Robert Duvall
Interview by Kam Williams

Robert Selden Duvall was born in San Diego on January 5, 1931 to Mildred Hart, a descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and William Duvall, an admiral in the U.S. Navy. Robert served in Korea in the Fifties, before getting bitten by the acting bug while stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia. After being honorably discharged, he moved to New York City, where he roomed with another aspiring actor named Dustin Hoffman.

Duvall made his big screen debut in 1962 as Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird, thus kickstarting an illustrious and enduring career which would realize a half-dozen Academy Award nominations including a win for Tender Mercies. Among the legendary thespian’s more memorable 100+ screen credits are outings as a disgraced Southern preacher in search of redemption in The Apostle and as a crazy Army colonel in Apocalypse Now.

He also appeared in everything from The Godfather I & II to Lonesome Dove to The Great Santini to A Civil Action to Bullitt to True Grit to M*A*S*H to Network to The Natural to Deep Impact to The Road to Crazy Heart, to name a few highlights. His latest offering is Get Low, where he stars as a reclusive hermit who decides to throw himself a funeral party while still alive. The true tale, which transpired in Tennessee in the Thirties, also features Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek and Bill Cobbs.

Kam Williams: Hey, Mr. Duvall. Thanks for the time.
Robert Duvall: Yeah, how ya’ doin’?
KW: I’m honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.
RD: Thank you sir, and nice to talk to you.
KW: What interested you in Get Low?
RD: Well, the characters, really. My character’s terrific. And the screenplay, especially after they brought in Charlie Mitchell from Alabama who added some touches and embellishments to make it a true Southern tale. But Chris Provenzano’s initial idea of a guy who goes to his own funeral had already interested me a lot. I found it unique.
KW: How did you prepare for the role?
RD: I studied the part over the Christmas holidays in Northern Argentina, while looking at those beautiful Andes Mountains with a sense of peace, privacy and solitude, which I think this character had in his life. I’d find myself daydreaming a lot, and I just went with my instincts.
KW: Was that the biggest challenge in taking on this role, conveying the sense of solitude of a man who’d been a hermit for decades?
RD: I didn’t see it as a big challenge or as intimidating. I felt like I knew how to do it right from the beginning. Wherever it took me, I just went with it.
KW: What message do you think people will take away from the film?
RD: I don’t know. That’s an individual thing, I guess. I suppose a sense of forgiveness and humaneness.
KW: Did you research the Tennessee folk legend the story is based on?
RD: No… No… I knew of it. The movie is based on that, but this is fictionalized. I just went with the good writing, my imagination and anything from my family in Virginia that had rubbed off on me.
KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman says, given this movie’s storyline, would you like to attend your funeral?
RD: No way! No sir, once it happens, let it happen for real. No, I have no reason to do that, nor would I want to.
KW: Cinema Studies Professor Mia Mask asks, do you still love the smell of napalm in the morning?
RD: [Chuckles] I still have no idea what it smells like.
KW: Did you sense how enduring that line would be when you were shooting Apocalypse Now?

RD: No, I didn’t. But I do know that that phrase has become very famous. What’s funny is how someone will come up to me and quote it with a kind of attitude as if he or she’s the only one who’s ever appreciated the line.
KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks, is there a mountain you still want to conquer in your career?
RD: There are quite a few wonderful projects out there sitting on the table as we speak. But the money’s not there, so we just have to wait and see.
KW: She also wants to know, what cinematic accomplishment you’re most proud of.
RD: I don’t know, I’ve been in a lot of wonderful movies. I love this one, Get Low, but I also still love the character I played in Lonesome Dove, the Texas Ranger [Gus McCrae].
KW: Larry Greenberg says, “I am a big fan. You have played some amazing historical figures Joseph Stalin, Eisenhower, Adolf Eichmann, Robert E. Lee. Do you have a favorite?”
RD: Robert E. Lee was the favorite, but the most challenging, and yet fulfilling, in a strange way, was when I played Stalin.
KW: Why so?
RD: Because the great Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov’s father, who worked under him and wrote the country’s national anthem, said I touched the soul of Stalin when I played the part. That’s the best review I could get from anybody in the world, coming from a guy who knew Stalin personally.
KW: When you played Robert E. Lee, did you channel him, since he’s an ancestor of yours?
RD: Well, somewhat, but plenty of other people in Virginia are related to him as well. All I did with Robert E. Lee was talk like my father, who’s from that part of the country, Alexandria. They speak with that soft “R.” It was very easy to cultivate that dialect, because I’d grown up with it around my dad and my uncles.
KW: Yale Grad Tommy Russell asks, how did it feel to be awarded the National Medal of Honor?
RD: Wonderful! Wonderful! It was just terrific.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
RD: I can’t think of one. I been asked a lot of questions. [Chuckles] I really have.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
RD: Oh, I have ‘em a lot when I get around [Godfather co-star] Jimmy Caan. I’ll be with him tonight, and I’ll have a good laugh, because I want to see his brother pin his 93 year-old mother in the lobby of the movie theater again.
KW: What do you mean by pin?
RD: A wrestling pin. He pushes her down to the ground and pins her.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
RD: I’m reading a book about the Comanche Nation that they’re going to make a movie of, and I just finished a few about the Middle East that were pretty interesting.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
RD: Oh, all kinds. I like Salsa and Pop, and I love Country Western music. Merle Haggard, and guys like that. .
KW: That makes sense since you’ve sung a lot of Country over the course of your career, including for your Oscar-winning performance in Tender Mercies. And most recently in Crazy Heart. When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
RD: I see myself. [Laughs]
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
RD: My favorite dish to cook would probably be my mother’s Maryland crab cake recipe.
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
RD: To get all four movies financed that I have on the table waiting to be made.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
RD: Lying in my bed, I think it was in Annapolis, Maryland, or maybe it was in San Diego, where I was born.
KW: Do you ever have moments when you’d like to have your anonymity back?
RD: No, no, no, whatever it is, it is. I get noticed to the extent that it’s flattering but not so much to be a nuisance. I’m just grateful for the opposite of anonymity, and that my work has been seen by so many people. I’m not plagued like some of these big movie stars who can’t walk down the street.
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: What do you want your legacy to be?
RD: Oh, I don’t know, that I did some good work in my profession, and that I had a good journey from the cradle to the grave without stepping on too many toes.
KW: Thanks again, Robert, and best of luck with the film.
RD: Thank you, sir, and have a good day.

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“The Art of the Steal”
DVD Review by Kam Williams

Starting in the early 20th Century, Dr. Albert C. Barnes (1872-1951) began quietly amassing a priceless art collection which included hundreds of pieces by Van Gogh, Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse and other emerging masters at a time well before they became household names in the United States. This enterprising art enthusiast purchased their unappreciated works for a relative pittance during visits to Europe underwritten with money made from a patent he developed for preventing gonorrhea blindness in newborns.

In 1922, he opened the Barnes Foundation in suburban Philadelphia, an unpretentious museum/school designed with aspiring young artists and working-class patrons in mind, two groups then generally shunned by the elitist art world. In fact, Barnes himself was dismissed as a dilettante with bad taste by the critics, a snub he would never forget or forgive.

However, the art establishment would belatedly acknowledge Dr. Barnes’ uncanny eye for treasures, and come to covet his collection, when its value grew to over $25 billion. Still, at the end of his life, he would leave his estate to Lincoln University, an unheralded historically black college, instead of passing it on to a mainstream institution likely to turn his unpretentious all-embracing oasis of tolerance into an exclusive enclave.

This bequest ignited a firestorm of controversy, as powerful politicians and mainstream museum directors immediately started scheming to wrest control of the Barnes from the little black college which had been named the beneficiary of its founder’s will. That protracted legal battle is the subject of The Art of the Steal, a fascinating documentary recounting how a combination of racism, arrogance and shady shenanigans enabled a group of entitled crooks in philanthropists’ clothing to pull off a billion-dollar heist, thereby frustrating the last wishes of a true champion of the people.

A tragic, true tale exposing America’s ugly, two-tiered system of justice defined by the color line.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 101 minutes
Studio: IFC Films/MPI Home Video
DVD Extras: Theatrical trailer.

Tirador (“Slingshot”)
Film Review by Kam Williams

If you’d like to get a load of what life is like in the slums of the Philippines, then you ought to check out Slingshot, as raw and realistic an offering as you’re apt to find onscreen this year. This relentlessly-grim cinematic mosaic was painted by the brilliant Brillante Mendoza whose previous release, Service, was a just as graphic adventure but about the kinky goings-on inside a gay porn theater. Mendoza actually made Slingshot first, but for some reason it is only now being released in the U.S.

The reason could be that the picture doesn’t have much of a plot. It sort of looks like the intrepid filmmaker merely followed a bunch of impoverished ghetto dwellers around with a handheld camera and let them behave, or maybe misbehave, in the dysfunctional and often criminal ways you’d expect to find among unfortunate folks trapped in the ‘hood. Among other things, we see a shoplifter plying his trade, a petty thief snatching a necklace off an unsuspecting pedestrian, a blacktop basketball game that turns into an all-out brawl.

Mendoza He even follows the police as they stage an early morning raid of a Filipino gang’s subterranean hideout where they don’t bother to give a gun moll the chance to get decent before breaking into her bedroom. On another occasion, we meet a woman who gives a new meaning t the term “desperate housewives” when she rushes down to the street to try to retrieve her dentures from the sewer after she accidentally drops them down the drain of her sink.

The only phony moment in this otherwise authentic production arrives when we see a local politician or religious figure delivering an obviously empty speech or sermon promising his constituents deliverance from their nightmarish existence. What a priceless contrast which needed no explanation!

Hats off to Mendoza for delivering this intimate peek at the intractable state of Third World poverty. My only worry is that a similar fate might be right around the corner for the American Dream as the middle-class disappears, leaving behind only a nation of haves and have-nots.

Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
In Filipino and Tagalog with subtitles.
Running time: 86 Minutes
Distributor: Centerstage Productions

“Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist, Rebel”
Film Review by Kam Williams

Before seeing this film, I only thought of Hugh Hefner as a purveyor of smut who built an empire on the backs, or should I say breasts, of females by reducing them to sex objects whose sole purpose was to fuel the testosterone-fueled fantasies of teenage boys. While this reverential bio-pic did nothing to disabuse me of the notion that the hedonistic octogenarian remains an inveterate, exploitative male chauvinist, it did a great job of convincing me that he also happened too be an effective advocate of racial equality during the Civil Rights Era.

Thus, much in the way that the recent documentary about frozen-fazed, comedienne Joan Rivers managed to humanize a freak long since dismissed as a cosmetic surgery victim, here we have a notorious womanizer successfully recast as an altruistic humanitarian. Directed by Oscar-winner Brigitte Berman, the final cut of Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel was reportedly much longer before the German-born Oscar-winning filmmaker (for Artie Shaw: Time Is All You’ve Got), was forced to let five probably priceless hours of celluloid hit the cutting floor.

Still, what remains is a cinematic treat chock full of archival footage of Hef in his heyday. The film shows how in 1951 he published the first issue of Playboy with $8,000 borrowed from friends and family. The rest of the front story is history, as the magazine’s circulation skyrocketed, and he proceeded to open Playboy Clubs all over the country.

However, what many might not know is how progressive Hugh was back then politically, such as in hiring writers blacklisted by the McCarthy House Un-American Activities Committee. The first subject of the now legendary Playboy interview was an African-American, Miles Davis, as were many of the entertainers booked to perform on the syndicated TV series Playboy’s Penthouse, which enjoyed a short run in the late Fifties. We also learn that there was no color line at any Playboy Club, and when the owners of the New Orleans outlet violated that understanding by excluding blacks, Hefner took the franchise away from them.

Besides highlighting such altruistic heroics, the film features plenty of shots of Hef surrounded by a bevy of scantily-clad blonde bimbos. But don’t expect much in the way of nudity. There are instead many current-day cameos by some well-known habitués of the Playboy Mansion. Among the many celebrities waxing orgasmic about their visits are rocker Gene Simmons, actor James Caan and comedian Bill Maher. And weighing-in about Hefner’s social activism are NFL great Jim Brown, comedian Dick Gregory folk singer Pete Seeger and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

A well-deserved tribute to an American icon that manages to turn the nation’s most-famous dirty old man into a champion of racial justice right before your very eyes. Who knew?

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for graphic nudity and sexuality.
Running time: 124 Minutes
Studio: Phase 4 Films

“Life During Wartime”
Film Review by Kam WIlliams

Taking a page from the Coen Brothers, whose semi-autobiographical A Serious Man captured what life was like coming of age in the late Sixties, Todd Solondz, here, serves up a much more twisted take on growing up Jewish in Florida instead of the Midwest. Life during Wartime also revolves around a 12 year-old (Dylan Riley Snider) studying for his bar mitzvah, but the dystopia in which he is immersed is far more bizarre than anything in the Coen’s relatively comical adventure.

The movie is ostensibly a sequel to Solondz’ Happiness (1998), since the three adult sisters at the center of that somber suburban dramedy, Trish, Joy and Helen, are all back, although played by different actresses. In fact, the cast has been totally overhauled, so it might be best to think of this flick as sui generis instead of as an update.

Regardless, Timmy Maplewood and his two siblings (Emma Hinz and Chris Marquette) are being raised by Trish (Allison Janney), a single-mom who has tricked her kids into believing their father is deceased. Truth be told, he’s a convict serving a long prison term for child molestation. As the film unfolds, Trish has just met a nice Jewish man on a blind date that she actually could settle down with. Nebbishy Harvey (Michael Lerner) is refreshingly normal, although he comes with baggage, a highly-neurotic son (Rich Pecci) with a dark view of the world, namely, that, “In the end, China will take over.”

The plot thickens when pedophilic Bill Maplewood is paroled, and returns to town unannounced. Meanwhile, sister Joy (Shirley Henderson) is enduring even more depravity in her dysfunctional relationship with her African-American husband, Allen (Michael K. Williams), who is not only unemployed but unable to control his sexual impulses. These two bottom out while celebrating their anniversary in a restaurant when he’s slapped by a waitress who recognizes him as a pervert. It doesn’t help that she continues to feel guilt about the suicide of her high school sweetheart (Paul “Pee-wee Herman” Reubens).

Finally, we have scriptwriter sister Helen (Ally Sheedy), a spoiled-rotten narcissist living in the lap of luxury who nonetheless complains about “feeling crushed by the enormity of my success.” For all their weirdness ranging from the eccentric to the antisocial to the criminal to the uncertain, kudos to director Solondz for again crafting an ensemble of recognizable personas so realistic that they border on the palpable.

My Big Fat Jewish Wedding!

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 98 Minutes
Distributor: IFC Films

The Killer inside Me
Film Review by Kam Williams

Hollywood has a knack for quickly cranking out knockoffs of Academy Award-winning movies which is why I’m wondering what took somebody this long to make a flick similar to No Country for Old Men. Directed by Brit Michael Winterbottom (A Mighty Heart), The Killer inside Me is actually a remake of a 1976 crime caper starring Stacy Keach.

But where the original was set in Montana, this version takes place in a tiny town in West Texas ostensibly to mimic the desert locations of the Coen Brothers’ Best Picture. It also is consistent with the plot of the 1952 pulp fiction novel of the same name upon which both movies are based.

Winterbottom assembled an impressive cast, starting with Casey Affleck in the title role as Lou Ford, a small-town deputy sheriff. However, Lou is no Barney Fife, but a sociopath with a dark side and a big secret, so his terrorized hamlet is nothing like Mayberry.

His dark side is that he gets his kicks by having rough sex with his fiancée, Amy (Kate Hudson), and Joyce (Jessica Alba), a prostitute who can really take a punch. His big secret is that he committed a murder in his teens yet managed to evade justice by fingering his adopted brother.

After the opening credits, we find Lou combining his addiction to kinky sex with a compulsion to kill again. But between his boyish charm and his stature in the local community, no suspicions are aroused by the Teflon lawman. Instead, the body count only escalates in accordance with both his bloodlust and his need to cover his tracks.

Unfortunately, where Javier Bardem’s villain in No Country was an alternately charming and chilling creep, Affleck’s relatively-blasé monster isn’t either scary or intriguing, just basically bored. Who knows, maybe it’s the fault of the script for making it difficult to ascertain his character’s motivation, and thus invest in any of the grisly goings-on.

Regardless, this is no movie for old men, or any other demographic for that matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq94Nbrupk8

Fair (1 star)
Rated. R for bizarre sexuality, graphic nudity and disturbingly-brutal, eroticized violence.
Running time: 109 Minutes
Distributor: IFC Films

Wah Do Dem
Film Review by Kam Williams

Max (Sean Bones) is a slacker from Brooklyn who’s been squandering most of his time between skateboarding and playing soccer. The only positive things in the struggling musician’s life are his beautiful girlfriend, Willow (Norah Jones), and the trip they plan to take together with the pair of tickets he won for a Caribbean cruise to Jamaica.

The naïve narcissist gets an unanticipated surprise when she breaks up with him just a couple of days before they’re supposed to set sail. So, he retreats to a local watering hole to soak his woes in booze while crying on the shoulders of his best buddies. Then, when none of them takes him up on the offer to replace Willow, Max still decides to take the vacation alone anyway.

That high seas saga is the focus of Wah Do Dem, an engaging, low-budget indie flick co-written and co-directed by Ben Chace and Sam Fleischner. The solo journey starts out subdued in tone, as the lonely protagonist desperately perambulates the ship’s decks searching to make an acquaintance, if not a love connection. However, that proves impossible since virtually all his fellow passengers are either already coupled or elderly retirees. In fact, the only excitement he encounters on board the boat is when a gay guy makes an awkward pass at him.

Everything changes they disembark in Kingston where Max is immediately mugged on the street. Matters deteriorate from bad to worse when he ventures into the countryside by motorbike to try to retrieve his knapsack, wallet and passport. First, the boat leaves without him, then he’s held up at knife point without anything to offer the second robber.

Can a broke, white city boy from New York survive by his wits in the slums of Jamaica? That is question raised by this cross-cultural dramedy which does a decent job of offsetting the sheer panic of Max’s harrowing ordeal with some authentic flava’ of the Caribbean that tourists normally never get to see.

Wah do dem? “Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail!” in shanty towns as the late Desmond Dekker might say, since the harder they come, they harder they apparently still fall.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 75 Minutes
Distributor: Wah Do Dem LLC

“Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work”
Film Review by Kam Williams

Nowadays, Joan Rivers has basically become the butt of cruel jokes about face-lift disasters as opposed to being the one dishing the dirt on other divas. “It comes back at you, doesn’t it?” she wistfully reminisces in this riveting bio-pic. Still, at 77, the legendary, standup comedienne continuers to ply her trade, never turning down a booking, however humbling the venue.

As Joan explains in this alternately hilarious and dead serious documentary, she persists out of a combination of financial need and competitive drive. For when her husband/inept personal manager Edgar Rosenberg committed suicide in 1987, he not only left her broke but with a mountain of debt. Luckily, Joan is a Type-A personality with an incomparable work ethic and has managed to survive, even thrive, in the wake of the family tragedy. Plus, since she has a taste for limos and other trappings of wealth, she remains driven to perform in part to be able to afford to keep living in the lap of luxury.

Co-directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work offers an unusually-intimate peek at a celebrity most of us have come to dismiss as a plastic surgery freak. However, this empathetic portrait thoroughly humanizes its subject as thoroughly-likable by revealing the sensitive side hidden under that permanently frozen countenance no longer capable of showing any emotion.

Nonetheless, Joan repeatedly exposes her feelings repeatedly through her words, whether calling her daughter Melissa “a stupid, effing [c-word],” informing her staff that, “I’m lonely, who’s going to [f-word] me tonight?” or hinting at the source of her unfortunate addiction to elective surgery with “No one wants an old woman” and “No one ever told me I was beautiful.”

Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether or not she’s joking here, given how she freely admits that, “The only timer I’m truly, truly happy is when I’m on stage.” Thus, the tendency to cover the vulnerability and pain in evidence during downtime with punch line after punch line.

A sobering deconstruction of an enduring showbiz career by an introspective icon whose been at it non-stop since ’66.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity and sexual humor.
Running time: 85 Minutes
Distributor: IFC Films

“Burzynski”
Film Review by Kam Williams

In the 1970s, Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski discovered Antineoplastons, a family of pharmaceuticals which soon met with amazing success in treating cancer patients. One would think that the phenomenal results of the M.D./Ph.D.’s oncological research would be eagerly embraced by both the medical and drug manufacturing communities in the wake of such a groundbreaking discovery.

Unfortunately, this was not the case, ostensibly because cancer is big business, and there are billions of dollars to be made in its treatment. So, even though Dr. Burzynski’s life-saving, alternative gene therapy had better survival rates than conventional treatment with chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation, he found himself ostracized by his colleagues and accused of being a quack by everyone from the National Cancer Institute to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Consequently, by 1995, he found himself charged with 75 counts of fraud which imperiled his practice and liberty, since he could have ended up in prison and saddled with $18 million in fines. Ironically, while Burzynski’s time was then consumed with defending himself in a 14-year legal battle, competitors filed copycat patents in an effort to take credit for his miraculous discovery.

