DWF ’18: Gatha (short)

The despoilment of the nation of Tibet is not merely an environmental tragedy. It also holds religious implications, due to the sacred status of the nation’s many natural wonders. Mount Kangrinboqê is a perfect example. The Himalayan peak is a frequent pilgrimage destination for believers of the Buddhist, Bon, Hindu, and Jain faiths. Two brothers will embark on the arduous trek in director-choreographer-screenwriter Tang Chenglong’s visually arresting and symbolically resonant short film, Gatha, which screens today as part of the Spotlight: China! sidebar at this year’s Dances With Films.

As the two brothers slowly prostrate themselves towards Kangrinboqê, we can see the grubby modern world started to intrude on Tibet’s pristine mountains and valleys. However, from a pilgrim’s perspective, the landscape is still wild and unforgiving. They will traverse deserts, forests, and mountain ranges on their pilgrimage. Along the way, they also express the ecstatic joy of their faith through dance. Yet, there will also be sorrow, because that is very much a part of the cycle of life.

Geng Zibo and Chen Shifei dance with the striking strength and physicality, but their grace is just as evident. They are well-served by Tang’s dynamic choreography, which incorporates elements of martial arts and hip hop, but also expresses delight and wonder. Somehow, it evokes ancient mysticism, while still looking really cool and sleekly modern. Geng and Chen perform in natural settings that would dwarf most performers, but they still command the stage. Nevertheless, the staggering power of the Tibetan locales cannot and will not be denied.

Gatha is essentially an allegory, but it is deeply moving. It is also a sensory feast and a superb technical package, with special credit clearly due to “executive director” A Luo, who is also credited with the aerial photography and some of the camera work. This is one of the most ambitious and rewarding dance films in years, but it also serves as a timely reminder of what is at risk in occupied Tibet. Very highly recommended, Gatha screens this afternoon, as part of the Spotlight: Kids from China short film program, during the 2018 Dances With Films.

DWF ’18: Hometown on the Cloud

It is time for Meet the Parents, Naxi style. Luo Li is finally going home to meet her fiancé Mu Shu’s parents in Lijang, deep within Yunnan province. Unfortunately, they are still rather attached to his ex, A Mei, who also happens to be his betrothed, according to Naxi custom. It is awkward for her, but Mu Shu’s sister Mu Yu helps take some of the heat off her when she brings home a foreigner fiancée. Cultures and family members clash in Zhang Chunhe & Wang Lei’s Hometown on the Cloud, which screens tonight as part of the Spotlight: China! sidebar at this year’s Dances With Films.

Luo Li is a student of Naxi culture. That is how she met Mu Shu. In recent years, he has made his fame and fortune in Beijing as a modern sculptor, incorporating traditional Naxi elements into his work. His parents really ought to be more open to her, but they are emotionally attached to A Mei. Working as the village school teacher, she has coached the village children to several victories in traditional folk singing tournaments. Basically, she is Heidi, without the goat.

Alas, Mu Shu’s parents and just about everyone else in the village bitterly resents Mu Shu for breaking off with A Mei. To make amends, he agrees to go through the ancient decoupling ritual, even though that would seem to make her embarrassment even more public. Not that Mu Yu’s fiancé would know. As a foreigner, he will have to make himself scarce, to prevent tainting the ceremony.

Zhang & Wang capture the staggering beauty of Lijang as well as the distinctive colors and rhythms of Naxi culture, but there narrative hits some weird notes (starting with the implied notion the best way to honor Naxi culture is by commoditizing it). Nevertheless, it offers an intriguing window into an under-represented ethnic minority.

Our resilient Luo Li has real star potential and veteran character actor Zhao Xiaoming is suitably craggy and crabby as Mu’s father. Frankly, the cast is quite professional and polished despite the film’s obvious independent status—even produced outside the [embattled but experienced] Beijing indie network.

