Reid Ramsey weighs in on Richard Linklater's APOLLO 10 1/2 (2022) NYICFF 2022 SXSW2021

 

Richard Linklater has made his career off memories. Whether it’s allowing a certain subset of viewers to grow up alongside Jessie and Celine in the Before Trilogy, capturing 12 years of a boy growing up in the suburbs of Texas in the 2000s with Boyhood, or flashing back to the teen-aged 70s in Dazed and Confused, Linklater’s films are always specific and unflinchingly sincere. It’s this exact, highly-attractive quality, though, can make them alienating to certain viewers. His latest, the animated Apollo 10 ½, is no exception.

Set in the height of the space race and right at its geographic epicenter, the film takes viewers to Houston, 1969, and it puts Linklater’s memories front-and-center. The plot is rather simple: NASA recruits a young boy, Stan, to train and venture into space due to the fact that they built the cockpit on their latest rocket too small for an adult to travel in it. Stan’s training and journey are interwoven with his own adult’s memoir-esque narration of his life in Houston at the time. Filled with highly-specific and long-winded detours into different foods, TV shows, games, and everything you may imagine about the Houston suburbs at the time. 

Clearly highly-researched and diligently remembered, Linklater pours as much of himself and his childhood into this as he can, making the detail remarkable and often fascinating – at least until he has dragged it on too long. His remembrances grow rather tedious for viewers who delight a little less in the treasures of a different generation’s past, and it is clear his indulgences have gotten the better of him with this film. 

I had, in viewing, the reaction I can only imagine many others have had when approaching different films of his like Boyhood, School of Rock, or Dazed and Confused: this isn’t for me. Linklater’s passion for the period helps ease some of the pains, and the animation is often a marvel, especially the space sequences and when Stan is home with his family. There are enough pieces to enjoy in here, even for those who find the unceasing attention-to-detail rather boring. 

Master (2022) SXSW 2022

Three African American women have unpleasant experiences at a predominately white college.

I don't know what I think of this film. Its one part social commentary and, occasionally, a horror film. Its a film that sets up the story of a ghost who haunts a certain college dorm room who takes a victim every year at a certain time. The film also seeks to address the racism, overt and "unconscious", that one finds in academia. 

The main problem is that the film doesn't blend the genres. I mean it doesn't really blend them at all. Some scenes are supernatural tinged,  but in those minutes there is no social commentary. In the social commentary moments there is no hint of the supernatural. The result is there never is any tension because the film never gets traction. Every time it begins to build to something it shifts gears...nay flips a switch.  The result of it is a lack of engagement.

The other problem is that the film can be incredibly low key, especially in-regard with the supernatural. The result is that when we reach the ending, the revelations are more like, "wait what?" instead of "oh my god". I should have been shattered instead of waiting to see if that was all there was.

While I know some people who liked this film, it really didn't work for me.

We Feed People (2022) SXSW 2022

This is the story of chef Jose Andres who began feeding people in need in 2010 when an earthquake hit Haiti. As a result he ended up starting World Central Kitchen which travels the world and wades in to disaster areas and feeds the people in need.  He is a man who takes his company where ever people need to be fed.

And while this is very much the story of Andres this film is also the story of a lot of people doing good. Its the story of World Central Kitchen and the people who go out of their way to make sure people can eat. It is a story of hope and humanity in a world of darkness. In a world of pain they will make you feel good.

I was moved to tears. I was rocked by Andres attitude of we have to help anyway we can- and then his just wading in to do it anyway he can. He went in in the early days with no plan and made it up as he goes. Its the way he runs its business and it has allowed him to make a difference when officialdom won't move fast enough. I love that he takes what he learns and changes as as he goes along and as each situation presents itself. You get a sense that he really wants to help and not feed his ego. This is the way we should all be. We should look to see what is really possible, not what we think is possible.

This is a magnificent film.

I don't know what to say except see this film. One of SXSW's best and one of 2022's most important

Apollo 1/2 (2022) NYICFF 2022 SXSW 2022

Richard Linklater remembers his childhood growing up near NASA in Huston and blurs it with his own dream of going to the moon.

