There had been a lot of fuss over movies like Hostel and Wolf Creek , whose plots sparked controversy over this new trend of 'snuff' horror. What did their popularity really say about the morbid curiosity of the moviegoing public? And how far should a film go before it's deemed absurd and unwatchable? Well, what about a flick that had real footage of a person ending their life?

The idea of the 'snuff film' came to prominence mainly as an urban legend in the 70's, but an article in The New York Times thinks that two new documentaries that are about to premier at New York's IFC Center may 'legitimize" the idea of an honest-to-goodness snuff film. The Bridge was directed by Eric Steel and has a deceptively simple premise: Steel placed cameras with telephoto lenses across from the Golden Gate Bridge, which was a common spot for jumpers. The film shows footage from several suicides, and Steel used the film to successfully argue for a suicide barrier on the bridge. The film Exit (directed by Fernand Melger), chose not to film the final moments of people who are members of Exit Society; a Swiss organization which helps facilitate suicides for the terminally ill.

As disturbing as the thought of watching these films might be, at least there is hope for a thoughtful approach to the subject as opposed to, say, Faces of Death. No subject should ever be considered off-limits and maybe 'snuff' is a harsh term for what these movies really are. Either way I'm just not sure I have the stomach for it. Do you think that these films have gone too far?

The tragedy of Jonestown was the ultimate failure of the 'free love' commune lifestyle. In 1978, 913 followers of The Peoples Temple committed mass suicide. 18 years later that event is still in the popular conscience -- we've all heard the phrase "drink the kool-aid"; tasteless maybe, but the morbid never fails to fascinate. So on that note, the trailer for the documentary Jonestown: The Life and Death of The Peoples Temple is now online at Apple. The film was directed by Stanley Nelson, and attempts to explain how a group of people with only the best intentions for living in peace, harmony and all that good stuff could culminate in a shoot-out with government agents and mass murder. Thankfully, the film seems to steer clear of any wacky conspiracy theories about the tragedy and there are some winners, believe me. The film got favorable reviews on the festival circuit and while there was concern that the film would not get a theatrical release, a limited release began on October 20th. The director has also promised that the film will air on PBS in the future.

[via Apple-Trailers]

Few modern directors have a signature style as easily identifiable as Tsai Ming-liang's. For one thing, Tsai uses very little dialogue and long, static takes with very little movement. He always works with the same actor, the deadpan Lee Kang-sheng (who also goes by his movie character's name, Hsiao-kang), perhaps a deliberate homage to Francois Truffaut's cycle of "Antoine Doinel" films starring Jean-Pierre Leaud. (Leaud literally grows up in these films, which include The 400 Blows, Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board, Love on the Run and the short film Antoine et Colette.)

In Tsai's great What Time Is It There? (2001) -- his most obvious Truffaut tribute -- Hsiao-kang plays a watch salesman who falls for Shiang-chyi (Chen Shiang-chyi) just before she goes off to France. He pines after her, renting French movies (The 400 Blows) and wondering about her. Later he meets the real-life Leaud in a park.

Alexander Sokurov achieved considerable art house success with his 2002 Russian Ark, and with that newfound clout he returns to complete his "dictator" trilogy. The rather grim Moloch (1999), about a weekend with Hitler in his bunker, is available on DVD. Telets (2001), which as far as I can tell, never found much of a U.S. audience, was about Lenin, and now we get the surprisingly enjoyable The Sun, depicting the last days in power of Emperor Hirohito. (Please see also the very capable Martha Fischer's previous review from NYFF.)

Issei Ogata (Yi Yi, Tony Takitani) gives an amazing performance as Hirohito, waited on hand and foot, and barely able to dress himself. He's considered a quasi-deity by his people, too important to bother with the mundane details of mere human life. He has an odd tick in which his lips puff in and out, as if he were speaking and we simply can't hear him, or as if he were a fish out of water, gasping for breath. He spends a good deal of time writing bad poetry and letters to his son, as well as puttering with his hobby, marine biology.

The following were viewed at the 49th San Francisco International Film Festival. Since these films are scheduled to open later in the year, we offer short previews of each.

Factotum
Matt Dillon stars as Henry Chinaski, a stand-in for Charles Bukowski, who wrote the book upon which Factotum is based. Basically a series of seriocomic episodes, the film focuses on Henry, who drifts through life and several jobs. He walks off in the middle of a few tasks -- from delivering ice to polishing statues -- only to be found later hunched over a bar. He sticks for a while with one girlfriend, Jan (Lili Taylor), who seems to like him better when he's unemployed. Norwegian director Bent Hamer (Kitchen Stories) gives Factotum a kind of dingy warmth, where time and boredom stretch out into infinity, but in a reassuring kind of way. Dillon narrates, chomping on the rich dialogue with a Bukowskian drawl.

Half Nelson
Ryan Gosling, who normally works with a kind of self-satisfied smirk on his mug, steps up several notches with a beautifully concrete performance made of guts and soul. He plays a white teacher in an inner-city school. Drugs are prevalent; each kid probably knows or is related to someone who deals, and even the teacher himself uses. One student, 13-year-old Drey (Shareeka Epps), discovers his secret and they become unlikely friends. You wait for the Lolita stuff to kick in, but it never does; Half Nelson is a rare movie about relationships without gimmicks. Epps and Gosling perform several scenes together, many in long takes, and while he is superb, she matches his every move. Director Ryan Fleck makes his feature debut.

