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EIFF 2001: Day 4

Surprise Movie disappoints

by Trinity

At 6.59pm, two packed auditoria at the UGC cinema waited in anticipation for the screening of the Surprise Movie. Lizzie Francke stepped up onto the stage - and didn't launch into the normal introduction. Instead she welcomed to the stage Tim Roth, who proceeded to tease the audience, without revelaing the name of the film. And so, the lights went down, the Fox fanfare rolled and the booming score and starry visuals revealed...

Planet of the Apes

Now this was a surprise choice, given it opens in cinemas tomorrow but, with the Surprise Film, anything's possible. I wonder if this was a "backup" film which had to be drafted in at the last minute. Still the audience seemed to be reasonably satisfied, with most coming to the consensus that the film was certainly spectacular (although I'm still not sure about the "surprise" ending).

Sadly I didn't get to speak to Tim Roth afterwards, but keep reading this site for more film gossip from the festival.

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