Is Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski a shameless charlatan or a genius being denied his rightful recognition for coming up with a non-toxic cure? This is the issue addressed by Burzynski, an eye-opening expose’ by Eric Merola. Mr. Merola makes a most-impressive directorial debut with this documentary featuring offsetting testimonials by his grateful patients with ones by avaricious detractors perhaps hiding financial agendas.

So, what’s the truth? This critic is not inclined to draw scientific conclusions based on a movie which might be biased. Suffice to say that the jurors who heard the expert testimony and examined all the evidence at Burzynski’s trial are pretty persuasive when they call the FDA’s case against him little more than a witch hunt.

A bio-pic of Biblical proportions featuring a showdown of Dr. David versus a government Goliath!

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 106 Minutes
Distributor: Cinema Village

“Finding Bliss”
Film Review by Kam Williams

Dartmouth grad Jody Balaban (Leelee Sobieski) has just finished her masters in filmmaking at NYU and is headed west fully expecting to launch a promising Hollywood career. But despite her having won an award for the best student film, she subsequently has a hard time getting a studio exec to take a serious look at the script she’s written and is ready to turn into a full-length feature.

In fact, the only directing job she manages to land in L.A. is directing traffic, so, against her better judgment, she decides to accept a position in the porn industry, no, not as an actress, but as the protégé of skin flick director Jeff Drake (Matthew Davis). However, Jody’s hasn’t given up hope of producing a legitimate picture entirely. Rather, her thinking is that she’ll be able to use the facilities at Grind Productions afterhours to shoot and edit her script at night.

It goes without saying that the previously prudish preppie’s plans go awry once she starts find herself not only falling in love with the boss, but even secretly enjoying salacious scenes she has to edit from his latest opus, Charlie’s Anals. And, as it turns out, Jeff is also an NYU alum who disappointed his family by not following in his father’s footsteps by becoming a doctor.

Will Jody and Jeff couple-up, or will she develop cold feet over the fact that most folks consider his profession sort of scummy? That is the pivotal question begging to be addressed in Finding Bliss, a romantic comedy written and directed by Julie Davis. No stranger to controversy, you may remember Ms. Davis’ previous picture, the equally-iconoclastic Amy’s Orgasm.

My primary issue with this new offering has to do with her casting so many actual porn stars, such as Ron Jeremy and Mr. Marcus. That sort of makes you scratch your head and wonder exactly what type of movie we’re dealing with here. Even comedian Jamie Kennedy gets into the act, appearing totally nude, sporting a semi-erect penis for a lingering full-frontal sequence. Yikes!

As unsavory as the setting probably sounds, Finding Bliss is otherwise a fairly-conventional and convincing, given how earnestly leads Leelee Sobieski and Matthew Davis throw themselves into their roles. They create some credible screen chemistry while Denise Richards and Kristen Johnston turn in decent support performances. A steamy sitcom which could have benefited immeasurably from less carnality in favor of character development.

Finding flesh!

Good (2 stars)
Rated R for full frontal nudity, profanity, graphic sexuality and explicit dialogue.
Running time: 95 Minutes
Studio: Phase 4 Films

For My Father (Sof Shavua B’Tel Aviv)
DVD Review by Kam Williams

Tarek (Shredi Jabarin) is a young Palestinian man who has reluctantly decided to serve as a suicide bomber after being pressured by his radical Muslim neighbors in Nazarene. So, after having enough plastic explosives strapped to his chest to blow himself and all the shoppers at an outdoor market to smithereens, he sets out for the city of Tel Aviv.

After arriving in town, Tarek finds a plaza packed with Jews, but ends up frustrated when he squeezes the trigger and nothing happens. Following several attempts, he ventures to a repair shop where he is befriended by its cantankerous, but soft-hearted proprietor, Katz (Shlomo Vishinsky). Katz, unaware of the planned use for the malfunctioning switch, offers to order the part, and tells Tarek to come back in a couple days.

To kill time before his date with destiny, the walking IED saunters over to the kiosk of Keren (Hili Yalon), a 17 year-old rebel who’s been disowned by her Hassidic family. She’s being shunned for refusing to dress modestly, wear a wig and generally abide by the dictates of their orthodox traditions.

Their chance meeting leaves Keren smitten with Tarek and eager to get better acquainted. As they start spending some quality time together, he hides the truth about why he’s in town. Sparks fly, and a lazy bike ride through the countryside leads to the proverbial long walk along the shore at sunset. However, just when romance is on the verge of blossoming, Tarek is reminded by increasingly urgent phone calls that he’s there to wreak havoc not to make whoopee.

Will these star-crossed lovers ditch their respective repressive religions and intolerant associates to prove to the world that Jews and Palestinians are capable of not merely coexisting but of copulating as well? This is the question which For My Father urgently attempts to address with the specter of an imminent blast always hanging over our shamelessly-flirtatious protagonists’ heads.

A melodramatic morality play which sends the sobering message that suicide bombing does not pay, especially when you could just as easily seduce as splatter the sexy object of your detonation.

Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
In Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles.
Running time: 100 Minutes
Distributor: Film Movement

The Wild Hunt
Film Review by Kam Williams

Erik (Ricky Mabe) and Evelyn (Kaniehtiio Horn) are a Quebec couple in crisis. The pretty young woman has become so bored with her slacker boyfriend that she’s decided to participate in a weekend-long, medieval-themed masquerade being staged somewhere in the forest outside of Montreal. Truth be told, Erik isn’t really a loser with no redeeming qualities, after all, he does at least dote on his aging father who is slowly slipping away into senility.

Such behavior strikes a sharp contrast with that of his emotionally-detached brother, Bjorn (Mark Antony Krupa), who is in denial about their dad’s deteriorating health. Bjorn would rather escape to a parallel universe, so he accompanies Evelyn to the site of the live-action role-play reenactment where he dresses up like a Viking.

This development doesn’t sit well with Erik, since he feels that such fanciful recreations are for geeks who need to get a life. He broods about his predicament after being left behind, until he’s finally upset enough to make his way to the gathering to retrieve Evelyn. However, upon his arrival, he is met by gatekeepers who insist that he adopt appropriate “decorum,” meaning he must don a period costume and stay in character to search the grounds for his girlfriend.

Not surprisingly, it doesn’t take Erik long to break the rules, given that he has little respect for the group of pompous posers in elaborate outfits suddenly surrounding him. He feels that they, including his estranged sibling, take the game way too seriously, as they speak in stilted Old English accents (“I implore you,” and “’Tis I, Hammer of Thor!”), and only occasionally revert to their everyday personas to argue over whether or not someone has just been slain on the field of battle.

Such silly folderol proves increasingly upsetting to Erik who just wants to find Evelyn and leave, ASAP. But this is easier said than done since lovely Princess Evelynia’s been kidnapped by Shaman (Trevor Hayes), King of the Celts. Not to worry, a competing army comprised of Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and elves hatch a plan to rescue the fair maiden.

But after Evelyn remains ambivalent when confronted by exasperated Erik about where he loyalty lies, the goings-on in the festivities take a gruesome turn as the faux fighting morphs into actual violence.

A psychological thriller highlighting how hell hath no fury like a frustrated knight in shining armor, even if he only has a plastic sword at his disposal!

Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 96 minutes
Distributor: Hannover House

Toe to Toe
DVD Review by Kam Williams

One of the best art house flicks of 2010 is this character-driven affair written and directed by Emily Abt. Set in the Washington, DC area, it revolves around an unlikely love triangle which comes to test the already tenuous bond of friendship forged between a couple of high school classmates, one black, one white, who play on the lacrosse team.

Tosha (Sonequa Martin), who hails from Anacostia, can only afford to attend the exclusive prep school because she’s on a full scholarship. She and her two siblings are being raised in the ‘hood by their doting grandmother (Leslie Uggams) while their overworked single-mom (Dionne Audain) works double shifts to keep a roof over their heads on her security guard salary.

Somehow, Tosha keeps her nose to the grindstone, ignoring the dysfunction at home and the daily taunts coming from jealous girls on the block. They love teasing her mercilessly as she walks down the street to catch the bus for everything from acting white to having once allowed the boys to see her panties for a couple of bucks.
Tosha doesn’t find much relief at school either, where she finds it hard to fit in with the spoiled-rich kids. Because of all of the above, she focuses intently on her goal of being admitted to Princeton, which she sees as her ticket out of the ghetto.

Jesse, at least by outward appearances, has a relatively-easy go of it in life. After all, she lives in a sprawling mansion in the suburbs and has her own sports car. However, because her absentee divorced-mom is always away on business, the unsupervised teen suffers from loneliness and the consequences of a series of poor choices that have led to promiscuity, substance abuse and STDs.

So, Jesse spends the bulk of her free time slumming, since she has a thing for Go-Go music and Jungle Fever for brothers, which explains why she gravitates towards hanging out with Tosha. But the plot thickens when she falls for the charms of a smooth-talking DJ (Silvestre Rasuk) already involved with her friend. At that point, all bets are off, and the two go “Toe to Toe.”

Hell hath no fury like a sister scorned, especially for a wannabe.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 104 Minutes
Distributor: Strand Releasing
DVD Extras: Theatrical trailer, other Strand trailers.

S. Shankar is coming up with the highest budget Indian film ever, which was likely to be titled as Robot earlier. This film has surpassed the budget of the Bollywood high budget film Blue (2009).

However, Shankar could not continue with the English title due to the present tax exemption of the government. So, some other alternative titles were suggested such as Iyandhiran or Iyandhira. Later in September 2008, it was confirmed that the title of the movie would be Endhiran.

There was a lot of confusion regarding the casting of the film. In July 2007, Shah Rukh Khan was signed as the male lead and the producer of the film. But later in October 2007, both Shahrukh and Shankar called off the project due their personal conflicts with the script. Talks were going on to sign either Ajith Kumar or Amir Khan to do the film but on January 2008, Rajinikanth was confirmed for the male lead.

Several heroines including Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Asin Thottumkal, Trisha Krishnan, Sriya Saran, Priyamani and Nayanthara were approached for the female lead. Later, Aishwarya Rai was confirmed for the female lead with a huge fee of 6 crores, thus Rai becoming the highest paid actress in India.

Danny Denzongpa was signed for the lead antagonist and comedians like Santhanam and Karunas were signed for some cameo roles. Manoj Bharatiraja, son of the noted film-maker Bharatiraja, would be the assistant director. Both Manish Malhotra and Mary E Vogt will work on the costumes. Music is composed by the maestro A.R.Rahaman. Stan Winston Studios will be doing the animatronics and the industrial light and Magic will be working on the visual and the special effects of the film.

Sun Pictures has bought the film from the previous producers Eros International for 165 crores. Talks are going on with the HBO to release the film in the West with English subtitle version.

Filming started on 8th September 2008 at Peru following the locations of United States, Brazil, Goa, Himachal Prades and Chennai. Scenes featuring a robotic conference, including Rajinikanth, Aishwarya Rai, Santhanam and Karunas were shot in the SSN College of Engineering and in the Vellore Institute of Technology, where over 400 students were used as extras. The film was released on April 14, 2010.

-Sampurn Wire

Film Review: “Double Take”
by Kam Williams

Sir Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) set a stratospheric bar still rarely reached when it comes to the suspense genre. Now, the legendary director gets a chance to star in a psychological thriller, albeit posthumously, courtesy of archival footage interwoven with a dizzying montage of snippets from movie classics, TV commercials and newsreels shot during the height of the Cold War.

This marvelous, multi-media mockumentary is the brainchild of Belgian Johan Grimonprez, a faculty member at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has cobbled the assorted elements into a chilling feature draped with dread and sheer paranoia which practically defies description.

At the point of departure, Hitchcock announces in his trademark droll fashion that “If you meet your double, you should kill him, before he kills you.” After all, “Two of you is one too many, by the end of the script, one of you must die.” He subsequently crosses paths with his own spitting image, played by Hitchcock impersonator Ron Burrage, and the tension is gradually ratcheted in the intriguing game of cat-and-mouse which ensues. Thus, the picture’s title is a clever play on words which lends itself to a couple of interpretations, given that a “double take” for these purposes can be either a delayed reaction or the response of identical strangers to encountering each other, or both.

Ostensibly inspired by an actual incident which happened to Hitchcock during the production of The Birds, the bifurcated storyline simultaneously revisits the events surrounding the so-called Kitchen Summit Conference, a series of televised impromptu exchanges staged in Moscow in 1959 between Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and then Vice President Richard Nixon. And yet another strand of the often mind-boggling mosaic is made up of bits from comical Folger’s coffee ads in which American housewives have been edited to look like blithering idiots with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.

An impossible to pigeonhole production certain to generate a sense of nostalgia about a bygone era while only adding to the already lofty stature of a revered cinema icon.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 80 Minutes
Distributor: Kino International

JOAN RIVERS – A PIECE OF WORK takes the audience on a year long ride with Joan Rivers in her 76th year of life; it peels away the mask of an iconic comedian, laying bare both the struggle and thrill of living life as a groundbreaking female performer. Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK, THE TRIALS OF DARRYL HUNT) expose the private dramas of this irreverent, legendary comedian as she fights to keep her career thriving in a business driven by youth and beauty.

Previously seen at Sundance, this film premieres this month from IFC.

Our Weekly Rundown of the week’s indie releases – returns!
IFL Staff

Burzynski (Unrated) Medical documentary chronicling the 14-year court battle waged by controversial biochemist Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski in a lawsuit against the FDA on behalf of cancer patients eager to try Antineoplastons, his life-saving, alternative gene therapy, in lieu of chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation.

Cropsey (Unrated) Urban legend documentary shot by a couple of first-time filmmakers from Staten Island determined to find out whether there’s any truth to the haunting rumor circulated during their childhood that an escapee from a nearby insane asylum had been responsible for the mysterious disappearance of five kids from their neighborhood.

Double Take (Unrated) Hitchcock mockumentary mixing found footage featuring musings by the master of suspense with archival Cold War news footage to paint a chilling picture of sheer paranoia.

Finding Bliss (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality and explicit dialogue) Romantic comedy about an aspiring, young filmmaker (Leelee Sobieski) who settles for a job as an editor for a porn director (Matthew Davis) only to have her morals compromised when she surprisingly falls in love with her sleazy boss. With Denise Richards, Kristen Johnston and Jamie Kennedy.

Ondine (PG-13 for violence, sensuality and brief profanity) Oscar-winner Neil Jordan (for The Crying Game) directs this modern fairy tale, set in County Cork, about an Irish fisherman (Colin Farrell) who becomes convinced that the woman (Alicja Bachleda) caught in his net is a mermaid. With Stephen Rea, Tony Curran and Alison Barry.

Raajneeti (Unrated) Political potboiler, set in Bhopal, India, about a fiercely fought election campaign where influence-peddling and corruption are the norms, and where treachery and manipulation are routinely used as weapons. Ensemble cast includes Naseeruddin Shah, Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpai, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. (In Hindi with subtitles)

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead (Unrated) Horror comedy about a stage director (Jake Hoffman) who hires his ex (Devon Aoki) and best friend (Kris Lemche) to co-star in an offbeat adaptation of Hamlet only to find the production plagued by the arrival of some sexy, 2,000 year-old vampires.

Valhalla Rising (Unrated) Historical saga, set in 1000 AD, revolving around a mysterious mute warrior (Mads Mikkelsen) with superhuman strength who discovers his true self aboard a Viking ship headed for Jerusalem which ends up diverted to the gates of Hell instead. With Gary Lewis, Jamie Sives and Callum Mitchell.

Whiz Kids (Unrated) Brainiac documentary about a trio of 17 year-old eggheads competing to win the nation’s most prestigious science competition.

Owl and the Sparrow
DVD Review by Kam Williams

Thuy (Pham Thi Han) is a 10 year-old orphan who lives on the outskirts of Saigon with her mean Uncle Minh (Nguyen Hau). Instead of letting his niece attend school, he makes her work alongside him inside a bamboo factory all day, and he takes every penny of her pay to boot.

Somehow, the precocious young girl senses that she couldn’t be any worse off if she ran away, in spite of her uncle’s stern warning that, “You wouldn’t last one day on your own.” And when she finally gets fed up, she packs her belongings in a pink backpack and travels by taxi boat to Saigon where she quickly learns how to survive by selling postcards and fresh roses.

There, she eventually crosses paths with Lan (Cat Ly), a pretty stewardess staying in town on layover for five days. Thuy can’t believe that the pretty woman doesn’t have a husband or a boyfriend to buy a flower for. Lan, in turn, finds it hard to fathom that such an adorable child could possibly be homeless, so she invites the poor orphan to share her hotel room.

Meanwhile, Thuy makes another pal in Hai (Le the Lu), an animal trainer who lives in a shack right on the grounds of the zoo. He gives the sophisticated street urchin the grand tour of the premises while confiding in her about his personal problems. Not only has he been dumped by his girlfriend but the beloved elephant he’s raised from infancy has just been sold to a zoo in India.

Lan happens to be just as unhappy, because she’s been stuck in an unsatisfying affair for four years with an airline pilot (Trong Hai) who refuses to leave his wife for her. A solution to all three’s woes might turn on whether Thuy can arrange a blind date between the two lonely hearts. For, if they fall head over heels for each other, who knows, maybe they’d marry and adopt the tiny matchmaker who introduced them. But this, of course, is easier said than done, since Hai still pines for his ex, and Lan’s layover lover is expecting to rendezvous with his mistress while in Saigon.

Directed by Stephane Gauger, Owl and the Sparrow is an enchanting fairytale which delights to no end en route to its syrupy sweet resolution. The serendipitous front story aside, it is also a pleasant change of pace to see a film set in Saigon which isn’t a high body-count splatter flick about the ravages of the war in Indochina.

Worthwhile, if only for the reminder that the Vietnamese are people, too!

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG for smoking and mature themes.
In Vietnamese with subtitles.
Running time: 98 minutes
Studio: Image Entertainment
DVD Extras: Director’s audio commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurette, theatrical trailer and still galleries.

Two in the Wave (Deux de la Vague)
Film Review by Kam Williams

Jean-Luc Godard (born in 1930) and Francois Truffaut (1932-1984) were at the forefront of the group of emerging film directors who founded the New Wave Movement in Paris back in the Fifties. Both of these iconoclasts started out as critics in the wake of WWII when French cinema had become so stale, that Truffaut roundly lambasted it in print as “artificial and uptight.” And after subsequently being banned from Cannes for indicting the annual festival as academic and corrupt, the brash young upstart decided to try his hand at making movies himself.

Since Godard felt the same way about the state of his country’s film industry, he and Truffaut easily bonded and became the best of friends, even backing and writing for each other’s early productions. During that renowned renaissance period, the fact that they came from very different backgrounds was never an issue.

Francois, who had been born out of wedlock, never knew his Jewish biological father. Instead, he was raised Catholic by his maternal grandmother in rather humble surroundings, and ended up not only dropping out of high school but frequently in trouble with the law, including doing a stint in prison as an army deserter.

By contrast, Jean-Luc hailed from a wealthy, Protestant family. Still, he and Francois found a sort of similar salvation in cinema despite neither having any experience beyond having watched thousands of movies. These so-called “Young Turks” proceeded to subvert the dominant paradigm with such flicks as “The 400 Blows” (Truffaut) and “Breathless” (Godard).

However, their paths began to divert in 1968 when Truffaut remained indifferent to the student and civil rights uprisings at the same time that Godard would embrace the rise of radical politics. The pair finally parted ways for good following a series of heated exchanges in which Jean-Luc called Francois “bourgeois” and the latter responded by referring to his ex-pal as a “propagandist.”

This tempestuous relationship plus a most informative chronicling of their substantial cinematic contributions are the subject of Two in the Wave, a brilliant, bifurcated bio-pic directed by Emmanuel Laurent. The discussion here is amply augmented by illustrative snippets from some of their classic pictures, and by rare footage of these icons in the company of legendary colleagues like Hitchcock and Chabrol.

A fascinating and informative, must-see documentary for any serious cinephile!

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In French with subtitles.
Running time: 93 Minutes
Distributor: Lorber Films

Our Weekly rundown of what’s new in theaters on Friday
IFL Staff

After the Cup (Unrated) Overcoming-the-odds soccer documentary recounting the triumph of the multi-ethnic soccer team from an Arab town which won the coveted Israel Cup and the right to represent the country in international competition. (In English, Arabic and Hebrew with subtitles)

Holy Rollers (R for brief sexuality, and pervasive profanity and drug content) NYC mobster saga, based on a true story, about a good Jewish boy (Jesse Eisenberg) hailing from a Hasidic community in Brooklyn who was recruited by a neighbor (Justin Bartha) to smuggle Ecstasy into the country for an Israeli drug cartel. With Ari Graynor, Q-Tip, and Hallie Kate Eisenberg (Jesse’s sister).

