John Wick Chapter 2 (2017)

Beginning with a chase that happens not long after the first film ends John Wick Chapter 2 is a non-stop action film that doesn’t end so much as pauses long enough for the series third chapter to be filmed.

The plot of the film has Wick resetting his life after the events of the first film. Just as he literally finishes burying his past an old ally appears calling in the marker that helped him achieve his impossible task. Since Wick stepped back on the path Santino D'Antonio said he felt he could ask Wick for the return of the favor. When Wick refuses Santino blows up his house. Wick then reluctantly completes the task- killing Santino‘s sister- only to find Santino has put a 7 million dollar bounty on his head- because Wick killed his sister and protocol demands that he get revenge. This sets up a gauntlet as Wick must fight to stay alive and to get revenge.

The Boogey Man is alive and killing. A wild and wonton shoot ‘em up this is high octane filmmaking of the highest order. It’s more of the same and then some. It wonderfully expands the Wick universe with many new details and characters while remaining true to the old formula. It’s a blast and a half. If the film is a degree lesser than the first film, it’s only because the sense of wonder the first film created is missing- we know what we are getting. I had a blast. And while I am not happy that the film sets up a third film, the place the film leaves off is the perfect place to hit pause until next we wade into to the insanity once more.

I do have to say that I was in hysterics regarding the film’s sense of New York City- because the film doesn’t have one. Wick enters the The Continental in lower Manhattan and comes out on a roof garden almost 100 blocks north across from Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Wick and Common enter a subway station near Lincoln Center to appear at the Occulus at the World Trade Center. They are on a platform for the Path Train to New Jersey when a C subway train is announced. They then fight on the train as announcements for the E train are made listing stops that are on the 1 or R and W lines.

Silliness of geography aside John Wick Chapter 2 is a must see and highly recommended- just make sure you’ve seen the first film

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Hacksaw Ridge would seem to be an odd Oscar contender. The first word on the film was excellent but when it came out critics liked it but didn’t love it. Its odd mix of old school sensibilities with modern realistic war violence jangled some writers who liked part of the film but not the other. For me the film is a masterful technical achievement and if it doesn’t quite nail perfection it still ranks as one of the most arresting war films I’ve seen while at the same time being a grand examination of faith and belief.

The film in nominally the Desmond Doss the first man who was a conscientious objector to win the (Congressional) Medal of Honor without firing a shot. Doss managed to save the lives of 75 men during the battle on what became known as Hacksaw Ridge before being wounded and carried off the battlefield himself. I say nominally because director Mel Gibson and his writers Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight have refashioned the story to compress the battle into a couple of days and leave out that Doss and his men had fought in Guam and the Philippines before the assault on the ridge. This isn’t to lessen what Doss did, rather to say that what Doss actually did was even more amazing.

Gibson’s film is a decided throwback to old Hollywood. The first hour of the film where Dos is seen growing up and going through basic training is the sort of old school Hollywood film we’ve seen a thousand times before. A stern dad, loving mother raise their boy to overcome adversity. The guys in the army are on some level your typical grunt. Gibson is keeping everything simple. In the second hour, as the men get to the ridge the film becomes a hellish nightmare. We get a taste of it at the start but it isn't until the battle actually starts that the notion of war being hell and the true meaning of the chaos of war truly comes into play.

Gibson’s use of old school stylings is brilliant. While it seems to simplify things it actually gives a greater emotional resonance. Gibson can work more starkly- the divisions between characters are greater. Doss’s actions seem more heroic. Because he alters our perceptions to a time before he makes the blood and gore more shocking once the battle happens. The perfect compositions and leisurely paced first hour make the total chaos of the final 80 minutes all that more over whelming.We have no sense of place other than where we are at that moment. There are no wide shots or anything but the ground and the craters the soldiers experience. Rarely has a narrative feature shown the hell of battle this brutally. Even most people’s bell weather Saving Private Ryan wasn’t this graphic or disorienting.

Gibson isn't just telling  a story. Gibson is ruminating on the notion of faith, belief and what a hero is. The notions of it run through the film from start to finish and they are what make HACKSAW RIDGE more than just a war film.

I know some people have scoffed at the religious bent of the film. I've had discussions with a couple of people who think Gibson went over board, but at the same time this seems to be who Doss was. On top of that the film is a kind of hero's journey or spiritual quest of the true believer to find salvation. This is a refashioning of the tale in terms that Joseph Campbell might use. If the belief in god offends you see it as an allegory.

Gibson is also very interested in what is a hero. Yes it's very easy to give lip service to the notion that Doss was a hero, Gibson on the other  hand wants you to understand why. That is and what the notion of his heroics really are. We also get a lovely sense of why and how Doss turned out as he did because of the sequences with his father, in particular the sequence when he shows up at the court martial in his old uniform to essentially join his brother in arms.

HACKSAW RIDGE is a masterpiece. It is one of the truly great war films. It confirms, despite his personal nonsense, that Gibson is one of the best directors working today with everyone of his films being moving visceral experiences.

A must see

The 7th Annual Queens World Film Festival has annouced their line up and tickets are now on sale

QWFF Festival Directors Don & Katha Cato Announced the 2017 Line up for the 7th Annual Queens World Film Festival (QWFF) as well as the "Spirit of Queens" Honoree, the Venues

On Valentines Day the Festival producers, filmmakers and other invited guests gathered at MOMI in Astoria to help kick off the festivities leading up to the 7th annual Queens World Film Festival. Over 50 filmmakers from around the globe and around the boro were in attendance joined by Sponsors, Elected Officials and QWFF community partners.

QWFF Artistic Director Don Cato introduced special guests (filmmakers, honorees, Sponsors and partners) and announced the final selections/schedule/special events/venues & Honorees for The 7th Annual Queens World Film Festival (QWFF) at the Museum of the Moving Image‎ (MoMI), in Astoria, Queens, NY. The Festival is Scheduled for March 14-19, 2017.

