Better safe than sorry, but Wednesday's hurricane scare was really much ado about nothing. "Ernie" turned out to be a tropical storm that brought Central Florida some wind and a bunch of much-needed rain throughout the late afternoon and evening. Let's hope the remaining storms of the season follow his lead.

On another note, Wednesday was also the day one of Orlando's finest journalists and champions of the arts left town to start a new chapter in his life. Steve Schneider, former Arts & Entertainment Editor, film critic, and columnist (the infamous "Dog Playing Poker") for the Orlando Weekly, headed north to begin a Masters in Media Studies program at NYU. For ten years Steve's writing has entertained, informed,and provoked local readers with a satirical edge that always brought a smile to my face, even when he was trashing a festival film or the current Enzian offering. Check out this excerpt from his review of THE QUIET, opening today at Regal Winter Park Village:

An orphaned deaf mute (underage "it" girl Camilla Belle) gets sent to live with an obnoxious cheeleader (Elisha Cuthbert) and her family, all of whom happen to be hiding an unspeakable secret. Believe it or not, it's a revelation more disturbing than the degree to which mama Edie Falco's short haircut makes her resemble Laugh-In's Henry Gibson.

Steve's reviews were often more witty and enjoyable than the films themselves, yet when he saw something that knocked him on his ass (like Park Chan-Wook's LADY VENGEANCE at this year's Florida Film Festival for instance), his writing could also be insightful and intelligent. No film was too small for his attention (see his coverage of events like Brouhaha and many of DMAC's offerings), and he was always a staunch supporter of both indie film and theater in the Orlando area.

Here's wishing him the best of luck in his travels and studies in NYC--this burg will miss him.

--Matthew

Well, here we go again. As Tropical Storm/possible Category 1 Hurricane "Ernesto" barrels north toward the middle of the state, Central Florida braces for a hit from Mother Nature Wednesday afternoon sometime. Both of my kids' schools have closed up shop for the day (following the lead of the Orange County School Board), and we'll have to see how it affects people's moviegoing habits--might just be a little quiet for a change at LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE if Enzian's able to keep its lights on. Ironically, tonight was the rain date for last week's cancelled outdoor screening of MY GIRL as the inaugural film in Sanford's "Cinema in the Park" series. Looks like the celebration may have to wait for September...

The gas tank is filled, I've got plenty of water, and we'll all just "hunker down" for a day if that's what it takes. Lord knows we can certainly use the rain (as long as it's not accompanied by flying objects and power outages).

--Matthew

And that's exactly what took place last weekend during the closing film of the 4th annual Gay Orlando Film Festival. The first-ever lesbian film to close the festival (and the first one to ever sell out as well!), this modern-day update on the 1931 German classic, MAEDCHEN IN UNIFORM, drew fans from all over. Not only did moviegoers come in from up and down the East Coast (including New York, Georgia, and Miami) to see Katherine Brooks' LOVING ANNABELLE--an accomplished and romantic tale of a forbidden student-teacher relationship in a Catholic girls' boarding school--but a young woman even flew in all the way from Australia! Now that's dedication...

The big draw (besides the film itself) was the appearance of both the filmmaker and the striking lead actress, Erin Kelly. Open, charming, and disarmingly honest, they delighted the crowd with stories from the 8-year journey the film took to make it to the big screen. The director even expressed a certain amount of surprise in the amount of men in the audience in her intro prior to the film. Apparently co-star Diane Gaidry, who does such an excellent job as Simone, the repressed and emotionaly torn poetry teacher, was an emergency fill-in at the last moment. Talk about fortuitous breaks! Florida Film Festival-goers probably remember her from her excellent turns in past competition feature, THE DOGWALKER (2003), and last year's provocative short, TRANSACTION (2006), both directed by Diane's talented husband, filmmaker Jacques Thelemaque. They also discussed co-star and veteran character actor, Kevin McCarthy, who plays a priest at the school and ironically also starred in last year's Closing Night Retro film at FFF, the 50's sci-fi classic INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.

Katherine talked about her next project, tentatively titled MAD WORLD and set in New Orleans, which she hopes to start shooting in February. Erin and Olivia D'Abo, who composed the closing song in ANNABELLE, are also part of the creative team for the new film. Both the director and actress hung out in the courtyard after the screening for nearly an hour, giving generously of their time and making a real connection with their fans. It was a real treat to have them both to Enzian, and they certainly were a big part of a very successful year for the Gay Orlando Film Festival (which also featured ANOTHER GAY MOVIE, CAMP OUT, AVAILABLE MEN, and 50 WAYS OF SAYING FABULOUS).

--Matthew

The 16th Annual Florida Film Festival will take place March 23 - April 1, 2007 when filmmakers and film lovers can enjoy all the best that Florida has to offer. The Festival includes narrative and documentary features and shorts, animation, midnight movies, and a full array of educational forums, glamorous parties, and other special events. The Florida Film Festival is also a qualifying festival for the Oscars in the category of live action short films. The winner of the Grand Jury Prize Award for Best Narrative Short will automatically qualify to enter the Live Action Short Film category of the Academy Awards.

