The M.O.

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April 15, 2009

First look at Tarantino's 'Inglourious Basterds'

If you saw “American Idol” last night, you may have seen “Idol” mentor-of-the-night and superfan Quentin Tarantino offer a sneak peek of never-seen-before footage from his upcoming movie “Inglourious Basterds,” starring Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson and Mike Myers (once again, Tarantino revives the career of an aging star). The movie will be out later this summer.

Today, Miramax released that clip in its entirety. Apparently it was “too hot” for prime time TV. As part of the clip’s intro, Tarantino orders another take shot of a scene in the movie because, as he has his crew chant along, “We love making movies.” He certainly does.

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April 2, 2009

"Adventureland" offers unexpected ride

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February 23, 2009

Prince throws it down Oscar-style

While I was busy throwing down a live chat here in Austin last night, my old friend (and former director in a high school musical production of “Godspell”) Whitney Pastorek was in Hollywood getting moved by The Purple One. She covered the awards show and the little Minnesotans after-party for Entertainment Weekly. I envy her, but not her feet. Below is a bit of her piece, the whole of which can be found here.

There are very few artists for whom your Aunt Whittlz will wait in a chilly parking lot for two hours, PopWatchers, but Prince is one of them. To borrow a phrase from the Airborne Toxic Event — one of the few acts the Purple One didn’t cover during tonight’s public house party — it was sometime around midnight when those of us assembled outside Hollywood club Avalon were let in from the cold, and my feet, tortured by high heels since sometime around noon, had lost their will to live. Though I’d later be given a handwritten list that included names like Eliza Dushku, Taye Diggs, Alicia Keys, and Queen Latifah, the only celeb in sight at this lonesome hour was Baron Davis, who plays basketball. And yet I waited, patiently, to be summoned inside. For he is Prince. And he operates on his own time, a time that my colleagues estimated at approximately two hours later than hip-hop time, which means approximately four hours later than the time you and I are expected to maintain. Which is fine. Because he is Prince, and I think he actually might be able to buy the Greenwich Mean if he wants.

Follow me after the jump for the rundown on the funkiest Oscar party of the night, sponsored by LotusFlow3r.com, a new website named for one of the three albums Prince is expected to release this year. Along with his own time zone, Prince is also operating in his own music industry these days, and LotusFlow3r — note also the paisley-riffic spelling— will be your home for all things purple in the days to come.

It was 1:39 a.m. when the band at last took the stage, and teased with the opening chords of “Purple Rain” before transforming them into a funky jam anchored — as was much of the night — by the extraordinarily hardcore blues-harp blow of Frenchman Frederic Yonnet. At 1:44, the tiny guitar god emerged, clad in what looked to be fancy black pajamas with mirrored embellishments at the neckline and cuffs, twirling a bedazzled cane with panache before picking up his axe for a groove that wandered through Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can” and some very “Also Sprach Zarathustra” aaaahs before bizarrely landing in a square-on cover of “Let’s Go.” Which is a Cars song. Which was pretty much how the whole evening went.

“Turn the lights down, please,” Prince asked, after sending a shout-out to Penelope Cruz, Taraji Henson, and Esmeralda Spalding, all of whom were apparently watching from a balcony where your intrepid reporter was not allowed to go. Down on the ground, the vibe was less fancy Oscar soiree, more junior prom. “I’m just gonna let this breathe,” he continued. “Y’all all right? This is what we do at house parties. I’m the DJ tonight.” And DJ he did — except, you know, with his guitar — right into a mashup of “Crimson and Clover” and “Wild Thing,” which led to “7,” the opening voiceover of which sent scads of party-goers onto the half-full dance floor to tear things up. The bar had closed, but its tenders remained, silhouetted against the mirrors, nodding their heads coolly to the music. “I’m here, and you’re here,” Prince said. “That’s all we need to have a party, right?”

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February 19, 2009

Hey, Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump called. He wants his bit back.

Although it is up for quite a few Academy Awards this weekend, there seems to be quite a bit of backlash to the old-Hollywood whimsy and nostalgia of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Beyond the cinematic gimmicks and self-indulgent length of the film, there are also the disturbing corralaries between “Button” and “Forrest Gump.” (A friend of mine, dismayed at my lack of “research,” wrote angrily, or is it high-and-mightily, to inform me that Eric Roth had been the screenwriter for both “Button” and “Gump,” a point my “sarcastic article” failed to mention. Although I feel like this fact makes it even more shocking and sad that the two movies had such similarities, my friend seemed to think it excused Roth or made me a lazy idiot. Or both. I agree with neither.)

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January 28, 2009

Parents of 'Slumdog' actors feel exploited

The feel-good movie of the year, “Slumdog Millionaire,” is being tainted with a bit of nastiness of late. According to The Telegraph, the parents of two of the young actors who played Latika and Salim as children believe the producers were dishonest and did not live up to their end of the deal vis-a-vis salaries.

[From the Telegraph]

“The child actors’ parents have accused the hit film’s producers of exploiting and underpaying the eight-year-olds, disclosing that both face uncertain futures in one of Mumbai’s most squalid slums.”

…

The film’s British director, Danny Boyle, has spoken of how he set up trust funds for Rubina and Azharuddin and paid for their education. But it has emerged that the children, who played Latika and Salim in the early scenes of the film, were paid less than many Indian domestic servants.

Rubina was paid £500 for a year’s work while Azharuddin received £1,700, according to the children’s parents.

However a spokesman for the film’s American distributors, Fox Searchlight, disputed this saying the fees were more than three times the average annual salary an adult in their neighbourhood would receive. They would not disclose the actual sum. “

Looks like someone should have negotiated some back-end points. I jest, of course, but it is a sticky and predictable situation. The movie is obviously making millions and millions of dollars, and now those who were paid well but not exorbitantly want their cut.

Read the full story here.

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January 27, 2009

Mickey Rourke dating his 'daughter'?

As indicated by its place in my top three films of 2008, I am a big fan of director Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler.” The stripped-down beauty of the film and the incredible performance of Mickey Rourke, who has since been nominated for an Academy Award, make Aronofsky’s low budget movie a must-see.

When I watched it, I had the feeling that the movie was littered with non-actors and tons of improvisation. Turns out, the movie was even more realistic than I imagined. Check out Terry Gross’s interview with Aronofsky from Fresh Air on Tuesday, wherein he discusses his reasons behind making the film, the process of shooting, and working with Rourke. You will come away with an even greater respect for Aronofsky and Rourke. For a good laugh, pay close attention around the 24:45 mark, when Gross has to very nervously and prudely utter the words “strip club.”

As an aside, apparently the 52 year-old Rourke was photographed making out with Evan Rachel Wood the other night following the SAG Awards. You know, the same 21 year-old Wood who plays Rourke’s daughter in “The Wrestler.”

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January 9, 2009

Mickey Rourke delivers emotional bodyslam in 'The Wrestler'

If you haven’t yet heard or read about Mickey Rourke’s performance in “The Wrestler,” you’ve likely been living under a rock for the better part of a month.

For those under the age of 30, Rourke may be known as little more than a washed-up actor with a busted face that reads like a roadmap of the history of bad plastic surgery. But 25 years ago, Rourke (“Diner,” “Rumblefish”) was considered one of the rising stars in American cinema, compared at times to a young Marlon Brando. Hard living and bad choices, however, derailed Rourke’s career, and he disappeared from major films until returning to public consciousness in 2005’s “Sin City,” in which he gave an amazing performance.

Thanks to the prescient and bold decision making by director Darren Aronofsky (“Requiem for a Dream,” “Pi”), Rourke returns to the screen now as a washed-up wrestler looking to regain his former glory. The ultimate act of art imitating life.

Randy “The Ram” Robinson was once the darling of the wrestling world, a pop culture icon along the lines of Hulk Hogan. We learn his story through a montage of old wrestling posters at the film’s beginning, but by the time the lights come up, we see that his star has fallen. Hard. He is now relegated to wrestling on a minor circuit with starry-eyed youngsters, has-beens and never-were’s, struggling to make enough money between bouts and part-time stock boy work at a grocery store, to pay the rent on his dilapidated trailer home.

Rourke’s vulnerability, self-effacing humor and intensity reveal a man who has only ever had one talent in life, and the lengths to which he will go to recoup his old life. Along the way, Robinson struggles to maintain a tenuous relationship with his daughter and find a kindred spirit in the form of a stripper (Marisa Tomei), who is also seeing a career using her body fade into non-existence. (Although, beyond the vacant eyes and self-loathing, it is a bit hard to square the incredibly gorgeous Tomei as washed-up.) Behind the steroid-infused muscle, spray tans and spandex pants, The Ram is a self-aware and wounded animal, fighting for a life in the ring, the only place he can truly feel deserving of love.

The bleak and intimate cinematography and handheld camera allow moviegoers a voyeuristic look into The Ram’s world, following this crippled warrior documentary-style in his sad slog back to the middle. While the film is a heartbreaking character study, it differs quite a bit from standard indie fare with its intense use of violence. (This is a wrestling movie after all.) So, make no mistake about what you’re getting into when you go see “The Wrestler” this weekend (which you should); there are scenes containing intense violence and no small amount of blood and gore. But the real pain lies in the heart and mind of The Ram and is brought forth by Rourke in a way that no other actor I can imagine could possibly match. (And, to think, some studio folks wanted Nicolas Cage to play the role. Yikes.)

Get showtimes for “The Wrestler” in Austin here.

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January 7, 2009

'Doubt': Streep and Hoffman at their heavyweight bests

When I heard that Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep were going to be playing the leads in John Patrick Shanley’s film adaptation of his Broadway super-hit “Doubt,” I was over the moon. What lover of acting would not freak over the idea of (arguably) the greatest actor of her generation going toe-to-toe with (arguably) the greatest actor of his? But then I read a couple of lukewarm reviews, including one from The New Yorker’s Anthony Lane, with whom I usually agree, and decided maybe I should skip it. Thank God for slow Tuesday nights, skepticism and award screeners.