The San Francisco International Film Festival -- or Sfiffffff, as it's spit in a flurry of fricatives down at the speech-therapy clinic -- is still continuing up until the 4th, with plenty of good stuff yet to see -- including Factotum and Half Nelson on Sunday. Great coverage is at the Bay Guardian, the Weekly and the always-fun SFist.

United 93 is also getting a certain amount of local coverage -- the flight was bound for San Francisco -- and the reviews run the gamut, from Mick LaSalle at the Chronicle to Cheryl Eddy at the SFBG.

On the Rep scene this weekend, the Red Vic has We Jam Econo, the Minutemen Documentary; the Balboa continues their engagement of the excellent I Am a Sex Addict, and the Clay's Midnight screening is Rushmore.

Last night, Ed Harris was honored by the SFIFF; I hope to god nobody brought up The Rock,

J.

This disease-of-the-week chick flick sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but All About Love effortlessly sucked me in, working its hypnotic spell with shiny, lovely little trinkets and gorgeous hearts.

It begins with a torrent of exposition, which would ordinarily be enough to send me running away. Ko (Andy Lau) works in a hospital; his hot up-and-coming status keeps him busy all the time, as his higher-ups keep dragging him into important meetings. Lucky for him, his impossibly adorable new wife, Zi-qing (pop singer Charlene Choi), always forgives him (she jokingly keeps a running tally of cancelled dinners). With a fresh driver's license, she comes to pick him up from work, but when he cancels on her once again, she shrugs and turns right around. Unfortunately, she dies in a car crash on the way home.

Yes, the 49th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival begins today -- Whoo-hoo! We at Cine will have our capsule reviews starting tomorrow, but if you're looking for overviews and reviews right now, both the SF Weekly and the SFBG have great stuff. Michael Fox talks to -- and about -- new Executive Director Graham Leggat in the Weekly, and Johnny Ray Huston has more at SFBG.com. Plus, the SFBG has plenty of capsule reviews and more, including ever-ready Cheryl Eddy's interview with the directors of Metal: A Headbanger's Journey as well as the irreplaceable B. Ruby Rich's talk with Sarah Watt, the animator-turned-live-action-director behind Look Both Ways. The fest goes on until the fourth -- at which point it closes with A Prairie Home Companion, which, to be blunt, I walked out of -- and there's plenty to see and do at between now and then.

Of course, if you're looking for less 'high art' and more just plain 'high,' there's a 4:20 PM screening of The Big Lebowski at the Red Vic today. Aah, multi-layered stoner humor. It's like a breath of dank, weed-filled air.

I saw Gavin Newsom drinking a Pina Colada at Trader Vic's; his hair was perfect,

J.

If you're a SF local, you've got a rare chance to enjoy a great bunch of films coming up with more than a little local flavor, thanks to The Balboa Theater's Reel SF series. This second annual iteration of the festival features classic flicks shot and set in San Francisco shown on the big screen; films playing include Clark Gable's San Francisco, D.O.A., and the early Woody Allen effort Take the Money and Run; there's plenty more in the screening series, which starts Sunday and goes on until Thurs. 27th.

And of course, the San Francisco Film Festival starts next Thursday -- kicking off with Peter Ho-Sum Chan's Perhaps Love and a fancy-schmancy party at The Regency Ballroom that night. We've got some more info here, but, as ever, SF360.org is on top of the Festival like that pointy, post-hole digger hat is on top of the Pope.

Finally, The Clay's got a great midnight movie selection as part of the 8 Tales series: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Either I'm reading way too many he-died-so-we-might-live Spock-and-Jesus metaphors into the timing of this weekend's selection, or somone on the programming staff has a great sense of humor.

Oh, and, if you live in San Francisco, that great blazing orb you saw in the sky yesterday is known as the sun; don't be scared.

Starting April 20th, the 49th annual San Francisco International Film Festival is shaping up to be a terrific fest -- and a lot livelier than in the past under the hand of new Executive Director Graham Leggat. How lively? Well, there's not just the usual screenings at city theaters this time around; there's also going to be a series of 'satellite screenings' at various venues around town -- plus live 'film remixing,' silent films with live orchestral accompaniment and a few other surprises. Sure, some of the extraneous events may seem a little gimmicky -- Do we need Tilda Swinton's face projected three stories high on various municipal buildings? -- but there's a great catalog of films screening, as well as an awards night honoring Werner Herzog, Ed Harris and Jean-Claude Carrière. Not only is the Festival's site jam-packed with info and how to get tickets, but Festival parent The San Francisco Film Society has also  launched, in conjunction with the good folks at Indiewire, SF360.org -- a brand-new, year-round guide to film happenings and news in the Bay Area, including the festival picks of the inestimable B. Ruby Rich. Add in announced guests like Guy Madden and Tilda Swinton, and you've got a very new, very different SFIFF ... Cinematical's on-the-ground coverage starts next week with previews of films and more -- and you might want to get your tickets now.