Hometown looks terrific and it is generally well-meaning. It has been a struggle for many minority cultures to survive in China, especially during the Cultural Revolutionary, so it is nice to see Zhang & Wang helping to preserve it on film. At times, Zhang’s screenplay drifts into melodramatic terrain, but he and his co-helmer maintain a brisk pace. Recommended as cinematic tourism (with an attractive cast), Hometown on the Cloud screens today (6/15), as part of the 2018 Dances With Films.

Psychonautics: A Comic’s Exploration Of Psychedelics (2018) Dances With Films 2018

Director Brian Bellinkoff charts comedian Shane Mauss’ experiment to try every psychedelic drug currently known. We watch Mauss trip while we listen to discussion with Mauss, his friends and experts about the uses of the drugs.

At its most basic level Psychonautics is a really good film. It is a great explanation of the drugs, what you experience while on them as well, and the positive side of their use. It’s a beautifully crafted film that lays out what we need to know without the sturm and drang of the anti-drug advocates. This is a film that is the very sort of “shaman” that people who wish to indulge should have contact with because it gives us information we may need to know.

On the other hand the film has some bumps that take the shine off the whole affair.

The first problem is Mauss himself. How you react to him will determine how you react to the film. A low key sort of guy you have to either go with his dry sense of humor or it can be a tough ride. I really didn’t click with him and as such as I was not quite invested in his journey as I should have been. He is also clearly on a great deal of the time so there really isn’t as sense of Mauss as person beyond the one on for the cameras.

The same goes with the Greek Chorus of his friends who fill in details and add color commentary to Mauss’ experiences. Because they know him and were with him during some of his trips we get to hear about things from an objective standpoint but somewhere along the way there is too much with them. For a film that is trying to bridge the gap between anecdotal and scientific the friends keep things weighted toward the anecdotal.

The other problem, or the elephant in the room, is the fact that as the film begins Mauss is just coming out of the psyche ward after a psychotic break as the result of the drugs. While the film deals with the break, the film begins with it and is discussed at the end, the fact that it happened at all leaves an odd taste in one’s mouth.(more so when someone states that it probably would not have happened if he wasn’t taking drugs)

Despite all my reservations I do like the film a great deal. I want to see it again, which lately isn’t something I can say about most films, even one’s I like.

The film plays tonight at Dances With Films and is recommended for those interested in the subject

If you see THE AVOCADO (EL AGUACATE) (2018)at Dances with Films 2018 leave after seven minutes (Spoilers)

This review contains spoilers. I say this up front because the PR people are insisting that no one reveal the ending of the film. Normally I will play but the PR people's rules but the filmmakers have pissed me off with the ending and I don't feel bound by the rules.

This is the the story of two older people who work cleaning offices. There is an attraction between them and the possibility of something more.

I'm not going to lie, romance that takes up about seven minutes of this ten minute film is one of the best romances I have encountered. It is a wonderful . It is a beautifully acted romance that warms your heart and makes you feel good. It is, or was one of my favorite films of the year.

And then, as the gentleman is waiting to go out and meet his lady love there is a knock on the door. It's ICE. He is in the US illegally so they take him off to be deported. Meanwhile the lady waits in vein for her suitor. The end.

What the f@#^?

Oh hell no.

You can't just pitch a carefully crafted romance after two thirds of the film for something else with no explanation. Not only will it piss of your audience (and trust me I am pissed off)  and make them think that you don't know what you are doing. My overwhelming thought (beyond a steady stream of profanity) was if you wanted to deal with illegal immigration you really should mention it before you make it a plot point.

If there was a basis for the left turn I could have accepted it, but there is nothing. Just ICE coming and hauling him off for no damn reason dramatically. Was it because of the poll takers he refused to talk to? No idea.  There is simply no reason that I can think of other than to have a shocking ending.

To be honest there is a rule of Raymond Chandler's which says that you can ask the audience to believe one unexplained and unsupported thing, but I don't think he was ever talking about a seismic shift in a story. Everything can't hinge on the left field play, especially in a short film, the tale will never recover from the shock.

