Thursday, August 11, 2016
2016 PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINE-UP
2016 Portland Film Festival: Director from Portland Film Festival on Vimeo.
The 2016 PORTLAND FILM FESTIVAL will screen 54 narrative and documentary feature films and 89 short films selected from over 3,800+ submissions.
The fourth annual Portland Film Festival will take place August 29 - September 5, 2016, at Portland's iconic Laurelhurst Theater, and will includeover 20 educational panels & forums, 12 archival presentations, and many parties, events, and industry networking opportunities throughout the week.
The festival will present two opening and closing night films (a documentary and a narrative film on each night) and feature films in the following sections: Narrative Competition Feature, Documentary Competition Feature, Narrative Spotlight, Stranger Than Fiction, Tribute: Visionaries, and Milestones.
"This year's screenings, panels, and programs are an exciting cross-section of icons of classic cinema, engaging new filmmakers, and the best of modern indie film. We're truly proud to bring this year's eclectic program to local audiences. We're also thrilled that, for the first time, all of our films will screen at Portland's historic Laurelhurst Theatre. This year's festival will be a not-to-be-missed event," said Josh Leake, Portland Film Festival Founder and Executive Director.
Established in 2013, the Portland Film Festival is one of Oregon's largest film festivals, and was named "one of the coolest film festivals in the world," by MovieMaker Magazine. This year, the festival has programmed a near equal balance of films from men and women, furthering the festival's commitment to supporting diverse voices and visions. New this year, the festival has created a section to screen classic films from the 70's and 80's, and will also be honoring two iconic writers, Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, Choke) and William F. Nolan (Logan's Run).
Complete festival lineup and passes available:
www.portlandfilmfestival.com
*Individual website ticket sales will start Monday, 8/15.
This year's festival highlights include:
Tribute: Visionaries Section. Engaging screenings and Q&A's with iconic filmmakers. This year's focus is on master screenwriters Chuck Palahniuk, with a screening of Choke, and William F. Nolan, with a screening of his classic sci-fi film Logan's Run.
Milestones Section. Celebrating classic films from the 70's and 80's. This inaugural year includes screenings of Aliens, Blue Velvet, Stand By Me, Short Circuit, The Man Who Fell To Earth, and more.
One of the largest educational platforms for a film festival anywhere. Lead by award-winning professionals in their fields, this year's festival will offer over 50 educational workshops, classes, panels and networking events for actors, screenwriters, and filmmakers. Panelists will include screenwriter Leslie Dixon (Hairspray, Mrs. Doubtfire) and James Shapiro (Alamo DraftHouse Films).
Screenplay Competition. One screenplay winner will be announced, and will win a production grant, cash, and services worth over $20K.
OPENING NIGHT FILM (Documentary)
Wizard Mode / U.S. (Directors: Nathan Drillot & Jeff Lee Petry)
In the game of pinball, there is no bigger accomplishment than flipping your machine into 'wizard mode'. And of all the pinball players in the world, there's nobody more dedicated to unlocking 'wizard mode' than Robert Emilio Gagno, who also happens to be an autistic savant whose parents just want him to get a job.
U.S. PREMIERE
OPENING NIGHT FILM (Narrative)
Middle Man / U.S. (Director: Ned Crowley)
A straight-laced, old-school accountant has a dream: to become a famous stand-up comedian. The problem is, he's just not very funny. Cast: Jim O'Heir (Parks & Rec), Andrew J. West (The Walking Dead). PORTLAND PREMIERE
CLOSING NIGHT FILM (Documentary)
Ovarian Psycos / U.S. (Directors: Joanna Sokolowski & Kate Trumbull-LaValle)
The Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade, an East Los Angeles collective of bike-powered activists, supports young women of color by integrating feminist ideals with indigena understanding and an urban/hood mentality.PORTLAND PREMIERE
CLOSING NIGHT FILM (Narrative)
Girl Flu/ U.S. (Director: Dorie Barton)
A sweet, funny story that follows a 12-year-old girl as she navigates her transition to womanhood via her first period. Cast: Jade Pettyjohn, Katee Sackhoff, Heather Matarazzo, Jeremy Sisto. PORTLAND PREMIERE
OFFICIAL COMPETITION TITLES
A jury comprised of industry professionals and acclaimed filmmakers will present awards to films in both the Documentary Feature and Narrative Feature competition categories. There will also be an Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, Best Narrative Feature, and Best Short Film.
NARRATIVE COMPETITION FEATURES
9 films showcasing fresh voices telling new stories with imagination and style.
Dark Harvest / U.S. (Director: James Hutson)
Two friends run a successful marijuana grow operation, until a murder investigation and a shady narcotics officer threaten to derail their plans. Cast: James Hutson, Cheech Marin, A.C. Peterson. WORLD PREMIERE
Gozo / United Kingdom (Director: Miranda Bowen)
Hoping to put their troubled past behind them, a young couple emigrates to an idyllic Mediterranean island where the living is easy, until one of them begins to hear strange noises. Cast: Joseph Kennedy, Ophelia Lovibond, Daniel Lapaine. WORLD PREMIERE
June Falling Down / U.S. (Director: Rebecca Weaver)
After wandering aimlessly for a year following her father's death, a young woman returns to her small Wisconsin hometown for the wedding of her best friend. Cast: Rebecca Weaver, Nick Hoover, Claire Morkin, Joanna Becker. WEST COAST PREMIERE
Panopticon / U.S. (Director: Aaron Keene)
With a sun allergy that keeps him inside all day, a lonely man begins hacking into webcams as a way to take part in the lives of others. Cast: Guilherme Scarabelot, Sylvia Sakellaridis. WORLD PREMIERE
The Remnant / U.S. (Director: Karmia Chan Olutade)
A 16-year-old girl and her little brother seek shelter in an orphanage run by a cold-hearted man in this politically-conscious indie musical. Cast: Kayla Cao, Tenzin Low, Ankhnyam Ragchaa, Sylvia Niu. WORLD PREMIERE
River House Inheritance / U.S. (Director: Sandra Lee)
A young woman spends her days caring for her bedridden mother, which gets complicated by the arrival of her just-paroled sister. Cast: Emily Seely, Beth Puorro, Willy McGee, Eva Jackson. WORLD PREMIERE
She Sings to the Stars / U.S. (Director: Jennifer Corcoran)
A Native American grandmother spends her days tending her drought-ravaged corn in the desert Southwest until her estranged grandson arrives and anything becomes possible. Cast: Fanny Loretto, Jesus Mayorga, Larry Cedar. PORTLAND PREMIERE
Some Freaks / U.S. (Director: Ian MacAllister McDonald)
A high school student with one eye thinks his life could not be more different than the other kids at his school, until he meets Jill. Cast: Thomas Mann, Lily Mae Harrington, Ely Henry, Marin Ireland. WEST COAST PREMIERE
Those Left Behind / U.S. (Director: Maria Finitzo)
25 years after her brother's suicide, a woman returns to her childhood home with her 16-year-old son to help her mother recover from surgery, opening up old wounds. Cast: Daphne Zuniga, Jack Griffo, Debra Mooney, Jack Hogan) WORLD PREMIERE
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION FEATURES
9 new films from around the world that tackle real life stories with bold vision and energy.