This is the story of Stan ,who when he was kid was recruited by NASA to fly a secret mission to the moon in the days before Apollo 11. In and around that story Stan remembers what life was like being a kid.

How you react to this film is going to be determined by how you react to this pure shot of nostalgia. If you are of a certain age, Particularly if you came of age  during the late 1960's and early 1970's this film is going to be a waking dream of what your life was long ago when it was okay to paddle kids, ride in the back of pick up trucks and do all sorts of crazy things that would get you or your parents locked up today.

My experience watching the film was purely talking to the screen and saying "yes, yes exactly" while smiling with utter delight. A form of this film was my childhood and as a result I ate it up and I was five or six years old again.

On the other hand if you are far removed from the days depicted you may not have any connection to what is happening on screen and the fragmented nature of the (shaggy dog) story you may like it less. I completely understand not liking the film because without the nostalgia factor the film doesn't add up to much. I mean there is no grand payoff. This is just several weeks in the life of a kid in 1969 with no real arc.

Is it a bad film?

Oh hell no. Even the people who had no nostalgic connection to the film liked the film, they just didn't love it.

Worth a look when it hits Netflix April 1

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse (2022) SXSW 2022

The life, times and influence of Mickey Mouse.

All hail Mickey Mouse the mouse who changed the world.

Overly loving, near religiously orgasmic history of Mickey Mouse is going to be a treat for those who are in the cult and for those that are not it will be a film to make you talk to the screen. This is in no way an objective look at the mouse, but a grand 95 minute commercial from the Walt Disney corporation aimed at making people fall more in love with the mouse and buy lots of crap.

How you react to the film will be determined by whether you're in the mood for another rehashing of Mickey's history or not. I didn't find anything new here so I got bored rather early.

I should say as much as I am bitching, this isn't a bad film, just an unremarkable one. It is a 95 minute commercial disguised as a documentary. As I said there is nothing new here and it all is calculated to get you to buy more Disney stuff (the film is fetishistic in regard to memorabilia). If you need to have a reason to give more of your cash to Disney feel free to watch this when it plays Disney+

Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) SXSW 2022 (spoilers)

My feeling toward Cooper Raiff's CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH is summed up by the warning one learns very early when going to or following news out of film festivals which is beware anything anyone tells you because it is invariably wrong. More times than not writer, myself included, are caught up in the moment and something you see produces a reaction that over sells the film. Such is the case with CHA CHA, a film many of my friends over sold when it played at Sundance.

Director Cooper Raiff plays a young man, just out of college who is stuck working at Meat Stick and acting as a guy who can get people to have a good time at various parties. He meets Dakota Johnson and her daughter at one and is smitten. They bond despite her having a fiance in Barcelona. What will happen?

How you feel about the film will be determined by how you feel about Raiff as a leading man and his technique behind the camera. Looking like a younger David Tennant but with 50% less charm and zero weight, Raiff wanders through the film in a part that makes him seem like a gee whiz sweet guy that everyone likes. Gosh darn it why can't he get his life together. Its a saccharine part of the sort that only exists in "you can't be serious" romantic comedies. This results in moments that had they been played by any other actor or written by any other writer might have seemed remotely real instead of artificial.

And it's a shame be because Dakota Johnson and Vanessa Burghardt as her daughter are magnificent. They take roles that shouldn't work as written and turn them into something special. They are what make the film work as well as it does.

Yes, despite my bitching the film works as disposable romance. But is should have been better. It also should have had a different ending which seems to be there just to give the proceedings weight. Forgive me, while it may be slightly logical, Johnson is engaged after all, it feels out of place. Yes I know it's the result of the film being from Raiff's character's POV, but it seems wrong and out of left field like many serious works of literature that go serious in the final pages/minutes. But what annoys me is the whole thing outside of Johnson and Burghardt are not far removed from a sitcom so it didn't have to end real. (Yes know it's foreshadowed in conversations but it still seems wrong to me) 

Worth a look for Dakota Johnson fans or those want to have their socks knocked off by new comer Vanessa Burghhardt. Everyone else you're on your own.

