Archive-name: movies/faq/current-films

Last change:
Tue Sep 10 16:53:52 EDT 1996

Changes:
11) What are the top ten/twenty grossing films of all time?

This FAQ is cross-posted to rec.arts.movies.current-films and
rec.arts.movies.misc.

Copies of this article may be obtained by anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.edu
under /pub/usenet/news.answers/movies/faq/current-films.  Or, send email to
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with
"send usenet/news.answers/movies/faq/current-films" in the body of the
message.

Questions include:
    1) "Does anyone know this movie?"  <plot summary follows>
    2) "What stories/movies/tv shows are about X?"
    3) How can I get an address &/or a phone number for (some famous
       star)?
    4) "Does anyone want to talk about X?"
    5) What is letterboxing?
    6) What does the number at the end of the end credits mean?
    7) What "ethnic" actors have won/been nominated for Academy Awards?
    8) What are all the James Bond films and who played Bond?
    9) What are those funny dots that blink on in the upper-right corner of
       films?
   10) How do films, actors, etc., get nominated for Academy Awards?
   11) What are the top twenty grossing films of all time?
   12) How can I find out where a certain movie is playing?
   13) What is a director's cut?
   14) Are there any Web sites for movie scripts?
   15) What is Roger Ebert's CompuServe address?
   16) Is Jodie Foster gay?

Topics include:
    1) Product placements in movies

For the following items, see the rec.arts.movies.past-films FAQ (there is
	some overlap):
    1) "Does anyone know this movie?"  <plot summary follows>
    2) "What stories/movies/tv shows are about X?"
    3) How can I get an address &/or a phone number for (some famous
       star)?
    4) "Does anyone want to talk about X?"
    5) Did Audrey Hepburn do the singing in MY FAIR LADY?  Did Andy Williams
       dub Lauren Bacall's singing voice in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT?  How come
       Julie Andrews did not reprise her Broadway performance of Eliza
       Doolitle?
    6) What movie did the quote: "Badges?? Badges?? We don't need no
       stinkin' badges?" come from ??
    7) What is the earliest *numbered* sequel?
    8) What is letterboxing?
    9) Why are clips of old films always fast?
   10) What are the Hitchcock cameos in all his movies?
   11) What are the references to "See You Next Wednesday" in John Landis's
       films?
   12) What does the number at the end of the end credits mean?
   13) What "ethnic" actors have won/been nominated for Academy Awards?
   14) What are all the James Bond films and who played Bond?
   15) What are those funny dots that blink on in the upper-right corner of
       films?
   16) What is the secret of THE CRYING GAME?  (rot13'd)
   17) What are the top twenty grossing films of all time?
   18) What is a director's cut?
   19) Are there any Web sites for movie scripts?
   20) What is the poem in FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL?
   21) What is the significance of the stones at the end of SCHINDLER'S
       LIST?
   22) Where in THE CROW did Brandon Lee get shot?  Did they leave it in?
       And how did it happen?
   23) Is it true that a hanged person (munchkin) is visible in the
       background of one scene in THE WIZARD OF OZ?
   24) What are some movies that were better than the books/stories they
       were based on?
   25) Whatever happened to THE BLACK CAULDRON?  Will Disney release it to
       theaters again?  Will Disney release it to video?

For the following items, see the rec.arts.sf.movies FAQ:
     1. Star Trek.
     2. The animated LORD OF THE RINGS by Ralph Bakshi covers only the
        first half of the trilogy.  Bakshi did not make the second half.
     3. Frequent subjects.
     4. Abbreviations commonly used in this group:
     5. BLADE RUNNER: the sixth replicant, why voice-overs, and Deckard a
        replicant?
     6. "Can the X beat the Y?" where X and Y are mighty ships or alien
        races from different space opera movies/series.
     7. Is the movie HEAVY METAL out on video?
     8. Why is there an acknowledgment to Harlan Ellison in the credits of
        THE TERMINATOR?  or  Doesn't THE TERMINATOR have the same plot as a
        TWILIGHT ZONE episode?
     9. What about the relationship between HAL (the computer in 2001: A
        Space Odyssey) and IBM?  (If you add 1 to each letter in HAL you get
        IBM.)
    10. Who was the voice of the seductive Jessica Rabbit in the film
        "WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?"
    11. What are all of the "cute" gimmicks in the film BACK TO THE
        FUTURE?
    12. What role did Jamie Lee Curtis play in THE ADVENTURES OF
        BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION?
    13. When is George Lucas going to make more STAR WARS films?  What
        will they be about??
    14. In OUTLAND and TOTAL RECALL, astronauts exposed suddenly to vacuum
        promptly explode.  In 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, a few seconds'
        exposure to vacuum doesn't bother one at all.  Which is right?
    15. What does "FTL" mean?
    16. I was told that the director's cut of DUNE was seven hours long,
        and did a much better job of portraying the novel.  Where can I
        find it?
    17. What are the two minutes of new footage on the STAR TREK VI: THE
        UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY videocassette?
    18. What are the various Quatermass films and the names they go under?