Each year, the Queens World Film Festival pays tribute to an outstanding filmmaker for his or her body of work. This year's "Spirit of Queens" Award goes to Queens native independent film director Julie Dash. Her 1991 masterpiece, “Daughters of the Dust” will be showcased at MoMI on Wednesday night, March 15 7-10pm. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Ms. Dash. The incredible Illusions by Ms. Dash will also be screened within another BLOCK of films screened at MoMI on Friday March 18.

The Queens World Film Festival engages audiences with targeted outreach to the diverse communities that comprise the borough of Queens.‎ QWFF Artistic Director Don Cato ‎states that "This year's 135 films come from 25 nations whose diasporas are represented in Queens, the ‘World’s Borough’. These films examine love, loss, immigration, mental health and some take on these themes in progressive ground breaking style. These films promise to move and entertain our audiences.”

Queens World Film Festival sponsors include Kaufman Astoria Studios, Investors Bank, MYNYCB, Council Member Daniel Dromm and Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, The Queens Post and the Times Ledger

Highlights of the Festival include the March 14, Opening Night at MoMI kick off at 7pm with a VIP reception with the 2017 filmmakers and 2017 Honoree Julie Dash and other special guests. The program starts at 8:00 and Queens native Ms. Dash will receive the 2017 Spirit of Queens Award for her outstanding contribution to cinema – indie or otherwise. Her work is majestic and intimate, assertive and nuanced. The night will also feature NYC’s elected officials, QWFF sponsors and partners and five short films that will give the audience a glimpse of what is to come during Festival Week 2017.

On March 18, 5:30pm Museum of the Moving Image, Redstone Theatre:
Adam Green’s Aladdin features Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone) leading an enthusiastic cast through the wildest adaptation of this classic that you will ever see. Also staring Alia Shawkat (State of Grace, Arrested Development, Search Party).

On March 16, 8:00 pm Museum of the Moving Image, Redstone Theatre
World Premier of Searching for Fortune staring John Heard (The Sopranos, Big, The Milagro Beanfield War, Awakenings, Home Alone, Radio Flyer, The Pelican Brief, White Chicks, Miami Vice, etc. etc. etc.) A family drama about a woman who tracks down her recently deceased husband's brother and reveals a 25 year old family secret.

On March 18 8:00 pm Museum of the Moving Image, Redstone Theatre
North American Premier of Scumbag (World Premier at the prestigious International Film Festival at Rotterdam) "The Wolf of Wall Street" meets "Kids" starring every punk legend since the 70s'. starring Princess Frank, Debra Haden, Nick Zedd, Michael Alig, Neon Music, Goddess Bunny, Keith Morris, Angelo Moore, Monique Parent, Jael De Pardo, Don Bolles, Kid Congo Powers, Scott E. Myers, Ron Jeremy, Cindy Lucas, Penny Arcade, Nina Hartley, Brian Soigne and Deluxe Wilso.

On March 18 2:45 MoMI – Bartos Theatre
AFTER SCHOOL by the rising star Alec Tibaldi, an alumni of QWFF, who’s 2016 film Ride or Die won the QWFF 2016 Best Ensemble Award. AFTER SCHOOL is another sterling example of great directing, acting and production and stars Ruby Modine (Shameless) and the young and extremely promising Piper De Palma whose father is film director Brian De Palma.

And there are 130 more incredible, intriguing, challenging, works including 4 about the undocumented Immigrant experience and four more featuring challenging mental health conditions. There 6 beautiful LGBT films, an animation about brotherly love that will break your heart, thrillers, chillers and all out high high camp.

The World’s Borough is well represented with 23 films from Queens, 16 from Manhattan, 17 from Brooklyn and 1 from the Bronx. There are 12 from Germany, 7 from Spain, 4 from Iran and 8 films are by Asian filmmakers from all over NYC. We have 50 films by women and three films that were collaborative efforts from educational institutions.

In addition to producing the annual Queens World Film Festival, the organization programs films year-round at a variety of borough venues through its “Encore” and “Old Spice” screening series, and through its “Young Filmmakers” training program.‎

The Queens World Film Festival is a program of the Queens World Film Initiative, Inc., a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization.

FOR FULL SCHEDULE:‎ www.queensworldfilmfestival.com

Hidden Figures (2016)

Hidden Figures is the story of three African American women who were vital to the American space program. Doing the calculations before the days when computers did the heavy lifting the three women and their sisters were the reason we got into space. Their work was so trusted that John Glenn wouldn’t make his historic flight unless Katherine Johnson herself said that it was possible.

Hailed by many people as one of the best films of the year and currently in the running for the Best Picture Oscar the film is a wonderful historical drama about how three women broke through the racist and sexist attitudes of the all-white male hierarchy of NASA. It’s a film that clearly show that what you do is ultimately more important than what you appear to be. Hidden Figures will make you feel good as it makes you think about racism and sexism.

My problem is that there is very little surprise or suspense. Because of the marketing of the film and the elevator pitch descriptions of the plot we know where this is going. I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of the film but I was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t more suspense. I wish there was something that kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s a quibble I know but it kept me from calling this one of the best of the best films I’ve seen this year.

Quibbles or no the film is highly recommended

A Man of Good Hope at BAM

A Good Man of Hope currently play a very brief run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music is a tough play/musical. The story of Asad Abdullahi, a Somali refugee, who has spent his life trying to find a better life despite all that life throws at him is a tough play. Bad things happen, a lot of bad things and it’s hard not to feel as beaten up by his life as the man himself. The whole thing takes on even darker tones thanks to Donald Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric and we quickly see what can happen if we allow stupider heads to prevail.

The play started as a series of interviews Asad gave to Jonny Steinberg who, at first thought his story would be 10 to 20 pages in a book on refugees. However Steinberg realized there was a whole story here and he changed the focus of the book. The book was then turned into a musical by the Isango Ensemble and the Young Vic.

