The Imaginary (2024)

Based on AF Harrold‘s  young adult novel THE IMAGINARY continues the trend for Japanese animators to look to English YA novels for source material. Indeed Studio Ponoc‘s first film was Mary and the Witch's Flower based upon The Little Broomstick. (Also Ghibli used English novels for HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and THE TALES OF EARTHSEA.)

This time out we get the story of Rudger  who is the imaginary friend of Amanda. When is injured he runs the risk of disappearing because he exists only so long as Amanda remembers him. Finding a place where he can stay safe, he decides that Amanda means too much to him and that he must venture out to try and save her.

Stunningly gorgeous this film is a delight for the eye as well as the heart. It’s a tale full of great characters whose love for each other move us to tears (bring tissues).

I’m not going to go into details about what happens, I will leave up to see to see the film, however there are a couple of things that I do what to mention.

First while the film is hitting Netflix on July 5, the film is currently playing in a handful of theaters. If you live by one, say the Quad Cinema in New York City, do try and make an effort to see it on a truly big screen. There is magic here and the ability to see it big and without distractions will make the film all the more special. My understanding is it will be in theaters through at least the 4th so go.

Secondly I want to ask why Netflix is not giving this a bigger run. Animation, especially from Japan, sells. This should have gotten a bigger release because frankly the film is good enough that I could see it in the Oscar mix at years end. To many times of late Netflix is putting films on their service with no fanfare when a brief theatrical run of more than a couple of theaters could get them money and also get word out on the films that are getting lost.

Thus ends my sermon.

Do yourself a favor and go see THE IMAGINARY. It’s good for your soul.

Scars Unseen (2024)Dances with Films

This is a portrait of three women and their experience dealing with domestic abuse. It is not just husband on wife but familial abuse of parents against children. There is also an exploration of how some societies allows abuse of women and the weak.

I usually complain about a film being presented in a run of the mill way, but soume times it works. SCARS UNSEEN isn't anything flashy. It is, as I said, run of the mill, but it works. It works because the film is built around the three women just sitting and telling their stories. Yes there are some other voices and some other sequences but the majority of of the film is just the stories.

And the stories are powerful. Told clear eyed and detailed the women tell us everything we need to know (including getting a crash course in the violence in Yemeni society) so that the stories don't just highlight the stories being told but indicting the society that nurtures the violence. It's a simple but effective.

This is good stuff and an important film.

Recommended.

Delicate Arch (2024) Dances with Films 2024

A group of friends go into the desert instead of a lake to escape an potentially dangerous occurrence call "The Inversion". They plan on hanging out until the all clear talking, partying and maybe making a movie. However almost immediately it becomes clear that they aren't in Kansas and there is something out there.

There is part of me that wants to discuss the WTF nature of some of this film and the rest of me wants to just keep my mouth shut and let you be like me and walk blind into it. I was sent the film by a friend who said I should see this film because it was a small little film that needed to find the right audience. Having watched the film without reading on it at all, I completely agree.

While I am not going to say a great deal on the film, you too need to see this film the first time knowing as little as possible, I would like to say a couple of things. First don't let the film seeming to be like other films at first fool you, this film is going somewhere, stay with it. Secondly expect your expectations to be used against you. Lastly just go with it because it gets...weird.

Wonderfully its own thing DELICATE ARCH is not your typical film and we are better for it. Refusing to follow convention its a film that may not always work but keeps us engaged by doing the unexpected and refusing to explain everything. Its a film that knows the people who will like this most are the once most willing to go with it and forgive the odd burp. As a result it is more willing to take chances most other films would never attempt.

While this will not be fore everyone, adventurous film fans and those who don't want a typical Hollywood film (Hello Unseen Films readers) this film is for you.

Unbroken (2023) Dances With Films 2024

This is the story of filmmaker Beth Lane's family. The family grew up in Germany right before the Second World War. Thrown into the concentration camps. Miraculously most of the family survived and made it to America. Scattered by time the younger members of the family slowly managed to bring the family back together again.

This is a great story. At a time when many tales of the Holocaust are heavily tinged with bittersweetness, it is nice to see one that is more sweet than bitter. Yes there is tragedy, but more importantly there is hope and life. The Lane family goes on despite the best efforts of evil men to snuff it out. That may not sound like much but in an age where antisemitism is on the rise and people are looking to scapegoat, this story is a reminder that even in darkness light can shine.

I was moved by the film. A scene late in the film when they realized that the family was once again “whole” made me misty.

What a joy.

Recommended

Spyral (2024) Dances with Films 2024

Possibly best film at Dances With  Films is a frightening look at substance abuse and mental issues.  It's the story of Randy White and his wife Michelle who fell madly in love, only to have her succumb to addiction.

This is one of the most raw looks at substance abuse I've ever seen. The film, made up of film shot by Randy and supplemented by Michelle's diaries.  It's a film that puts us into the storm and it never lets up until we are broken on the other side.

Makes the film so powerful is that we get to hear the words of everyone not only looking back but also in the moment. Its a move that prevents the film from ever seeming sugar coated. This is not a happy tale, but its one that we need to hear since it makes addiction and mental illness very real.

And I am going to leave this piece here. It's not that I have nothing to say, rather it is because in order to write up the film will require that I go to a head space I don't want to be in.

Highly recommended

MUSIC (2023) should be avoided, starts today

Angela Schanelec’s  obtuse drama told in style that is either going to thrill you or make you want to throw things at the screen.

The film is told via tableau like segments where we see moments of a story but nothing that connects them up. We have to take the details and fit them together. Little if anything is said. Nothing is explained except what we can sus out.

I’m all for working with a director, but there is a point where it becomes diminishing returns. The payoff isn’t there because the film requires us to bring too much to the table and the presentation is such we stop wanting to work with the film.

