From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #856 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, October 10 2002 Volume 01 : Number 856 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 23:30:13 -0700 From: "Kim Madsen" Subject: RE: [AML] Mormon Publishing Options Barbara Hume wrote: >>I'm not particularly fond of ambiguous endings, but I don't scorn a work of fiction just because it contains some tough stuff." This comment struck a chord with me. One of the most moving books I've ever read is _What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day_ by Pearl Cleage (Avon Books; ISBN: 038079487X). It's the story of a woman with AIDS, an African-American woman who moves in with her sister. The book is full of tough stuff--things that inner-city, stuck in a cycle of poverty people deal with. It has rough language..the stuff one would hear coming from the mouths of young, angry African-Americans. It was hard, gritty, real...and the most redemptive book I've ever read. In the final chapter, I paced around my house literally sobbing aloud for the innocents caught in a web of drugs, hate, poverty, exploitation; and then again crying for the power of love and the healing that the human spirit seeks and can find. It made me so anxious I couldn't sit still. I've recommended it over and over again to my friends, who are literate, intelligent readers. The most overwhelming response I've gotten is "I couldn't read it. The language was too offensive." I've often wondered if I'm the defective one--the one with a lower moral standard or something. I've learned to be very cautious of whom I share that particular book with. I think the power in the redemptive ending was due to the blackness/evil/tough stuff the characters have to pass through. Maybe LDS "hopeful" endings don't work because we aren't willing to create the real pain on the page to make it work. Kim Madsen - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 08 Oct 2002 23:20:38 -0700 From: JLTyner Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Publishing Options (was: Mormon Culture) Great points Scott. Ain't no one gonna know 'less we toot our own horn. That being said, I do seem to remember Richard discussing some of the marketing at the 2001 AML conference. He said he left the marketing of BC up to some supposed pros he hired for that and they blew it. He remarked that he actually likes the marketing end of it, and he would never leave it to someone else again. That's my recollection of it anyway. Richard, please feel free to correct me or comment on the list about this. I've seen copies of Brigham City at my local Suncoast Video which only sells, not rents. It's in that ghastly cover with the evil eyes looking out at you. On the one hand, it might catch people's attention and get them to pick it up and decide to have a looksee, on the other I wondered if it would attract people who'd think they're getting the latest version of "Hacking Up Teenage Virgins Part II" or "Slasher Babes On Broadway". Guess it comes back to the marketing. Kathy Tyner Orange County, CA - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 07:24:34 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] Lost Mormon Literary Classics Scott Parkin wrote: I'm trying to compile a list of classic LDS lit that may be out of print or generally unavailable. Okay, First of all, the entire Aspen library is probably available, there are a few good ones there. Signature and Deseret have let several good titles go out of print, who knows how willing they would be to let them be reprinted. Gideon did manage to reprint a couple of Deseret/Bookcraft books with his Tabernacle books. If you go to the Signature web site, they have a convient list of all their out-of-print books. Eugene England, Margaret Blair Young, and Samuel Taylor would be on the top of my list. Eugene England: Signature still has Making Peace (1996) in print, but not: Dialogues with Myself, 1984. His first collection of personal essays, fantastic. and amazingly Bright Angels and Familiars, 1992. The definitive Mormon short-story anthology. I think Gideon already reprinted: Why the Church is as True as the Gospel. Bookcraft, 1986 But his other Bookcraft collection of essays is out of print: The Quality of Mercy, 1992. Two other out-of-print Bookcraft/Deseret books by England: Converted to Christ through the Book of Mormon. Deseret, 1989. Brother Brigham. Bookcraft, ?. Margaret Blair Young House Without Walls. Deseret, 1991. Salvador. Aspen, 1992. Two of the best Mormon novels ever, and hardly anyone has ever read them. Samuel W. Taylor. Heaven Knows Why. Wyn, 1948. Reprinted by Aspen in 1994. Truely a classic, funny, funny stuff. Talyor Made Tales. Aspen, 1994. A collection of stories and autobiography put together by Aspen, I did not think it was too great. Then there are his "histories". Good reading, but a strange collection of history and conjecture (he makes up conversations, etc). Nightfall at Nauvoo, 1971. Family Kingdom, 1951. About his father, John W. Taylor. The Kingdom or Nothing. MacMillan, 1976. A biography of John Taylor, often seen as his best book. Like you said, Gideon has already republished