I watched “Doubt” at home last night and was simply blown away by the acting. Streep and Hoffman are Ali and Frazier, raging war (here spoken and unspoken) in several scenes that leave you emotionally confused and battered. I was torn between being knocked into the back of the couch and drawn to its edge.

“Doubt” tells the story of a Catholic school in the Bronx that is having a crisis of leadership, with Streep’s Sister Aloysius playing the rigid taskmaster principal and Hoffman’s Father Flynn playing the warm-hearted, affable and avuncular leader of the parish. Aloysius is riddled with paranoia and driven by a self-assuredness that lead her to command her fellow nuns to monitor carefully the goings-on at her school. Duty-bound and gun-shy but eager, the young Sister James (the amazing Amy Adams) concocts a story, by way of very loose circumstantial evidence, that Father Flynn has acted inappropriately with a young altar boy, coincidentally the only black youth in the school.

What ensues in the cat-and-mouse game between Flynn and Aloysius is a meditation on the conflicting ideas of staunch moral certitude and doubt, as outlined wonderfully in Flynn’s opening sermon.

The movie is unadorned and feels as if it was adapted from a staged play, which generally works with this material, especially considering the tight confines of the school serving as the perfect boiling pot. Streep’s Queens accent is a bit much early and almost tends to the caricature, but her nuance, especially in her eyes, retrieve the character from that misfortune.

Despite my love for Hoffman, his characters are often unlikable sorts, living conflicted and often self-hating lives, so it is compelling and ironic that his Flynn, a character accused of the heinous crime of child molestation, is one of the most likable in his career. In addition to the lead roles, and Adams tortured and eager character, there is Viola Davis, who, in one scene with Streep, gets at the heart(breaking) core of the film. There is no point in me describing it here, it simply needs to be watched and felt to be appreciated.

The ambiguity of the characters’ moral dilemmas and the film’s ending, especially considering the context, will leave you breathless. And while “Doubt” may not be 2008’s best movie — the cinematography and direction are uninspired, and artistic attempts at camera angles in a few scenes feel forced — there was not a movie I’ve seen in the past year (at least) that features better acting in multiple roles.

Get showtimes for “Doubt” in Austin here.

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January 2, 2009

Top 8 Movies of 2008

Thinking back over last year (feels so good to call 2008 last year), it wasn’t one of the greatest movie years in recent memory. Of course, it had a lot to live up to, with 2007 bringing us such gems as “No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood.”

At least that’s my excuse in only being able to come up with eight movies for my year-end list. It didn’t help that I missed out on some movies about which I have read and heard really good things. So, before I give my Top 8, I will confess I did not see the following movies, which very well may have made the list. (“Happy-Go-Lucky,” “Wendy and Lucy,” “Frozen River,” “Waltz with Bashir,” “Rachel Getting Married,” “Doubt,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “In Bruges.”) I’m sure I’ll get to them soon, and I resolve (among several other things) to get to more movies this year.

1. “Slumdog Millionaire” - A breathtaking, unapologetic tear-jerker of a movie with amazing cinematography that gives a wonderful sense of India and tells a story of love and redemption against all odds. (Of note, screened at Austin Film Festival. Read Chris Garcia’s discussion with filmmaker Danny Boyle here and Charles Ealy’s interview with star Dev Patel here.)

2. “Man on Wire” - Slow-moving, atmospheric story of one man’s ambition and the personal costs of said.

3. “The Wrestler” - If Mickey Rourke doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar, I will eat my hat. Every self-effacing joke, pained expression, hopeful smile and desperate act of trying to reclaim past glory rings true. I can’t imagine anyone else pulling off this role. (Check it out with live wrestling at the Alamo Drafthouse at the premiere on Friday, January 9.)

4. “Synecdoche, New York” - Charlie Kaufman’s tortured and neurotic genius has never been on such wonderful display as with this script. He is once again at his ambiguous best as a writer with a movie that makes some feel tortured and others hopeful. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is simply as good as it gets in a movie that could have used a little more directorial discipline. (Of note, AFF also screened this one. Check out my interview with Kaufman here.)

5. “The Dark Knight” - Visually stunning, complex and somewhat morally ambiguous, this is the best comic book movie I’ve ever seen, and Heath Ledger gives the best supporting performance of the year. Bonus points for the IMAX experience.

6. “Milk” - I was a bit ashamed to say that I did not know the story of Harvey Milk, or the pervasiveness of the legalized discrimination of gay people in America, before seeing Gus Van Sant’s moving biopic. The use of stock footage adds great detail and texture to a movie that Sean Penn carries with heart, soul and dignity.

7. “Let the Right One In” - Vampires seem to be all the rage these days, unfortunately this vampire flick got less attention than the lesser “Twilight.” It’s a beautiful, sparse (thank you, Sweden) depiction of youthful alienation and our desire to feel connected and loved.

8. “The Counterfeiters” - Wonderful performances highlight this morally-charged tale of Jewish concentration camp prisoners and their involvement in forging money for the benefit of their Nazi captors.

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November 20, 2008

J.C.V.D. being J.C.V.D.

I told you about the film “J.C.V.D.” a while back. It’s the meta-drama (apparently fictional) about Jean-Claude Van Damme that played at Fantastic Fest and tells the story of the washed-up action hero and the trials and tribulations of his life and career. Check out what I had to say about it here.

Well, the film comes out this week, and in preparation for said, it appears the engimatic J.C.V.D. is doing the interview circuit. (Jean-Claude, you can email me here.)

It seems ol’ Van Damme hasn’t lost much of his punch, or ability to reference himself in the third person, as evidenced by his interview with Sarah Ball of Newsweek. Matthew thinks it’s hilarious.

In the words of my friend D-Rox, it appears, much like Joe Namath, J.C.V.D. is strug-a-ling.

Most of the interview from Newsweek here:

Why did you want to make a film that comments on your own life?

I made this just to show some of the internal side of J.C.V.D., in a way. He’s a guy, a normal guy from Belgium with dreams, and I did well in that type of path. At the age of 47, to take chances and go back to Europe and be talking to some studios there, I’m showing them that I believe I’m good quality.

There ’ s a monologue in the film about being a washed-up action star. Did you improvise that?

I like structure—like driving: go past the school on the street, stay on the right side, no hitting the car, go in right, you’ll see a big church, stop and take a left, and you’ll have it. By doing this I’m giving a structure of life, a path of light, and showing what happens between me and me, which is something very beautiful.

Beautiful? Why?

I really opened myself up in “JCVD.” I peeled back the skin of the fruit, cut the pulp and then took that very hard seed. In this film I cut that hard seed, and inside that seed was a kind of liquid cream substance of the man I am, or the woman you are.

OK —

It was like being naked—I would love to be naked in front of you.

Well, I —

Not being naked being naked. I say such things in Hong Kong and they thought I was being a crazy Frenchman. Being naked of protection.

So you ’ ve no regrets at all?

Believe me—I’ve done very good stuff and very crazy stuff, and I don’t regret the crazy stuff. So are you in New York?

Yes, I am.

And are you 27, or 32?

I ’ m 22.

Oh, f—-. That is very young. Will you come to the premiere?

I don ’ t know. When is it?

I don’t know. You will wear all black, a black dress and high heels?

Uh —

You can come find me, I will be the one with the very broad shoulders, dark hair and a simple suit. We can have some champagne, you and me.

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November 13, 2008

'Arrested Development' movie is a go (?)

It seems like people have been speculating about an “Arrested Development” movie for years. The Fox sit-com, which was a critical smash and cult darling, had been held up due to the lack of all principles being on board, with the last one rumored to be Michael Cera. I guess the hilarious Cera (“Superbad”) had received too many scripts from his agent that had him playing the same character for the next five years.

Well, it seems the time has finally come, and fans can rejoice, as the “Arrested Development” movie looks to finally be a go.

The good news comes from comedic genius Jeffrey Tambor (“Soap,” “The Larry Sanders Show”), who plays the Bluth family patriarch on the show and broke the news at a DVD release party for “Hellboy II.”

“We are doing it. We are going. It’s a go. I just this week talked to (series creator) Mitch Hurwitz,” Tambor said. While there doesn’t seem to be a date set for shooting, Tambor added, “When the writer and the director and the executive producer calls you, that’s a pretty good sign.”

Frozen Bananas and Never Nudes for everyone!

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September 19, 2008

Jean-Claude Van Damme: Last action hero

Once the laughing stock of the movie world, Jean-Claude Van Damme, who made a living kicking ass and speaking broken English in late-eighties and early-nineties action films, seemed to disappear from the public consciousness. Until now.

He returns to screens at this year’s Fantastic Fest in ‘JCVD,’ a film in which he plays a washed-up 47 year-old action hero struggling through action scenes and enduring even more abuse in a custody battle for his child. Sound familiar?

The movie begins with the chiseled but aging Van Damme struggling to make his one through an over-the-top action scene — in which he dismantles seemingly an entire army of ‘bad guys’ — that is filmed in one long-running shot. The director is a young Asian seemingly full of ennui and antipathy toward Hollywood. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. But such is life when you have legal bills to pay.

The film follows Van Damme in a series of flashbacks from his family court battle in L.A. to an outlandish scenario in which he finds himself as a hostage in a post office in his home town in Belgium. In both the filmmaking and the storytelling the violent comedy shows serious influences of Guy Ritchie, Simon Pegg, the Coen brothers and Quentin Tarantino. It is an absurd, highly stylized shaggy dog story but also touching in its portrayal of a man who has become a prisoner of his own fame and a forgotten punch line in Hollywood, forced to sell out his body and his creative vision in order to work. Where reality begins and ends is hard to tell in this film, but it does a good job of reveling the human side of the thoughtful karate master in an entertaining and meta screenplay.

Apparently it humanized and highlighted Van Damme, who displayed some pretty decent dramatic acting chops in the film, to the point that since the film first screened at a festival earlier this year, he has started to receive more acting work, and is currently working on a project in which he is starring and directing. Only in America. Or Belgium. Or whatever.

‘JCVD’ screens tonight at Alamo South as part of the Fantastic Fest.

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September 12, 2008

Take a pass on new Coen brothers' film

It was with a mixture of excitement and low expectations that I entered the screening for ‘Burn After Reading,’ the new Coen brothers’ film. It turns out that the latter of my two motivations would be rewarded.