Items covered in the rec.music.classical FAQ (cf):
	Q6. What is that [classical] music in [insert TV show/movie
            here]?

rec.arts.movies.* are newsgroups devoted to discussions of movies.  They
are high-volume newsgroups and this article is intended to help reduce the
number of unnecessary postings, thereby making them more useful and
enjoyable to everyone.

If you have not already done so, please read the articles in
news.announce.newusers.  They contain a great deal of useful information
about network etiquette and convention.

Before we begin, two pieces of net.etiquette.  Both of these are
mentioned in news.announce.newusers, but since they are so frequently
violated, and at least one of them is particularly relevant to this
group, we mention them here:

SPOILER WARNINGS:  Many people feel that much of the enjoyment of a film
is ruined if they know certain things about it, especially when those
things are surprise endings or mysteries.  On the other hand, they also
want to know whether or not a film is worth seeing, or they may be
following a particular thread of conversation where such information may
be revealed.  The solution to this is to put the words SPOILER in your
header, or in the text of your posting.  You can also put a ctl-L
character in the *first* column for your readers who are using rn.  Some
people think that spoiler warnings are not necessary.  We don't understand
why, and do not want to discuss it.  Use your best judgment.

REPLIES TO REQUESTS AND QUESTIONS:  When you think that many people will
know an answer to a question, or will have an answer to a request,
RESPOND VIA E-MAIL!!!  And if you don't know the answer, but want to
know, DON'T POST TO THE NET asking for the answer, ask VIA E-MAIL!  If
you think a lot of people will want the same information, you might
suggest that the person summarize to the net.

Even if you don't see an answer posted, and you have the answer, please
send it e-mail.  The thirty other people who answered may have already
sent it, and your site just hasn't gotten it yet.  It clogs the net and
gets very tedious to see 30 people answer the same question, and another
30 people asking for the answer to be posted.  All of that should be
done via mail.  The net is a highly asynchronous medium.  It can take
several days for an article to make it to all sites.  It is also quite
common for followups to messages to reach a site before the original.

Please keep in mind two points:

	1.  Always remember that there is a live human being at the
	other end of the wires.  In other words, please write your
	replies with the same courtesy you would use in talking to
	someone face-to-face.

	2.  Try to recognize humor and irony in postings.  Tone of
	voice does not carry in ASCII print, and postings are often
	snapped off quickly, so that humorous intent may not be
	obvious.  More destructive and vicious arguments have been
	caused by this one fact of net existence than any other.  It
	will help if satiric/ironic/humorous comments are marked with
	the "smiley face," :-)

The first part of the list is a compendium of information that has been
posted to rec.arts.movies.* many times in the past.  If you have received
this list through e-mail, without requesting it, this is most likely
because you posted one of the questions on the list.

The second part of the FAQ list contains a series of topics that are
repeatedly discussed, along with a bit of editorial comment on each one.
The reason for including this information is merely to provide new
readers with some background and context.  In no way do we mean for this
to preclude anyone from discussing these topics again.  While the items
listed in part one are (indisputable??) facts, the topics in part two
are objects of opinion.  As such, they can be discussed ad infinitum
without any resolution.  Do so if you wish.  Remember the first
amendment...

The last part of the FAQL contains a few further bits of information for
readers of rec.arts.movies.*.  This includes several other lists that are
kept by members of the group, trivia contests etc.  Interested readers
should seek out the companion FAQ in rec.arts.sf.movies.

If you have any questions about this list, or if there is something you
think should be added, you can contact me through e-mail at:

						eleeper@lucent.com


Now, here are some frequently asked questions...


PART ONE: Frequently asked questions, and some answers (and some
of them may be right).


0) "What movies has X appeared in/directed/written etc.?"

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) can answer a huge range of movie
related questions, so it's always worth checking out before posting to
the groups.  The IMDb has over 1,000,000 filmography entries for more
than 75,000 movies.  It includes filmographies for actors, directors,
writers, composers, cinematographers, editors, production designers,
costume designers and producers; plot summaries; character names; movie
ratings; year of release; running times; movie trivia; quotes; goofs;
soundtracks; personal trivia; alternative names; certificates; color
information; country of production; genres; production companies; sound
mix; reference literature; filming locations; sequel/remake
information; release dates; advertising tag lines; detailed technical
data; box office grosses, language and Academy Award information.  Many 
thousands of movies are covered completely from the major actors to the 
minor bit players.

The IMDb FAQ contains full details and is posted weekly to the many of
the groups, alternatively copies can be obtained by anonymous ftp to
rtfm.mit.edu under /pub/usenet/news.answers/movies/movie-database-faq
or send e-mail to <mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu> with:

  send usenet/news.answers/movies/movie-database-faq

in the body of the message. Here's a quick summary of how to access the 
database:

(a) Web access:

      http://us.imdb.com/                                  (USA)
      http://uk.imdb.com/                                  (UK)

(b) To use the e-mail interface, send a message with the subject:

      HELP 

    to <mail-server@imdb.com> and the movie mail-server will respond with 
    a copy of the help file.


(c) For local interactive access to the database, the FTP site
    uiarchive.cso.uiuc.edu has software for several operating systems:

      Unix   in  /pub/info/imdb/tools/moviedb-3.2f.tar.gz
      MS-DOS in  /pub/info/imdb/tools/msdos/cb153.arj
      Amiga  in  /pub/info/imdb/tools/MovieMUI3_2.lha


1) "Does anyone know this movie?"  <plot summary follows>

When making this kind of request, ask that all responses be e-mailed
back to you.  After having found out what it is, then post the correct
answer to the net.

If you know the answer but are unable to send a message to the requester,
wait a few days.  It's likely that someone else will post the correct
answer, thus sparing you the effort.

Do not post messages like "I want to know, too" to the net.  E-mail the
person who asked the question and request that they send you any
information they get by e-mail.  Only if you cannot reach the person by
e-mail *and* no one has posted about the request after several days
should you post.


2) "What stories/movies/tv shows are about X?"

When making these kind of requests, ask that all replies be e-mailed to
you and that you will summarize.  Note that a summary is not just
concatenating all the replies together and posting the resulting file.
Take the time to strip headers, combine duplicate information, and
write a short summary.


3) How can I get an address &/or a phone number for (some famous
   star)?

You *can't* get phone numbers.  But you can often get contact addresses
(usually an agent or publicist), by calling the Screen Artists Guild at
213-954-1600.  They will give you a phone number and/or address for the
agent.  The agent can provide you an address to write and may send
pictures on request or provide the publicist's addresses.  Another method
(if the star has written a book) is to send mail in care of the publisher
of that book.


4) "Does anyone want to talk about X?"

If nobody seems to be discussing what you want to talk about, post a
(polite) message opening the discussion.  Don't just say, "Does anyone
want to talk about X" or "I really like X" however; try to have
something interesting to say about the topic to get discussion going.

Don't be angry or upset if no one responds.  It may be that X is just a
personal taste of your own, or quite obscure.  Or it may be that X was
discussed to death a few weeks ago, *just* before you came into the
group.  (If this is the case, you'll probably know, though, because
some rude fool will probably flame you for "Bringing that up
*AGAIN*!!!"  Ignore them.)


5) What is letterboxing?

In case you hadn't noticed, movie screens have a different shape than
television screens.  This means that when a movie is shown on a
television screen, it doesn't fit.  Up until recently, this meant that
either the left and right ends of the picture were cropped off, or the
picture was "panned and scanned" (the camera would seem to go back and
forth between the left and right sides, usually done for scenes in which
the two characters speaking were at the far left and right of a scene),
or that the picture was warped so that everyone looked tall and thin
(this was usually done for credit sequences so the full names could fit
on the screen, or you would think you were watching "ne with the Wi").
Now some companies are releasing "letterboxed" versions of films on
videocassettes and videodisks.  These have a black bar at the top and
bottom of the screen, allowing the full width of the picture to be
included, but resulting in a smaller picture--that is, a character ten
inches tall in a non-letterboxed version might be eight inches tall in a
letterboxed one.


6) What does the number at the end of the end credits mean?

The Motion Picture Association of America (the MPAA) is responsible for
assigning these numbers.  It is part of their film rating service.  Any film
can be submitted to the MPAA for rating (the G/PG/PG13/R/NC-17 ratings 
Americans are familiar with), for a small fee.  Any film rated by the MPAA
is issued a unique number.  Any film can be submitted, but many aren't,
including most adult sex films, many foreign films, industrial films and
other training and educational films, television films, and some
independently made films.

The rating service (and the numbering associated with it) was started in
1968.  There is no publicly available list of films and numbers, and the
MPAA information office does not have the title of the film issued
certificate #1 readily available.

Films before 1968 were assigned numbers based on their agreement to the
Production Code, instituted July 1, 1934.  Under that scheme, the film SHE,
released in 1935, has number 985.  Rod McKim (rod@wet.uucp) reports that
THE SCARLET EMPRESS, released in 1934, has number16, the lowest by far that
he has seen.  Reports of any other low number spottings would be
appreciated.  Given that the current number is in the 30,000, I believe the
current numbers are continued from those, rather than restarted in 1968.

A word or two more about MPAA ratings.  The ratings are assigned by a board
composed of "ordinary citizens", largely parents, as the intent of the
rating system is to protect the tender minds of children from harm.  The
board watches the film and collectively assigns a rating.  If the producer
doesn't like the rating, s/he has a couple of options.  The rating can be
appealed to the MPAA official in charge of rating films.  On a few
occasions, the appeal has been successful.  Not too surprisingly, appeals by
large studios tend to have a better success rate than appeals by smaller
studios.  Alternately, the producer can recut the film and resubmit it.  The
MPAA rating board will tell a filmmaker what caused a film to get a rating,
but they never actually tell a filmmaker that if this scene is cut, you will
get that rating.  Somehow or other, though, the information tends to get to
the filmmakers, so that Alan Parker, for instance, somehow knew that cutting
a few seconds of Mickey Rourke humping Lisa Bonet while blood drips from the
ceiling changes ANGEL HEART from a film no child should see to a film merely
requiring parental presence.

While we're at it, what is the MPAA?  It's an industry organization for the
American film production business, particularly for the major studios.  Its
members are Disney, Columbia, MGM, Orion, Paramount, 20th Century Fox,
Universal, and Warner Brothers.  These companies pay fees to the MPAA that
are used as the primary source of financing for the organization.  In 
addition to the ratings, the MPAA performs other services for their members,
including lobbying the government.  (They prefer to refer to this service
as "working on issues important to the film industry.")  Jack Valenti, the
head of the MPAA, is a prominent spokesman who speaks for "Hollywood" as
a whole, generally on issues important to all the studios, like film
piracy, trade disputes with other countries, and censorship.  The MPAA was
founded in 1922, so it's been doing this sort of thing for quite a while.

[Thanks to Peter Reiher, reiher@ficus.cs.ucla.edu, for this answer.]

7) What ethnic actors have won/been nominated for Academy Awards?

(This question seem to come up every year at Oscar time.)

"Actors of ethnic extraction other than European/Mediterranean who have
been nominated for Academy Awards" (so we don't start quibbling over Omar
Sharif).  I'm not a big fan of groupings by race, but it has its educational
values in a situation like this, showing Hollywood's record in honoring
minority contributions.  In borderline cases, we have gone by the "as
generally perceived" standard--thus no Ben Kingsley, who seems thoroughly
British despite the fact that his father was Gujrati, and none of the many
American actors who proudly say they're "part Indian" when they mean 1/16 or
1/32.  With that ponderous preamble out of the way, here's the list:

                             BLACK

Hattie McDaniel       1939   supp   Gone with the Wind   WON
Dorothy Dandridge     1954   lead   Carmen Jones
Sidney Poitier        1958   lead   The Defiant Ones
                      1963   lead   Lilies of the Field  WON
Juanita Moore         1959   supp   Imitiation of Life
Beah Richards         1967   supp   Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Rupert Crosse         1969   supp   The Reivers
James Earl Jones      1970   lead   The Great White Hope
Paul Winfield         1972   lead   Sounder
Cicely Tyson          1972   lead   Sounder
Diana Ross            1972   lead   Lady Sings the Blues
Diahann Carroll       1974   lead   Claudine
Howard E. Rollins Jr  1981   supp   Ragtime
Louis Gossett Jr.     1982   supp   An Officer and a Gentleman  WON
Alfre Woodard         1983   supp   Cross Creek
Adolph Caesar         1984   supp   A Soldier's Story
Whoopi Goldberg       1985   lead   The Color Purple
                      1991   supp   Ghost                WON
Margaret Avery        1985   supp   The Color Purple
Oprah Winfrey         1985   supp   The Color Purple
Dexter Gordon         1986   lead   Round Midnight
Morgan Freeman        1987   supp   Street Smart
                      1989   lead   Driving Miss Daisy
                      1994   lead   The Shawshank Redemption
Denzel Washington     1987   supp   Cry Freedom
                      1989   supp   Glory		 WON
                      1992   lead   Malcolm X
Jaye Davidson         1992   supp   The Crying Game
Laurence Fishburne    1993   lead   What's Love Got to Do with It?
Angela Bassett        1993   lead   What's Love Got to Do with It?
Samuel L. Jackson     1994   supp   Pulp Fiction

