There has been little Fellini news to report of late with one notable exception. The Criterion Collection has announced the upcoming release of Fellini's I Vitelloni on DVD. This is great news, as most of us have seen only worn out prints this 1953 film. I Vitelloni (aka, The Spivs in the UK and The Young and the Passionate stateside) won the Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival and gave Fellini his first international exposure.

Depending on the time zone, 19 or 20 March marks the Vernal Equinox, one of my favorite holidays. At our house we have a tradition of celebrating the coming of spring and spiritual renewal with friends and family. Good food, wine and conversation are shared, a nice big bonfire blazes in the backyard and of course...a Fellini film!

The opening scenes of Fellini’s AMARCORD depict the coming of spring in a small provincial town in Italy during the late 1930’s, making it apropos for an equinox celebration. Early in the film the tradition of burning the “witch of winter” on the fogarazza (bonfire) is comically portrayed. This scene was the inspiration for the semi-annual celebrations we have at our house. AMARCORD is also the perfect film to introduce newcomers to Fellini.

Today marks the birth date of Giulietta Masina, aka, Mrs. Federico Fellini. They met in 1942 on the set of a radio show scripted by Fellini. Apart from her own acting career, perhaps her greatest and most challenging role was to be one of the essential ingredients in the making of Federico Fellini’s extraordinary success. Despite his well documented dalliances with other women, Fellini the artist was clearly most fascinated with Giulietta, his wife of fifty years. All things considered, it’s really quite a miracle their union produced seven films.

Tuesday, January 20, is Fellini’s birth date. At our house here in Fort Worth, Texas, we have a tradition of inviting friends over for a celebration on or around this date. Italian snacks are served, the walls are covered with posters, lots of vino is available and a film showing. We always invite invite some younger folks and turn them on to the Maestro’s magic.

Last Saturday night was no exception. I chose ROMA this year not only because it’s a crowd pleaser, but because Frank Burke told me in Seattle that it was his favorite Fellini film. I also screened the Fellini TV commercials for my enthusiastic crowd. A grand time was had by all.

In case you have forgotten..., today, 12/03/03, is Nino Rota's birthdate. A good excuse (if you need one) to pull out your records, CD's, reel-to-reel's, whatever of Fellini film soundtracks, and enjoy the music of the other maestro.

From the sweet, classic melodies of La Strada and Amarcord, the jazzy pop of Night's of Cabiria and Juliet of the Spirits to the booming dissonance of Orchestra Rehearsal and Casanova, there is something for every mood and everybody.

In my view, the films would simply not have their magical appeal without the Rota touch. An essential ingredient would be missing. He was able to set a mood, enhance emotional reponse or simply bridge different scenes together with his inimitable, quirky melodies.

In his final act of Felliniesqueness, Federico Fellini died in Rome on Halloween Day, October 31, 1993.

He left the world a more interesting and beautiful place. He is greatly missed my many people around the world. His famous quote is one of hope and inspiration:

"There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life."

I just discovered this website about the re-release of a restored I Vitelloni, from Kino International, coming soon to a big screen near you. There are rumours of a Criterion DVD release in 2004.