Frankly at this point I don't want to know anything why the filmmakers did it. It doesn't matter. No matter what reason they give the film will still be wrecked because the structure of the film can't support the turn. It most certainly would work in a longer film where we got ore information but in a ten minute film it doesn't.

Is this supposed to be a proof of concept film? If so the filmmakers have cut off their nose to spite their face. While the turn may be their intention for a longer film, seeing it in the short makes it look like they have no idea what they are doing. It looks like they are taking the notion that there must be something dramatic in the third act to be taken seriously just because. If I were an investor I wouldn't touch a longer version the film as written because the ending left such a bad taste in my mouth.(Or I would but I would insist on no ICE)

Ultimately while I would like to say burn this film to the ground, I can't. I can't because the opening seven minutes are so good that I can't hate the film as much as I want to.

Easily one of the most disappointing and infuriating films ever made. To that end my advice if you are seeing this at Dances With Films or any film festival is leave after seven minutes so you won't be disappointed.

The Best People (2017) Dances With Films 2018

Anna is living with her younger sister after a recent breakdown following the death of her mom. She is doing okay living on the couch however after her sister announces she is going to get married she goes into a tizzy. Teaming up with Art, the Best Man the pair hopes to break the happy couple up because they are certain it will only end in tears.

Buoyed by some really good performances THE BEST PEOPLE is a film that over comes a few bumps to win your heart.

To be honest I was shocked by how much I liked this film. I say that because the opening monologue where Anna babbles to a bartender while funny had the feeling that it was written ore than lived. Watching it I had the feeling that this was going to be one of those inde films that is much more clever than enjoyable. It was a feeling that was kind of re-enforced when we bounced through the calendar as the happy couple got to being engaged. It was all good stuff but the humor was by the numbers. However once the cuteness was pushed aside and the film allowed for some coloring, and some very serious talk, THE BEST PEOPLE sprung to life.

For e the best part of the film isn't the humor but the drama. The talk about trying to fix our problems, or feeling lost and having to save ourselves kicked serious ass. Anna's discussion with her dad about her mom's problems resonated with me big time. The sequence in the AA meeting where she unspools after that was also deeply moving. Frankly the serious side of the film is so damn good that I really wish they hadn't gone for laughs.

A small little gem and very recomended.

THE BEST PEOPLE closes out this year's Dances With Films Sunday night. For more details and ticks go here

DWF ’18: The Lake Vampire

There have been some colorful serial killers in Latin America, like “The Ogress of Colonia Roma” in Mexico, “The Rainbow Maniac” in Brazil, Dorángel Vargas (“The Hannibal Lecter of the Andes’) in Venezuela, and Fidel Castro & Che Guevara in Cuba. However, Zacarias Ortega (also of Venezuela) can top all of their body counts put together, except maybe not Castro and Guevara. He claims to have killed under many names including the titular media-created moniker in Carl Zitelmann’s The Lake Vampire, which screens during this year’s Dances with Films, in Hollywood, CA.

It is a heck of a mystery. A rash of severed heads have been discovered, but rather disturbingly, their missing bodies were drained of blood before they were decapitated. It is exactly the sort of lurid case that could be failed novelist Ernesto Navarro’s next book. However, the killings attributed to the so-called “Devil of the South” are not the first time this M.O. has been encountered in Venezuela. Retired police detective Jeremias Morales has investigated at least two other serial killings that employed the same technique. During the course of those inquiries, Morales starts to suspect Zacarias Ortega and Ramon Perez Brenes are indeed the same person, especially after his suspect tells him so directly.

Lake Vampire is a super-creepy fusion of a real-life blood-sucking serial killer with some darkly fantastical speculation. It is also one of the most adept films at employing flashbacks for dramatic purposes. Zitelmann hops back to at least three prior time periods, but he always maintains temporal clarity and justifies each rewind with some juicy revelations. Slyly, he preserves a great deal of ambiguity regarding the killer’s true nature until the big climax, but his sinister vibe signals something unnaturally infernal is afoot.