Boone / U.S. (Director: Christopher LaMarca)
An unsentimental look at the gritty reality of three young Oregon goat farmers. PORTLAND PREMIERE
Check It / U.S. (Directors: Dana Oppenheimer & Toby Flor) An intimate portrait of four African-American childhood friends as they work to pull themselves out of gang life and poverty via street fashion. PORTLAND PREMIERE
Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model / United Kingdom (Director: Rebecca Brand) Follow along as award-winning performance artist Bryony Kimmings and her 10-year-old niece create their very own alternative pop star role model for girls 7-12 years old. U.S. PREMIERE
Free CeCe! / U.S. (Director: Jacqueline Gares)
On her way to the store with a group of friends, Chrishaun Reed "CeCe" McDonald, a trans African American woman, was the victim of a transphobic, racially motivated attack. This is her story. Executive produced by Laverne Cox (
Orange Is the New Black). OREGON PREMIERE
The Good Mind / U.S. (Director: Gwendolen Cates)
An intimate portrait of the Onondaga Nation in central New York State, an indigenous sovereign nation that still maintains a traditional government led by clanmothers and chiefs. WEST COAST PREMIERE
Indivisible / U.S. (Director: Hilary Linder)
Renata, Evelyn, and Antonio were young children when their parents brought them to the U.S. in search of a better life; they were teenagers when their families were deported. Now, they must fight for their citizenship and the chance to be reunited with their loved ones. OREGON PREMIERE
Jackson / U.S. (Director: Maisie Crow)
Set against the backdrop of the fight over the last abortion clinic in Mississippi,
Jackson takes an intimate, first-of-its-kind look inside the issues surrounding abortion from the perspectives of three women. PORTLAND PREMIERE
Unseen / U.S. (Director: Laura Paglin)
In 2009, in Cleveland, Ohio, police discovered the bodies of eleven women near the home of known sex offender Anthony Sowell.With unprecedented access to the surviving victims,
Unseen tells a chilling story about the invisibility of women on the margins of society. OREGON PREMIERE
Yesterday Was Everything / U.S. (Director: Matthew Mixon)
A raw and unflinching look at the attempts of Misery Signals, a Wisconsin metalcore band, to reconcile for a ten-show reunion tour in the wake of a tenuous split and a fatal accident that happened a decade earlier. WORLD PREMIERE
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
Unique films, marquee names, and highlights of the best of modern film.
6 Love Stories / U.S. (Director: Michael Dunaway)
Six locations. Six couples. Six conversations. This ensemble drama explores the many facets of love from six unique perspectives, sometimes finding laughter, sometimes finding tears, but always finding truth. Cast: Ashley Williams, Ross Patridge, Carrie Preston, Matthew Lillard, Stephen Tobolowsky. WORLD PREMIERE
All the Birds Have Flown South / U.S. (Directors: Joshua & Miles Miller)
Unsettling psycho-thriller that follows a disturbed man grieving for his mother who begins obsessing over a down-on-her-luck waitress. Cast: Paul Sparks, Joey Lauren Adams, Dallas Roberts. OREGON PREMIERE
Hunter Gatherer / U.S. (Director: Joshua Locy)
A forty-something African-American ex-con, fresh out of prison, attempts to put the pieces of his old life back together, but finds that starting over is never simple. Cast: Andre Royo, George Sample III, Kellee Stewart, Ashley Wilkerson. OREGON PREMIERE
Neil Stryker & the Tyrant of Time / U.S. (Director: Rob Taylor)
In a madcap future era, the world's greatest secret agent must race through time to rescue his son from the clutches of his infamous former mentor. Cast: David Ogden Stiers, Rob Taylor, Nic Costa.
On the Farm / U.S. (Director: Rachel Talalay)
A powerful, dramatic exploration of a wily psychopath who murdered nearly 50 marginalized women in and around Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and the flawed systems that allowed him to do it. Cast: Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Sarah Strange. U.S. PREMIERE
Orphans of Eldorado / Brazil (Director: Guilherme Coelho)
A story of love, obsession, and a man who goes insane in the Amazon. Based on the novel by Brazilian author Milton Hatoum. Cast: Milton Aires, Adriano Barroso, Henrique da Paz. OREGON PREMIERE
Spaghettiman / U.S. (Director: Mark Potts)
After an incident with an old bowl of spaghetti and a malfunctioning microwave, an average man becomes a superhero who can fight crime with the power of spaghetti. Cast: Ben Crutcher, Winston Carter, Brand Rackley. OREGON PREMIERE
Tierra Caliente / U.S. (Director: Laura Plancarte)
The story of a family from the state of Guerrero, Mexico, caught in the crossfire between the
narco and the military. Based on a true story. Cast: Anais Alvarado, Dimitri Andreas, Claudia Coulter. OREGON PREMIERE
STRANGER THAN FICTION
Celebrating the best in contemporary documentary filmmaking.
