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SXSW 2012
March 19, 2012
Designer Justin Cox talks winning SXSW Film poster
San Antonio native Cox, a University of Texas graduate, got the gig through the film’s producer, Hannah Fidell. The poster features a photo from the film’s director and Dirty Projector’s drummer Brian Mcomber. Though he said he had several ideas for illustrative options, Cox said the photo “was just too good to not use as the main focus.”
“My main objective was to make sure the typesetting was visually appealing and well placed, but clean and concise enough to not take away from the photograph,” Cox said. “Hearing that we won was a pleasant surprise and ultimately it will serve as a personal reminder to myself to step away from illustration-based design every so often. I studio with two incredibly talented commercial photographers (Jay B Sauceda and Casey Dunn) and I’m hoping this will push me to collaborate on projects with them more often.”
Other local winners at the SXSW Film awards included Richard Linklater’s “Bernie,” which won the “Louis Black Lone Star Award,” and Andrew Garrison’s “Trash Dance.” Garrison’s documentary, which followed Austin choreographer Alison Orr’s dance production involving sanitation workers, won “special jury recognition.”
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March 17, 2012
'Big Easy' closes SXSW on crowd-pleasing note
Hundreds of fans lined up more than an hour before the 4 p.m. screening to catch the documentary that followed Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and Old Crow Medicine Show on a train from the Bay Area to New Orleans. Fans of the bands had packed the grand, old theatre to the rafters by the time to the film started.
A long tracking shot introduces the audience to the three bands jamming in separate cars, as the silver California Zephyr train cruises through the western part of the United States. Rolling hills and flat prairies seen through train windows flip by like Instagram photos in an album. The bands decided to join forces on the train, we are told in voiceover, in order to reconnect with the land and each other, to lift themselves back into the magic of a simpler time. Another musician adds that it is a “tour of dreams.” And much of the film is shot and told in a sort of dreamlike style, the loose narrative structure hinging on the ride to New Orleans and a decent amount of concert footage. The film never probed too deeply into the reasoning behind the tour or the musicians’ inspiration or personal connection to the music they played. Instead their playing did the talking.
Shaky hand-heled cameras capture concert footage, often in black and white, as the camera unsteadily zooms in and out, panning to the audience. The concert footage often features music not synced with the slow-motion movement of crowd or musicians, giving the movie the feeling of a music video that delivers more an abstract emotional portrait of the event and less a realistic portrayal of the events.
Nonetheless, the performances — both those on stage and the many improvised jam sessions on the cramped train — are all imbued with a deep sense of joy and purpose. The audience at the Paramount Saturday responded as if they were at a concert, applauding after solos and at the end of truncated songs. Many probably were in attendance at the concert held in East Austin, as evidenced by the approving and nostalgic cries from the audience. The highlight of the Austin show, outside of the memorable cloud-head that formed that day and ended up on countless Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, was the inclusion of the Austin High marching band. Cameras followed members of Mumford and Sons as they traveled to the school for some exercise and rehearsal with the starry-eyed high schoolers. As with all of the bands in the film and the teaming crowds at each of the sold out shows, the Austin High students and members of Mumford and Sons formed an immediate and unspoken bond around their one common love - music.
Following the screening, Malloy and members of each of the three bands briefly took part in a Q&A before the bands took the stage for a 45-minute concert on the Paramount stage. With their biggest hits having appeared in the film, Marcus Mumford decided to open the set with plaintive new tune, “Where Are You Now?” Members of Old Crow Medicine Show and the massive Magnetic Zeroes crew joined for a few group tunes, before ceding the stage to Edward Sharpe’s band. All of the musicians convened to close the evening with a raucous sing-along to “This Train” before the doors opened and the audience streamed out into the street for — what else? — more music.
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More SXSW audience winners
SXSW this morning announced these additional audience award winners.
DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
Winner: “Brooklyn Castle”
Director: Katie Dellamaggiore
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
Winner: “Fat Kid Rules the World”
Director: Matthew Lillard
EMERGING VISIONS
Winner: “Low & Clear”
Directors: Kahlil Hudson & Tyler Hughen
MIDNIGHTERS
Winner: “Citadel”
Director: Ciaran Foy
24 BEATS PER SECOND
Winner: “Under African Skies”
Director: Joe Berlinger
SXGLOBAL
Winner: “Her Master’s Voice”
Director: Nina Conti
FESTIVAL FAVORITES
Winner: “Chasing Ice”
Director: Jeff Orlowski
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Matt Sorum and director Hans Fjellestad discuss 'Sunset Strip' at world premiere
Sorum said he personally did not have much interest in rehashing the besotted 80s on The Strip, a period which he lived through. Instead, much of the fascinating film focuses on the rich 8-year history of the 1.5-mile stretch of road made famous by people like Jim Morrison and venues like the Whisky-a-Go-Go.
Archival footage (a Johnny Cash clip is a real eye-opened), rare photos of stars like Marilyn Monroe and Sammy Davis Jr. and testimonials from those who considered the Strip a second home recount the glory days of the cultural epicenter, from the wild nights at The Garden of Allah, Hollywood’s first landmark of debauchery, to the involvement f organized crime and the brief and troubled run of the Viper Room.
“The Sunset Strip had this intersection of rich history - not just music, but poetry and film and comedy. So it kind of expanded some of the themes we’d been working with on other films, so it was a really good match,” Fjellestad said of the movie. “It realy was this 100-year history … There was a rock-and-roll kind of energy before there was rock-and-roll.”
The director of said there are other streets and places in the world - Bourbon Street, the Champs Elysses, Fifth Avenue - that have a special meaning in world culture, but the rich concentration of this mystical bit of road in Hollywood stands apart as a singular place in world culture.
Sorum told me at the film’s after-party that he would be one of seven members of Guns N’ Roses receiving induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April. Sorum will join keyboardist Dizzy Reed, along with the five original members of the legendary rock band. The drummer, who has played with bands such as The Cult and Velvet Revolver, said he will soon embark on a South American tour with his Rock N’ Roll All-Stars, a supergroup that includes Gene Simmons (KISS), JDuff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Sebastian Bach and more.
“Sunset Strip” plays again today at 4p.m. at the Vimeo Theater.
Photos: Top, Matt Sorum. Below: Producer Gabriella Gross (left) and director Hans Fjellestad
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March 16, 2012
Jack Black, Man of the People, professes love for Austin
As “Austin City Limits” associate producer Emily Joyce noted the other day on Twitter, “Austinites: please quit fishing for compliments about Austin during panel Q&A sessions. It’s embarrassing.”
So I felt a slight twinge of guilt when I steered the end of conversation with Jack Black toward Austin. But Black, in town to promote Richard Linklater’s hilarious new “Bernie,” has spent a good deal of time here — filming, playing music, attending several of our festivals — so I was curious about his relationship with the city after all these years.
“I was walking the streets last night, because i couldn’t sleep because I had jet lag,” Black said. And just remembering how much I love it here, walking up and down Congress from the capitol building to Magnolia (Cafe). Everybody was having so much fun … and the shops and the people … I definitely could imagine not only living here but feeling like I should be living here … This is so much better than L.A. It’s so one of the grooviest towns that I’ve visited in my travels around this country.”
True to his word, we spotted Black walking down Congress Avenue again the next day. Black performed with his band, Tenacious D, Thursday night in Austin.
Look for more from our talk with Black when “Bernie” is released later this spring. And, Emily, hope we didn’t break the rules.
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Capsule review: 'Gimme the Loot'
The idea of tagging the giant apple at Shea Stadium (and now Citi Field) has existed as something of a pinnacle artistic stunt in the graffiti world. Malcolm thinks he has found a way to get access to the field, but it requires $500. In order to come up with the cash, the pair hustles to sling some stolen marijuana and potentially rob a spoiled Manhattanite, relying on the “help” of
As the clock ticks, the two realize they may be have gotten in over their heads. But even as their plan frays, the two find their bond tightening. Realistic dialogue from writer-director Adam Leon vacillates between caustic and humorous and the pair’s 48-hour adventures thumps and whirs with the pulse of New York City. Hickson captures the awkward courage and pride of a wanna-be-self-reliant mama’s boy and Washington gives Sofia a tender heart encapsulated by a bravado that eschews any reliance on her downplayed femininity.
The movie glosses over contextualizing the graffiti scene and offers little in the way of dramatic intrigue, but “Gimme the Loot” sweetly reveals a unique and nuanced friendship that we see too little of in films about youth.
Co-producer Jamund Washington discussed the film following the screening. He said production hit a serious snag early on, but the cast and crew continued undaunted. He credited the film’s perseverance and palpable sense of collaboration to “a small group of really talented people who enjoyed being around each other, and I think it shows on screen.” Looking nothing like her tomboyish character on screen, Tashiana Washington took the stage in cowboy hat and boots. The beautiful young actress, of whom we will likely see much more in the years to come, beat out over 700 actresses for the role of Sofia. Washington credits the believability and honesty of the characters to a month of rehearsals before shooting.
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March 15, 2012
The Big Star event
The South by Southwest Film Festival saved one of its best events for the end of the week Thursday night: a screening of the unfinished documentary, “Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me.”
The film about one of the most critically acclaimed rock bands ever — and also one of the least commerically successfull bands ever — played to a packed house at the Paramount, and was followed by an all-star performance of the band’s album “Third.”
Kelly West AMERICAN-STATESMAN
The screening, of course, was bittersweet because of the death of lead singer Alex Chilton, who died shortly before his band was scheduled to perform a reunion show a couple of years ago at SXSW. The documentary traces the early days of Chilton, who started as a teenager with the Box Tops before helping found Big Star with Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel in 1971.
Much of the film deals with the difficulties that the artists faced as they tried to promote their records. They recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis and eventually became a subsidiary of Stax Records, but they rarely got any radio airtime — and even fewer listeners.
Still, rock critics, who were a fledgling, unorganized bunch at the time, were beginning to appreciate the artistry of Big Star, even if the general public wasn’t. And over time, Big Star has become to be considered one of the most influential bands of all time. As you might expect, many oldtime rock critics weigh in on the Big Star legacy.
The band’s “#1 Record” in 1972 was followed by “Radio City” in 1974. But Bell, who was struggling with issues of faith as well as sexuality, left the group. He then recorded an album that was released posthumously, called “I Am the Cosmos,” and the film examines how Bell played a key role in influencing the creative aspects of Big Star.
The documentary ends with Chilton’s death and the staging of a tribute concert at Antone’s. Currently, the film does not feature performances from that tribute — and it’s not clear whether the finished version will, either. Perhaps not. But what was screened Thursday provides an excellent commentary on the band and its music.
The film’s producer, Danielle McCarthy, chatted with American-Statesman after the screening and said the project has been a labor of love for the past four years and that she was pleased to be showing it at SXSW. She has been a longtime fan of Big Star, and helped get the movie under way. It was directed by Drew DeNicola.