A big problem for me isn’t the fractured narrative but the artificiality of the bits we do see. People often don’t speak; they will be frozen staring for a long while before moving. Motions are mannered. It’s not watching a fractured narrative but watching one that seems to stutter along. I never cared because mannered way it's done adds too much dead time to it all.

I really disliked this.

June Zero (2023) opens today

This is the very brief capsule review I did for JUNE ZERO when it played on the festival circuit

Three stories connected to the end of the trial of Adolph Eichmann in Israel. 

While the stories seem unconnected for a portion of the film the three slowly come together  to form a solid whole.  

If you allow the threads to weave together you’ll get a hell of a ride.

Step Back, Doors Closing (2024)Dances with Films 2024

Two people meet in Washington DC and through circumstance are forced to spend 24 hours together. As the pair talks they eventually end up falling for each other.

If you liked the AFTER films then you are going to love this film. It's a nice little film that follows the the format laid out by the earlier films and hones it to near perfection.

If there is any flaw in this little gem it's that the film feels like a stage play that was opened up just to make it a movie. As much as I like this film I really wish it was play where the pair could have just sat and talked and we could have witnessed a grand moment.

Regardless of my quibbles this is a nice little film.

The Vourdalak (2024) opens Friday

An emissary from the King of France is attacked on the road. He was sent to contact a certain family. He arrives at their home and he waits for the arrival of the patriarch who is currently away.

The film is nominally based on a story by Leo Tolstoy, which was the basis of one of the stories in Mario Bava's BLACK SABBATH anthology. It is also a  throw back to many of the Euro-horror films of the early 1970's, particularly the works of Jean Rollin, Walerian Borowczyk,  Jess Franco and others. There are lots of exteriors, actual locations, touches of humor and some genuine horror.

I was in heaven. I could imagine seeing this on a drive in screen back in the day.

What delighted me, beyond the sense of nostalgia, was how creepy the film is images will make your skin crawl. There is something about then that hang heavy on you like a burning tire around your neck. This is a wild ride. It's a film, unlike anything that they make today. It's a film that is at times humorous, but then something happens and the mood changes. "I'm laughing... oh no I'm not..." or backwards again.

And when you see this, and you should see it, you need to take it for what it is. Don't think of films of today think of something else, and some other time.  And even though I made references to older films and their directors you have to keep in mind that those directors were an exception even for their times. Just buy a ticket and take a trip to another time.

Recommended

THE CONQUEROR: HOLLYWOOD FALLOUT (2024)

THE CONQUEROR: HOLLYWOOD FALLOUT  transcends just being a film about a film and instead becomes a damning portrait of the dangers of radiation and the guilt of the American government in poisoning their population. You need to see this.

The film is nominally a portrait of the making of the infamous film THE CONQUEROR which was shot on locations that were irradiated by nuclear tests. As a result pretty much everyone  who was on location eventually died from cancer or a disease that is helped along by radiation. Along the way we get a history of the studio system, Howard Hughes and nuclear tests.

I loved this film.  I love that the film grabs us and just drags us along. When it ended I was shocked that it had been almost two hours, time flew. It flew because the construction of the film is so perfect. Director William Nunez tells things in the perfect order, telling us what we need to know or answering our questions at the exact right moment. Our minds are never allowed to wander.

The best thing about the film is that it makes the atomic poisoning of most of America accessible to people who wouldn’t look at documentary on the subject. Recently there have been a couple of great docs on the subject (DOWNWIND for example),  and most people I know wouldn’t bother with them. At the same time if I told them about this film they would line up to watch the film as soon as they could- a film on a notorious Hollywood disaster, they would be there in a second.  They would never notice that they were going to get a lesson on the dangers we were gifted by the US Government that is actually a perfect condensation of those other films.

This is great filmmaking.

Highly recommended.

The Amityville Horror sequels (1989 - 1996)

The story of The Amityville Horror has been told tirelessly through so many different outlets, so what’s one more half assed explanation going to hurt. A young man murders his family, the crime scene house is sold to a new couple, the walls drip slime, there’s a pig with glowing eyes, and the family moves out weeks after purchasing. Then, the house died on its way back to its home planet. Leading to the events of the 2022 film, Amityville in Space. Wait, what!?

Obviously, the Lutz family story was published into book form, and with every successful novel, comes the movie adaptation. The first film in 1979 was a huge box office hit, becoming the second highest grossing movie of that year. The follow up, Amityville II: The Possession, was released just three years later, acting as a loosely based prequel (my personal favorite). And in 1983 to capitalize on the current trend of gimmicks, we got Amityville 3-D. Which starred a young, Meg Ryan, and her future Sleepless in Seattle co-star, a basement dwelling water demon.

Those first three films in this seemingly never-ending saga were released theatrically, to fleeting success. But this supernatural LIRR train kept rolling straight into home video territory, with a quick stop into made-for-TV town. So, let’s take a trip down the Long Island Expressway, while you brace for your life avoiding the psychopathic motorists. These are the Amityville “cursed object” films. 

Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes (1989)

Debuting on NBC in the spring of ‘89, we get our first look at the items at the unearthly estate sale. Starring, Patty Duke, who is certainly no stranger to television, she had her own self-titled show in the mid 1960's. Unfortunately for her, there’s no miracle worker coming to save her from this project. It's a lamp that stands tall, towering in some human like stature. Seriously, it’s a lamp that harnesses its ability through its power cord. Did I mention this was made for TV? Purchased at a yard sale, the lamp is shipped to a new unsuspecting family where it brings horrifying heights. Like, um, it can run the garbage disposal and it can draw on the bedroom walls with crayon. HORRIFYING. Needless to say, this film is incredibly silly but can be fun and entertaining. It’s clear from the jump what you’re getting with its cheap production. And it ends with quite a cliffhanger. Spoiler: the lamp possesses the family cat. Can’t wait to see how that pays off in the next movie…it doesn’t. 