The show is framed by  Asad giving an interview to Steinberg. The play then flashes back to the day when Asad watched his mother die after being shot by Somali rebels. What then follows is thirty year march as friends and family, wives and children come and go and Asad simply tries to go on. It’s a story that will break your heart as people die, the locals abuse him for being an immigrant and all his possessions are stripped away. Light and happy it is not. It’s the first time I've ever seen a story that makes you feel pain when a character says he’s coming to America.

Seeing the show four weeks into the Trump administration was incredibly tough. Here on stage was the true life story of what could and will happen if the president’s worst nature is allowed to fan the flames of hatred across the country. There were frequent uneasy ripples of emotion through the audience as lines and actions took on unexpected and shattering meanings in the wake of the president's first month of insane rantings. The way the story plays out now, in this place, especilly in Brooklyn and its multicultural community was nothing BAM or the theater companies could have known when they booked the engagement.

I cannot explain what the effect of the show was on the audience last night except to say that when the show ended there was a stunned silence. No one wanted to move, I'm not sure some of us could. While the whole audience rose to their feet as one very few applauded to start, they simply stared at the stage in shell shock, it was as if they didn't know how to applaud. Then as the cast waved and smiled, applause grew as those around us came out of a spell. The applause grew louder through each of the three curtain calls. Then the audience filed quietly out into the night- few people talking. We were all stunned into silence laid low by the life of one man and his drive to go on.

A Good Man of Hope is the very definition of affecting theater.

And I need to say this really isn’t a happy musical. Asad whose story this is hasn’t read the book of his life. Steinberg says that the reason is that the only way that Asad can go on is by facing forward and not looking back. As is implied in play and even in Steinberg‘s pieces on the book the reason is Asad doesn’t want to face the sadness once again. To be honest had I known what the play was I probably would not have bought tickets. However now that I’ve seen it I’ve seen a theater piece that I can’t shake and has left me rattled in the best way possible.

If you can get to BAM before the run ends this weekend, do so, just be prepared to be broken.

Man of Good Hope plays through Sunday February 19th at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. For more information and tickets go here.

The Great Wall: A Monster Co-Production

They first crawled out of the earth centuries ago, yet somehow the swarms of Taotie lizard-beasts represent modern commercial values sweeping across China. Only collective action can stand against them—and perhaps a hotdogging Western adventurer. Or maybe they are just monsters who need killing. If you can work with it on that level, Zhang Yimou’s mega-budget co-production The Great Wall is rather enjoyable viewing when it opens today nationwide.

Evidently, the Taotie first spewed forth as punishment for a venal emperor’s greed. Every sixty years they return, strewing havoc in their wake. That is why subsequent emperors built that large wall thingy and it is probably why they also invented gunpowder before the West. They were highly motivated. A group of blundering Western mercenaries came to China hoping to acquire game-changing quantities of the “black powder,” but they have been much abused by the indigenous Khitan of the north. Yet, somehow the two survivors, Irishman William Garin and Spaniard Pero Tovar, manage to dispatch a Taotie scout.

In most respects, the Westerners’ timing is pretty terrible. They are about to be capture by the Nameless Order, the elite corps that stands guard on the Great Wall, just as the Taotie attack—six weeks early. Both will distinguish themselves during the initial battle, but Tovar is biding his time, hoping to score some black powder and make a break for it, whereas Garin’s long dormant idealism starts to stir, like a Medieval Rick Blaine.

There is no getting around the film’s greatest weakness. That is obviously Matt O’Damon flailing around as Garin. The bad news is his Irish accent is what you might call mushy (seriously, isn’t he from Boston?). The good news is he only uses it about half the time. In contrast, Jing Tian once again proves she can be a flat-out fierce action star, despite her supermodel looks (for further proof checkout how she redeems the conspicuously flawed Special I.D. with her barn-burner fight scene facing off against Andy On). As Commander Lin Mae, she throws down with authority and generally anchors the film with her no-nonsense intensity.

Although movie stars do not get any bigger than Andy Lau, he takes a supporting role in Zhang’s 3D spectacle, but he rather seems to be enjoying the erudite sagaciousness of Strategist Wang, which rubs off on viewers. When the kaiju hordes (or whatever) rampage, you would definitely want his wise counsel. Teen heartthrob Lu Han also helps humanize the rumble as Peng Yong, the sensitive soldier. However, it is always rather confusing whenever Eddie Peng’s Commander Wu pops up. His role is not exactly clear, but he seems to be the Song Dynasty equivalent of a Communist political officer, given his arrogance and authority to insist on unsound military tactics.

Zhang brings quite a bit to the party himself with his visual flash and dazzle. The awesome vistas of the Wall and the teeming throngs of Taotie are perfect for his sensibilities. Plus, Commander Lin’s bungee-jumping shock troops are undeniably cool to behold. That is why the 3D is so frustrating: it definitely makes the film look artificially dark and murky.

So, apparently, the takeaways from Great Wall are walls and gunpowder are both darned useful when you are living in a dangerous world. The notion that Westerners are only out for themselves is not so subtly sewn into its fabric, but at least there is a meeting-of-the-minds between Lin and Garin—chastely so, thanks to Chinese censors. Regardless, it is always fun to watch Zhang, Jing, and Lau do their thing. Recommended for fans of big, noisy special effects movies and fans of the all-star cast, The Great Wall opens today (2/17) in theaters across the City, including the AMC Empire.

Austerlitz (2016) MOMA Doc Fortnight 2017

Observational documentary observes tourists as they walk around and through Auschwitz.

The film is a series of static black and white shots as tourists walk up to to and then through the gates of the concentration camp. We watch as they wander the grounds and buildings and then leave.

