Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.life From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Movie on Little Tramp will arrive a little late Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 17:03:26 EST Message-ID: \SE D;LIFE;FILM HIGHLIGHTS \HD Movie on Little Tramp will arrive a little late \BY Gary Arnold \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Two major releases originally announced for the holidays, Frank Marshall's movie version of Piers Paul Read's Alive and the Bruce Beresford-Alfred Uhry domestic tear-jerker Rich in Love, have been postponed until March at the earliest. And now it appears that we'll be getting Richard Attenborough's Chaplin a tad late for the holidays. It opens in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto on Christmas Day. But the Washington market will be a part of the national release wave on Jan. 8. The movie will have a special advance showing under Smithsonian Resident Associates auspices on Jan. 4, at the Cineplex Odeon on Wisconsin Avenue. Call 202/357-3030 for details and reservations. * * * Howard University will host a premiere showing of a first feature by one of its recent graduates, 21-year-old Ken Gamble, tomorrow night at 7 in Cramton Auditorium. Titled Ballad of Sacrifice, it's a supernatural romantic thriller that also stars Mr. Gamble as a satanic menace. Call 202/667-1091 for information about the program. * * * Director George Lucas will make a rare Washington appearance Dec. 14 as part of a Resident Associates' panel discussing the life and work of the late mythological scholar Joseph Campbell. Titled "Myths and Their Meaning in the '90s," the program will begin at 8 p.m. in Baird Auditorium at the Museum of Natural History. Tickets are $12 for members and $16 for nonmembers. Mr. Lucas' fellow panelists will include PBS journalist Bill Moyers, illustrator Gerald McDermott and the authorized Campbell biographers, Robin and Stephen Larson. * * * Aladdin, which opens nationally Nov. 25, provides delightful confirmation of the current level of playfulness and professionalism at the Walt Disney animation studio. There simply isn't a more reliable and accomplished filmmaking apparatus on the face of the earth right now. Moviegoers attracted to feature animation are in an enviable position: from The Little Mermaid through "Aladdin," they've been able to observe one of the best creative winning streaks in film history. "Aladdin" also expands the range of the Disney animators by shifting the narrative emphasis away from the romantic comedy formats that worked for "The Little Mermaid" and Beauty and the Beast. The predominant winning aspect of "Aladdin" is its sustained and phenomenally inventive cartoon slapstick, stimulated by a great casting inspiration: Robin Williams as the genie in Aladdin's lamp. Energized by the Williams line of chatter, much of it seemingly ad-libbed, the animators demonstrate a compatible illustrative virtuosity while playing along with him. "Aladdin" doesn't count on lovelorn sentiment to bind its episodes together. While Mr. Williams' motor-mouth genie sets the pace for the film, the single most elegant feat of animation is Aladdin's magic carpet. Supervised by animator Randy Cartwright, this "character" also opens up sophisticated new possibilities for the genre: It is faceless and speechless yet brilliantly expressive and eloquent as a comic prop and sidekick. "Aladdin" will justify the confidence of families heading for the movies during the holiday season. Stick around to give Mr. Cartwright a special round of applause during the end credits. * * * The late great documentary producer John Grierson will be honored by the nontheatrical film society CINE at its next annual awards showcase and ceremony, scheduled for Dec. 3-4, at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel. Grierson, who died in 1972, was a Scot who first achieved influence and recognition working on documentaries for the British government in the 1930s. During World War II, he became the founding director of the National Film Board of Canada. Grierson will be the subject of a commemorative luncheon on Dec. 3 and a screening on Dec. 4. Details about these and other CINE events can be obtained by calling 202/785-4114. * * * Organizers of the annual Rosebud competition advise aspiring applicants that the deadline for entries in the third annual showcase of local film and video productions is Jan. 31. A series of preliminary screenings culminates in the exhibition of five grand-prize winners as part of Filmfest DC in May. The major change in the competition is the elimination of genre categories. Semifinalists and grand prize winners will now be determined without reference to any particular genre or area of specialization. Entry forms and detailed information can be obtained by calling 202/797-9081 or writing Rosebud, PO Box 21309, Washington, D.C. 20009. The entry free is $20 and the competition is open to producers and directors residing in the District, Maryland or Virginia. Eligible entries should have been produced or released between Jan. 1, 1991, and the approaching deadline. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM