GRACELAND (2020) HollyShorts Film Festival

Ten year old Grace cuts her hair and takes to dressing like Elvis Presley. She is she says, the reincarnation of the King of Rock and Roll.

This is a lovely and funny little film about being who you really are as well accepting those around us for who they really are.

While the film can be a tad sitcomish, the emotion and the performances carry us past that. We really care about the people on the screen. While I know the film is currently playing in festivals, I’m left wondering about it’s future down the road. Will this become a proof of concept for a feature? It could work, though if that does happen I am hoping that the film loses some of the silliness.

A gem. Recommended

GRACELAND screens at Hollyshorts on November 11th. Details here

The excellent Coded Bias hits virtual Theaters Wednesday

This is a repost of our Human Rights Watch Film Festival review from earlier this year

Intriguing look at the use of AI and facial recognition technology in the world. It also focuses on how the algorithms that drive the technology tend to skewed in such away that it doesn't always register non-white males as humans as well other highlighting other problems.

Eye opening look at heralded technologies that may more problems than anyone is letting on. This is one of those films where things become heavier and heavier as you go on as you begin to slowly realize what the problems with the software means on all sorts of levels such as is identification can put the wrong person in jail. If youve ever had doubts about AI and facial technology this film will make you even ore paranoid. Hopefully it will spark a debate about how we can and should use it.

This is a stunning film that I've been thinking about since I first saw it and one I am looking forward to seeing again

DOC NYC 2020 starts Wednesday

Covid may have stopped the in person screenings but it hasn't stopped the truly great DOC NYC from going virtual. All hail the true life goodness they have programmed.

While they have gone virtual they haven't skimped on their programming. This year they are screening over 200 film and having personally seen close to half I can honestly say that they have some fantastic things in store for you. The fest has so much good stuff that like last year I have grabbed Ariela Rubin and BC Wallin to help report on it all for you.

While I could talk about the history of the fest or how it gets better and better each year, this year I simply want to take a moment to say that where other virtual fests have cut back or have leaned too heavily on other fests for their material, DOC NYC has put together a selection of films that give no quarter. Where I had a sense with every other festival from New York to Toronto to Fantasia that there was a couple of films that were chosen because they had to fill a slot, With DOC NYC I never felt that. Even if I didn't like a film, I knew damn sure it would have been in the mix had this been an in person fest.

BRAVO for actually programming a festival that honestly and truly is what the fest would have been without Covid.

I also want to applaud the organizers for allowing everything to run the whole festival. Everything starts screening on the 11th and goes straight to the end so you can watch everything when it suits you, you just have to buy a ticket. (Details here) Nothing sells out and you don't have to worry abut scheduling. This is going to be hellish since I am forced to post some reviews during the fest (I can't post 100 reviews on the 11th).  However it doesn't matter since it's all good so just buy a ticket and watch a film or two.

A couple of quick notes before I turn you over to the links to earlier reviews and the list of must sees....

We will be reviewing some of the short films, however since we watched the shorts in random manner we will be posting the reviews in groupings of how we saw them. The reason for this is that the films were watched around and between the features and not as the way the festival collected them. I know this makes filmmakers crazy, but it allows us to not fully focus on the films and not wonder what is next or how many more do I have to watch.

I'm going to apologize to every filmmaker and every PR person connected to the festival in advance.

Why?

Because in a normal year I can pace the reviews to the date and time they premiere at the festival, this year everything goes live on November 11 at the same time. As I said above there is no way I can post the reviews for what will be a hundredish films all at once. I would start posting early but I am not allowed. The result is I am going to space the pieces out through the festival (and possibly after since we will be watching until the bitter end) so there is a chance that the pieces get read. And there is going to be a lot of pieces.

Because of the way things are going this year I can not promise that as in other years I would get reviews of almost every film, however we are going to make an effort. More importantly if we specifically asked to screen the film I promise you will get a review.

Here are links to reviews of the films we saw at other festivals through the year

THINGS WE DARE NOT DO
THROUGH THE NIGHT
DOPE IS DEATH
LA MADRINA
INFLUENCE
MLK/FBI
MIRACLE FISHING
DOWN A DARK STAIRWELL
NASRIN
TINY TIM: KING FOR A DAY
UNDOCUMENTED LAWYER
CRESCENDO!
TO CALM THE PIG INSIDE
WHEN I WRITE IT
MOLE AGENT
GUNDA
THOUSAND CUTS
TIME
TRUFFLE HUNTERS

And now some pointers towards some films you'll want to make sure to see. Reviews will be coming for all once the embargo lifts. 