John Rabe (Unrated) Historical drama chronicling the real-life exploits of a German businessman (Ulrich Tukur) who saved over 200,000 Chinese lives during the Japanese Rape of Nanking in 1937. Cast includes Steve Buscemi, Fang Yu and Jingchu Zhang. (In Cantonese, German, English, Mandarin, Japanese and Ukrainian with subtitles)

Kites (Unrated) Bollywood romantic thriller about a wanted Hindu man (Hrithik Roshan), wounded and left for dead in the scorching Mexican desert, who stays alive by clinging to the hope of a reunion with the love of his life (Barbara Mori) even though they can’t communicate because she only speaks Spanish and is already engaged to somebody else. (In English, Hindi and Spanish with subtitles)

Perrier’s Bounty (Unrated) Revenge comedy, set in Dublin, about an Irish mob boss’ (Brendan Gleeson) attempt to avenge the shooting death of one of his enforcers by the girlfriend (Jodie Whittaker) of a guy (Cillian Murphy) who owes him some money. Cast includes Gabriel Byrne, Padraic Delaney and Jim Broadbent.

Racing Dreams (Unrated) Coming-of-age documentary traces a trio of tweens, Annabeth Barnes, Joshua Hobson and Brandon Warren, as they struggle with puppy love, dysfunctional family and sponsorship issues when not competing at speeds up to 70 mph to take home the national title at the World Go-Kart Championship.

Solitary Man (R for profanity and sexuality) Midlife crisis dramedy about a once- successful Manhattan mogul (Michael Douglas) who lost both his wife (Susan Sarandon) and his car dealership after a series of romantic and business indiscretions. Contrite womanizer has a shot at redemption provided he can control himself when he accompanies his girlfriend’s (Mary-Louise Parker) college-bound daughter (Imgen Poots) on a campus visit to his alma mater. With Danny DeVito, Jesse Eisenberg and Jenna Fischer.

Two in the Wave (Unrated) Bifurcated bio-pic examines the turbulent friendship of a couple of legendary French directors from the New Wave Movement, Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut. (In French with subtitles)

New film festival to be announced during Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2010 @ 12 noon at the India Pavilion.

Festival Dates: Thursday, October 21, through Sunday, October 24, 2010

The Beverly Hills Film, TV, & New Media Festival is currently accepting submissions through September 30, 2010.

The Festival is a celebration of the best of cinematic, television, and emerging technologies. In its inaugural year, BHFTNMF will exhibit a selection of both short- and long-form works that exhibit a strong personal vision combined with the highest standards of creative excellence and technical achievement. Qualifying projects will be judged by a jury of notable executives and industry experts. All finalists will also be reviewed by distributors for possible online, theatrical, or broadcast distribution.

The opening night inaugural party will be held in a private Beverly Hills residence followed by two days of screenings in the heart of the entertainment industry at The Clarity Theater, Beverly Hills.

“Shanghai Red” Film Review
by Kam Williams

Meili Zhu (Vivian Wu) was inconsolable in the wake of the murder of her husband, Lian Wei (Kenny Bee), because she had not only suddenly lost her life partner, but would now have to raise their 7 year-old son, Bebe (Lu Yao), alone. Obviously, we all mourn differently and, in the case of this grief-stricken widow, the loss triggered a passionate reaction that rose to the level of a lust for revenge.

And, as she matter-of-factly states at the outset of Shanghai Red, “Sometimes you must do the honorable thing by dishonoring yourself.” So, ordinarily-modest Meili uncharacteristically donned a clingy, crimson dress to pose as a call girl for an escort agency. But this is all a part of her plan for vengeance, as her very first client is her late hubby’s business partner (Roger Yuan), whom she suspects was behind the slaying. Upon entering the hotel room, Meili removes her oversize sunglasses to reveal her true identity to her prey right before pumping him full of bullets.

Unfortunately, crime still does not pay, since Meili narrates this tawdry tale of love and betrayal already behind bars, where all she has to look forward to is periodic visits from her handsome lawyer (Son Hong-lei). For, somehow, Meili always manages to turn the tables on her ineffective attorney during his interrogations so that they end up discussing his troubled marriage instead of planning her defense strategy. Thus, this fascinating flashback flick unfolds in a rather unorthodox, non-linear fashion, with the femme fatale at the center of the story enjoying a jailhouse flirtation when not gradually unraveling the multilayered mystery which led to her imprisonment.

We learn that Meili began having second thoughts soon after the shooting, when she went to visit her Feng (Ge You), the man who had supplied her with both a motive and a murder weapon. “You wanted revenge, I just made it possible,” he protests, washing his hands of any culpability. Meanwhile, Meili, who prefers to focus on being a good mother to her increasingly troubled son, finds herself haunted by visions of her ex’s ghost and by the guilt of having committed such a violent act.

Then, the answer to her prayers arrives in the person of an American businessman who hires her as a translator. For Michael Johnson (Richard Burgi) is instantly smitten with Meili and is ready to assume the role of surrogate husband and father figure.

Although the attraction is mutual, Meili has reservations, because of their cultural differences. Plus, it doesn’t help that Bebe’s wise old babysitter Wei Ma (Zhengwei Tong), who had adopted Meili after her parents died, repeatedly discourages her from dating a foreigner.

Juxtaposing a litany of opposing thematic elements, ranging from honor vs. disgrace to tradition vs. modernization to trust vs. duplicity, Shanghai Red shapes up like a modern morality play of Shakespearean proportions. The movie marks the directorial debut of Cuba-born Oscar L. Costo (Vivian Wu’s real-life husband) whose cleverly-concealed script is guaranteed to keep you guessing up to the whopper of a revelation at the conclusion of this endlessly-intriguing whodunit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phAhl6HhBmI

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English and Mandarin with subtitles.
Running time: 119 Minutes
Studio: Indican Pictures

Our rundown of films being released this week!
IFL staff

Barking Water (Unrated) Bittersweet road drama about a terminally-ill Native American (Richard Ray Whitman) whose is sprung from the hospital by his embittered ex-wife (Casey Camp-Horinek) for a death bed reconciliation with his estranged daughter (Zoe Ballentine) and the grandchild he’s never met. With Jon Proudstar, Aaron Riggs and Marcus Frejo.

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (Unrated) Entomology documentary examines Japan’s long-term love affair with bugs. (In English and Japanese with subtitles)

Best Worst Movie (Unrated) Two thumbs down documentary revisits the making of Troll 2, the 1990 horror flick generally credited as the worst movie ever made. Directed by the best-forgotten cult classic’s star, Michael Stephenson, who reassembled practically the entire cast to deconstruct exactly where they went wrong.

Daddy Longlegs (Unrated) Redemption drama about a prematurely-graying workaholic (Ronald Bronstein) who decides to turn a new leaf by spending some quality time with his young sons (Sage and Frey Ranaldo) during their annual, two week custody stay in his cramped, NYC studio apartment. With Wayne Chin, Leah Goldhor and Leah Singer as his ex.

Entre Nos (Unrated) NYC tale of survival about a Colombian immigrant’s (Paola Mendoza) desperate effort to provide for her two young children (Sebastian Villada Lopez and Laura Montana Cortez) after her husband (Andres Munar) abandons the family to movie to Miami alone. (In Spanish with subtitles)

Here and There (Unrated) Green Card comedy about a broke, NYC musician (David Thornton) who flies to Belgrade to marry a stranger (Jelena Mrdja) so she can immigrate to the United States only to find himself falling in love with another woman (Mirjana Karanovic) while waiting to get paid for participating in the sham. Supporting cast includes Cyndi Lauper, Antone Pagan and Max King. (In Serbo-Croatian and English)

Just Wright (PG for brief profanity and suggestive material) Queen Latifah and Common co-star in this romantic comedy about a physical therapist who finds herself falling for the professional basketball player she’s been hired to rehabilitate after a career-threatening knee injury. With Paula Patton, Phylicia Rashad, Pam Grier, and NBA Stars Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade and Rashard Lewis.

The Living Wake (Unrated) Last day in the life comedy about an eccentric artist (Mike O’Connell) with less than 24 hours to live who with the help of a pal (Jesse Eisenberg) with a motorized rickshaw rides around town handing out invites to a party where he plans to drop dead at the end of the night. With Jim Gaffigan, Ann Dowd and Jill Larson.

Looking for Eric (Unrated) British farce, directed by Ken Loach, about a suicidal postman (Steve Evets) who escapes from his host of woes, including his mob-connected son (Gerard Kearns), by fantasizing about his favorite soccer star, Eric Cantona. Support cast includes Lucy-Jo Hudson, Stephanie Bishop and Stefan Gumbs. (In English and French with subtitles) IFL PICK!

Princess Kaiulani (Unrated) Historical saga, set in 1888, starring Q’Orianka Kilcher in the title role as the 12 year-old Hawaiian heir whose family was overthrown while she was being educated in Victorian England where she fell in love with a local lad (Shaun Evans). With Will Patton, Barry Pepper and Tamzin Merchant. (In English and Hawaiian with subtitles)

Touching Home (PG-13 for profanity, smoking, drinking and brief profanity) Ed Harris stars in this true tale about a homeless alcoholic whose talented twin sons (Logan and Noah Miller) overcome their dysfunctional family life by growing up to become baseball prospects with the potential to make it to the pros. With Lee Meriwether, Brad Dourif and Robert Forster. IFL CHOICE!

Shot high above the streets of New York City, UP THERE reveals the dying art of large-scale, hand painted advertising on walls, and the untold story of the painters struggling to keep it alive.

“Up there” captures a trade that is equal parts artistic precision and grueling labor, the film presents a painting tradition pre-dating modern advertising. A craft that today finds itself dangling precariously on the brink of extinction.

UP THERE is directed by Malcolm Murray, based on an original concept by Mother. It is produced by Mekanism with music by The Album Leaf.

Concept: Mother NY; Production Co: Mekanism; Director/DP/Editor: Malcolm Murray; Music by The Album Leaf; Painters: Colossal Media/Sky High Murals/Bob Middleton; Presented by Stella Artois

Filmed on May 5, 2010, a mostly first-person chronicle of the day’s events leading up to a performance in Wollongong, Australia. Shot on Canon 5D mkII with 50mm 1.2 and 24-70 lenses.

“The Lightkeepers”
Film Review by Kam Williams

One of the best episodes of The Little Rascals was the He-Man Woman Haters Club in which Spanky and the gang promised each other they’d never associate with girls only to have Alfalfa break the pact by falling head over heels for adorable Darla. The Lightkeepers, directed by Daniel Adams (The Golden Boys), is an adult-oriented variation on the same basic theme, a character-driven dramedy with a point of departure of June of 1912.

The film stars Richard Dreyfuss as Seth Atkins, the lonely keeper of the Eastham lighthouse, located at the tip of a peninsula on Cape Cod. As the film unfolds, we find Seth living by himself, but it isn’t long before he has himself a male companion when John Brown’s body (Tom Wisdom) washes ashore.

Once revived, the almost-drowned, young stranger claims to have fallen off a passing steamship, which is a good enough explanation for the crusty curmudgeon who could use a little company, given the distance to town. Better yet, when the pair get to talking, they discover they share a distaste for the opposite sex, having both been decidedly unlucky at love.

Seth has taken a vow of celibacy while John says he never even wants to see another woman for the rest of his life. So, this makes it easy for the frmer to hire the latter as his assistant, and the two peas in a pod agree to turn the lighthouse into a female-free zone. This understanding works great as long as there aren’t any within miles.

However, their plans for a testosterone-only oasis of solitude is ruined upon the arrival from Boston of Ruth Lowell (Mamie Gummer), a gorgeous, eligible young heiress accompanied by her equally-attractive domestic servant (Blythe Danner). It just so happens that the newcomers have rented a nearby beach cottage for the summer, and it is not lost on the audience that their ages quite conveniently match those of their misogynistic neighbors.

Thus, it’s no surprise when John’s hormones start to rage, and he’s soon taking long romantic strolls down the beach alongside the fair Ruth who’s appropriately attired in a tasteful outfit trimmed with pretty petticoats and a matching parasol. When Seth becomes aware of the sparks flying between them, the only mystery left is whether he’ll feel betrayed or simply fall prey himself to the womanly wiles of the fetching Ms. Bascom.

A pleasant, if predictable, period piece to be savored as much for the breathtaking seascapes as for the deliberately-paced romantic roundelays.

Very Good (3 stars)
PG for smoking, mature themes and mild epithets.
Running time: 96 Minutes
Studio: New Films International

The Gift
A film by Carl Erik Rinsch
Part of the Parallel Lines project from Philips Cinema and Ridley Scott Associates.

Parallel lines is a project with Philips and Ridley Scott. Five short films. Five genres. Five of RSA’s hottest directors. One unifying piece of dialogue.

Michael Caine is speaking about Harry Brown, his latest film, which is opening in more cities this week.

Some fans of Michael’s submitted some questions via the facebook page for this film. Here’s what Michael had to say:

Question #1: What attracted you to do the role of Harry Brown?

Answer:

Question #2: Do you ever have a hard time with walking away from powerful characters like this one? Meaning, is it ever hard to separate Harry Brown from Michael Caine?

Answer:

Check out all the questions and answers on the “ASK CAINE” tab on Facebook!

The film is currently playing in:
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Chicago, IL

It opens on 5/7 in the following cities:
Monterey, CA
Palm Desert, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Rosa, CA
Kew Gardens, NY
Malverne, NY
Manhasset, NY
Montclair, NY
White Plains, NY

and on 5/14:
Hartford, CT
New Haven, CT
Boca Raton, FL
Delray Beach, FL
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Orlando, FL
Bethesda, MD
Detroit, MI
Birmingham, MI
Minneapolis, MN
Edina, MN
St. Louis, MS
Charolotte, NC
Philadelphia, PA
Austin, TX
Dallas, TX
Plano, TX
Arlington, VA
Washington, DC

Opens 5/21:
Baltimore, MD
Indianapolis, IN
Atlanta, GA
Memphis, TN
San Diego, CA
Portland, OR

and on 5/28:
Boston/Cambridge, MA
Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ

Dirty Hands: The Art & Crimes of David Choe
Film Review by Kam Williams

For some reason, the rules never meant anything to David Choe growing up. As a matter of fact, the rebellious Korean-American graffiti artist could care less about his grades or the law. Instead, the troubled young truant would play hooky and shoplift to ply his craft day or night on walls all over the City of Los Angeles. This meant that he had no problem stealing cans of spray paint and trespassing in order to deface public or private property.

He explains his personal philosophy as “I just want to destroy [expletive]“ with a defiant shrug in Dirty Hands: The Art & Crimes of David Choe, a dizzying bio-pic representing the phenomenal directorial debut of Harry Kim. Mr. Kim trailed his restless subject around the world for eight years, with ports of call as far afield as the Congo, Israel and Japan, where David landed in jail after punching a cop in the face.

It would be easy to dismiss this irresponsible wild child as a lost cause, given how he not only stole, but forged checks to support his habit. However, when he finally sought psychological counseling, it was determined that the otherwise very talented dude was suffering from a variety of mental maladies, including schizophrenia, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, ant-social behavior, bipolar disorder, kleptomania and sexual addiction.

That last one cost the kid the love of a good woman, the others just added up to make his life a holy mess. Nonetheless, David Choe eventually became Born Again, went legit, got his act together, and started landing lucrative corporate contracts to design stuff like an ad for Converse sneakers and a cover for a Jay-Z CD. And he recently sold out a show of $2.5 million worth of his painting at a show in an upscale London art gallery.

An alternately frightening and exhilarating, guerilla-style documentary showcasing the downs and ups of an amoral thrill-seeker lucky enough to bottom out and find redemption before it was too late to be given a last shot at rehabilitation.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English and Korean with subtitles.
Running time: 93 Minutes
Studio: Upper Playground

by Daryle Lockhart

We’ve all wanted to have various voices other than the British woman on the GPS. If you’re like me, you’ve used everything from Snoop to Homer Simpson…but nothing’s been quite right. Now, true, I COULD just…figure out where I’m GOING and then I wouldn’t have to worry about it at all, but…where would be the fun in that?

Tom Tom understands. And they’re happy to take my upgrade money. So they’re bringing a little Star Wars (relevance: the most successful indie production of all time) to your ride.

2010 has been a pretty nice year for Star Wars. There’s the Adidas Original gear, the best season of Clone Wars on Cartoon Network so far…now this. Check out the session of James Earl Jones Lord Vader recording the directions that will get you home from the mall.

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards, the Los Angeles Film Festival, and year-round artist development programs and exhibition events, announced the official selections for the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times. The Festival will run from Thursday, June 17 to Sunday, June 27 in downtown Los Angeles, with its central hub at L.A. LIVE. Now in its sixteenth year, the Festival is recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema and providing the movie-loving public with access to critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent from around the world.

The 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 40 countries. This year, the Festival received more than 4,700 submissions from filmmakers around the world. The final selections represent 28 World, North American, and U.S. premieres, which more than doubled from 2009. The number of films competing in the narrative and documentary competition categories also increased this year from 13 to 18, of which half are World premieres.

For the fifth year, the Los Angeles Times will serve as the Festival’s title sponsor and once again produce the official Festival Guide, the comprehensive source for all movie info, screenings, locations, and related special events. The Festival Guide will top the paper on Sunday, June 13 in Los Angeles and Orange County, and will be made available throughout downtown L.A. during the ten-day event.

“We’ve received tremendous support from the community for our move to downtown and can’t wait to present this rich, diverse program to audiences,” said Los Angeles Film Festival Director Rebecca Yeldham. “We’ve created a series of highly entertaining, memorable experiences for our filmmakers and audiences.”

“It’s been a terrific experience working with the programming team in my first year with the Festival, and filmgoers are in for a real treat this summer,” said Los Angeles Film Festival Artistic Director David Ansen. “There’s truly something for everyone, whether it’s a comedy for the whole family, a documentary for Star Wars fan boys, or a sidebar of films from an unjustly forgotten and highly-regarded director.”

“The Los Angeles Film Festival is always an amazing time for us because we can build on our year-round work of cultivating the careers of artists and providing them with a unique platform to showcase their films,” said Film Independent Executive Director Dawn Hudson. “It’s also a fabulous way to bring together the industry, filmmakers, and film lovers to celebrate the diverse arts scene that Los Angeles has to offer.”

Focus Features’ The Kids Are All Right will kick off the Festival on June 17 at the Premiere Theater at Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14. The film is directed by Lisa Cholodenko from an original screenplay by Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg and stars Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, and Josh Hutcherson. Two teenaged children (Wasikowska, Hutcherson) conceived by artificial insemination get the notion to seek out their birth father and introduce him into the family life that their two mothers (Bening, Moore) have built for them. Once the donor (Ruffalo) is found, the household will never be the same, as family ties are defined, re-defined, and re-re-defined. The Kids Are All Right opens in select cities on July 7, 2010.

Universal Pictures’ world premiere of the 3-D CGI feature Despicable Me will close the Festival on June 27 at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. The film is directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin with an all-star cast including Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Danny McBride, Jemaine Clement, Miranda Cosgrove, Jack McBrayer, and Julie Andrews. One of the world’s greatest super-villains, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), is planning the biggest heist in the history of the world: to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!) in Despicable Me. Surrounded by an army of mischievous little yellow minions and armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles, Gru vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little girls who look at him and see something that no one else has: a potential Dad. Despicable Me opens nationwide in Real D 3D on July 9, 2010.

The Festival will host the invitation-only world premiere of Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on June 24 at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. Details for the screening can be found at LAFilmFest.com. The film is directed by David Slade and stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, and Dakota Fanning. In Eclipse, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings, and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob, knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse opens nationwide on June 30, 2010.

In lieu of one Centerpiece Premiere, this year’s Festival will feature a number of high-profile Gala Screenings, which include: Sony Pictures Classics’ Animal Kingdom, directed by David Michod; Fox Searchlight’s Cyrus, directed by Jay & Mark Duplass; the world premiere of Mahler on the Couch, directed by Percy and Felix Adlon; the North American premiere of Revolucion, a series of short films directed by Mariana Chenillo, Fernando Eimbcke, Amat Escalante, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo Garcia, Diego Luna, Gerardo Naranjo, Rodrigo Pia, Carlos Reygadas, and Patricia Riggen; and Paramount Vantage’s Waiting for Superman, directed by Davis Guggenheim.

Last year, Netflix and Film Independent joined forces to create the national Netflix FIND Your Voice Film Competition, to discover and assist the next great independent filmmaker. The winning project, The Wheeler Boys written and directed by Philip G. Flores, was developed through Film Independent over the past year and will now have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Additional support was provided by Panavision, Kodak, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, and EFILM Hollywood, a division of Deluxe.

Opening Night Film:

* The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko (Focus Features)

Closing Night Film:

* Despicable Me, Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin (Universal Pictures) – WORLD PREMIERE

Bonus By Invitation Screening:

* The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, David Slade (Summit Entertainment) – WORLD PREMIERE

Gala Screenings (5):

* Animal Kingdom, David Michod – Australia (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Cyrus, Jay & Mark Duplass (Fox Searchlight)
* Mahler on the Couch, Percy & Felix Adlon – WORLD PREMIERE
* Revolucion, Mariana Chenillo, Fernando Eimbcke, Amat Escalante, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo Garcia, Diego Luna, Gerardo Naranjo, Rodrigo Pia, Carlos Reygadas & Patricia Riggen – Mexico – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
* Waiting for Superman, Davis Guggenheim (Paramount Vantage)

Narrative Competition (9): The Narrative Competition is comprised of films made by talented emerging filmmakers that compete for the Filmmaker Award. The winner is determined by a panel of jurors, and films in this section are also eligible for the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.