The concert on Thursday night was a complete rendition of the seminal album “Third.” It featured original member Stephens on drums, with Peter Buck of REM on electric bass and Jeff Crawford on acoustic bass, with Mitch Easter and Chris Stamey on guitars.
Vocalists included Jon Auer of The Posies, Peter Case, The Dunwells, Skylar Guydasz, Bret Harris and Django Haskins (The Old Ceremony).
Also on hand were Lucero, Matt McMichaels of The Mayflies USA, Ari Picker of Lost in the Trees, Pat Sansone of Wilco, Star & Micey, Tommy Stinson of The Replacements, Ken Stringfellow of The Posies and M. Ward.
Lots of other people also joined the stage on piano, accordion, strings, brass and winds.
The after-screening concert was presented by GSD&M, the Austin advertising agency.
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Capsule review: 'Shut Up and Play the Hits'
But it was never what Murphy envisioned for his band. As he puts it in “Shut Up and Play the Hits,” he wanted to make a record. But the record gave birth to a live show and tour. Almost a decade later, Murphy decided he had had enough. In February 2011, the band announced that it would be playing its final show on April 2 at Madison Square Garden.
“Shut Up and Play the Hits” documents the last hurrah at MSG and follows Murphy in the hours leading up to and immediately following the final gig. Directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern’s intimate portrait offers a look at the artist as a self-conscious and vulnerable human being and also delivers the pulse, power and vitality of a live show from the electronic dance rockers.
The movie opens in the minutes following the show, the music still ringing in the ears as a shaky camera wanders amidst the detritus of spent euphoria like someone who has just hit their head on the ground. The poetic scene perfectly captures the mood following a concert and hints at the confusion behind the band’s retirement.
Away from the maddening crowd, Murphy wakes up in his flat alone, and the camera follows the 41-year-old rock star walking the streets like a civilian, comforting himself with his French bulldog. Cameras are set up strategically to catch Murphy from a voyeuristic distance and the tone of the film off-stage often feels like that of a narrative feature.
An interview with writer Chuck Klosterman digs into the psychological reasons behind Murphy’s decision - he wants a life outside of a band he never imagined having - and provide an emotional context for the 48-hour period. Was Murphy scared of the responsibility and expectations of success? Was it simply time? What if termination is the wrong choice? A vulnerable and thoughtful Murphy contemplates all of these questions as he is pulled toward the end of this part of his career.
Fans of the band will be thrilled with over a half dozen performances of entire songs from the night at MSG. The numerous cameras hide in between musicians like extra members of the band, taking the audience on a stage that is made to feel small and personal. Then the cameras pull back to show the massive crowd, the teaming energy and the almost religious like experience of some in the audience. The sound at the Stateside for the SXSW screening was incredibly powerful and felt like being in the front row at MSG or even on stage. Every slap of a closed hi-hat is heard clearly and you can feel the bass rumble inside you. The movie also serves as a nice point of entry for those not hugely familiar with the band’s work.
Other members of LCD Soundsystem are not heard from much, but it doesn’t take many words to feel the complexity of emotion at play when one sees the expressive face of guitarist Al Doyle or the deep, sensitive eyes of keyboardist Nancy Whang.
At almost two hours, the film runs a little long and, outside of members of Arcade Fire showing up to perform out for free, there is not much context given to LCD’s important place in the music world. For the thousands dancing wildly in the stands at MSG and those at the Stateside Theatre applauding at the end of the live performance numbers, no explanation is needed.
“Shut Up and Play the Hits” is a sensitive, beautifully filmed story about fame and fear, ambition and love.
“If it’s a funeral, let’s have the best funeral ever,” the words read at the beginning of the film. It would be hard to imagine a documentary capturing a similar ethos any better than Lovelace and Southern’s film.
“Shut Up and Play the Hits” screens again at 11 a.m. Friday at the Vimeo Theatre.
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March 14, 2012
SXSW scene report: Tim Kerr posts his thoughts on the Bad Brains movie
As you might imagine, former Big Boys guitarist Tim Kerr has some thoughts on “Bad Brains: Band in CD’ reviewed here.
“Bad Brains: Band in DC” screens 4:45 p.m. today at the Vimeo Theatre, 9:15 p.m. Friday at Alamo Ritz 1 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Village.
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A brief thank you to "Gayby"
We could praise Jonathan Lisecki’s comedy “Gayby” for its quippy script (as strong as anything at the festival, actually) or its spot-on casting.
We could praise it for its solid, DIY direction and strong performances, especially from lead actress Jenn Harris and from Lisecki, who gave himself a whole mess of great lines in a supporting role.
We could praise it for a sweet storyline about a straight, single woman in her 30s who decides to have a baby — the old fashioned way — with her gay best friend.
But we will not. That will happen elsewhere.
Instead, we will praise it for two things you never, ever see represented in media: Gay comic book fans and comic book store clerks who are completely regular human beings.
The male lead, Matt (Matthew Wilkas), works at a comic book store. He is good looking, fit and gay. He likes comic books. The end.
He is not a fatbeard (see also the Simpsons’ Comic Book Guy”). He is not friendless. He does not live in his mother’s basement. He is polite to customers. He is a nice guy.
His co-worker, played by Adam Driver (who is about to become quite famous as Lena Dunham’s terrible love interest in “Girls”) is also a regular human being.
It is a wonderful antidote to AMC’s execrable TV show “Comic Book Men,” which should be ignored and cursed by anyone who cares about comics, women, the relationship between the two or retail customer service of any sort.
The comic book store is played by Time Machine, a store in Chelsea in Manhattan. It is a wonderfully old-school-looking place, stacks of long boxes all over the place, rows of movie fan magazines here and there.
It is my favorite New York comic store and it was thrilling to see it on the big screen. They even get the comics culture stuff right ( a joke about Sue Storm and Namor, Matt switching his hours to Thursday rather than new-comic-day Wednesday so he can avoid his ex).
It is not, however, Lisecki’s regular store. He told me he currently shops at Manhattan Comics after being a longtime supporter of Cosmic Comics, which is no longer around. Lisecki said cinematographer (and Austin filmmaker Clay Liford) wasn’t into Manhattan’s look, but fell in love with Time Machine’s grungy vibe (and who can blame him?).
Also, you never, ever see gay comic book fans, though they are legion. (Check out “Wonder Women,” which screens again 9:45 p.m. today at Alamo Slaughter and 4: 30 p.m. Friday at Alamo Ritz, for some thoughts from gay comics fans.)
As Lisecki said during the Q and A, “X-Men is totally about homophobia” and “the folks at my comic store are so accepting of how super-gay I am sometimes…I respect [comics culture] for life.”
Nice job, everyone.
(Additional screening: 5 p.m. Thursday at the Stateside Theatre)
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SXSW announces award winners
Two stories about two different generations of artists won the South by Southwest jury awards this week. Jay Bulger’s “Beware of Mr. Baker,” an examination of the life and work of former Cream drummer Ginger Baker, won the best documentary feature award from the jury. “Gimme the Loot,” which follows two modern-day New York City adolescents looking to make a name for themselves as graffiti artists, took home best narrative feature honors.
The jury also gave ‘special recognition’ to Jamie Chung’s “Eden,” Besedka Johnson’s “Starlet” and Nico Stone’s “Booster.”
Audience awards went to documentary “Bay of All Saints,” Annie Eastman’s documentary about a displaced group of impoverished Brazilian residents, and Megan Griffith’s “Eden,” a fictional portrayal of the disturbing practice of human trafficking.
Richard Linklater’s “Bernie,” the darkly comic tale of a funeral home director and an eccentric widow, earned the “Louis Black Lone Star Award” and Andrew Garrison’s documentary, “Trash Dance,” which followed Austin choreographer Alison Orr’s dance production involving sanitation workers, won “special jury recognition.”
“Gimme the Loot” screens again Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Stateside Theatre, Friday at 5 p.m. at Alamo Village and 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Slaughter. “Beware of Mr. Baker” screens Friday at 4 p.m. at the Paramount Theare and 7:30 p.m. at Alamo Village, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Alamo Slaughter.
See the rest of the winners after the jump.
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March 13, 2012
Capsule review: 'Casa de mi Padre'
“Casa de mi Padre” picks up on that ethos, spoofing with a straight face telenovellas, spaghetti westerns and bad Mexican 80s cinema.
With squinted eyes and a drawn mouth, Ferrell’s Armando Alvarez bears a slight resemblance to Ferrell’s W, and he is about as thick-headed, though much more lovable. Something of an overgrown child, Armando lives on his family’s ranch in Mexico. But the Alvarez patriarch’s massive debts threaten the tranquil ranch life Armando hold so dear. We learn all of this through some intentionally campy and overwrought exposition that paints Armando as a helpless but well-intentioned mama’s boy.
But Armando’s love of the land and his romantic notions of pastoral life are not enough to protect his family’s property from evil drug lord, Onza, played with relish by Gael Garcia Bernal (“The Motorcycle Diaries”). Armando’s younger brother, Raul, all bluster and false bravado with a hilarious beard that looks like it was ripped from the face of a 1970s-era Oakland Raider, arrives on the scene to help straighten the family’s affairs. In tow is his fiancée, Sonia (the mesmerizingly beautiful Genesis Rodriguez, star of telenovella “Prisionera”). The alluring brunette draws the attention of clumsy virgin Armando, who soon finds himself ensnared in a dangerous and ridiculous battle that threatens his family’s legacy and the lives of everyone he loves.
Shot entirely on film, “Casa de mi Padre,” has the look and feel of an old movie that you may find on a flickering TV channel at the far reaches of the dial. Cheap sets, burned film with choppy edits and a melodramatic score reinforce the tone. While the film obviously exists to draw laughs, the narrative structure holds surprisingly well, as we follow the unfolding of the family saga. With its storyline of Mexican cartels and bumbling U.S. government agents, “Casa” even delivers a little social commentary, with cartel members scoffing at the United States as a nation of babies that blames all of its drug-related societal ills on Mexico.
Writer Andrew Steele and director Matt Piedmont both wrote for Ferrell on “Saturday Night Live,” so they have a strong understanding of his strengths, and the blend of sincerity and absurdity feel like classic Ferrell, even in a foreign language. About that: yes, the entire movie is in Spanish, with the exception of a cameo by Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”). Ferrell delivers his lines with credibility, his humorous tone somehow transcending language. Bernal and Luna, two of cinema’s best young actors, play their roles straight, never breaking despite the ridiculous tropes they ape.
“Casa de mi Padre” is not a one-note “SNL” sketch. It’s more of a Mariachi band backed by a spaghetti western whistle. But those horns can wear thin in short order, so it was wise that the filmmakers kept this endearing comic oddity to a brisk 80 minutes.