The Farmer and I / Germany, Bhutan (Director: Irja von Bernstorff)
Cultural barriers and tensions arise between German filmmaker Irja and Bhutanese farmer Sangay when they team up to create a TV series. WORLD PREMIERE
Gold Balls / U.S. (Director: Kate Keckler Dandel)
Competitive athletes barnstorm the US in pursuit of a National Championship title in tennis. The twist? They're all over age 80. OREGON PREMIERE
The Incomparable Rose Hartman / U.S. (Director: Otis Mass)
With a career spanning decades, photographer Rose Hartman is known for her iconic photos from Studio 54 and the fashion world, her boisterous personality and her uncanny ability of capturing the New York social scene, warts and all. OREGON PREMIERE
The Legend of Swee' Pea / U.S. (Director: Benjamin May)
A film about the quixotic life of Lloyd 'Swee' Pea' Daniels, a basketball prodigy who, felled by drugs and bullets, embarks on an improbable comeback to cements his reputation as the greatest playground legend of all time. OREGON PREMIERE
My Millennial Life / Canada (Director: Maureen Judge)
A provocative and humorous observational documentary about the big dreams, crushing disappointments, loves, and aspirations of "Millennials." U.S. PREMIERE
Searchdog / U.S. (Director: Mary Healey Jamiel)
Humans and canines work together to accomplish heroic acts in this doggie documentary, which follows an internationally renowned K9 Search and Rescue Specialist as he turns the "unadoptable" into the next generation of search dogs. OREGON PREMIERE
TRIBUTE: VISIONARIES
Screenings and discussions with icons of cinema, celebrating visionary filmmakers and their work. This year we celebrate two iconic screenwriters and two of their most accomplished works.
Choke / U.S. (Director: Clark Gregg), 2008
Includes screening of Fight Club 2 graphic novel trailer.
A sex-addicted con man pays for his mother's hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death.
Q&A with screenwriter / novelist Chuck Palahniuk.
Logan's Run / U.S. (Director: Michael Anderson), 1976
An idyllic sci-fi future has one major drawback: life must end at the age of 30.
Q&A with screenwriter William F. Nolan
MILESTONES
A curated selection of classic films and crowd pleasers (many with Oregon connections.)
Aliens / U.S. (Director: James Cameron), 1979
The planet from Alien has been colonized, but contact is lost. This time, the rescue team has impressive firepower, but will it be enough?
Blue Velvet / U.S. (Director: David Lynch), 1896
The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
The Fly / U.S. (Director: David Cronenberg), 1986
A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.
The Man Who Fell To Earth / United Kingdom (Director: Nicolas Roeg), 1976
An alien arrives on Earth and quickly sets about creating enough wealth to allow him to return to his own world.
My Own Private Idaho / U.S. (Director: Gus Van Sant), 1991, Shot in Oregon!
Two best friends living on the streets of Portland as hustlers embark on a journey of self-discovery and find their relationship stumbling along the way.
Stand By Me / U.S. (Director: Rob Reiner), 1986, Shot in Oregon!
After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy.
Short Circuit / U.S. (Director: John Badham), 1986, Shot in Oregon!
Number 5 of a group of experimental robots in a lab is electrocuted, suddenly becomes intelligent, and escapes.
About the Portland Film Festival
Established in 2013, the Portland Film Festival is Oregon's largest film festival, and was named "one of the coolest film festivals in the world," by MovieMaker Magazine in 2014. It is a non-profit, year round organization dedicated to nurturing filmmakers and audiences, and to celebrating the power of a good story. The festival focuses on the people, ideas, technology, skills and artistry behind filmmaking, and provides both entertaining and educational opportunities for the public.
Previous and current festival partners include the City of Portland, Portland Parks & Recreation, Art Institute of Portland, Oregon Film: Oregon Governor's Office of Film and Television, Women in Film, Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA), Willamette Writers, SAG Aftra (Actor's Guild/Union), I.A.T.S.E. (Film Union), Directed by Women, and others.
Although the festival began in 2013, its history goes back to 2009, when the Portland Film Club was founded as a film club to bring film lovers together to view and discuss films. The club now boasts over 2300 members and is one of the largest movie clubs on the west coast. It screens typically one movie a week including new and independent features.
2016 Portland Film Festival: Stunts from Portland Film Festival on Vimeo.
In Brief: The Crying Dead (2011)
This film almost works except that the found footage is frequently so tight on something we can't see anything. Any chills are undercut by the camera work. Its so poor it explains why I never heard of this even in all the conversations I've had about GRAVE ENCOUNTERS because it's not in the same ball park.
It has interesting images but isn't anything special.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
The Land That Time Forgot (1975)
The plot has a U-Boat sinking a civilian freighter in 1916. Some of the passengers make it to the life boats and eventually they end up on the submarine that sank them. A game of cat and mouse ensues as the people from the life raft take control of the sub, only to lose it only to regain it. When they end up lost in the South Seas they decide to work together- more so once they reach Caprona, a mythic island where time has stopped and cavemen walk with dinosaurs.
My initial interest in the film growing up was the monsters. In the pre-Star Wars days we'd take monsters any way we could getb them just so long as we got them. Here men in suits mix with puppets and miniatures. Its an odd mix that while not always success in in creating a real place or monster never fails to be entertaining.
The intriguing thing about this film is that if you walked in off the street and saw the film blind you'd have no idea where the film was going for the first 40 minutes. This long passage is a tense sea adventure as the Germans and British battle each other for control of the ship. While there is no doubt that the Germans are much nicer than a real sub crew would be, you are just swept along with the intrigue, which is good because this whole section is actually building characters.
Once the ship gets to Caporna aka the land that time forgot, the audience is bound to be split with half going with the adventure and forgiving the uneven special effects and the other half roaring with laughter at them. I'm one of the guys who just goes with the adventure. Sure the effects suck sometimes, but at least they are giving it a go. Are they the best? No. but I've seen worse and it's the story and characters which count here and they are dynamite. You really do care about them.