Amityville 1992: It’s About Time (1992)

FYI, this was the sixth entry in the series, but I’ll get to more of that in a bit. A man brings home a vintage mantle clock from his business trip to NY. Unaware of the history it beholds, he and his family soon learn that something in the house is really ticked off. Ticked. Off. Yikes, that’s a bad pun. Directed by Tony Randel (Hellbound: Hellraiser II), this is the best in this group of latter sequels. We’re talking early decade direct to video, and Amityville ‘92 at least attempts to make decent use with it’s FX and character building. More than any movie should at this point in its chronology. There is a time bending element that’s kind of intriguing. There’s no Dr. Strange magic going on here, just some light suspense and fun death scenes. It’s an improvement over the last few films, and in my opinion is one of the only entries worth making time for. That’s another clock reference. Ok, moving on. 

Amityville: A New Generation (1993)

A haunted mirror. This is starting to feel like an idea that even R.L. Stine would say no, that’s too childish even for Goosebumps. We’re in mediocre-ville now, with a photographer who is given a vintage mirror from a homeless man. Guess what, the mirror is from the Amityville house. Surprise. I should point out that all of these sequels are set in California. Now, you may wonder how a Long Island mirror ended up on the streets of (presumably) LA. And I would retort with, it’s the 7th Amityville movie. Case closed. Aside from a few, and I do mean a literal few decent scenes, this one lacks any creativity. It plays more like an episode from the Friday the 13th: TV series. That’s not good, btw. Such a let down from the previous installment. Although, the supporting cast is at least noteworthy. We get David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London), Terry O’Quinn (The Stepfather), and Richard Roundtree (Shaft). Which are all reminders that you could be watching something much more enjoyable. 

Amityville: Dollhouse (1996)

The sub title really gives this one away. It’s a cursed Malibu Barbie Dreamhouse, complete with all the accessories. Well, no that’s not true, but I am coming to the conclusion that these movies might be really bad. A family moves into a new house, the father finds said dollhouse in the backyard shed, fixes it up and presents it as a birthday gift to his daughter. Plot twist, it’s a replica of the Amityville house. It’s never mentioned that this came from Amityville, but it certainly has mystical abilities. For example: it can start fires, raise the dead and possess a stepmother to lust after her stepson. We’re so many films deep here, and the expectation bar is as low as you can get. It’s barely okay, I guess. There’s really no good reason to pay this a visit. Aside from being able to say that you’ve seen the entire franchise, and as someone who has, this is not worth bragging about. Notable actors include, Robin Thomas (Summer School), and Lisa Robin Kelly (That 70’s Show). 

I have to mention the fifth film that was skipped over. This was not part of the haunted “insert antique here” tetralogy. The Amityville Curse (1990), or aka the Canadian Amityville movie (filmed in Montreal). This is honestly more of an in name only tie in, having little to no connection to the initial story. It revolves around a priest that is murdered in Amityville, and buried in the basement of a clergy house. Fast forward some years later, the property is sold and spooky things happen to the new tenants, etc. It’s basic haunted house 101 storytelling. Nothing special or of note here, just a really dull movie. 

After Dollhouse, the series was rebooted in 2005, with an up-and-coming superstar actor that everyone has come to love. It’s Philip Baker Hall, of course. Thus ending the original run, capping it at eight films in total. Placing it something between Police Academy & The Land Before Time. That seems fitting. 

Luckily, for every filmmaker, the word Amityville cannot be copyrighted. Which has led to an excess of direct to streaming trash. A quick search on Tubi will supply you with over 40+ Amityville movies for your viewing displeasure. Such as: Amityville Bigfoot, Amityville in the Hood, Amityville Death Toilet, Amityville Backpack & last but certainly not least, Amityville Karen. FOR GOD’S SAKE, GET OUT! (of the app). 

CHRONICLES OF A WANDERING SAINT (2023) opens Friday 6/28

A woman who works at the local church and strives to lead a saintly life makes a discovery and aims to make a grand revelation...only to find things get complicated.

 This is a wonderfully off kilter film that you just need to see knowing as little as possible. I say this because there is a point where something happens where I suddenly sat bolt upright and said "WTF". From that point on I was with the film 100% simply because I needed to see where this was going.

No I'm not going to tell you what happens, but it will make you smile. 

This is the sort of film that will make you realize that gong outside the Hollywood system is the way to go.

A delight.

Tallywacker (2023) Dances With FIlms 2024

This is a repost of my review which ran when the film played Dances With Films New York

Jeremy Dubs and Chris Goodwin play versions of themselves in TALLYWACKER, the story of two friends in the titled band, who find their friendship is tested when one of them is asked to go on the road with a well known star.

TALLYWACKER is the best film that I've seen from this year's Dances With Films New York. It's also one of the great finds of the year. Full of great music, witty lines and characters you want to give a hug to despite of their being dicks. I smiled from start to finish.

Dubs and Goodwin make a winning pair. They have the ease with each other that only good friends have. You feel it bleeding off the screen. It doesn't seem like acting. Actually the whole cast is that good. Everyone feels like they are the actual people. The relationships feel genuine.

Everything in this film feels spot on. the characters  are people. The wisecracks aren't forced. The music feels organic.  In its way this is the perfect film in that it captures the essence of life even with all the rough edges.

What I love about the film is that you like everyone, even the jerks. Dubs' character can be a dick (there is even a song about it) but you still like him.  In an age where people are trying to make films where we are forced to like unlikable people (I'm looking at you SALTBURN)  but where other films use tricks TALLYWACKER just lets everyone be themselves and as a result we find something to love about them.

This film is an absolute joy.  It's one of my late 2023 favorites.  I can't wait to see it again.

Highly recommended.