Regardless, the procedural stuff is smashingly effective, thanks in large part to Miguel Ángel Landa’s understated but quietly driven performance as Morales, sort of in the tradition of Morgan Freeman in Se7en, but much more existential. Abilio Torres nicely mirrors him as the younger Morales seen in considerable flashbacks. Plus, Eduardo Gulino chews the scenery Hammer-style as the various possible incarnations of Ortega.

Whether you decide to classify Lake Vampire as a serial killer film or a vampire movie, it is arguably one of the best of either sub-genre to come along in a good while. Granted, the final-final conclusion is a bit of a letdown, but that is par for the course. What matters is how the film gets there—and Zitelmann takes us on a really twisty rollercoaster ride. Unusually smart and unsettlingly eerie, The Lake Vampire is very highly recommended for thriller and horror fans when it screens tonight (6/11), as part of the 2018 Dances With Films.

Dirty Bomb (2018) Dances With Films (2018)

Two part story about a group of soldiers on patrol during the Battle of the Bulge and prisoners making the V2 rockets for Hitler.

Good but much too short film about the prisoners who made the V2 and risked their lives to make sure they didn't work. A good as the subject the film doesn't really work since it isn't really clear what we are seeing until the very end of the film. Why are we watching a group of American soldiers? What exactly are the prisoners doing, and why does it take so long to get there? I wasn't sure until the very end.

To be honest there is a real and important story here that should be told, but trying to cram it into 15 minutes kind of does it a disservice. This is something that needs to be a feature. As a short DIRTY BOMB disappoints. However as a proof of concept it points the way to a potential winning feature.

For tickets and more information go here

This World of Ghosts (2017) Dances With Films 2018

Rich Wolgemuth has made a film I can't really discuss until you've seen it. Structured like a supernatural thriller it is actually something else instead. It  is best described as one of those films that is one thing the first time you see it and something else every time after that. It's power is in that first time viewing and the ending that rattles you.

The easiest way to describe the plot is to recite the way it is described on the Dances With Films website: A man’s journey to save the woman he loves from a pair of mysterious kidnappers leads to a personal revelation that changes the lives of everyone involved. To say any more would be taking the killer edge off the film.

I'm sorry for being intentionally coy about the this great little film but the promotional material revealed too much, not in it's plot line but in how the film came about. Knowing the backstory of the film altered how I saw the film. I kind of knew what was going on before I should have. As a result how I saw the film the first time through was decidedly different than what it would have been had I not suspected the turn.

Talk of the structure aside this is a great little film. Turn or no, it is a solid piece of filmmaking that gets under you skin and borrows into your brain. It's a story that is very haunting and very difficult to shake. I loved this film because it made me think about life in a certain way for the first time.

And unfortunately I dare not say more until you get a chance to see it.

Highly recommend at Dances With Films or where ever you can see this marvelous piece of filmmaking.

For tickets and more information go here.

Reach (2018) Dances with Films 2018

If REACH could have intentionally picked a worse time to World Premiere at Dances With Films it couldn't have done much worse than the week that two well loved celebrities committed suicide. Seeing the film only hours after Anthony Bourdain's passing absolutely colored how I saw the film. I say this up front because the choice I had was to deal with the elephant in the room or to simply not review the film.

High schooler Steven Turano has been miserable since his mother died. Struggling to get through life he has to deal with his seemingly uncaring father, school bullies and life that is isn't what he thinks it should be. He decides to end his life. Then he meets the grandson of a neighbor who has transferred into his school ho helps him change the way he connects to the world.

Allowing for real world events to have colored my opinion of REACH, I find that this is a film that I admire for what it's trying to do doing more than for what it actually does. This is a film that makes getting out of depression as easy as finding a couple of good friends and going outside of the comfort zone. While the film doesn't make it quite as easy as I've made it sound, it does come off as being a tad too pat.  Having friends and going outside of the comfort zone isn't always enough.

If we step outside of the themes of depression and suicide so we aren't being colored by the taint of recent world events, REACH is still just an okay film. Stripped of the overt depression plot points the film isn't bad but it isn't anything special. The film is essentially the typical "odd duck who makes peace with the world" story. We've been here before any number of times. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with reusing the plot, it really doesn't do a great deal new with it. We can guess where and how it is going to go, which would be fine except the film is trying to be more than average and have a message.