The film starts with a satellite image that slowly descends on CIA headquarters until we are thrust into the halls of power. As we come to learn through the film, those halls hold about as much cognitive power as a disorderly junior high, with lying, backstabbing and buck-passing at every turn. Though the film’s early sequences may seem to suggest that movie will be about the misuse of power and the oxymoron inherent in ‘Central Intelligence,’ and the buffoonery therein, it quickly spirals into a shaggy dog tale centering on people who can’t find satisfaction in their fractured personal lives.

Although it bares some similarity to the Coens’ ‘Fargo’ and ‘The Big Lebowski,’ the film is neither as dark as the former or as funny as the latter. John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton give wonderful performances that are deserving of better material, but the other performances fall flat. Brad Pitt’s quirkiness is not as trite as Tom Cruise’s profanity-laden character in ‘Tropic Thunder,’ but it comes close. The always charming George Clooney’s character waffles between unbridled neuroticism and shotgun-splayed Don Juanism that is disjointed at best, and even the usually wonderful Francis McDormand struggles to endear on any level. In fact, none of the characters are lovable or even likeable, much less entertaining, making the absurd plotline somewhat tedious.

Considering the brothers entered this endeavor fresh off of ‘No Country for Old Men,’ I guess this piece of fluff, despite some seriously dark scenes, can be excused for falling short of both the ‘dark’ and ‘comedic’ elements of a ‘dark comedy.’ Save this one for the Netflix list or a rainy matinee.

Read the Statesman film critic Chris Garcia’s review here.

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July 28, 2008

Oliver Stone's 'W.' trailer

The trailer for Oliver Stone’s new film “W.” has hit the Internets. I am sure the White House and Republicans in general will be thrilled at the depiction of the 43rd president. From the trailer it seems as if Stone will portray the former Texas governor as a rudderless young man hooked on booze, women and general good-timin’ who failed his way upwards, disappointing his family at every turn before finally getting his act together and ascending to the nation’s highest office. Sounds like one of those it-would-be-funny-if-it-wasn’t-true type stories.

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July 25, 2008

Is 'Wall-E' overrated?

Statesman film critic Chris Garcia and I both coincidentally ended up seeing the Pixar film “Wall-E” Thursday night, about a month after its release. I had pretty high expectations going in, as the film had received boffo response from critics and audiences alike. Leaving the movie, I was mildly entertained and maybe a little touched, but I was puzzled by the incredible response to a film I thought to be only a little above average. With that in mind, I e-mailed back and forth with Garcia today (Friday) to get his take. What follows are the printable parts of our conversation.

Matthew Odam: OK, so maybe something is wrong with me, but I don’t quite understand all of the fuss surrounding “Wall-E.” Critics were uniformly wow’d and Rotten Tomatoes has it as its highest rated film, just barely beating out “The Dark Knight.” Wow! I appreciated the message, and the lack of anthropomorphism, but I thought it was kinda boring. Is something wrong with me?

Chris Garcia: First, yes, there is something wrong with you. You possess a heart of coal. Second, forget Rotten Tomatoes. They gauge on a “thumbs-up/thumbs-down” system, so even if you sorta liked a movie, it registers as a positive review. I would give “Wall-E” three stars, despite experiencing yawning (and I use that word deliberately) chasms of boredom watching it. I started thinking of the weather and moose during the middle part of the film, not a good sign

M.O.: I would agree with three stars. The first part did not have dialogue for maybe 15 minutes, save for Fred Willard’s character doing that speaking billboard thing. It bored me a little, but I did like the neo-realismo slant to things: A war-ravaged country in which people (a robot) searches for human connection and identity. Maybe that’s a stretch, but I liked the post-apocalyptic visuals, although was bored by the lack of dialogue. But the second and third acts spiraled into the expected.

Chris Garcia: I’m a little tired of the knee-jerk hosannas for all things Pixar. “Ratatouille,” in my estimation, is pretty lame, yet the critics and crowds went equally gaga over it as they are on the charming if emotionally hackneyed “Wall-E.” Don’t get me wrong: Pixar makes MIND-BLOWINGLY quality films — I adore both “Toy Story” movies, “The Incredibles,” “Finding Nemo,” “Monsters, Inc.” Still, I expect a little more critical vigor applied to them, not just responses guided by sheer gut delight. Now, I think the first 20 minutes of “Wall-E” are by far the most hypnotic, charming and conceptually interesting. (Small correction, MO: It’s not a ‘war-ravaged’ Earth; it’s just been polluted and poisoned by its own inhabitants for livability.)

M.O.: You say ‘tomato’ … I KNOW it’s not actually war ravaged, but the idea in the sense of destruction is somewhat similar, despite the thematic importance in both of how that ravaging ocurred. I have not seen an animated movie in the theaters since “Ants,” but I did like how this one was not about cutesy animals talking and going for cheap laughs. But between that (fortunate for me) absence and the fact that the movie is very a much a meditation on how humans are becoming lazy and absorbed in and by technology and losing our ability to relate to others, and even ourselves, I don’t see how in the world this movie was attractive to children. I know it should be G-rated because there is no real violence or lewdness, but I can’t imagine how or why a 9 year-old would like this film. Maybe kids are a lot smarter and more conscientious of socio-political and psychological matters than I was at that age, but, I just don’t see its appeal to kids, especially with the plodding open and its complete lack of dialogue.

Chris Garcia: And also let’s make it clear that we are only having this discussion out of MILD puzzlement over the angelic choruses we’ve been hearing about “Wall-E” and how it doesn’t quite live up to such blinding, high-wattage enthusiasm. That said, I do think kids are more aware and downright smarter about these things today. And I think the film’s message is nicely integrated into good old fashioned storytelling. Maybe it’s the pacing that’s off and could possibly bore kids. For me, it was when people entered the story that things got predictable and followed old cartoon story patterns and my sense of wonder waned. Suddenly even the robots were acting like people and the film stopped taking chances.

M.O.: Sure. I only thought it worthy of a little bit of discussion because we both saw it on the same night several weeks after it came out to some serious, serious praise. I did think there were some interesting similarities between the “Buy-N-Large” world in “Wall-E” and Mike Judge’s film “Idiocracy.” Yet, with one, “Wall*E,” the stuido gets behind it and pushes it like crazy, and in the other, “Idiocracy,” the studio did everything it could to prevent the film from being finished and distributed. Maybe Judge should stick with animation.

Chris Garcia: The analogy to “Idiocracy” is unavoidable and germane. Pixar’s lucky NO ONE saw the (underrated) Judge flick.

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July 17, 2008

'The Dark Knight:' This comic book movie ain't no joke

Leaving a comic-based action movie, it is rare that the first thing you find yourself discussing and marveling over is not the mesmerizing action sequences, the incredible set designs, the tongue-in-cheek humor or the special effects. Such was the case with ‘The Dark Knight.’ Upon exiting the screening with Statesman film critic Chris Garcia, we immediately began to ponder the complexity of the morality play unfolded by co-writer/director Christopher Nolan.

As we attempted to untangle the web of messages and their allegoric intent, I began to wonder whether our struggle was a testament to Nolan’s accomplishments or failings as a filmmaker. In the end, I would say it was a little of both, although more the former than the latter. For as much as ‘The Dark Knight’ causes us to think about virtue, villainy, and human nature (wrapped in a dazzling and, for a comic book movie, very realistic visual package), it also confounds at times, partly because Nolan jumbles myriad complex ideas into his overly-lengthy film and introduces and removes said ideas, plot devices and characters at break-neck pace.

That said, the film, while falling short of the absolute masterpiece for which the talented Nolan, whose skills of labyrinthine storytelling are legend from movies such as “Memento” and”The Following,” seemed to be aiming, is fantastic … the best comic book movie I have ever seen. Rare is the movie that can hold up a mirror to the audience and make us ask questions about the choices we make as a society, questions regarding our safety, our perception of virtue, our honest with ourselves and our need to be protected to the point of being coddled. There are certainly overtones of terrorism that pervade the movie, almost all in the form of the sadistic Joker played by Heath Ledger.

In the months leading up to the movie, there were whispers of whether Ledger could be nominated posthumously for an Academy Award for his portrayal of the character played most famously in film by Jack Nicholson. I was skeptical to say the least when I heard what I considered must be sentimental postulating. After seeing the movie, I would almost be surprised now if he doesn’t get a nomination, although it is obviously early in the race to project. Ledger plays the sadistic villain whose past is an ever-evolving string of meaningless lies that vary depending on the intent of his manipulation with a psychotic’s glee, but relies more on subtlety in his mannerisms than did Nicholson. A flick of the tongue here, a crooked giddy-up in his step there, a face covered in make-up that looks like it was applied by Dameon, all riding shotgun to the perverse, intriguing and slightly effeminate lilting that reminds one of Marlon Brando doing a straight imitation of Jimmy Cagney. Straight up creepy.

Ironically, despite his sociopathic behavior, the Joker is one of the few characters who appears as he is. He is the least troubled and the most self-aware. His purpose is to be a catalyst of chaos, not to scheme and deceive or struggle with questions of right and wrong. I can not remember a character in recent cinema who has amused and disgusted simultaneously as Ledger’s Joker does. And, considering the serpentine philosophical quandaries in which the other characters in the film find themselves, the Joker’s honesty, lack of vulnerability and certitude are somehow a breath of fresh air. Air that just happens to be filled with sarin gas.

Read Statesman film critic Chris Garcia’s excellent review here.

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July 8, 2008

Sacha Baron Cohen as 'Bruno' fires up Arkansans with gay gag

Say this about British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, dude is brave. After making a mockery of some pockets of American society (and inspiring lawsuits) with his movie “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” the satirist is back at it with filming of his new movie based on his character Bruno, a gay Austrian fashionista made famous on Cohen’s “Da Ali G Show.”