* Dog Sweat, Hossein Keshavarz – Iran – WORLD PREMIERE
* A Family, Pernille Fischer Christensen – Denmark – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
* Hello Lonesome, Adam Reid – WORLD PREMIERE
* The New Year, Brett Haley
* Of Love and Other Demons, Hilda Hidalgo – Costa Rica/Colombia – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
* Orly, Angela Schanelec – Germany/France – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
* Parade, Isao Yukisada – Japan – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
* Upstate, Katherine Nolfi, Andrew Luis – WORLD PREMIERE
* The Wolf Knife, Laurel Nakadate – WORLD PREMIERE

Documentary Competition (9): The Documentary Competition is comprised of films made by talented emerging filmmakers that compete for the Documentary Award. The winner is determined by a panel of jurors, and films in this section are also eligible for the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.

* Camera, Camera, Malcolm Murray – WORLD PREMIERE
* Circo, Aaron Schock – USA/Mexico – WORLD PREMIERE
* One Lucky Elephant, Lisa Leeman – WORLD PREMIERE
* Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, Lev Anderson, Chris Metzler – WORLD PREMIERE
* Farewell, Ditteke Mensink – Netherlands – US PREMIERE
* Life with Murder, John Kastner – Canada – US PREMIERE
* Make Believe, J. Clay Tweel – WORLD PREMIERE
* Vlast, Cathryn Collins
* Where Are You Taking Me?, Kimi Takesue – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

International Showcase (20): The International Showcase highlights innovative independent narrative and documentary features from outside of the United States. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.

* 1428, Du Hai-bin – China
* Army of Crime, Robert Guediguian – France (Kino)
* Bibliotheque Pascal, Szabolcs Hajdu – Germany/Hungary/England – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
* Cafe Noir, Jung Sung-il – South Korea – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
* Disco & Atomic War, Jaak Kilmi, Kiur Aarma – Estonia/Finland
* Down Terrace, Ben Wheatley – England (Magnolia Pictures)
* Eastern Plays, Kamen Kalev – Bulgaria
* Eyes Wide Open, Haim Tabakman – Israel/Germany/France (New American Vision)
* Family Tree, Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau – France
* Golden Slumber, Yoshihiro Nakamura – Japan – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
* Judge, Liu Jie – China
* La Pivellina, Rainer Frimmel, Tizza Covi – Austria/Italy
* Lebanon, Samuel Maoz – Israel (Sony Pictures Classics)
* The Peddler, Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano, Adriana Yurcovich – Argentina
* R, Tobias Lindholm, Michael Noer – Denmark
* The Red Chapel, Mads Brugger – Denmark
* Secrets of the Tribe, Jose Padilha – England/Brazil
* Space Tourists, Christian Frei – Switzerland
* Street Days, Levan Koguashvili – Georgia
* Woman on Fire Looks For Water, Woo Ming Jin – Malaysia/South Korea

Summer Screenings (12): The Summer Screenings section offers an advance look at this summer’s most talked about independent film releases from the festival circuit. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.

* Ain’t In It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm, Jacob Hatley
* Cane Toads: The Conquest, Mark Lewis – Australia/US
* Cold Weather, Aaron Katz
* Four Lions, Christopher Morris – England
* Kings of Pastry, D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus (First Run Features)
* Marwencol, Jeff Malmberg
* Monsters, Gareth Edwards (Magnolia Pictures)
* Night Catches Us, Tanya Hamilton (Magnolia Pictures)
* The Tillman Story, Amir Bar-Lev (The Weinstein Company)
* Tiny Furniture, Lena Dunham (IFC Films)
* Welcome to the Rileys, Jake Scott (Apparition, Destination Films)
* White Material, Claire Denis – France (IFC Films)

Outdoor Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre (4): These official Los Angeles Film Festival selections, sponsored by Brand X and American Airlines, are included as part of the 2010 Ford Amphitheatre Summer Season; a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.

* Centurion, Neil Marshall – England (Magnolia Pictures)
* The Last Exorcism, Daniel Stamm (Lionsgate) – WORLD PREMIERE
* The People vs. George Lucas, Alexandre O. Philippe
* Thunder Soul, Mark Landsman

International Spotlight (4): A tribute to a forgotten giant of South American cinema, Argentina’s Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, sponsored by Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

* The Fall (1959)
* The Hand in the Trap (1961)
* The House of the Angel (1957)
* The Seven Madmen (1973)

Selections from the Ambulante Film Festival (3): Sponsored by Hoy, and returning for a second year, Ambulante is a traveling documentary film festival produced by the non-profit organization Documental Ambulante A.C., in collaboration with Canana, Cinepolis, and the Morelia International Film Festival. It was created in 2005 by Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Pablo Cruz to promote documentary culture across Mexico. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature or Best Documentary Feature.

* One Day Less, Dariela Ludlow – Mexico – US PREMIERE
* Presumed Guilty, Roberto Hernandez, Geoffrey Smith – Mexico
* The Toledo Report, Albino Alvarez Gomez – Mexico

Community Screenings (4): These films will be presented free to the public. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature or Best Documentary Feature.

* Climate Refugees, Michael P. Nash – Grand Performances Screening
* Gasland, Josh Fox
* Lost Angels, Thomas Napper – WORLD PREMIERE
* A Small Act, Jennifer Arnold – Project:Involve Screening

The Beyond (4): The Beyond offers films that dare to be different. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.

* All About Evil, Joshua Grannell
* Bitter Feast, Joe Maggio – WORLD PREMIERE
* Mandrill, Ernesto Diaz Espinoza – Chile
* Separado!, Gruff Rhys, Dylan Goch – Wales – US PREMIERE

Special Screenings (3):

* The Life of Richard Wagner (1913), Carl Froelich
* The Wheeler Boys, Philip G. Flores – WORLD PREMIERE – Netflix FIND Your Voice Winner
* Utopia in Four Movements, David Cerf, Sam Green

UCLA Film & T.V. Archive Collaborations

L.A. Film Critics: The Films That Got Away (2): Co-presented by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

* The Happiest Girl in the World (2009), Radu Jude – Romania
* Katalin Varga (2009), Peter Strickland – Romania/England

Downtown Confidential (2): Co-presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive

* Hickey and Boggs (1972), Robert Culp
* The Driver (1978), Walter Hill

The Film Foundation Screening Program (2):

* The Leopard (1963), Luchino Visconti – Presented by The Film Foundation and Gucci as part of “Cinema Visionaries.”
* The Music Room (1958), Satyajit Ray – Presented by The Film Foundation and American Express as part of “20 Years/20 Films.”

Short Films (33): Shorts are shown before features and as part of five short film programs. With their diverse and complex content, these films shine brilliantly. Most short films, domestic and international, will compete for prizes in Narrative, Documentary, and Animation/Experimental categories. The winner is determined by a panel of jurors. An Audience Award for Best Short Film is also presented.

* Shorts Program 1-5

Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts (32): These two programs of shorts, sponsored by Best Buy, made by high school students from around the country feature work by the next generation of filmmakers.

* Programs 1-2

Music Videos (60): The Music Video Showcase consists of three programs. Our two Eclectic Mix programs are a visual mix tape of this year’s best independent music videos, with a few innovative major label artists thrown in for good measure. Big in Japan highlights a selection of the most dynamic music videos Japan has to offer. Music videos will compete for an Audience Award.

* Eclectic Mix 1-2
* Big in Japan: A Survey of Japanese Music Videos

Our weekly rundown of all the independent movies being released on Friday!
IFL Staff

Here’s the rundown, in alphabetical order:

Babies (Unrated) The world as a global nursery documentary chronicling the first year in the lives of four infants, one each from Mongolia, Namibia, Japan and America. (In French with subtitles)

Badmaash Company (Unrated) Bollywood crime thriller, an international musical set in Mumbai, Bangkok, New York and Las Vegas in the Nineties, and revolving around a quartet of young friends (Shaid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Vir Das and Meiyang Chang) who start an import business which quickly makes them millionaires at the expense of their ethics. (In Hindi and English with subtitles)

Casino Jack and the United States of Money (R for profanity) Oscar-winning, documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) directs this bio-pic recounting the shady shenanigans of DC lobbyist Jack Abramoff who undermined American democracy with the help of some of the best politicians money could buy.

Floored (Unrated) Obsolescence expose’ examines automation’s impact on workers at the Chicago Board of Trade as the commodity market’s primary method of operation shifts from frenzied, man-a-mano action in the pits on the floor of the exchange to impersonal electronic trading on computers. With appearances by CNBC’s Rick Santelli and Pete Najarian.

Happiness Runs (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama about a neglected kid (Mark L. Young) raised on a polygamous hippie commune in Malibu who becomes wise enough to start looking for another path than his parents’ one which was marked by promiscuity, drugs and a slavish devotion to an exploitative guru (Rutger Hauer).

The Lightkeepers (PG for smoking, mature themes and brief profanity) Romantic comedy, set on Cape Cod in 1912, where a misogynistic lighthouse keeper (Richard Dreyfuss) finds his vow of celibacy tested when a young heiress (Mamie Gummer) with an attractive assistant (Blythe Danner) moves into a nearby cottage for the summer. Cast includes Bruce Dern, Tom Wisdom, Julie Harris and Ben Dreyfuss (Richard’s son).

Mother and Child (R for sexuality, profanity and brief nudity) Adoption is the central theme of this ensemble drama juxtaposing an embittered 50 year-old’s (Annette Bening) search for the daughter (Naomi Watts) she gave away at 14 against a barren black woman’s (Kerry Washington) desperate quest for a child of her own. Cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, S. Epatha Merkerson, Amy Brenneman, Tatyana Ali, Carla Gallo, David Morse, Shareeka Epps, Jimmy Smits, Latanya Richardson, Lisa Gay Hamilton and Eileen Ryan (Sean Penn’s mother).

Multiple Sarcasms (R for profanity and sexual references) Midlife crisis comedy about a successful but unhappy architect (Timothy Hutton) who quits his job to write a semi-autobiographical play which becomes a hit, but at the expense of his marriage and other relationships. Ensemble includes Mira Sorvino, Dana Delany, Stockard Channing, Mario Van Peebles and Chris Sarandon.

The Oath (Unrated) Al Qaeda documentary about two terrorists: Guantanamo-detainee Salim Hamdan, bin Laden’s chauffeur, and his brother-in-law Abu Jandal, Osama’s former bodyguard, who remains on the lam and is currently driving a taxi in Yemen. (In Arabic with subtitles)

Ocean of Pearls (PG-13 for brief profanity and mature themes) Cross-cultural drama, about an ambitious Sikh surgeon (Omid Abtahi) who takes of his turban and shaves off his beard for the sake of his career at an American hospital only to come to question abandoning his traditions in the wake of the death of a patient. With Heather McComb, Ron Canada and Frank Zieger.

OSS 117: Lost in Rio (Unrated) This sequel, another spoof of the spy genre, set in 1967, a dozen years after the original, and again starring Jean Dujardin in the title role as a hapless secret agent now en route to Brazil to track down a high ranking Nazi fugitive (Alex Lutz) living in exile in South America. (In French with subtitles)

Trash Humpers (Unrated) Geriatric set’s answer to The Blair Witch Project, a “found tape” horror flick about a bunch of deranged, senile old coots on the loose and roaming around rural Tennessee while engaging in an array of deviant behaviors including, as the title suggest, mating with garbage cans.

Welcome (Unrated) Illegal alien drama about a 17 year-old Kurdish refugee’s (Firat Ayverdi) arduous, inter-continental, three-month trek from Iraq to England to reunite with his girlfriend (Derya Ayverdi) whose family has already settled in London. (In French, Kurdish and English with subtitles)

Alone among assassins, Jack is a master craftsman. When a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, he vows to his contact Larry that his next assignment will be his last. Jack reports to the Italian countryside, where he holes up in a small town and relishes being away from death for a spell. The assignment, as specified by a Belgian woman, Mathilde, is in the offing as a weapon is constructed. Surprising himself, Jack seeks out the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto and pursues romance with local woman Clara. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate. Starring George Clooney, directed by Anton Corbijn

“Mercy”
Film Review by Kam Williams

Johnny Ryan (Scott Caan) is a very successful romance novelist living in Los Angeles who, ironically, has never actually experienced love himself. Instead, the handsome hunk has contented himself with a series of shallow one-night stands which have never evolved into a substantial relationship.

Everything changes the night of the launch party for his latest best seller, when he has his head turned by Mercy (Wendy Glenn), a gorgeous brunette with a clipped British accent. For as he exchanges pleasantries over wine and cocktails with the mysterious stranger, Johnny finds himself feeling a warm and fuzzy sensation he’s never known before. That would be a crush.

But what Johnny doesn’t know is that Mercy’s a leading critic from New York City who has already published a scathing review of his new book. However, the truth coming out does nothing to discourage him one iota from pursuing the sudden object of his affection. Even in the face of her caustic comments like, “You write about love, but don’t know how to spell it,” he remains resolved to win her heart before she heads back to the East Coast.

Nonetheless, Mercy is not one to be so easily convinced that a Neanderthal she considers “a walking contradiction” might have changed his stripes. And when she ignores Johnny’s begging to stay in L.A., he gets so desperate that he threatens to kill her if she follows through with her travel plans, but to no avail.

With Mercy gone, he initially attempts to revert to his womanizing ways only to encounter erectile dysfunction issues for the first time in his life. So, he consults with his English professor father (James Caan), who is no help, since the best advice he can muster up is trite poster speak such as “Love is a myth.” Obviously, Johnny just have to have that girl who’s gone back to the Big Apple.

Thus unfolds Mercy, an engaging character-driven drama directed by Patrick Hoelck but written and produced by Scott Caan. Caan must be credited for fashioning a vehicle which fits him to a T, and for surrounding himself with a decent cast to execute his vision, especially Wendy Glenn in the title role.

A sentimental sitdram which seeks to answer whether a long-distance liaison between an artist and his worst critic has a fighting chance of blossoming into love? A question satisfactorily answered by this bittersweet romantic romp about growing up, albeit belatedly.

Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 87 Minutes
Distributor: IFC Films

“Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story“
DVD Review by Kam WIlliams

The first President Bush, center left, in 1989 with Lee Atwater, center right, from “Boogie Man.”

Harvey Leroy ‘Lee’ Atwater (1951-1991) was barely out of his teens when he burst onto the political scene in South Carolina in the early Seventies. Back then, the guitar-playing wunderkind loved the blues almost as much as he did serving as a consultant to conservatives during election campaigns.

A protégé of Strom Thurmond, he learned the tricks of the trade at the feet of an inveterate racist who once swore that blood would run in the streets of his state before he would allow integration. Thurmond, in fact, was such a hypocrite that he remained a bigot even after fathering a child with a 15 year-old black servant.

As for Atwater, he devoted most of his days to denying African-Americans equal rights. And while he might have repented shortly before succumbing to brain cancer, that 11th-hour confession did little to undo the damage he had inflicted on minorities as the architect of the Reagan revolution.

For Atwater was a scoundrel who believed that anything goes in politics, so he felt it was okay to lie, cheat, make up fake opinion polls and generally tell the people what they wanted to hear and in order to prevail. He is probably best known for having masterminded the infamous Willie Horton ad which turned the tide in the 1988 presidential race in favor of Bush over Michael Dukakis.

Atwater’s reward for having erased a 17-point deficit en route to the White House was his being named Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Understanding the power of the visual image, Lee fervently believed that “perception is reality,” so he was not above manipulating folks to vote against their own interests by serving them a pack of lies. Rationalizing that all that mattered was power, he single-handedly transformed U.S. politics into a series of tabloid moments.

His reign came to an abrupt end upon his dire diagnosis in 1990, but by then Atwater protégé Karl Rove was already well versed in all of his Machiavellian tactics. On his death bed, Atwater found religion and repented, going out of his way to apologize to every individual whose reputation he’d smeared, including Willie Horton.

Before he passed away, he released a statement which proved he had undergone a spiritual catharsis: “My illness helped me to see that what was missing in society is what was missing in me: a little heart, a lot of brotherhood.” Too bad that message was totally lost on Rove.

A fascinating, warts-and-all documentary about one of the most notorious and influential figures in 20th Century politics.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 86 minutes
Studio: InterPositive Media/Passion River Films
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, MSN and other additional interviews, unpublished photographs, theatrical trailer, discussion guide and additional biographical info.

“William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe”
DVD Review by Kam Williams

William Kunstler (1919-1995) was one of the most reviled figures of the 20th Century. For he was an attorney who not only represented controversial causes and unpopular people, but his approach in the courtroom involved exposing the racism and classicism permeating the legal justice system.

Always ahead of his time, Kunstler’s lifelong commitment to civil rights began when he went to Mississippi to defend Freedom Riders being arrested for trying to integrate lunch counters and other public accommodations. No hypocrite, he cared just as much about equality in his hometown of Rye, New York, where he successfully sued on behalf of a black couple trying to move into the lily-white enclave in 1960.

Over the course of his career, his services were retained by everyone from Malcolm X to Dr. Martin Luther King to H. Rap Brown to Stokely Carmichael to Abbie Hoffman to the American Indian Movement to Adam Clayton Powell to the Berrigan brothers. But he really first became a household name in his own right during the trial of the Chicago 8 who were arrested in the wake of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. That’s when he grew his hair long to match the manes of the hippies being railroaded, and when he was held in contempt of court for calling the judge a bigot.

Kunstler hated racism, and fundamental to his political philosophy was the notion that “lawyers shouldn’t be immune from the oppression” affecting their clients. Consequently, he gave his all, and was willing to put his own life on the line. Unfortunately, this approach
took a toll on his family, especially his daughters, Emily and Sarah, the co-directors of William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe.

In this bittersweet bio-pic they not only recount their father’s exploits, but how they had to grow up with the specter of daily death threats and demonstrations in front of their home. Sadly, their father would only be posthumously vindicated for his spirited representation of innocent Harlem teens accused of raping the Central Park jogger.

A very moving tribute to an underappreciated hero who spent his life as a tireless defender of the defenseless.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 85 minutes
Studio: New Video Group
DVD Extras: Kunstler family home movies, Emily and Sarah Kunstler on “Democracy Now!”, archival audio files and video footage.

DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM
DVD Review by Kam WIlliams

In 2006, District B-13 arrived from France riding a wave of well-deserved critical acclaim. In fact, I was so impressed that I named that action-oriented directorial debut by Pierre Morel the #1 foreign film of the year. So excuse me for anticipating more of the same from the sequel, especially since co-stars David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli would both be reprising their roles.

However, Morel, who made the equally-intense Taken, was not signed to shoot the sequel. Instead, he was replaced by Patrick Allesandrin who had no experience in the high-impact thriller genre. And it shows.

The best thing about the original was its acrobatic fight sequences, starting with that eye-popping, opening chase scene. So, as District 2 unfolds, you’re naturally expecting another spectacular series of stunts right after the credits. But we’re forced to wait so long that by the time it finally arrives it feels a tad anticlimactic.

The story is set in Paris in 2013, in a slum area deeply divided along ethnic lines, with African, white and Asian gangs vying for control of the local narcotics trade. Soon after the point of departure, Police Captain Damien Tomaso (Raffaelli) is seemingly inexplicably framed by crooked colleagues and winds up behind bars. So, it falls to anti-drug crusader Leito (Belle) to spring the honest cop from jail; so the two can clean up the district by employing a combination of martial arts and parkour moves, the latter being a ballet-like, flight discipline emanating from France.

However, the plot thickens considerably when our heroes catch wind of a diabolical government plan to bomb the ghetto and turn the land over to avaricious real estate developers with gentrification in mind. At that juncture, Damien and Leito enter an unholy alliance with the local hoodlums to save the dilapidated district.

The rabid rainbow coalition proceeds to take on the corrupt politicians and gendarmes behind the evil scheme. Finally the action picks up, especially with the help of Tao (Elodie Yung), a ravenous beauty capable of dispatching dudes with a twirl of her deadly, waist-length mane.

Is District 13 II a bomb? Not by a long shot. Just disappointing, if you’re expecting this adventure to measure up to the mesmerizing first installment.

Very Good (2.5 stars)

DVD Extras: Deleted and extended scenes, production diary, music video, “The Making of” featurette, and an HDNet look at the film.

The G.I. Film Festival, now in its fourth year, today announces its film selections for its May 11-16 event in Washington, D.C. The G.I. Film Festival is the only film festival in the nation to honor the successes and sacrifices of American service members through the medium of film.

Overall, the G.I. Film Festival will feature a total of 35 narrative and documentary full-length and short films during the five-day event. Subject matter ranges from World War II themes of courage, sacrifice and brotherhood to present-day struggles including veteran homelessness and post-traumatic stress.