The film was one of three Burroughs adaptions turned out by Amicus in the mid 1970's, the other two being AT THE EARTHS CORE and a sequel to LAND called THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT. While each of those films deserve and will eventually get their own reviews, the best of the bunch is this film which over comes its problems to be a completely entertaining popcorn film. Its not high art but simply a good time.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Lost Arcade open Friday at NYC's Metrograph
The Chinatown Fair on Mott Street was a dive of an arcade in lower Manhattan that was ultimately competing with the neon giants of gaming arcades that were propping up in Times Square. My memories of the Chinatown Fair was during the 80s-90s when it acted as a place of refuge for gaming & time away from the hustle and bustle of Chinatown while I wait for my mom to end her shift working at the sewing factory on Lafayette Street or when my Dr. Toothy dentist visit ended the grinding & clamping sessions early. What I experienced at the fair included watching a culture of passionate fighting game enthusiasts start to brew to catching wannabe Chinatown triad rebel rousers passby the arcade to take a break, or simply those just curious of the Live Tic Tac Toe playing Chicken! THE LOST ARCADE documentary brought back memories of a lost but not forgotten New York.
The piece you really want to see C's longer piece at Planet Chocko. Part essay, part review the piece explains the arcade and what it meant to people. The piece also has the Q&A that followed one of the screenings at DOCNYC. If you want to know why you should go see the film (especially at Metrograph which is a few blocks from its location, go read C's piece which can be found here.
Monday, August 8, 2016
Women He's Undressed (2015) hits home video tomorrow
Women He's Undressed from Wolfe Video on Vimeo.
One of my favorite films from lst year THE WOMEN HE'S UNDRESSED hits home video and you must see it. If you want to know why read my review from Toronto last year:
Gillian Armstrong's portrait of costume designer Orry-Kelly is entertaining as all hell. This is one of the very very rare documentaries that you’ll end up watching over and over again simply because watching it is just a great deal of fun. Best of all not only is this a wonderful portrait of a man who dressed Hollywood but it’s also a great behind the scenes portrait of old Hollywood.
Orry-Kelly was born as Orry Kelly in Kiama Australia in 1897. He caught the theatrical bug early and made his way to the United States after the First World War. Falling into a the wild theatrical life in New York he bounced from chorus to chorus. His charm had him befriending stars such as George Burns, Gracie Allen and Jack Benny. He also began a long term relationship with Archie Leach aka Cary Grant. Using his artistic training he fell into making ties and clothes as a way to pay for things between acting gigs. Once he and Archie moved to Hollywood his ability to design clothes and his ability to work with the great actresses made his career.
In a day where talking heads rule documentaries and recreations are the stuff of weak TV director Armstrong makes the bold choice by having stage actor Darren Gilshenan to portray Kelly whose regaling of his life story is the spine of the film. If you imagine one of the best raconteur you can imagine holding court and you’ll have an idea about how Gilshenan holds your attention. Make no mistake possibly the biggest reason this film works as well as it does is that Gilshenan is at its center. It’s a performance so good that were it to be in a traditional drama might very well get him an Oscar nomination. It’s so good that when we finally see the real Orry at the end I was both amazed at how well Gilshenan got him, and how disappointing that Orry wasn’t like his cinematic double.
Cut into the Kelly’s tale are the talking heads we have come to expect, but these talking heads are equally riveting. A sterling collection of people who knew him (Anne Roth, Angels Lansbury and others) and those who were influenced by his work are joined by Hollywood historians such as Leonard Maltin to not only fill in details that Orry leaves out but also to paint a wonderful portrait of New York in the 20’s and Hollywood in it’s Golden Age. They give us a wonderful look inside the studio system and how it handled celebrities, especially gay ones. They give us context to what Orry was experiencing and reveal how he influenced other people.
One of the many things that I love about the film is that I got to meet, granted just cinematically, Orrey Kelly. What a character he is. I love that he always was what he was regardless of where he was. He was a gay man in an industry that was notoriously homophobic.
If you want to know just how good this film is consider that I didn’t want to see this film. I had no intention of taking the time to see this film but while I was talking to the PR person for this film about another film he mentioned that he as handling THE WOMEN HE’S UNDRESSED and he slipped me ticket to the film. Like an experienced pusher we talked me into seeing the film. And I’m glad he did, this is one of my favorite films on Hollywood from the past few years. It is also does what the truly great documentaries do and that is be about more than it’s subject. Here is a film that is not just about Orrey-Kelly, or costume design or Golden Age Hollywood, or being gay. Yes its all of that but it’s also a wonderful expression of why we should be ourselves. Granted not all of us are going to be as charming as Orrey-Kelly but maybe if we are ourselves perhaps we can make a run at winning three Oscars and altering how society dresses.
Go see THE WOMEN HE’S UNDRESSED, it’s one of my favorite films of 2015
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Nightcap 8/7/16 Faust, Star Trek Beyond, Little Prince thoughts, Spaghetti Western titles and Randi's links
I finally saw STAR TREK BEYOND this week.
As many of you know I have been a fan since the original run of the series and until recently I as religious in seeing ever film the first day. And so it took me a week to get to the theater to see it.
I liked the film a great deal. I thought it was an improvement over the last film which had great character moments that kept getting pushed aside for huge set pieces. Here the action and the characters are integrated nicely and they enhanced each other.
The plot- about the Enterprise sent on a rescue mission which is actually a trap- isn't bad. Its a nice plot line to hang the characters on and let them go through their paces. The problem is that the villain of the piece and his motivation are nonentities and left to the background and generalities. Things are more general bad guy wants to destroy the universe than specifics which only come into play in the final fifteen minutes.
All of that said I liked the references to Nimoy's Spock (yes I got misty each time), I loved the look Uhura shoots Spock when he says he came to rescue her, I love the dialog, I loved the no big deal handling of Sulu's family (and if no one had mentioned it it would have just been there and I'd never have noticed it). I love Jaylah and hope they bring her back.
Ultimately the best things in it are everything except the central plot- which is as it should be since its all the other stuff like characters which keep people coming back to Star Trek over the the last 50 years.
I thought it as super and a nice return to form for the franchise.
Highly recommended
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As those of you who read my review of the The Little Prince this past Monday know Randi was originally going to review the film but things fell apart when the release date was moved. A couple of days ago a Twitter friend who read my review and saw a tweet Randi had made and they asked me what Randi’s review of The Little Prince would have been. Because what Randi was going to do was extremely clever and too good to lose to the winds of time I’ll tell you.