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Capsule review: 'Somebody Up There Likes Me'
The film follows Max (Keith Poulson) over a 35-year stretch of his life. But Max never actually ages in appearance. His experiences never really seem to change much, either. Same with his expression. His is a look and comportment of resignation, as if why should he try and be a better friend, a more attentive spouse or father or a more moral person. We all end up being who we are and for us to try and act counter to our instincts during our rush to death is simply a fool’s errand and time ill spent. What, exactly, then provides joy in this world is hard to tell, outside of the fact that we all seem to be going through it together. Misery is a dish best enjoyed with others. Oooh, this tastes terrible … taste it.
We first meet Max as a disinterested (he rarely registers interest) waiter at a steakhouse (Austinites will recognize Perry’s on Seventh Street) who spends much of his shift engaging in conversation with his cynical friend and co-worker Sal (Nick Offerman). Despite both of their skeptical attitudes toward love, they each fall over time for the adorable Lyla (Jess Weixler). Marriages and divorces ensue, as to problems in their respective relationships that reveal each’s deeper character.
The film moves at a languid pace, made palatable by the breaking of the stories into vignettes, and the amazingly tempered yet heartfelt performances from the three leads fits the mood perfectly. Laughter keeps the film from straying into the sadness that comes when one ponders why maintaining relationships at any level can be such a challenge.
At times almost feels like Byington is baiting the audience: Those cute little animated clouds used in between some sequences give a sense of temporariness but just as likely they are send-ups of quirky indie film devices. Another quirk is the film’s enjoyable wordplay. Characters constantly fail to understand each other, and the gaps in language serve as ironic comedy but also seem to symbolize how much trouble we have communicating with one another. The biggest piece of ambiguity, however, is a mystical blue suitcase that makes appearances throughout the movie. Does it represent our dreams? The escape offered by true knowledge? Or is it an amorphous and subjective leitmotif that says as much about the viewer as the suitcase’s contents? Byington won’t say, and he probably doesn’t care what we think.
“Somebody Up There Likes Me” is a poignant and at times trying work of personal art that will likely mean many things to many people.
(“Somebody Up There Likes Me” screens again at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Alamo Village.)
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Ziggy Marley discusses 'Marley'
“There have been a lot of things already made about him, but we wanted this to be definitive,” Ziggy Marley said Monday. “And one way of doing that was by actually having the family involved and having people who knew Bob personally - the closest people to Bob - being in the film and trying to show Bob beyond the legend of what he is and have some sort of emotional value to the film. We wanted it to be something people could feel.”
We will have more from our conversation with Ziggy and his half-sister, Karen, when “Marley” is released in Austin on April 20.
(“Marley” screens at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Alamo Village and 10 p.m. Friday at the Paramount Theatre.)
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Capsule review: "Bad Brains: Band in DC"
Thirty seconds of vintage footage will remind you: Bad Brains may have been the most powerful live rock band of their generation, let alone in the hardcore punk they pioneered.
The fact that they were four African-Americans who could actually play their instruments working in an otherwise lily-white genre of folks who couldn’t makes their story that much more complicated and fascinating.
This documentary hits all the high points, including a distasteful episode in Austin that haunted their careers, their singer H.R.’s amazing vocal performance from jail, and the fact that the guitarist now works at an organic grocery store in update New York. Yes, punk, you can buy ethical produce from Dr. Know.
The story starts in southeast Washington, D.C. when four funk and jazz fusion nerds in their late teens and early 20s (Stanley Clark, Chick Corea, Return to Forever) discover punk rock. Paul “H.R.” on vocals, Gary “Dr. Know” Miller on guitar, Darryl Jenifer on bass, and Earl Hudson on drums.
They already had the chops, so their hardcore was faster and (most importantly) syncopated where other bands sounded fast but dunderheaded. As Daryl Jennifer puts it, “We were gonna play faster and more technical than the Ramones and be more chaotic that the Damned.” (Check out the way Jennifer’s syncopated bass opens “Pay to Cum,” — no wonder they sounded like a runaway train.)
And H.R. was a staggering frontman, hurling himself around the stage, leaping into the crowd, able to execute a standing backflip. As Rollins puts it, “HR and Iggy Pop are the two most charismatic, ‘I wanna be that dude’ frontmen I have ever seen.”
A trip to a Bob Marley concert turned them into Rastas, they got into reggae (which introduced a singular pacing to their shows) and split for New York, and cut “Bad Brains,” (aka the ROIR tape), one of the greatest rock albums of all time. (Seriously, if you have never heard it, go buy it right now. NOW.)
But they are also hard to fully support. The band’s reputation for homophobia was built on a depressing moment in Austin involving the Big Boys, a story that spread like wildfire at the time. Jenifer says he thinks it was a race-based beef, but it’s hard to deny. (There’s no discussion of the unfortunate lyrics on the album “Quickness,” but nevermind.)
And they were exhausting to manage, especially H.R.,whose erratic behavior caused the band to break up and reform over and over again. Much of the movie is dedicated to a 2007/2008 tour, one that came to Austin and was, well, not very good, not because of anything musical, but because H.R. kind of stood there the whole time.
But it’s wonderful to see, for example, Dr. Know’s mother, amazing to see so much archival footage and riveting when things go wrong. It’s the story of four guys who have known each other forever, who changed the world and then kept going. (For those looking for the music, start with Bad Brains and “I Against I,” then “Black Dots” and “Rock for Light.”)
(Additional screenings: 4:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Vimeo Theatre, 9:15 p.m. Friday at Alamo Ritz 1 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Village)
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Scene report: '21 Jump Street' premiere
A packed Paramount Theatre rocked with laughter last night as an extremely appreciative audience welcomed the “21 Jump Street” movie.
Stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, who waited for SXSW to watch their movie with an audience for the first time, gave the crowd some love during the raucous post-screening Q&A. “No matter what happens with the movie when it goes out into the world this week,” Hill said, “we’ll always have this night.”
Thao Nguyen FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN | See more photos from the red carpet.
The movie, which features Hill and Tatum as two bumbling police officers who go undercover in a high school to bust a drug ring, is a very loose “remake” of the 1980s television show starring Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise. Featuring none of the show’s Afterschool Special-style sincerity, and rated a very deserved R, the film contains some very funny drug sequences, copious and creative cursing, and a wild party scene.
A surprise cameo appearance embedded in the film’s final action sequence brought the crowd to a frenzy of whoops and cheers.
Hill, who plays Schmidt, a nerd whose return to high school brings him unexpected popularity, is funny as always. But Tatum, whose character Jenko is a high school jock who finds himself unpopular in his undercover identity, is amazing. Anybody who has watched Tatum in one of the dance movies that jumpstarted his career (see: “Step Up”) knows that he’s got a kinetic, appealing physicality, and this quality works extremely well in this action-comedy. He’s also a likeable screen presence, poking fun at his own image as a handsome lughead.
Asked by an audience member during the Q&A about his departure from the romantic leads that have been his bread and butter for the past couple of years, Tatum deadpanned, “Well, this is a bromance.” We hope that he gets more work in the comedy direction in the future.
Hill told us earlier in the afternoon that he got the call that started this project five years ago to the week, when he was in Austin promoting “Knocked Up,” so the SXSW premiere of “Jump Street” just felt right. Noting that he planned to visit Waterloo Records before the premiere (and mourning the loss of Waterloo Video—RIP!) Hill praised Austin’s friendliness and film-savvy. Last night at the Paramount, Austin showed him how right he was.
Look for more from our conversation with Hill and Tatum in the Statesman this week.
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Tugg.com presents SXSW buzz screenings
We told you last month about new service Tugg, which allows film lovers to choose which movies they want to have screened at local theaters.
Tugg.com has launched and one of their first ventures is letting audiences know about which films are garnering buzz at SXSW. Today they announced the first seven of 9 buzz screenings. See the list below.
Tugg’s board of advisors includes Terrence Malick, director of Smithville-filmed “Tree of Life,” as well as actor Ben Affleck and filmmaker Richard Linklater, co-founder of the Austin Film Society.
Tuesday, March 13
“Charles Bradley: Soul of America,” 11 a.m. at Stateside Theatre (our review)
“Tchoupitoulas,” 2 p.m. at Violet Crown
Wednesday, March 14
“King Kelly,” 4 p.m. at Violet Crown
“Wonder Women: The Untold Story of American Superheroines,” 9:45 p.m. at Alamo Slaughter
“Electrick Children,” 10:00 p.m. at Violet Crown
“God Bless America,” 9:45 p.m. at Alamo South
Thursday, March 15
“Beauty is Embarrassing,” 1:30 p.m. at Vimeo Theater
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March 12, 2012
SXSW capsule review: Eden
“Eden”’s source material is a true—and truly horrible—story: in 1994, New Mexican teenager Hyun Jae snuck out to a bar with her friend, and struck up a conversation with a handsome young man who told her he was a firefighter. Charmed, she went on a ride with him, and ended up in the trunk of a car, in the hands of a shady group of men who held her as a sex slave for two years.
Director Megan Griffiths handles this material well, rarely showing the moments in which Hyun Jae must service the sex ring’s customers, and focusing instead on the relationships Hyun Jae creates with a fellow prostitute and with the drug-addicted handler who brings the girls to their appointments with the johns.
Hyun Jae slowly ingratiates herself with her captors, taking on office work and answering their phones in an effort to save herself from danger when it’s discovered that she’s “too old” for the customers. Is Hyun Jae losing herself through this collaboration? Toward the end of the movie, the question becomes an urgent one.
The actress Jamie Chung, who plays Hyun Jae, got her start on “Real World: San Diego,” and has since had parts in “Sucker Punch” and “The Hangover Part II” (as Ed Helms’ fiancé). Her Hyun Jae displays reserves of strength and mettle; as the narrative progresses, and the extent of her captors’ evil becomes clearer, Hyun Jae’s resolve grows. The story is a twisted coming-of-age tale, with a complex protagonist at its center.
“Eden” screens again on Thursday at 3:30 at the Alamo Ritz 1.
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Nick Offerman regales SXSW audience with a tune
Director Bob Byington chose not to take the stage to introduce his latest, “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” Sunday night at Stateside at the Paramount. In his place was Nick Offerman (best known as Ron Swanson from “Parks and Recreation”), who took to the mic a bit confused. He apparently thought he was performing at SXSW Music.
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SXSW capsule review: 'Chasing Ice'
A documentary about climate change that’s beautiful and moving, “Chasing Ice” follows photographer James Balog as he documents receding glaciers in remote locations. Balog’s project, Extreme Ice Survey, places cameras equipped with time-lapse technology in some very camera-unfriendly places, leaves them there for half a year, then retrieves the cameras and stitches the resulting frames together, making an accurate and terrifying picture of the shrinking ice.
Balog, a former skeptic about climate change, is now on fire to show the public the truth; he is so dedicated to this project that he makes some dubious personal choices, such as traipsing into the wilderness on a recently repaired knee. The camaraderie between Balog and his team of assistants and engineers makes for a friendly backdrop to the real star of the show: the images of ice, in all of its permutations.