At the top I need to tell you to see 76 DAYS. This portrait of Covid in Wuhan China during its 76 day lockdown is one of the most moving films of the year. From it's soul crushing opening to it's heartbreaking closing it will move you to tears. One of my very best films of 2020, a capsule review will follow on the 11th.

The short film THE CHANGING OF NARRATIVE: The Vision of Oscar Micheaux is magnificent look at a filmmaker who changed all of cinema and needs to be expanded

NO ORDINARY MAN is an excellent portrait of musician Billy Tipton ad viewed by the trans community It was a film that has a lot of threads running though it and it's a film I can't wait to see again

Alex Winter's ZAPPA is as good a bio of the musician as we are ever likely to see short of a multipart PBS series. And even if you aren't a fan this is still a great film.

UNIVERSE is an amazing look at Wallace Roney working to finally perform a piece written by Wayne Shorter for the Miles Davis Quintet. Great time with great people.

I have to hold my review until the film hits HBO at the end of the moth but THE MYSTERY OF DB COOPER is very good (it's one of the best on the mystery I've seen)

WOJNAROWICZ is a killer biography of artist David Wojnarowicz.  It's a challenging look at an artist, his work and the politics of art. One of the best films and great finds at DOC NYC and probably the year as well

NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY may not be the best film at DOC NYC but it is a blast. The story of the CIA efforts to steal a sunken Soviet submarine it's a film to curl up with on the couch.

ASSASSINS is the crazy story of the North Korean plot to kill Kim Jong-un's brother and the two women caught in the middle. I couldn't look away.

THE REASON I JUMP is a cinematic attempt to explain what it's like to be autistic. It will change how you see the world.

And lastly some notes on some films I'm not doing formal reviews for:

Having seen it prior to the festival and passing on writing it up previously, I revisited the film for DOC NYC and decided that I am still not going to review THE DILEMMA OF DESIRE. Not because it is bad, it is not,  it is in fact really good, rather,  however because a discussion I had about whether I, a male, should be reviewing the film about female sexuality went banana shaped, I am going to leave it at- this is really good and make effort to see it.

I did watch  some of BEAUTIFUL SOMETHING LEFT BEHIND, however I had to stop watching it. The film about children learning to deal with the death of a loved one is very good, but having lost my dad a short time ago I found it was kicking up emotions I couldn't deal with right now.

For tickets and more information on DOC NYC and the films go here

Free Time (2019) Opens Wednesday at the Film Forum

I'm not sure it's really possible to review Manny Kirchheimer FREE TIME. It's not that there is anything wrong with the film, rather whether you like it or not will be determined entirely by whether you click with it or not,. It is very much like his DREAM OF A CITY which played at 2018's New York Film Festival.

Made up entirely of silent footage shot by Kierchheimer and Walter Hess between 1958 and 1960 the film is simply a portrait of life on the streets of New York City. There is no plot, there are simply images set to music with sound effects added.  It is life happening before us from various vantage points.

Will you like it? I have no clue. If you liked the earlier DREAM OF A CITY this is a must. If you didn't stay away.  For me this worked, like the earlier film,  in fits and starts. Personally I love that the film exists as a record of old New York.

FREE TIME World Premiered at the NYFF last year and opens on the Film Forum's Virtual CInema platform beginning Wednesday November 11

SASQUATCH AMONG THE WILDMEN (2020) hits streaming on November 10

 

One of the best man beast films I’ve run across in a long time SASQUATCH AMONG WILDMEN is a must.

The film is a look at reports of man beasts that are supposed to wander through the wilderness of various countries across the globe. We get a look at the Russian Almasty, the Chinese The Yeren, the Himalaya's The Yeti and other versions of what we call Bigfoot in the United States. The stories are such that you have to at least allow for the possibilities that there is a possibility that something is out there.

What I really liked about the film was that this is the first time in almost 50 years of studying the phenomena that I have seen someone compare the various stories scientifically.  Dr Jeffrey Meldrum takes a look at the footprints of the various man beasts talks about them from a scientific perspective, comparing and contrasting them and talking about how the feet would be part of the whole beast. While I have seen some discussion of the footprints before as isolated things, this was the first time where some one brought it all together.

And bringing it all together is what this film is all about. This is a great starting place for those who want to learn about the alleged wild men wandering in the woods without the History Channel docu-fiction take. Even better this is a place for people who have an interest to get the stories straight and have a lot of the crap stripped away.

Highly recommended

IMMORTAL (2020) Holly Shorts

IMMORTAL - Official Trailer from Natalie Metzger on Vimeo.