Cohen has refocused his aim on familiar ground fertile for satirizing, the South. The hoax this time was perpetrated on over 1500 people in Forth Smith and Texarkana, Arkansas, who were “lured by $1 beer and the prospect of prospect of ‘hot chicks’ and ‘hardcore fights,’” according to The Smoking Gun. Using ads on CraigsList, Cohen’s team promoted an event called “Blue Collar Brawlin’ Cage Fights.” Nothing like cheap beer and capitalizing on anything “blue collar” to draw out a big crowd.

According to the post on The Smoking Gun, “both cards ended with two male grapplers (one was identified as ‘Straight Dave’ and wore camouflage) tearing each other’s clothes off and, while in underwear, kissing down their opponent’s chest. This man-on-man action triggered Fort Smith fans to throw chairs and beer at the ring, according to one cop present at the city’s Convention Center.”

Attendees, who were told they were being filmed, with some being asked to sign releases, were not allowed to bring in cameras or cell phones, so there is no footage floating around the Web, as far as I can gather. One can only imagine the scene.

It’s a wonder Cohen, who ironically co-starred in the Will Ferrell comedy about NASCAR, “Talladega Nights,” has not yet been jumped by any of the targets of his wit and derision. It probably helps that the only time he ever ventures into middle America is when he is in character.

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July 1, 2008

Online documentary about tree removal to make way for Barton Place condos

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably heard about the debate raging over the 100 year-old pecan grove in South Austin that is being partially felled for the Barton Place condos.

The debate over how the land is being treated by developers even led to an indictment of the developers and Austin Java (owned by one of the co-developers and located amidst the chaos on Barton Springs Road) by musician Marcia Ball at Blues on the Green last week, which in turn led to a written response from Austin Java owner Rick Engel to Ball.

Well, it turns out Ball and her suggested boycott of Austin Java, which Engel said led in part to a 50% drop off in business at the restaurant last Thursday, is not the only one raising a stink over the tree removal.

A documentary about the tree removal is making its debut online today. According to a press release:

“At What Cost?”, a short film about the demise of a 100-year-old pecan grove in the center of Austin, debuts today on the internet. The film, by Tom Suhler, takes the form of an obituary for one of the 50 trees that were toppled to make room for the Barton Place Condominiums.”

Shuler goes on to say, “I don’t consider myself an environmental activist. I’ve owned land; I believe in property-owner’s rights. But once I started documenting the land-clearing I was surprised how much the take-down affected me and those of other Austin residents. So I put this piece together to try to resolve some of those feelings.”

Check out the film’s Web site here.

The truncated “trailer” of sorts is below:

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April 28, 2008

Iron Man flies in South Austin

I headed over to the Alamo Drafthouse Monday afternoon to see a man fly. With a little help of course. As part of a promotion by Ain’t It Cool News and the Alamo Drafthouse for a sneak preview of ‘Iron Man,’ the folks from Jet Pack International showed up to demonstrate their sweet backpack flying mechanism. Eric Scott donned a 135 lb. pack that runs on 90 percent hydrogen peroxide and provides 325 pounds of thrust, equal to about 800 horsepower. For those of you who were not math or science majors, let’s just say that’s some heavy-duty power, as evidenced by the ridiculously loud sound emitted by the machine. The 150 decibels wasn’t enough to blow out ones ears, but it was damn close. I thought I felt my heart stop, but apparently I was wrong, according to this Web site. I can’t imagine what it was like for Scott, who blasted from the parking lot surface for a 14-second flight that took him over the Alamo’s marquee before returning him to Earth.

The stunt I saw was for press, random passers-by and film geeks, but the Alamo and Ain’t It Cool had a 7 p.m. repeat performance (with a few surprises) scheduled for later in the evening before a special sneak screening. The lucky couple hundred who will get to see the sneak include those who competed in an ‘Iron Man’ costume contest, along with some AIC insiders and Fantastic Fest badge holders. AIC boss Harry Knowles was at the Alamo Monday and admitted to being just slightly disappointed. He had hoped that the Iron Man lookalike would fly from the Alamo to the UT Tower, land and then return. Now that would have been cool. Unfortunately, the pack only provides six seconds of flight time per gallon, so the 5.5 gallon tank only allowed for 33 seconds of flight. Maybe in the future. The future…

Check out my video and see Eric Scott take flight. Also, see this shot from a different angle.

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January 24, 2008

Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood did not get robbed after all

If you are like me, you may have been shocked to see Radiohead’s Johhny Greenwood’s searing epic score for ‘There Will Be Blood’ missing from the nominations for an Academy Award. Turns out the reason is not that the Academy is stupid, but that Greenwood’s composition was not entirely original and not written specifically for the film. According to the Associated Press, “some of the score came from a performance Greenwood had done for the BBC, titled “Popcorn Superhet Receiver.” Some of it came from Estonian composer Arvo Part; still other parts came from a Brahms violin concerto.” Well, that explains that. I could not imagine how on Earth a score that provided such incredible tension, drama and horror, leaving the film feeling like a work by Stanley Kubrick or Terrence Malick, could not get an Oscar nod. Now I know.

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January 7, 2008

Texas All-Star Nobelity Dinner

Whereas the widely seen and critically tauted “Nobelity” searched for questions most important in stewardship of the global environment and community, Pipkin’s new film searches for answers that can spotlight necessary efforts for fostering a better planet to leave for future generations.

In an effort to raise money for his ongoing filming, Pipkin is hosting the Texas All-Star Nobelity Dinner at the Four Seasons on Sunday, Jan. 27. The night will feature a sparkling array of Texas talent with 25 great artists who will each host a table of 10 guests at the dinner. Participants will include Owen Wilson, Ricardo Chavira of “Desperate Housewives,” Kinky Friedman, Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks, Greater Tuna, Mike Judge, Harry Anderson, Shawn Colvin, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Lawrence Wright and many more.

Tables are $10,000 for 10 people (with $500 and $1,000 individual seats available), and include a cocktail reception with all the celebrities, dinner with one of the host artists, and a show with Ely, Bob Schneider and actor/magician Harry Anderson.

The evening’s guest of honor is Nobel laureate Steve Weinberg, who participated in “Nobelity.”

For more information on the Texas All-star Nobelity Dinner and to find out more about the film and the Nobelity Project, visit nobelity.org.

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December 28, 2007

Top 10 movies of 2007

Just what we all needed, one more Top 10 list for 2007. So without further ado, here are my Top 10 films of 2007, with 10 (plus or minus)-word descriptions of each.

1. “There Will Be Blood” — Kubrick-esque parable of greed and corruption in America. P.T. Anderson’s masterpiece
   
2. “No Country for Old Men” — Beautifully shot film with one of the scariest villains in recent memory
   
3. “The Savages” — Touching and darkly humorous look at living and dying with dignity
   
4. “King of Kong” — Very human portrayal of good vs. evil set against cartoonish backdrop
   
5. “Michael Clayton” — Riveting thriller and moral tale with a classic feel
   
6. “Into the Wild” — Stomach-punch of a movie about one man’s search for self
   
7. “Knocked Up” — Runs too long but dialogue and acting makes it funniest of year
   
8. “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” — Lumet returns to his brilliance of 70s. Hoffman and Linney don’t miss a beat.
   
9. “Hot Fuzz” — Genre-bending laugh riot with equal number of laughs and thrills
   
10. “Sicko” — Heavy-handed and obvious but still a powerful indictment
    

Honorable Mention
“3:10 to Yuma”
“Gone Baby Gone”
“The Ten”
“The T. V. Set”

Most Overrated
“Juno”

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October 17, 2007

Interview: Emile Hirsch journeys 'Into the Wild'

In “Into the Wild,” which opens Friday in Austin, Emile Hirsch portrays Christopher McCandless, the young man immortalized in John Krakauer’s best-selling book of the same name. Disillusioned with materialism in the world, McCandless rid himself of most of his earthly possessions, and at 22, headed out on a journey of self-discovery. Though McCandless has been both praised for his rugged individualism and criticized for what some call a juvenile narcissism and carelessness, the movie directed by Sean Penn, which should get considerable attention come awards season, offers an honest, nonjudgmental portrayal of its protagonist as a gregarious if conflicted young man dedicated to living an authentic life. Indeed, “Into the Wild” is a stomach-punch of a movie, probably my favorite of the year to this point.

Hirsch visited Austin a few weeks ago, and we met at the Four Seasons to discuss his experience with making this poignant film. The young actor was both affable and thoughtful, at times affecting a measured rumination reminiscent of a young Johnny Depp or Sean Penn.

Sean Penn said he wanted you all along for the role, but what was the vetting process like with him and how he felt you out for the role?

You know, I think he wanted to get to know me. He called me up and said, ‘I was intrigued by your performance in “Lords of Dogtown.” ’ I go, ‘Wow, wow, wow, that’s Sean Penn on the other end of the line;’ then that’s the end of the conversation. And I thought that was the last I’d ever hear from him. And then he called me a week later and said, ‘Let’s go have lunch.’ We go have lunch, he brings up the book, I read it that night; I love it. I’m blown away by the concept of being able to do this film. It would be the dream come true for me to get a part like that and be able to work with someone of the caliber of Sean. But then he never brings it up again, even though we get together every three weeks for the next four months. He never really talks about the movie anymore. Occasionally he’ll say something, but not like, ‘You have the part,’ or even like, ‘I’m makin’ the movie.’ So I started to think, maybe he just, you know, thinks I’m cool or something. Of course, I figure out later that’s definitely not the case. Sean Penn does not think I am cool.

He was feelin’ me out as a person. Because he knew that whoever this cat was gonna be that he was gonna work with was gonna be a year of close contact, of editing, shooting, you’re gonna have to stare at this guy’s face. And if he didn’t like him, it was gonna be really hard for him. So I think he wanted to make sure that I had the right stuff for the part. You know, it was almost like they say about the astronauts, ‘Do you have the right stuff?’ He really needed to make sure that for all the different challenges the part was gonna have that he thought I could do it. And I gotta give him credit; you know, he believed in me more than I believed in me, at the time. I was completely gung-ho, completely committed in doing it, but he really was like, ‘I think you can do this.’

Continue reading...