The idea was to frame the review as a negative one- a kind of outraged piece on how the film shows a young woman taking control of her life and how that was wrong. Children should not have fun and people should not connect to a sense of wonder. It would argue that kids should strive to have every minute of every day planned so that when they reach adult hood they would have their souls properly crushed. Randi had this wonderful piece planned out that would have been extremely clever...
...the problem was that when Paramount pulled the film and no information was forth coming there was a great deal of chatter that the reason the film was pulled was that the studio got worried about the film having a girl at the center. There was also some talk that the soul crushing schedule of the mom was a little too pointed at the over protective overly controlling parents of today who were not going to find anything connected with the film funny. It was of course all idle speculation but in a world where the truth was blacked out the percieved studio response seemed plausible to the point that the idea of spoofing what might have gotten the film into trouble wasn't fun. After much discussion the review was shelved.
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If you ever want a futile job- try to track down all of the alternate titles for the genre known as spaghetti westerns. I have been going through a bunch of bargain spaghetti western discs to come back from the festival brain freeze and I've been cross referencing them and marking up on of my western encyclopedias only to find that the books are frequently no where near up to date or complete for titles of some films, a fact made worse when some were changed yet again to fit to tie into the releases of Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight.
My brain hurts from trying to match up films to their real titles and I still have a long list of films I have to work backward on from cast list.
WEEEEE!
(And yes this means that some westerns will be reviewed down the line.)
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And now Randi's links
The best film about sisters that Disney ever made(its not Frozen)
Completed but never released
Kitchen Table Racing
Simon's Cat and Elmo takes a nap
Marvel Cinematic Universe explained
Penguin Podcast with Richard E Grant
A history of applause
Gregory Porter
Laura Mvula - Overcome
Womad 2016, With Baaba Maal and Anoushka Shankar
Trainspotting 2
Sandi Toksvig on QI
Ninja Turtles in the style of Invader Zim
Mouse Guard at SDCC
Tick Reboot pix
In Brief:House of Good and Evil
Had this been half an hour shorter it would have been a killer film about a young couple in trouble who buy a house in the country. As they try to work things out the couple they find their worst tendencies reflected in a couple who are living in half of the house.
While terrible things happen and tension is created by the time we get to the chilling ending much of the good will is dissipated thanks to too leisurely a pace.
While the film is worth trying if you can get it streaming for free, it's not worth searching out if you have to pay to see it.
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Car Wash (1976)
The film is probably best known for its title song. The Rose Royce song has survived better than the film and it’s something you’ll hear with semi-regularity on oldies radio, TV and commercials. That’s kind of sad because the film is better than you might think.
A purely character driven comedy the film works because it’s full of great character actors. Bill Duke, Antonio Fargas , Ivan Dixon, Franklin Ajaye and Tracy Reed are all in the film and creating great characters. The film also has some big names doing cameos. George Carlin is a cab driver looking for a fare that skipped out, Richard Pryor plays a money hungry evangelist and the full complement of the Pointer Sisters play his choir. They do a killer rendition of You Gotta Believe and every time I see the movie on TV I always pause until I hear the song.
I remember when the film was released it got mixed reviews. Some critics wanted more than the breezy diversion they go. Some other got it. Audiences got it and it made a little bit of money thanks in part to the song. For me the film was always a safe film that I could put on and forget my troubles for 100 minutes.
I like it.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Suicide Squad (2016)
I thought Suicide Squad was great.
I won’t say that the film isn’t flawed, the film shows signs of studio tampering (this is the third version after David Ayer’s version and a pure studio cut), however it does have good characters, great action and some witty lines. I was entertained for two plus hours.
The problems with the film come from couple of places.
The villains and their plan are beyond bland. They are the weakest characters in the film and the lack of a real baddie does hurt the film. However the film ultimately isn’t about beating the villain so much as getting to know the characters of the Squad. Hell, there is a point where the plot flips and we’re told what the Squad is really supposed to do which makes you realize how unnecessary the villains are. (and I can’t talk about the villains at this point because as I write this the film has only just opened and I don’t want to give that away)
The also suffers from being a set up story. Say a half an hour or more of the film is just setting the table, explaining the squad and who the characters are. Remember these are largely lesser characters so they have to be explained to the audience since they are not as well-known as Superman or Batman. Additionally since this is the first of a planned series they have to give us something to latch on to for the net film, they can't just give us fodder for the undertaker. I like that they do kill some, but as DC found out with the comic series you need characters for people to follow to the next film.
And as I said there are signs of the studio farting around with the film. I say that because there are bits of the plot that seem to be missing, some details are not explained well (the villains plan). Some of the back stories of the squad seem to be missing (Katana, Boomerang and Killer Croc get the short end of the stick) and you get the sense some scenes should be longer, a feeling fed by scenes in the trailers and commercials not in the finished films. (The only complaint anyone had at the screening I attended was the fact some jokes in the trailers were missing from the finished film)
For the most part I really liked the film. I thought the cast, with the exception of the villains, are excellent. I like how the character are, for the most part, given added dimensions by the cast’s performance rather than the script. Diablo breaks your heart because of Jay Hernandez performance and the underwritten Killer Croc is something special because of Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's force of personality. I especially like Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. To me it’s a demonic Oscar best bet. I’m told it will never happen, but she is a fantastic and deserves some awards. Frankly the film survives and thrives because of the characters. While it is difficult to get a bead on many at first, the film probably does have too many characters, everyone begins to fall into relief once things get going.
I know some people have complained about some of the cameos. Batman is here, as is the Flash and there are references to other characters. I don’t have a problem with them and I like that they add to the building of DC’s universe.
And then there is the Joker. The Joker is only in the film for 15 or 20 minutes throughout the film. Jared Leto is a wonderfully unhinged. He is the sort of off the rails person that makes the character so dangerous in the comic. I like his performance more than Heath Ledger's because there is no logic and reason only the moment. Ledger has a plan to prove something to Batman-there isn't madness but reasoning, Leto simply is acting on his whim, who the hell know what is going on his brain? Anything can happen at any moment. The result is its chilling because he can turn at any moment.