For some this is going to be a deeply moving film. For some this is going to be some sort of profound experience making them ponder how the the death camp has kind of become a somber amusement park as visitors wander around kind of blankly. For others this is going to be a long haul  as we simply watch people wander by and tour guides try to explain in various languages what happened.

I don't really have an opinion on the film. To be honest I understand what the film is trying to do and force a confrontation with how a place where millions died is now a place many people really don't understand- but at the same time I don't know if it succeeds. In away there was a point where I started mumbling to myself, "I get it, now what?"

I don't know about the now what part.

If you like observational docs, by all means give this film a shot. All others can take a pass.

Fabricated City: Gamer Gets Played

It takes a real piece of scum to make a lay-about millennial slacker look sympathetic, but an attorney should do the trick. Min Chun-sang will do in spades. He is no mere crooked mouthpiece. The supposed public defender is really the mastermind of a shadowy organization that frames the unemployed and marginalized for murders committed by their powerful clients. Kwon Yoo is their latest victim, but the gamer has more game than they anticipate in Park Kwang-hyun’s Fabricated City, which opens tomorrow in Los Angeles and the Tri-State Area.

It all proceeded according to Min’s usual playbook. A cell phone was left for Kwon Yoo to find, which he readily agrees to return to the owner’s hotel room for a reward, but finds himself framed for murder instead. Kwon Yoo is referred to Min, who does a bang-up job defending him. Nobody was supposed to hear from him once he was safely buried in prison, but the former Taekwondo junior champion has more fight in him then they bargain for. First, he will stand up to the beatings meted out by gangster Ma Deok-soo and his men and then he pulls off an unlikely escape.

Once at-large, he will finally meet-up offline with his online gaming team, Resurrection. Together with their help, especially that of socially awkward hacker Yeo-wool, he investigates his notorious case. When they figure out Min’s culpability, they start taking the fight to his network, so he temporarily springs Ma to do his dirty work.

As Min, Oh Jung-se makes one of the creepiest, clammiest sociopaths (bordering on outright psychopath) you will see in many moons of movies. He is just a vile, oily dog. In short, he is a convincing trial lawyer. TV heartthrob Ji Chang-wook is actually pretty impressive in his first film role, dialing up plenty of righteous outrage as the wronged Kwon Yoo. Shim Eun-kyung (the original Miss Granny) plays effectively against type as shy, reclusive Yeo-wool. Kim Sang-ho also takes a bit of a departure from the shlubby figures he frequently plays, but he records mixed results as the thuggish Ma.

Park stages some nifty car chases and enough explosions to keep even the snobbiest film critic awake, but the best sequences involve Resurrection’s sneaking and scheming. It is a super-slick thriller that never feels its running time (just over two hours, which isn’t as excessive as it sounds, by Korean cinema standards). Recommended for fans of Korean and “wrong man” thrillers, Fabricated City opens tomorrow (2/17) at the LA and Buena Park CGV Cinemas and the Edgewater Multiplex in New Jersey.

Gaza Surf Club (2016)

One of the best films at this year's Doc Fortnight follows a group of surfers as they surf and try to get by in their town in the Gaza Strip.

Truly great film is full of wonderful people incredible images and one hell of a story . Its the tale of a group of people unable to go anywhere so they turn to something that gives them a fleeting sense of freedom. It will make you smile as it breaks your heart.

A quietly political film, there are no grand speeches only aa reporting of life on the sea shore. If one wants to know what the film is all about one need only look at the bombed out building s and listen to the stories of life in the Gaza strip to know what the situation is. Its quiet revelations are more powerful than horrible stories or pictures because through the accumulated time spent with all of the people in the film we come to truly understand what the state of hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians is doing to the people and the landscape.

And of course the film is about surfing. Beautifully shot the film has some of the best surfing sequences I've seen in a while.

This is just a great movie.

Highly recommend.

Road to the Well (2016)

Drifter Jack blows back into his friend Frank's life just as his life is going sideways. When a murder occurs occurs the two men decide to bury the body but there are complications on the road to the burial.

Jon Cvack's ROAD TO THE WELL surprised the hell out of me. Not only is it a great little modern film noir, but it's also a film that is so well made and so self assured that I'm having a hard time believing that this is Cvack's first shot at directing. Say what you will a first feature is rarely this well done.

Cvack's tale is a nifty one and I'm having a hard time trying to work out how much to tell you. A layered mystery/crime drama the film is content to show us bits and pieces without comment and let us stew a bit. This is one of those films where something will pass by and then fifteen minutes or more something else will happen and you'll connect up to something that happened earlier, so I'm not sure how much to reveal.

One  has to mention the finely crafted script which moves everyone in a believable fashion. Too often in films like this people are not people they are types. It's an easy short hand that is really avoided here. People behave as if they are regular people which is nice.  Their behavior is true to their own point of view and not that of the audience. Cvack resists the temptation to play many scenes as if there is is anything wrong. More often than not films are set up so when there is something wrong the risk of discovery is played up for tension- here Cvack does the opposite people behave straight forwardly. There is no overt pushing of the tension and the fear. Its a small mater that lets us create the fear.

One should also wax poetic about the look of the film of and of Cvack's use of image and sound to convey story - more often than not what is important is what we see not what we hear. Cva is clearly a director who trusts his audience to pay attention and put all the pieces together.

I really like this film a great deal. This is one I want to revisit since I know I missed stuff the first time through.

Recommended.

ROAD TO THE WELL is out on DVD from The Candy Factory and can be seen via the major VOD outlets.

A MONSTER CALLS (2016)

Fantastical tale of a young boy who is dealing with the slow death of his mother. He is visited by a giant tree monster who helps him deal with grief by telling him stories.

Deeply moving film that impressed the hell out of me. The story is profound in its way, the characters atypical and real. The visual sense is amazing. It is in it's way a damn near perfect cinematic fable whose only flaw being the casting of Sigourney Weaver- not because cause she is bad rathe because she stands out too much.

