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March 12, 2004:

This newsletter apparently didn't go out this morning. Apologies if you're receiving this for a second time.

It's another Offoffoff.com newsletter, with the good and some of the bad in independent arts in New York.

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FILM
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RENDEZVOUS WITH FRENCH CINEMA
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This annual festival at Lincoln Center always features interesting new releases from France, some of which will come to American theaters in the coming year. (Last year's festival included the controversial "Demonlover" and "Carnage.") Look for reviews of some of the films we liked in the coming days, but for now here's one we despised:

TWENTYNINE PALMS
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2004/twentyninepalms.php
A hate letter to America from the director of "Humanit�" and "The Life of Jesus." You couldn't make an emptier movie -- we spend two hours watching an American man and a French-speaking woman fail to communicate while driving through the desert, before a shock ending that redeems none of what came before it. The movie is due out in theaters in April.

Instead of that, try:

THE RETURN
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2004/return.php
This magnificent Russian film, about a father who takes his suspicious sons on a fishing trip after a 12-year-absence, is frustrating in the number of questions it leaves unanswered but captivating for its many layers of intrigue.

GOODBYE LENIN
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2004/goodbyelenin.php
A funny and compassionate comedy from Germany about a family's efforts to protect their ailing mother from finding out about the fall of communism.

MAESTRO
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2004/maestro.php
A documentary on the DJs behind the New York club music scene of the 1980s.

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2004/gamespeopleplay.php
Our guy David Butterworth found things to like about this ultimately predictable "reality"-TV-style film.

INTERMISSION
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2003/intermission.php
Opens March 19
We caught this odd but sweet Irish film starring Colin Farrell at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival last month. Part caper, part romantic comedy, part potboiler, it takes you in several different directions at once, but with considerable charm.

A CERTAIN KIND OF DEATH
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2003/certainkindofdeath.php
Sat. March 13 at 1:45 p.m.
This unexpected documentary is at the Underground Film Festival (http://www.nyuff.com), showing what happens to people whose bodies go unclaimed in Los Angeles County.

And one more look at the Hobbit-free films we thought should have won some Oscars. Hey, at least some of our picks were nominated for a change:

CITY OF GOD
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2003/cityofgod.php

THE FOG OF WAR
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2003/fogofwar.php

21 GRAMS
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2003/21grams.php

TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
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http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2003/tripletsofbelleville.php

MUSIC
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Here are some of our favorite bands playing in the coming days. Many of the articles include audio clips, if you'd like to check them out before showing up.

NOVA SOCIAL
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http://www.offoffoff.com/music/2001/novasocial.php3
Mon., March 15 at Lit
Fun band, great sense of humor, with energetic songs, equally silly and sincere. They don't play that often, so this is a good chance to catch them.

BLACK 47
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http://www.offoffoff.com/music/1999/black47.php3
Wed. March 17 at B.B. King's
Once kings of MTV, Black 47 never stopped being a great New York bar band, part Irish folk, part American roots, part punk. They also play regularly at Connelly's on 47th Street.

THE ANKLES
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http://www.offoffoff.com/music/2003/ankles.php
Fri., March 12 at Plaid
Emotion plus melody, textured guitars plus rocking drums, the Ankles found their sound with a low-tech accident.

DAVE'S TRUE STORY
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http://www.offoffoff.com/music/2003/davestruestory.php
Fri. March 12 at the Green Room
Thurs. March 18 at HoJo's Times Square
A fun jazz combo inspired by the classic jazz vocalists of the past, they're in their element at the city's best throwback bar -- way in back of the Times Square Howard Johnson's.

RAYMOND SCOTT ORCHESTRETTE
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http://www.offoffoff.com/music/2000/rso.php3
It's a rare chance to see this off-kilter jazz combo deconstruct the cartoon music and other inspired works of Raymond Scott. Their first show since last fall.

SONGS FROM A RANDOM HOUSE
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http://www.offoffoff.com/music/2000/randomhouse.php3/
Dawn Eden calls them New York's "most uncategorizable band," whose original lineup includes not one ukulele but two.