Thayer's Under the Cottenwoods and Marshall's The Rummage Sale. Other things by those two include: Donald Marshall. Frost in the Orchard. BYU Press, 1977. Another collection of stories, almost as good as The Rummage Sale. Zinnie Stokes, Zinnie Stokes. Desert, 1984. A novel. I have it, but have not read it yet. Douglas Thayer. Summer Fire. Orion, 1983. Novel, 1983 AML fiction award. The protagonist is a bit priggish, but it is a good coming-of-age novel. Eugene England mentioned several times in essays that Thayer has a completed book or two that England thought were great, but he hadn't found a place to publish them. Maybe you could, Scott. (Although England was Thayer's best friend, and may have been exagerating. I never did see what he thought was so great about Red-Tailed Hawk, a Thayer story he praised to the skies.) Other Signature things: Greening Wheat: Fifteen Mormon Short Stories. ed. by Levi Peterson, 1983. 1983 AML special prize. Good collection. Fillerup, Michael, Visions and Other Stories. 1990. I liked it a lot. Petsco, Bela. Nothing Very Important and Other Stories. 1979. Fantastic missionary stories. Other things: Anderson, Paris. Waiting for the Flash. Scottin, 1988. Good novel. Christmas for the World. ed. by Curtis Taylor and Stan Zenk, Aspen, 1991. Stories and some poems about Christmas. The quality is uneven, but there are lots of great stories in here. I thought about the Hatrack River novels, but I checked Amazon.com, and the best of them, Kathryn Kidd's novels, are not listed as out-of-print. Sounds fun, in unprofitable, Scott. I hope you do it. Andrew Hall Fukuoka, Japan _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 05:52:01 -0600 From: "Alan Rex Mitchell" Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Publishing Options (was: Mormon Culture) Personally, I would LOVE to see a Dutcher directed SINGLES WARD 2. Maybe it can be done right. I think Dutcher could teach us more about ourselves through humor. He could make it funnier and more poignent. After I saw Singles Ward, I told my 13 year old boy that it was okay, and then started explaining it to him, and he was laughing the whole time. I concluded that it wasn't that the jokes were bad, just that many of them didn't all have the right set-up. Is there a word for patience in directing? Dutcher's humor in GA was great, and it convinces me that he could make a classic comedy about Mormons. Alan Mitchell - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 10:01:17 -0600 From: margaret young Subject: Re: [AML] _Charly_ (Film) (Review) Can I just be brutally honest here? It's not the Mormon culture that doesn't want art, it's the whole dang world. With the exception of the Bible (which well-intentioned folks have even pablumized into "modern" language), readers throughout the nation flock to badly written schlock. Every semester, I spend an entire class period talking about Harlequin romances, reading portions of several, and then contrasting them to good writing--which writing may involve romance, too, by the way. But I find myself in yet another interesting situation which prevents me from ranting about the disparity between art and popular imitations of art. My son (the one who God has given to me as a great gift and challenge) decides periodically that he doesn't like being Mormon. He comes up with some interesting reasons--and the things I write about are NOT behind his teenaged wanderings, by the way; in fact, my honesty about things like the race issue provides him some much needed answers to questions he has had or would have had, and he's pretty bold about disallowing anyone to perpetuate racist folklore. His biggest complaint against the Church is the general one that it is so "flawed." He has, of course, reached the pinnacle of brilliance at age 16, and so recognizes how lousy some of the church talks are, etc. Why should he subject himself to such crap when he could be home writing his novel, which will actually have some substance? I found myself saying things I think might be appropriate to this conversation two Sundays ago, when my son, who had finally agreed to be ordained a priest, refused to go to Church where he was to have blessed the sacrament for the first time, with his dad alongside him. It was, of course, a very big disappointment for Bruce to have this particular rite of passage casually tossed aside. The reason for my son's decision? There was a particular talk a few Sundays ago which just galled him because it was so disorganized and unsubstantial. He globalized it to represent the entire Church. In tears, I bore my testimony to him and told him that he was passing up the opportunity to represent the Lord in serving the emblems of Passover (as we understand the "Santa Cena" in our home) to everyone in our ward--including all the "dummies" who give such stupid talks and ask such cliched questions in Sunday School. Yes, the robes of grace cover even them. Actually, in thinking about it, I'm reminded of that poignant scene in _Brigham City_ where the bishop becomes everyman--unworthy and so nakedly aware of his lack of vision and wisdom that he cannot possibly accept the gift of grace. The truth is, I really wish good