                  ASIAN (including Polynesian)

Miyoshi Umeki         1957   supp   Sayonara             WON
Sessue Hayakawa       1957   supp   The Bridge on the River Kwai
Mako                  1966   supp   The Sand Pebbles
Jocelyn LaGarde       1966   supp   Hawaii
Haing S. Ngor         1984   supp   The Killing Fields   WON
Noriyuki "Pat" Morita 1984   supp   The Karate Kid

                         NATIVE AMERICAN

Chief Dan George      1970   supp   Little Big Man
Graham Greene         1991   supp   Dances with Wolves (Oneida (Iroquois))

			     HISPANIC
Anthony Quinn         1952   lead   Viva Zapata           WON
Anthony Quinn         1956   lead   Lust for Life         WON
Rita Moreno           1961   supp   West Side Story       WON
Norma Aleandro        1987   supp   Gaby--A True Story
Andy Garcia           1991   supp   The Godfather Part III
Rosie Perez           1993   supp   Fearless

Note that John Singleton is now the first black to be nominated as
best director (1991, BOYZ N THE HOOD).


[Thanks to Jon Conrad, conrad@sun.acs.udel.edu, for bulk of this answer.
John Cawley, johnmike@news.delphi.com, maintains a list of Native American
actors and their tribes.]


8) What are all the James Bond films and who played Bond?

   "Casino Royale" episode of CLIMAX TV series   1954   Barry Nelson
   Dr. No					 1962   Sean Connery
   From Russia With Love			 1963   Sean Connery
   Goldfinger				         1964   Sean Connery
   Thunderball				         1965   Sean Connery
   Casino Royale				 1967   David Niven*
   You Only Live Twice			         1967   Sean Connery
   On Her Majesty's Secret Service		 1969   George Lazenby
   Diamonds Are Forever			         1971   Sean Connery
   Live and Let Die			         1973   Roger Moore
   The Man With the Golden Gun		         1974   Roger Moore
   The Spy Who Loved Me			         1977   Roger Moore
   The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation
        as We Know It			         1977   x
   Moonraker				         1979   Roger Moore
   For Your Eyes Only			         1981   Roger Moore
   Octopussy				         1983   Roger Moore
   Never Say Never Again			 1983   Sean Connery
   The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.	 1983   George Lazenby+
   A View to a Kill			         1985   Roger Moore
   The Living Daylights			         1987   Timothy Dalton
   Licence to Kill				 1989   Timothy Dalton
   "Diamonds Aren't Forever" episode of ALFRED
   	HITCHCOCK PRESENTS		         1989   George Lazenby=
   Goldeneye                                     1995   Pierce Brosnan


* Woody Allen plays his nephew, "Jimmy Bond"
+ Only a cameo--Lazenby drives an Aston Martin with license plate "JB" in
  this made-for-television movie and is clearly supposed to be Bond,
  though he is never called by name.
= Lazenby plays "James ... [sic]" 
x Bond does not appear, but "Miss Moneypacket" drives a car with a "JB 007"
  license plate.

(Many people say that CASINO ROYALE is not a real Bond movie, but
rather a parody.  NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN is a movie not made by Broccoli
& Co, but otherwise has the usual look.  "The Strange Case...," "The
Return of ...," and "Diamonds Aren't Forever" are also not part of the
"main line" of Bond films.)

(Michael Golan mentions also CANNONBALL (1976), but in that Roger Moore
is explicit that he is *Roger Moore*, not James Bond, in spite of all
appearances.  Still, some may want to count this.  "M" and "Miss
Moneypacket" appear in "The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation as
We Know It," a 1977 British television production starring John Cleese;
they were played by Kenneth Benda and Charlotte Alexandra respectively.)

Bruce Long (bruce@asu.edu) says, "The 'Hostage'" episode of 'The Master'
(series starring Lee Van Cleef) has George Lazenby and David McCallum as
guest stars.  Each of them are obviously supposed to be his famous
character (but McCallum is the villain, as though Kuryakin had become
cynical in his later years)."

9) What are those funny dots that blink on in the upper-right corner of
    films?