Despite not wanting to see the film (I have libraries of of undealt with volumes concerning the death of my own mother) I was genuinely moved by the film. I suspect that because I could relate directly to the tale the film meant so much more to me.

I can not say much more than that- except that the final two shots are absolutely perfect.

ALI AND NINO (2016)

Beautiful to look and moving story of Ali, a Muslim young man with royal blood who falls in love with Nino, a Christian noble woman during the first World War in Azerbaijan. As the Russian Empire falls and the Bolsheviks conflict arises as the people of Azerbaijan try to stand up to the new oppressors.

One of the best historical romances of recent vintage this film is probably not on anyone's radar thanks to it's being picked up by IFC Films who appear to have simply placed it in to the VOD world with very little promotion. (I certainly did not notice any theatrical release). This is a film for anyone who longs for epic romance on the order of TITANIC or DR ZHIVAGO or any similar romances.

If you love historical films ALI AND NINO is a must.

Currently out on VOD from IFC Films.

Comfort (2016)

Night courier who is allergic to the sun is asked to pick up the daughter of a client at the airport and ends up spending time together as a romance blooms.

Sweet little romance that doesn't follow your typical paths from beginning to end is definitely worth your time. Credit the two leads Chris Dinh and Julie Zhan who lift this up from the heap of inde romances. The couple keep it believable all along the way even when some of the characters around them become a little silly.

I was not going to look at this but I decided to give it a gow when an rain storm became an ice storm and scuttled my outside plans. As result of mother nature interference I ended up seeing a lovely little film that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a solid romance.

Comfort is on VOD today on all the major platforms

Recommendations for this week at the Boston Sci Fi Film Festival

Apologies to the Boston Sci Fi Film Festival, I should have done a curtain raiser for the festival a week ago but things have gotten out of control in the Unseen Films screening rooms.

That said the festival which runs through this weekend has a few really good films coming up that I want to put on your radar (click on the titles to go to our reviews)

If you’ve never seen Kinji Fukasaku's GREEN SLIME this is your chance. A huge head scratcher acid trip from 1969. You may love the film or you may hate it- but either way you will be marked by it, (Plays 2/14)

The chance to see GIANT BEHEMOTH big is not to be missed. Willis Obrien’s film of a sea monster on the loose is a kin to Ray Harryhausen’s Beast from 20,000 Fathoms released a few years later. (Plays 2/14)

THE OPEN is a one of a kind post-apocalyptic film about tennis. That is not a mistake, that’s what it’s about and it’s a kick in the ass. A must see. (Plays 2/15)

Lorcan Finnegan’s WITHOUT NAME is a slow burn masterpiece about a lonely man and the weirdness in the forest. A must see. (An interview with the director is here) (Plays 2/17)

2307: WINTERS DREAM is an excellent post-apocalyptic story about a world shrouded in ice. This is just a quietly great action adventure.

And of course there are many other films as well so go buy tickets and go.

The Dallas Film Society announces the initial eleven official selections for the 11th edition of the Dallas International Film Festival

Jameson Brooks’s BOMB CITY and Micah Barber’s INTO THE WHO KNOWS! will make their world premieres

Other highlights include Stefon Avalos’s Slamdance award-winner, STRAD STYLE, François Ozon’s FRANTZ, Sarah Adina Smith’s BUSTER’S MAL HEART,and James Gray’s THE LOST CITY OF Z.

Bomb City

Dallas, TX (February 13, 2017) – The Dallas Film Society today announced eleven official selections for the 11th edition of the Dallas International Film Festival. Featuring two world premieres (Jameson Brooks’s BOMB CITY and Micah Barber’s INTO THE WHO KNOWS!), the selections are a sampling of several of the non-competitive programming sections that make up Texas’s largest film festival, as well as two films set for this year’s Texas Competition. Led by Stefon Avalos’s Slamdance Film Festival award-winner, STRAD STYLE, the list of titles represents DIFF’s long-standing tradition of programming films that have impressed elsewhere on the film festival circuit, such as François Ozon’s FRANTZ (Sundance), Sarah Adina Smith’s BUSTER’S MAL HEART (Toronto), and James Gray’s THE LOST CITY OF Z (NYFF).

DIFF also announced the film festival will present the Studio Movie Grill Silver Heart Award to the film that best addresses Human Rights issues. A $5,000 cash prize will be presented by the Schultz Family during the Dallas Film Society Honors event presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation on Friday, April 7, as DIFF continues its decade-long tradition of looking beyond the artistic value of film to the impact on the community, either via environmental, or in this case, human rights issues, as well. The Silver Heart Award is bestowed on an individual or film for their dedication to fighting injustices and/or creating social change for the improvement of humanity.

“Dallas film audiences are among the most knowledgeable, diverse, and enthusiastic in the entire country,” said James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas Film Society. “Therefore, programming the Dallas International Film Festival is always an exercise in striking a balance by finding films that appeal to the savvy cinephile, and the weekend escape-seeking film fan, as well as everyone in between. This year, we have already had great success securing films that impressed us at other prominent film festivals around the world, to discovering brand new gems, which will make their debut right here at DIFF.”

Franz

This year’s Texas Competition, presented by Panavision, which promotes the state’s impressive home-grown filmmaking talent by focusing on films produced and shot in Texas, includes the world premiere of Jameson Brooks’s drama BOMB CITY, about a controversial hate-crime that took place in a small, conservative Texas town. Also competing in the category is Jason Headley’s comedy A BAD IDEA GONE WRONG about two would-be thieves that bungle their way into a hostage situation during a poorly-planned break-in.