literature would sell better than it does. I know the truth of American culture, however (and of many other cultures I've participated in), and recognize that most folks want an easy escape and simply have not cultivated the taste for the finer fare available to them. And others are offended by violence or sexuality and so won't be partaking of either, thanks. (As a redhead, I had a particularly strong reaction to the murderer's choice of victims in _Brigham City_, of course.) I actually talk about "Charly" in my creative writing classes, because I remember loving the original short story when it came out in 1974. (That issue happens to also contain a lovely article about Black pioneers Sam and Amanda Chambers.) But man, was I disappointed by the book! I recognized that Weyland had found success far too quickly and was falling for every temptation offered the beginning writer. (Well, at least he didn't have Sam wake up and discover it all had been a dream.) But I am willing to let "Charly" succeed. I'm willing to sell way fewer books than "popular" writers. This is simply the way it is. I know that some people actually need what Darius and I are writing. And I think my husband in particular NEEDED _Brigham City_. I can't really tell Richard how moved Bruce was by that movie. It took him about an hour to quit being tearful. But obviously, not everyone is a Bruce Young. Most people are nothing like him. That's just the reality. The up side is that even those dummies in the movie theater are included in the infinite grace of the Savior, and most will find moments in their lives when they will NEED something beyond _Charly_. Maybe by some miracle, they'll find _Brigham City_ or something yet to be made. I personally think our (LDS artists') best work hasn't been done yet. We're still building the foundation. And it does include some overdone flourishes and maybe even some vandalized brick, but the foundation is a good one. WHEN it is fully built, I anticipate that the structure it will hold will be magnificent. But I also know that there will be smiley faces and other silly pictures on some of the frame stones. (I think the Lord will accept those offerings as well, just as I accepted the off-key voice of a choir member who really wanted to sing the Hallelujah Chorus but had far more desire than skill.) It will be a strange temple, surrounded by strange gardens containing weeds as well as exotic flowers and hybrids. But we're not even to the second story yet, and the garden has barely been planted. I'm just grateful for those who are willing to sow their seeds, and even grateful for those whose plants seem to be overtaking the garden space. The truth is, those "weeds" are helping to prepare the soil and spread the garden. Ask any publisher where he gets the money to sell a purely literary offering. Those funds come straight from the "weeds." [Margaret Young] - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 11:02:18 -0600 From: "Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] _Charly_ (Film) (Review) Richard Dutcher said: Maybe if we took the words out of our books, they would be less literary, and more acceptable to the publishers. I like blank books! Marilyn Brown - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 09:46:44 -0600 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: Re: [AML] Movie Clean-up Commentary There are essentially three stages to making a movie: making the deal, = making the movie, selling the movie. Only step two is fun. If you're a = professional filmmaker, you understand the need for steps one and three, = and also understand the need to compromise on step two if you have to in = order to get and make money. So, you agree to product placement, for = example. You're not wild about it, not very enthusiastic about framing = that shot so the Pizza Hut box is clearly visible in a scene where pizza = is not the subject of the scene, but you need the money and you'll do it, = and you'll also edit the film so that it can get the rating that the = marketing people think they can sell. And you'll agree to create an = airline cut. None of these compromises are really things you're very = happy about, but you also try to be a grown-up about it. You're creating = art, and you're also creating a commercial product, both at once. What = interests you is the art. You'll put up with the rest of it. And then these right-wing religious nut bags want to go re-edit your = movie. It's outrageous! And listen to their rhetoric: they don't want = your 'sleaze,' or 'filth,' or 'perversion.' But that's not you. You = didn't make a piece of sleaze. If there were nude scenes, they were = utterly essential to the story or the atmosphere or the ideas of the = piece; if there's violence, it's within a moral framework and context; if = there's harsh language, it's the language spoken by those characters, it's = how they talk. Okay, you had to cut that stuff for the airline cut, but = you hated doing it, and besides, you really would rather folks didn't see = your film on a tiny airplane screen. They really should see it in a movie = theatre, with Dolby sound. =20 But see, these folks, these zealots, these Bible-thumping