These are cue marks, or "reel-change dots," signaling the projectionist
that it is time to change reels.  There is actually a set of dots.
Four consecutive frames are marked with a little circle in the upper
right-hand corner of the frame.  The first set (4 frames) of cue marks
(the motor cue) is placed 198 frames before the end of the reel.  (198
frames is 8.25 seconds, or 12.375 feet.) There are 172 frames between
the first set of cue marks and the second set of 4 frames, the
changeover cue.  There are 18 frames between the changeover cue and the
runout section of the trailer (or foot) leader.  The projectionist
threads up the next reel of film so that he has about nine feet of
leader between the lens and the start of the film.  At the first cue
mark, he starts the motor on the second projector.  This gives the
projector time to get up to to speed and for the speed to stabilize.
On the second cue mark, he throws the switches that change the picture
and sound sources.  In some old films on TV, you'll see long changeover
cues since some projectionists were paranoid that they would not see
the marks.

Video versions usually do not have these dots because when the transfer
was made, the original negative was used, or a postive that was made
from the original negative was used.  Sometimes an interneg is used.
In any event, only prints that make it to the theatre have the
change-over dots.  For older movies, sometimes the only available
print is a release print, which means the dots will appear.

(Paul Parenteau [dog@sequent.COM], Ron Birnbaum [ron@osf.org], Harris
Minter [harris.minter@datadim.com], Jeffry L. Johnson
[ac717@cleveland.freenet.edu], and Mike Brown
[vidiot!brown%astroatc.UUCP@spool.cs.wisc.edu]).

10) How do films, actors, etc., get nominated for Academy Awards?

The general model is that the Academy members who work in the particular
specialty make the nominations.  Thus, the Academy's actors nominate the
performers (no sex differentiation - actors/actresses both nominate actors/
actresses), directors nominate directors, writers nominate writers, etc.
All Academy members get to nominate films.  In the categories of foreign
language film, documentary, and short film, the Academy does things a bit
differently.  (See below.)

All Academy members get to vote on all awards, except for the foreign
language film (and possibly the documentary and short film awards).
Only members who have seen the nominated films get to vote on the foreign
language film awards.

Foreign language films are nominated by a complicated [and totally
ineffective] process.  Each nation of the world (except possibly the
United States) [though there was a Puerto Rican entry a few years ago]
can submit one film per year for consideration.  The film must have had
its first run in that country that year, and there are a variety of
other arcane, frequently changing rules to determine eligibility.  (A
few years ago, the Dutch film "The Vanishing" wasn't eligible because
of a rule that stated the film had to be almost entirely in the
language of its native country to qualify; "The Vanishing" had much
more French than Dutch.  That rule was changed.  Recently, a supposedly
Uruguayan film was removed from consideration because the Academy
determined that the Uruguayan participation in it was insufficient to
make it truly Uruguayan.)  The national film boards of the various
countries select the film they will submit, and there is room for
controversy here, too.  A couple of years ago, the German national film
board caused a major fuss by refusing to nominate "Europa, Europa" for
the award.  Both German and American filmmakers protested, but to no
avail.  The nature of the nominating process is such that, some years,
two great films will come from one country, but only one can be
nominated.  In some cases, the producers of the other will use various
tricks to get it submitted by another country.  For example, "Close To
Eden" was a French financed film, but was made in Russia by a Russian
director, and hence could be submitted by Russia.  More
controversially, "Black and White In Color", a French film largely in
French, by a French director, but set in Africa, was submitted by the
African nation where it was filmed.

A board of "experts" [and Lord only knows what makes them experts!]
then reviews all submitted foreign films to select five to nominate.

In the case of documentary and short films, anyone can send their film
to the Academy for consideration.  The film basically has to have been
made for theatrical purposes (this issue is very fuzzy, but an obvious
television episode is not eligible), and has to have had its first
release that year.  There are separate boards for documentaries (full
length and short) and short films (dramatic live action and animated).
They review all submitted films and select at most five for
nomination.  [And apparently they often don't view each film
completely.]  The animation board frequently chooses only three films,
rather than five.  These boards are generally made up of volunteers who
may or may not work in the particular fields.

This process has come under fire in the last few years, particularly as
regards documentaries.  Many of the best known and best reviewed
documentaries of the past five years ("Roger and Me", "The Thin Blue
Line", "Paris Is Burning", "Brother's Keeper", and "A Brief History of
Time", to name a few) have not been nominated.  There are periodic
calls to do something about it, but, basically, the Academy doesn't
give a damn about these categories, and, in fact, is trying to drop the
short film categories.  (In the interests of, in the words of one
commentator, "more smoke and dancing girls" at the Awards ceremony.)
Short films received a one-year reprieve in 1993, but may be dropped
from future Award ceremonies, or perhaps be treated like the scientific
and engineering awards.  [Though even in 1993, the winners were merely
announced; they did not get to come up and accept the awards, or give a
thank-you speech.]