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August 24, 2007

Best of Public Radio: Pierson talks with Spike Lee

From KUT’s Web site:

Throughout his twenty films in twenty years career, Spike Lee has entertained us, challenged us, angered us and, above all, made us think. With a body of work that unflinchingly explores race, class, sexuality and culture, Lee has been a bold and prolific presence in modern American filmmaking.

Starting out as an outspoken young man hawking tube socks to market his debut ‘She’s Gotta Have It,’ Spike had his biggest commercial success with last year’s ‘Inside Man.’ At the same time, he continued his occasional foray into non-fiction with the epic and heartbreaking ‘When The Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.’

The Spike Lee Master Class coincided with his acceptance of UT’s William Randolph Hearst Award for journalistic excellence for this documentary on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and its devastating effect on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. It has been nominated for six Emmy Awards. Here on the second anniversary of Katrina, John Pierson sits down for the full hour to talk with Spike Lee about his remarkable career, Don Imus, 50 Cent and spoken-word poetry.

Speaking of ‘When the Levees Broke,’ if you have not seen it, I highly recommend it. Here is my response after viewing it.

Image of Pierson (c) Kelly West/AA-S. Image of Spike Lee (c) AP.

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August 20, 2007

At the movies: 'The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters'

Fortunately, the film was released over the weekend at a few cities around the country, and, naturally, Austin was one of said cities, thanks to our love of indie film, the strong film community here, Matt Dentler and Co. and the Alamo Drafthouse.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the documentary about obsessive video gamers is the best movie I have seen all year. Regardless of whether you enjoy classic video games, which I do not particularly, you will be amazed at the compelling human drama staged by two competitors, Steve Wiebe and Billy Miller, as they compete for the world record in Donkey Kong.

Early in the movie I feared that the filmmakers would take the easy way out and take yet cheap shots at it subjects, adding to the list of myriad documentaries that work only to make us laugh at its subjects. I was relieved to realize that this certainly was not the case in the hilarious and touching movie from director Seth Gordon (cinematographer of the award-winning doc about the Dixie Chicks, ‘Shut Up and Sing’).

Without giving away too much of the film, I will say that the film tells the story of two men who have taken very different routes to their place in arcade lore. Wiebe’s is a touching story of a gifted young athlete and musician who seemed to always come up short in his attempts to reach the pinnacle of his chosen fields of endeavor. A committed family man, Wiebe decided to make one last stab at glory after losing his job. Combining a desire to be the best with an understanding of strategy and mathematics, Wiebe attempted to take down one of the most untouchable records in all of arcade history.

The man holding that record, Miller, is a feather-haired wing sauce impresario who has made a name for himself in the gaming world for over 25 years as being one of the most respected and feared competitors of all time. He is the Bobby Fischer of arcade games, minus the social awkwardness, hermetic lifestyle and anti-Semitism. Miller goes so far as to compare himself to the Red Baron, but stops short of making the correlation between his omnipotence and God’s.

Using archived footage of the two men, as well as interviews with Wiebe’s family and friends, and Miller’s allies and idolaters, Gordon truly paints a story of good vs. evil, as one man deviously and maniacally attempts to maintain a veneer of greatness while another humbly searches for his life’s crowning achievement, a moment of redemption for all of the times in his life where he came up just short. In a great thematic nod to the ’80s, Gordon even utilizes classic songs from ‘Rocky’ and ‘The Karate Kid’ in the score to heighten the drama without seeming flip.

It is a story that has to be seen to be believed. Here’s hoping that Ben Stiller does not buy the movie and cast himself in the role of Miller. As the old saying goes: Sometimes fact is stranger (and funnier and more heartbreaking) than fiction.

[Official site for ‘The King of Kong’]
[Showtimes]

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August 16, 2007

'Superbad': Is there an editor in the house?

Now, on to the task at hand. I could not be more pleased about the success of Judd Apatow and his motley (and merry) crew of filmmaking buddies. Ever since the success of ‘The 40 Year Old Virgin,’ Apatow seems to have carte blanche in making hilarious adult comedies (read: Rated R) without much impeding by the studio. His films do not rely on expensive special effects nor are they burdened with exorbitant salaries from stars, so it seems as if the studios just let him run wild, have fun and make the movie he wants to make.

The minor problem I have with his films, ‘Superbad’ included, is that because he does not seem beholden to studios, he feels no need to curtail the length of his films, leading to stories that lack precision. To confuse the situation, despite his original storytelling, he still conforms to Hollywood by often concluding his films with endings that you can get in any romantic comedy. After an amazingly funny and strong start, ‘Superbad’ spirals out of control with unnecessary sequences, only to eventually be wrapped up in a nice little saccharine bow.

At the helm of this particular project is director Greg Mottola, a collaborator of Apatow’s dating back to ‘Freaks and Geeks.’ But the film is as much Apatow’s (his penchant for the sweet and charming, despite a veil of filth, permeates the film), as it is the neophyte director’s (this is Mottola’s second feature-length film). ‘Superbad’ features realistic dialogue with naturalistic performances, most notably those of the disarming Michael Cera and manic Jonah Hill. Raunchy, raw and fearless, the young characters in the film, thrilled and mortified by the maturation process, talk the way every kid wishes he was smart enough and gutsy enough to get away with.

Much as in ‘Knocked Up,’ after a rapid-fire open in a land of language and characters in which any kid (or kid at heart) would love to find himself lost, the story takes the hackneyed turn of movies that could only hope to aspire to Apatow and Co.’s intelligence, movies such as ‘Super Troopers’ or ‘Harold & Kumar Go to White Kastle.’ There is even a specific scene in the film where you find yourself thinking, ‘Oh boy, here we go.’ Two story lines diverge, and you know they are going to find their way back to one another. The only question is how long will they take. Unfortunately, the answer is ‘terribly longer than they should.’

You can tell from the writing and the performances that Apatow’s posse loves making movies together. And that is fabulous. But his joy of cooperative filmmaking also seems to be his biggest challenge. How do you take all of the great scenes and performances and whittle them down to a more digestible story and, eventually, movie? At almost two hours, ‘Superbad,’ just like the 129-minute ‘Knocked Up’ and 116-minute ‘40 Year Old Virgin,’ is just a few sequences longer than it needs to be.

No film, regardless of the brilliant writing (here by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who started the script together as teens) or bravura performances, can maintain the frantic hilarity for two hours while still trying to fit in a serpentine (yet still contrived) plot. My advice: Lose the meandering and divergent story lines and stick with the jokes. They’re amazing.

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July 13, 2007

At the movies: 'Broken English'

In the film’s opening, Nora fusses nervously with her hair, trying to make herself presentable for the fifth anniversary party of her best friend Audrey (Drea de Matteo), a celebration that brings to bear the point that Nora, adrift somewhere in her 30s, is still not married (or happy), a fact her overbearing mother (Gena Rowlands) is wont to reinforce.

Nora has graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in art and dreams of entering the glamorous New York art world, but her ‘Sex in the City’ fairy tale has faded into frustrated resignation. Instead of attending celebrated art exhibitions, she finds herself working as concierge manager for visiting elites at a Manhattan boutique hotel, her love life shipwrecked by failed relationships and bad dates. Determined to find idealized love, Nora retreats to the arms of a movie star (played to amusing effect by Justin Theroux), only to be poisoned once again by lost love’s remorse.

Read my full review here.

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July 2, 2007

More 'Sicko'

‘Sicko’ had the second-highest opening weekend of all time for a documentary (behind Moore’s ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’), grossing $4.5 million on 441 screens for a per screen average just over $10,200 - third highest of the weekend.

Following the success of its first week and its exclusive open in New York the week before, according to a press release, “The Weinstein Company plans to add the film to 200 additional screens and will continue to roll out the documentary to theaters across the country in the weeks ahead.”

In the release, Harvey Weinstein said, “We are thrilled that in addition to playing strongly in cities like N.Y. and Los Angeles, ‘Sicko’ played to sold-out audiences in mainstream commercial theaters in markets like Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; and Atlanta, GA., as well as smaller markets such as cities in Vermont, Hartford, CT; Sacramento, CA; Austin, TX; and Madison, WI, showing the breadth of interest among all Americans. We are excited to continue expanding the film so that more and more people will be able to experience the film.”

As I stated in my write-up of the film last week, I believe the film properly diagnosed the problem with health care in America: Too many Americans are taken advantage of by a for-profit health care system that is generally pandered to by Congress. While feeling outraged and saddened by the picture Moore painted of our broken system, I did not feel, however, that he came up with a prescription for how to fix it. I did not necessarily believe that was his job or purpose in making the film, but I have felt his rosy depiction of health care in other nations made it seem as if a cure was simple — just give everyone free health care and access to medicine and have the government pay for it. Oh, if it were only so easy.

Reading Slate today, I saw an interesting response from an economist who works as an adviser to the Obama campaign, Austan Goolsbee, with a much better grasp than I have on the economics of the situation. He contends, as I did, that Moore did a fine job of portraying the problem, but Goolsbee goes into much better detail, dissecting where Moore’s solution has its faults. Obviously this is just one man’s opinion, but I found it interesting and thought I’d pass it along, especially considering many people’s knee-jerk reactions to the film. If you want to read a review of ‘Sicko,’ there are myriad resources online (such as here and here), you can also Google the film and find a plethora of responses (both positive and negative) to the movie’s policy ideas.

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June 29, 2007

'Sicko': so obvious, yet so alarming

Following his cinematic diatribe against the Bush administration with 2004’s ‘Fahrenheit 9/11,’ Moore decided to focus his attention on a problem that seems less divisive and even more obvious.

More than a year ago, Moore put out a request on his Web site asking Americans for their personal horror stories in dealing with insurance companies and health management organizations. Within a week, he received more than 25,000 e-mails. Compelled to act as the voice for those who are so often unheard, Moore set out to make ‘Sicko.’

Instead of putting himself and the hunt for his movie’s antagonist at the center of his story, as he has done in his previous documentaries, with ‘Sicko,’ Moore wisely chooses to focus on his subjects’ stories. The result is a movie with more heart, and while still relying on his smug, tongue-in-cheek attacks on those in power, more substance than style.