For Leto's Joker there is no logic and reason except for Harley. Harley is the love of his life and as we see he will do anything to get her. I had a discussion about the relationship in the film which in which we pondered if it wasn’t as dysfunctional and abusive as in the comic or animated show, and it may not be, but do understand the focus of the relationship in this film is different than in the comic/animated series. We only see so much so we can’t know everything-the film only shows us glimpses and we have jut hats here not multiple episodes or issues to flesh it out. Additionally because it’s “real” people the characters have to behave differently than if animated. Real people can't follow animated or cartoon characterizations 100% down the line or it comes of as cartoony or just wrong. Here they break with the formula enough for me so the relationship works. We’ll see where it goes in later films.
I really like the action in the film. The set pieces for the most part work. I like how the film goes from pure action and motion for the sake of the motion and action to a series of set pieces hinged on the interaction of characters. The end battle works not so much because of the action but because we are invested in the characters. We feel the losses and are carried along because we like them. What happens and who lives and dies move us because we care. There is danger and there is a cost to the action, unlike say in a James Bond or Jason Bourne film, we don’t know who is going to walk away.
I’m trying to work out why the critical reaction seemed to be so negative- though I’m sure if I actually read the reviews it would be less negative than the media portrayed it-I mean Rotten Tomatoes is either yea or nay and they can’t handle mixed reviews and if anyone has ever taken the time to read reviews of any film that the media deems to be a critical bomb the actual reaction is rarely as clear cut as portrayed (BATMAN V SUPERMAN anyone). Could the reaction be the result of the darkness of the DC universe? Yes there are jokes but it isn’t a fun place- I mean lots of people die horrible deaths both here and in Batman v Superman. There is very little hope in this Crime Alley.
I like Suicide Squad and recommend it, especially if you realize it a dark film on every level. I can’t wait for the sequel
Now if we could only a look at Ayer’s original cut.
Another Evil (2016) Fantasia 2016
Uneasy mix of horror and uncomfortable comedy never finds the right blend. Yes there are laughs and some jump scares but the two seem to be coming from two separate films.
I think the problem is that the low key uncomfortable style of humor is the exact opposite of a film that is trying to generate scares view jumps. The humor is the exact opposite of what you need for a horror film or horror comedy to work.
On the other hand the characters are more than a bit of an ass so we really can't root for them so that when the tables turn and we need to feel for them we really can' because we have either people we don't like or caricature that we haven't connected to.
Worth a look for horror fans, but only if they wait for streaming.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Judge Archer (2016) Fantasia 2016
The plot has something to do with a man running away and taking the name of a man named Judge Archer who is 16th in line of men destined to act as an avenger between martial arts schools . He's hired by a woman to avenge her.
There are lots of realistic fight, lots of long silences and not a hell of a lot to grab on to as to plot and characters. You really have to go with it or else kind of go mad. I started to fall aseep 20 minutes in and I battled to stay awake until the end. Yes it looks good, yes it has great fights, but god damn its obtuse. I simply couldn't connect.
If you loved SWORD IDENTITY give it ago, if not stay away.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Karaoke Crazies (2016) Fantasia 2016
The Addiction Karaoke parlor is dying. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, near a defunct factory the place is barely on life support. When in desperation the owner hires a young girl as a helper business slowly begins to pick up. She can't sing but can keep the clients happy. Another comes in who can sing and business begins to pick up to the point they hire the guy who was hiding in the store room. However things take a dark turn when the local serial killer takes notice of the place.
Stunning mix of comedy, drama, thriller and whimsy KARAOKE CRAZIES is the sort of film that refuses to be anything except what it is. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it or what to compare it to. Its not like any Western film, and only the sort of films that its home country smake which often start our funny, get deadly serious and then bounce back again with the greatest of ease. The film reacts as if it were life. bouncing between them on a turn of a dime.
That the film works so well it's because the mix of characters is so finely drawn. These are real people and not caricatures or cardboard cut outs. Over a third of the film is done before we meet anyone other than the owner and Ha-suck the video game addicted first girl. Once their relationship is established director Kin Sang-chang simply drops in the other characters and we believe in them with no problem. Its a stunning move that makes the film work better and feel more fleshed out than you think it should.
I came late to seeing KARAOKE CRAZIES at Fantasia. By the time I saw it several of my friends had seen it and were talking it up as if it was one of the best films at Fantasia. Having seen some excellent films at the fest I wondered if they could be right. Having seen the film I have to say I think they were. This is one of the best films screening or if not the best definitely one of the most entertaining.
This is a must see when it shows up near you. (probably at a festival for now since it's booked at a number)
Parasites (2016) Fantasia 2016
Writer/director Chad Ferrin says that the film is based upon John Colter’s capture and escape from a ferocious Blackfeet tribe in 1809. It would have been easier to say that this is kind of urban remake of NAKED PREY done in the style of low budget 1980's exploitation films. Saying it's based on Colter's escape gives the film a pretense that the film simply can't sustain.
For get the social commentary, for get the historical connection and just take this film on the terms it works best a throw back retread of the sort of things that closed out the drive-ins and grindhouses before VHS killed them. This is a low budget film about a bunch of "monsters" hunting a privileged sort of person and leaving a trail of dead bodies along the way.
High art this is not, an enjoyable popcorn flick for a rainy afternoon or midnight screening it is. See it as that and you'll have a good time- as anything else you'll ruin the fun.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Rambling thoughts on 39 (2016)
Written and directed by Josh Evans who plays Adam, 39 is a film that left me pondering unsure of what I'm supposed to think. I think it's supposed to be some revelation about turning 40 except that the lead character is kind of a dick and he's the sort of a guy who you don't want to relate to. Why would anyone want to spend any time with this guy? Then again people are drawn to self centered narcissists.
What confused me about the film is that the film plays out as if it were someone's life (that's a compliment) that they shot on their cellphone and then edited together randomly (that's not a compliment). The performances and the sense of being in real places are extraordinary (another compliment) but the assemblage is so jumbled that nothing feels like fully formed scenes or as if we really are peaking in on more than random moments. There simply isn't enough here in the films 75 or so minutes to actually amount to much.