In a few instances, the crew catches film of a glacier calving (splitting and releasing a giant iceberg). These moments are both sublimely beautiful and horrifying in their meaning.
The film does include some “Inconvenient Truth”-style charts and graphs, conveying the changing climate, but the shrinking and splitting glaciers are the real star of the show.
As filmmaker Jeff Orlowski confirmed at the Q&A after the film’s screening on Sunday evening at the Alamo Village, the movie has been picked up by Oscilloscope, which recently distributed such films as the acclaimed “Meek’s Cutoff” and “If a Tree Falls” (a documentary about the Earth Liberation Front). Orlowski added that “Chasing Ice” will also see play on TV, via the National Geographic Channel.
“Chasing Ice” screens again on Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Alamo Slaughter, and on Friday at 4 p.m. at the Vimeo Theater.
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Capsule review: 'The Source'
In 1969, a charismatic, 6-foot 4-inch health food restaurant magnate, martial arts expert and World War II vet named Jim Baker opened the vegetarian (and amazingly successful) Source Restaurant in Los Angeles.
Over the next few years, Baker reinvented himself as Father Yod or YaHoWa, spiritual leader to a handful, then dozens, then about 140 followers over the next six years, taking in the flower children who felt alienated from their parents, teaching them meditation, healthy eating and, well, how to worship him, more or less.
Eventually, he amassed 14 wives, got into Crowlian magic, fronted a world-beatingly weird psychedelic rock band called Ya Ho Wa 13 that released its own records and died in a hang-gliding accident (that may have been suicidal) in 1975. The cult (OK, family) dissolved in 1977. “The Source” is his story and the story of his followers.
Co-director Jodi Wille has previously collaborated with former Source member Isis Aquarian on an excellent history of the group, while co-director Maria Demopoulos was previously known for television commercials; this is her first feature film. It’s a terrific combination: The filmmakers received access to the group’s amazing film, audio and photographic archive, while “The Source” benefits from Demopoulos’ pro chops.
Eventually, all of it seems to go to Baker’s head, as he declares himself God and takes 13 wives (breaking his own commandment). In ‘74, the Source Family splits for Hawaii, which proves a lot less fun than hanging out in L.A. “The Source” makes a pretty good case that Baker wanted out, knowing full well his hang-gliding adventure could be his first and last flight.
An absolute must for fans of the band, “The Source” is packed with vintage music and performance footage. (It’s also a nice companion piece to “Sunset Strip,” also at SXSW, as both movies chronicle the singular cultural history of Los Angeles.)
It would have been nice to hear from more than one of the 54 children born over the course of the Source Family’s existence. Only Tau, Yod’s daughter by his fourth wife, Robin, is heard from, and then only briefly. She’s pretty sure that her mother had a pretty rough time by the end and after the cult dissolved. Nevertheless, “The Source” is a nice snapshot of a time and place that seem unfathomable now.
(Additional screenings: 11 a.m. Tuesday, Alamo South; 6:45 p.m. March 16, Alamo South)
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March 11, 2012
Capsule review: 'The Raid: Redemption'
Indonesian action film “The Raid: Redemption” may be the bloodiest and most violent movie to ever play the Paramount Theatre. Welsh director Gareth Evans’ film is a relentless martial arts kick to the stomach (and head, and throat and knees).
Iko Uwais plays Rama, a dedicated rookie cop in Jakarta who rises before dawn for ritualized praying and punching, shadow-boxing the air with purpose as his pregnant wife sleeps. The
Eager young Rama and his unit have received the call that they are to infiltrate the hi-rise fortress of legendary crime boss Tama, a merciless and diminutive dictator whose men live in fear of him. Bound by honor and duty, the police unit is committed to what seems to be a kamikaze mission. What begins as a hopeful assault soon turns increasingly futile. The compound is guarded by dozens of armed lunatics and the residents of then 15-floor compound either help the gang lord defend his property or offer support by turning a blind eye to Tama’s brutal tactics.
Armed men come flying at Rama and his team, executing police with military precision. Rama’s team must attempt to ascend each floor to Tama’s penthouse hiding place. The movie, painted in shades of concrete gray and mysterious black, feels like a hyper-realistic video game. working up levels to reach the crime boss Tama (Ray Sahetapy). Evans’ cameras swiftly follow the intense and unending action, at times seemingly defying gravity to catch the acrobatic and forceful Silat, an indigenous form of martial arts that relies on power and speed.
As Rama’s team gets picked apart, he fights on, even in the face of a double-crossing member of his team. A secondary storyline gives heart and a philosophical bent to the tale, but “The Raid” is not a movie about what happens on the inside of man, but what he is capable of doing physically. It is a dizzying display of wonderfully choreographed and intricate violence.
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SXSW capsule review: 'Wolf' packs a punch
Writer/director Ya’Ke Smith has created a powerful drama about molestation in “Wolf,” which had its SXSW premiere Sunday night at a packed screening room at the Long Center.
In “Wolf,” Jordan Cooper stars as Carl, the boy at the center of the molestation case, and the newcomer gives a fine performance, portraying the complexities and guilt of a young man who’s struggling to understand what has happened to him.
Irma P. Hall, a longtime bright light of Texas acting who appeared in the Coen brothers’ “The Ladykillers,” gives a no-nonsense grounding to the film as Carl’s grandmother. She steals the show, effortlessly.
And Eugene Lee is both sympathetic and horrifying as the self-deluded Bishop Anderson.
The director got a warm reception before and after the screening. He grew up in San Antonio, and that’s where “Wolf” was shot. But he also had lots of friends from Austin and Dallas in the audience. He received his master’s in film at the University of Texas and teaches film at the University of Texas in Arlington.
He has dealt with the problems of young men in previous shorts. And this continues his empathetic look at the struggles of young people. “Wolf” is his first feature film.
“Wolf” screens again at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Alamo South and at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Stateside Theatre.
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Capsule review: 'Kid-Thing'
Austin filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner have created a name for themselves for their unique and quirky vision. Their latest, “Kid-Thing,” which made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and screened at the Long Center Saturday night, continues that legacy, blending heart, darkness and humor.
Ten-year-old Annie (Sydney Aguirre) lives with her dim-witted guardian Marvin, but he seems to have little concern for raising the young tomboy. Left to her own devices, with no friends or companions, Annie occupies herself by shoplifting from the local convenient store and wandering the nearby woods.
Aggravated by her lack of stimulus, Annie tests boundaries and seems on the verge of a life of delinquency. She has not been able to find human connection — her guardians (played hilariously by the Zellner brothers) completely disinterested in and unable to nurture her development. But a random encounter with a strange woman (an amusing and intimidating Susan Tyrell) in the woods changes her perspective.
Annie hears a voice coming from a hole in the ground. While she is initially content to look at the disembodied voice with the same disdain with which she holds the rest of the world, the lonely girl eventually warms to the closest thing she can find to a companion in the world.
The abandoned woman eventually appeals to a sensitivity previously unseen in the child, coaxing Annie into a confrontation with her own buried emotions.But by the time Annie begins to warm to the stranger, it may be too late to make anything of their nascent relationship.
Told from Annie’s perspective, “Kid-Thing” is a taut and unnerving exploration of the curiosities and pains of childhood. It is part coming-of-age tale and part fabulist horror. Present throughout is the Zellners’ trademark brand of subtle absurdity that keeps audiences just uneasy enough to never quite feel comfortable with where the story is heading and who or what may be in danger.
(Additional screenings: 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Paramount; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Alamo Slaughter; 7:15 p.m. March 15, Alamo South)
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Capsule review: "Paul Williams Still Alive"
“I always thought he died too young” is the first line of “Paul Williams Still Alive,” and it is spoken by the filmmaker and Paul Williams megafan, Stephen Kessler.
The problem, of course, is that Williams, one of the most successful songwriters of the 1970s, is still alive. (Death is often tremendous for a musical career, but people thinking you are dead when you are not is pretty terrible for it.)
In the ’70s, Williams was a near-constant presence, especially on TV (He tried to be an actor before he was a songwriter). He and John Denver might as well have been considered honorary Muppets and Williams was a frequent flier on “The Tonight Show.”
The 80s were not kind, Williams fell into substance abuse and, well,for a guy who was about as famous as famous gets in the 1970s, Williams has vanished from the cultural landscape. But he isn’t dead. He’s just not as famous anymore.
Sober for years, Williams continues to gig, playing shows to adoring fans here and there, carrying his own bag, using hotel internet. (As he puts it in a gig in Canada, “Where have you been?”) His songs are still platonic examples of mopey, treacly isolated 70s songcraft and resonated with a lot of people well acquainted with those feelings.
Narrated by Kessler, “Still Alive” is unflinching, sweet and often very funny, as much about Kessler and his struggles making the movie as it is about Williams.
This could be annoying and boring, the kiss of death for any doc. Instead it’s sometimes hilarious, from band members who don’t want to talk to a great parody of Ken Burns to subject and filmmaker bonding over a love of squid.
And it helps that a) “Still Alive” is also packed with vintage footage that reminds you just how insane and drug-addled the ’70s were, and b) Williams is a pretty funny guy, a fellow with a decent understanding of what he was and what he is, a licensed dug and alcohol counselor with a decent understanding of the inside of his own head, whether he wants to share it or not. “Paul Williams Still Alive” is a sharply entertaining snapshot of life after fame.
(Additional screenings: 2 p.m. Tuesday at Stateside Theatre and 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Paramount Theatre )
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Jeffrey Tambor nurtures and coaxes talent at his acting workshop
The hilarious and affable Jeffrey Tambor’s acting workshop has become a favorite SXSW panel each year for many, including me.
And the session from the brilliant acting mind behind Hank Kingsley of “The Larry Sanders Show” is not just popular among actors, screenwriters and directors — all represented about equally in the packed crowd at the Convention Center. The majority of the audience was not a member of any of those three tribes, just curious film lovers. Such is the appeal of Tambor and his revealing, funny, sensitive and bold approach to dealing with actors.
Tambor’s pupils for the day were an actor I did not recognize named Matthew and actress Kate Lyn Sheil. Sheil has shown great promise already in her young career, starring in 2011 SXSW films “Green” and “Silver Bullets.”
The class consists of Tambor breaking apart an unidentified scene from a play. He asked both actors to define the scene. They identified it as a scene of conflict or confrontation, but Tambor made them find a truth in the scene by looking at it from different angles — as tragedy, comedy and romance.
The star of “Arrested Development” used his young children as touchstones for the lesson. They never back off and are not afraid of humiliation. Tambor attempted to get Matthew and Kate Lyn to access that fearlessness. He paid special attention to Sheil, a strong actress with a subtle and at times meek appearance.
Tambor made Sheil conjure the temperament and voice of her father to access a stronger voice and physicality. The work with Sheil transformed the actress and proved fascinating for the crowd as a more general lesson.
“You gotta bring your life,” Tambor said. “You gotta bring your imagination. You gotta bring your art.”
Lessons that should be taken to heart by anyone, actor or otherwise.