Of course it was inevitable that some idiot would release some snakes at a screening of SNAKES ON A PLANE, though authorities in Phoenix are now saying it was a hoax and the rattler in the theater was a stray--yeah, right! Either way it makes you think that William Castle could have had a field day with this movie.

How about the St. Louis man who was cooking a burger on his George Foreman grill and claims to have seen an image of the Virgin Mary in the grease collected in the plastic drip pan? Perhaps he was using the special "religious icons" model for that little something extra as your meat gets heated.

In even more absurd (yet certifiable) burger news, the Gateway Grizzlies--a Frontier League baseball team in Saget, Illinois--have been selling "Baseball's Best Burger" for $4.50. What makes it the best? It's a sharp cheddar cheeseburger topped with two slices of bacon, but instead of a bun they use a split Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut . Maybe they also give out Lipitor at the concession stand.

Is this a great country or what?

--Matthew

Enzian is taking the Popcorn Flick concept (free movies and popcorn under the stars) on the road and heading North. Wednesday evening the 23rd marks the inaugural "Cinema in the Park" selection at Centennial Park in Historic Downtown Sanford (incorporated 1877), with a different family-friendly film to be presented each month. Plans are for the initial line-up of films to be highlighted by those produced in the city itself, followed by other movies shot in Florida as the series continues.

Kicking things off at sunset is Howard Zieff's comedic drama, MY GIRL (1991), starring Dan Aykroyd, Macaulay Culkin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Masur, Griffin Dunne, and Anna Chlumsky in the title role. Shot in Sanford, the film tells the story of the 11-year-old daughter of a funeral director on her summer vacation. So get your blanket, picnic basket, and mosquito coil ready, and pray for no late afternoon thunderstorms.

--Matthew

Anyone notice something strange going on in baseball this year? Despite the usual Yankees/Red Sox drama, Oakland's typical second half surge, the Mets' free agents and talented rookies finally paying dividends, the Braves' pitching collapse, the Twins' nice recovery from an awful April and May, and Detroit's remarkable turnaround from years of losing records to post the best one in the league, every week we're seeing something happening for the first time ever. Well OK, the Dodgers did once win 17 out of 18 games in a row--in 1899! And I don't believe that was after losing 13 out of 14, which is how LA came out of the All-Star break recently.

But history was made three times last week, and considering how long the sport's been around, the game is experiencing some highly unusual developments. On Tuesday (and Wednesday morning!), two 18-inning games were played on the same night for the first time in league history. Arizona beat Colorado 2-1 in a game that took 5 hours and 21 minutes and must've featured some fine pitching. Elsewhere in the National League, the Cubs and Astros played an 8-6 game that took 5 hours and 36 minutes, with the Cubbies using all 25 men on their roster. In fact, they had to call up a pitcher from the minors to pitch the day game less than 12 hours after the marathon finally ended--but at least they won. I doubt any of these teams knew they were in for an impromptu doubleheader.

Thursday found the White Sox and Royals both hitting lead off homers two innings in a row (the top and bottom of the first and second). Granted not very exciting, but I was surprised to find out it's never been done before. Perhaps my enthusiasm was tempered by the fact that Chicago (a team I loathe even more than the Red Sox) ended up winning the game. The next night NY and Boston played the second half of a day/night doubleheader. After the matinee took 3 hours, 55 minutes, the nightcap took 4 hours and 45 minutes--the longest 9-inning game in major-league history. Not a good day to be part of the Red Sox nation (they lost both).

So even if you're not a huge fan or your favorite team's biting the big one this year, it still could be worth tuning in or attending--you may just be witnessing a bit of history in the making.

--Matthew

True story. While I was out of town last week on a rough R & R sojourn to St. Augustine, the big local news was the city of Winter Park under siege by a deranged squirrel! On the very site of our monthly Popcorn Flicks presentations in Central Park, this psychotic little mammal (or is it a rodent?) attacked people four days in a row leading up to our packed screening of THE PRINCESS BRIDE. No disrespect intended to the victims both young and old (who I'm sure were quite traumatized and now have to endure a series of rabies shots even though authorities pronounced the ultimately apprehended beast "not rabid"), but that must have been one pissed off furball. According to the newspaper coverage, one local even trapped it under a bucket and called animal control, but when they didn't show up for over two hours, he let it go! And thus the reign of terror continued...

Perhaps this predator was related to the meat-eating black squirrel I saw in NYC last September. Whatever his deal, he's destroying all that good will generated by Florida's world-famous water-skiing squirrel, a role model for proper rodent (mammal?) behavior. The good news is that the culprit was caught and put down before it had a chance to maim any of the 700 or so parents and kids at the Thursday night Popcorn Flick. See--I miss all the exciting crap when I go away.