“This year, the G.I. Film Festival will put the spotlight on the full range of human emotions experienced by American G.I.s inside the arena of war and back on the home front,” said G.I. Film Festival co-founder Brandon Millett. “This is an exceptional line-up of films that will entertain, captivate and inspire,” added festival co-founder Laura Law-Millett.

Festival screenings include actress Glenn Close’s directorial debut in “Pax”.

Pax is the story of Sergeant Bill Campbell who returned home from Iraq with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. Sgt. Campbell reclaims his life from an unlikely source: a dog named Pax, trained by an inmate at the Bedford Hills (NYC) Correctional Facility for Women. Following the screening, a panel discussion on post-traumatic stress will include Ms. Close, former ABC co-anchor and award-winning reporter Bob Woodruff and Brigadier Gen. Loree Sutton, Director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

The festival will also host the world premiere of Starting Strong, a new Army reality show created, produced, directed and narrated by actor Ricky Schroder, as well as an advanced screening of the new documentary Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good with special guest, actor Gary Sinise. Filmmaker and veteran of the 82nd Airborne Jonathan Flora directed Lt. Dan Band.

Another festival world premiere, Chosin, features the work of two Iraq War veterans, Brian Iglesias and Anton Sattler, who lived out of a van and operated on a shoestring budget to complete their epic documentary Chosin, which chronicles one of the most savage battles in American history, the Korean War’s Chosin Reservoir Campaign.

The G.I. Film Festival’s Filmmaker Boot Camp will return this year. In it, new directors and other attendees will learn how to finance, market and pitch their own films at the all-day event.

The G.I. Film Festival’s principal venue is the Carnegie Institution for Science, 1530 P St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

The festival will host the post-traumatic stress panel at the Canadian Embassy and a congressional reception in the Russell Senate Caucus Room.

Get tickets and more information at the official website

Our weekly rundown of what’s new to watch this week
IFL staff

Dirty Hands (Unrated) Redemption documentary revolving around Korean-American, con man David Choe, the schizophrenic graffiti artist who bottomed out behind bars before turning his life around to sell paintings to corporate sponsors like Nike for millions of dollars.

Ghost Bird (Unrated) Endangered species documentary chronicling how ornithologists flocked to a tiny town in Arkansas in the wake of a supposed sighting there of a giant, ivory-billed woodpecker thought to extinct.

Harry Brown (R for sexuality, drug use, pervasive profanity and graphic violence) Revenge flick about a recently-widowed, law-abiding senior citizen (Michael Caine) who morphs into a crime-fighting vigilante after the street gang that murdered his best friend (David Bradley) gets off with a slap on the wrist. Cast includes Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen and Charlie Creed-Miles.

The Human Centipede: First Sequence (Unrated) Euro-horror flick about a couple of spoiled American girls (Ashley Williams and Ashlynn Yennie) vacationing alone in Germany whose rental car breaks down in the forest where they fall into the clutches of a retired surgeon (Dieter Laser) who once specialized in separating Siamese twins. Now, the diabolical doc hatches a plan to make a human centipede by sewing his helpless kidnap victims one behind the other together in mouth-to-anus fashion. (In English, German and Japanese with subtitles)

Mercy (Unrated) Scott Caan wrote and stars in this romance drama as a writer who doesn’t believe in love until he falls for a critic (Wendy Glenn) he meets at the launch party of his latest novel, despite the fact that she trashed the book. Cast includes Dylan McDermott, Bre Blair and Troy Garity.

Please Give (R for nudity, profanity and sexuality) New York City comedy about the a couple in crisis (Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt) trying to work on their relationship while dealing with the demands of the cranky tenant next-door (Ann Morgan Guilbert) being looked after by two grown granddaughters (Rebecca Hall and Amanda Peet). With Elisabeth Keener, Elise Ivy and Lois Smith.

ANIME DVD RELEASES:

Gintama Collection 01
Magic Knight Rayearth Season 1 Remastered Set
Naruto Uncut Season 02 Box Set
Rental Magica Part 2 Collection
Rurouni Kenshin Complete Series

Behind The Burly Q
Film Review by Kam Williams

With roots in 19th Century vaudeville and minstrel shows, burlesque enjoyed its heyday in the United States in the 1930s when it emerged as the country’s most popular form of live entertainment until the advent of television, porno films and the women’s movement would signal its demise. The genre originally featured both comedians and dancers backed by a live band, although eventually the striptease acts came to be the only things the audiences wanted to see.

The curvaceous cutie pies who plied their trade as ecdysiasts are proud members of “America’s Greatest Generation,” that rapidly-disappearing set whose ranks are thinning at an alarming rate as they pass away due to old age. But thanks to actress-turned-director Leslie Zemeckis their contributions to the culture have been preserved for posterity, recounted in fascinating fashion in Behind the Burly Q, a revealing documentary cobbled from a combination of file footage and dozen of interviews with historians, surviving strippers and may of their offspring.

Although these aging senior citizens may just be a shadow of their former selves physically, the life stories they share here show that time has not diminished their inner beauty one iota. Most, we learn, adopted colorful stage names like Blaze Starr, Tempest Storm, Evangeline the Oyster Girl, Little Egypt, Sally Rand, Lady Midnight, Alexandra the Great, White Fury, TNT Red, Kitty West, Gilded Lili, The Sexquire Girl, The Ball of Fire, Gypsy Rose Lee and Bingo. But sadly, behind the glamorous facades were mostly sad tales about how they had basically been driven into the profession by dysfunctional families and/or money woes caused by the Great Depression.

Evangeline the Oyster Girl says she turned to the relatively-easy money of burlesque after watching her mother work herself to the bone in the cotton fields. Coal miner’s daughter Blaze Starr started taking her clothes off after her dad developed Black Lung disease. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, Tempest Storm can now see that in her case she pranced around in her birthday suit because she was looking for the father she never knew.

Regardless, it seems that one of the occupational hazards of the job was unstable relationships, as some subjects bemoan never tying the not while others report marrying four or five times. Then there were those who had mental problems, drank or were addicted to pain killers, the ostensible fallout of a career spent on the road traveling from town to town to get next to naked for perfect strangers.

Apparently, each woman tried to include something memorable in her routine to attract repeat customers. For example, one says she got skin poisoning from dyeing her hair green. Another did yoga on stage, while Sally Keith’s claim to fame was having such control over her pectoral muscles that she could send her tassels swinging in opposite directions and in perfect time to the musical accompaniment.

A fun-filled tribute which elevates the Golden Age of Burlesque to its rightful place in history while belatedly restoring a little dignity to its under-appreciated, socially-ostracized performers.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 98 Minutes
Distributor: First Run Features

ANALOG is a 27 min, black and white, Science Fiction film made in 2009 by Brazilian filmmaker Ebbëto. This is his second film. This short extract of the film features the music of OIL 10 “Passagen”, by the French electronic music composer Gilles Rossire. The film is currently making its film festival rounds.

ANALOG is the tale of a machine traveling in deep-space which has as a primary function the preservation of a living organism: a man.
Strange events with biblical analogies begin, disturbing the machine and making it rethink it’s priorities.

- An Ebbëto Grafx production in association with RCS Design
- A film by EBBËTO “ANALOG”
- With FABIO NORAT and GIOVANNA VELASCO
- 3D technic/concept design – 3D animation- co-producer – 1st assistant director RENATO SBARDELOTTO
- Original soundtrack-sound design-audio editor RENATO JAW and RODRIGO BARALDO – SEMENTE CÓSMICA
- Music by GILLES ROSSIRE/OIL 10 and GENGIVAS NEGRAS
- Executive producer ELIM DUTRA
- Screenplay-Director-Photography-2D animation and Editor EBBËTO
- Art Direction EBBËTO and RENATO SBARDELOTTO
- Makeup : Rachel Ramos
- Costume Design : Cintia Mafei
- Support : Nelson Glezer e Silvio Nachim from Construtora Atlântica

A weekly rundown of the week in movies
IFL staff

Here’s a rundown of all the indie films opening in theaters across the country this week:

Behind the Burly Q (Unrated) Actress Leslie Zemeckis, wife of Oscar-winning director Bob (for Forrest Gump), makes her own directorial debut with this revealing documentary revisiting the Golden Age of Burlesque, America’s most popular genre of live entertainment in the 20th Century until the advent of TV. Features file footage and dozen of interviews with historians and dancers like Blaze Starr, Tempest Storm and the incomparable Evangelina the Oyster girl.

Boogie Woogie (Unrated) Gillian Anderson and Alan Cumming co-star in this British sitcom based on Danny Moynihan’s novel of the same name revolving around the cannibalistic behavior inside London’s art world, a cutthroat community populated by corrupt dealers, shallow agents, narcissistic artists and sexual predators. With Heather Graham, Charlotte Rampling and Christopher Lee.

Breath Made Visible (Unrated) Reverential bio-pic chronicling the career of the legendary Anna Halprin, the dance pioneer who established America’s first integrated company, and whose revolutionary approach incorporated the art form’s power to heal, teach and transform. Director Ruedi Gerber deftly blends contemporary and archival footage of both performances and interviews.

Oceans (Unrated) Eco-friendly documentary, narrated by Pierce Brosnan, exploring the mysterious wonders and rapidly-vanishing species of the sub-aquatic world covering three-quarters of the Earth’s surface.

Paper Man (R for profanity and sexuality) Midlife crisis comedy about a never-published novelist (Jeff Daniels) who befriends a troubled teenager (Emma Stone) much to the chagrin of his long-suffering, MD wife (Lisa Kudrow) and his imaginary friend (Ryan Reynolds). Cast includes Kieran Culkin, Arabella Field and Hunter Parrish.

“Uncertainty”
DVD Review by Kam WIlliams

Kate (Lynn Collins) and Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a carefree young couple living in NYC, are weighing their options about how to spend 4th of July as they walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. On the one hand, they could go to her family’s picnic, although that would probably involve dealing with pressure from her parents to get married. On the other hand, they could simply head into Manhattan for whatever serendipitous adventure might lay in wait.

The lovebirds impulsively agree to base their decision on a fateful flip of the coin, blissfully unaware of just how much is riding on its landing head versus tails. For, while the duty-bound barbecue will basically be an uneventful, if socially-awkward, annoyance, a day in the city will morph into a harrowing, never-ending nightmare.

And how do we know this? Because Uncertainty is a bifurcated drama depicting exactly what will transpire, depending on which direction Kate and Bobby take off the bridge. The picture was co-written and co-directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, the same brains behind The Deep End (2001), an equally-compelling whodunit starring Tilda Swinton.

To make it easy for the audience to keep the two strands straight, one story features the protagonists wearing yellow and heading into Chinatown, the other, wearing green and going to Kate’s folks’ place in Brooklyn. There’s no reason to reveal the details of the family picnic at all, because it essentially serves as mundane counterpoint to the riveting alternative.

Meanwhile, the plot of the other thickens right off the bat when they find
a cell phone left behind on the seat of their taxicab by the previous passenger. The desperate owner calls to retrieve it, and Bobby unwittingly arranges a meeting in a nearby Chinese restaurant.

But the guy happens to have mob connections and is shot dead on the street just as he’s approaching them. Suddenly, instead of a leisurely lunch, Bobby and Kate find themselves on the run with a gangster in hot pursuit. Soon, they’re hopelessly embroiled in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with a shadowy figure offering as much as a half-million dollars for the phone when he’s not threatening to kill them.

A brilliantly-conceived, well-executed, micro-budgeted, action-packed thriller which gives a whole new meaning to 4th of July fireworks.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 101 minutes
Studio: MPI Home Video

Just up from the official website, here’s the current lineup for Cannes Critics Week:

Feature films
“Armadillo,” directed by Janus Metz (Denmark)
“Bedevilled,” directed by Cheol So Jang (South Korea)
“Belle épine,” directed by Rebecca Zlotowski (France)
“Bi, dung so !,” directed by Phan Dang Di (Vietnam – France – Germany)
“The Myth of the American Sleepover,” directed by David Robert Mitchell (U.S.A.)
“Sandcastle,” directed by Boo Junfeng (Singapore)
“Sound of Noise,” directed by Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjärne Nilsson (Sweden – France)

Short Films
“A distração de Ivan,” directed by Cavi Borges & Gustavo Melo (Brazil)
“Berik,” directed by Daniel Joseph Borgman (Denmark)
“The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Lion,” directed by Alois Di Leo (U.K.)
“Deeper Than Yesterday,” directed by Ariel Kleiman (Australia)
“Love Patate,” directed by Gilles Cuvelier (France)
“Native Son,” directed by Scott Graham (U.K.)
“Vasco,” directed by Sébastien Laudenbach (France)

Special Screenings:

Opening: Feature
“Le Nom des gens,” directed by Michel Leclerc (France)
“Copacabana,” directed by Marc Fitoussi (France)
“Rubber,” directed by Quentin Dupieux (France)

Closing:
“L’Amour-propre,” directed by Nicolas Silhol (France)
“Cynthia todavía tienes las llaves,” directed by Gonzalo Tobal (Argentina)
“Fracture,” directed by Nicolas Sarkissian (France)

“Crazy Heart”
DVD Review by Kam Williams

Mickey Rourke became the toast of Tinseltown after the release of The Wrestler, the 2008 overcoming the odds drama in which he delivered a memorable performance as a down on his luck loser making the most of his last shot at redemption. Rourke, whose own life’s trajectory resembled the arc of the character he was portraying, collected a Golden Globe and numerous other accolades over the course of the 2009 awards season.

This year, Jeff Bridges outdid Mickey’s feat by even winning an Academy Award for Crazy Heart, a similarly-themed character study revolving around a washed-up country singer attempt to revive his flagging career. Hollywood has a habit of rushing to imitate successful films, which helps explain why the equally-gritty flicks seem so similar in tone.

Let’s compare. Rourke’s “Ram “ was a depressed, homeless, sickly, self-abusing ex-wrestler who reconciles with his long-estranged daughter before returning to the ring with the help of his girlfriend, a stripper with a heart of gold and mammaries of silicon. Now, Bridges, as “Bad,” is a chain-smoking, once-famous crooner with a host of woes ranging from alcoholism to emphysema. He also leans on the shoulder, so to speak, of a considerably-younger lover (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and needs to track down the son (Brian Gleason) he hasn’t seen in 25 years.

At the point of departure, we find Bad crisscrossing the country in his car, doing one-night stands in dives and honky-tonk saloons. A shot at salvation plus some steamy rolls in the hay finally arrive the day he meets Jean, the jiggly journalist who decides to dedicate herself to getting his life back on track.

Provided you haven’t seen The Wrestler, or at least aren’t put off by the pervasive sense of déjà vu this derivative drama tends to generate, you are apt to appreciate Crazy Heart, especially if you are found of Country Western music. A bonus is Bridges (as well as supporting cast members Robert Duvall and Dubliner Colin Farrell) doing his own singing, which just might have been the icing on the cake which put the four-time Academy Award also-ran over the top in his quest for that elusive Oscar.

Who needs The Wrestler when you have The Crooner?

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity and brief sexuality.
Running time: 112 Minutes
Distributor: Fox Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes and alternate music cuts.

Recently we talked about the conclusion of this web series’ first season. Watch the first episode here now:

Lisa (Kai Soremekun) is disillusioned with her life. She believes her life will turn around if she can realize her dream of becoming a kick-ass superhero. But when she catches her boyfriend cheating on her with some second rate superhero, she is pushed to the edge.

VISIT THE OFFICIAL CHICK WEB SITE

The creator (and star) of this series will be featured on US Townhall’s internet radio show this coming Tuesday. She’ll be talking about her experience creating season one.

Style Wars is an early documentary on hip hop culture, made by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant, made in New York City in 1983. The film has an emphasis on graffiti, although breakdancing and rapping are covered to a lesser extent. The film was originally aired on PBS television in 1983, and was subsequently shown in several film festivals to much acclaim, including the Vancouver Film Festival.

by Daryle Lockhart

Recently we talked about FilmThreat’s coverage of Filmmaker Gary King’s Kickstarter campaign (if you missed that, check it here).

He set a goal of $30,000 to fund his next project – “How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song”. Today, he passed his goal – completely with contributions from people like you.

Congratulations to Gary. This is another great day in the world of indie film. We’ll be keeping an eye on the production of this musical, and we look forward to its completion and release!

Follow this production and others on his blog, AN INDIE LIFE.

After a long night of flirtation with Ryder Lee (Michael Chan), Lumina Wong (JuJu Chan) skips work and is caught out by her boss’s nephew and her best friend, Teddy Waits (Vince Matthew Chung).

LUMINA is a nine part fantasy thriller series written and directed by Jennifer Thym. New webisodes will be added every Tuesday! Read more about LUMINA on LuminaSeries.com

END CREDIT SONG:

“Grey” by LGF, courtesy of the Enigmatic Army

http://www.lgfband.com

CAST:

LUMINA WONG – JuJu Chan
JAMES WESTON – Lawrence Jacob Milman
ELIZA CHAN – Shell Z. Zhu
TEDDY WAITS – Vince Matthew Chung
DITA SAUNDERS – Aisling Kinsella
EBEN SANCHEZ – Jacob ZIacan

CREW:

DP’s – XiaoSu Han and Andreas Thalhammer
Editor – Bettina Enigl
Sound Designer & Composer – Ben Robinson

Full crew listing on our website: http://www.luminaseries.com/crew

CLOSED CAPTIONS:

Chinese Traditional (????) – JuJu Chan

English – Resynched by Zefram Cochrane, Italian Subs Addicted http://www.italiansubs.net

French (Français) – Gabriel Prevot

Italian (Italiano) – Zefram Cochrane, Italian Subs Addicted http://www.italiansubs.net

Japanese (???) – Radwynn

Norwegian (Norsk) – Eli Wormdahl

Portuguese (Português) – Pablo (raitoringo) Rodriguez, Asianteam.org http://www.asianteam.org

Spanish (Español)- Raul Moyano, Dimsum Cinema http://www.dimsumcinema.com/

“The Cartel”
Film Review by Kam WIlliams

I got the shock of my life soon after graduating from college when I tried teaching in an inner city public school. I was totally unprepared for an educational system which had already failed the students entering my high school English classes. Since I had only attended parochial schools, I was unfamiliar with the practice of awarding social promotions which sent functional-illiterates on to the next grade even though they had never learned to read.

Before I left to look for another line of work at the end of the year, I never really received an adequate answer from the head of my department as to why I was being forced to pass 90% of the kids in my class, when less than a third had mastered the material. What good would it do them to get a diploma, if they couldn’t really read, write or do basic arithmetic?

Thus, I found The Cartel to be thoroughly refreshing, for this chilling expose’ confirmed for me exactly the extent of the entrenched corruption truly dedicated teachers remain up against. Directed by intrepid investigative journalist Bob Bowdon, this damning documentary blows the cover off the state of affairs in New Jersey’s public schools, where educational concerns take a back seat to the salaries and benefits of the teachers and staff.

According to Bowdon, cronyism is rampant in the Garden State, where only 45% of the high school grads are actually ready for college. And although New Jersey ranks #1 in the amount of money devoted to public education, its students only rank 37th in SAT scores. The problem starts with excessive administration pay and is compounded by a teachers’ union more devoted to protecting its members than to helping kids. This explains why the organization runs a misleading TV ad boasting that Jersey has the best graduation rate in the country when it’s really 24th.

In addition, the state is broken up into 616 school districts, which inflates costs, as this in turn necessitates the wasteful duplication of superintendents, principals and other non-classroom employees. Sadly, this arrangement hurts the inner city the most, where the dwindling tax base translates into less funds, more violence in the halls and a mere 12% student proficiency in Mathematics.

An eye-opening film that makes the best case yet for making vouchers available as an option for parents of children stuck in woefully underperforming schools.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: minutes
Studio: Truly Indie

“Cloud 9″
DVD Review by Kam WIlliams

67 year-old Inge (Ursula Werner) has been married for several decades to Werner (Horst Rehberg), a man who has proven to be a loyal and dependable provider as the family patriarch over that time span. However, now that he’s retired, he gets most of his kicks riding passenger trains around Germany, while his seamstress wife operates a small sewing business, mending clothes part-time out of their Berlin flat.

Although Inge is a God-fearing woman who sings in the town choir, the devil gets the better of her the day she makes a house call to a client to drop off a pair of trousers. She impulsively makes a pass at elderly Karl (Karl Westphal) and the two fall immediately in lust and then proceed to embark on a torrid, love affair during secret daytime liaisons.

Thoroughly-enjoying the unanticipated opportunity for intense passion at this advanced stage of life, Inge goes after pleasure with all the gusto her body can still muster. And when guilt about cheating on Werner starts to set in only as a belated afterthought, instead of fessin’ up she confides in her grown daughter, Petra (Steffi Kuhnert) whose worthless advice amounts to little more than the English equivalent of “You go girl!”

So unfolds Cloud 9, a riveting drama directed by Andreas Dresen which explores infidelity among senior citizens with a profusion of nudity which leaves little to the imagination, like an explicit TV commercial for Cialis or Viagra. For there’s no denying what Inge’s after here, given that she already has a devoted, if boring spouse patiently waiting for her at home.