To be honest watching the film I got the sense of a larger better film sitting on someones laptop somewhere. As it is now its a series of scenes we com into in the middle of cut together in such away as to give a great sense of place but no sense of drama. Music washes out dialog, dialog and situations begin in the middle, we get voice overs and scenes are returned to. It might have worked had we connected to something out of the gate but that never happens, we're simply dropped into a discussion where we are much tto close to anyone to know who or what we are really looking at. It plays like a home movie, and while that does gives us a great sense of place it comes off as half assed because it often looks like a home movie.
I really hate beating up on the film because the performances are real and raw and could be seen as not acting (in a good way). Additionally the look of the film and the sequences devoid of any connection to the plot line is wonderful. I'd love to see a film noir shot by the crew members responsible. However it choices were made in editing and possibly shooting some of the sequences that the film is a real mess. Watching the film is like some one assembled an art show using the great masters of the world but included the work of some three year-olds as well.
One last question anyone have any idea why the promo material references Woody Allen and THIS IS 40? THIS IS 40 most of Woody Allen's films are funny and this film isn't. Could it be the darker more serious Woody Allen? I don't see it either because this film isn't bleak enough.
The film is out on VOD and DVD but I don't recommend it.
Feed The Devil (2015)
A couple are given a map to some marijuana planted in the wilds of Alaska. If they can go and get it then they'll be set. The trouble is that there is something in the woods and it's hunting them.
Yes we've been here before, I think this is the fifth or sixth film like this I've seen in the last two months, but this time out the cast believes in what it's doing and the filmmakers are going for genuine chills, scares and discomfort. There is something about this film that is just not right and we are better for it.
There is however one major problem with the film and that's the main character isn't likable. He's so unlikable that you really want him to die. I know it's hard to watch a horror film where you can't root for the good guys, and FEED THE DEVIL makes it hard, but sometimes that's the way it goes. To be completely honest 99 times out of 100 I will argue that you have to like everyone for a horror film like this to work, but here there is enough going on that Im willing to give the film a pass, if for no other reason than our hero does get what he deserves.
I like the film and cautiously recommend it to those looking for a passable time passer.
FEED THE DEVIL hits VOD tody
Tower (2016) Fantasia 2016
The film is a mix of rotoscoped animation over actors reenacting and performing firsthand accounts of the events of the day. The film then flips in the final half hour to film of the actual survivors talking about their lives since then as well a look at the shootings in the context of our current shoot crazy world.
This is one of those films that’s hard to review. A more or less straight forward telling of the events one can’t argue with history. This is what happened and it’s expertly assembled. The only two things one can quibble with is the use of animation or the last half hour’s shift away from animation and to a more conventional style. I’m not quibbling I’m simply saying that if one wanted to quibble that’s the place.
Truth be told this is a powerful film. It’s a film that shows us a time when mass killings really shocked us and were not part of the daily news cycle. While I don’t think I would want to go back to simpler time for most things the lack of crazed loonies with high powered weaponry is one thing I could do without.
Certain to be on numerous best of 2016 lists this is a kick in the pants and a must see.
Monday, August 1, 2016
THE EXCLUSIVE BEAT THE DEVIL'S TATTOO (2015) Fantasia 2016
Odd mix of comedy and chills is complicated by a thread of social commentary about the things that the media does in order to feed the beast that is the news cycle. Its a mix that helps to keep you on edge since you don't know from minute to minute if you're going to be laughing at something funny or wincing from an act of violence.
I like this film a great deal and recommend it.
Embers (2015) hits VOD Tomorrow
Embers Official Trailer from Claire Carré on Vimeo.
This is the review I did when EMBERS played the Oxford Film Festival. The film kind of blindsided me because here was a small scale film that took science fiction back from the guns and spaceship crowd and returned it to the thinkers- the Ray Bradburys, the Isaac Azimovs, and Arthur C Clarkes. Here was a film that was moving on a human level and full of great ideas.
Simply put EMBERS blew me away. It blew so far away that I couldn't figure out why no one was talking about it. Then I realized it was just starting it's festival run, I had to give it time to pick up traction. And it has playing numerous festivals we've covered.
EMBERS is a masterpiece. Its a film that has haunted me since I've seen it. I've talked it up and done everything except press copies of it into people's hands. I can't say enough good things about it.
A many of you know I have a two part best of the year list- there's the great films I've loved and then there is the best of the best. EMBERS has one of the best of the best spots- how can it not- its a film I've been carrying around with me since I first saw it.
The film is hitting VOD and now you all have no excuse not to see it. Understand what you're getting, a film about people and life and ideas, but no ray guns and spaceships. You're getting a film that will stay in your head and move your heart. If that's the sort of film you want pre-order it now and enjoy it on Friday. Even if you just want a film that isn't Hollywood but something so much better see the film.
Here then is my original review- and know my feelings haven't changed only gotten deeper.
The apocalypse has come and gone, the trouble is that most people don't remember it.
After some sort of neurological catastrophe most people's short term memory is gone. The result is that people replay their lives over and over again. A young boy runs about in the ruins, a scientist tries to piece together his notes and what he knows, and a pair of lovers wake up every morning not sure who the other is. Meanwhile a girl lives in a bunker locked away with her father, both of which still have their memories.
Thought provoking science fiction film is one of the hidden treasures of the Oxford Film Festival. Why isn't this film getting more notice? Why hasn't this film gone on to more people's radar?
This is a kick in the ass film that will get you talking and thinking and feeling. Its the sort of film that you'll want to see a second time right after the first because you'll want to reconnect with the characters and with the ideas floating around. I want to see it again simply because I want to know how knowing the film's arc will affect my feelings at the start.
For me this is a great examination of isolation and being an outsider.Not having a memory means always trying to fit into a world that doesn't wholly make sense. How to we make the world make sense and find our place in it and what if we can't?
We also are faced with the intriguing question of what is love and destiny. Watching the semi-doomed romance play out over and over again forces one to ponder if we are indeed fated for some one or is it pure chance.
I haven't worked it all out yet and I won't until I see this a couple more times.