How To Come Alive With Norman Mailer (2023) starts June 28 at Film Forum

This is a Showtime biography of writer and provocateur Norma Mailer. Weaving his copious interview with interviews with those who knew him the film brings Mailer thrillingly to life. He becomes something more than the sum of his parts and I got the feeling that how I felt coming out of the film was something closer to how I would have felt had I met him.

What I love about the film is that we get both a sense of the man, his thoughts and his writing. With some people it’s all the same but with Mailer there was always a bit od shading depending on where he was and whether he was on or not.

I enjoyed the hell out of the film, and to be fair I need to revisit it. Seeing the film in the festival crush I I realized that was missing things. That said I can’t wait to wade back in.

This is an excellent portrait of a man who shaped the time he lived in in.

Recommended

Nightcap 6/23/24: The death of two heroes, final thoughts on Tribeca (with best and worst lists), Thoughts on overlapping festivals

Go watch this film now

I mourn the passing of Willie Mays.

He, along with Muhammad Ali, was one of my first childhood sports heroes.

I have no idea why he was, but I think it was the joy he seemed to have playing baseball. Where ever he went he seemed to bring happiness so I guess I gravitated towards him. 

When I went to my first baseball game in 1973 I only wanted to know if he would be playing. He was and it was a great thing.

I will miss him, but not entirely because when I think of him I will always smile at the thought of one man having fun.

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Negative waves- Donald Sutherland has passed.

A supreme actor, he never seemed to give a bad performance. 

I have notes for a longer piece but he made me laugh, he made me cry and he scared the living shit out of me.

Before I move on I just want to say look over his list of films and TV roles and search out the ones you never saw especially if its because you never heard of them. Do this because some of his greatest work is in films like WOLF AT THE DOOR or DR BETHUNE which barely register anywhere.

Trust me- do it and realize what an injustice it is that he never got an Oscar

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Random final thoughts on Tribeca:

Coverage is now going to run into July. I've been promised a few more pieces, and I want to grab a few more bits from Liz and Austin who are still posting so you can see their wonderful work. 

Thank you to Lynne and Solomon and Bob and James and everyone else on the ground at Tribeca. After all these years you are all good friends and you are the reason to go in every morning.

Thank you to Timmy Williams of the Whitest Boys You Know for just talking to a fellow film fan on a movie line. I had a blast talking to you about George Romero's Knightriders and other movies.

Thank you to Bill Lustig who is one of the best people I have ever talked movies with  thanks to his endless ability to cut through the BS-especially about the entire mediocre Midnight section. 

Thank you to Matt for making me laugh several times.

Thank you Ariela for coming along here and there and making me laugh.

Thank you to Wendy for the endless conversation before and into the early days of the fest before we both stopped talking because we both were watching.

In fairness this might be the least memorable Tribeca I've been to. It's not bad, just devoid of big names and big films, since everything was geared toward DeNiro Con. (And just don't ask about that).  It also seemed that some of the best films weren't getting the coverage they deserved so the excitement was kept to a minimum. It's hard to get excited when you're the only one or one of a few talking up great films people haven't seen.

The issues of the fest over being not as memorable as others, this year did have a high percentage of great films, most of which I talked about endlessly to anyone who would listen.

Here are my lists of the best and worst films of the festival

THE BEST FILMS

HONGFU HOTEL- the arrival of Tian Xu is announced with this deeply moving short ghost film. It's not scary just deeply affecting.

LIZA- a great portrait of a great performer explaining why she became so great. No one seemed to have caught this in the press corps and I'm stunned.

SABBATH QUEEN- a deeply moving film charting the path of one man looking to find god and how be found a lot of like minded people along the way

MADE IN ENGLAND THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER has Martin Scorsese talking on his favorite filmmakers and you fall in love with them all over again

SHALLOW TALE OF A WRITER WHO DECIDED TO WRITE ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER- a great film with a bad title about a writer and a retired serial killer who is his fan. This is just great fun.

OUTSTANDING A COMEDY REVOLUTION- the story of LGBT+ comedy told by the people who lived it. It is a moving human story about the power of comedy to heal and find a home (it's on Netflix now)

FOLLOWING HARRY- celebration of Harry Belafonte a man who changed the world by changing everyone he came in contact with.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR THE LOST TAPES- raw and real and unexpectedly wonderful film made up of recordings when she was shooting the breeze with friends and having an adult beverage or two.

NEA- a crazy ass tale of a cabbie working for the cartel. Cinematic Magic- give these guys lots of money to make many feature films

TIM BURTON DOCUSERIES- I saw this twice at the festival- I never do that. Its how Tim made magic and most unexpectedly made those he worked with so much better.

WITCHES is a great look at witches, women and the movies

JAZZY- a wonderful coming of age film that is more real then pretty much every documentary you've ever seen- and it's a work of fiction.

RUTHLESS BLADE- glorious martial arts film is pure WOW. It rewrites the rules of action in the best sort of way.

CHECKPOINT ZOO- magnificent look at the efforts to save the animals under fire at a zoo in Ukraine. It will move you

THE WORST FILMS

THINKING GAME any film that blindly says anything, especially AI, is great and will never be used for evil is useless

SOLDIERS OF SONG- an important subject, the performers keeping up morale in Ukraine, cut together as a bad music video propaganda film.

DEVIL'S BATH is a form over content folk horror film that doesn't add up to much

SOME RAIN MUST FALL- The wrong sort of art house film where expressions never change and we are forever outside the action- extremely dull and boring

STATE OF SILENCE- a look at the danger of being a reporter in Mexico doesn't do the reporters who are dying any justice because we never know anything about them except their names.

THE A FRAME- Science Fiction so bad I was asked to kill a friend to make the pain stop

And now time to stop writing and just move on.  It's been six or so weeks of nothing but Tribeca films and talk and it's time to stop and take a break and rest for next year....

Besides more fests are on the way and I am already behind on the next three.