kooks, they're = actually using words like 'gratuitous' to describe your work. And yet you = know, for a fact, that the violence in your film wasn't gratuitous. It = was essential, integral, with images very carefully shot and edited. You = know that the language spoken by your character was necessary. You made = this film, this work of art, this personal statement, or maybe just a good = competent piece of popular entertainment. You know what you were doing, = though. They want to recut YOUR film? Over your dead body. That's one side of it. And yet, the other side is equally valid. I am = intrigued by this story. I'd like to see this film. I like those actors, = and both our local critic and my neighbor saw the film and said it was = very exciting. At the same time, I don't concede that it's necessary to = show us the naked body, or expose us to the offensive language. I feel = that my connection to the Holy Ghost is a fragile enough link, and I don't = want those images, or that language, in my head. So I can't see why I = can't buy or rent a copy of that film without the material I find, and = have always found, objectionable. And I don't think missing those = elements will detract from the power and impact of the film, or from my = enjoyment of it. Experience tells me just the opposite, in fact. = Besides, Hollywood directors are a sleazy lot, aren't they? I've heard = all about casting couches, and I read all about their disgusting personal = lives. Artists? They're Hollywood sleaze merchants. I see no reason to = respect their artistic integrity; I don't think they know the meaning of = the word. So those are the two positions. Where do I personally stand on the issue? Completely neutral. =20 Really, I can see both points of view clearly, and I think it's immoral to = edit an artist's work without his permission, and I also understand the = desire to not be subjected to material one finds offensive. I think the = rhetoric on both sides is unfortunate. I loathe the loaded characterizatio= ns, of CleanFlicks customers as fanatical nuts and of Hollywood producers = as pornographers. I love British television, and the fact that they never = cut films for TV. Love that. And I also recognize the hardly surprising = fact that many of the movies they show on Britsh TV are soft-core porn, = Russ Meyer nudie flicks. The Brits have, as a culture, taken a stand that = I agree with and applaud, but they also misuse that stand to the point = that it becomes nearly meaningless. =20 Who will win the case? I don't know. I am surprised that the producers = haven't written into their wholesalers' contracts some strong language = forbidding them to sell films to Cleanflicks, and the like. I guess I'm = not sure if films are works of art or commercial products, in large = measure, I guess, because they're so clearly both. I would never, under = any circumstances, rent a Cleanflicks edited film. I want to see the film = the filmmaker intended me to see, so I can judge it on its own merits. = But there are also some terrific films I can't recommend to friends and = family unless they're in an edited version. So I'm torn. But it's = certainly an interesting issue. Eric Samuelsen - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 12:49:18 -0400 From: "robert lauer" Subject: RE: [AML] _Charly_ (Film) (Review) On tastes in literature, Clarke Goble wrote: >Put an other way, how many people here - even those grumbling about lack of >literary tastes - willingly read _Finnegan's Wake_ or _Ulysses_ by Joyce? >Yet that is one of the top novels of the last century. What objective, rational principles are used to evelaute literature? As a philosophic objectivist I am part of that tiny minority of readers who consider both "Finnegan's Wake" and "Ulysses" to be literary frauds--virtual attacks on language and ratonal thought. They've become "classics" because certain people have said they are such and that anyone who doesn't share their opinion just "doesn't get it." In short, they are the literary equivalent of the Emperor's new clothes. ROB. LAUER _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 11:19:24 -0600 From: "Brown" Subject: Re: [AML] My Ward Thank you for sharing the ward stories with us, Andrew. This is really amazing. And I think all of us could tell some of the same stuff about our wards. That's where the stories lie! Now, for the skill of telling them! Marilyn Brown - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 14:40:51 EDT From: RichardDutcher@aol.com Subject: Re: [AML] Loving _Brigham City_ In a message dated 10/8/02 9:45:42 PM Mountain Daylight Time, barbara@techvoice.com writes: << I can't wait until Brigham City comes out on VHS >> The VHS should hit the shelves (at LDS bookstores only) within the next few weeks. Finally! Richard - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 01:54:55 -0500 From: "webmaster" Subject: [AML] Box Office Report Oct. 5 02 Feature Films by LDS/Mormon Filmmakers and Actors Weekend Box Office Report (U.S. Domestic Box Office Gross) Weekend of October 5, 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 - --- ----------------------------- ----------- ----- ---- 25 City by the Sea 227,472 425 31 Eliza Dushku (actress) 22,094,074 39 Master of Disguise 76,172 220 66 Perry Andelin Blake (director) 39,516,694 40 Minority Report 76,032 108 108 Gerald Molen (producer) 131,839,950 42 Jack Weyland's Charly 64,031 34 10 Adam Anderegg (director) 160,260 Jack Weyland (book author) Janine Gilbert (screenwriter) Lance Williams, Micah Merrill (producers) 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. 