Steve on Jethica (2022) SXSW 2022

 

While staying in the desert home of her grandmother Elena runs into high school friend Jessica who is fleeing from her stalker. When the stalker shows up things get complicated.

This is nominally a horror film. I mean it involves horror tropes, a stalker, the supernatural and a few other things, but it’s not really a horror film. The press material calls it a dark comedy, but it’s not really funny (even if the stalker’s speech pattern is kind of played for laughs). This is really a solid drama with twists and turns. And I can’t discuss the turns because the turns are what propel the film forward. That isn’t to say the turns are everything, rather they provide “oh that’s what that is” moments that keep us hooked. And I need to point out that almost all of the turns aren’t really turns but things that are always on screen. Frankly I haven’t seen a film that is this scrupulously honest in a very long time.

The only real problem I have with the film is that it has a couple too many endings. I kept thinking “and that’s the end” only to have it keep going. I would say trim things back, except that this film is barely feature length as it is (it runs 68 minutes with credits).The endings are all fine, just, some are better than others.

Quibble aside this is a one of the best films at SXSW and recommended.

Dio Dreamers Never Die (2022) SXSW 2022

 

DIO DREAMERS NEVER DIE was not one of the films I picked for the SXSW dance card. It was so low on my must watch list as not to be on it. Frankly I had no idea the film was playing at all. Then somehow I noticed it when I was putting things on and off my must see list and added it simply because it fit a slot.

As with most of the films I loved out of SXSW which I just added because it fit, it turned out to be one of the best films at the festival. Actually it may be a top three or four film of the fest for me, and possibly one of the best films of 2022.

The film is a portrait of Ronnie James Dio who was born as Ronald James Padavona in 1942. He began playing the trumpet before starting in the sort of bands you'd expect in the 1950's.  Then influenced by Deep Purple he changed the sort of music he was playing before shaking the pillars of heaven in groups like Raonbow, Black Sabbath and Dio.

This film transcends the notion of what a music documentary is supposed to be. This is a portrait of the man from birth to death with everything in between. All his music is represented, yea even the early stuff is here with the result  we truly realize what the man was doing musically. It also is a lovely portrait of the man who is seen to be a guy who stuck to his guns, helped anyone on the way up where he could, even if it was a kind word, and he was a man who loved his fans. The story is told of Dio going on tour and meeting fans and blowing them away by remembering, after years, who they were and what they talked about in prior encounters. He loved his fans and they loved him.

Yes the film is primarily full of heavy metal music, but don't let that worry you, it's never there just to be there. Dio's music is not used just to play it but for effect and to illustrate what he was doing musically. They pull his lyrics apart and you realize just how stupid the religious nuts who tried to claim his work was Satanic were. Yea it was driving music but he was telling people they mattered.

This film stunned me from the first frames. I expected to like it but I never expected to fall madly in love with the film and the man. Its so good that I want to know more.  Honestly I am not more in love with his music, he was never one of my favorites, but I am in utter awe of the man. 

This is truly one of the best music docs I've seen.

I can't recommend this film enough. One of the highlights of SXSW

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily on SERIOUSLY RED (2022) at SXSW 2022

Liz Whittemore keeps the SXSW reports going with a look at SERIOUSLY RED

This infectious homage to tribute performers focuses on a quirky redheaded young woman whose passion in life has been the songs and personality of Miss Dolly Parton. While she’s has a patterned history of screwing up, Red is a bold, kind-hearted spirit determined to make it as a Dolly impersonator. As her star rises, so does her self-esteem, affecting her personal life, for better or worse. 

Flashy sequins and blonde wings aside, deep down, the film is about self-actualization. The things we try and disguise from others and ourselves. When I was younger, someone asked me why I performed. “Is it because you’re hiding behind those characters?” First, I was offended. Then I thought about it. It was the perfect opportunity to try on someone new. But, Seriously Red is also about having the bravery to do what you love. 

Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Celeste Barber, Daniel Webber, and Thomas Campbell give superb performances. Seriously Red lives and breathes in screenwriter and star Krew Boylan. She brings unbridled nuance to Red. Comedy timing from the gods, slapstick chops, and a voice for days, Boylan owns every scene. You can’t take your eyes off of her.