Nonetheless, the plot thickens when the cat finally comes out of the bag, and the question soon becomes whether she’ll wreck the relationship with the man she built her life around for the sake of a miraculously-virile, 76 year-old stud who knows how to satisfy her in bed. Which guy wins? Far be it from me to spill the beans, except to say that doctors ought to expect an upsurge in office visits by AARP patients demanding prescriptions for performance enhancers.

Literally and figuratively blows the sheets off the taboo subject of geriatric sexuality.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In German with subtitles.
Running time: 98 minutes
Studio: Music Box Films

Araki, Allen, Godard, Kitano and more make the list, a few notable absences
by Daryle Lockhart

The lineup for the 63rd Cannes Film Festival set to run from May 12 – 23 2010 was announced this morning in Paris, France at the Grand Hotel. Julian Schnabel’s “Miral”, Christopher Nolan’s “Inception”, and Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” are notably absent from this schedule, but we can expect for to six additional films to be added to the schedule in coming weeks.

FEATURE FILM JURY
Tim Burton, President
Kate Beckinsale Actress / United Kingdom
Giovanna Mezzogiorno Actress / Italy
Alberto Barbera Director National Museum of Cinema / Italy
Emmanuel Carrere Writer, Director / France
Benicio Del Toro Actor / Puerto Rico
Victor Erice Director / Spain
Shekhar Kapur Director, Actor, Producer / India

CINEFONDATION AND SHORT FILM JURY
Atom Egoyan, President Director / Canada
Emmanuelle Devos Actress / France
Dinara Droukarova Actress / Russia
Carlos Diegues Director / Brazil
Marc Recha Director / Spain

UN CERTAIN REGARD JURY
Claire Denis, President Director / France

OPENING FILM:
Robin Hood

IN COMPETITION
Tournee (dir. Mathieu Amalric)
Des Hommes et des Dieux (dir. Xavier Beauvois)
Hors-la-loi (dir. Rachid Bouchareb)
Biutiful (dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)
Un Homme Qui Crie (A Screaming Man) (dir. Mahamat-Saleh Haroun)
Housemaid (dir. Im Sang-soo)
Copie Conforme (dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
Outrage (dir. Takeshi Kitano)
Poetry (dir. Chang-dong Lee)
Another Year (dir. Mike Leigh)
Fair Game (dir. Doug Liman)
You. My Joy (dir. Sergei Loznitsa)
La Nostra Vita (dir. Daniele Luchetti)
Utomlyonny Solntsem 2 (Burnt by the Sun 2) (dir. Nikita Mikhalkov)
La Princesse de Montpensier (dir. Bertrand Tavernier)
Loong Boonmee Raleuk Chaat (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) (dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

UN CERTAIN REGARD
Blue Valentine (dir. Derek Cianfrance)
O Estreanho Caso de Angelica (Angelica) (dir. Manoel de Oliveira)
Les Amours Imaginaires (Heartbeats) (dir. Xavier Dolan)
Loza Los Labios (dir. Ivan Fund and Santiago Loza)
Simon Werner a Disparu… (dir. Fabrice Gobert)
Film Socialisme (dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
Unter Dir Die Stadt (The City Below) (dir. Christoph Hochhausler)
Rebecca H. (Return to the Dogs) (dir. Lodge Kerrigan)
Pal Adrienn (dir. Agnes Kocsis)
Udaan (dir. Vikramaditya Motwane)
Marti, Dupa Craciun (Tuesday, After Christmas) (dir. Radu Muntean)
Chatroom (dir. Hideo Nakata)
Aurora (dir. Cristi Puiu)
Ha Ha Ha (dir. Sang-soo Hong)
Life Above All (dir. Oliver Schmitz)
Octubre (dir. Daniel Vega)
R U There (dir. David Verbeek)
Rizhao Chongqing (Chongqing Blues) (dir. Xiaoshuai Wang)

OUT OF COMPETITION:
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (dir. Woody Allen)
Tamara Drewe (dir. Stephen Frears)
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (dir. Oliver Stone)

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS:
Kaboom (dir. Gregg Araki)
L’Autre Monde (Blackhole) (dir. Gilles Marchand)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS:
Inside Job (dir. Charles Ferguson)
Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow (dir. Sophie Fiennes)
Nostalgia de la Luz (Nostalgia For The Light) (dir. Patricio Guzman)
Draquila – L’Italia Che Trema (dir. Sabina Guzzanti)
Chantrapas (dir. Otar Iosseliani)
Abel (dir. Diego Luna)

Lumina Wong (JuJu Chan) lives alone, works too much and feels as if life is passing her by. Late one night she meets a mysterious man in the mirror (Michael Chan), and they fall in love.

Kai Soremekun’s web series “Chick” follows the adventures of one woman’s quest to find a Secret Academy and realize her dream of being a superhero. Since it launched, it’s been picking up new devoted fans, all of whom have been waiting for the final episode — episode 20, which just dropped. See it below!

The show can be seen on Koldkast and RowdyOrbit.com, or at the web series’ main site, whoischick.com.

No official word on when Season two will start production, though we’re looking forward to seeing the adventures of Fantastica in — possibly a feature film?

Argentina has joined the “superhero movie making world” with Zenitram, their first superhero film. According to movieblog 24 frames per second, Zenitram is:

A black comedy set in a futuristic and decaying Buenos Aires, the movie stars Juam Minujin and Steven Bauer in the tale of Rubén a poor Argentine from the slums, struggling to come to terms with his Cocaine habit!? and newly discovered superpowers. With his tongue firmly in cheek, Zenitram director Luis Barone seems intent on parodying mainstream super hero movies (the scene in the “superhero hospital” rehab centre looks especially funny) through Rubén’s fall from grace. But he has thrown in a more generic sub plot – where Zenitram must fight an evil corporation who are intent on stealing the cities dwindling water supply – to add to the mix.

Trailers:

(thanks to Twitch for the poster image)

Janelle Monae rocked SXSW a year ago as a representative of Metropolis and the Bad Boy Worldwide (!) roster, and she’s still light years ahead of where a lot of “edgy” pop acts are today. Evidence of this is this bold trailer for her upcoming album (and, of course, accompanying set of visuals.

And, in case you wonder what the album’s going to sound like, here is the first video for “Tightrope”, a single featuring Big Boi of Outkast.

And here, ladies and gentlemen, is where we caught first glimpse of Monae. We’d heard some tracks but the visual concept of Cindy Mayweather was refreshing and we wanted to see if she could keep it going. As you can see, she’s stayed in character for two albums and an EP so far.

This short film is called “Many Moons” and features a suite of songs from her last album.

“Fresh”
Film Review by Kam Williams

Nowadays, a handful of agribusiness conglomerates control every step of the food chain, from the seed all the way to the plate, thereby determining the bulk of America’s deteriorating diet. Since most people care more about the convenience and cost of what they eat than how unhealthy the contents might be for their bodies or for Earth, they’ve remained blissfully unaware of this dangerous trend towards the elimination of consumer choice in favor of adulterated, processed products devoid of nutritional benefit.

Consequently, the rise of Walmart, Cargill, ADM and the other mega manufacturers and distributors cornering the market has heralded in an era of deceptively-lower prices, while the true toll of our increasing dependency on genetically-modified crops is never apparent at the cash register. For, as the groundbreaking expose’ Fresh warns, “Cheap food is an illusion,” since grocery bills fail to factor in such additional costs as government subsidies, and the toll that the ubiquitous use of industrial additives like hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup is taking on the population.

Directed by Ana Sofia Joanes, Fresh issues an urgent clarion call for consumers to put their purchasing power to work before it’s too late by supporting their local farmers producing natural and organic foods. Some of these intrepid individuals serve as the subjects of the informative documentary, including former pro basketball player Will Allen, an African-American who not only tills three acres but devotes time to teaching seminars encouraging others to follow in his footsteps. “We will not move from this spot,” he addresses an assembly of aspiring farmers on site, ”until every one of you tells me you can go home and do this.”

Another very vocal advocate summarizes that, “This is a social justice movement as much as it is an environmental movement or energy crisis movement,” concluding, “Food is a human right.”

A chilling contrast of the sustainable and corporate approaches to agriculture which makes a persuasive argument that your daily choices matter in terms of the long-term prospects of both humanity’s and the planet’s survival.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 72 Minutes
Studio: Specialty Studios
Distributor: Ripple Effect Productions

They don’t make ’em like they used to. Those wholesome take-home-to-mama type of girls. And they don’t make such innocent ‘yeh-kahan-aa-gaye-hum’ rom-coms either. So naturally, or not so naturally, writer-turned-director Milap Zaveri gets his heroine, the toothy, endearing, and fetching Jacqueline Fernandez to fly down to earth from Venus. One-way, business-class.

Women, we were always told, were from Venus. Now we’ve proof of that.

Many of the film’s most likeable moments send out inoffensive echoes of Hollywood comedies about ladies from another world, like “Splash” and “My Girlfriend Is An Alien”. The final brew is aromatic in scent and minty in taste. The effect lasts fleetingly, though.

The situations that crop up once the alien beauty lands range from the predictable to the strained. No one in this film is in it for posterity. It’s a film done with a wink and a chuckle that communicate itself to the audience effectively.

Everyone in Zaveri’s film is looking for love — Riteish Deskhmukh more so than others. Apparently love has been eluding his character since infancy. Baba’s searching.

There’s a touch of Ram Gopal Varma’s “Rangeela” in the way the vagaries and eccentricities of the film industry are brought into play. Strangely Zaveri’s writing skills, so much on display in many of the most successful comedies in recent times, are missing in the scenes set within the film industry.

Sure, we get a good dekko at well-known stars. But they aren’t woven into the script as they were in other films about the film industry like “Guddi” and “Rangeela”.

The scenes where Riteish courts the girl from outerspace lack subtlety but get marks for grace. Riteish, a competent performer in any given circumstance, is engaging in the comic moments, but a little awkward doing the full-on roses-and-moonlight stuff. Matinee idol making girls faint, Riteish ain’t.

Ruslaan Mumtaz as his adversary in love is a pleasant surprise. Over the handful of films that this young actor has done, he shows a definite growth as an actor. He plays the ’superstar’ as a stereotype but with a dash of the human quality.

Jacqueline’s is more a presence than a performance. She is that mermaid with wings who flies at an altitude where the desi rom-com is comfortably positioned as a family affair. Absence of vulgarity and double-meanings is not always a virtue in cinema.

In “Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai”, it is the papier-mache pristine quality that props up the pleasant proceeds.

Don’t expect to be swept off your feet. This one is meant to tickle your fancy. And it doesn’t fall short.

Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ruslaan Mumtaz, Vishal Malhotra

Rating: 2.5 Stars

(IANS.in)

Here’s a look at new films opening on Friday at theaters across the country!

The Cartel (Unrated) Chilling children left behind expose’, directed by investigative journalist Bob Bowdon, chronicling the corruption and cronyism crippling the State of New Jersey’s public education system, a den off iniquity marked by excessive administration pay and perks coming at the expense mostly of its underachieving, inner-city students.

The City of Your Final Destination (PG-13 for a sexual situation with partial nudity) Bittersweet road drama about an Iranian grad student (Omar Metwally), hoping to write an authorized biography of a late, Latin American novelist, who travels from Colorado to Uruguay to get the cooperation in the project of the suicide victim’s widow (Laura Linney), mistress (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and disconsolate brother (Anthony Hopkins). The first production by James Ivory since the passing of his longtime collaborator, Ismail Merchant. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Exit Through the Gift Shop (R for profanity) Guerilla-style documentary, narrated by Rhys Ifans, recounting the often-comical efforts of French immigrant Thierry Guetta, a shopkeeper-turned-amateur filmmaker, to capture the famous but elusive graffiti artist Bansky on camera as he plies his trade on walls around the City of Los Angeles.

Handsome Harry (Unrated) Ugly, redemption drama about a Vietnam veteran’s (James Sheridan) effort to fulfill a guilt-ridden, terminally-ill, war buddy’s (Steve Buscemi) last request to seek forgiveness from a pal (Campbell Scott) they’d betrayed many years earlier. With Aidan Quinn, John Savage and Titus Welliver.

Have You Heard from Johannesburg? (Unrated) Historical documentary retracing the rise of the global, anti-apartheid movement which eventually toppled South Africa’s brutally-oppressive and racist regime.

The Joneses (R for sexuality, profanity, teen drinking and drug use) Conspicuous consumption comedy about a filthy-rich, faux family of four (David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Amber Heard and Ben Hollingsworth) which is strategically moved into an upscale, gated community by corporate marketing executives in order to make their neighbors crave the same luxury possessions. With Gary Cole, Lauren Hutton and Glenne Headly.

No One Knows about Persian Cats (Unrated) Musical comedy about a couple of Iranian musicians’ (Ashkan Koshanejad and Negar Shaghaghi) desperate search for sidemen to accompany them on a concert tour taking them from Teheran to London. (In Persian with subtitles)

The Perfect Game (PG for mature themes) Overcoming-the-odds, sports saga recounting the real-life triumph of a team of 12 year-olds from Monterrey, Mexico who in 1957 became the first foreign squad to win the Little League World Series. Cast includes Cheech Marin, Clifton Collins, Jr. and Moises Arias.

Pornography: A Thriller (Unrated) Graphic, homoerotic whodunit about a gay porn star (Jared Grey) whose mysterious disappearance after making a snuff film becomes the obsession of both an investigative journalist (Matthew Montgmery) and an actor (Peter Scherer) eager to portray the missing adult entertainer in a planned bio-pic.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead (Unrated) Horror comedy about a stage director (Jake Hoffman) who hires his ex (Devon Aoki) and best friend (Kris Lemche) to co-star in an offbeat adaptation of Hamlet only to find the production plagued by the arrival of some sexy, 2,000 year-old vampires.

The Secret in Their Eyes (R for profanity, violent images, graphic nudity and rape) Flashback flick, set in the Seventies in Buenos Aires, where a federal agent (Ricardo Darin) becomes consumed with cracking the case of a young married woman (Carla Quevodo) who was raped and brutally murdered inside her own home while her husband (Pablo Rago) was at work. (In Spanish with subtitles)

The Tribeca Film Festival announces their juries for this year’s film festival in New York City.

As expected, it’s a star-studded list!

World Competition Categories:

The jurors for the 2010 World Narrative Competition are:

Hope Davis, Aaron Eckhart, John Hamburg, Cheryl Hines, John Ridley, Gary Ross, Gary Winick.

The jurors for the 2010 World Documentary Competition are:

Jessica Alba, Margaret Brown, Marshall Curry, Whoopi Goldberg, Aidan Quinn, Eric Steel.

New York Competition Categories:

The 2010 Best New York Narrative jurors are:

Selma Blair, Zach Braff, Zoe Cassavetes, Darko Lungulov, Andrew McCarthy.

The 2010 New York Loves Film Documentary Competition jurors are:

America Ferrera, Dave Karger, Dan Klores, Scott Neustadter, Kate Snow

Short Film Competition Categories:

The 2010 Narrative Short Film jurors are:

Justin Bartha, Katherine Dieckmann, Jack Dorsey, Peter Facinelli, Brooke Shields

The 2010 Documentary and Student Short Film jurors are:

Perry Miller Adato, Tim Armstrong, Jared Cohen, Scandar Copti, Larry Gagosian, Alicia Keys, Shirin Neshat

These juries will award $130,000 in cash as well as prizes. Festival winners will also receive a piece of original art by an acclaimed artist as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program.

Trailers for two Yakuza Busting Girls movies are now out. The trailers are absolutely unsafe for work. You’re welcome.

First up: Yakuza Busting Girls: Duel In Hell

Asami returns exhausted after three years of intense training to become a yakuza hunter. She decides to visit her old master, Inokuma (Sakichi Sato), who runs a bar. However, she finds his place in ruins and nothing is as it was when she left. As it turns out, the local yakuza had turned it into a gambling house and laid claim to the entire area with the help of a cold-blooded killer named Akira (Hitomi Miwa). Akira is relentless, and utilizes cruel tactics when anyone dares get in her way. Inokuma decides to hide Asami with the very first yakuza hunter, Miki (Yumi Yoshiyuki). However, in her dogged pursuit of the remaining yakuza hunters, Akira brutally murders Miki’s family and burns down Inokuma’s bar. Eventually, Asami’s rage finally reaches its peak.

Next: Death Ride Battle

Asami was thought killed after being betrayed by Junko (Rena Komine), but she suddenly returns to town after a 2 years. However, a lot has changed since she was last around. Yakuza have taken over the town and the powerful Kanto Sukeban Alliance which Asami once headed had been completely decimated in the process, with former members now turning to drugs and prostitution. Under the guise of sukeban hunting, Junko had led her old friends to slaughter at the hands of yakuza boss Murakawa (Jiro Sato). Because of this, Asami has gradually been enveloped by flames of rage. Meanwhile, four yakuza hunters pledge their lives to her cause as the stage is set for a final bloody battle at Tokyo Bay.

Who Do You Love
Film Review by Kam Williams

Remember a few years ago when Truman Capote was the subject of back-to-back bio-pics? The first one, Capote, featured Philip Seymour Hoffman in an Oscar-winning performance as the flamboyant late cultural icon. Sadly, nobody really noticed when Toby Jones delivered an equally-impressive impersonation in Infamous the very next year.

Today, we have a similar situation with Who Do You Love, a movie recounting the life and times of Leonard Chess (Alessandro Nivola), co-founder with his brother Phil (Jon Abrahams) of the legendary record label which bore their name. If you happened to catch Cadillac Records, then you already have a good idea of what to expect from this slight variation on the same theme.

What’s funny is that both flicks were shot in the spring of 2008, but Cadillac had the god fortune of being released first. For, as Karl Marx once said, “History always repeats itself: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.” And that nifty little aphorism appears to apply in this case, because this critic certainly found it hard to take the same story seriously this time around. Instead, I spent most of the time comparing the picture to its predecessor, as if that production had somehow set the standard.

This is unfortunate, because this film is basically sound, too, except for what I would consider a trio of glaring flaws. First, there’s the aforementioned sense of déjà vu. Second, there’s the problem of the plethora of cringe-inducing cursing, with a couple of characters being particularly fond of the f-word. Thirdly, there’s a glaring factual flaw in that for some reason a mythical singer named Ivy Mills (Megalyn Echikunwoke) records the classic “At Last” instead of the incomparable Etta James. Talk about turning history on its head!

Otherwise, the proceedings are fairly entertaining both in terms of the plot and the musical renditions with several accomplished bluesmen installed in pivotal roles, such as Keb Mo’ as Jimmie Rogers and Robert Randolph as Bo Diddley. Other cast members include David Oyelowo as Muddy Waters, Chi McBride as Willie Dixon and Miko DeFoor as Little Walter.

Too bad this flick lost the race to the theaters, otherwise director Jerry Zaks (Everybody Loves Raymond) might’ve had a hit on his hands instead of a Johnny Come Lately destined to be forever thought of as a cheap imitation.

Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 91 Minutes
Distributor: International Film Circuit

Everyone Else(Alle anderen)
Film Review by Kam Williams

German yuppies Chris (Lars Eidinger) and Gitti (Birgit Minichmayr) are happy with each other, despite being as different as night and day, at least in terms of temperament. By profession, he’s a straitlaced architect who could stand to loosen up a little, while she’s a relatively-carefree publicist for rock and roll bands.

He’s also sort of self-conscious about his looks, particularly that widening, bald spot and the fact that he’s slowly losing what’s left of his hair. By contrast, gorgeous Gitti is fairly confident about her appearance, since her insecure boyfriend is fond of reminding her that she was the prettiest girl on the dance floor the night they met in the disco.

At the point of departure of this deliberately-paced, character-driven, romance drama, we find the pair on holiday, staying alone at his parent’s luxurious villa on the exclusive Island of Sardinia, where their contrasting personas are all the more magnified. He’s worried about not being masculine enough and about not measuring up to the wild and crazy guy he senses Gitti prefers. She, on the other hand, assures her man that she loves him just the way he is, but wishes she could change herself to be more conventional to match his bourgeois behavior.

All this mutual earnestness is put to the test the day they accept an invitation to spend time with Chris’ colleague, Hans (Hans-Jochen Wagner), and his pregnant wife, Sana (Nicole Marischka). For not only are they obviously perfectly matched, but much more successful in their careers to boot.
So, socially-awkward Chris is unhappy about having dinner with them, certain it is likely to have a deleterious effect on his relationship with Gitti. What ensues over the course of the very eventful evening is a slow descent into depravity which proves impossible predict.

Written and directed by Maren Ade, Alle Anderen weaves a cleverly-concealed examination of the destructive power of petty jealousies. The goings-on at times feel almost more American than European, given the resolution of tensions via violence rather than more polite means. Sadly, such unfortunate consequences are plausible when Chris pours his heart out only to have Gitti misread his sincere feelings as acting.