The second announced world premiere selection, Micah Barber’s INTO THE WHO KNOWS! about a boy and his best friend, Felix the Fox, that escape summer camp to embark on a big mystical adventure, will make its debut as part of DIFF’s very popular Family Friendly section. Also screening will be Tony Shaff’s documentary 44 PAGES, which tells the surprising story of Highlights Magazine, and screens at DIFF immediately following its debut at SXSWedu in March.

DIFF’s Premiere Series will include; Smith’s mind-bender BUSTER’S MAL HEART, which stars Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek as a mountain man drifter who had a life-changing run-in with a stranger obsessed with a conspiracy theory; Ozon’s drama FRANTZ, about a woman coming to terms with the death of her fiancé in World War I; and Gray’s true-life epic THE LOST CITY OF Z, which follows the tale of British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared in the Amazon in the 1920s.

Avalos’s STRAD STYLE, which won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the recently concluded Slamdance Film Festival, and Matt Schrader’s SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY, are the first two selections announced from DIFF’s beloved Deep Ellum Sounds section. The music-themed documentary section hails back to the film festival’s roots in the colorful music-infused neighborhood with the Deep Ellum Film Festival, which was the precursor to the Dallas International Film Festival. STRAD STYLE follows the efforts of a man in Ohio, who decides he can build a classic Stradivarius violin, and SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY, looks at the art of film scoring via interviews with nearly every prominent film composer on the scene today.

Lost City of Z

Rounding out the first selections revealed to the public are Steve James’s ABACUS: TOO SMALL TO JAIL, about the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and Alejandro Molina’s THE PRESENT ONES (Los Presentes), about an actress having identity issues after returning to play a character that gets under her skin just as she faces a relationship crisis. ABACUS: TOO SMALL TO JAIL will screen as part of DIFF’s Documentary Showcase, and marks the fourth of James’s films to be a part of the festival. THE PRESENT ONES is part of DIFF’s Latino Cinema Showcase.

Once again, the Dallas Film Society has teamed up with DART for their successful partnership DART to DIFF. Many DIFF activities and events take place in the heart of Dallas and the partnership with DART will provide quick and convenient transportation for all festival attendees.

Online ticket sales will be available for Dallas Film Society members beginning Monday, March 13 at DallasFilm.org, and will open to the public on Thursday, March 16. The physical Prekindle Box Office will open on Thursday, March 20.

Into The WHo Knows!

The eleven official selections include:

ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL
Director: Steve James
Country: USA, Running Time: 88min
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL tells the incredible saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown, New York. Accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Abacus becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The indictment and subsequent trial forces the Sung family to defend themselves – and their bank’s legacy in the Chinatown community – over the course of a five-year legal battle.

A BAD IDEA GONE WRONG
Director: Jason Headley
Country: USA, Running Time: 85min
A BAD IDEA GONE WRONG is a comedy about two would-be thieves who accidentally arm the alarm system and have to break out of the house they just broke into. When they discover an unexpected house sitter, they suddenly have to deal with a hostage situation, double crosses, sexual tensions, and discoveries that make their difficult escape even more dubious.

BOMB CITY
Director: Jameson Brooks
Country: USA, Running Time: 93min
BOMB CITY is a gritty-drama, about the hatred and oppression of a group of punk revolutionaries in a conservative Texas town. Their ongoing battle with a rival clique leads to one of the most controversial hate crimes the U.S. has ever seen. Based on the true story of Brian Deneke.

BUSTER’S MAL HEART
Director: Sarah Adina Smith
Country: USA, Running Time: 96min
In this bold thriller spiked with dark humor, Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) is Buster, a family man whose chance encounter with a conspiracy-obsessed drifter leaves him on the run from the police and an impending event known as The Inversion.

44 PAGES
Director: Tony Shaff
Country: USA, Running Time: 97min
44 PAGES is a portrait of Highlights Magazine following the creation of the cultural phenomenon's 70th Anniversary issue, from the first editorial meeting to its arrival in homes, and introducing the quirky people who passionately produce the monthly publication for "the world's most important people,"...children. Along the way, a rich and tragic history is revealed, the state of childhood, technology, and education is explored, and the future of print media is questioned.

FRANTZ
Director: François Ozon
Country: France/Germany, Running Time: 113min
A haunting tale of love and reconciliation begins in a small town in Germany in the immediate aftermath of World War I when a young woman mourning the death of her fiancé encounters a mysterious Frenchman laying flowers on her beloved’s grave.

INTO THE WHO KNOWS!
Director: Micah Barber
Country: USA, Running Time: 72min
Ten-year old Thomas has a best friend: Felix the Fox. But his parents want him to make “real friends”, so they send him to summer camp. However, he hates it, so he and Felix make a midnight escape. Deep in the forest of the Who Knows they pursue a mythical being called the Totem, and decide to catch it.

THE LOST CITY OF Z
Director: James Gray
Country: USA, Running Time: 141min
A true-life drama, centering on British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.

THE PRESENT ONES (LOS PRESENTES)
Director: Alejandro Molina
Country: Mexico, Running Time: 90min
Ana, a former actress, gets the chance to reunite herself with Ophelia, a character she played years ago on the stage, when she met and fell for the man who is her husband now. However, at this point in her life, her marriage is facing a difficult time, tenuously kept together is their 6-year old son. By playing the character, and “becoming” Ophelia once again, and under stressful circumstances, Ana suffers a personality split which leads her to an extreme and life changing juncture, something she has never faced before.

SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Director: Matt Schrader
Country: USA, Running Time: 93min
SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY brings Hollywood's premiere composers together to give viewers a privileged look inside the musical challenges and creative secrecy of the world's most widely known music genre: the film score.

STRAD STYLE
Director: Stefan Avalos
Country: USA, Running Time: 104min
STRAD STYLE follows a backwoods dreamer from Ohio with an obsession for 'Stradivari' and all things violin, who, through the magic of social-media, convinces a famous European concert violinist that he can make a copy of the most famous and valuable violin in the world. Fighting time, poverty, and most of all - himself - Danny Houck puts everything on the line for one shot at glory.