The energy never fades, with glorious musical numbers (live and choreographed fantasy sequences.) This film will resonate with an audience wider than Dolly fans. While we revel in the legend’s words throughout the script, the themes stand undoubtedly on their own. Seriously Red will make you smile from ear to ear.

For more of Liz and Reel News Daily go here.

Liz Whittemore on Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets (2022)

Still at it, Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily returns with a financial tale of our times

It was the perfect storm. A global pandemic. An app aspiring to democratize trading. A group of Reddit users stuck at home with stimulus dollars to burn. And a video game company on its last legs. DIAMOND HANDS is the incredible true story of how an army of retail traders rallied around GameStop to rock our financial system. This is the legend of r/WallStreetBets.

SXSW22 documentary Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets finally puts faces (and screennames) to the Reddit users that toppled the system. Sitdown interviews, media footage, and quirky transitions come together to shatter the narrative of the rise and fall of GameStop stock. Even if this was a small sampling of the millions of group members, they had people from all walks of life, all levels of understanding. Trust me when I say it’s not who you think. It was fascinating to discover their motivations. Covid was a huge factor, so some had stimulus checks to spend. Each featured Reddit user had different lifestyles, varying amounts of money, and knowledge. I felt connected to these people. They explained their literal highs and lows along this wild journey. 

What it needed was a breakdown of the basic elements of the market, in the way The Big Short did. I watched the doc with my husband. He happens to be a Wall Street investment banker. He’s read about the GameStop movement, listened to podcasts, and is familiar with how all of this works. I read all the articles as it was exploding in real-time. Back then, I saw it as the little guy taking down the banks (and yes, I own the irony inside my marriage.) I could not help but cheer on a group of people who created a legitimate movement that stunned the financial world. Also, I’m an old-school GameStop dork. I’m no self-proclaimed gamer girl, but I frequented the store in the early 2000s. As I watched the doc, I was admittedly confused by the jargon, even as someone who tracks the market on her phone, alerts included. I felt like I needed more information, even with the tsunami already coming at me.

While some of the cartoonish elements of the transitions were a touch distracting, Diamondhands filled in a lot of blanks for me. I felt like I was no longer on the outside of this story. You’re going to fall in love with the Reddit mastermind. There’s no doubt about it. Am I secretly hoping he figures out another way to rally the little guy? Damn right, I am.

For more from Liz and Reel News Daily go here

SXSW 2022 short takes PRETTY PROBLEMS, WOMEN DO CRY and IT IS IN US ALL US ALL

PRETTY PROBLEMS
A couple goes to spend the weekend with a rich billionaire and things happen that upsets their relationship.

Well made but narratively unremarkable  film full of overly quirky characters that we get in numerous other similar films lensed in California. While not bad there was nothing here that stood out for me (I see too many similar films each year) which makes it hard to write on.

WOMEN DO CRY
This look at the life in Bulgaria through the eyes of the women in a family who have to deal with misogyny and homophobia.

This film disappointed me. While extremely heartfelt, the film doesn't really work. Part of the problem is that the film never feels like life. It feels like  a series of disconnected scenes that were just set up moments before action was called. And part of it is that some of this feels like it's only there just to move the film along. While the the pieces work, it never feels as a fully formed.

A miss.

IT IS IN US ALL
Hammish returns to his mother's home in Ireland, ends up in car accident and becomes involved with a young man from the accident.

There is a chance I missed something,I don't think so, but I honestly don't know what I was supposed to get out of the film. The film is so low key and so smoldering that it's hard to connect to it. Much seems to not to have been said. I always felt like I was on the outside of a glass box looking in. I kept wanting to know why things were the way they were beyond the reasons the film gave. Frankly I'm not certain the reasons the film gives work.

A miss.

(Addendum-  I know a couple of writers who liked the film, however everyone of them read the press notes before seeing the film. The notes apparently fill in details that are not in the film. I am on record as feeling that all films must stand on their own feet, ie. you shouldn't need notes, and as far as I am concerned this one doesn't)

Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story (2022) SXSW 2022

 

A celebration and history of the New Orleans Jazz Festival

I am really mixed on this film. While I love the stories and the music, the linking material, the history of the fest and other sequences kind of fall flat. Its not that they are bad, more that it feels incomplete. There is so much we don't know, we get a bit about the founding, we get bits about various aspects, but we don't get any sense of the festival as a whole. We get nothing that ties it all together it just bits and it's less than satisfying.

