Special Effects

We never see the title character's disfigured face in the musical, "Phantom," at the Lyric Opera House. Downplaying sensationalism is typical of the restrained, thoughtful approach taken by playwright Arthur Kopit and composer/lyricist Maury Yeston in this solid American musical. By not showing the ghastly face behind the mask, the show's creators and its director, Dominic Missimi, give the audience's imaginations free rein - acknowledging that the horrors and nightmares we imagine are generally worse than reality.

"Titanic" is, in part, a musical about the dangers of hubris -- although the very idea of making a musical about one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century might itself seem like hubris.But as the touring production docked at the Mechanic Theatre proves, librettist Peter Stone and composer/lyricist Maury Yeston have pulled it off. And, they have done so with far more artistry and by sticking closer to the real-life characters than director James Cameron did in his melodramatic, special effects-laden Academy Award-winning motion picture.

A sure way to brighten spirits for the holiday season is to see Chesapeake Music Hall's current production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Not your ordinary Victorian pageant, this one has Doug Yetter's delightful score, is bursting with warm spirits and is filled with innovative special effects.Arriving a week before the 18th annual Colonial Players' version that opens tonight, Chesapeake Music Hall's production, which runs through Dec. 26, is a five-year tradition. This version had its 1992 premiere in New York with Yetter's music and Michael Hulett's lyrics.

Rose Kryzak, 99, who lobbied for senior citizens' rights for 27 years, died Thursday in New York. She was chosen New York State Senior Citizen of the Year in 1986 by the state Legislature and was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls in 1997.George E. Turner, 73, a special effects illustrator, author and former editor of American Cinematographer magazine, died Sunday in Pasadena, Calif. Mr. Turner began as a cartoonist and illustrator. He created special effects for the television series "Zorro" and films including "The Shape of Things to Come," "One From the Heart" and "Creature."

After a recent screening of "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," a 14-year-old was overheard to say, "The blue-screen was amazing. I wonder how much it will make?"The "blue screen" refers to how special effects are done these days: Live-action actors do their thing against a blue screen, which is later replaced with digital backgrounds and effects. When the first "Star Wars" became a sleeper hit over the summer, 22 years ago, few if any 14-year-olds would have known what a blue screen was.The wonks have won. Those niggling concerns of movies past -- things like story, character and meaning -- have finally been vanquished by Lucas' megalo-merchandising machine.

Last week at a Queens, New York auction, fans of filmmaker Woody Allen acquired their own stardust memories. Hundreds of props from his many films were sold off because there was no more room for them in Allen's movie warehouse.Among the interiors and other treasures purchased were shoes from "Deconstructing Harry," mahogany radio consoles from "Radio Days" and a few gaudy sofas from "Bullets Over Broadway."Surprisingly, in a time when "Antiques Roadshow" yokels are told their Charo napkins are worth a mint, none of the cinema tchotchkes required astronomical bids.

The Matrix," a cautionary tale about what happens when the machines take over, promises a movie experience like no other. It's a claim the film lives up to, thanks in large part to special effects that enable bullets to stop in midair, combatants to defy gravity and kung-fu kicks to be delivered with lightning speed and precision (by someone who's not Jackie Chan). But "The Matrix" isn't the first film to promise the never-before-experienced. Here are a half-dozen others that lived up to their advance billing.

The offices of Pixel Workshop, one of the region's leading multimedia production firms, are located in a nondescript, wood-paneled office building nestled in a residential neighborhood in Columbia.Inside is another story.The corridors of Pixel's headquarters are painted deep plum, and the walls are lined with animation and science-fiction movie posters. The mood of the place is decidedly mellow and artistic. "Star Wars" action figures sit atop desks and "Wallace and Gromit" stuffed animals litter the floor.

Just when you think network television has shrunk to nothing but cheap "reality" specials, hyped newsmagazine interviews and tired sitcoms following the same bankrupt formula, along comes a grand and magical production like "Alice in Wonderland" tomorrow night on NBC.It's almost enough to restore your faith in network TV.Hallmark Entertainment's Robert Halmi Sr. -- he of the big-budget "Gulliver's Travels" and "Merlin" -- joins forces with Jim Henson's Creature...

"Star Trek: Insurrection" is a wink- and jargon-filled bouquet to the "Star Trek" faithful, sure to be understood by fans who have tuned in to the "Next Generation" series since its inception and have turned out in droves for its two feature-film spinoffs.This is not a bad thing -- hard-core fans deserve an occasional reward, after all -- but it should serve as a warning. "Star Trek: Insurrection" is for members only, a protracted in-joke for people who can actually watch grown men dress up and say the words "warp drive," "metaphasic flux levels" and "positronic variance" without cracking up or shrugging in incomprehension.