Strad Style

ABOUT THE DALLAS FILM SOCIETY
The Dallas Film Society celebrates films and their impact on society. A 501(c)(3) non- profit organization, the Dallas Film Society recognizes and honors filmmakers for their achievements in enhancing the creative community, provides educational programs to students to develop a better understanding of the role of film in today’s world, and promotes the City of Dallas and its commitment to the art of filmmaking. The annual Dallas International Film Festival is a presentation of the Dallas Film Society and has been named by Movie Maker Magazine as one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.” In addition to producing one of the largest festivals in the Southwest, the Society produces numerous year round events, film screening series and programs in partnership with arts organizations around the city. The offices of the Dallas Film Society are located at 110 Leslie Street, Suite 200, Dallas, TX 75207. For more information about the Dallas Film Society and its ongoing events, visit www.dallasfilm.org or call (214) 720-0555.

Buster's Mal Heart

ALONE IN BERLIN (2016)

Fictionalized account of the lives of Otto and Elise Hampel who decided in the wake of losing their son on a battlefield in France and the endless persecution of a Jewish neighbor that Hitler had to go. They quietly revolt by leaving anti Nazi postcards around Berlin. The cards are turned in and police begin to search for the people behind it.

Beautifully acted film about the quiet desperation some feel in the face of tyranny. This is exactly the sort of film that you'll want to sit down and watch on a rainy afternoon and go somewhere else for a while. Brendan Gleeson and Emma Thompson are wonderful as the subversives giving some of their best and most restrained performances. You truly feel for them.

What would be a solid little historical film takes on all sorts of new resonances thanks to the current political situation in America. Say what you will the films message that we all must stand up and fight, if even in a small way is one that will not sit well with the current administration in Washington.  There is something about the march of life that often changes how we look at art. I say this because if I had seen this film early in 2016 when it played in Europe I would have reacted differently. It is thanks to the current political situation that the film moves for a a film that is very good should see to an excellent must see.

Currently available from IFC Films via VOD

Nightcap 2/12/17 The Oxford Film Festival and FIlm Comment Selects both start this week, picture problems and the Oscar Animated Shorts

The Oxford Film Festival opens this week in Oxford Mississippi and if you can you must go. The festival is just good people, good films and great food. I have been interacting with the festival for the last two years and I have had a blast each time.

After last year I had been planning on attending this year however because of some things going on in the day job I was unable to attended.

As this posts I’m still working on coverage. Look for some reviews of some films over the course of the festival. If you need a pointer as to what to see try anything thing. Whatever they schedule is worth trying. However I highly recommend their short collections. Beautifully curated groupings of films will deepen your love of the form and make you wonder why more festivals don’t do shorts like this.

If you can get to Oxford I highly recommend you go.

Here are links to some films we’ve previously reviewed
FOLK HERO AND THE FUNNY GUY
SWIM TEAM
TWO TRAINS RUNNING
GUN CRAZY

All the details for the festival can be had here.
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As we slide toward our seventh birthday a week from Monday we'd be all excited with the upcoming Film Comment Selects. FCS was the first festival we covered, literally the second day of of our existence, and it has been something we've covered every year since. It has always been the coolest festival showing a great cross section of really great new film and some wonderful older films.

This year I'm not saying much  because I this year I have very little to say about the series. It isn't for lack of love, rather I'm not pumped up to rush to see the films largely because most of the films are getting releases later in the year so for me there isn't a big rush to see everything. The one film I most want to see, Terrence Malik's VOYAGE OF TIME, which unfortunately I have conflicting plans for so I'm going to miss it. Where in years past the festival focused on a selection of films that are difficult if not impossible to see otherwise this year its highlighting things to come.

I have already reviewed and I highly recommend HAIL MAFIA which runs next Sunday.

HARMONIUM is opening later in the year and it's a black as night film that goes from amusing family drama into the pit of hell and gets worse. I would say more but I'm embargoed until the film actually releases in June

DOGS is a good looking but brooding Romanian film about a guy who finds out his family owned land on the Ukrainian border as well as other secrets. Some great shots and a few good sequences punctuate this brooding tale that seems to think it's about more than it is. If you are a fan of brooding Romanian films give it a go.

A full review of the documentary BITTER MONEY will run closer to the film screening.

For tickets and more information please go here.
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I have to apologize for picture problems that are now occurring on some of our older post. How the art was linked up has suddenly become a problem. I will be trying to rectify the situation  until then bare with us.
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I've seen all of the Oscar nominated animated shorts and I'd like to think that none of them will win the  award.

To be honest I don't know how any of them were nominated they are all an unremarkable bunch. I suspect if I didn't indulge in shorts all year long and have festivals like the New York Children's FIlm Festival mainlining me great stuff I could understand the choices, but frankly while I like them all I don't like any of them enough to actually discuss them

If I must choose either Pearl or Vaysha though I suspect Piper will actually win.
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This week lots of new releases, Oscar catch up and some festival films.
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This week a few links from Randi
Cartoon Network Promos and wedgies
Why are some people always late
Creating Jazz film scores
The short doc Saved

The Versailles Affair (1960)

The Versailles Affair is based on one of the Mr. Suzuki novels by Jean-Pierre Conty. Actually the French title of the film is Mr Suzuki and I’m guessing it was aimed at being the start of a series that never materialized.

The plot of the film has some important documents being stolen in Egypt. The documents reveal some sort of connection of the king to the oil companies. If the papers were made known they might change the course of an important political meeting being held at Versailles. They were stolen by a man whose motive is purely mercenary and operates outside of the typical channels. In order to recover the papers the authorities contact a troubleshooter named Mr Suzuki from Japan. That’s when things begin to get hairy.