45 Possession 54,042 115 52 Neil LaBute (director) 10,058,448 Aaron Eckhart (lead male actor) 52 Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 36,884 6 885 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 14,067,812 61 The Divine Secrets of the 25,622 85 122 Ya-Ya Sisterhood 69,586,544 88 The Singles Ward 6,243 10 248 Kurt Hale (writer/director) 1,236,385 John E. Moyer (writer) Dave Hunter (producer) Ryan Little (cinematographer) Cody Hale (composer) Actors: Will Swenson, Connie Young, Daryn Tufts, Kirby Heyborne, Michael Birkeland, Robert Swenson, Wally Joyner, Lincoln Hoppe, Sedra Santos, etc. 90 ESPN's Ultimate X 6,084 8 150 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 4,174,041 94 Galapagos 4,161 4 1074 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 13,725,083 96 China: The Panda Adventure 4,008 2 437 Reed Smoot (cinematographer) 2,865,391 122 Ziggy Stardust & Spiders from Mars 752 1 89 Mick Ronson (2nd billed actor) 108,563 124 The Other Side of Heaven 533 2 297 Mitch Davis (writer/director) 4,716,114 John H. Groberg (author/character) Gerald Molen, John Garbett (producers) 127 Mark Twain's America 3D 390 2 1557 Alan Williams (composer) 2,272,470 JOHNNY LINGO THE MOVIE - John Garbett, the producer of "The Other Side of Heaven" and the original producer of DreamWorks' "Shrek", is currently producing the big screen feature film "The Legend of Johnny Lingo." The Polynesian-themed film wrapped principal photography some time ago, and is currently in post-production. Garbett is the son-in-law of Orma W. Wallengren (a.k.a. Claire Whitaker), who was the screenwriter of the original, classic Church-produced "Johnny Lingo" video. Jerry Molen ("Minority Report", "Jurassic Park", "Schindler's List", etc.) is the other producer of the new "Johnny Lingo" movie. Note that the original Church video adapted only a small portion of the complete Johnny Lingo story. HANDCART ARRIVAL - The long awaited release of "Handcart" is finally near. Here is a list of events happening preceding the opening of "Handcart": * COMMERCIALS aired during General Conference after the Sunday Morning session - October 6 * PRESS SCREENING (press only) at the Jordan Commons 10 am - October 8 * Q & A (cast and crew invited as panel) at the UVSC Ragan Theater 12 pm - October 9 * PREMIERE! at the Scera Theater 8 pm - October 10 *TICKETS ON SALE NOW! * KSL MOVIE SHOW will broadcast live from the Scera Theater from 10 am to 12 pm celebrating the opening of Handcart. Kels will PROBABLY be on the air (if they let him) - Call in October 11 (575-8255) * HANDCART opens in 18 theaters across Utah and Cardston, Canada - October 11 * HANDCART will expand into Idaho, Arizona and Las Vegas soon after. Want to know where to go and see the film? Check out http://www.handcartthemovie.com/theater.html for a list of the theaters where it will be opening. TIME IS RUNNING OUT - LDSFilm.com is sponsoring a "Guess the Gross" contest for "Handcart" and time is running out. Send your predictions of what will be the reported gross ticket revenue for "Handcart" as of the first weekend box office report in February to ldsfilm@baggaleymusic.com before the film hits theaters this Friday. The person who guesses the closest to the actual number will win a free copy of film composer and LDSFilm.com co-webmaster Thomas C. Baggaley's "Spirit of the Sabbath" CD (which, of course, if you don't want to wait until February to see if you won, you can always purchase at Deseret Book and wherever LDS music is sold). For those who would like to put their two cents in but don't care to compete for such a valuable prize, you can always vote anonymously in our on-line poll at: http://www.ldsfilm.com/polls.html HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS CHARLY FILM? - In spite of Conference Weekend, typically a slow one for movies in Utah, "Jack Weyland's Charly" continued its strong performance at the box office as the weekend gross increased nearly 30% over last weekend. The typical trend in Hollywood is that films generally perform best on opening weekend. Subsequent weekend grosses typically decrease by as much as 30-50%. "Jack Weyland's Charly," on the other hand, clearly defied that trend. Distributors attribute the film's performance to strong word of mouth among the audience, primarily among teens and women. Exit surveys have shown that a vast majority of moviegoers who have seen "Charly" would recommend it to their family and friends. COMPARING POLLS - The "Mormon Life" section of the Deseret Book web site has a new poll, asking people to pick the "best LDS major motion picture." 