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No matter what side you are on you need to see Al Jazeera's documentary on the US's role in the current Israeli Palestinian conflict called THE NIGHT WON'T END. It is going to give you much to consider.

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One final question

Why is that one local festival seems to intentionally program itself every year so as to overlap a similar local festival forcing film fans to choose one over the other? (Then again they are programming their own festival in multiple not easily accessible locations with single screenings for each film so you not only have to choose which festival but which films from their festival you are going to completely miss)

The Pickup (2024) Dances With Films 2024

Secret agent needing to make a delivery ends up in the back of an Uber.

Quite possibly the best action film of 2024....

...yes seriously....

...this maybe the best action film of 2024 of any length. 

Running a speedy 8 minutes this film starts and just goes. It is a perfectly modulated that mixes action and comedy into a perfect confection that is going to have to wanting to watch the film over and over again. I want to see what writer director Alex Acosta does next.

What's most amazing was this was done on a limited budget with practical effects. I don't say that lightly, I say that because the film looks better that most big Hollywood productions with budgets millions of times bigger.

This is a great film and one of my favorite films of 2024

See it Tuesday at Dances with Films (details there)

HOW I ROLL (2024) Dances With Films 2024

Robin Cohen tells us  about her life in NYC and with MS

One of the best documentaries I've seen in 2024 needs to be turned into a feature film. This tale of a woman who has over com adversity has way too much for the brief run time. I want to spend more time with her mother and her kids, and I want hear more about her dad and husband.

This is a magnificent look at one woman who refuses to stop moving.

This is glorious.

Highly recommended

HOW I ROLL PLAYS IN SHOTS BLOCK 4 ON JUNE 26

Tian Xu talks HONGFU HOTEL (2024) Tribeca 2024

Tian Xu's HongFu Hotel was one of the first films I saw for Tribeca and now many weeks and 100 other titles later the film remains at the very top of list of the best films of the festival and of 2024.  It is a stunning ghost story about the living communing with the dead and trying to move on. 

It is the calling card of a great director who will soon be rattling the pillar of cinematic heaven. (Watch tHONFU FU HOTEL and you will see I'm write)

Because the film is so good and because Tian Xu impressed the hell out of me I asked him if I could ask him a few questions. He agreed. 

We did the interview via email, unfortunately because of circumstances the final set of answers arrived just as I was going on the ground to the festival so it has had to sit until now.

STEVE: The film opens with a shot of a huge mural. Where is that mural? Do you think the figures in the painting can help spirits cross over? DO they go back?

TIAN: "The Yaoshi Fo Mural, housed in the Met Museum in New York City, is a captivating masterpiece dating back to the Yuan dynasty around 1319. At its heart lies the Buddha of Medicine, surrounded by an array of Buddhist deities. In our film, one of these deities emerge from the mural to aid the lost spirits in finding their way home and reincarnate."

STEVE: Did the mural inspire the film or did the mural get brought into the screenplay?

TIAN: I'm a buddhist myself, my dad and I visited the Met museum to specifically look at The Yaoshifo Mural, to see the mural in person was half of the reason why we we traveled to New York

Our motivation to create a film stemmed from our need to share our personal story, particularly our experiences as immigrants and our religious beliefs. The mural provided a perfect backdrop to explore these themes in a meaningful way.

STEVE:  The film is being tagged by Tribeca, and even your own press material, as, among other things, a horror film. While the film has a spooky feel to it because it concerns ghosts, it’s not really a horror film. Does it bother you that the film will get unfairly lumped as a horror film? How do you see the film?

TIAN: I've always had the intention of creating 'Hongfu Hotel' as a horror film, but my upbringing was heavily influenced by the works of Del Toro and his unique perspective on romanticizing monsters and ghosts. His approach intrigued me, where the more terrifying a ghost appeared, the more relatable and sympathetic their character became.This stark contrast between terror and empathy is what drew me to create the characters of Hongfu Hotel.

STEVE: I love the grandson's attitude about the hotel "It's full of ghosts" expressed as if it means nothing What are your feelings towards ghosts? I ask this because there is a casualness with which the living and the dead converse which you don’t really see in any films, certainly not a drama. 

TIAN: In 'Hongfu Hotel', each ghost is portrayed as a close relative of Feng. Despite their eerie appearances, Feng interacts with them much like anyone would with their own grandparents or aunts and uncles – with a mix of familiarity, annoyance, and distraction.

This dynamic is a key element of the film's tragedy. As the main character, Feng is consumed by his own personal struggles, barely pausing to truly connect with his spectral family members. It's a reflection of my own experience everytime I go back to China to visit my family and how I'm often too preoccupied with my own work and problems to appreciate the short moments I spend with my grandparents. 

The irony deepens as these ghosts, visually striking and unsettling to the audience, but our main character Feng is totally unfazed to them. It's only when he drives away from the hotel that he realizes the gravity of his rushed farewells, and how much he's left behind.

STEVE: One of the things that makes the film work is that there is a sense of life, of family, of place. There is a connection between the characters and the places in the film that transcends words on a page. How did you manage to bring so much to the film that isn't spoken but adds volumes? How did you make the film actually seem like we are watching something in CHinatown? How is that you could make us believe in a few fleeting moments that a marriage is crumbling without overdoing it? The loving but strained relationship between father and son? Where did the insight into so much come from?

TIAN: Through the lens of horror, I wanted to explore the detachment experienced between generations, similar to the estranged relationship between the living and the dead in the film. Just as Feng, the protagonist, remains indifferent to the whispers of his family, I also find myself increasingly disconnected from my own cultural backgrounds and families back in China. 

I also wanted to draw a parallel between the ghosts of the Hongfu Hotel and the fate of the ancient Yaoshi Fo mural, since the film delves into the theme of cultural preservation. Despite the museum's best efforts to protect this historic artwork, time inevitably takes its toll, the faces of these powerful religious deities and symbols fading into the wall. Similarly, despite Grandpa's steadfast determination to safeguard the legacy of the ghosts haunting the hotel, their voices grow fainter with each passing day, drowned out by the sound of New York City.