Special awards (like those recently given to Audrey Hepburn and
Federico Fellini) are handled specially.  They are chosen by the
Academy's board, and they are not necessarily given every year.

I'm not sure what the procedure is for the special and scientific
awards.  I suspect that the Academy has committees that handle these.

[Thanks to Peter Reiher, reiher@ficus.cs.ucla.edu, for this.]

11) What are the top ten/twenty grossing films of all time?

As of 09 Sep 96, the top twenty domestic United States grossers are:
	 1. E.T.--THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL (1982)		$400M
	 2. JURASSIC PARK (1993)			$357M
	 3. FORREST GUMP (1994)				$330M
	 4. STAR WARS (1977)				$323M
	 5. THE LION KING (1994)			$313M
	 6. HOME ALONE (1990)				$286M
	 7. INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996)			$283M
	 8. RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)			$264M
	 9. JAWS (1975)					$260M
	10. BATMAN (1989)				$251M
	11. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)		$242M
	12. GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)				$239M
	13. BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984)			$235M
	14. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)		$223M
	15. MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1995)			$219M
	16. GHOST (1990)				$218M
	17. ALADDIN (1992)				$217M
	18. BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)			$208M
	19. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)		$204M
	20. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1987)	$197M

As of 19 Nov 93, the top ten overseas grossers are:
	 1. JURASSIC PARK (1993)			$511M
	 2. E.T. -- THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL (1982)		$302M
	 3. GHOST (1990)				$290M
	 4. THE BODYGUARD (1992)			$289M
	 5. PRETTY WOMAN (1989)				$279M
	 6. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)		$263M
	 7. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1987)	$258M
	 8. RAIN MAN (1988)				$240M
	 9. BASIC INSTINCT (1992)			$235M
	10. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991)			$202M

Therefore, it appears as though the worldwide winners are:
	 1. JURASSIC PARK (1993)			$920M*
	 2. E.T. -- THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL (1982)		$702M
	 3. GHOST (1990)				$508M
	 4. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)		$467M
	 5. PRETTY WOMAN (1989)				$457M
	 6. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1987)	$455M

[I realize that the JP figure is greater than the sum of the two parts,
but I have not seen updates for the foreign-only grosses lately.  None of
these are not are adjusted for inflation.  I will note that three-quarters
of them are SF in some form or other.]

12) How can I find out where a certain movie is playing?

In general, there is no way that works everywhere.  In the New York,
New Jersey and Southern California areas, there is a phone service to
help you.  Call 777-FILM and follow the instructions (you punch in the
first three letters of the film title and your ZIP code) to find out the
theater closest to you with a particular film, and the remaining show
times.  You can also order tickets by credit card through them.  In the
Dallas/Fort Worth area, it's 444-FILM.  For something more esoteric
(like "where can I see the latest Jackie Chan film?") you're out of
luck unless you know the distributor and call them.

13) What is a director's cut?

Contracts under the terms of the Hollywood Director's Guild allow about
six weeks for a director to assemble a cut without studio
interference.  This is fully edited and has a synchronized sound track,
however, it is usually not color-corrected nor density-corrected and
may not have the final music and effects track.  In more recent times
due to an expanding video aftermarket, the term director's cut has
acquired a popular meaning that implies a finished final print,
different from the theatrical release, that the director has complete
artistic control over.  [muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au]

Bob Morris (morris@sce.carlton.ca) believes the first widespread use of
the term was with the 1989 re-release of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.

14) Are there any Web sites for movie scripts?

The following is one WEB site i know of:
http://pobox.com/~drew/scripts.htm.  There are probably others.  There
may be also scripts at sites with archives related to specific films or
sub-genres.  Don't forget that most scripts are copyrighted.  Scripts
may be obtainable by stores dealing in movie materials or books; see
the rec.arts.books FAQs on bookstores for some suggestions.

15) What is Roger Ebert's email address?

As advertised in the CompuServe Roger Ebert Forum as the "talk to Roger"
address, it is 76711.271@compuserve.com.

However, CompuServe has a surcharge for both receiving (if read) and
sending email to the Internet, so there's no guarantee that email sent
to the above address will be accepted, much less read, much less
responded to.

16) Is Jodie Foster gay?

Yes.


[Thanks to Peter Reiher, reiher@ficus.cs.ucla.edu, for this answer.]