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Capsule review: "Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters"
Let’s get this out of the way first: Gregory Crewdson is one of the most important artists of his generation. What perhaps David Foster Wallace (both were born in 1962) has been to first-person essay writing, Crewdson has been (will be?) to photography — a revolutionary stylistic force, reshaping the medium in his own image.
“Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters” is a good (if somewhere hagiographic) look at Crewdson’s vision and process. The son of a Brooklyn psychiatrist, the former punk rock musicians is known for staged images that look more like big-budget movie stills and his ideas flew in the face of the documentary style he was taught at Yale.
“Brief Encounters” shows his visting and revisiting — and shooting and reshooting — at the same small group of town in Western Massachusetts, gritty mill towns hollowed out by vanished industry.
Crewdson recruits locals (no word on their compensation) and stages ELABORATE tableaux with huge crews and film-grade lighting. He shuts down streets, builds sets and constructs extraordinary a detailed world in every one second exposure.
Those are then fed into a computer, details from one shot amalgamated into another and printed out at enormous size. The process is a haunting combination of photography, sceneography, film, digital manipulation and being a serious control freak.
But “Brief Encounters” raises, yet does not answer, or really address, some interesting issues. Are there issues of exploitation inherent in shooting these towns (gorgeous in their decay and New England authenticity as they are)?
Crewdson’s photos can sell for $125,000 each; does any of that money reach back into the towns? Crewdson is primarily interested in the interrelationships between beauty and sadness, but it is striking when one of his models, who is being photographed with her two-week old child, is told to look sad for a test photo — this is not a melancholy woman in real life.
Then again, these photos are very intentionally not real (though they have evolved from surrealism to a sort of staged hyper-realism, like a Pinter play in a photo). And these questions are not to take away from his art, of which I have been a huge fan for years. (Though how the movie goes through 77 minutes without “Close Encounters of the Third Time,” a very important influence on his work, being mentioned, seems…odd.)
Crewdson loves and understands light and the power of a frozen image as well as anyone alive and “Brief Encounters” is a good introduction to the man and his art. But 10 or 15 more minutes of context and controversy (if there is any), would have illuminated his work all the more.
(Additional screenings: 4 p.m. Wednesday at Alamo Lamar A, 11:30- a.m. Saturday, at Vimeo, and 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Lamar B)
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'Safety Not Guaranteed' writer and director praise Austin screening
I caught up with director Colin Trevorrow and writer Derek Connolly of the touching and very funny “Safety Not Guaranteed” this morning. We will publish that interview when the movie comes out in June, but I can tell you now that the two longtime collaborators raved about Sunday evening’s screening at the Paramount. The time-traveling romantic comedy was one of the biggest hits at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, but the Austin crowd really left an impression on the two New York University alumni.
“It was amazing,” Connolly said of the crowd response. “I think that’s our best crowd experience. We’ve seen it probably 15 or 20 times with audiences now and I think that was my favorite moment, last night.”
Trevorrow added, “I’m not sure I’ll ever see it again with that level of response. They were pointing out jokes I didn’t even know existed in the movie.”
Chalk up another filmmaker being impressed by the receptive and intelligent crowds at SXSW.
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Billy Friedkin, Line 1
Director William Friedkin was unable to attend the U.S. premiere of his latest film, “Killer Joe,” but he did take the time to not only make a short video introducing the film, he also called in to participate in the Q&A with actors Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch and Gina Gershon following the screening. No small feat considering the sun had likely just started to peak its head out in Vienna, where the director is working on an opera.
The dark comedy about duplicitous rednecks was based on the script by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tracy Letts, also in attendance. Friedkin said that he and Letts share a similar worldlview and he was drawn to the bloody tale of family and malice because the story dealt with “a truth that is above and beneath the surface.”
Friedkin may have been thousands of miles away, but he did not miss a beat, responding to questions and interacting with the actors. Hearing the director of “The French Connection” mention the word Twitter is pretty bizarre, but he did bring up the social media tool when he joked that he had just seen news of his death in a tweet that came from a fest-goer.
“The Exorcist” director, who has helmed dozens of movies, offered praise for the performances and said the filming of “Killer Joe” was “easily the best experience” he has ever had making a film.
A quick worker who prefers using only one take per scene, a method discussed by the actors and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, Friedkin says he is more interested in the spontaneous reactions of actors rather than searching endlessly for perfection. The director gets too much credit, he said, and should generally just select material he or she feels comfortable with and get out of the way.
Though he could not be in town for SXSW, Friedkin, who had nice things to say about both the Paramount and Alamo Drafthouse, said he planned to return soon. Prompted by Q&A moderator Harry Knowles, Friedkin said he was soon to finish a remaster his 1977 film “The Sorcerer,” and promised to bring it to Austin first.
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Capsule review: 'Welcome to the Machine'
Avi Zev Weider’s “Welcome to the Machine,” screening in the documentary competition, will introduce thoughtful SXSWi attendees to many of the philosophical questions surrounding the development of new technologies. Weider conceived of the film after he and his wife had triplets, and he started to wonder about the omnipresence of technology in everyday life. The film has an all-star lineup of interviewees: Wired’s Kevin Kelly, futurist Ray Kurzweil, MIT’s Sherry Turkle, Yale computer scientist and Unabomber victim David Gelernter, and You Are Not A Gadget author Jaron Lanier. Interviews with these luminaries are woven together with visits to three sites where people interact with cutting-edge technologies: the home of a blind man implanted with an artificial retina and learning to see once again; a training facility where US pilots are trained in the operation of unmanned aircraft; and Weider’s own home, where his triplets develop as Weider and his wife struggle to keep their spirits up.
The documentary asks questions for which there are no answers—to what extent should we try to control the development of new technologies? How can we develop a set of personal ethics to guide our adoption of radical new tech?—but Weider’s use of his triplets as the provocation for his inquiry tips his hand as to his own commitments. We watch the triplets grow from terrifyingly small humans, tethered to the machines that keep them alive, into utterly charming babies, tumbling over one another on the floor of Weider’s home. What kind of a monster would say, in the face of such cuteness, “The way you had these kids, and the way you kept them alive, was wrong”? But these questions remain nonetheless: technology assists those who can gain access to it more than it does the poor. It’s too bad that the primary thinkers who raise questions about technology and global inequality in the film are the Unabomber and a university lecturer who co-authored a book with him; as advocates, the two leave something to be desired.
“Welcome to the Machine” screens Monday at 9:45 pm at the Alamo Lamar C, and Wednesday at 2 pm at the Violet Crown 1.
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Capsule review: 'Nature Calls'
Todd Rohal’s “Nature Calls” has all of the subtlety and maturity of a slumber party for 10 year-olds. Which is fitting because that is the jumping off point for this rough-around-the-edges juvenile tale with heart. Sadly, the heart gets lost amidst over-cussing children (and adults) and scatological humor.
Patton Oswalt’s Randy feels the proud scouting legacy of his aging father is dying along with the old man. So the earnest nerd (who seemingly has a job and life of which we are simply not aware) decides to “kidnapp” his brother Kirk’s son and friends for one last adventure to the woods, an homage to Randy and Kirk’s father.
ATM salesman Kirk, a nouveau riche idiot lacking any sensitivity, thinks a good night for his son and friends should consist of crude humor and a television viewing party complete with a dozen TVs blaring at once. So Kirk and his testosterone-addled pal played by Rob Riggle decide to track down the rogue camping party and bring them back to … what is not exactly clear?
What ensues is a scattered romp through the woods, with Knoxville and Riggle giving chase. The few bright bits of humor come from Oswalt’s sincere performance as the put-upon Randy and a few great lines from the late Patrice O’Neal. The movie relies too heavily on kid actors who do not have the timing or material to deliver silly and often crass lines you can see coming from the other side of the woods.
The film feels rushed, disjointed and unnecessary. It is most effective when it plays to its absurd strengths, but there is an unevenness in tone, and the film falls in between the space of sincerity and silliness.
(Additional screenings: 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Alamo Slaughter; 2 p.m. March 16, Stateside.)
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Capsule review: 'Jeff'
The capacious Vimeo Theater filled up on Saturday afternoon for the festival’s first screening of “Jeff,” an entry in the SXSW documentary competition. The film tells the gruesome story of Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer who murdered and dismembered seventeen people during the 1980s. Police discovered Dahmer’s apartment full of grisly trophies in Milwaukee in 1991, and the extent of his crimes (he occasionally ate parts of his victims), especially when contrasted with his mild-mannered exterior, attracted national and international media attention. Screening attendees looking for a salacious rundown of the details of the Dahmer crimes would have been disappointed, however, as Jeff approached the story from a more meditative angle. The movie asks how the ripple effects of a sensational crime such as Dahmer’s reach outward into a community, changing people’s lives and re-arranging their understanding of human nature.
The film’s three interviewees are the police detective who interrogated Dahmer and took his confession; Dahmer’s neighbor in the apartment building where he committed his crimes; and the medical examiner whose office handled the identification and processing of Dahmer’s victims. The footage from their interviews, in which they recount their memories of the discovery of the crime, share their impressions of Dahmer, and describe the media circus that followed the revelation of the apartment’s contents, gives the film its primary narrative structure.
The interviews are interspersed with fictional sequences in which an actor playing Dahmer goes on mundane errands around Milwaukee’s poorer neighborhoods: visiting a pet store to buy fish, purchasing large quantities of bleach, picking up a blue barrel (which we as viewers know that he will use to store the body parts of his victims). The fictional sequences contain no re-enactments of the actual crimes—archival footage from the time of the trial, as well as details that emerge in the interviews, do the work of filling in the blanks for the viewer—but the sight of the fictional Dahmer riding the bus, his arms wrapped around the giant blue barrel as unsuspecting fellow riders make room for him, is chilling nonetheless.
The director of “Jeff,” Milwaukee filmmaker Chris James Thompson, initially conceived of the film as a fiction feature. With the actor Andrew Swant as his Dahmer, Thompson spent time filming Swant walking around Milwaukee; the result, as he admitted at the Q&A after the screening, was a movie that he and Swant thought was awesome, but everybody else found boring. After deciding that the movie had to become a documentary, “it took me a year to work up the courage to do interviews,” Thompson said.
In the end, the interviews make the movie work: the detective, with his amazing handlebar mustache, is forthcoming about the negative effect that the investigation of the case had on his personal life; the neighbor recounts the way that the crime resonated in Milwaukee’s African-American community, where Dahmer lived and from which he drew some of his victims; and the medical examiner talks about the effect that processing such a huge case had on his small office. This approach to a true-crime documentary departs significantly from the sensational, and is all the more moving because of it.
Jeff screens again on Monday at 7:30 at the Alamo Lamar C, and on Thursday at 3:45 at the Alamo Lamar A.
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March 10, 2012
Capsule review: 'The Imposter'
Director Bart Layton intersperses re-created scenes with interviews to tell the story of a French con man who passed himself off as the missing child from San Antonio in the new documentary “The Imposter.”