What is satisfying are the stories the various artist tell about going to the fest. I love the Marsalis brothers talking about playing with their dad and many others. 

Equally good is the music. The various performances from Jimmy Buffett, Al Green, Earth Wind And Fire are wonderful.On the other hand the performance of Katy Perry of Oh Happy Day is magnificent, even if seeing her in her space queen outfit is a bit odd.

While not bad the film kind of disappoints. On the other hand I will recommend it for the music, especially if you have a killer sound system

SXSW 2022 short takes: SELF-PORTRAIT , KIDS IN THE HALL, and SANTOS

SELF-PORTRAIT
A look at the world through unlocked surveillance cams.
This is a love it or hate it film made up f nothing more than shots from the cams. If you are up for shots from around the world go for it. If not move on to something else.

KIDS IN THE HALL COMEDY PUNKS
Everything you ever wanted to know about the comedy group the Kids In The Hall.  If you  are a fan of the group this is a magnificent look at the group which changed the face of comedy. If you aren't a fan this is a good look at a group which changed the face of comedy. Either way it's worth a look.

SANTOS – Skin to Skin
Portrait of John Santos, band leader, historian and activist  who has spent the last five plus decades making music and bringing together various groups via the shared use of th conga drum. This is a sweet little film that tells the story of Santos and his music. 

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily on SXSW's THE PRANK (2022)

The ever joking Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily ponders THE PRANK

We all had that teacher in high school that we loathed, either because they were a terrible teacher or just plain evil. In The Prank, two students sick of an AP Physics teacher terrorizing the school come up with a scheme to frame her for murder. Can Ben and Tanner shift the power dynamic? More importantly, how will Mrs. Wheeler react?

Ben is your typical overachiever, while his best friend Tanner is a slacker. Funny thing, neither is what they appear to be. Tanner is a hacker genius. When the infamous teacher from our nightmares, Mrs. Wheeler, discovers someone has cheated on her Physics midterm, she threatens to fail everyone. Fed up with the power she holds, Ben and Tanner make a plan to take her down. A handful of ridiculous memes and embarrassingly fake “evidence” spirals out of control. But that’s just the beginning of The Prank.

Connor Kalopsis plays Ben with visceral anxiety in his attempt at a scholarship. His quiet confidence is a solid foil for co-star Ramona Young. I would be remiss to mention Meredith Salinger as his Mom. She’s quickwitted and down-to-earth and would have loved to see more of here. She’s a charmer.

Ramona Young as Tanner is a spitfire. With excitable energy, she bounces off of Kalopsis without ever getting campy. Their chemistry is akin to any series regulars on The Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. Kate Flannery plays the lunch lady with a sass that deserves a standing ovation. The scenes between her and Young, while short, are undeniably memorable.

Rita Moreno brings this Goosebumps-friendly film to life with her iconic character-building abilities. Her comic timing is legendary. Her presence onscreen and onstage is massive. She nails every beat of Mrs. Wheeler. Playing against Kalopsis and Young, her ability to outwit her scene partners is unmatched. Moreno captures the familiar sternness that made us shake in our boots when we were younger. Her acid-tongued delivery of screenwriters Becca Flinn-White & Zak White’s dialogue is chef’s kiss. You’ll love to hate her.

The Prank takes advantage of the classic rumor mill, updating it through social media. Without spoiling the film, the fallout that makes this film special. It was a surprising selection for SXSW22 but in a good way. The Prank is the most fun teen-centric comedy at this year’s festival. Stick around for the credits.

For more from Liz and Reel News Daily go here.