Oh how the world has changed in the 55 years since this film was made. First and foremost the role of Suzuki would not be cast by a Caucasian actor. I don’t think anyone would have a problem with the character being the smartest guy in the room, it’s just in these enlightened days you’d need a Japanese man to play him. Despite the fact that Jean Thielment plays him Suzuki as a killer character. He’s the sort of character you’d want to see in a series because he’s just so good at handling whatever is thrown his way.

The other glaring sign of when the film was made is the fact that because of the lack of connecting flights, it takes the bad guy three days to get from Egypt to France. As stated at the start it’s a several day trip because of waiting for a connection out of Bagdad. Now a days there would be a flight or two every day- probably direct. It’s the lay over that allows Suzuki to get from Japan to France a head of his prey.

The film itself is a great deal of fun. A rapidly moving mystery thriller its full of changing loyalties and sides. The only one who remains constant is Suzuki who strides through the film way above it all. He rolls with each set back and its just a great deal of fun to watch. Its so much fun that when I watched this late one night I started it a second time when I finished it at 2 am.(sleep, who needs sleep?)

A great old Euro-thriller that’s fallen between the cracks- try to find a copy-Sinister Cinema has it

Raising the curtain on MOMA's Doc Fortnight 2017 2/16-26

The Museum of Modern Art's annual Doc Fortnight starts on Thursday. The series is MOMA's annual look at documentaries that are off the beaten track and which are for worth looking for. To be honest the films tend not to be the big ones that everyone is talking about from each year but rather the films which are going to force you to think by taking the documentary form and doing something intriguing with it.

A good case in point is this year's opening film MACHINES. This must see look at life in a textile factory in India takes the observational style of documentary and turns it into something hypnotic. Its a film that grabs you in the opening minutes and drags you to the end delighting the eye as it forces you to ponder the lives of the men on the screen. Its a film that engages your heard and heart, not to mention all of your senses. Its a stunning film I managed to see a few weeks back for Sundance (my review is here) and it's one of the must see films of the series.

Our coverage this year is taking two forms- first there are some capsule reviews below for some films which didn't provoke a flood of words. This doesn't mean that they are bad rather I just didn't have much to say. Over the course of the festival we will be running several more reviews.

For those of you who will be in New York during the festival more information on the films and tickets can be had here.

SOLAR
20 years ago when he was ten Flavio Cabobianco wrote a book called I Come From The Sun which said he was a messenger from another world. The film was a huge bestseller. Now as an anniversary edition is due to be published Manuel Abramovich decides to make a film about the book and the now grown man who wrote it. However things don't go as planned and Cabobianco tries to hijack the project. Off beat documentary is unlike almost any other film you'll have seen with it's mix of focal points and narrative flow. Ten minutes in I stopped trying to take notes and just let the film wash over me, Clearly this is a one of a kind experience but I have no idea what I think about it. Definitely worth seeing.

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED
Heady mix of politics and music as rappers from Senegal ponder the politics of their home land and the resistance that started in 2011 when the president wanted to remain in power. One of the few times I've wished I had read up on a film before seeing it, this look at politics was much more heady than I expected. I got lost early and stumbled through the rest of the film very aware that I was missing way too much to full grasp what was going on. If you're well versed in the politics I recommend the film other wise proceed with caution.

IRRAWADDY MON AMOUR
Portrait of life in a small town in Myanmar where a couple chooses to be the first gay couple to get married in the country. I found it to be a nice slice of life but outside of that I really could not connect.

THE LETTERS
Beginning with three minutes of black screen with a wavering tone played over it the film begins with a quotation about the inexpressible sound that wells up from the deep. This is followed by shots of nature, people working, faces, people walking and other things as we read the the letters a man in prison wrote his daughter. Love it or lump it film that is nominally about a man sent to prison in Mexico but is in reality an exercise in pretentiousness. Is going to thrill some, bore and confuse more. Clearly wanting about to be about something it double downs on meaning to the point I lost interest when it just seemed to drone on. Its a gorgeous film that had it been less insistent that it was about something it might have been better.

Delusion (2016)

Christopher Di Nunzio's DELUSION is one of those small films you'll probably never notice. A small scale supernatural tinged drama it has no big stars, nothing flashy to direct your gaze toward it, but it is is none the less a gem of a film that deserves your attention.

Three years on a man named Frank gets a letter from his dead wife telling him that even though she is gone she will always be around. Not sure of where the letter came from he still feels some closure and begins to move on. Meeting a woman he begins a relationship. However things begin to go weird when a visit to a fortune teller and an encounter with a strange man send him spinning.

A  film noir-esque little film DELUSION  is a solid little tale that is something you are going to want to check out. Nominally the story of a man trying to put his life together again , writer director Di Nunzio has cleverly colored the film with a nice helping of the supernatural. Its an intriguing choice in what is essentially a film noir or personal drama since it keeps us from thinking we know where the film is going.  While you may get part of it but odds are you aren't going to get it all - which is nice. Too often filmmakers of low budget films don't put enough effort into the script, they would rather show us flashy visuals , which are nice but don't mean a lot when you don't care about the characters. Di Nunzio cares about the characters enough to give them a enough life that you forget the budget and go along with the story- we want to know where this is going because we areinvested in the people on screen.

Credit too, the cast which includes David Graziano, Jami Tennille and Justin Thibault. The group of veteran thespians sell the story by making all of the characters seem real. That's no small achievement since more often than not similarly budgeted films are full of people who either can't act or don't take the film seriously. That Di Nunzio has brought together a cast that not only can act but cares is a rarity and should be applauded.

As I said above DELUSION is a small gem of a film that will will fill an evenings entertainment nicely for anyone who wants to go off Hollywood into the truly independent arena of filmmaking. It also marks Christopher Di Nunzio as a filmmaker to watch.

Recommended.

DELUSION has been released by Cinema Epoch and is now available to buy or rent in the US, Canada & UK at Amazon. Free with Prime.