It’s one of the oddest stories imaginable. Fredric Bourdin, an incorrigible 23-year-old con artist, convinces European authorities that he is the teenage Nicholas Barclay, who disappeared from his San Antonio home in 1994.
But Bourdin doesn’t look like Barclay. He doesn’t even have the same color of eyes. His hair is dark brown, not blonde. And he has a thick accent. Nevertheless, Barclay’s sister shows up to bring the imposter back home to Texas, and nearly everyone seems to accept him as the long-lost relative. Bourdin tells the family he was tortured and sexually abused and that his captors changed his eye color — a rather bizarre contention, since such a thing isn’t possible.
Then people start asking questions. Layton crafts the documentary as a narrative, using startling interviews with Bourdin as well as family members after the con is uncovered. It’s a fascinating piece of storytelling, and it raises far more questions than you might expect.
(“The Imposter” screens again at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Paramount; 7:39 p.m. Wednesday, Alamo Slaughter; and 7:15 p.m. Thursday at the Alamo South.)
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Capsule review: 'Sunset Strip'
If sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll have an address, it is the Sunset Strip, the 1.5 mile section of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, Calif. Director Hans Fjellestad (“The Heart is a Drum Machine) packs his 93 minutes with celebrities and history, from the Strip’s beginnings as a dirt road trade route to the glamorous 40s and 50s, the rock-fuled 60s and 70s, the decadent, glam-metal 80s. “Sunset Strip” also makes the case for the importance of buildings in shaping culture, whether it’s the cottages in the Garden of Allah, the rooms of the Chateau Marmont or the often-black, basic facades of clubs like the Viper Room, the Trocadero or the Whiskey.
(For all the inherent bad behavior, the extent to which these remain — or were for a good long time — family businesses is oddly moving.) Look for chatter from such lifers as Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Mickey Rourke, Pamela Des Barres, Slash, Richard Lewis, Paul Mooney, Kim Fowley (in full makeup) and Kenneth Anger, which raises an important question: Kenneth Anger is still alive?
(“Sunset Strip” screens again at 7 p.m. Friday at the Paramount; and 4 p.m. March 17 at the Vimeo.)
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SXSW conversation: Joss Whedon
The Mayans missed this: 2012 is the year of Joss Whedon. He has projects big (“The Avengers”) and small (“Much Ado About Nothing”) on the way. And they’re all labors of love, according to the writer, director and producer, who spoke Saturday at the Convention Center. He was in Austin to premiere his great new horror project, “Cabin in the Woods,” but the conversation, moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Adam B. Vary, touched on much of the Whedonverse. (For those keeping score, here’s how the cheers broke down in descending volume during the intro: “Firefly,” “Buffy,” “Cabin in the Wood,” “The Avengers,” “Angel” and one dude for “Dollhouse.”)
Some highlights:
“Cabin in the Woods”: You can’t talk much about this fresh take on horror without ruining it in some ways (Whedon suggested calling it “awesome” and “a timeless classic” at Friday night’s screening). Why make a movie like that?
“I am always going to be at odds with that particular part of American culture (spoilers),” Whedon said. “I like stories. My favorite thing is going into a movie and not knowing what to expect.”
He says audiences are usually very ready to come along for the ride. “I want to see a movie that surprises me, and I want people to be surprised by what they see.” He said Danny Boyle’s “Sunshine” did that for him in the recent past.
(More on Whedon and “Cabin” from Joe Gross’ interview here; “Cabin in the Woods” red carpet photos and video.)
“The Avengers”: Who are the bad guys? “The Vulcans. I don’t know a lot about the Marvel universe and I thought there were Vulcans.” Seriously, he would not reveal the villains, but did say they are not the Kree or the Skrulls (and he might now be in trouble with Marvel). He told the studio he wanted to make a war movie; this is about a bunch of dysfunctional and isolated people coming together and becoming bigger than the sum of their parts, a theme Whedon knows well. Plus, they’re superheros! Audiences can expect cool things. “I’m not past the idea of a superhero movie. I’m not ready to be postmodern about superheroes yet (another big cheer).” “I’m a fanboy. I want to see these guys do everything they can do.”
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Capsule review: 'Indie Game: The Movie'
The narrative arc of the movie is established at the beginning, and given a bit of an unnecessary coda at the end, by the prescient words of indie gaming icon Jonathan Blow. The San Francisco designer who created the successful game “Braid” says that corporate video games are glossy, smooth, impersonal entertainments distilled of uniqueness in order to reach the widest market. Indie games represent the vision of one or two developers — not a faceless team of dozens or hundreds — who are attempting to create the “ultimate art form” and express something deeply personal and meaningful.
The journey described by Blow manifests itself in the story of three gamers looking to not only make their mark on the video game world, but also to find a cathartic form of personal expression.
Phil Fish is something of a legend in the indie gaming world. Several years ago he gave audiences a taste of his work-in-progress, “Fez.” The game that follows a cute two-dimensional character into a three-dimensional world became the buzz of the gaming world. Gamers eagerly awaited release of the game. And waited. And waited. Fish tinkered. And tinkered. Slowly the anticipation turned to suspicion and derision and Fish became a bit of a punchline. Angered gamers turned on him and began to doubt that “Fez” would ever live up to its promise.
Edmund McMillen of Santa Cruz, Calif., and Tommy Refenes of Asheville, N.C., worked in tandem on their game “Super Meat Boy.” A reflection of McMillen’s subconscious and an homage to the games of their youth, “Super Meat Boy” became an albatross for the two designers. They worked for two years to complete the game for a major release on Xbox. With the release date approaching, the two endure sleepless nights and anxiety.
Canadian filmmakers Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky capture the pain, sacrifice and commitment required to not only create a unique video game on a small budget but also the nuanced collateral damage of chasing your dream. How do game designers manifest their imagination in an engaging way? What happens when what you always dreamed finally comes true? How do you take a deeply personal piece of art and release it to the whims of the marketplace and the commentary of nameless and faceless Internet commenters?
The most captivating character in the film is McMillen, who shows vulnerability by sharing with the audience his personal creative process. He depicts an isolated childhood that served as incubator for his creativity and dreams and openly discusses the fears inherent with revealing your true self through your art.
One does not need to know the difference between a Flash game, an Xbox or an Atari to appreciate the vision, passion and drive of the subjects of “Indie Game: The Movie.”
(Additional screenings: 7 p.m. Sunday at Alamo Slaughter; 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Vimeo Theater; 5 p.m. Thursday at Alamo Village.)
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Capsule review: 'Thale'
Festival-goers both irate and patient waited in the torrential rain outside the Alamo South Lamar on Friday night, seeking admission to the packed screening of “Thale.”
The Norwegian film, screening in the Emerging Visions category and directed by Aleksander L. Nordass, follows on the heels of Andre Ovredal’s “Troll Hunter” (2010) in taking Norwegian folklore as source material for a fantasy/horror genre movie. The hulder or huldra, the mythical creature at the center of this film, is an elusive wood-nymph figure, possessed of great beauty and uncanny strength. The film tells the story of a modern-day hulder, captured and experimented upon by wary government officials.
In “Thale,” two men employed by a company that cleans up crime scenes find a group of hidden rooms underneath a woodshed. In this creepy warren, filled with old encyclopedias, expired canned goods and threatening medical equipment, they discover a beautiful and feral young girl named Thale. Piece by piece, the girl’s history becomes clear to the two young men, as the cowardly Elvis and cool, contained Leo begin to understand the extent of Thale’s oddness. By the end of the film, we’ve seen the true huldras in their habitat, and they’re a sight to behold — nothing like the gorgeous Thale.
Some of the devices the film employs to tell Thale’s story are a bit strained. For example, whenever the mute Thale is touched, the person touching her sees inside her mind, which feels quite convenient — but the über-violence of the film’s climax contains interesting moments, and the two male leads have an easy camaraderie that lends itself to funny interactions. The audience, having dried off enough to recover its sense of humor, responded well to these moments of levity.
“Thale” screens again at 4 p.m. today at the Violet Crown 2; Wednesday at 7:15 p.m, at the Alamo South; and at 11:45 p.m. March 17 at the Alamo South.
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Capsule review: 'The Cabin in the Woods'
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon produced and co-wrote this excellent satire of/love letter to horror movies and you can feel his sharp presence in every word. A group of kids heads into the titular cabin, after which things get increasingly …. odd. Cliches are explored, expectations are overturned and the genuine-fright-to-belly-laugh ratio makes for a flick that absolutely deserved to be SXSW Film’s Opening Night movie.
There is quite literally not much you can say about “Cabin” without spoiling the manner in which the movie actually works, so know that longtime fans will recognize all sorts of Whedon-esque tropes: smart, emotionally resourceful teens, a wickedly smart, genuinely scary story and the sort of commentary on the genre that functions both as love letter and critique. It almost feels like a summing up of themes he’s been thinking about for years, perhaps because “Cabin” is also as graceful take on being a writer you are going to see this year. Look for a post-Star Trek, but pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth as the jock and a breakout performance from Fran Kranz as the Shaggy-esque Marty Mikalski (Kranz would have been the breakout star from “Dollhouse,” but nobody ever watched it), who sports the single greatest bong that has ever been displayed on film. Well done, everyone.
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Capsule review: 'Charles Bradley: Soul of America'
But an unwillingness to ever stop believing in his gift, an unrelenting desire to share love with the world and a relationship with Daptone Records changed the course of his life.
Director Poull Brien’s debut feature “Charles Bradley: Soul of America” follows the man with the large heart and massive talent as he prepares for the release of his first album.
Nothing has ever come easy for the singer. Abandoned as a child by his mother, Bradley left home at the age of 14. He slept on subway cars and in the basement of rundown tenements before finally finding some purpose with the federal Job Corps programs. It was while working as a teen in that program that Bradley, nudged by friends and the transformative power of gin, found his voice, mimicking the style and sound of his hero Brown.
A failed attempt at a music career in Los Angeles and a near-fatal illness almost zapped the singer’s will to live, but inspired by family tragedy and driven by genuine religious purpose, Bradley kept his head up and kept moving forward. A relationship with Thomas Brenneck of the Menahan Street Band eventually led to a deal with Daptone Records, home to Sharon Jones.
With an abundant amount of reverence that still finds plenty of room for humor, “Soul of America” documents Bradley’s unlikely rise from his mother’s unfinished Brooklyn basement to the verge of minor stardom. The movie makes the odd decision to employ recreation of some trying moments in Bradley’s life and skips over certain details, such as the genesis of Bradley and Brenneck’s relationship and the romantic hole in the singer’s life. But the film’s heart — Bradley — is so rock-solid and emotionally compelling that the flaws can be forgiven.