;A geneticist on the verge of a breakthrough in aging is discovered...

Very good film really needs to be expanded. I'm not going to say more since finding out what is going on is where the power is. The film is nicely acted and has an emotional kick. This is a story we can all relate to.

My only quibble is ith the length- this film is too short.  As strong as the end is, one can only imagine what will happen if we spent more time with the characters.

Rcommended

THE GESTURE AND THE WORD(2020) LA International Film Festival and Hollyshorts.

When a woman's boyfriend stops sending her postcards, a mailman begins to send ones for him...however things take an unexpected turn.

Sweet romance has been kicking around the festival circuit for awhile. I was kind of avoiding the film but needing to decompress from too may documentaries I decided to dive in and was pleasantly surprised. This a warm and fuzzy romance which will make you feel good and restore your faith in the world.

Recommended

Moloka'i Bound (2020)

 

A father, who was recently released from prison, gos to pick up his son from school.

Very good short film has a great deal going for it...so much in fact that I would like to see this 8 minute film become a feature. The characters are too finely drawn and the possibilities for expansion are such I want to see where this goes. Simply put this is a moment in a much longer story we need to see.

Currently on the festival circuit, it is worth a look.

Come True (2020) Blood in the Snow 2020

 

A young woman with trouble sleeping signs up for a sleep study. Things are fine for a while, then things get weird.

There is much to like with COME TRUE. The performances are good, the dream images are great. The story keeps you hooked. This is a solid little thriller that drags you along and creates a ton of shivers. Frankly outside of way too many references to George Romero there really isn't much to complain about...

...except that this is a film where I really want to talk about the whole film and I really can't because this is a movie where things happen and if I say too much you'll know way too early what is going on. I'm not being funny here, since a number of the reviews I read revealed too much.  I looked for the reviews so I could see how people handled what I don't want to reveal.

Yea I know I just said too much.... but that's okay because you're just going to go buy a ticket and watch this before anyone says anything.

Leslie Melville on Survival Skills (2020) which hits select theaters tomorrow before hitting VOD 12/4

Legendary actor Stacy Keach (Escape from LA, American History X) narrates Quinn Armstrong’s Survival Skills. Based on Armstrong’s 2017 short of the same name, Survival Skills is filmed in the style of a 1980’s police training video and tells the story of Jim Williams played by Vayu O’Donnell (The Weekend, Red Dead Redemption II). Jim is a happy go lucky guy with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. It’s his first day on the job and he’s got a lot to learn and some big shoes to fill.

On his very first day Jim meets Allison Lohmann played by Ericka Kreutz (A Handmaid’s Tale, Dead to Me) who is not at all impressed with Jim’s perky demeanor. Over the course of his training the unlikely duo forms a bond of sorts and we see the characters show a few touching moments. It’s Allison’s ability to see the man hiding behind his cheery disposition that I find so endearing. She opens up to him in a way that is quite unexpected and I really enjoyed their growing relationship. 

Throughout the film Jim starts to realize that police work is not at all what he had expected. He has to toughen up if he wants to make it with the big dogs. His first case was a big one. Domestic violence. It was difficult for him to walk away from a case such as this knowing that the mother and daughter needed help but were unable to ask for it. Case after case he did his best to ignore the feelings in his heart and the doubt in his head. Eventually the nagging feeling calling for justice becomes to much for Jim to handle so he reaches out to the wife with dire consequences. 

Creating a realistic case involving domestic violence is never an easy task. It’s a scenario that requires delicate hands and a thoughtful mind. This is something that happens to men, women, and children every day in the real world. I really admire Quinn’s eye for detail and relatable story line. The character of Jim is caught between two worlds. One where he’s an officer of the law sworn to protect and serve, and the other where his peaceful and caring nature yearns to make a difference in this families life. What would you do if the choice were yours? 

The final sequence of the film is not what I had expected and I certainly didn’t see it coming. The final minutes of the story are riveting and had me sitting on the end of my seat. An unexpected event for both the character and the audience puts a spin on the story that I didn’t even know I wanted until it started to unfold. Although he didn’t always make the best decisions Jim did what he felt was right and I can only admire him for that. 

I was surprised by Survival Skills on so many levels. It’s a carefully crafted, well thought out story about a man with a moral compass. This story is perfectly paired with 80’s nostalgia, comedy, and realistic, delightful characters. I would highly recommend this film if you’re a fan of unique, quirky dramas. There are plenty of surprises around every corner. 

