Friday, February 2 — Thursday, February 8, 2001

Due to popular demand

PANIC
will show all week long with MEGACITIES

Megacities

A revelatory new documentary that probes both the micro and macrocosm of human experience, drawing an archetypal sketch of life in the Big City at the dawn of the 21st century. It is at once a cutting commentary on the socially marginalized and poverty stricken and a comprehensive vision of "the world city," the dominant habitat for the majority of the Earth’s population. It is panglobal in its scope, examining the lives of four families in four different megacities (Mexico City, Bombay, New York and Moscow), ultimately constructing one "story" that takes on universal appeal. Megacities covers the spectrum from exotic to well-known territories (much in the manner of Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi and never balks at revealing what constitutes urban life for a staggering number of people: the cruel realities of prostitution, homelessness, crime, and drug addiction. Megacities is a testament to the courage and dignity of those who manage to survive day after day in our sprawling metropolises. Written and directed by Michael Glowogger. Color. 35mm. 90 mins. 1999. In German, with English subtitles. U.S. THEATRICAL PREMIERE. Nightly at 6:00 and 9:45 only; Sat, Sun, Wed matinees at 2:00 only.

Panic
A Film by Henry Bromell

Midlife crises are a normal event for many forty-plus American males, and Alex (Bill Macy) seems no different from the average. He is going through a very difficult time. He has a marriage that’s been through the normal ups and downs but is now struggling, a young son who he’s devoted to but worried about, and a particularly stressful job: he works for his father in the family business…and kills people for a living. More than the specific tensions that this particular occupation brings with it, Alex is tired of hiding what he does from his wife and child and wants to leave the profession. Feeling tormented, he seeks the services of a good therapist to unload his burdens but finds unexpected solace in the waiting room, where he meets Sarah (Neve Campbell). She’s manic, confused, and at loose ends; he’s repressed and trapped in career and domestic turmoil, but somehow this odd couple manages to connect, and each one makes the other feel like life’s worth living. With the potential for an affair looming on the horizon but an increasingly problematic professional life, Alex is caught in a difficult family bind whose resolutions will not be easy. Also starring Donald Sutherland, John Ritter, Tracey Ullman. Written and directed by Henry Bromell.

In Color. 35mm. 88 mins. 1999. Nightly at 6:00 and 9:45 only; Sat, Sun, Wed matinees at 4:00 only.

Panic opens in theaters nationwide. Click here to find out where.

• "Excellent!" -- J. Hoberman, Village Voice
• "A sneaky and smart film noir." -- Elvis Mitchell, New York Times
• "Funny, frightening and provocative. The best movie you may never see this year is called PANIC.-- Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
• "A sharp-edged and wicked comedy. It's for you and me, and you and other moviegoers who like films that don't fit into safe and predictable focus group mentalities. We deserve to see PANIC on the big screen !"
  -- Roger Ebert, Roger Ebert at the Movies
• "Heart breakingly brilliant! " -- Michael Sragow, Salon.com
• "4 STARS! PANIC is so good I almost couldn't believe it. "It's one of the best movies I've seen this year. I love this movie!"
  -- Jeff Anderson, S.F.Examiner
• "Panic is a tightly wound, sharply written, superbly acted film. It's that rare article: a smart, taut, witty movie that deserves to be seen!"
  -- Sura Wood, SF Weekly
• "Inspired, sublime fun. Bromell writes and directs so well that your cynicism doesn't stand a chance. Hold on tight, it's going to be a great ride"
  -- Desson Howe, Washinton Post
• "3 1/2 STARS! Juicily evil ! Sutherland gives a career-capping performance. With this film and the much larger "Traffic", 2001 has gotten off to a really promising start. " - Joe Baltake, Sacrameto Bee
• "A sly tale of lust, murder and one spectacular mid-life crisis that edges into dark comedy. ..a bright, energetic first feature full of wit and surprises… William H. Macy heads a cast in which every player is really is at the top of his or her game…."Panic" could be a sleeper hit and even with the wrong marketing, the film appears destined to become a cult favorite. It looks like Bromell will have to take more time off from television to write and direct movies…. Macy, gives yet another clearly articulated, delicately nuanced study in urban neurosis. Campbell brings tremendous sexual energy to this young woman."
  -- Kirk Honeycutt Hollywood Reporter.
  