Complaints aside the cast is first rate. And for all my disappointment at the plotting I am in love with the actors, who rise above their material to actually make this a film worth trying.

In the end this is an OK film that World premiered last night at Dances With Films

Diwa (2018) Dances With Films 2018

Heartfelt bludgeon to the head short about the plight of an immigrant who comes to the US and is abused.

Insisting on making a statement about the state of immigrant life in Trump's America (a long piece of Trump speaking is included), DIWA ends up being a much too strident polemic about how bad things are. The film wants to show how wrong Trump is and that the monsters are us. This is not to say that what we see isn't what many people experience, from sexual assault to bureaucratic indifference and hostility, to bad jobs and on and on. Rather it's to say that because of a need to make a point in a small amount of time and some bad acting (the cops are terrible) the film ends up being a shrieking alarm clock we smash our hand down to turn off rather than a wake up call that gets us up and into action. Reservations aside, if this was ever turned into a feature, where the story wasn't rushed and the characters could breath then I think all my reservations would be swept aside.

Worth a look for the curious, but I'm not sure how many hearts and minds it will change

For ticket and more information on the Dances With Films screening go here.

Murder Made Easy (2017) Dances With Film 2018

I would like to beat up the makers of MURDER MADE EASY because they have made a film that is nigh impossible to review. Its not a matter of saying if it is good or bad- it is most assuredly excellent and deserving of your attention, rather it is impossible to discuss without risking ruining it for you.

To be honest it is easy to say that the film concerns a widow and her husband's best friend who invite some friends over for dinner only to have their lives put into danger, but to say more than that is being dangerous. I suppose it is okay to say something about Agatha Christie because the filmmakers mention it in the promotional material but to go beyond that is taking a chance.

I will say that this is  twisty turny murder mystery of the sort no one really does any more, unless it's a local theater company is reviving some old time mystery.  It is beautifully acted  and expertly put together with a plot  line that is going to make you wonder where the hell it is going. Trust me its a delightful place.

And that dear friends is all I can say with out risking ruining it for you other than to add I can't recommend this film enough. Go see it when it plays Dances with films on June 14th. (Tickets Here)

Ascent (2018) Dances With Films 2018

A woman is given a magical gift which could change her life.

Sweet little film is a lovely beginning to something greater. Whether it as intended to be or not ASCENT feels like pilot to a series or a the proof of concept for a longer film. That's not a bad thing, but more the easiest way to explain the film which goes through a lot of effort to explain what the woman has been given only to stop just as it was getting good.

Now I know many of you are going to ask if that makes the film bad,. The answer is no. While similar films  tend to lose the audience when they stop essentially at a cliffhanger, ASCENT manages to skip this by ending at a natural break. While I would love to know were this goes next, I could leave it here and not be too upset. Hell,  I was finishing the story in my head for a good while after I finished the film.

Director Mark Brocking has made a wonderful little gem of a film. While I would like to see more of this story, frankly he's made such a neat little film that I want to see what he does next.

ASCENT is recommended.

For tickets or more information on Sunday's screening go here.

Pardon Our Pixie Dust (2018) Dances With Films 2018

PARDON OUR PIXIE DUST may very well be one of the most important documentaries of 2018.

I don't say that lightly. I know that is a big pronouncement for a 12 minute film but considering that Disney basically owns the planet, the fact that some one is quietly pointing out just how rich the shareholders are getting on the back of the public and their employees is something that people across the globe need to see and hear before they chuck hundreds or thousands of dollars of their hard earned cash at Mickey and company.

The film is a discussion with various people who love Disney but who are trying to make them pay their fair share to Anaheim to whom they pay no tax but from whom they leach services; and to their employees who are paid essentially minimum wage which results in a too large portion of the work staff being homeless. It's a heartbreaking tale that will make you think twice about going to Disney.