Parallel Minds (2020) Blood in the Snow 2020

I almost made a mistake and didn't watch PARALLEL MINDS. I had seen the trailer and I wasn't thrilled. Then someone who had seen the film told me to ignore the trailer and watch the film since it was so much better than the trailer made it out to be. Having seen the film I can honestly say my friend was right.

The film is the story of the investigation in to the death lead developer of Red Eye 2, a contact lens that records memories. What looks like a clear cut murder becomes something more with the corporation wanting to cover its tracks and the Red Eye system seeming to have a mind of its own.

While the basic plot is one we've seen before any number of times, everything else dresses the the proceedings up that you really won't care. The cast is excellent with everyone fully invested in what is happening on the screen. Better still is the fact that we get some really good characters who are not cardboard cutouts. Their pasts and presents inform their future, which is important since the film is so rooted in the things that we carry with us in our memories. I love that they don't get over things easily and are badly haunted even to the fade out by what happens. The film is also connected to the indigenous people with Margo having been raised by a woman who was First Nation. It is a choice that adds a great deal to th film since it adds wonderful resonances to what we are seeing. 

If there is anything remotely wrong with the film it is a fleeting boardroom scene that appears to have been shot in a storage locker.

This is one to see. Ignore the trailer and just watch PARALLEL MINDS which is a gripping and entertaining thriller

Bloodthirsty (2020) Blood in the Snow 2020

 This rare Blood in the Snow miss is about a young singer who travels with her girlfriend to the secluded home of a legendary producer to record a new album. She is haunted by the feeling that she is turning into a flesh eating monster.

More drama than horror the film never really finds it’s groove. Part of it is the bright lighting in all the scenes works against any sort of feeling of darkness.  The look of the film never made me feel I was watching a thriller. Admitted that is also the fault of the script which never really gets the balance of horror and drama right. To me this is a drama until we see some blood or flesh being rended (and even most of that is off screen) and then it is like it is  jumping up to say this is what the film is before sliding back down into the drama.

And sadly the cast never sells things enough that I was ever frightened or even remotely tense. Forgive me but even when the blood flows it looks more like they are playing drees up then frightened or in turning into a beast.

While not bad by ordinary standards Bloodthirsty is a lesser film when compared to the regular level of quality that Blood in The Snow programs.

The Return (2020) Blood in the Snow 2020

THE RETURN has a young man going home to settle up his father’s estate and discovering an evil entity dwelling in his family home.

This odd mix of science fiction and supernatural  results in an interesting if not wholly successful film. Mixing up traditional haunting film with grabs from Ghostbusters and time travel films it seems to be juggling too many balls to fully work. There is simply too many threads here to have everything come addressed.  Honestly I was engaged from start to finish because I had to know how it came out. However about half way into the film I started to wonder if the filmmakers were going to be able to stick the landing.  I don’t think they did, but they came close and they didn’t crash which says a hell of a lot. I did like the film but I didn’t love it.

Unique enough that it is definitely worth a look

THE PRESENT (2020)

 

A father and a daughter move out of the Palestinian controlled portion of West Bank and into Israel in order to get a birthday present. 

This is a moving look at the inhumane treatment the Palestinians are subjected to on a daily basis. No one should have to live like this. Effectively caged in cities they are abused on a regular basis, being forced to deal with abuse at check points and segregated treatment outside the wall in order to get basic goods and services (there are several recent documentaries on the struggles to get decent medical care across the borders.) 

 Certain to make you angry the film is recommended.

The Present can be åseen at: The UK Film Festival in November and London Film Week in December  and at the Oscar and Bafta qualifying festivals, Aesthetica Short Film Festival and Leeds International Film Festival

Proxima (2019) opens Friday

 

Eva Green plays an astronaut preparing to go into space and herself for being away from her daughter for a year.

Full disclosure, I thought this was going to be something different than what it is. I was expecting a bigger and splashier film than what I got. I am not complaining , but if you go in expecting a big epic you may be disappointed in what is in many ways a quiet domestic drama.

I liked the small scale story. I like that for the first time we got a human scale look at what it takes to do a job like being an astronaut. It raised all sorts of issues about what it entail. If you are a single mom, what do you do with your daughter? How do you handle the the disappointments on all sides? Additionally how does what you do effect your child?

I was impressed.

And while I like the film a great deal, I don't love it. It is a tad too lw key for me. I don't know if that is because it is genuinely low key or because being a space kid I find all things space things exciting and the tone here is a let down.

My reservations aside PROXIMA is worth a look.

(And the shots of the real astronauts with their children did make me tear up)

Leslie Melville on KOKO-DI KOKO-DA which opens Friday

After an unexpected tragedy Tobias (Leif Edlund) and his wife Elin (Ylva Gallon) embark on a trip together to try and rediscover their love for each other. Their time together doesn’t go according to plan after they are attacked by a strange man (Peter Belli) and his cohorts.