Split at the Root (2022) SXSW 2022

 

A look at the US policy under Donald Trump to separate illegal immigrant parents from their children. It focuses on the plight of several women who had their children taken away as well as the mothers turned activists  who fought to reunite the family. The film focuses on how mothers from across America came together to create Immigrant Families Together (IFT)which was aimed at working to get the separated families together anyway they could. In the case of Yeni Gonzalez the women drove her across the country in stages in order to get her and her kids back together

This is a good but not quite quite my cup of tea film that kind of disappointed. While the film tells an important story, I never really connected to the story, the problem, for me, being that I never warmed to the women in IFT.  I also completely understand that it was impossible to really follow many of the turns in person owing to the inability to film in various official facilities., but I kept wanting to see more. 

Frankly the problems come from seeing a steady diet of similar films and as a result I unintentionally have compared it to other films while not taking it entirely on it's own terms. On the other hand if you are not an insane film watcher like me you may want to give the film a try 

Liz WHittemore of Reel News Daily on DEADSTREAM (2022) SXSW2022

After a public controversy left him disgraced and demonetized, a washed up internet personality tries to win back his followers by livestreaming himself spending one night alone in an abandoned haunted house. When he accidentally pisses off a vengeful spirit, his big comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life (and social relevance) as he faces off with the sinister spirit of the house and her own powerful following.

Joseph Winter plays Shawn, a delightful douchebag. Or, as we regularly refer to this type of personality, a YouTube star. He promises his audience he’ll spend the night in an infamously haunted location. As the evening unfolds, Shawn’s backstory slowly comes to light. Is this stunt an act of redemption or a money grab? Whichever it is, we win with Deadstream.

Shawn interacts with the livestream comments ranging from rude to fangirl, skeptical to genuinely helpful. Some of those comments come with videos making the narrative feel immersive for the audience. The Host was a huge indie hit in 2020. The plot occurs over a Zoom seance, where the audience is also a participant on that call. Dreadstream benefits from this similar format because it will feel like you’re part of the action. It’s only the second film I would recommend watching on a laptop.

The cinematography is a collection of Go Pro and infrared cameras, giving Deadstream a first-person gamer experience. While Shawn performs promised acts of silliness, he also tells the history of each room and its associated ghost. The majority of the set is lit from Shawn’s headlamp, enhancing the scares. I constantly anticipated a jump scare. But, it’s the brilliantly written buildup of tension that kept me on the edge of my seat. 

Joseph Winter abandons every ounce of his dignity in Shawn. He’s fearless in his slapstick and could not care less how absurd he looks. The way he screams is comedy gold. Winter nails that manic energy and the over-the-top vocal nuance of any YouTube star or influencer. I cannot imagine anyone but Winters doing Shawn justice. 

Deadstream is an ode to horror fans. It is a film Sam Raimi would be proud of. As for us genre nerds, don’t act like you didn’t watch Paranormal State, Ghost Hunters, or Ghost Adventures whenever Evil Dead wasn’t available to rent, again. Deadstream takes all the elements of those staples and melds them together with modern-day social media and cancel culture. If you’re not laughing out loud, check your pulse. Writing and directing team Vanessa Winter & Joseph Winter let SXSW22 audiences in on the joke. Deadstream gets me to hit “Like & Subscribe.” These filmmakers just earned a new fan. 

For more from Liz and Reel News Daily go here.

SHADOW (2022) SXSW 2022

 

I don't know how to describe SHADOW. The film is a film about a meeting of disability activists who come together and argue about how best to get the respect that they deserve. It's an meta exercise with it clear that this a film and that there are people with disabilities before and behind the camera. It is also very formal much like a stage play.

Most assuredly a one of a kind film I find it impossible to really parse out my feelings for it. Part of it is that the performances would be considered all over the place owing entirely to the ability of the people on screen. Additionally the script is not natural, it is a polemic that is very much trying to present an argument.  As a result some of it is absolutely brilliant while other bits are noble misses.

Honestly it's wrong  to even try and critique the film simply because of so many issues. That isn't to say it's bad, it isn't, rather it's something that may not work for everyone.

Personally I like the film but I admire what it is trying to do more. I think the film and it's giving voice to the people it wants to empower is important. While some of this will move you, most of this is going to work best in your head where the ideas and debates can play out .

Definitely worth a look, this film is vital and alive in ways the vast majority of films can never hope to match.