• "PANIC isn't for everyone. But if you're willing to take a risk on something that bears no resemblance to the typical Hollywood product, this may be the movie for you. "-- Bay Area Reporter
• "Deeply subversive. Anyone interested in serious film should absolutely note miss it." -- Megan Rosenfeld, Washington Post
• "A gently subversive outing full of nicely limned characters …the film's charm evolves from its measured, unhurried rhythms, and originality from the tone: quirky yet convincing, irreverent yet moral. Production design is sleek and clean, in contrast to the sordid subtext"-- Lisa Nesselson Variety
• "Darkly funny, "Panic" takes a sinister turn at its climax that's both startling and inevitable, giving its plot a certain weight where it could have relied on novelty." - Boxoffice Magazine.
• "PANIC" is far superior to AMERICAN BEAUTY in its study of a midlife crisis. The acting is superior throughout!" - Richard von Busack, The Metro
• "Brilliantly observant, darkly humorous and immaculately acted! Writer-director Henry Bromell creates an utterly original spectacle. -- Rob Blackwelder, Spliced Online
• "PANIC hits its mark with dark haunting accuracy!. -- Elais Savada, NitrateOnline

February 9-15 2001

Tigerland

Exclusive Bay Area Premiere of a brilliant new film from
Joel Schumacher

1971. The war in Vietnam has escalated, and thousands of American soldiers have died. For the men at Fort Polk, Louisiana, who are preparing to embark on their final stage of military training, it's hard to muster much patriotism. Private Jim Paxton (Matthew Davis) romanticizes his experience, keeping a journal that he hopes will one day inspire a Hemingway-esque novel. But his and his fellow infantrymen's servitude dissolves when upstart Roland Bozz (Colin Farrell) joins their platoon. Bozz is a cool, charming rebel who stands up to his superiors, unafraid of the brutal consequences. He wants out of the Army-but more importantly, in a hermetically sealed world that's conditioning very young men to become killing machines, he wants to feel alive. And Bozz's spirit brings these young privates closer together as they prepare to enter "Tigerland," a mock-jungle battlefield that threatens to rip them apart. Deep in the backwoods of Louisiana, with little hope of escaping Vietnam, Bozz rushes towards an action that no one-not even he-could have anticipated. Director Joel Schumacher, best known for Hollywood blockbusters like Batman & Robin, Batman Returns, The Client, Falling Down, St. Elmo's Fire has bravely shot this film on 16mm (blown up to 35mm) with hand held cameras, opting to cast an ensemble of unknowns, and abandoning any artifice of lighting or special effects. The result is a harrowing, deeply personal portrait of young men under unimaginable pressure. 100 mins. 2000. Nightly at 7:00 & 9:30; Sat / Sun / Wed matinees at 2:00 & 4:30

"With this taut, spare drama, which is consistently fresh, engrossing and unpredictable, Schumacher has traveled all the way from "Batman" movies to a picture consciously made in the rigorous spirit and style of Lars von Trier's anti-glitz Dogma credo--it has that kind of grit and spontaneity. Few big-time Hollywood directors have attempted such a major shifting of gears and done it so successfully." - Kevin Thomas, L.A.Times
"Colin Farrel is sensational...charismatic; he's a natural movie star!" -- Edward Guthmann, S.F.Chronicle
Offical Site
Variety

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Friday, February 16 - Thursday, February 22, 2001

TIGERLAND
will show all week long with SPRING FORWARD

Spring Forward
A thespianic tour de force starring Ned Beatty and Liev Schreiber

"SPRING FORWARD presents an unusual and welcome spectacle: two very fine actors, Ned Beatty and Liev Schreiber, engaged in an intense contest to see who can give the more understated performance. This may sound less than thrilling and it's true that the movie's slow, easy hush sometimes tends toward somnolence but there is real satisfaction in watching such exact and unpretentious applications of craft. Tom Gilroy, a playwright directing his first film, wisely gives Mr. Schreiber and Mr. Beatty the time and space they need to explore the almost imperceptible nuances of friendship between ordinary, troubled and decent men of a kind whose lives too rarely make it to the screen. The film's story, which involves nothing more or less than the development of that friendship, is told through a series of long, talky scenes that take place at intervals over a year. The setting is a small city in Connecticut, and the men, Paul (Mr. Schreiber) and Murph (Mr. Beatty), work for the parks department. The changing colors and contours of the outdoor spaces where they work only one relatively brief scene is indoors give the film sufficient visual beauty and variety to prevent it from becoming too stagey. But what is most beautiful is the dynamic between Paul, an ex-convict desperate to put his life back together, and Murph, who is engaged in a quieter struggle to maintain his stoical good cheer in the face of family tragedy and encroaching old age". - New York Times. Nightly at 8:00 only. Additional Sat, Sun and Wed matinees at 3:45 only (bargin show). 112 min. 2000. Official Site