Koko-Di Koko-Da is an extremely artistic Swedish/ Danish film with English subtitles. Personally I absolutely loved this unexpected take on a commonly told story. A lot of films tell stories about couples who have endured tragedy and spend the rest of their lives trying to find their way back to each other. Most of these efforts tend to be rather bland and lack imagination. It is nice to see a film that sets itself apart from the genre.

It is my opinion that horror movies aren’t always about the monster under your bed or the haunted house in the neighborhood. Sometimes the scariest culprits are human. Imagine dreaming about what is going to happen to you and trying to change your fate. It’s a brilliant concept. Although this film is primarily horror there is a comedy element to it that is quite entertaining. It adds to the story without seeming forced or cheesy. When a story like this transforms itself it can come off as being quite messy. That is not the case here. Everything was very carefully thought out and planned. Each scene is a beautiful gateway that leads you to the next adventure.

One thing that I can tell you about Swedish culture is that the people are incredibly talented. They are natural born storytellers. When I first started watching this film I could tell right away it was by a Swedish filmmaker. I am a fan of the cinematography, music, and overall feel that Johannes was going for. It’s all perfect for the story it’s helping to create. Typically I like to give more information about a film when I’m reviewing it but because of this films artistic nature I didn’t want to give away too much of what makes this film so special. I loved this movie and I think if you enjoy Swedish cinema you will too. I give Koko-Di Koko-Da an 8/10. There were a few things I thought worked better than others but aside from that it’s a beautiful film that is done really well and I can’t wait for you to see it. Koko-Di Koko-Da opens  in New York this Friday and  rolls out in the following weeks.

H P Lovecraft's At The Mountains of Madness (because Guillermo Del Toro can't seem to get a film version made)

 

Age of the Living Dead (2018-) BITS 2020

 In the future the US is divided into two parts. The East Coast is controlled by vampire. The West Coast is controlled by regular humans who ready for war. Into the human area comes a young woman who may be the key to ending the vampires rule.

It's hard to tell how a series is based on a single episode (the series has 3 seasons and 18 episodes according to IMDB) especially a first one which is all set up. While there are some  narrative motion, much of the episode running at Blood in the Snow is concerned with setting the table.

To be honest I'm interested enough to try another episode or two on Amazon, which to be perfectly honest is just about the most honest thing I can say about the show.

If you want to try the series you can watch it tonight at Blood in The Snow's streaming festival where it is screening with several other web based series.

Higher Love (2020) hits VOD Tuesday

With the film hitting Tuesday here is a repost of my review of HIGHER LOVE. It is one of the best films of 2020 so far.

This may have been the first truly great film I saw for Slamdance. It is a film that haunted me for days after I saw it. It is a tough tough film about what drugs are doing to society.

The focus of the film is Daryl Gant a resident of Camden New Jersey. Daryl has a good job and tries to stay out of trouble. When his girlfriend Nani gives birth to a son Daryl has to struggle to take care of the child since Nani is an addict and can very easily fall off the wagon. The film also shows us the story of Iman, a friend of the couple who was was an engineer until he started dealing and became addicted.

If you don't want to see the real cost of addiction  stay away. This is an in your face film that does not shy away from showing us the high cost of drugs on our communities and on our bodies. It also powerfully shows us in no uncertain terms the toll it takes not only on the addicts but the lives of the people who love them. As having heard the  statement "why don't they just walk away" in regard to the friends and family of the addicts, this film makes it painfully clear why that isn't always an option.

I was repulsed, troubled and deeply moved. As I watched the film I found that I kept wanting to stop the film and walk away, I didn't want to see this, I need to see this and yet I kept watching because director Hasan Oswald kept filming and thus kept insisting, rightly that I needed to. When it was done I seriously considered walking away and not writing it up simply because I didn't want to revisit the film. However despite my best efforts not to think about it, I couldn't stop. Hours after seeing the film I found I was thinking about how to attack a review. I also came home and had a discussion on line with a friend about how I couldn't shake the film and hw it might be the first great film I saw for Slamdance.

Days passed, more movies have come and gone and still HIGHER LOVE hangs with me.  I still don't want to talk about the film largely because I really don't have the words to describe it in a way that does it justice. I think that all I can say is all what needs to be said- HIGHER LOVE is a great film and is must see.

The Thing On The Fourble Board - a bonus Halloween story

Absolutely one of the scariest things I have ever heard