Bradley stands as a testament to the power of belief — in self and a higher power, even in the face of unspeakable difficulties — and the redemptive qualities of love, decency and honor. We follow Bradley, dutiful son to his aging mother, from low-fi rehearsals in Brooklyn to the warmth of old theaters and generous crowds in upstate New York, as he finds his voice, steels his faith and prepares for a journey 62 years in the making.
The filmmakers’ love for Bradley seeps through every scene of “Soul of America,” and after spending 70 minutes with the man, you’ve fallen in love yourself. Bradley has finally moved from the shadows of his tortured past and James Brown to stand (dance, writhe and scream) on his own two feet.
(Other screenings: 1:45 p.m. Saturday, Violet Crown; 2:15 March 16, Alamo Ritz; 7 p.m. March 17, Alamo South.)
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Capsule review: 'Wildness'
“Wildness,” a documentary screened in the Emerging Visions category at the Alamo South Lamar on the soggy opening night of SXSW Film, tells the story of the Silver Platter, a bar near LA’s MacArthur Park that has, for decades, hosted a community of Latino transwomen. The film describes what happens when a group of four younger artists from outside the neighborhood—including the filmmaker, Wu Tsang, who is a powerful onscreen presence—discover the space and begin hosting a weekly music-performance-dance party there. Questions of community, authenticity, and ownership arise, as the party known as “Wildness” evolves, hosting DJs, an ever-changing slate of performers, and “gringo” scenesters looking for new experiences. The film knits together interviews with the bar’s owners and the members of the Latino trans community who make it their “living room”; footage of performances by both the bar’s regulars and Wildness’ performance artists on the Silver Platter’s small dance floor/stage; and a great soundtrack of cumbia, house, and hip-hop music by the DJs and Wildness hosts NGUZUNGUZU. The result is a visual extravaganza with a strong, beating heart.
The bar itself, in the form of a female Spanish-speaking voiceover, “hosts” the movie, narrating events and providing exposition. In the extended Q&A after the screening, a member of the enthusiastic and supportive audience commented that this device reminded her of a traditional story-telling structure, and pointed out the contrast between this formal choice and the content of the story, in which generations of people find community by defying tradition. Wu, the filmmaker, responded enthusiastically, saying that he thought of the “bar” voice as an “elder, wiser parent figure,” who looks on while the onscreen Wu, the “younger, idealistic mistake-maker,” tries to do what’s right. This choice echoes the examination of multi-generational community that appears throughout the film, particularly in Wu’s heartfelt interviews with the bar’s older patrons and owners.
As the Wildness party got bigger and drew more attention, the bar was reviewed in LA Weekly, and the author gave the Silver Platter the snarky, glib treatment, playing on stereotypes of sex-worker transvestites and mocking the pretensions of the hipster attendees. (LA Weekly appears to have removed the review from its website; there’s an archived copy available here.) The sequence in the film in which the Wildness hosts encounter this review, responding with fury and genuine worry that their project might have endangered the bar’s community, serves as a great moment of truth: the viewer, despite never having visited the Silver Platter, feels the yawning gap between this simple representation and the complicated, rich story that Wu’s movie tells.
Wildness screens again on Sunday at 11:15 at the Violet Crown 2; Wednesday at noon at the Canon Screening Room; and Thursday at 1:15 at the Violet Crown 1.
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March 9, 2012
Fox Searchlight and Red Flag purchase Duplass brothers' latest
The Duplass brothers were working on “The Do-Deca Pentathalon” several years ago when they suddenly got sidetracked with studio success. Mark and Jay (both University of Texas graduates) set aside their indie comedy about brotherly competition and focused on making 2010’s “Cyrus” and “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” which comes out next week.
The Duplasses have since finished the film and will screen it at SXSW, and now comes word that Fox Searchlight Pictures and Red Flag Releasing have purchased “The Do-Deca Pentathalon” and plan to release it theatrically in June.
The film starring Steve Zissis, Mark Kelly and Jennifer Lafleur makes its world premiere Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at the Alamo Ritz.
“We’ve wanted to work with Mark and Jay for a long time and are thrilled to be distributing ‘The Do-Deca-Pentathlon,’ which is vintage Duplass,” Red Flag’s Paul Federbush said in a release.
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IFC Films acquires rights to SXSW film 'Sleepwalk With Me'
Aren’t planning on attending SXSW this year? You will likely still get a chance to see one of the festival’s buzziest films. IFC Films has acquired the rights to “Sleepwalk With Me,” according to IndieWire. Mike Birbiglia’s autobiographical tale that began as a one-man play off-Broadway traces his troubles with nighttime maneuverings. The film screens four times during SXSW, including once at Alamo Village. So maybe even you non-badge-holders will have a chance.
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March 1, 2012
With Big Star and Mumford and Sons, SXSW mixes documentaries, live performance
An all-star cast — including Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, Mike Mills and Peter Buck of R.E.M., Chris Stamey of the dBs — will perform Big Star’s legendary, enigmatic album “Third” (aka “Sister Lovers”) March 15 at the Paramount after a screening of the Big Star documentary “Nothing Can Hurt Me.”
The performance and screening come two years after the death of Big Star founder Alex Chilton. (“Third” producer Jim Dickinson, who was as responsible for that album as anyone, died in 2009.)
Other band members will likely include Mitch Easter of Let’s Active and Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies and a posse of guest vocalists. Austin’s own Tosca String Quartet will also participate.
Expect some talking head time in the movie from at least some of the above musicians, who owe Big Star a large, jangling debt.
The event is open to SXSW Film, Music, Gold and Platinum Badge holders, as well as SXSW Film Passes and Music Wristbands. A limited number of advance single tickets are available for $25 via the Paramount website (austintheatre.org/film).
Beware: advance ticket sales will end at midnight the day before the screening and advance ticket purchases do not guarantee reserved seating or entry to the theater.
Similarly, following the world premier of the tour documentary “Big Easy Express” at the Paramount March 17, Big Easy participants Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show will join director Emmett Malloy and producers Tim Lynch, Mike Luba and Bryan Ling. for a q&a and an acoustic set. (One assumes only the musicians present will be playing music, but you never know.)
Like the Big Star movie, this gig is open to all SXSW Film, Music, Gold and Platinum Badge holders, as well as SXSW Film Passes and Music Wristbands. A limited number of advance single tickets are available for for $12 ($10 + $2 service fee) via the Paramount website.
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February 29, 2012
SXSW tips from Flow Nonfiction and Bobby Johns of Hotel San Jose
SXSW can be a bear to wrap your arms and mind around, so the filmmakers from Flow Nonfiction teamed up with Bobby Johns of the Hotel San Jose to give out-of-towners tips on how to survive SXSW. The guys give recommendations on food (Backspace, East Side Kings, Live Oak BBQ — and others more dubious), drink (Live Oak, Shiner), how to manage your way around the city and more.
Maybe the wisest tip is Johns’ number one SXSW rule (that everyone breaks) — “Don’t chase the party.”
Flow’s Matt Naylor will appear on the panel Speed Tweaks: How Fast Can Audiences Drive Edits during SXSW and will also be debuting his short film, “What It’s Like.” Flow partner David Modigliani (“Crawford”) will appear on the panel Branded Documentary: Cause Marketing’s Best Media.
As always, San Jose will be throwing their SX San Jose party, which features an impressive roster of bands, throughout the week of SXSW Music. South by San Jose is free and open to the public, with shows starting at noon on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday of SXSW Music. Performers this year include Built To Spill, Alabama Shakes, Alejandro Escovedo, Billy Joe Shaver and more.
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February 24, 2012
Marley and Big Easy Express films for SXSW
Director Emmett Malloy’s documentary “Big Easy Express,” which chronicles the throwback train tour of bands Mumford and Sons and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, closes the South by Southwest Film Festival and Conference, but it might not be the most anticipated music-related film at the festival stuffed with great music movies.
That honor likely goes to Kevin Macdonald’s “Marley,” the first film ever authorized by late reggae legend Bob Marley’s family. The movie made its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February and will make its North American premiere in Austin. With interviews from family, friends and musicians, along with concert footage and rare recordings, the film from “The Last King of Scotland” director sheds light on the myth and the man who died of cancer at the age of 36.
Charismatic frontman James Murphy saddened a devout and increasingly wide fan base when he decided to end the decade-long run of his band LCD Soundsystem. “Shut Up and Play the Hits” goes behind the scenes as Murphy prepares for the band’s final show and looks into the future of life after LCD Soundsystem.
Jay Bulger’s documentary, “Beware Mr. Baker,” chronicles the life and times of former Cream and Blind Faith drummer Ginger Baker, who survived decades of heroin abuse and five marriages. Sixto Diaz Rodriguez had an incredibly curious career. After releasing two albums in the states in the early 70s, the musician simply known as Rodriguez disappeared. Decades later his career experienced a resurgence in a surprising place — South Africa. “Searching for Sugar Man” from Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul tells the story of Rodriguez’s fascinating journey from obscurity to unlikely fame.
Musical dynamos with very different careers, the massively influential Paul Simon and the late-blooming soul sensation Charles Bradley, are subjects of documentaries “Under African Skies” and “Charles Bradley: Soul of America.”
Two bands formed in the ’70s with legacies that endure today, power pop pioneers Big Star and D.C. punk icons Bad Brains, also receive the doc treatment with “Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me” and “Bad Brains: Band in D.C.” A restored print of 1968’s animated “Yellow Submarine” will give audiences a chance to take a trippy ride on the nostalgia train with the Beatles.
“Rock ‘N’ Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen” from British director Don Letts relies on interviews with music industry titans to give perspective on the work of one of rock’s preeminent photographers and the man who took some of the most famous photos of John Lennon.
If all the movies don’t satisfy your jones for the alchemy of film and music, the film conference gets in on the combination as well with a conversation with “Drive” composer Cliff Martinez.
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February 15, 2012
SXSW adds Seth MacFarlane, 'Blue Like Jazz,' 'Sleepwalk With Me' and more
Funnymen Patton Oswalt and Johnny Knoxville star as dysfunctional brothers in “Nature Calls,” which makes its world premiere at SXSW. The movie co-stars late comedian Patrice O’Neal.
“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane should add to the laughs. The irreverent writer and producer will participate in a conversation that will include updates on his directorial debut, “Ted,” the upcoming live-action/CG-animated comedy that stars Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis.
“Safety Not Guaranteed,” the time-traveling comedy that was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival, finds Aubrey Plaza of “Parks and Recreation” fame stepping into the leading-lady spotlight. She’s joined in the film by University of Texas alumnus Mark Duplass, who plays a paranoid hermit.
Comic-turned-filmmaker Mike Birbiglia, a familiar name with the National Public Radio set, brings his Sundance hit, “Sleepwalk with Me,” to SXSW. The comedy co-scripted by “This American Life” host Ira Glass stars Birbiglia and Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”) as a couple weathering the discomfort of their relationship being used as stand-up fodder.
Austin High School graduate Marshall Allman (“True Blood”) portrays author Donald Miller in the screen adaptation of Miller’s memoir, “Blue Like Jazz.” The movie, making its world premiere, follows the post-modern spiritual coming-of-age of the writer who left his Texas home for the liberal bastion of Portland, Oregon.