“The Hongfu Hotel" serves as my way of telling the immigrant experience, grappling with the complexities of forging a new identity while struggling to preserve the cultural and religious roots that anchors myself to the past. 

STEVE: What are your thoughts on film length? Do worry about length or just telling the story? Is a short a proof of concept or the finished project? I say this as someone who thinks this film is the perfect length for what it is. I can't see where it would go as a feature.

TIAN: This film served as a proof of concept for a feature film that's been a passion of mine for years. Expanding on the concept introduced in 'Hongfu Hotel', the feature film delves deeper into the dynamics of this unconventional community of monsters and ghosts retiring in a hotel. Pitching this idea at the Tribeca Film Festival is an exciting opportunity to share my vision with a wider audience and hopefully garner the support needed to bring this project to life."

STEVE:. Only because I can't shake it- where were the exteriors shot?  I keep trying to sort it out.

TIAN: The opening exterior shot of the Hotel took place in LA. We decorated a studio back lot in New York. You can see on our website on how we transformed it to look like New York City. However, we filmed all the B roll shots in NYC. Here's the website: https://www.txyproductions.com/about-1

Brief word on My Own Normal (2024) San Francisco DocFest 2024

I've been chasing this film for the last few months and I've not been able to fit it in because of my schedule.   Eventually I caught up with the film at  the San Francisco DocFest which unfortunately came the end of the tidal wave of Tribeca. While I really liked the film I found I had very little time to write it up. However since this is a sweet little film I had to do something.

This is the story of Alexander Freeman who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of two. He always wanted a family of his own, however his parents didn't think it was in the cards. However we was lucky enough to meet a young woman named Orina with whom he instantly clicked. That lead to a commitment ceremony and the birth of Maya their daughter.

This is a lovely film that goes along way toward proving anything can happen. Life doesn't have to follow the path society says it should go, but instead it can go the way you want it.

I was moved. In time when everyone wants us to conform, sometimes the most joyous thing you can do is follow your bliss.

Highly recommended

Janet Planet (2023) opens today

This is a respost of my NYFF review from last year

For me there are a number of problems with JANET PLANET. Some of them to do with Annie Baker's script and some of them to do with the film being a festival darling- which is due entirely to it being a film by Annie Baker and the mind set of big fests to program films with a name attached to them whether they deserve to be there or not.

The film is the episodic story of a mother and daughter over the course of several months as mom drifts in and out of relationships and her daughter just tries to get through life. Mom is a therapist working at home. She has a tendency to pick the wrong men. As the film opens she is in a relationship with Wayne a gruff guy who won't talk of his past, has a daughter and son he never sees. Lacy, Janet's daughter doesn't like him and he is dumped when Lacy insists on it. Next in the rotation is Regina, a friend of Janet's who comes to stay after leaving Avi and his group. Regina leaves and Avi becomes a suitor. Through it all Lacy is needy, occasionally sarcastic and a loner.

Though named for the mother, the film is kind of focused on both women but not really on either, though more on Lacy than Janet. If that seems like an odd statement it is because the film itself is rambling and oddly focused. We get moments of time. We get lots of silences and pieces of conversations but nothing connects. We are outsiders looking in but we never see anything that connects us to the women and what they are experiencing. There are moments in their lives but no sense of the whole. We get almost revelations but nothing concrete. The one moment where something might be an ah ha moment, a stoned discussion between Regina and Janet, goes off the rails because Janet's train of thought s lost. We are left on the outside looking in with only looks to fill in the blanks.

While never bad, the film is kind of good on its own terms, but I never connected. I'm not sure that many in the audience did either since out of the seven public screenings I have attended to at NYFF 2023 with Q&As, this one had the most people walking out before it started. Indeed Hubert and myself left as the lights were going up. We simply didn't need to know more.

The problem for me, and the thing that I keep coming back to is the feeling that this is the first film of a newbie director who is just learning to tell a story (cinematicly).  The huge problem with this is that Annie Baker is Pulitzer prize winning playwright who knows how to tell a story and build characters, I've seen and read her plays.  This should have had a better constructed script. Did all the connecting tissue go in editing?  I don't know, but something, a lot of things really, seem missing.

Quite honestly this film is no better than any number of small inde films I've seen this year. Additionally given a list of the too many films I've seen in the last year I could give at least ten better films on the same subject of mothers and daughters that would have been better choices for the festival.

There is no doubt that this film got into the NYFF because Annie Baker made it...and that is the problem NYFF and other festivals deal with. It's a problem they are very aware of because in the introduction to the film Dennis Lim said that the festival tends NOT to show the work of new filmmakers but leans on the work of known quantities. He said flat out Baker's name resulted in the selection. What an absolute shame.

I know why it's done, known directors are easier sells. They come with less hassles and assure that there will be some butts in seats. The problem is that in doing so the festival becomes a cult of personality (Godard, or Sang Soo anyone?). It's not a celebration of all films, rather it's a celebration of the big names.  NYFF, like the other major festivals, program the films from people who will get attention to their screenings, which explains why this year most screenings sold out.

The problem is that it often results in  films that in a more perfect world probably wouldn't get in on their merits. Too often over the last few years I have walked out of NYFF films thinking the film was good but not something that should be at one of the top festivals in the world. Never have I felt that more strongly than with JANET PLANET.

Again this is not a knock against JANET PLANET, which is fine for what it is, but more unhappiness that like in other areas of life, parentage does make a difference in a child's success. (Honestly festivals like NYFF and the other big ones should do a sidebar of films from  the inde world and up coming filmmakers that are programmed by people just looking for gems where ever they can be found)

Ultimately JANET PLANET is worth a look for the early work of a first time filmmaker who will hopefully get better with time.