575 people have already voted in the Deseret Book poll, compared to about 135 people who have voted in the LDSFilm.com web site. (By the way, LDSFilm.com asks votes to pick a "favorite", not "best" film.) Here are the results from the Deseret Book poll http://deseretbook.com/mormon-life/ God's Army 17% Brigham City 8% The Other Side of Heaven 59% The Single's Ward 15% Out of Step 0% (575 votes cast) Here are the results from the LDSFilm.com poll: http://www.ldsfilm.com/polls.html God's Army 14% Brigham City 23% The Other Side of Heaven 28% The Single's Ward 22% Out of Step 9% (134 votes cast) ROOTS AND WINGS - Christian Vuissa's award-winning short film "Roots & Wings" is now available on video from BYU Creative Works and should be on shelves in LDS bookstores soon. It can currently be ordered here: http://creativeworks.byu.edu/catalog/index.cgi?userid=&TM023=Video The film has received a Gold Aurora Award 2002 for Best Foreign Language Film and was the Winner of the Performing Art Showcase Award of the Golden Key Int'l Honour Society. It also won 3 awards at the BYU Final Cut film festival (Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Audience Choice Award). As Hunter has written previously about "Roots and Wings": "...it is amazing. The extremely realistic and beautifully shot story of a Mexican Catholic immigrant who finds his wife and children becoming distant as they assimilate American ways and Latter-day Saint faith, 'Roots and Wings' is the work of a filmmaker who is obviously destined for great things. Every shot is thoughtfully and meaningfully framed. The acting is so natural and the emotions so raw that the film often seems like a beautifully shot documentary. Vuissa serves up no easy answers or platitudes, he simply serves up a glimpse into a fascinating and thought-provoking story. At only about 25 minutes long, 'Roots and Wings' is more of a film than most anything you could have seen in the multiplex all summer long." BAGGALEY ADDS: I second all that Preston has said. This is truly one of the better short films I have seen. Very, very well done! If you take time to watch ANY film by LDS filmmakers at all, you should check out this one. I look forward to more great things from Christian in the future. LDS MAORI ENTERTAINER DALVANIUS PRIME DIES - All New Zealand mourned the loss of the nation's leading Maori musician, who died on 3 October 2002. Services were held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which he was a member. Parliament and the country's leading entertainers were effusive about the impact Prime had on them individually and on their country as a whole. Prime was a singer, entertainer, composer, author and social activist. He composed the musical scores for feature films and documentaries, hosted music shows, produced albums, wrote musicals. He was a giant in Maori arts and culture, whose impact is immeasurable. CORE DELAYED - This is truly sad news for all of us hankering to see Aaron Eckhart in his debut as an action hero in a huge SF blockbuster. "The Core" is being bumped. But the good news is you won't have to choose between "The Core" and "The Santa Claus 2", both of which WERE scheduled to open on the same day. LONSDALE WORKING ON HAUNTED - Have you seen the ads on TV for the new TV series "Haunted", kind of an "X-Files" show on CBS? The Director of Photography for the series is none other than Gordon C. Lonsdale, a Latter-day Saint and graduate of Brigham Young University. Lonsdale is truly one of the best TV D.P.s in the business these days. His previous series credits include "Providence", "Space: Above and Beyond" and "Northern Exposure." He has also been D.P. for a slew of TV movies and miniseries, including: Anya's Bell (1999); Avalon: Beyond the Abyss (1999); The Last Don (1997); A More Perfect Union: American Becomes A Nation (1989); and The Witching of Ben Wagner (1987). ECLIPSE ROLL CALL - The roster for the upcoming Eclipse Film Festival in St. George has been announced. The festival will be held November 8th and 9th. This year's festival will host Philippe Denham, film producer from Los Angeles, who will speak on how to successfully produce an independent feature film. Stay tuned for time and locations of this and other festival events. Although it is open to films from all over the world, the festival does feature a number of films by Latter-day Saints in competition. These include Christian Vuissa's short drama about a Mexican-American family "Roots & Wings" torn between the conversion of some of its members to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Rob Allen's award-winning short animated film "Signal Strength"; the short drama "Simplicity" by Chet Thomas and Darrin Fletcher; and "The Summer House", a short comedy starring Michael Buster (star of "God's Army" and "Out of Step"). More information can be found at: http://www.eclipsefilmfest.com, including a complete list of the films for this year's festival. FIX IT BEFORE YOU SHOOT IT: There are many new subscribers to the ldsfilm.com mailing list since we first announced Eric Samuelsen's services, so we're mentioning them again. Dr. Samuelsen, BYU theater department professor, is evaluating LDS-themed screenplays for free. He is an award-winning playwright and prolific theatrical director. Many of BYU's most critically acclaimed plays on the main stages