--Matthew

And I'm not referring to yet another direct-to-video sequel to guilty pleasure/"flask" movie, cheerleader-riffic BRING IT ON (2000), starring the dark and dangerous Eliza Dushku as "Missy" and the blond and perky Kirsten Dunst as her rival in pom-poms, "Torrance." Was the original that good a formula that it demanded the trilogy treatment? I had no idea.

No, the number "4" in this case refers to this weekend's 4th annual Gay Orlando Film Festival, a co-production of Enzian Theater and GayOrlando.com. And what a lineup we have in store, including (as always) a champagne reception one hour prior to each film. The festivities begin on Saturday at 11:00 AM with Todd Stephens' sweetly satirical raunchfest, ANOTHER GAY MOVIE. In the tradition of a way-over-the-top gay American Pie or Porky's, this is the perfect festival opener which will either have people rolling in the aisles or covering their eyes. One critic even compared it to Pink Flamingos--you be the judge! Next up at 1:30 is our award-winning doc feature, Kirk Marcolina and Larry Grimaldi's CAMP OUT, about the first overnight Bible Camp for gay, Christian youths, that is both moving and entertaining, not to mention timely. It will be preceded by David Dean Bottrell's clever and hilarious short, AVAILABLE MEN, about a case of mistaken identity in a bar. Co-starring the under appreciated Jack Plotnick, the film has won both gay (Outfest, Newfest) and straight (Nantucket) festivals in recent months--if everybody likes it, it must be good!

Sunday opens at 11AM with the New Zealand charmer, Stewart Main's 50 WAYS OF SAYING FABULOUS, a beguiling coming-of-age tale about a chubby 12-year-old "poofer," his best friend who's a tomboy, and life on the farm, complete with flights of fancy and stunning vistas. At 1:30 PM the festival concludes with Katherine Brooks' award-winning tale of a forbidden student-teacher relationship at an all-girl Catholic boarding school, LOVING ANNABELLE. Florida Film Festival veteran Diane Gaidry [Jacques Thelemaque's The Dogwalker (2003) and Transaction (2006)] stars as the teacher, and the festival is honored to have both filmmaker Katherine Brooks and co-star Erin Kelly in attendance for Q&A after the screening.

So it's another fun-filled special event at Enzian this weekend that you won't want to miss.

--Matthew

Jesus Christ! No, not your last movie which, to be honest, I have avoided like the plague since its release in 2004. You are in some deep do-do my friend. It's bad enough having a father who's a notorious anti-Semite and Holocaust denier, but I'm guessing your recent "episode" while getting arrested for drunken driving will not enhance your reputation as an open-minded individual who is also not anti-Semitic. True, your "Sugar Tits" comment to a female police officer on the scene was probably not appreciated at the time, though in the proper context, one's girlfriend might find the term cute and affectionate (you did star in WHAT WOMEN WANT after all). The Jewish stuff on the other hand, was incredibly ugly and in bad taste, and alcohol or not, may have finally proved (as the saying goes) that the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. I guess maybe ABC dropping its plans to produce a Holocaust-themed romance/mini-series from your company was a good idea.

Still, you did apologize profusely (though the old "it was the alcohol talking" routine is a bit weak don't you think?) and went into rehab immediately, which is to be commended. You were also quoted as saying that you are not a bigot and asked the Jewish community to help you in your recovery from alcohol addiction. Well, this middle-aged Jewish film programmer believes in forgiveness and second chances (and doesn't drink hard alcohol, though I do love my microbrews and a nice bottle of wine occasionally), so I have a proposition for you: commit to coming to next year's 16th annual Florida Film Festival (March 23 - April 1, 2007, open for submissions now at www.floridafilmfestival.com) along with an archival print of THE ROAD WARRIOR or something else exceptional from your filmography, and I will do everything in my power to lend assistance to your recovery efforts.

Let me know if this works out schedule-wise for you. You should also be aware that our unique and lovely cinema, the Enzian Theater, does serve wine and beer (and gourmet food) during screenings but they're entirely optional. Good luck with APOCALYPTO (an appropriate term for the current state of your career?) and that forgiveness thing from the public.

--Matthew

Congratulations to Ham Tran--writer/director of the powerful and exquisitely filmed Vietnamese epic, JOURNEY FROM THE FALL (VUOT SONG)--for being named to Filmmaker Magazine's "25 New Faces of Independent Film 2006" list. The film, which made its East Coast Premiere at the Florida Film Festival in March and was runner-up for the Audience Award for Best International Feature, focuses on Vietnam after the fall of Saigon and was inspired by actual events. It follows one family's fight for freedom post-April 30, 1975, and sheds new light on the communist political prison camps and the mass exodus of boat people. A Schindler's List for the Vietnamese community, Orlando audiences were incredibly moved by this dramatic tale of faith triumphing over tyranny that finally gives voice to an important untold story.

--Matthew