Austin Belzer's Tribeca 2024 Interview on Dirty Laundry

For more from Austin Belzer check out his regular home AUSTIN B MEDIA

Austin Belzer speaks with the creators of MARS which played Tribeca 2024

More coverage of Tribeca and other great films from Austin can be found at Austin B Media

Paper Flowers (2024) Dances With Films 2024

This is the true story  of Shalin Shah who joins the Peace Corps in order to do good, only to find that he has a nasty form of cancer. In the time he has left he explores what it means to be alive and what we owe to each other.

Good but by the numbers tale designed to fill its audience with feelies and make them see the wonders of the world. I don't mean to sound snarky, but the cast and craft of the film are so good that I really wish that the script didn't hit all of the  expected notes.

Despite my kvetching, which comes from a place of love this is worth 

How I Faked My Life with AI (2024) Tribeca 2024

 

Filmmaker Kyle Vorbach begins to fake his life with AI to fill time and then it gets of of hand.

A diametrically opposed look at AI as seen another Tribeca film THE THINKING GAME, this is a warts and all, and  in the trenches look at what one guy is doing with AI and how it caused problems. (THE THINKING GAME is a look at AI where everything is hunky-dory) It's a film that raises a lot of questions that we need to consider now that AI is here to stay- most importantly the question about what is real and trust worthy now that everything can be faked. This is a film I applaud for daring to ask a lot of uncomfortable questions that need to be asked.

The problem with the film is that it there is a lot here and the film flies through its 97 minutes at speed barely pausing to take a breath. That's all well and good but I started to step away from the film because I needed to process what I'm seeing. This is kind of like being stuck with a fast talking car salesman with whom you you are going over the leasing contract. I want to think about what I'm signing.

Meaty presentation aside I really liked this film a great deal and if you have any concern about AI his film is a must.

Bad Actor: A Hollywood Ponzi Scheme (2024) Tribeca 2024

 

Zachary Horowitz went from barely on screen actor to running a 700 miliion dollar ponzi scheme. By forging documents and knowing the right thing to say he was living the good life until covid and chance encounter brought it all down.

This is a very good look at a very good con man. Horowitz conned everyone and destroyed countless lives and was unrepentant to the end , he told the judge his victims were at fault for being stupid enough to believe him. It's a wild ride that very clearly answers the question as to whether we could possibly be dumb enough to fall into such a scheme.

This film will blow your mind.

Recommended. 

Luther: Never Too Much (2024) Tribeca 2024

A look at singer, composer, producer and godlike entertainer Luther Vandross.

This is gloriously celebration of a man and his music. Pointing out a lot of things you probably didn't know (I never knew about the Bowie stuff)  this is a film that will make you fall in love with the man and his music all over again.

It is also a sad tale since everyone's focus on his weight resulted in damage to his body that eventually killed him.

I was moved, as was many in the screening I attended - I could see them wiping their eyes.

Highly recommended.

GEOFF McFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE (2023) in Theaters 6/21 & VOD 7/2

Portrait of artist Geoff McFetridge whose cartoony graphic design style has been used in advertising, in products such as cellphones and it's hung in galleries.

Hagiographic portrait of an artist borders really close to an infomercial sales pitch. You may like McFetridge's style but I doubt you'll be as in love with the man and his art as the filmmakers.  This is an 80 minute mash note.  I don't think a couple at the alter could be this in love with each other as the filmmakers are in love with their subject.

Crazy love aside, this is a really good film. Its a wonderful portrait of the artist and his art. It's really cool stuff and I was absolutely delighted to see so much of it.

If you can get past the mushy love, this is recommended.

Antidote (2024) Tribeca 2024

Chilling portrait of several people hiding out from Vladimir Putin for speaking out and uncovering his crimes.

This film will scare you. This is the story of a monster running rampant across the globe and sending out hit squads to kill those who won't lick his boots. Its a film about the possible death of freedom and democracy.

Told like a thriller, because it is a kind of thriller, ANTIDOTE will make you go cold. That a bad man can get away with this nonsense is frightening, but sadly expected in today's world where former enemies like Putin are held in high regard  by presidential hopefuls who see a chance to do the same.

I couldn't look a way.

This is one of the best films at the fest. It is highly recommended both as a great film and as a dire warning.

I'm Your Venus (2024) Tribeca 2024

Venus Xtravaganza, one of the stars of Paris Is Burning was murdered before the film was released. The killing was never solved. Decades later her biological brothers come together with her ballroom family to try and solve the crime and celebrate a woman who changed the life of generations.

Sad and bittersweet film is full of things unsaid and undone. Venus' brothers seem to have become saddled with guilt that they didn't do more and weren't more accepting of their sister. While it's clear they loved her they were lost in the times and didn't do enough, or so they seem to feel. You can feel the weight of the world on their shoulders.  It's a weight that is slowly lifted thanks to Venus' ballroom family.

I loved the arc of this film. I loved that the film doesn't go and do what we expect. There aren't answers for everything and its something that makes the film haunting.

After the first screenings of the press corps who attended as well as the festival staff were raving about the film. This is a film that rocked everyone of every spectrum of film fan.

I was moved too.

Highly recommended

Desire: The Carl Craig Story (2024) Tribeca 2024

Jean-Cosme Delaloye​'s portrait of DJ, composer and producer Carl Craig charting the course of his career through hi early days to his current status as a mater of Techno.

This is an excellent look at a man and music that needs to be heard big and loud. I should have put on the headphones watching this because there is so much music that I needed it downloaded into my soul.

This is a great film that shows us how great Craig is but also how instrumental he was in the growth of Techno.  We watch as he travels the world and spreads the word and then brings back things that he found on his travels.

If you have loved Tribeca's music docs in the past you are going to eat this up.

Recommended.

