I have been remiss in pointing out some of the special film events rolling into the Twin Cities in coming weeks.

"Mike Leigh: Moments" is underway at the Walker, and the great man himself will be in town on Wednesday to do a Regis Dialog. Leigh's films have examined the domestic minutia of British life for decades, and it's hard to leave one of his features without a sense that you have just experienced something very real.

Mizna, the Arab-American cultural organization has just announced the website for the 5th Twin Cities Arab Film Festival. As ever there is a broad selection of films from across the Arab world, and they'll all be shown at the Heights in Columbia Heights.

Also the Sound Unseen festival of music on film is just a week after that opening on the 23rd and running through the 27th. It's website is up too, and it features everything from the new Garrison Keillor film and a doc on how to make a Steinway piano, to a new film on Duluth-based "Low" and "Anvil" which follows the career of the seminal heavy metal band which went on to influence a generation of heavy rockers. It's the closing night, and the band is invited!

And on top of that Found Footage Festival is also returning: this is the brainchild of former Minnesota lads Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher who scour the country looking for strange bits of little seen film and then assemble them into a night of hilarity. They are doing shows at the Heights on October 23rd.

I needed to take in a screening of "The Duchess" late this afternoon as research for an upcoming interview. I battled traffic across St Paul but was delighted to get to the theater with what seemed like a decent amount of time to spare.

It was past the start time listed in the paper, but I knew this theater usually does at least 10 minutes of previews so I was in the zone.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a long line, as in 10 people, at the box office. And the line wasn't moving.

The reason? There was only one ticket seller and the couple at the front of the line were discussing which movie they wanted to see. They pointed and they discussed. They changed their minds and pointed and talked some more.

The clock kept ticking and the line kept growing. Finally they decided, and they began flipping through their wallets to decide which credit card to use. More delay! Finally, after what seemed like a prolonged farewell to the young lady in the box office they moved on.

Next up were two ladies, one of whom decided to pay with singles. However when she tried to push them through the slot in the window, the air blasting out of the box office caught the bills and scattered them across the foyer. More delay.

Finally I got up front, paid in a flash and headed in (to the most distant theater natch.) I was sure I was going to have missed the first 10 minutes.

But it seems they show even more previews in the afternoon. So I saw the whole of the "Milk" trailer before the lights went down for the show.

On reflection now I suppose I am a little jealous that people can turn up to a theater without knowing what they are going to see, but maybe they should wait to get in line until they have decided for sure.

It's not often I get to dress up while on assignment. But when I was out reporting the Neil Gaiman story a couple of weeks ago it was great fun to put on the bee-suit which is meant to protect you from the bees once they realize you are in fact pinching their honey.

In a moment of vanity I asked one of the others to take a picture of me attempting an interview while still encased in the aforementioned suit.

Neil Gaiman was game and began telling about an important lesson he learned from Robert Zemeckis on the set of "Beowulf."

Gaiman was there in his role as scriptwriter. Zemeckis told him how he had learned from another older director that whenever you are having your picture taken, you should be pointing.

The pointing indictes that you are the director. It doesn't matter that you aren't pointing at anything, you just have to point.

Which is the explanation behind the picture at left.

We didn't talk a huge amount about movies, but it's always interesting to hear what Neil Gaiman is up to, so feel free to check out our chat about how he is using the internet to market his new novel, "The Graveyard Book.".

He did mention that his is currently working on a screenplay for "Anansi Boys." He will also be showing clips from the film adaptation of "Coraline" when he reads at 7pm on a Wednesday night at the United Church of Christ on Summit Ave in St Paul.

Here's a sneak peak:

Last night the internet disc service delivered "Aberdeen" Hans Petter Moland's family drama from 2000 to Natters Mansions.

It's a remarkably poignant story about a young Scots woman sent by her mother to find her estranged alcoholic Norwegian father. Lena Headey (currently appearing as Sarah Connor in "Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles") turns in a remarkable performance as the young woman Kaisa, as does Stellan Skarsgard as Tomas the father. Charlotte Rampling is, as ever, stunning as the mother.