Praise be to director Matthew Serrano who has made a film that lays out corporate greed on a massive scale. Everyone jokes about the big corporations but Serrano actually explaining what they are doing to one city-driving it into hock for no return- they pay no tax. He lays out how it happened (Disney bought the politicians) and he explains what it means (they are having trouble paying for basic services)

I've never been to any Disney park but after seeing the games they play, I don't want to go. I say this because all kidding aside Serrano has fashioned a film that makes me question where my money is going and why Disney is charging so damn much and paying out so little.

The most amazing thing about the film is it actually isn't mean spirited.  This is a film where everyone who is interviewed expresses great love for the product but hates the evil overlords. The film opens with an interview with an architect who decided to keep the company at arms length and not work for them when he found out the working conditions.  Everyone wants things to change so that employees don't end up dead in their car or living in the attractions.

When the film was done I was shaking my head. I knew that this was a story that had to get out. It was also a film that needs to be expanded into a feature. There are more stories here, and even the one's here could be fleshed out in more detail. We, as consumers, need  to know what is going on. (I will hold out hope of a feature but I suspect that Disney would try to stop any expanded version, which means it's all the more important.)

Not only is this a must see, it is a must share. This is a film you are going to want to press into the hands of your friends who are Disney fans. While I doubt it will make them stop loving Disney, hopefully it will give them pause. If enough people pause perhaps Disney will pay some tax and a living wage.

One of the best films at Dances With Films and highly recommended. For more information and tickets for the film's screening Monday the 11th go here.

Hajji (2018) Dances with Films 2018

Two American soldiers run across the charred remains of a young girl. As things transpire the cycle of violence is revealed.

Disturbing and thought provoking film about the horrors of war and the evil that war unleashes is a neat little film. Carefully crafted for maximum impact the HAJJI is a film that haunts you and lingers on the fringes of your brain. I saw the film in a chain of several other shorts but found that I couldn't push it aside despite moving one. It hung with me and colored everything.

What makes the film stand out from being a simple war story is that the film is not just a film about the violence of soldiers on civilians but soldiers on each other as one soldier torments his partner by calling him Hajji. Clearly racism in the ranks isn't gone, even where the man you're belittling may be the one to save your life.

If you can catch HAJJI do so.

For more information and tickets to the Dances With Films screenings go here.

INSPIRATIONAL THERAPY (2018) Dances With Films 2018

Matt Vladimery is once again starring as Herbie in Ralph Bismargi's follow up to his screamingly funny short film HERBIE from last year's Dances with Films and the result is even more laughs.

The original film had a life coach wanna-be Herbie (Vladimery) in what should be a star making performance) trying to make a video to help people and it all goes wrong. This time director Bismargi has a series of of short episodes where Herbie is once again trying to shoot videos and as expected they all go off the rails. I loved every minute.

The arc of each episode is the same through all the current episodes, Herbie has some advice to impart and then something goes wrong that causes him to react in the exact way his lesson says he shouldn't. In theory the pattern should get tiring but in all the episodes every pay off resulted in laughter. That shouldn't happen  but it only goes to show you just how good director Bismargi and his star Vladimery  are because they make the joke work. (I should point out that while Dances is only showing a couple of the episodes, I saw all nine that have been produced and I laughed at them all.)

What an absolute delight.

While I'm not sure the series can survive ore of this exact pattern, I am really hoping that the series gets to go on and the mad geniuses behind the series get to take Herbie in some other direction.(Addendum: director Bismargi says more episodes are coming- yea!)

A must see at Dances With Films when they play this Saturday.

For tickets and more information go here.

The Way It Begins (2018) Dances With FiIms 2018

Utterly charming dance film has two people meeting as they get off  subway and falling in love as they dance across New York City

This is a winning through back to the golden age of musicals. Its a a ten minute dance routine with a weepy moment at the end and smiles all through it. Its the sort of film that will make you fall in love with the idea of falling in love.

A joy and highly recommended when it world premieres at Dances With Films Friday

For tickets and more information go here