While I am in awe of this film and it's stunning reclamation of science fiction as a genre of ideas as opposed to space ships, ray guns and aliens, the film has a couple of problems, one minor, one a tad more serious. The least of the problems comes in a line about Miranda and her father being locked away for over nine years. That hardly seems possible owning to the state of the world outside. While I was fine with things being in ruins for an unspecified period of time, the inclusion of a date. All of the talk of time doesn't really work, but as I said it's incredibly minor.
The other problem is that the fragmentary nature of the narrative, the film is less one story than five or so inter related stories is kind of too much for things to feel completely smooth. Yes, the stories work, but the fact that they aren't one story makes things a bit bumpy.
Of course I shouldn't be complaining, especially when you have a a film that is otherwise a wonder of story telling and mind expansion. It is a film that quibbles or not is a masterpiece of genre and one of the best films you'll see all year.
One of my favorites of 2016.
Embers is now available on iTunes and On Demand. Watch it now! http://radi.al/Embers #EmbersMovie
The Little Prince (2016) opens Friday in Theaters and on Netflix
Then Netflix stepped in and they were so hot on the film that not only were they going to release the film on line they were planning on going for the Oscar. All was right for the world.
The French produced film is based on the classic story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. However because the story is relatively short (Will Vinton’s 25 minute version is pretty much the whole story) Osborne and his crew crafted a surrounding story about a little girl and her mom who move into the house next to the narrator of the original story, the Aviator, now a seemingly crazy old guy. Mom pressures her daughter to strive to get into a good school – planning every moment of her life to that end (and to the point there is no room for play or friends). Of course the Aviator intervenes and we learn of his encounter with the Little Prince.
A glorious call not to lose our inner child, and remember what really is important THE LITTLE PRINCE is one of the best films of 2016 and one of the finest animated films you’ll ever see. It reduced most adults at NYICFF to sobbing messes, myself included, as the original tale worked its magic and Osborne's additions drove home the points and entertained and carried us along. It’s a cinematic wonder.
What is magical here is that Osborne combines the CGI animation and stop motion seamlessly. The modern day stuff is all gorgeous CGI while the tale of the Prince was all done stop motion using paper models. Dozens, if not hundreds, of models were needed because they were so delicate they tore. The result is pure movie magic of the highest order. I don’t need CGI dinosaurs, give me the paper Prince and Aviator and I’m content.
Most people I have met have loved the film.Actually anyone I know who has firmly held on to their inner child has fallen in love with the film. A few poopyheads have not liked. The dislike for the film comes from a dislike of Osborne’s wrap around story. Why do we need the story of the girl when we have the Prince? We have it because the story of the Prince can only fill so much screen time without seeming bloated (If you’ve seen the live action version from 1974 you know I’m right). Additionally the story is a parallel story to that of the Aviator- as the Aviator learned from the Prince, the girl learns from the Aviator, and she passes the lessons on as well. The need to take the Prince’s lessons to heart never stop. (In proving the point that some people have lost their inner child I've read a grumpy person's dismantling of the film where tiny things like the Aviator's story being written in French are seen as destroying the film- clearly they need to reevaluate their lives and their lack of a sense of fun.)
This is a masterpiece. I cannot say enough good things about this film. To be honest I would love to talk about the film's finer points, the details hidden in the film, the craft that went into the models, and mostly the magic way that Osborne has crafted the story, because you have no idea what a miraculous thing Osborne did in crafting the wrap around story. I so want to pull it apart and explain to you why the script is one of the best you'll ever see in animated film- but I can't. I don't want to ruin it for you. With the film coming out Friday it is not fair to you to explain it all before you see it....
And you should see it. This is as good a film, of any sort, as you will see this year. It is hands down the front runner for the Best Animated Film Oscar. (And it should get a best adapted screenplay nom as well)
See this film and become a kid again.
Here is my report on the New York International Children's Film Festival screening.
(Anyone curious about what happened when Paramount dropped the film read this IndeWire piece)
Dwarvenaut (2016) Fantasia 2016
Interesting but over long film is nominally about the Kickstarter campaign, but in reality the film is about the cherubic Stefan Pokorny who owns and runs the company and loves D&D. I say nominally because the promotional material's talks about the Kickstarter campaign which would make or break the company is in fact a non-issue. The reality is that the basic goal for the campaign was met within hours on day one and that there was no where to go- except delve into Pokorny's life.
Whether you like the film or not will depend upon whether or not you like the subject of the film. In fairness I have to state that I've met Pokorny somewhere along the way, not in any meaningful way or that he springs instantly to mind, more the sort of thing where I was ten minutes into the film and I realized that he had annoyed me at some convention or other. Whether this makes me incapable of reviewing the film is up to you to decide, because the film is 84 minutes with him front and center.
To be perfectly honest my problems with the film are not with Pokorny who came off as one of my old D&D buddies (yes I played a lot) on a particularly obsessive compulsive day. I can live with him and his over the top behavior. I like Pokorny's enthusiasm for the game and his desire to spread the word. My problem with the film is that unless you really fall in love with the subject and his life this is going to be a tough haul because its all him all the time and I'm not sure there is enough here for most people to really latch on to for over an hour.
Watching the film I somehow got the feeling that the focus of the film changed when the Kickstarter was instantly funded. At one point Pokorny talks about needing to make over 2 million dollars to break even but his original goal was 100 grand and I can not believe that after two previously successful campaigns he didn't know what he was doing. The need for the millions, like much of the action, seems contrived. He wanted 100 grand and he got it after a few hours, so as a filmmaker where do you go and what do you do to fill out the time required to be considered a feature- you run your subject around to everywhere he ever lived and film him talking about his life.
And while I have no problem with flying Pokorny around the country I have to ask to what end? I don't know why we are seeing it. Why are you showing me this? I have nothing against the guy but what am I supposed to be getting out of this film and his life? I don't know, nor do I really think director Josh Bishop knows either. If the film was more about the game (the film glosses over details of a game that most people don't really know- it assumes you know the game and how its played) or had a real sense of an arc this might have been something, instead its just an over long portrait of a passionate guy that loves Dungeons and Dragons.
DWARVENAUT opens Friday on VOD.
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