were directed by Samuelsen. Eric Samuelsen and his graduate students ARE providing free feedback on a number of screenplays, and they ARE workshopping select screenplays. This means real actors are putting these scripts through the paces before any money is spent on filming. Details about the opportunity can be found here: http://www.ldsfilm.com/workshop.html SUDDENLY UNEXPECTED PRESS RELEASE from M Potter Productions: M Potter Productions is pleased to announce the beginning of principle photography on its upcoming feature length movie "Suddenly Unexpected". Filming will begin in Houston, Texas on October 7, 2002. The film will be released in the spring of 2003. Jerald Garner of Katy, Texas, and Michael Judd of Sandy, Utah, will be playing the leads, Elder Jones and Elder Smith. Mr. Garner will be the first African American to play a lead in a Mormon Genre film. In a somewhat ironic and humorous twist, Mr. Garner is drawing on his early childhood experiences as a Jehovah Witness. He went door to door with other members of his faith. Although he is no longer active in that faith he can clearly recall the many experiences he had during that time. Jerald's stepfather is a Latter-day Saint and Jerald said he would talk with him for additional input to add further depth to his character. Michael Judd was cast for his ability to bring both humor and compassion to the character of Elder Smith. The two female leads are Clara Susan Morey II of Salt Lake and Junie Hoang of Houston. Ms. Morey is a veteran of numerous Utah theatrical productions and was most recently seen in the movie "Little Secrets" and also has a part in the movie "Charly". Ms. Hoang is a versatile actress based out of Houston. She has been in numerous independent films and television productions. Benjamin Ellis of Orem, Utah also has been cast in a supporting role of Elder Sayers. Mr. Ellis was a host of the LDS show "Center Street". Tucker Dansie, a Utah-based filmmaker, will be the director of photography. For additional information, you can check out their web site: http://www.suddenlyunexpected.com ADD RADIOACTIVE ZOMBIES - Latter-day Saint filmmaker Joshua D. Smith wrote us to tell us about his new feature film "Zombie Campout", which premiers in a few weeks here in Texas before making going to other festivals... It has a great web site, by the way, which is where you can go to find out more: http://www.zombiecampout.com/ ROCCO'S FLY BOYS - Here is a great new article in St. George, Utah newspaper THE SPECTRUM about the movie currently being filmed by Latter-day Saint director Rocco DeVilliers ("Pure Race", "Only Once"). We've been saying for a couple of years now that DeVilliers is one of the most exciting young directors in the state. We're glad that he's finally got a new feature underway. The movie is set to open in theaters in early spring. Here's the article: http://www.thespectrum.com/news/stories/20021001/localnews/195907.html ESPECIALLY FOR VOYEURS - Top secret entries from Canadian pop singer's own diary, mentioning her supporting role in the upcoming feature film "The R.M.", as well as her music video on the upcoming DVD release of "The Singles Ward." can be found at http://www.marenord.com/diary.htm 0F PRINCESSES, PEAS AND PAYNES - The upcoming animated series "The Princess and the Pea Chronicles", from Swan Animation in St. George, Utah, features the voices of Latter-day Saint actor/singer Sam Payne (star of Michael Mills' "He Took My Licking") and Payne's son Skyler Payne. Sam Payne is the son of legendary Utah actor/singer Marvin Payne. SOMEONE IS WATCHING? TOTALLY COOL - Mark Goodman and Lee Groberg's new feature-length drama "Someone is Watching" is available on DVD. This is the same team that made the award-winning PBS documentaries "Trail of Hope: The Story of the Mormon Trail" (1997), "American Prophet: The Joseph Smith Story" (1999) and "Sacred Stone" (Nauvoo Temple documentary). The DVD can be ordered here: http://www.ldharvest.com/item.asp?itemid=18369 ADD MESSAGE IN A CELL PHONE - "Message in a Cell Phone" is also out on DVD. This one stars Nick Whitaker in the first billed role. You'll remember him from "Brigham City" -- he played Spencer, the deacon. He also starred in T.C. Christensen's "Bug Off!" "Message in a Cell Phone" is a family film directed by Latter-day Saint director Eric Hendershot, whose credits are too numerous to list here, but you can look them up on our site. The DVD can be ordered here here: http://www.ldharvest.com/item.asp?itemid=18373 TENNIS SHOES ON THE SILVER SCREEN - The following is an excerpt from Chris Heimerdinger's monthly newsletter for October 2002: "SUMMER OF THE NEPHITES" BOOK AND MOVIE UPDATE - Last month I also reported my ambition to write a book that will become a motion picture. I began this project a couple years back, but the pressure to write "Tennis Shoes" books kinda slowed it down. Well, it's now become the main item on my agenda. Interestingly, the first scene (chapter) takes place during the deer hunt. The rest of the story takes place in summer, but I have been toying with the idea of shooting the opening sequence of the movie sometime in Nov. or Dec. We'd then use it to help raise the