Horrors, Discontent Wives of Soccer Players and the largest cinema in Holland on offer for the first spring of the New Millennium April 2000 Yes, folks this is the month that the new Pathé ArenA, largest cinema in Holland, will open its doors with 14 theatres, giant screens, and a DTS sound system. Only 3,250 seats available each day, so get there quick. Programming means that whenever you arrive at the multiplex, a film will be showing within fifteen minutes. On the 9th of April, an open day will be held for families and children from 10 A.M. till 4 P.M., during which movie trailers will be running continuously and entertainment (especially orientated toward the kids, including stunt teams, ballet, etc.) should offer everyone an opportunity to enjoy themselves. The grand gala opening, a special event for invited guests, will take place earlier in the month, so everyone can await a special report in next month's Buzz. The "16th Festival of the Fantastic Film" begins in Amsterdam on the 6th of April and will run (old style) for a full week until the 13th (how appropriate). The afternoon and evening screenings this year include a Tim Burton retrospective and several selections from the world of Spanish Cinefantastique as well as various other gems as Darren Aronofsky's "Pi," Jan Svankmajer's "Alice," and Henry Selick's "James and the Giant Peach." Check out what will be bleeding daily at www.fff2000.nl The "Night of Terror" (with thrills for the weak at heart) which runs from midnight Saturday till dawn on Sunday the 4th offers "Pitch Black," "Scream 3" and two other tinglers. Dutch football (spelled soccer in the States) fans, film fans, and sports fans, a new stage play will be touring the Netherlands from May 15th till June 29th. The cast of Reünie (Reunion), which includes Annet Malherb, perform in roles as the wives of athletes Johan Cruijff, Neeskens, Suurbier, Rijsbergen and van de Kerkhof during the European Championship season of 2000 while they reflect back upon the lost championship of 1974. The fact that the Dutch lost the final game to West Germany in München (2-1) is something the Lowlanders still bemoan. This also gives the playwright the opportunity to investigate friendship, betrayal, individuality, fame, jealousy and hate among the wives as they discuss many things, including the fact that they don't accept the loss of that game to this day. Talk about playing games! "Kurt Gerron" a film co-produced by the Dutch Filmmuseum will be making its appearance this month at the pavilion in the Vondelpark in Amsterdam. It is a fascinating and curious docudrama reviewing the life, work, and last days of the famous German cabaret performer who lost his life in Theresienstadt concentration camp. Also making its first appearance in Amsterdam at the same location this month is "The Last Days," a film produced under the auspices of the Steven Spielberg Shoah Project. It includes interviews with survivors of the camps while analyzing the holocaust from the viewpoint of people seeking near-impossible answers to incredible questions. On March 31st and April 1st at the Balie Theatre in Amsterdam there will be a chance once again to see the Bolex-brothers Kafkaesque animation film "The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb." Keep your heads on straight (if you can). While your cruising through the web you might be interested in trying to win some of the prizes (i.e. soundtracks, cd-roms, posters and cinema tickets) being offered starting on April 27th from the Mission Impossible people. You don't have to wait till then to check it out, however. Info is already available at www.missionimpossible.com Of course, in order to partake you have to register yourself as a secret agent. You might soothe your thoughts about spying by listening to the music Lim Bizkit on the site. Bang, bang. The new IMAX film "Dolphins" has had great success during its opening in Denver, Colorado. It will be making it's first appearance in Holland at the Omniversum cinema in the Hague on April 27th of this month. Although the original has a voice- over by the comforting voice of Pierce Brosnan (who shares an avid personal interest in the lives of these mammals) there will be a version on show that is dubbed in Dutch. Great visuals and a sympathetic portrait. Also feel free to help these masters of the sea by visiting www.dolphinsfilm.com © 1994-2006 The Green Hartnett