PART TWO: Frequent Topics and other things we just thought you might
like to know.  First a few general notes... The readership of
rec.arts.movies is in the whole very knowledgeable about a wide
range of movies.  However, it is my informal assessment that
science fiction and fantasy movies are discussed and analyzed far
beyond their popularity in most of the rest of the world.  This is
neither good nor bad, and the reason for it seems fairly obvious
to me.  The readership of this group reflects the broader
readership of USENET.  This latter population is top heavy with
computer scientists and other forms of science scholars.  There is
a correlation (though not necessarily a causal relationship) between
being in one of these professions, and an interest in science
fiction and fantasy.  Okay, enough of that.  Now, here are some
things which come up often, and, while you are free to discuss
them, you should be forewarned that some long-time readers may get
fairly fed-up with you.


PART THREE: Frequently discussed topics:

1) PRODUCT PLACEMENTS IN MOVIES.  In many films, the film company
will get paid by some companies to use their products.  Some
readers object to this as a fairly manipulative and distracting
presence.  Others do not object, commenting that people really do
use name-brand products, so using them in films makes sense.
Many have commented on the pack of Marlboro cigarettes in DEAD AGAIN,
saying this was the best product placement they had ever seen.


Other information:  There are several lists revolving around film that
are kept by netters.  These frequently come up.

One major project is a list of votes/ratings of a plethora of movies.
This list is maintained by Chuck Musciano,
(chuck@trantor.harris-atd.com), and it is posted regularly, with a
chance for people to vote.  The report is also available via anonymous
ftp from penguin.gatech.edu (128.61.9.46) in the pub/movie directory.

Evelyn Leeper (eleeper@lucent.com) provides several services for the
r.a.m readers (aside from her many postings), including maintaining
these lists:

       -- Academy Award Nominations & Winners from 1987 on
       -- Hollywood Vocabulary (such terms as chopsocky, bowed,
          helmed, etc.)
       -- Information on what all those people listed in film
          credits do (e.g. key grip, gaffer...).

Evelyn is also the moderator of the group rec.arts.movies.reviews, which
is a collection of movie reviews written by USENET-ers.
The rec.arts.movies.reviews archives are currently stored on FTP.UU.NET
which is a UNIX machine, and are in the directory
~ftp/usenet/rec.arts.movies.reviews.  The archives are currently
available to anyone with FTP access to this machine.  The files are
arranged alphabetically in parallel directories, one with full-length
filenames, one with 14-character filenames.  There is also a directory
with the reviews by archival number.  Read the README in
~ftp/usenet/rec.arts.movies.reviews for details.  You can also refer to
the INDEX* files, which will help you find reviews within festival
reports and so on.  If you have no FTP access, you can request copies
of reviews (12 or less at a time) by sending mail to Evelyn.

Bob Niland (rjn@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM) has several articles on Laser Disc
technology and availability available from his archives.  You may request
any of these at any time.  Recent copies are also available for anonymous
ftp on:
	princeton.edu (128.112.128.1, directory pub/Video/Niland) and
	bobcat.bbn.com (128.89.2.103),
	wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (192.88.110.20).

Lastly, there are a series of movie trivia contests.  Some of these
even offer prizes!  The initial contest postings generally include
information on how to enter.  The important point is that you
should never post answers, but should send them e-mail.

====================================================================

(Contributions for addition to this FAQL gratefully appreciated.
Suggestions for things *I* should write to add to this FAQL are not so
gratefully appreciated.)

============================================================================
Copyright Notice

This FAQ is not to be reproduced for commercial use unless the party
reproducing the FAQ agrees to the following:
    
 1) They will contact the FAQ maintainer to obtain the latest version for
    their collection.
 2) They will provide the FAQ maintainer with information on what collection
    the copy of the FAQ is in, and how that collection may be obtained.
 3) They will agree, in writing, that the FAQ will be included in the
    collection without modification, and that acknowledgements of
    contributors (if any) to the FAQ remain in the FAQ.
 4) They will agree, in writing, that the collection including the FAQ will
    be distributed on either a non-profit basis, or have some percentage of
    profit donated to a non-profit literacy program.  Project Gutenberg
    counts.

Information contained in the FAQ is compiled from many sources.  No
guarantees are made as to its accuracy.

To support this, this FAQ is Compilation Copyright 1996 by Evelyn C. Leeper
(the FAQ maintainer).

===========================================================================

Evelyn C. Leeper | +1 908 957 2070 | eleeper@lucent.com

-- 
Evelyn C. Leeper    |  eleeper@lucent.com
+1 908 957 2070     |  http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4824
"El sueno de la razon produce monstruos."
--caption to plate 43 of Goya's "Caprichios"
