Where Movie Critics Get A Taste Of Their Own Medicine
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Festival reception at Krannert Art Museum
by Herb Kane
April 23th, 2003
Urbana, Illinois has become my annual vacation spot thanks to "Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival." The festival's reception party, which was normally held at the president's mansion (University of Illinois) where Mr & Mrs. James J. Stukel reside, took place at the Krannert Art Museum. A special movie poster collection was on display, an extra bonus for festival guests who came from all over the country. U of I President James J. Stukel was the first to pick up the microphone to welcome guests.
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at the Krannert Art Museum. |
When my friend Mike Hall and I arrived, we parked just outside the museum. Turned out we made a woman angry because she thought we stole her parking spot. On her way to the party, she yelled from a distance, "You guys are pretty sneaky!" We were shocked because we had no idea she wanted the spot. Later at the reception we apologized and found out she was Veronica Cartwright, the actress who played one of the astronaut wives in the movie "The Right Stuff." We all ended up laughing about the incident and we became friends.
Another shocking moment for me was to see Chris Gore. Gore publishes my Critic Doctor column on his Filmthreat.com web site. He is also author of "The Ultimate Film Festival Guide" and host of the TV show "Festival Pass with Chris Gore" on Starz/Encore. Gore wasn't sure if he was going to make it to the festival or not and luckily he did. We had a blast hanging out together for three days. He participated in panel discussions and was quite honored to finally meet Roger Ebert.
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Then I met up with Dusty Cohl, a regular festival guest. FINALLY, folks! I earned my Dusty cowboy hat pin and it wasn't easy, let me tell you. It took me three years and Dusty offered to give me one at this year's reception. Those who have the pin are required to wear it at every film festival they attend. Roger Ebert wears his pin for the entire duration of the festival. Actress Jacqueline Kim ("Charlotte Sometimes") was very intrigued by my silver cowboy hat pin and wanted to get one for herself. I advised her to simply ask Dusty. She later found it's not that easy. I told her, "Don't give up. Next time you see Dusty at a festival, bring up the issue again." Goodluck Jacqueline!
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Ebert invited several guests up to the mic including "The Right Stuff" actors Scott Wilson, Veronica Cartwright, and Donald Moffat. Cartwright commented on the new 20th Anniversary DVD coming out, "We all went in and did stuff for the DVD and everybody needs to buy this DVD. It is a classic movie and it's just great." Uh, Veronica? I'll buy it - and I'll even save you a parking spot next time you attend this festival.
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This is the fifth year and this is gonna be the best!" Chaz Ebert |
"The Stone Reader" director/writer Mark Moskowitz and the film's distributor Jeff Lipsky were very excited to be a part of this festival. Lipsky commented on a film he distributed in 1981: "'My Dinner with Andre' was a complete box office failure when it opened until about three or four weeks into its run when Roger Ebert and his partner Gene Siskel went on national TV and called it the best film of the year." Lipsky also presented Ebert with a cassette tape of a question & answer session moderated by Roger and Gene at the last screening of the movie. Lipsky said, "You made this film successful and I honor you." In regard to "The Stone Reader," Moskowitz said, "If it wasn't for Jeff and Roger, people may not have had a chance to see this film." The documentary is about Dow Mossman, a writer who lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - also home of the Critic Doctor. It was exciting for me to discover Moskowitz' documentary at this year's festival and I enjoyed it thoroughly (more on that later).
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chance to see this film." Mark Moskowitz (director, "The Stone Reader") |
Director, writer and cinematographer Haskell Wexler ("Medium Cool") said to guests, "I hope you go to see 'Medium Cool' and I hope you go to the bathroom first because I'd really appreciate a lively and interesting discussion." The movie placed actors into the actual events during the disturbances that took place at the Democratic convention in 1968. Haskell is the fourth cinematographer to ever receive a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and he has worked on such films as "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966), "In The Heat of the Night" (1967), "American Graffiti" (1973), "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), etc.. He and Ebert have become very good friends over the years.
Now here's a cool story. Roger Ebert attended The Hawaii Film festival and saw the movie "Charlotte Sometimes" (written and directed by Eric Byler). This was Eric's first feature movie. Ebert said, "It just blew me away." Byler explained at the reception that Ebert invited actress Jacqueline Kim and himself out to dinner. He had to decline because he had plans with all his friends who were there in Hawaii for a high school reunion. Then Ebert offered to take them all out. Problem solved!
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During the gala reception, Ebert was given a copy of an autobiography called: "The Real Tom Jones: Handicapped? Not me." Jones, who was a sports broadcaster for 19 years at WCIA Channel 3, was there to present the book to Ebert. In 1962, Ebert was a reporter for "The Daily Illini" when he was asked to accompany 17 people in wheelchairs to South Africa to help them easily get around. Jones was one of those 17 people and he presented Ebert with two photographs: A group photo of the 1962 trip and the other a 1992 reunion of that same group. Ebert wrote the forward in Jones' book and was thrilled that the book came out.
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This festival is off to a good start as usual. The food is out of this world and it's a great time visiting with old friends and meeting new ones. Chaz Ebert predicts this will be the best festival of all. Now it's time to go to the Virginia Theater and watch the opening film - "The Right Stuff." So will the Critic Doctor agree with all of Ebert's hand picked movies this year? Read on for the answer in this 7 part column on "Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival"....
-- CRITIC DOCTOR
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