dumps new films into multiplexes like so much picnic litter. Don't expect much cinematic excitement in August, when vacations are ending and people have more important things to do than watch movies. Studios won't waste sure-fire products on such a soft marketplace, especially with so many high-profile releases still hogging the box office. Two unpreviewed releases opening today don't figure to make much money in such a sluggish climate. The Replacements (PG-13) is a wacky football comedy based on the 1987 NFL players' strike, when team owners hired anyone who could lace up shoulder pads so the season could continue. A review of this film appears on today's Entertainment page, 2B. Keanu Reeves makes another improbable acting choice, playing a failed college quarterback jumping at the chance to play pro ball. Oscar winner Gene Hackman earns a fast paycheck as the Tom Landry-style head coach dealing with these misfits. Expect goons tackling cheerleaders, snapping towels in the locker room and a home video release before the real NFL playoffs.
Gere plays a womanizing rich guy who doesn't realize how much he needs to be loved until he meets the perfect woman, played by Ryder. Two problems: The obvious age difference creates tension, and she's dying of what appears to be Ali MacGraw disease, since Ryder looks gorgeous while she's slipping away. For once, a studio's decision not to screen a movie in advance for critics is deeply appreciated. LEAVENGOOD FORTUNE -- St. Petersburg filmmaker Diana Leavengood recently learned that her short film, Three Point Turn, has been accepted into competition at the Brooklyn Film Festival. Leavengood and her film were profiled in this column after their appearances at festivals in Sarasota; Flagstaff, Ariz.; and the University of California at Davis. Leavengood planned to enter as many festivals as possible, but the registration fees caused her to cut back on that strategy. "It seems like everyone and their brother has a film festival these days," she said. "We would get about five applications per day. I used to send $25 to $50 to all of them. We can't do that anymore. But, I've been looking for a New York venue to show the film." Three Point Turn is the story of a divorced father spending his custody day with his daughters at a backwoods Florida tavern. The young sisters impatiently wait outside the pub while Dad drinks with his new girlfriend. The girls make a simple, yet personally momentous decision, setting a course for future dealings with their father. The Brooklyn Film Festival will be held Sept. 7-10. AUSTIN, ANYONE? -- Entries are being accepted until Sept. 1 for the seventh annual Austin Film Festival, where feature-length projects, short subjects and student works compete for a little money and a measure of exposure. First prize is $750 in the feature category and $500 for the others, plus reimbursement of the winner's airline ticket to Texas and hotel fees, up to $1,000: small change by Hollywood standards. A showcase screening on Winners' Night, when distributors are seeking new talent, may have more value in the long run. Films that graduated from past Austin festivals include the documentary Hands on a Hard Body, Lewis & Clark & George and a creepy satire of celebrity, The Last Big Thing. A registration fee of $50 is required. A complete list of entry rules can be found at the festival Web site, http://www.austinfilmfestival.com, or can be requested by calling (800) 310-3378. The Austin Film Festival is scheduled for Oct. 12-19. Four of those days (Oct. 12-15) are set aside for the Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference, a scholarly tribute to the art of the script. Panel discussions and seminars include appearances by noted screenwriters Shane Black (Lethal Weapon I and II) and Scott Rosenberg (High Fidelity), plus filmmakers Paul Mazursky and Fred "the Hammer" Williamson. Conference registration fees are $370 before Sept. 22 and $410 after that. An all-access pass for the festival and conference costs $695. Call (800) 310-3378 for information.
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