Savor it!-- S.F. Chroncile

"A little gem. A buried treasure!" -- Dallas Morning News
"Like cool water and a fresh wind, a film so pure-hearted that your cynicism fall before it." -- Roger Ebert
"Understated, delicate...emotionally precise. Superb performances from Ned Beatty and Liev Schreiber!" -- Filmmaker Magazine

Tigerland

Exclusive Bay Area Premiere of a brilliant new film from
Joel Schumacher

1971. The war in Vietnam has escalated, and thousands of American soldiers have died. For the men at Fort Polk, Louisiana, who are preparing to embark on their final stage of military training, it's hard to muster much patriotism. Private Jim Paxton (Matthew Davis) romanticizes his experience, keeping a journal that he hopes will one day inspire a Hemingway-esque novel. But his and his fellow infantrymen's servitude dissolves when upstart Roland Bozz (Colin Farrell) joins their platoon. Bozz is a cool, charming rebel who stands up to his superiors, unafraid of the brutal consequences. He wants out of the Army-but more importantly, in a hermetically sealed world that's conditioning very young men to become killing machines, he wants to feel alive. And Bozz's spirit brings these young privates closer together as they prepare to enter "Tigerland," a mock-jungle battlefield that threatens to rip them apart. Deep in the backwoods of Louisiana, with little hope of escaping Vietnam, Bozz rushes towards an action that no one-not even he-could have anticipated. Director Joel Schumacher, best known for Hollywood blockbusters like Batman & Robin, Batman Returns, The Client, Falling Down, St. Elmo's Fire has bravely shot this film on 16mm (blown up to 35mm) with hand held cameras, opting to cast an ensemble of unknowns, and abandoning any artifice of lighting or special effects. The result is a harrowing, deeply personal portrait of young men under unimaginable pressure. 100 mins. 2000. Nightly at 6:00 and 10:10; Sat / Sun / Wed matinees at 2:00 only (bargin show!)

"With this taut, spare drama, which is consistently fresh, engrossing and unpredictable, Schumacher has traveled all the way from "Batman" movies to a picture consciously made in the rigorous spirit and style of Lars von Trier's anti-glitz Dogma credo--it has that kind of grit and spontaneity. Few big-time Hollywood directors have attempted such a major shifting of gears and done it so successfully." - Kevin Thomas, L.A.Times
"Colin Farrel is sensational...charismatic; he's a natural movie star!" -- Edward Guthmann, S.F.Chronicle
Offical Site
Variety

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Friday, Feb. 23 - Thursday, March 1

A New Film From Wim Wenders

The Roxie Cinema is pleased to present the San Francisco premiere of Wim Wender's THE MILLION DOLLAR HOTEL, winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. VARIETY called THE MILLION DOLLAR HOTEL "a compendium of the director's lifetime themes and obsessions-the wallowing in American trash culture, a fascination with what's cool on the music scene, elements of faux noir in the HAMMETT tradition and a story in which lost souls seek redemption." Starring Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, Mel Gibson, Jimmy Smits, Peter Stormare, Amanda Plummer, Gloria Stewart, Tom Bowar, Donal Logue, Bud Cort, Julian Sands, Harris Yuli, Richard Edson and Tim Roth, THE MILLION DOLLAR HOTEL was produced by Wender's Road Movies and Gibson's Icon Productions. Music: John Hassel, Bono, Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno. Cinematography: Phedon Papamichael. Directed by Wim Wenders. Screenplay, Nicholas Klein, based on an idea by Bono, Nicolas Klein. Running time: 122 minutes. Nightly at 7:00, 9:20. Additional Wed, Sat, Sun matinees at 2:00, 4:30. Official Site German Site

"With a large, star-studded ensemble cast this dreamy reverie of a film, with its rapturously beautiful images shot by Phedeon Papamichael and its shimmering, seductive music composed by Jon Hassell, Bono, Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, recalls Wenders' "Wings of Desire" and its sequel "Far Away, So Close," but it is more demanding.. If you're a Wenders admirer and can give yourself over to his gorgeous verging-on-surreal vision, you can come away deeply moved. "
-- L.A. Times

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