Manila Ice

On June 9, Imelda opens in selected theaters. The New York Times synopsizes it thusly: "a documentary about Imelda Marcos, former beauty queen, enthusiastic consumer and first lady of the Philippines. The film focuses on her marriage to Ferdinand Marcos (the two of them were in power from 1966 to 1986), their human rights record, her love for the grand life and, of course, her 3,000 pairs of shoes. Ramona S. Diaz directed."

Now, Fenton Bailey, one of two fearless, um, leaders here at WOW, has been nudging me for weeks about Imelda Marcos for this reason or that reason. Why? I don't know, but I think he has a thing for dictators (see The Hidden Fuhrer). Or pumps. I'm just saying. Anyway, this is Bailey's latest missive on the dictator's wife.

At last! The shoe lady and former dictatortrix of the Philippines returns triumphant in a remarkably restrained non-camp fest.

It's a crime no one wants to make a series about the taste of the world's great dictators, since with the current obsession with all things bling bling, they live the largest, and commit the most heinous crimes against good taste. Any totalitarian worth his salt must have an 'edifice complex' aka love of building fab palaces for the edification of the poor--at their expense of course. Imelda was no exception, building a spanking museum cum palace to her royal Evitaness smack in the middle of the ghetto. The shirtless ones lap it up!

And the widow of the Shah of Iran had something profound to say in the Sunday New York Times magazine recently: "People say money doesn't bring you happiness. But it makes it easy to live with misery in comfort." So true.

IMELDA
www.imeldathemovie.com
U.S. Playdate Summary
Starts Wednesday, June 9-New York City (exclusive 2-week run from June 9 to June 22)
Starts Friday, June 11-San Francisco, Berkeley, Chicago, Denver, San Diego, Honolulu/Aiea
Starts Friday, June 25-Los Angeles/ Cerritos
August/ September-Seattle, Atlanta, St. Louis, Boston

NEW YORK CITY-OPENS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9
Film Forum Theatre
Daily Showtimes: 1:00, 3:15, 5:45, 7:50, 10:00
Address: 209 West Houston St. (off 6th Avenue)
New York, NY (downtown Manhattan)
Take #1 or # 9 train to Houston St. (within the block)
Or take A/B/C/D/E/F/V to West 4th St. (2 blocks)
Tickets are $10 / Group Sales Price $5 (for 12 or more)
Buy tickets in advance starting June 2
Online at www.filmforum.com
Film Forum, ph: 212-727-8110, 212-627-2035
For more info, call Unico: 646-435-9431, vincemagi@cs.com

SAN FRANCISCO-OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 11
Landmark Lumiere Theatre
1572 California St. at Polk
San Francisco, CA 94109
Ph 415-267-4893
www.landmarktheatres.com
(Official Selection, San Francisco Asian International Filmfest 2004)

BERKELEY-OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 11
Landmark Shattuck Cinemas
2230 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley CA 94704
Ph 510-464-5990
www.landmarktheatres.com

SAN DIEGO-OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 11
Landmark La Jolla Village Cinemas
8879 Villa La Jolla Drive
San Diego CA
Ph 619-819-0236
www.landmarktheatres.com

CHICAGO-OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 11
Landmark Century Centre Cinemas
2828 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL
Ph 773-509-4949
www.landmarktheatres.com

DENVER-OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 11
Landmark Chez Artiste Cinema
4150 E. Amherst Avenue
Denver CO
Ph 303-352-1992
www.landmarktheatres.com
(Opening Night Selection, Denver Asian International Film Festival 2004)

HONOLULU/ AIEA-OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 11
Pacific's Consolidated Pearl Ridge West 16 Cinemas
Pearl Ridge Center Phase 2
98-1005 Moanalua Rd., Aiea Hawaii
Ph 808-593-3000
www.consolidatedcinemas.com

LOS ANGELES-OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 25
Landmark Westside Pavilion Theatre
10800 Pico Blvd. at Overland Drive
West Los Angeles CA 90064
Ph 310-281-8223
www.landmarktheatres.com
(Official Selection/Competition, IFP Los Angeles Film Festival 2004)

L.A. / CERRITOS-OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 25
Regal Edwards Cerritos 10
12761 Towne Centre Drive
Cerritos CA
Ph 562-403-1133
www.regalcinemas.com

PHILIPPINES (METRO MANILA & PROVINCES)-OPENS JULY 3
(theatres to be announced soon)

SEATTLE, ATLANTA, BOSTON, ST. LOUIS-OPENS AUGUST / SEPTEMBER
(Landmark Theatres-to be announced soon)