As the narrative bounces from one story of a woman denied coverage because she is declared too young to have cervical cancer to a once upper-middle class family that has gone bankrupt because of medical expenses, Moore seems genuinely disheartened by the state of health care in our country and the fact that Americans would allow their fellow citizens to suffer so gravely, all for the sake of the almighty dollar.

Overwhelmed by their tragic stories, Moore takes the audience through the history of how we as a country reached the sad state of affairs in which we find ourselves. Not surprisingly, Moore found an easy villain in Richard Nixon and his former assistant John Ehrlichman, using rather sinister-sounding archived tape of the two discussing what would become Nixon’s national health care plan. After Ehrlichman easily persuaded President Nixon to pass legislation allowing large companies to make enormous profit off of Americans’ illness and attempts at preventive procedures, the main corporate culprit being Kaiser Permanente, insurance companies and HMOs instantly reaped the financial whirlwind, accumulating millions while Americans paid the price.

Instead of using the rest of the film to diagnose more precisely how this private system came to be, Moore decides to investigate the national health care systems of Canada, Great Britain and France. Using anecdotal stories told through the rosiest of lenses, Moore depicts Canadian, British and French citizens living in an idyllic wonderland of socialized medicine. While eschewing attempts to give a complete picture of these Western nation’s health care systems, Moore makes it quite clear that other countries give medical help regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, ensuring that truly no citizen is left behind. In his most heavy-handed bit of grandstanding, Moore even takes volunteer workers from New York’s ground zero to Cuba to prove that even citizens and tourists in a communist regime can receive quick and free medical care.

As is his wont, Moore’s work as an artist does not endeavor to show both sides of the story. He does not speak to the fact that funding nationalized health care for a country of 400 million people is much more difficult than doing so in a country the size of France; nor does he speak directly and thoroughly to the issues of taxes in Europe or the wait times in the Canadian system.

But Moore does not pretend to have the answers in ‘Sicko.’ In this, his most mature and least self-important film (he does not appear on camera for the first 40 minutes), the director who has found fame (and infamy) as a provocateur, simply speaks with an unbridled sympathy. He has looked into the heart of a system that would rather save $500,000 than a human life, and he is horrified and saddened that the country he loves would so blatantly ignore its own. After viewing ‘Sicko,’ I imagine you will feel the exact same way.

No matter your politics, there is no denying that we live in a country with a system that is broken seemingly beyond repair. The question now becomes, can we fix it, and if so, how?

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June 27, 2007

Last night at the Alamo screenings: maybe you can go

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June 20, 2007

Alamo Drafthouse trailers

In honor of the final week of the original Alamo Drafthouse, we are highlighting a few of their most memorable trailers from years past, taken from their YouTube account.

If you talk during the movie, Ann Richards will take you out…

Master Pancake Theater takes aim at ‘Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome’…

At Open Screen Night, the Alamo will screen anything you bring. Anything…

Blast off with the Hoff, only at the Alamo…

Celebrating the Oscars in true Alamo fashion…

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June 12, 2007

At the movies: 'The Foot Fist Way'

I don’t know if I’d go quite that far, but there was definitely a similarity in the two experiences. Both movies are extremely low budget films, written with an incredible ear for dialogue and feature very naturalistic performances.

As I mentioned yesterday, Oswalt introduced the film even though he had nothing to do with the production. He’s just a fanboy who had been given a DVD of the movie a month ago by Will Ferrell. Ferrell and his producing partner Adam McKay have purchased the rights to the film and plan to release it as-is in late February or early March next year and hope for it to take off via word-of-mouth a la ‘Napoleon Dynamite.’

‘The Foot Fist Way’ (a literal translation of Tae Kwon Do) tells the story of Fred Simmons (Danny McBride), a tae kwon do instructor in a small North Carolina town, whose 15 minutes of martial arts fame passed him by about 15 years ago. After discovering that his fake-tanned, silicone-enhanced, opportunistic wife has cheated on him with her boss (and seemingly every man at her office), Simmons sees his life head down a self-destructive road fueled by his myopia and complete lack of self-awareness. The aging instructor unleashes his torment in a series of hilarious attempts of redemption that make the self-serious, overweight, mustachioed Simmons a lovable loser very much in the vein of Ricky Gervais’ character in ‘The Office’ or Cliff Claven in ‘Cheers.’ As Oswalt said following the movie, Simmons seems to take to heart the major tenets of tae kwon do (courtesy, self-respect, perseverance, integrity and indomitable spirit) but filters them through his simple-minded, self-involved worldview, the result of which makes him a perfect fool.

McBride, who helped pen the script with writer/actor Ben Best and director/actor Jody Hill, obviously knows this Southern-fried lovable loser character intimately. The trio’s love of the local dialect and the pacing of the characters’ language and delivery make the movie a charming gem. One can easily imagine Stiller or Ferrell wanting to play the McBride character (and they have, to varying degrees, with Stiller in ‘Dodgeball’ and Ferrell in ‘Talladega Nights’), but their interpretation of the character would come off over-the-top, hack and disingenuous. But McBride, along with Hill and Best, knows this character and empathizes with him; the makers of this film live in the world of these types of characters, making their portrayals come across as comic and endearing, but lacking the self-satisfied sneer of mockery and disdain with which Ferrell and Stiller approach such roles. Instead of playing a role as caricature, McBride develops a real character.

His work has not gone unnoticed, as, according to Oswalt, ‘The Foot Fist Way’ has made the rounds in Hollywood and is currently riding a wave of tremendous buzz among those in the comedic film world. In fact, Oswalt recently sat in on a production meeting for Stiller’s 2008 film ‘Tropic Thunder,’ and among those in the meeting were Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr….and McBride. But McBride is not the only one from the film enjoying positive feedback from the industry. Best, McBride and Hill are currently back in the Southeast shooting a pilot for their new HBO series ‘East Bound and Down,’ a show about a pitcher who enjoyed one inning of World Series fame before seeing his career disintegrate, sending him shamefully back to working as a P.E. coach at his former high school.

Keep an eye out for ‘The Foot Fist Way’ next spring, along with ‘East Bound and Down,’ as this trio of Southern boys look to become the next hot thing on the comedy landscape.

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June 11, 2007

Patton Oswalt pimps 'Foot Fist Way' at Alamo South

I will be heading over to the Alamo South Lamar tonight at 10 to check out ‘Foot Fist Way,’ presented by Oswalt. Patton is in town as part of the Ratatouille Comedy Tour and it actually presenting that film at the Original Alamo at 7 p.m. But, as I am not one for animated anthropomorphic cinema, I will be checking out the underground ‘Foot Fist Way.’ Although Oswalt had absolutely no hand in the production, he is apparently a huge champion of the indie film. The folks at the Alamo paraphrased Oswalt’s sentiments (for the young and impressionable out there) this way on their Web site:

“Another film to look out for is ‘The Foot Fist Way.’ … I watched this yesterday morning and nearly laughed myself into a kidney stone. I’m not sure how that works, but the film’s (freakin’) funny. Danny R. McBride, Ben Best and Jody Hill have crafted a low-budget, Southern flavored ‘The Office,’ if Ricky Gervais’ character taught tae kwon do — badly. I don’t want to spoil the surprises, the cringe-inducing moments of hilarity, and spot-on dialogue… .”

Sounds like something the kids at the ‘Ratatouille’ screening will probably need to avoid. Just another send-off at the Alamo from one of their favorite guests, and a testament to the importance of the theater on Austin’s cultural landscape.

Patton Oswalt presents ‘Foot Fist Way’
Alamo South Lamar
Ticket Info.

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May 30, 2007

At the Movies: 'Zoo'

The movie goes behind the scenes to tell the story of a group of men in rural Washington who practice ‘zoophilia,’ the act of sharing love with nonhuman animals. Now do you understand his nerves? I was happy to oblige, as was Tami, and what we saw was a film that is nothing short of visually breathtaking though often obsessed with its poetry of image and less with its narrative or purpose.

In July 2005, the Seattle Times broke a story about a man, named ‘Mr. Hands’ for the purpose of this documentary/re-creation, who died from a perforated colon following a sexual encounter with his stallion ‘Strut.’ The LA Times’ Kenneth Turan reports that the stories about the death were the most-read in the Seattle paper’s history. But Devor wanted to tell not the graphic story of animal-sex obsessed men and their acts of ‘love’ but reveal these men as living, caring human beings who happened to have rather twisted sexual proclivities.

The film opens with a shot of coalminers’ lights emerging from a dark shaft, an image that seems symbolic of the fact the Devor was endeavoring to bring these men and their once-buried perversions to the surface for more thoughtful analysis. Not a documentary in the truest sense, the film uses voice-overs from three fellow ‘zoos’ (the moniker given to zoophiles) along with dramatic, and often nonverbal, re-enactment of Mr. Hands’ and his cadre’s ritual bonding with their animals.

Shot mostly in the Pacific Northwest, and washed in enchanting blues and greens, the cinematography of Sean Kirby is some of the best I have seen in years. There is a strange disconnect with elegiac lighting that looks like it could have been painted by Caravaggio and the perverse nature of the actual story. Devor does not use graphic imagery of sex with animals and strays from discussing in too great of detail the physical acts engaged by these men and what they call their lovers. Instead, he paints a very real picture of troubled men from a wide array of socio-economic backgrounds (from truck driver to biospace engineer) who have come to realize that they simply relate better to animals than they do humans. As Coyote, the only zoo who actually physically appears in the film (the other two living zoos lent only their voices to the production), says early in the film, “I don’t need a high level of emotional interaction, be it human or otherwise.” He defends his passion for the animals by saying “you’re connecting with another living being who is very happy to participate.”

As you come to realize that neither the men nor horses were hurt in any of the acts portrayed in the film, for a split second you catch yourself wondering what the big deal is, such is the beauty of the film’s imagery in lulling you into this ethereal world of shadows. Then you remember, ‘Wait, these guys are having sex with horses!” In the end, the film does not attempt to manipulate viewers into seeing these men as sympathetic characters, it simply offers that they are well-intentioned perverts with a love for animals that anyone who is not ‘zoo’ could never fully understand.