The new titles bring the SXSW’s total to 132 features, consisting of 74 world premieres, 17 North American premieres and 11 U.S. premieres.
Check out the full list of recently added films and panels after the jump.
Aubyrey Plaza, Karan Soni and Jake Johnson in a scene from “Safety Not Guaranteed.”
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February 9, 2012
SXSW snapshot: 'Casa de Mi Padre'
Will Ferrell has made us laugh in English, now he’s going to see if he can do the same in Spanish. The “Saturday Night Live” veteran stars in the telenovela send-up, “Casa de Mi Padre,” one of the most anticipated comedies playing SXSW in March.
Though the language is new to him, Ferrell has brought along a group of actors who are no stranger to Spanish. Mexican co-stars Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna appeared together in 2001’s Oscar-nominated “Y Tu Mama, Tambien.” Luna plays the brother of Ferrell’s Armando Alvarez, who is fighting to defend his family’s ranch from a drug lord portrayed by Bernal. Genesis Rodriguez, who appeared in more than 100 episodes of the telenovela “Prisionera,” brings sultriness and credibility to the comedic melodrama as Ferrell’s love interest.
Likely unable to improvise in a foreign language, Ferrell will rely on the script from fellow “SNL” veteran Andrew Steele. “SNL” alumnus Matt Piedmont directs the movie that will open across the country on March 16.
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February 8, 2012
SXSW announces Midnighters and short films
Highlighting the 11-film Midnighters program are “Intruders,” the latest from “28 Days Later” director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and Ti West’s “V/H/S.”
West returns to SXSW after thrilling audiences with his character-driven horror “The Innkeepers” last year. West’s latest stars SXSW veterans Joe Swanberg (“Alexander the Last”), Kate Lynn Shiel (“Silver Bullets”) and Sophia Takal (“Green”).
“‘V/H/S’ is a terrifying film with so many layers and is the best use of the anthology filmmaking I have seen in some time,” SXSW Midnighters programmer Jarod Neece said. “It brought the house down at Sundance and I’m so thrilled we get to show it to our SXSW audience.”
The shorts program features 135 films, including many with Texas ties. University of Texas lecturer and “Winnebago Man” director Ben Steinbauer will screen his documentary short “Brute Force,” which tells the story of the obscure Apple Records artist. Fellow UT lecturer Kat Candler, fresh off of her world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, will show her narrative short film “Hellion.” Galveston resident Kelly Sears also made the trip to Sundance and brings her imaginative and scary animated short “Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise.”
Austinite Don Hertzfeldt, who received an Oscar nomination in 2001 for his animated short “Rejected,” will screen his latest, “it’s such a beautiful day.” A 2009 graduate of UT’s Radio, Television and Film program, Randall Hopkins will screen his animated short “Giraffe Danger.” “Merman,” which screens in the midnight shorts program, is the work of current UT film student Jono Foley.
Other short film highlights include “J.P.B.F.,” a raunchy short from former Austinite Steve Collins, whose dark comedy “You Hurt My Feelings” made quite a bit of noise on the festival circuit last year. The short stars Austinite John Merriman, who played the lead in “You Hurt My Feelings.”
In addition to the animated, live-action narrative, documentary and midnight shorts, SXSW shines a light on local talent with the Texas Shorts and Texas High School Shorts categories.
“The Texas High School Competition started as a way to support the community and the next generation of filmmakers in Texas, and this was the most obvious (and fun!) way,” shorts programmer Claudette Godfrey said. “We get an increase in both the quality and number of submissions every year — this year we received about 160 submissions. These students have talent and we love that we can help them cultivate it. I know that SXSW can be a life-changing experience and that’s what we hear from the students, teachers and parents.”
For the complete list of films playing SXSW, visit SXSW.com/film.
Image from Kelly Sears’ “Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise.”
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February 1, 2012
SXSW announces features lineup, including '21 Jump Street,' 'Bernie' and 'Killer Joe'
Filmmaker Emmett Malloy and his cameras followed Mumford and Sons on the British band’s train tour that passed through Austin in April. His “Big Easy Express,” a documentary about the tour that included Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show, will close the festival March 17.
The festival will also feature the latest from University of Texas alumnus Matthew McConaughey, who stars with Emile Hirsch in the crime drama “Killer Joe” from “French Connection” director William Friedkin. Austin filmmaker Richard Linklater, who gave McConaughey his big break in “Dazed and Confused,” will screen his dark comedy, the locally shot “Bernie,” which stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and McConaughey.
Other movies with Austin ties playing SXSW include “Do-Deca-Pentathalon” from University of Texas alumni, brothers Jay and Mark Duplass; Austinite Bob Byington’s “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” starring Offerman and Kevin Corrigan; the Zellner brothers’ “Kid-Thing,” which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; and the documentary “America’s Parking Lot,” Austinite Jonny Mars’ directorial debut about two die-hard Cowboys fans and their finals days as tailgaters at Texas Stadium.
Always a highlight in the Live Music Capital of the World, the 24 Beats Per Second category features music-related films. Those include “Charles Bradley: Soul of America,” a documentary about the late-blossoming soul singer who drew raves with his performance at last year’s SXSW. Two Los Angeles-themed documentaries, “Sunset Strip,” which chronicles the 100-year history of the legendary street, and Mark Ford’s “Uprising: Hip Hop & The L.A. Riots,” a look at hip-hop’s role in the social unrest of the ’90s, should also play to large audiences at the film festival.
SXSW will screen 130 features during the festival, including 51 films from first-time directors. The narrative and documentary feature categories will each consist of eight films making their world premieres.
“SXSW has long been a haven for bold filmmaking and a launching pad for authentic voices,” says Janet Pierson, the film conference and festival producer. “Every year we start anew, trying hard not to rely on our own formulas or expectations. This year we’re excited to present a fresh slate of breakout talent, but one that’s still uniquely SXSW.”
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January 30, 2012
Meat Loaf, Barry Corbin and Douglas McGrath to be inducted into Texas Film Hall of Fame
The Austin Film Society announced today that it will induct the men at the 12th annual Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards on March 8 at ACL Live. It was also announced today that musicians Nakia and Suzanna Choffel will make special appearances at the ceremony and perform with the ceremony’s house band, Grupo Fantasma.
Tickets and sponsorships for the March 8 event are now available online, ranging from $75 balcony seats to $25,000 for a 10-person “Blockbuster table” on the floor with a cocktail hour and catered dinner from Trace at the W Hotel. Richard Linklater, and John Paul and Eloise DeJoria are event co-hosts for the 2012 awards.
For tickets or sponsorship information, visit austinfilm.org or contact Ann Welch via email or by phone at 322-0145.
(Photo: Meat Loaf appears on stage during the first concert of his tour through Germany in Hamburg, northern Germany, on Tuesday, June 12, 2007. (ASSOCIATED PRESS Kai-Uwe Knoth)
Permalink | | Categories: SXSW 2012
January 12, 2012
SXSW announces opening night film, prepares to welcome Joss Whedon, Judd Apatow and Lena Dunham
New York filmmaker Lena Dunham, winner of best narrative feature at SXSW in 2011 for her touching and hilarious coming-of-age film “Tiny Furniture,” returns this year to debut the first three episodes of her upcoming HBO series, “Girls.” The series is executive produced by comedy titan and SXSW veteran Judd Apatow, who will be in attendance and participate in a panel on March 13 with Dunham and other members of the “Girls” production team to discuss the show that premieres in April.
Other films announced today include director Kevin MacDonald’s (“The Last King of Scotland”) Bob Marley documentary “Marley” and “Small Apartments,” a black comedy from music video director Jonas Åkerlund.
“Announcing the first films of our program is always energizing, but we’re especially thrilled to have such a smart, unpredictable and highly entertaining headliner like ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ as our opening night film,” SXSW Film Conference and Festival producer Janet Pierson said. “We’re also happy to offer a peek at a handful of wonderful films that demonstrate the breadth and range of terrific work we plan to show at SXSW Film 2012.”
The complete festival lineup will be announced in early February 2012. The 19th annual South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival runs March 9 - 17, 2012 in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit sxsw.com/film.
Titles announced today that will be playing SXSW (with descriptions from the festival):
“Beauty is Embarrassing” (World Premiere)
Director: Neil Berkeley
A funny, irreverent and insightful look into the life and times of one of America’s most important artists, Wayne White.
“The Cabin in the Woods” (World Premiere)
Director: Drew Goddard, Writers: Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard
Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again. From fan favorites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes The Cabin in the Woods, a mind-blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out. Cast: Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz, Anna Hutchison, Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford
“Citadel” (World Premiere)
Director & Writer: Ciarán Foy
An agoraphobic father teams up with a renegade priest to save his daughter from the clutches of a gang of twisted feral children. Cast: Anuerin Barnard, James Cosmo, and Wumni Mosaku, Jake Wilson, Amy Shiels
“Girls” (World Premiere)
Director & Writer: Lena Dunham
Created by and starring Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture), the HBO show is a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their early 20s. Cast: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver
“Marley” (North American Premiere)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
The definitive documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
“The Oyster Princess” (1919) with original live score by Bee vs. Moth (World Premiere)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch, Writers: Hanns Kraly & Ernst Lubitsch
The Oyster Princess is Ernst Lubitsch’s tart 1919 silent comedy that parodies the rich and the spoiled. Austin jazz/rock band Bee vs. Moth performs their original score live with the film for the first time.
“Small Apartments” (World Premiere)
Director: Jonas &3197;kerlund, Writer: Chris Millis
When Franklin Franklin accidentally kills his landlord, he must hide the body; but, the wisdom of his beloved brother and the quirks of his neighbors, force him on a journey where a fortune awaits him. Cast: Matt Lucas, Billy Crystal, James Caan, Johnny Knoxville, Juno Temple, James Marsden, Dolph Lundgren, Saffron Burrows, Rosie Perez, DJ Qualls
Photo: Scene from “Girls.” (Jojo Whilden HBO)
Permalink | | Categories: SXSW 2012
June 2, 2011
New submission date for SXSW Film
Attention filmmakers: Don’t get caught napping (or doing post-production). SXSW has moved up its submission deadline for the 2012 fest. The new submission deadline is November 15. (Last year’s deadline was December 9.)
For those Type-A filmmakers (also known as “efficient”), you can submit by the early deadline of October 4 to get the lowest submission fee, and have up to November 1 to get your entry in at some sort of discount.
Slackers beware: Unlike the IRS, the deadline dates for SXSW represent the date the festival receives your submission, not by the postmark date.
The reason for the change? With more and more submissions coming in each year, the festival says it needs a little more turnaround time to give each entry careful consideration.
SXSW Film 2012 takes place from March 9 -17. For more information on the fest or submitting your film, visit sxsw.com/film.
Photo from Photos.com.