Love in the time of German measles.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
In German and Italian with subtitles.
Running time: 124 Minutes
Distributor: Cinema Guild

I remember a time when the idea of a comic book based movie was a laughable idea. Now it’s commonplace. Artist Michael Blaine Myers, Jr. understands where I’m coming from. And so he’s designed these really neat vintage styled posters for characters in the DC and Marvel Comics universe.

You can buy this artwork at his imagekind shop!

Thanks to Elastika for this!

The Good, the Bad and the Weird
(Joheunnom Nabbeunnom Isanghannom)
Film Review by Kam Williams

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966) was the final installment in the trilogy of spaghetti Westerns written and directed by Sergio Leone which turned Clint Eastwood into a bona fide movie star. That riveting cinema classic revolved around a grizzled gunslinger, a heartless hit man and a wanted outlaw’s race across the vast expanse of the barren desert in search of a buried treasure of gold bullion.

It obviously occurs to some studios to try to improve upon perfection, which explains why, over the years, we’ve witnessed remakes of everything from King Kong to Psycho to The Nutty Professor to Planet of the Apes. Now we have The Good, the Bad & the Weird, a flick written and directed by Korea’s Ji-woon Kim.

This sprawling spoof is set in Manchuria where we find three Asian cowboys (Byung-hun Lee, Kang-ho Song and Woo-sung Jung) being chased by both the Japanese army and Chinese bandits while in a race to find, guess what, a priceless, hidden treasure. Yes, this variation has a slightly different title from the original, but it doesn’t otherwise give Leone any credit for the screenplay or for creating the basically-identical characters.

Nonetheless, even though I haven’t seen Clint’s version in many moons, again and again, the action here is vaguely familiar. For instance, there’s a scene where the hero rides his horse through the blazing sun while tethered to a bandit on foot with a rope around his neck. Where did I see that before? How about another where he shoots the air out from under a 10-gallon hat, every time a bad guy tries to pick it up?

Not that this is a scene-for-scene redo ala Gus Van Sant’s Psycho. No, Kim takes considerable liberties, too, such as setting the tale in the Thirties, so we have motorcycles and other modern conveniences alongside the genre’s 19th Century staples.

Overall, this lighthearted, low-budget adventure is likely to work well for those capable of approaching it more as a novelty than a knockoff. That way, one might easily accept it on its own wacky terms without making any invidious comparisons to the source material.

Clint Eastwood, chopsocky-style!

Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
In Korean, Mandarin and Japanese with subtitles.
Running time: 131 Minutes
Distributor: IFC Films

Before Chris Hemsworth signed for Thor and Star Trek, he filmed CA$H— a quirky psychological thriller slated to release in select cities nationwide on April 9th, 2010.

Notorious bad-boy Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson & the Olympians) and 2011’s biggest actor Chris Hemsworth (Marvel’s upcoming Thor, Star Trek) star in CA$H.

Filmmakers believe moviegoers will gain a unique perspective on both Bean and Hemsworth in CA$H.

“Chris Hemsworth had been in the U.S. only a few weeks when he auditioned for CA$H in Chicago. We saw potential in him, and CA$H became his first film,” said Director Stephen Milburn Anderson. “He has shot to stardom since CA$H. We knew he was going to be huge.”

“While Sean Bean was hailed for his performance in Lord of the Rings and carries a huge fan base in the U.S. and U.K., CA$H is his first lead role,” said producer Naveen Chathappuram. “We are pretty excited about that.”

Chathappuram added that he and Anderson went against the advice of industry executives who urged them not to cast a “newbie” like Hemsworth alongside a veteran like Bean.

CA$H is a quirky psychological dramedy and action thriller that explores the power money wields over us all. When struggling couple Sam (Chris Hemsworth) and Leslie Phelan (Victoria Profeta- Push, The Drew Carey Show) find a suitcase full of cash, they think their lives will take a turn for the better—until the strange and sinister criminal Pyke Kubic (Sean Bean) arrives at their doorstep, looking to collect what he believes is rightfully his. What follows is a tumultuous adventure through the streets of Chicago as the three are pulled into a desperate spiral of deception and violence … all for cash.

At a time when foreclosures and debt are common, CA$H takes on themes of greed and morality amidst a fast-moving game of cat and mouse. Anderson has lightly based the film on the infamous Milgram Experiment. The study, performed at Yale in the early 1960s, showed that a strong majority of normal people will surrender their conscience to a person perceived as an authority figure.

“Sam is a good person,” Hemsworth said of his character. “He’s a normal guy who is excited about the money in the beginning—similar to a child’s excitement. It contrasts what happens later. Sam’s character evolves when he’s faced with a dangerous person like Pyke.”

“With Pyke, it’s psychological intimidation,” Bean said. “He’s the kind of guy who studies yoga, reads Nietzsche — straight, uncompromising literature that he uses as his life’s model. They have his money. He wants it back.”

Roadside Attractions has acquired all U.S. theatrical rights to CA$H; Lionsgate will handle the subsequent DVD release. Anil Ambani’s Reliance ADA Group will bring the film to additional BIG Cinemas screens.

Filmmakers urge moviegoers to support CA$H “in these hard economic times,” which also happens to be the tagline for the film.

“CA$H is an independent film in a world of Avatars,” said Chathappuram. “We hope the audience will support CA$H on April 9th as two great actors, Sean Bean and Chris Hemsworth, come together on one screen.”

Film Review by Tara Lockhart

Award-winning Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu’s short Pumzi is an example of what independent films can be. At first blush, the film conjures up memories of Logan’s Run. Set in post apocalyptic Africa a community resides below the Earths surface in a self sustained environment where everything is recycled and purified, including liquid human waste, because water is a scarcity. Electricity is created as a result of the inhabitants “work” by means of riding stationary bicycles, walking on treadmills, and on rowing machines.

In a society that prompts you to take dream suppressants Asha (Kudzani Moswela), a curator at the community’s Virtual Natural History Museum, received a package with a soil sample, sender unknown. The package is a veritable Pandora’s Box. The soil sample’s remarkably high water content prompts Asha to plant a seed pod. Let the experiment begin. 1 seed pod + soil + water= permission to go above ground DENIED. How dare Asha attempt to grow something, The world outside is dead, don’t you know that? Work detail for you!!!

Thus begins the great escape. Asha escapes into the desert above ground in search for hope. She selflessly gives water to the germinating seedling, denying herself any as she trudges through the hot, arid desert in search for the origin of the soil, the tree that she dreams of and life.

The 20 minute short has great potential.

Could it become the next full length feature film to reach a mass market audience, similar to District 9? Find out for yourself at the New York Premier as part of the 17th ANNUAL NEW YORK AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL APRIL 7th to MAY 31st.

Set in modern day Britain, HARRY BROWN follows one man’s journey through a chaotic world where teenage violence runs rampant. As a modest, law abiding citizen, Brown lives alone. His only companion is his best friend Leonard. When Leonard is killed, Brown reaches his breaking point. HARRY BROWN is a powerful, character driven thriller starring two-time Academy Award® winner Michael Caine in a tour-de-force performance opposite the acclaimed Emily Mortimer in a riveting role as a sympathetic cop.

Liam Cunningham (Hunger, The Wind That Shakes the Barley), Ben Drew aka Plan B (Adulthood), Jack O’Connell (Eden Lake, “Skins”), Lee Oakes (“Two Pints of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps”), Joseph Gilgun (This Is England), Sean Harris (24 Hour Party People), David Bradley (Harry Potter, Hot Fuzz) and Iain Glen (“The Diary of Anne Frank” Kingdom of Heaven) co- star.

Having premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, HARRY BROWN was an Official Selection at Palm Springs and SXSW.

Written by Gary Young (Shooters, Spivs), HARRY BROWN was directed by Academy Award nominee Daniel Barber (The Tonto Woman). The director of photography is Martin Ruhe (Control). Kris Thykier (The Debt), Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Layer Cake) and Matthew Brown (The Tonto Woman) produced.

In theaters April 30 from Samuel Goldwyn Films and Destination Films

Promoting the expansion of Tribeca Film Festival into new areas of content distribution, Ogilvy & Mather New York builds on the Festival’s New York roots to demonstrate how consumers can experience the essence of the New York festival in their homes.

New ads with the tag line “Here Comes the Neighborhood” will appear on a wide variety of video and broadcast outlets promoting the launch of the new Tribeca Film on demand channel (VOD). The new channel, which is available beginning in April, is expected to reach 40 million households through partnerships with leading cable, satellite and telecom providers, including Comcast, Cablevision and Verizon FiOS.

“The ad shows movers packing up the downtown Tribeca neighborhood – a taxi cab, pigeons, and other various icons like a traffic cop, even Robert De Niro – to demonstrate that with the new VOD service, Tribeca Film is bringing the feeling of Tribeca to homes all over the country,” explained Terry Finley, Group Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather New York. “In working with The Tribeca Film for many years, we have helped create a brand that has an ‘only in New York,’ attitude. So it makes sense to bring that sensibility to their expanding properties.”

Tribeca Film will release more than 10 titles on VOD under the Tribeca Film banner, over half of them day-and-date with the 2010 Festival, including: the North American premiere of Participant Media and the Alliance for Climate Protection’s Climate of Change, an environmental documentary narrated by Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton; the world premiere of Birth of Big Air, an ESPN documentary produced by Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville about extreme sports athlete Mat Hoffman; the North American premiere of sex & drugs & rock & roll, the critically-acclaimed story of punk rock pioneer Ian Dury, played by Andy Serkis; and the U.S. premiere of Road, Movie, the tale of a young man’s life-changing drive across India, from the producers of In The Bedroom and Lost In Translation.

“Ogilvy has been our partner for seven years and has helped us build a brand that has the power to expand into new entertainment channels. This year marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Tribeca, as well as for audiences and the entire film community,” said Tribeca Enterprises co-founder Jane Rosenthal.

Here’s a rundown of all you’ll need to know about the new movies this week hitting theaters near you on Friday:

After.Life (R for profanity, nudity, disturbing images and brief sexuality) Psychological thriller about a car accident victim (Christina Ricci) who comes out of a coma to find herself in a funeral parlor where a mortician (Liam Neeson) with a sick agenda persists in prematurely preparing her body for burial. Hope for rescue rests with her skeptical boyfriend (Justin Long) who urges the police chief (Josh Charles) to investigate.

Everyone Else (Unrated) Romance drama about a bohemian rock publicist (Birgit Minichmayr) and a more conventional architect (Lars Eidinger) whose solid relationship starts to go sour after they accept an invitation to spend a day aboard the yacht of a married couple (Hans-Jochen Wagner and Nicole Marischka) they meet while vacationing on the Mediterranean Island of Sardinia. (In German and Italian with subtitles)

Fresh (Unrated) Eco-friendly documentary chronicling the movement being spearheaded by intrepid organic farmers trying compete with agribusiness conglomerates by bringing natural foods to local markets.

The Good, the Bad and the Weird (Unrated) Sprawling spoof of the Clint Eastwood classic, a wacky Western set in Manchuria in the 1940s where we find three outlaws (Byung-hun Lee, Kang-ho Song and Woo-sung Jung) being chased by both the Japanese army and Chinese bandits while in a race to find a map leading to a priceless, buried treasure. (In Korean, Mandarin and Japanese with subtitles) INDIE FILM LOUNGE FEATURE OF THE MONTH!

It Came from Kuchar (Unrated) Bio-pic recounting the enduring career of twins George and Mike Kuchar, legendary, low-budget filmmakers from the Bronx who got their start in the Fifties shooting movies in the backyard with an 8mm camera they borrowed from their Aunt.

Letters to God (PG for mature themes) Bittersweet, faith-based drama, inspired by the true story of a cancer-stricken young boy (Tanner Maguire) who touched the lives of everyone who crossed his path, especially the beleaguered postman (Jeffrey Johnson) asked to deliver his hand-written prayers to the Lord. With Robin Lively, Bailee Madison and Ralph Waite.

The Misfortunates (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama adapted from the Dimitri Verhulst novel about a 13 year-old, Dutch boy (Kenneth Vanbaeden) being raised at grandma’s (Gilda de Bal) house by his alcoholic father (Koen de Graeve) and three party animal uncles (Wouter Hendrickcx, Johan Heldenbergh and Bert Haelvort) after his exasperated mother walked out on the family. (In Dutch with subtitles)

La Mission (R for profanity, violence and sexuality) Father-son drama, set in the barrio in San Francisco, about a macho, recently-widowed, alcoholic parolee (Benjamin Bratt) who finds himself tested on the road to redemption when he discovers that the son (Jeremy Ray Valdez) he’s now raising alone is gay. With Tina Huang, Melvina Jones and Max Rosenak.

The Square (R for violence and profanity) Aussie crime thriller, set in Sydney, about a guy (David Roberts) stuck in a loveless marriage whose life comes apart at the seams when he decides to run away with his mistress (Claire van der Boom) after she shows up with a bag containing a small fortune of ill-gotten cash. With Joel Edgerton and Anthony Hayes.

When You’re Strange (R for sexuality, nudity, profanity and drug references) Johnny Depp narrates this rockumentary recounting the meteoric rise and just as fast fall of The Doors, a talented quartet whose premature demise was hastened by the untimely death of its charismatic lead singer, Jim Morrison.

Who Do You Love? (Unrated) Yet another bio-pic chronicling the cultural contributions of Leonard Chess (Alessandro Nivola), co-founder with his brother Phil (Jon Abrahams) of the legendary record label which bore their name. With Chi McBride as Willie Dixon, Keb Mo’ as Jimmy Rogers, David Oyelowo as Muddy Waters, Robert Randolph as Bo Diddley and Miko DeFoor as Little Walter.

Procter & Gamble and Walmart are together furthering their commitment to families by launching the made-for-TV movie, “Secrets of the Mountain,” which will debut Friday, April 16, 2010 at 8/7c on NBC.

The soundtrack for the family-friendly drama was produced by music mogul Randy Jackson and includes original tracks from popular artists such as Alisan & Ilsey, Brooke White and Jordin Sparks.

“Secrets of the Mountain” focuses on Dana James, a public defender and single mother, who takes her family to visit a mountain cabin they inherited from their eccentric Uncle Henry, only to find themselves embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. The audience gets to follow Dana and her family through a journey that will change each of them and their relationships forever. An ancient secret and a treacherous quest will test the family like never before. It’s an edge-of the-seat thriller that reminds us that when times are tough, families don’t run away from problems – they run back to each other.

The movie includes a polished and recognizable group of actors with Barry Bostwick from the popular sitcom “Spin City” playing Uncle Henry Beecham. Paige Turco who starred in the popular family Disney movie “The Game Plan,” and TV sagas such as “Big Shots” and “The Agency,” portrays matriarch Dana James. The roles of Jake (16), a handsome and popular athlete, and his twin sister Jade (16) a promising musician, were given to Crawford Wilson and Adelaide Kane respectively. Shawn Christian from the NBC daytime drama “Days of our Lives,” portrays Tom Kent, a big city lawyer who returned to his small hometown of Tesla Falls to escape the rat race and open up a small law office. And then there’s brilliant Kayla Carlson as Madeline or Maddie (11) who’s a “chip off the block” young version of Dana with all the brains and wit to show for it.

P&G and Walmart decided to work together in creating this movie after hearing from families who wanted more quality options to be offered on television. The companies conducted a research study with the Association of National Advertisers’ (ANA) Alliance for Family Entertainment that revealed that parents across America are seeking more family-oriented entertainment to enjoy together.

“It’s important, now more than ever, to offer family-friendly programming on television,” stated Paige Turco. “As a parent, I don’t want to constantly worry about diving for the remote control to change the channel when I am watching a show with my son, so I’m really excited by the idea of entertaining options for families to watch together. This is a core reason why I decided to work on this project and play the role of Dana James in the movie.”

For over five decades, P&G Productions has produced nearly 50 movies of the week, 35 years of “People’s Choice Awards,” 20 soap operas and a number of beauty pageants and variety shows.

P&G and Walmart are already working on a second movie titled, “The Jensen Project,” which is scheduled to air on NBC on July 16. In the interim, the “Secrets of the Mountain” DVD and soundtrack will offer a breakthrough value for families by being sold together, in one bonus pack, exclusively at Walmart on Saturday, April 17, the day after the premiere on NBC. For more information visit www.secretsofthemountain.com.

Woman’s Prison
Film Review by Kam Williams

Julie Ann (Gemma Lee) spent her formative years watching her mom (Katie Madonna Lee) suffer the wrath of her father’s violent outbursts. Eventually, Susan Mabry decided enough was enough, and split, taking her young daughter in tow. The two proceeded to take refuge in a series of seedy motels in a futile attempt to stay a step ahead of the venomous monster. But eventually, the creep did manage to track them down, whereupon he murdered his wife in cold blood.

The sudden loss sent the traumatized little girl’s life into a downward spiral, setting off a chain of events from which she would never recover. For despite the fact that she was subsequently adopted by her Aunt Marsha (Kelly Daisy) and Uncle Vic (Paul Frye), a couple of Bible-thumping Evangelicals, Julie Anne continued to find herself plagued by further dysfunction during her adolescence, mostly at the hands of malevolent males.

First, it turned out that Uncle Vic was just another abuser in fundamentalist Christian clothing. So, she and her cousin, Britney (Angela Swartz), agreed to flee the unsafe household together, only to encounter an equally-perilous existence on the streets as teen runaways. This predicament led Julie to lean on the shoulder of Butch (Brandon Phillipson), an older boy with a car but not a whole lot more going for him.

But when their presumably Platonic liaison turned intimate an unplanned pregnancy left Julie weighing her options. Then, an impulsive act she came to regret forever landed her behind bars on Death Row. And only while awaiting her State of Indiana sanctioned rendezvous with destiny, does the “dead woman walking” finally have an opportunity to pause to reflect upon the trajectory of her disastrous childhood.

“There but for fortune” perhaps best summarizes the theme underpinning Woman’s Prison, a character-driven flashback flick from Katie Madonna Lee. Triple-threat Lee makes an impressive writing/acting/directorial debut, here, considering the constraints of the micro-budget with which she was operating.

An alternately terrifying, thought-provoking and unabashedly empathetic look at life from the harrowing perspective of a never-protected female.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 105 Minutes
Distributor: Anthology Film Archives
Woman’s Prison premieres in NYC at Anthology Film Archives on April 2nd
at 8:30 PM. For more info, call (212) 505-5181.

Over at the new FilmThreat.com, Phil Hall has a great interview with filmmaker Gary King today about the financing campaign for his latest film, “How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song?” It’s a really insightful interview with a couple of ideas for those of us looking for innovative ways to raise money.

FilmThreat.com: What is the genesis of your online fund raising campaign?
Gary King: I decided to launch my Kickstarter campaign for two main reasons. The first is that I produced and self-financed my two previous films (“New York Lately” and “What’s Up Lovely”) and the well has run dry so to speak. Even though I’m able to keep costs low with my DIY approach, the musical has a few more elements that take this production to another level. I plan to use my own money for this film — but not nearly as much as it needs. The “crowdfunding” approach allows everyone to donate various amounts (small or big) so that the end result is huge (full funding).

The second reason is that Kickstarter helps give this project greater public awareness and confidence to contribute. There have been many successful projects funded this way which helps give the campaign a sense of legitimacy and attainability. There is also an added fun factor in that pledging towards the film earns the contributor various “thank you gifts” such as a copy of the film, the musical soundtrack or even coming over to my place in New York for test screenings and dinner with the actors. From the very beginning stages, I want this film to be a different kind of experience for the people who are contributing.

How have you been spreading the word for this campaign, and what are the results to date?
A huge part of the campaign’s success so far has been directly due to the many supporters in my Facebook and Twitter network. I’m truly humbled by their outpouring of generosity and belief in me. Social networking is key — as with the lack of any marketing dollars at the moment I’m relying on word of mouth for this campaign.

There have been several web articles written about “Joe Schermann Song” covering the film and the new trend in “crowdfunding” which have also helped. I’ve hit the internet airwaves with a guest spot on Movie Addict Headquarters where the sweet host Betty Jo Tucker interviewed me about our shared love for the musical. After my appearance on the show, she actually contributed to the campaign which was amazing and very touching. The lead actress Christina Rose and I are scheduled to appear on LA Talk Radio’s Film Courage. The hosts David Branin and Karen Worden have been doing some great things for the indie film community so it’ll be great to be able to connect with their audience.

Read the rest of this interview over at FilmThreat.com!

The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond
Film Review by Kam Williams

Ever since the Scream trilogy so successfully parodied the horror movie genre, few directors have dared to try to make a traditional scary movie featuring all the tried and true conventions. But with The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond, Gabriel Bologna has served up an old-fashioned fright flick reminiscent of a Vincent Price classic.

First of all, you have the perfect setting, a spooky Victorian mansion located on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Then you factor in the place’s cursed history, since everyone there had perished 80 years before while playing an evil, ritualistic board game.

Beacon Island has only one inhabitant, Pete (Robert Patrick), a grizzled geezer who patrols the grounds with his trusty gun. The grouchy caretaker has grudgingly agreed to let a group of young people use the house for what they expect to be a fun-filled weekend of imbibing and carousing.