Moland neatly bounces the characters off one another and slowly reveals both their strengths and weaknesses in a way which gradually changes the dynamic. The constant question is about who is the adult in each situation? The daughter, the father the mother? And if there is no adult, who is in charge?

It's worth a watch.

Well, I had hoped to bring you some thoughts from "A Serious Man" Executive Producer Robert Graf today.

However late this morning the call came in from the organizers of his chat at Normandale Community College that the movie's production office had decided to limit access to people with notebooks and still cameras. As a radio guy that kind of limits the old options and after much to-ing and fro-ing the massive Movie Natters production staff decided to hold fire, and work on other upcoming features.

Which was pretty cool because this afternoon I got one of the most delightfully strange phone messages I have ever received. Someone from the office of a major sports personality (now retired) called to ask if I knew how to contact Stephen Chow, star of "Kung Fu Hustle." (It seems disrespectful to reveal whose office placed the call.)

Apparently this major former sports star is on his way to meet Stephen Chow in China, but somehow had misplaced his contact info.

Now Chow came through the MPR studios in early 2005. It was a marvelous but brief encounter and then he jumped in his stretch limo and left to go wherever movie stars go after they leave public radio studios.

He didn't leave contact information. I called back and got the message that everyone was out of the office. I just hope the retired sports star discovered where he is going before he got on the plane.

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

There are some great movies opening this weekend. I hope you get a chance to enjoy some.

If you are free and can hop on down to Normandale Community College in Bloomington long-time Coen Bros colleague Robert Graf is going to talk to students about his life and career in the film business.

He was the executive producer on "No Country for Old Men" and is doing the same job on "A Serious Man" which is currently being shot in the Twin Cities.

The fun gets started at 2 p.m., in the Fine Arts Auditorium of Normandale Community College, 9700 France Ave. S., Bloomington. The event is free and open to the public. 



Earlier this year Texan film director Chris Eska came to Minnesota to try to drum up support for his film "August Evening" which was in the running for an Independant Spirit Award.

It must have worked because Eska won the John Cassavetes Award for best film made for under $500,000. Actually he made it for just $40,000 and it is a wonderful little film about illegal immigrants living and working in a Texas border town.

Eska made the film in Spanish, even though he doesn't speak Spanish himself.

Now Twin Citians can get a chance to see the film again as it's going to have a week long run at the Parkway starting October 24th.

Eska will introduce the film along with members of the cast, and "Sweet Land" director Ali Selim who is a great champion of the film. You can catch the trailer here.

Film folk die all the time, but it's only the death of Paul Newman which has had me thinking about going back to explore his filmography. The question is, with so many movies to his credit, which to chose? Lists are easy to find, but what do you think?

"Sometimes a Great Notion" is on my list, as is "Hud." I recently re-watched "Cool Hand Luke" which was a real treat. "Butch Cassidy" I have seen many times and also "The Sting," but what about the others?

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" clearly, "Slapshot?" A double bill with "The Hustler" and "The Color of Money?" There are so many choices and so little time.

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Also if you haven't already heard NPR's Bob Mondello paying tribute to Newman, it's a fine way to spend 8 minutes.

Now Paul Newman's gone. It's a sad day, but it's always good to celebrate the achievements of those who have passed, and Newman did a great deal. There were so many great films, "The Sting," "Cool Hand Luke," "The Hustler" and one of my personal favorites "Sometimes a Great Notion," (known sometimes as "Never Give an Inch") which Newman also directed.

He had a talent for playing the iconoclastic loner, someone who was so dedicated to principle he'll stick with it even if it means personal disaster.

What seems clear too is Newman was a decent guy. He put his money where his mouth was, speaking out and raising money for causes he thought were important. The Newman's Own Foundation put out a release today marking his death and it contained the following lines from Foundation Vice-Chairman Robert Forrester:

"Paul Newman's craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends. And his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place for all. Paul had an abiding belief in the role that luck plays in one's life, and its randomness. He was quick to acknowledge the good fortune he had in his own life, beginning with being born in America, and was acutely aware of how unlucky so many others were. True to his character, he quietly devoted himself to helping offset this imbalance."

Newman is gone, but his legacy artistic and philanthropic remains.