Thief Collector (2022) SXSW 2022

Thief Collector is a film that is not what you expect. The film is nominally about the theft of  de Kooning’s painting Woman Ochre from the University of Arizona in 198-. The painting was cut from the frame and carried off by a couple not long after the museum opened on the day after Thanksgiving. Where it went or who took it remained a mystery for decades…until it was rediscovered in the effects of d Rita and Jerry Alter.  

While that is a part of the story, the film actually is a look at the Alters and their obsessions. This is not a look at the crime but at the way people feed their obsessions and how seemingly normal people almost always seem to have another side to them.

I should point out that this is not saying that the Alters were bad in that they were secretly murdering people, rather they simply had a side where they went against the fine upstanding citizens they seemed to be to the rest of the world. As a result the film has become a more complicated and richer film than it would have been if it had just been about the crime.

I really liked this film a great deal. It’s a film that stayed with me through an evening in which I watched three other films after it. Yes I saw an other documentary and two edge of your seat thrillers, but when it was all done I found I was still thinking about Thief Collector even as the other films were fading from my mind. Hell I wanted to know more and I reached out to the PR person to get the press notes because I knew that they would give me even more details.

You have to love any film that takes it’s basic premise to hook you and then drags you into another direction and makes you think about things in a new way. It had my mind going so much that I wish I could have gone back and rewatched several other SXSW films that dealt with obsessions because it put those films into a new light.

This is a neat little film and is highly recommended.

SPAZ (2022) SXSW 2022

Portrait of Steve 'Spaz' Williams who is one of the forces in computer animation animation. His work on films like the ABYSS, TERMINATOR 2 and JURASSIC PARK changed movies and the world forever.

This is a good but rather by the numbers tale for a guy who never was by the numbers. A man who loved life and loved doing things his own way he chaffed in the studio system and his antics, such as crashing George Lucas' office often made the suits want to fire him, but his abilities kept him out of trouble.

The problem with the film is that much of this is standard issue bio, but focused on Williams. It's only when we get to Williams chaffing at the suits getting credit and awards for the work of his and other animators that the film comes to life. Legendary filmmaker Dennis Muren comes off looking like an ass since its clear the people like Williams were the real geniuses at work (Muren apparently told Williams not to do the T-rex animation that proved computers could do all the effects on JURASSIC PARK.) 

While never bad it is is probably going to be best for animation junkies.

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily on A VANISHING FOG (2022) SXSW 2022

Reel News Daily's Liz Whittemore returns from A VANISHING FOG

Facing the imminent return of an unnamed social and ecological violence, F – played by the emblematic and commanding newcomer Sebastián Pii in his debut cinematic role—yearns to overcome his human limitations and plan his escape, knowing all too well that his departure will come with a heartrending goodbye to the only world he has ever known.

It should be no surprise that A Vanishing Fog won the SXSW22 film festival award for Best Cinematography. This film not only speaks to the race against the climate crisis, but The Vanishing Fog also specifically tackles the helpless human aspect. The film follows a young man named F. He appears to be the last protector of an enormous and lush hidden landscape. As capitalist outsiders seek to buy his home, F’s internal struggle between escape and loyalty is palpable. Caring for his ailing father, attempting to communicate with any possible remaining ally by yelling out into the abyss, F understands the end is nigh, whatever that form may take. 

First-time cinematographer Gio Park shot A Vanishing Fog in the mysterious and formidable Páramo of Sumapaz—the largest swath of alpine moorland in the world. It is the first feature film to be shot in this location. You won’t believe such a place exists. It is so incredible that it looks to have been created on a soundstage or green screen. It will take your breath away. 

A Vanishing Fog is a film that deserves enormous screens. Imagine sitting in a room surrounded by IMAX-sized walls. The film begs this experience. I could easily see this becoming a staple at any museum. Lead actor Sebastián Pii leaves every ounce of himself in this role. He’s charming, innocent, desperate, endearing, and determined. You are right alongside his emotional journey. Visual grandeur aside, Pii captures your heart with his wonder and physical fearlessness. A Vanishing Fog is unlike anything you’ve experienced before. It’s a must-see.