rest of the capital for the movie, and wet people's appetites with what I think is a killer opening. Only one problem: I need a live deer. Anyone out there know how I can get a hold of a (relatively tame) white-tail or mule buck? Weird question, I know. But hey, what's this web site for if I can't network now and then? We may just wait to shoot the scene in the Spring, but it sure would be fun to shoot it now. TELLIN' 'BOUT MELLEN - We'd like to introduce people to Vance Mellen, a Latter-day Saint film director with an extremely distinct vision and body of work. I personally saw him perform years ago while I was a BYU student, and it was an experience I never forgot. I was impressed then, and I look forward to seeing more from him. Vance is planning to direct his award-winning screenplay "Revelations." He is still in the process of looking for a producer and additional backing. "Revelations" is an interesting script, and really can't be compared to anything being done by any LDS director I can think of. It's dark, but funny, and definitely affecting. You can check out Mellen's resume, films, and projects he's working on at his web site: http://www.mellenheadprods.com/ GEOFFREY CARD AT AML - We have learned that filmmaker Geoffrey Card will be a featured speaker at the Association for Mormon Letters Fourth Annual LDS Writers Conference, to be held Saturday, November 2, 2002, at Thanksgiving Gardens Visitors Center at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, Utah. Card attended Chapman University School of Film and Television. His film credits include screenplays, student films, serving as film editor for the short film "Remind Me Again", and authoring the novelization of Richard Dutcher's movie "God's Army." The other featured speakers will be Latter-day Saint novelists Rachel Ann Nunes, Margaret Blair Young and Lina Paulson Adams. OUT OF STEP ON DVD? - We don't know if the movie is available yet, but at least one web site is now taking orders for the "Out of Step" DVD. LDHarvest.com also lists a bunch of other new DVDs from Latter-day Saint directors. The only movies listed below that we've actually seen are "Out of Step" and "Shadow of Light." If you have questions about them, feel free to write and ask. * Out of Step: Graced with the instinctive ability to dance, Jenny Thomas wants nothing more than to become a professional dancer. All of her hard work pays off when she is accepted to a prominent dance program in New York. Against her mother's will, but with the support of her father Jenny leaves her small Mormon town in Utah and heads to New York in pursuit of her dream. Jenny soon finds herself financially broke and spiritually lost in her new surroundings. She quickly makes friends with Paul Taylor, a witty Mormon student filmmaker who finds Jenny's ambitious dream to be the subject for his next film project. Keeping her mind diligently focused on dance proves harder than she expected as she finds herself falling in love with David Schrader, a dark and mysterious New York musician. As their relationship builds Jenny starts to struggle in her religious beliefs and her new lifestyle. Paul's true romantic feelings soon surface and Jenny finds things to be a little more than she can handle. Her scholarship and her dreams are on the line and Jenny takes an emotional roller coaster ride on the path to work it out. Jenny must fight to earn her scholarship and try to find a balance between the man of her faith and the man of her dreams. * The Shadow of Light: Follow two brothers, who, with help from the local southern Utah Mormon bishop's daughter, begin to unravel clues that lead to the pages of the Book of Mormon and a treasure worth more than all the riches on Earth. * Visit Nauvoo: The Saints built beautiful Nauvoo in just seven years. Walk its streets as you visit the beautiful homes of Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff. Learn more of their faith and sacrifice to build the Kingdom of God. Stroll through the Prophet Joseph's Red Brick Store and the Mansion House where Joseph and Emma often slept on the floor to accommodate their guests. Contemplate the determination of the Saints to build a temple to their God as you see the new Temple rise majestically above the city. Features aerial photography taken spring 2002. * When Men Hurt: Hear three men's poignant stories and learn from leading experts how to overcome abuse and violence. When Men Hurt illustrates overcoming cruel behavior from a perpetrator's perspective. * Horse Crazy: When ruthless horse thieves try to rustle a magnificent wild mustang named "The General" it takes the courage of three horse crazy kids to outsmart, out wrangle and out lasso the bad guys and return the horse to his rightful owner. * Jericho Road: Backstage Pass: When Abe, Bret, Dave and Justin stepped into the music scene last fall as Jericho Road, they couldn't have imagined a more successful debut CD launch and a sell-out promotional tour of the Western United States. Now they return with this striking DVD experience, featuring concert footage, interviews, and picture albums. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #856 ******************************