As we briefly discussed the movie on the way out of the theater, we came to the conclusion that the subject matter was not anything we would ever think of again. And this is kind of the problem with the film. The choice of subject is so controversial and surreal and told in such abstractions thanks to its majestic visual beauty that you wonder why the filmmaker even bothered. Did he just want to show off his ability to create gorgeous images or was he actually hoping we would come away with a better understanding of these men? We were mildly perplexed, if only briefly - look, we all are human and we all have perversions, so who are we to cast aspersions at people who live such different lives than us? But, of course, we always came back to the thought - Come on…they’re having sex with HORSES!

If you want to see an exceptionally made movie with little to offer in the way of narrative (and guffaw at the sexual peccadilloes of others) check out “Zoo” while it’s still at the Dobie. But don’t go alone. You don’t want people thinking you’re a freak. Right, “Sam”?

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April 26, 2007

"When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts"

Last night I watched one of the most powerful and moving films I have ever seen in my life.

It’s been about 20 months since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, and much of the region, especially New Orleans, is still in shambles. Following the hurricane, director Spike Lee took cameras into the region and began filming a documentary (“When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts”) that tells the underreported story of a region and its people still reeling from the effects of the worst natural disaster in American history.

I realize that watching or talking about a film that came out 8 months ago may seem pointless, but I could not avoid sharing my thoughts on the film and strongly encouraging you to view it. You may ask what took me so long to watch the movie, which is a point well-taken. One of the reasons I had been postponing of late is the fact that my girlfriend evacuated to Austin from New Orleans, and the events and fallout surrounding Katrina were the most heartbreaking thing she has ever endured. Having seen bits of the film, she needed some time before she could return to the pain she had mourned since the destruction of her hometown of New Orleans. Last night, she decided it was time to revisit the life-changing event.

In the film, Lee avoids any heavy-handed proselytizing, adding almost no commentary or voice over of his own. Instead, he allows the people, the pictures and the sounds of New Orleans to tell the story for him, as any great documentarian should. The film ends up resembling a traditional New Orleans funeral, scored beautifully by New Orleans musician Terrence Blanchard.

This space is not the place for me to point fingers or make accusations laying blame at people’s feet, but witnessing the movie, you realize that there is plenty of blame to go around, from the local government to President Bush. The massive, historic failures and incompetence of the government (especially the federal government) are given facts at this point, and Lee generally spends less time casting blame and more time allowing the people to tell their stories. The pain, outrage, and hopelessness of the disenfranchised people of New Orleans are palpable in almost every scene.

The citizens portrayed in the film from the “city that care forgot” span the socio-economic spectrum, eliminating any cynical viewer’s loathsome opportunity to asperse any particular group. While the first half of the movie generally rehashes the tragedy that most of the public saw on television in those weeks (although delving deeper into the malaise with more graphic and heartbreaking original footage along with British television coverage) the second half of the movie tells the woefully disregarded tale of the reasons behind the levee breeches, the attempts of hundreds of thousands of people to rebuild their lives both in and out of New Orleans, and the unfortunately bleak prospects for the future of the most authentic culture and city in the United States.

The film had originally been commissioned to be two hours, but after nine trips to the region, the director felt compelled to double the length. At four hours, you will need to set aside an entire evening (and box of Kleenex and possibly a punching bag on which to release your anger with the horrific treatment of the storm’s victims) to watch the magnum opus.

Spike Lee has made some wonderful and topical films, but he has never made anything with this much heart, subtlety and soul. And it shall be his legacy. All Americans owe it to themselves to watch this film and recognize the plight of, and devastation and indignation suffered by, their fellow brothers and sisters.

(Almost everyone to whom I have mentioned this film in the past says, “Yeah, I hear it’s an amazing and heartbreaking film. I want to see it.” I, too, used to have that response when the movie was mentioned. Well, it’s readily available. Watch it.)

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April 23, 2007

'Hot Fuzz' takes comic aim at Hollywood's buddy flicks

The 60-person line 30 minutes before show time was a testament to the positive buzz surrounding the new comedy from the creators of 2004’s zombie hit ‘Shaun of the Dead.’

The loyal fans of creative partners Edgar Wright (writer/director), Simon Pegg (writer/actor) and Nick Frost (actor) were not disappointed with the trio’s latest venture.

America’s big budget, buddy-cop blow-‘em-up films have been asking for a send-up for years. The clichéd action films almost satirize themselves with their homosexual innuendo, chest-puffing and cinematic explosions. But leave it to the British to perfect the tongue-in-cheek spoofing, in what seems to equate to both homage and lampoon.

The lads who so wonderfully spoofed zombie flicks in ‘Shaun of the Dead’ take dead aim at all of the tried-and-true Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer buddy action flick devices to hilarious effect. Even the editing and sound design, almost deafening at times, is straight out of big-budget Hollywood.

Nicholas Angel (Pegg) has been performing his job as a London copper a little too well for the likings of his superiors in the big city (played with nod-and-wink cameos by Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy and Steve Coogan), so he is shipped off to the place where action goes to die — the fictional Sandford.

Upon his arrival, Angel sets about applying his no-nonsense policing tactics to the small country village, cracking down on underage drinking and arresting a man for driving while intoxicated. A man who, as it turns out, is one of his fellow officers of the law.

Angel’s background as a ‘real cop’ who has been involved in high-speed chases, as well as shot at and stabbed draws the instant admiration from Danny Butterman (Frost), an overweight, bumbling buffoon who idolizes the cops he has seen portrayed in films such as ‘Point Break’ and ‘Bad Boys 2.’ Butterman finds in Angel a real-life action hero, and he constantly peppers the increasingly aggravated Angel about real stories from the force. Frost’s hilarious, deadpanned lines should be enough (at least in my eyes) to warrant a Golden Globe nomination for actor in a supporting comedic role. His puppy-dog attachment to Angel and wild-eyed emulation of the Hollywood action heroes are fodder for the best lines of the film. And despite the fact that you know when and where most of the jokes are coming, they still kill. All of them.

The story takes on a bizarre turn as Angel discovers that all in sleepy Sandford is not as it appears. Here the movie takes a bit of a dark twist, bending genres with head-scratching aplomb, but the third act seems a bit unnecessary or at least prolonged. But when a cast is having as much fun making the movie (and making fun of countless other films referenced throughout) as it seems this lot had, one can hardly blame them for wanting it to never end.

Final grade: B+

Read Statesman film critic Chris Garcia’s interview with Pegg and Frost here.

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April 19, 2007

Cine Las Americas recommendations

Nonetheless, having seen a preview of the festival’s wonderful opening night film, “El Violin,” I am very excited about this year’s lineup, which has expanded to some 80 films. The fest will feature films from Brazil to the U.S., and many points in between. In hopes of getting a better idea of where to direct my film-going focus, I asked Lacey Pipkin, director of media relations for Cine, her recommendations for the festival. They are listed below:

Features
“Que Tan Lejos” (‘How Much Further”)
Tania Hermina, Ecuador
Friday, April 20, 7 p.m. at Regal Metropolitan

“Madeinusa”
Claudia Llosa, Peru/Spain
Monday, April 23, 7 p.m. at Regal Metropolitan

“36 Pasos” (“36 Steps”)
Adrián García Bogliano, Argentina
Wednesday, April 25. 9:45 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse South

Shorts
International Shorts Program
Saturday, April 21, 4 p.m.at Regal Metropolitan

Documentaries
“Olhar Estrangeiro” (“Foreign Eye”)
Lucia Murat, Brazil
Sunday, April 22, 6 p.m. at Regal Metropolitan

“En El Hoyo” (“In the Pit”)
Juan Carlos Rulfo, Mexico
Tuesday, April 24, 7 p.m. at Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum IMAX Theater

“Ghosts of Cite Soleil”
Asger Leth, Denmark/USA/Haiti
Wednesday, April 25, 9 p.m. at Regal Metropolitan

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April 12, 2007

ATHF: Not enough laughs to fill 90 minutes

Several years ago, my friends and I would meet up at my buddy Pope’s house, fire up the grill, crack open a frozen bottle of Tito’s and sit back and laugh to the point of tears at the absurdity that is Adult Swim’s ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force.’ The ritualistic gathering celebrated the rapid-fire, bite-size portions of ridiculous hilarity of these anthropomorphic food items. Unfortunately, the attempt to stretch that tasty morsel of comedy gold into a 90-minute meal with the new ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters’ fails rather miserably.

Fans of the show will certainly be the only folks lured into paying $8 to go see animated fast food endure an intergalactic journey to discover the nature of their origin/defeat the evil mastermind behind a Frankenstein exercise machine/do whatever the hell it is the supposed plot of this film purports to be, but even they will most likely be disappointed.

The joy and beauty of the ATHF cartoon has always been the strong characters writers Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis concocted in their twisted minds, and the relationships between these victims of unknown circumstance. The sweet, confused Meatwad (voice by Willis) and uncontrollably sardonic, sex-crazed Master Shake (Dana Snyder) constantly wear on the thin patience of blaxploitation-influenced Frylock (Carey Means), the elder of the group who must repeatedly keep his outrage in check. The frenetic dialogue of the three characters harkens back to the interplay of the Three Stooges.

Sadly, in “ATHFCMFFT” the dynamic among the three is generally lost in a sea of confused narratives — the writers seem to have written one sequence, woken up the next morning and written the next without ever having gone back to look at what they had written previously. Unlike most television shows-cum-movies that exhaust one contrived bit for 90 minutes, “ATHFCMFFT” schizophrenically skips from one plot device to the next, never fully engaging the audience. To their credit, I guess, the filmmakers remained true to the intention of the show: always be ridiculous and make as little sense as possible. But, as with most pyschedelia, it is more palatable in smaller doses.

There are few moments of the brilliant, caustic, and generally deadpan, wit that make the television show such a joy, but they are too few and far between. In fact, the biggest laughs probably come in the title sequence, which had me laughing out loud. So, if you go, get thee to the theater on time, a task I would imagine may be asking a bit much from this film’s target demographic.