Brief thoughts on LIZA: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (2024) Tribeca 2024

I'm at a loss about how this film flew under the radar at Tribeca. This is a truly great portrait of Liza  from the death of her mother onward to today. Full of incredible and probing interviews, including with Liza herself, it is a film that perfectly explains why Liza is an Icon and why she moved generations of people.

This film floored me. I went into the film expecting to like it and wander out with a enough for a couple of quick lines, instead I staggered out, jaw hanging open with too many words. I don't know what to say except see it.

How good is the film it was the source of two animated discussions about how the film doesn't have a buyer yet. No one could sort out why a film this good wasn't picked up and slotted for release.

A must see for fans and non fans.

SABBATH QUEEN (2024) Tribeca 2024

This is Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie's arc of a life as he finds a path to God as a gay man, occasional drag queen, rabbi, father and founder of Lab/Shul a god optional congregation where everyone is welcome.

This was one of the most moving films at this years Tribeca. It frequently reduced me to tears as we watch one man tries to find his own way to salvation. It's a journey with unexpected turns, some grumpy parts and where everything is full of love. Amichai is nothing if not full of god's love in a way that I have only seen in a handful of people. 

What makes the film so powerful is that there is no clear through line. We don't know where this is going or how it will end up. We are traveling with Amichai as he finds his place. It's a deeply moving journey because unlike in most other biographical docs we get a sense of the life off the screen. We know there is more than we are being told and that somehow makes us love him more. We also don't like him at times which makes him more fully human.

When the film ended I told several friends that they not only had to see the film but go to Lab/Shul because it appears to be the spiritual place they were looking for.

One of the great films of 2024.

DUST TO DUST (2024) Tribeca 2024

Portrait of designer Yuima Nakazato who traveled to Kenya to see what happens to clothing that is discarded. Shaken by the sheer amount he begins work on trying to find a way to recycle it.

A film of beauty and horror. There is beauty in all the images, even those of the mountain of waste, while at the same time the film hits hard in explaining why and how the clothing industry is the second biggest polluter behind the fossil fuel industry. Something has to be done and Nakazato is trying to do just that.

A two part film the first half is the trip to Kenya where Nakazato's eyes are opened. Buying some discarded clothes he returns home where he begins working on trying to find a way to recycle the clothes for his next show. He does it but makes discoveries along the way such as some of the polyester used in the clothing is so bad that it's nigh impossible to use for anything except cheap clothing.

This is a film that will rattle your cage in ways most other environmental films ever do.

In speaking with director  Kosai Sekine after the screening he said that Nakazato is going full on into trying to find away to recycle and has been use the materials he is creating in all his subsequent shows. He also said that the mountains of waste are not just in Kenya but around the world, and the efforts to film at some locations were thwarted by local authorities.

See this film.

The director, producer and translator

They All Came Out To Montreux (2024) Tribeca 2024

Portrait of Claude Nobs who was the mind behind the Montreux Jazz Fest.

This is a film that needs to be many more hours longer. Made up of clips from the Jazz fest (almost every performance has been recorded) this is a film that will make your jaw drop. There is so many great performances (Nina Simone, Prince)

It is also  a battle between Nobs story and the music. The music is excellent but it over powers the the story of Nobs and the Jazz Fest, which feels shoe horned in.  It's not fatal but you realize that 90 minutes is too short.

That said- you need to see this film for the music.

TRIBECA 2024 Short Takes: JAGO IN WHITE, ADULT BEST FRIENDS, SEARCHING FOR AMANI, MIRIAM'S DARKNESS, BIKE CHESS

JAGO INTO THE WHITE
A portrait of the artist Jago as he works on a pieta in his studio in Naples, this film is full of great images and wonderful discussions about the act of creating. I was moved and I ended up filling up my notebook with observations from Jago that sounded like wise advice.

Recommended

ADULT BEST FRIENDS
Delaney Buffett attempts to get out from her father's shadow by turning to filmmaking. The story of two life long friends whose relationship is rocked when one gets engaged has its potential ruined by unreal characters (Delaney's cocaine use is comical) and an uncertain tone. There is a seriousness here that is never addressed. I thought my feelings were the result of a fractured first viewing, but a second look made me realize that there are problems here that prevent it from really working.

SEARCHING FOR AMANI
13 year old aspiring journalist tries to figure out why his father was killed. His dad was a conservation officer working in a reserve being invaded by farmers wanting to graze their animals.  Intriguing look at the complex subject of land management during a drought, the film doesn't have any easy answers. It's a film that  you  have to engage with.  

DARKEST MIRIAM
A librarian has to heal with love and weird patrons, one of which is sending threatening letters. An off kilter romance is probably not for everyone, but if you click with it this is a delightful slice of life (what happens in the library are close to stories I've been told by actual librarians.)

Worth a look.

BIKE CHESS
Award winner for best International Feature at Tribeca, Bike Chess is the story of a reporter having issues with the government. Slackly paced and covering ground we've been over before, interest wanes rather quickly.  You'll be like me and have a pretty good idea where this is going.

Take a pass.

Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara (2024) Tribeca 2024

Portrait of the metal band Alien Weapory who who founded by two brothers when they were teenagers. We watch as they grow into a world recognized band go through personnel changes, stop touring with mom and dad and begin to grow up. They also sing in the Maori language.

Strangely under the radar film at this years Tribeca is one of the more entertaining and satisfying. A warts and all look at the band, we see how the guys are little kids at heart and being changed, perhaps not for the better, by the road. It's told with a frankness and a refusal to hide that is rare in music docs which tend to be purely puff pieces. 

While the music is heavy metal, it is better than you might think. I say this because we hear part of a performance they were trying to put together with a symphony orchestra and it sounds amazing.

Grossly under attended at the public screening I attended, this is a film that is going to develop a cult following. I suspect when the boys go into the stratosphere there are going to be thousands of people who say they were there when it premiered.

Highly recommended