If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll probably see the film regardless of my advice, but I suggest you wait for the movie to come out on DVD. And in the meantime, fire up the grill, break out the beverage of your choice and take in some Adult Swim to get your ATHF fix.

Showtimes

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Turk Pipkin continues down a Nobel path

A few years ago, one of Pipkin’s young daughters asked him about the overriding problems facing the world. Somewhat at a loss for an answer, Pipkin set out to ask (and film) some of the greatest minds in the world about the challenges the human race faces as we enter the 21st century. The film, “Nobelity,” became, in effect, Pipkin’s legacy project. He was intent on finding out how he and the rest of the world could leave the planet and its inhabitants in better shape for future generations.

The overwhelming success and positive feedback Pipkin (and his wife and producer Christy Ellinger Pipkin) received in making the film led to the establishment of The Nobelity Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and education about global issues. Inspired by his talks with the nine Nobel Laureates featured in the film, and backed by the outpouring of support and from people across the country who were moved by the documentary, Pipkin has set out to make a follow-up documentary titled “One Peace at a Time.” As the filmmaker/author/actor said Tuesday night, “Some roads, when you get on, there’s no turning back.”

The film, the title of which is a nod to sage advice Pipkin incurred from laureates Bishop Desmond Tutu and Wangari Maathai, seeks to find answers and solutions to the problems posed in the first film. Instilled with the belief that humanity is a t a crucial turning point, Pipkin hopes to express to audiences that one individual can indeed affect change on the world in which we live.

To that effect, among the celebrities and power-brokers in attendance Tuesday night’s reception at 501 Studios was Matthew Dowd, former chief strategist for the Bush campaign in 2004. As you are probably aware, Dowd, and his disenchantment with the Bush administration, was featured on the front page of the New York Times (subscription) on April 1. In his interview with Jim Rutenberg, Dowd stated that he may well be done with working in politics and mentioned that he senses a greater calling in his life, possibly as a missionary or working to help development of third world countries. It was very telling to see that Dowd made an appearance to hear Pipkin discuss and screen examples of the work he has done in the troubled parts of Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Despite having to shake hands and accept pats-on-the-back of encouragement regarding his defection from the Bush camp, it seemed to me that Dowd listened and watched with intention, as Pipkin spoke about issues that Dowd had so recently discussed as being near to his heart.

In addition to Dowd, other notable Austinites in attendance at the event that featured delicious food from local providers Hudson’s on the Bend, Maneul’s and Cissi’s Market, included Asleep at the Wheel frontman Ray Benson and his date KXAN’s Michelle Valles (camera crew in tow), Mayor Will Wynn and John Paul DeJoria (of Paul Mitchell fame).

Although Pipkin stopped short of Red McCombs’ famous fundraising tactic of locking the door until people pulled out their wallets, his message came across loud and clear, as I overheard verbal commitments of financial support from many in attendance who expressed a desire to be a part of Pipkin’s latest project.

If you want to learn more about the Nobelity Project or Pipkin’s first film, “Nobelity,” read my interview with Pipkin from last year’s SXSW and visit the film’s and non-profit’s Web sites.

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April 2, 2007

The worst of the worst

The film critic aggregator RottenTomatoes.com has compiled its list of the 100 Worst-Reviewed Films in their site’s history, which seems to span about seven years. I am happy to say that I have not seen even two minutes of any of the movies listed here; although I know my dad can probably not say the same thing. I know for a fact he watched one of these films. On a plane. Where other people could see. For shame, Mr. Odam. For the rest of you, take a look, and see if you have anything of which to be ashamed.

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March 29, 2007

Moviemaker Dialogues: Film Bloggers Are Your Friends

The Internet has become a powerful force in film production, distribution and marketing. From Ain’t it Cool News to Film Threat, the Internet is awash in people discussing, critiquing, dismissing and pimping films. Blogs have become a tremendous resource for filmmakers, especially those living outside of the New York or L.A., to get feedback on their films and promote their projects. “Brick” director Rian Johnson, like many directors, even set up a blog and message board to correspond with fans of his work.

To this end, the Austin Film Society will be hosting a moviemaker dialogue titled ‘Film Bloggers are Your Friends,’ which will cover ‘tricks of the trade and the vital details on how you can navigate the ever-growing world of film blogging and reviewing online.’

The panel discussion moderated by Matt Dentler (producer of SXSW Film and blogger for IndieWire) will include Aaron Hillis (editor, Cinephiliac.com & contributor to Premiere.com, IFC.com, TheReeler.com), Joel Heller (editor, DocsThatInspire.com), Jette Kernion (contributor to Cinematical.com) and Mike Curtis (editor, HDForIndies.com).

Tickets are free. Attendance limited to Austin Film Society Filmmaker-level members and above. Visit AFS’ Web site for more information or click here to register.

Moviemaker Dialogues: Film Bloggers Are Your Friends Tuesday, April 10 - 7pm

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February 6, 2007

Filmmakers with Ausin ties score big with SXSW

SXSW announced its list of feature films for this year’s festival. Among the slew of movies honored to participate in the festival are a handful of films and filmmakers with ties to the Austin Film Society.

“As the SXSW Film Festival has developed into one of the top film festivals in the U.S., it has always served as an importance showcase for the vibrant independent film community of Austin and Texas as a whole,” AFS Director of Artist Services Bryan Poyser said. “That tradition continues this year with a whole new crop of exciting work made right here at home.”

The following is a list of films and their AFS ties, as disseminated by today’s AFS press release:

• ‘Hell on Wheels,’ the first documentary feature from Bob Ray (1997 Texas Filmmaker’s Production Fund recipient), will have its world premiere as a Spotlight Premiere.

• The new documentary feature ‘Inside the Circle’ from Marcy Garriott (AFS Board Member, former Board President) will have its world premiere in the Lone Star States section.

• ‘Third Ward, TX,’ the new documentary feature by Andrew Garrison (2001 TFPF recipient), will screen in the Lone Star States section. This film was screened as part of the Docs-in-Progress series.

• ‘The Unforeseen,’ the new documentary feature from Laura Dunn (1999 TFPF recipient), will screen in the Lone Star States section, continuing its festival run after its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

• The new documentary feature from Bennie Klain (2002 TFPF recipient), ‘Weaving Worlds,’ will have its world premiere in the Lone Star States section. This film was also screened as part of the Docs-in-Progress series.

• ‘August Evening,’ the first narrative feature from Chris Eska will have a Special Screening. ‘August Evening’ was awarded TFPF grants in 2005 and 2006 and screened as part of the Narratives-in-Progress series.

Congratulations to all of the films and filmmakers accepted into one of the nation’s finest festivals, and big thanks to the Austin Film Society for their continued support of the local film scene and its creative members.

Click here for more information on Austin Film Society.

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February 1, 2007

Looking good, Billy Ray

The Austin Film Festival may be nine months away (give or take), but even in the “down months,” AFF stays busy with free member screenings that are also open to the public for just $4.

Next Thursday at the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek, they will be screening one of the greatest comedies of all time. As you may have deduced from the headline, that film is “Trading Places.”

In addition to having the pleasure of seeing Eddie Murphy in his prime, Dan Aykroyd and others on the big screen, attendees will be treated to an introduction to the film by its screenwriter, Herschel Weingrod.

In true Alamo fashion, the menu for the evening will be themed in relation to the film. Next Thursday night’s menu theme will be “prince and pauper.” Whatever that is.

[from the promoter]

“Trading Places” kicks off a new monthly screening series at the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek. Each month the series will feature either an audience favorite from the festival, local premieres, shorts collections or retrospectives of great films.

AFF presents “Trading Places”
Thursday, Feb. 8 @ 7:30 p.m.
Alamo Lake Creek
[Tickets at the door]

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January 26, 2007

David Lynch talks

The always enigmatic David Lynch was in Austin this week promoting his latest film and movie projects. Touring for a film and meeting film-goers and theater owners for the first since the debut of ‘Eraserhead’ 30 years ago, Lynch screened his latest, ‘Inland Empire,’ at the Paramount Wednesday night. He followed that appearance with a signing of his latest book, Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity,” at Barnes & Noble today. Thursday afternoon he shared his thoughts on filmmaking, painting, the process of writing a book and meditation with Texas Monthly editor Evan Smith and a studio audience at KLRU.

Lynch admitted to not having spent much time in Texas, but, as with most folks who roll through town, confessed that he has “really liked being in Austin. Not since Eraserhead have I met the theater-goers or owners and set the levels on the sound.” When asked to compare the experience of being on a book tour versus a press junket for a film, Lynch, in typical ambiguous fashion declared the processes to be “different but the same.” Naturally.

While the soft-spoken director, who, but for the shock of finely coifed gray hair greatly resembles an overgrown film school nerd, was typically reticent in discussing the meaning behind his films or people’s interpretations of said, he was more than happy to go preach the gospel of meditation. And I, along with most of the rest of the 300 or so in attendance at the Austin City Limits studio, was rapt with attention.

Critics and the general public for years have debated whether Lynch’s abstractions get in the way of being able to tell a strong story. Viewers vociferously debate the meaning of Lynch’s films, and he seems content to let them each have their own interpretations. “I love a story, but a story that holds abstractions,” he said. “Interpretations when things get abstract vary. Sometimes greatly.”

Though Lynch strayed from giving any revelations about his films’ meanings, he was more than happy to discuss his personal experience with the restorative power of meditation. Lynch began practicing the art of meditation 33 years ago after seeing its positive effect on his sister, and realizing that the best way to find inner-happiness was through mediation. He believes that going inside of ourselves is a process that leads to renewed energy, heightened consciousness and greater creativity.

He called meditation, “the only experience that utilizes the whole brain,” and posited that inner-happiness, love and creativity all come from a heightening of consciousness. For years Lynch “never talked about, [he] just did it,” but after decades of experiencing the joy of this re-creation, he felt it was time to share his insight with the public.

As Lynch gesticulated with lithe hands while discussing the “eternal ocean inside every being,” it was evident that his mind was piqued with the excitement of turning inward, listening to the pluckings of the strings of his soul and returning with another dreamwork.

The Texas Monthly Talks episode with David Lynch will air at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 and at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 23 on KLRU.

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