Each of the nine revelers represents a readily-identifiable archetype, ranging from the good-natured host (Arcadiy Golubovich) to the flirtatious tramp flashing her new implants (Mircea Monroe) to a girl in mourning (Danielle Harris) to the macho jock (Walker Howard) to twin damsels in distress (Electra and Elise Avellan) to the uninvited party crasher (James Duval), and so forth.

Upon their arrival, the naïve guests learn that communication with the mainland is impossible because there are no cell phone towers for miles around. Soon thereafter, Anton discovers the ancient board game hidden in the basement, and they all agree to play it that very evening in front of the fireplace. Little do they know they are kickstarting a ghastly chain of events which will have them dying to leave the island, literally and figuratively.

A high attrition, haunted house throwback certain to send chills up your spine despite trading in all the stock clichés, like the one which has the black guy dying first.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for gore, graphic violence, profanity, drug use, nudity and sexuality.
In English and Turkish with subtitles.
Running time: 91 Minutes
Distributor: Project 8 Films

Once it was announced that Disney was buying Marvel, I expected to see some, well, interesting creative licensing. And you can see some of it already. Thre are T-Shirts on shelves everywhere, from Old Navy to Target. And I’m interested to see how the video games improve. or not. What I didn’t expect are Marvel branded TV’s – for adults.

Roundtable Concepts Inc. have launched RTC23, their officially licensed Marvel Comic LCD and LED HDTVs. The cast of characters consists of Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Wolverine, Storm, Thor and others.

Your favorite Marvel Super Hero is embellished on the bottom two corners of the frame and is offered in 22″, 32″, 42″ and 55″ HD LCD screen sizes as well as 40″ and 46″ LED HDTV’s.

Now here’s the cool part: not only do the characters appear on the casing, but when you power on the TV, the name and the character appear on the screen for approximately 8 seconds, making it the “Ultimate Comic Fan’s TV,” which RTC23 titles its i23s system technology that simply makes TVs more fun.

These make good TVs, but more impressively, they make really neat alternative computer monitors, especially the 20″ and 24″ models. These TVs are NOT for everybody, but they are for “ultimate fan” types. Pricey? Yes. But for those of us who can still afford it (maybe those of us with shares in Marvel) – this is a great new addition to the home theater — and a great place to watch the upcoming Marvel movies!

Order online at www.RTC23.com or call 321-363-3794 for more info.

A free Netflix App for iPad is available on the App Store, allowing Netflix members to instantly watch an unlimited number of TV episodes and movies streamed from Netflix to iPad. Streaming to iPad is at no additional cost to Netflix members on plans starting at just $8.99 a month.

“The innovation and consumer appeal of iPad make it a perfect device for instantly watching TV episodes and movies streamed from Netflix,” said Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and chief executive officer. “We are excited to make a Netflix App available to iPad users beginning with the iPad launch.”

The Netflix iPad App for iPad will deliver a high-quality viewing experience, a broad array of movie and TV choices and a clean, intuitive interface. TV episodes and movies are conveniently organized into a variety of categories based on members’ personal preferences, popular genres, new arrivals and members’ individual instant Queues. Members can choose a movie or TV episode from any of the lists and just tap the Multi-Touch screen to play instantly or save the title to their individual instant Queue for viewing later. Additionally, users have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video stream.

With 12.3 million U.S. subscribers at the end of 2009, Netflix is significantly expanding the ways in which its members can watch movies and TV episodes streamed directly to a range of devices such as the iPad. Netflix memberships starting as low as $8.99 a month allow members to instantly watch unlimited TV episodes and movies streamed to their TVs and computers and receive unlimited DVDs delivered quickly to their homes.

The Netflix App for iPad will be available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Online media company blip.tv announced the release of an iPad compatible version of its Web site. The mobile destination site will feature the first launch of an HTML5 player by blip.tv, enabling enhanced streaming of blip.tv’s wide ranging video content.

The iPad optimized destination of blip.tv will showcase the company’s best new show episodes of the day with a variety of genre specific channels including comedy, drama, documentary, tech, music, and app reviews, a channel focused exclusively on shows covering new apps. The site makes it easy for visitors to scroll through pages of blip’s original, independently produced content through a graphically-focused, user-friendly experience. Blip.tv is also working on a full-fledged iPad application.

In addressing blip.tv’s foray onto the iPad, Mike Hudack, CEO and co-founder of blip.tv says, “We’re really enthusiastic about our involvement with the iPad because, as we’ve said from day one, wherever people are watching video, we want to be there. The iPad is a place where blip.tv content must be seen, and this is the next chapter of innovation that brings Web video to the masses.”

Marvel Entertainment launched the Marvel Comics App for iPad on the App Store with over 500 of Marvel’s greatest comic books, from classic stories to modern tales, featuring Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Hulk, Thor and more of the world’s most popular Super Heroes. The Marvel Comics App brings the world of Marvel to iPad owners with each comic presented at incredibly high resolution possible on iPad’s full color screen, a user-friendly search engine, innovative viewing options and more.

“We’re excited to introduce an unparalleled digital comic experience to our fans with the Marvel Comics App for iPad,” said Dan Buckley, publisher & CEO, Marvel Publishing. “The iPad is the first device that offers us a chance to present digital comics that are even close to replicating the experience of reading a print comic. This new world of digital comics distribution provides us great opportunities to reach new readers, allow consumers to sample our diverse stories and characters, and we believe it will drive these new fans into the App Store and local comic shops each week to find even more.”

Fans will be granted unrivaled access to Marvel’s rich library of comics, with launch titles ranging from the first appearances of characters such as Spider-Man and the X-Men to modern classics like the debut of Red Hulk, Jonathan Hickman’s acclaimed Fantastic Four run, Joss Whedon & John Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men and lots more. Every comic available through the Marvel Comics App is optimized for the iPad through painstaking re-coloring and re-digitizing of select content.

Marvel worked with ComiXology to create the perfect app for new readers, offering the option to preview three pages from each available comic before purchasing and a cutting edge recommendation engine for every fan to find a comic they’re sure to love. The app also arms fans with a handy comic shop locator, allowing them to find their local retailer’s address and phone number and then journey even further into the Marvel Universe. To further enhance the mobile reading experience on the iPad, the Marvel Comics App features multiple viewing modes, taking readers panel-by-panel through the comic book in a smooth, action-packed progression using just the swipe of a finger.

The Marvel Comics App for iPad is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. Individual comics are priced at just $1.99 each with new content arriving every week.

To commemorate this historic event, Marvel is offering select titles free for a limited time, such as New Avengers #1, which launched a new era for super hero comics; Captain America #1, Invincible Iron Man #1 & Thor #1, the perfect place for new readers to discover the titular heroes; and Super Hero Squad #1, suited for fans of all ages, especially our youngest ones.

The Marvel Comics App is also available for iPhone and iPod touch. Get a closer look at the Marvel Comics App at www.marvel.com/iPad.

From acclaimed Korean genre wizard, Kim Jee-Woon (A TALE OF TWO SISTERS), comes THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD, a classic good versus bad showdown shot through with wild kinetic enthusiasm, off-the-charts action and, well, a bit of weird. In the 1930s Manchurian desert, where lawlessness rules, the fates of three mysterious Korean men collide on a train carrying precious cargo. The Good, a suave bounty hunter, The Bad, the brazen leader of a gang of outlaws, and The Weird, a hard-up robber with nine lives, are swept up in a frantic chase across the wilderness, fighting all the way for possession of a mysterious treasure map. THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD explodes in a flurry of violence as the Japanese Army and a brassed-off posse of Chinese bandits join the pursuit. Who will claim the prize for themselves? In this pulse-pounding adventure, you can never be sure who exactly is good, bad, or weird.

Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, Rashomon is perhaps the finest film ever made about the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the same story: the murder of a man and the rape of his wife. Starring Toshiro Mifune in another commanding performance, Rashomon revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema to the world. Janus Films presents this landmark work in a new, definitive 35mm restoration.

For 50 years, Janus Films has distributed classic films, foreign and domestic, that have, as they put it, “collectively shaped the art of contemporary cinema”.

The restoration of Rashomon was made possible by the Academy Film Archive, the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, and Kadokawa Pictures, Inc., with funding provided by Kadokawa Cultural Promotion Foundation and Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation. To read about the restoration, click here.

Here are the dates so far:

April 1
Oklahoma City, OK – Oklahoma City Museum of Art

April 1 & 3
Cleveland, OH – Cleveland Cinematheque

April 2 – April 4
Detroit, MI – Detroit Institute of Art

April 16 – April 23
Cambridge, MA – Coolidge Corner Theatre

April 21
Portsmouth, NH – The Music Hall

May 15 – May 18
Chicago, IL – Gene Siskel Film Center

May 21
Los Angeles, CA – American Cinematheque

June 4
Berkeley, CA – Pacific Film Archive

June 11
Toronto, ON – Cinematheque Ontario

June 16
Columbus, OH – Wexner Center for the Arts

June 17, 19 & 20
Vancouver, BC – Pacific Cinematheque

June 20 & 23
Ann Arbor, MI – Michigan Theatre

August 19 – 20
Austin, TX – The Paramount Theatre

The Eclipse
Film Review by Kam Williams

Michael Farr (Ciaran Hinds) is a recent widower who has resigned himself to raising his 10 and 14 year-old kids alone. The grieving clan lives along Ireland’s seacoast in a verdant, fog-enshrouded town whose only claim to fame is hosting an annual literary festival.
Schoolteacher Michael picked a practical profession, putting his dream of becoming a writer on hold in order to be able to provide for his family. However, he still harbors the hope of one day pursuing his true passion. Meanwhile, the only brushes he enjoys with the publishing industry is when he works as a volunteer at the aforementioned festival.
This summer, he’s been assigned to serve as a chauffeur for Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle), a best-selling author known for novels exploring supernatural themes. Her specialty dovetails conveniently with the fact that Michael’s been seeing ghosts ever since his wife’s passing. The plot gradually thickens as he develops a crush on Lena during her stay, because she’s the first person to give credence to his claim of feeling the presence otherworldly apparitions.
However, although Lena lends a sympathetic ear, she’s doesn’t think of him romantically. For she already has plans to rendezvous with Nicholas Holden (Aidan Quinn), the equally-renowned colleague she met and slept with at this same gathering the previous year.
But she had been too passionate back then to have the patience to learn much about her lover like the fact that he was married. This time around, the truth comes out in ugly fashion, and the miffed mistress ends up a tad torn about continuing to carry on an illicit liaison with a proverbial Ugly American she now recognizes as a bit of a narcissist.
So, as the days go by, the question becomes whether ardent admirer Michael might actually have a shot with this brilliant bluestocking way above his station whom he’s been secretly pining for from afar. So unfolds The Eclipse, an atmospheric adventure directed by Conor McPherson which proves to be as worthwhile for its breathtaking cinematography as for the intriguing love triangle it spins ever so deliberately, delectably and delightfully.
A literary lass finds more than she bargained for while looking for love on the Emerald Isle.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity and disturbing images.
Running time: 88 Minutes
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures

Don McKay
Film Review by Kam Williams

This indie flick isn’t half-bad, for a taut, neo-noir thriller that inexplicably transforms into a screwball comedy somewhere around its midway point. What salvages the production, which at times also isn’t half-good, is the fact that it was blessed by such a talented cast capable of convincingly executing the zany screenplay with perfect aplomb.
Let’s face it, when you’re spotted a trio of Oscar-nominees for the lead roles right off the bat, namely, Thomas Haden Church (for Sideways), Melissa Leo (for Frozen River) and Elisabeth Shue (for Leaving Las Vegas), plus have a couple of veteran character actors like Keith David and M. Emmet Walsh at your disposal as well, it’s reasonable for your audience to expect to witness something special. And this is just the good fortune visited upon Jake Goldberger who makes both his scriptwriting and directorial debut here with Don McKay.
Church plays the title character, a jaded janitor who’s been working at the same job in Boston for the past quarter century. Seems that he never got over having his heart broken by his high school sweetheart, Sonny Ross (Shue). After being dumped, he left their tiny hometown in Western Massachusetts forever, and pined away for her from afar for years in Beantown.
Meanwhile, she never answered any of his many letters, at least not until she developed terminal cancer and needed a shoulder to lean on. That’s the intriguing point of departure of this slowly-revealed whodunit which is secretly laden with an abundance of shocking twists lying in wait.
As the action unwinds, we find Don hurriedly returning to rustic Mount Raven by bus in response to Sonny’s urgent appeal for assistance. Upon his arrival at her place, he’s met at the door by her steely, live-in nurse, Marie (Leo) who warns of his ex’s weakened condition. Later, Sonny’s doting doctor, Lance Pryce (James Rebhorn), fills Don in further about his patient’s dire prognosis.
Despite the illness and the intervening years, the former lovebirds manage to rekindle the flames. Sonny apologizes for the way it all ended, and would now like to make amends by tying the knot on her deathbed. Of course, all is not as it appears, and the plot thickens when Doc Pryce exhibits a jealous streak in response to their resurrected romance.
It’s difficult to say what transpires at this juncture of the picture. Either the wheels entirely come off what had been a carefully wound psychological drama, or the enterprise merely morphs into a madcap sitcom, depending on ones tolerance for abrupt shifts in tone. Regardless, I dare not deconstruct the film any further, since that would involve spoiling some critical developments.
Suffice to say, Don McKay does remain an entertaining enough diversion, though in this critic’s opinion it veers sharply from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity and violence.
Running time: 87 minutes
Distributor: Image Entertainment

Harlem Aria
DVD Review by Kam Williams

It’s not a good sign when a film is released on DVD only a month after opening in theaters, especially when the picture was made over a decade ago and took forever to find a distributor. But this is exactly what we have in the case of Harlem Aria, an abomination marking the ignominious directorial debut of William Jennings.

At the point of departure we’re introduced to Anton (Gabriel Casseus), a mildly-retarded 28 year-old reminiscent of that title character Cuba Gooding played in Radio. The difference here is that this idiot savant is blessed with a love of opera and a great singing voice.

Unfortunately, the prospects aren’t exactly brilliant for Anton, given that he’s stuck working in a dead-end job at a laundromat. Plus, he lives with his overprotective aunt (Eyde Byrde) because his gullibility and generosity make him easy prey for the unsavory vultures prowling around his Harlem neighborhood.

Everything changes the day he decides to run away from home to pursue his passion and ends up in Greenwich Village where he forges an unlikely friendship with homeless Wes (Damon Wayans), one of those bad things that happens to good people. The fast-talking street hustler introduces his mark to Matthew (Christian Camargo), a classical pianist playing requests for passersby in Washington Square Park. Soon, Anton and Matthew are performing together, with conniving Wes serving as their manager and collecting tips for the suddenly popular panhandling duo.

Don’t be fooled by Harlem Aria’s promising premise or syrupy sweet resolution, since the problems with the production betwixt and between are plentiful, starting with Wayans’ portrayal of Wes as a jive and relentlessly-crass creep. From his use of the n-word (like “Niggerati” in lieu of the black Pavarotti) to his homophobic asides (ala “You look like a gay Ninja Turtle”) his lines are more apt to offend than to induce laughter.

And I wasn’t sure what to make of half of his ostensibly improvised non-sequiturs, such as “My d*ck is bigger than your d*ck, and I’m going to hit you with it if you don’t shut the f*ck up.” Co-star Gabriel Casseus‘ interpretation of Anton was equally troubling, given that here’s a half-wit who seemingly can’t even boil water yet he somehow magically morphs into a talented tenor capable of crooning all the classic operas in their native languages perfectly, simply by donning a tuxedo replete with tails.

A crude coon show that relies on lines delivered in African-American cadence for comic relief. 100 minutes of Hell that had me reaching for my meds.

Poor (0 stars)
Rated R for crude and profane language.
Running time: 100 Minutes
Distributor: Magnolia Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Interviews with the cast and crew, and a “Behind-the-Scenes” featurette.

Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, aka the Yes Men, are political activists with an unorthodox approach to taking on crooked corporations. These intrepid investigative reporters’ M.O. is to infiltrate organizations with the aim of exposing corruption from the inside out. They even pose as captains of industry and call press conferences to make groundbreaking admissions on behalf of powerful organizations.

For instance, take the case of Union Carbide/Dow Chemical, the multi-national responsible for the leak of toxic fumes in Bhopal, India which directly led to the deaths of over 25,000 innocent civilians. For years, Dow refused to accept responsibility for the disaster, never cleaning up the waste site or adequately compensating the victims.

So, the Yes Men sprang into action, mounting an elaborate hoax. One managed to appear on TV on the BBC World News masquerading as a Dow executive, and he announced that the firm had finally decided to admit its culpability in the slaughter and that it would be unilaterally paying billions of dollars in damages.

More recently, the Yes Men went to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina where one posed as a HUD Undersecretary. He proceeded to inform the press that poor folks evicted from public housing would be allowed to move back into the projects, even going so far as to stage a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The displaced locals were elated until FEMA intervened, saying that no such measure had been authorized.

Sadly, in every instance of such trickery, the beneficiaries’ joy is short-lived, since the Yes Men are invariably exposed as complete frauds. Nonetheless, they are at least able to embarrass avaricious corporate interests by raising pointed questions about the diabolical methods of the rich and powerful.

All of these irrepressible iconoclasts’ audacious exploits chronicled in The Yes Men Fix the World, an alternately hilarious and sobering, guerilla-style documentary which shows just how much havoc two guys with cheap suits and fake websites are capable of wreaking in corporate America.

Get the DVD HERE

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 87 minutes
Studio: New Video Group/Docurama Films
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, additional footage of Yes Men antics, theatrical trailer and a biography of the filmmaker.

Don McKay (R for profanity and violence) Prodigal Son whodunit about a jaded janitor (Thomas Haden Church) who gets more than he bargained for when he returns to his hometown for the first time in 25 years at the beck-and-call of his cancer-stricken, high school sweetheart (Elisabeth Shue) only to find himself implicated in a tawdry murder mystery. With Melissa Leo, Keith David and M. Emmet Walsh.

The Greatest (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Emotionally-draining drama about a grieving couple (Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon), already dealing with the untimely death of their teenage son (Aaron Johnson), who find themselves further burdened by the arrival of his flaky, pregnant girlfriend (Carey Mulligan) in need of a place to stay. With Zoe Kravitz, Johnny Simmons and Cara Seymour.

Leaves of Grass (R for violence, drug use and pervasive profanity) Mob comedy about an Ivy League Classics professor (Ed Norton) who is lured home to Oklahoma by a false report of his pot-dealing, identical twin’s death only to end- up embroiled in a cockamamie scheme to topple his rival drug kingpin (Richard Dreyfuss). Supporting cast includes Susan Sarandon, Keri Russell, Tim Blake Nelson and Lucy DeVito) (In English and Latin with subtitles)

The Sun behind the Clouds (Unrated) Pacifist documentary chronicles the ongoing efforts of the Dalai Lama and other political activists lobbying for Tibetan independence fifty years after the country was conquered by Communist China.

Breaking Upwards (Unrated) Bittersweet romance drama, set in NYC, about a bored young couple (Zoe Lister-Jones and Daryl Wein) who agree to orchestrate the gradual end of their relationship. With Andrea Martin, Julie White and Olivia Thirlby.

The Thorn in My Heart (Unrated) Michael Gondry directs this bio-pic about the Gondry family matriarch, his feisty Aunt Suzette, a 70+ retired schoolteacher with lots of amusing stories to share about her life and career. (In French with subtitles)

The Warlords (R for graphic violence) Jet Li stars in this remake of The Blood Brothers (1973), an historical epic set during the Taiping Rebellion of the 1860s and revolving around the exploits of a wounded general and two bandits (Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro), all of whom fall for the same irresistible courtesan (Jinglei Xu). (In Mandarin with subtitles)

Here are the new films hitting theaters this Friday!

Bitch Slap (R for brutal violence, graphic sexuality, pervasive profanity and brief drug use) Campy crime caper about a trio of curvaceous lipstick lesbians, a stripper with a heart of gold (Julia Voth), a corrupt corporate executive (Erin Cummings) and a man-hating assassin (America Olivo), who hatch a plan to extort $200 million worth of diamonds from a ruthless mobster (Michael Hurst). With Lucy Lawless, Minae Noji, Kevin Sorbo, Zoe Bell and Rene O’Connor.

RED BAND TRAILER BELOW

Crazy on the Outside (PG-13 for sexuality and profanity) Tim Allen makes his directorial debut and stars in this dysfunctional family comedy as a recently-paroled ex-con trying to readjust to society while living with his supportive sister (Sigourney Weaver) and her cynical husband (J.K. Simmons). Ensemble cast includes Ray Liotta, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Kelsey Grammer.

Flooding with Love for the Kid (Unrated) Rambo redux as reinterpreted by jack-of-all-trades actor/scriptwriter/editor/producer/director Oberzan who shot the film in his own Manhattan apartment for less than $100 by playing all 24 characters.

Garbage Dreams (Unrated) Coming-of-age documentary examining the toll taken by globalization on the prospects of three teenagers struggling to survive among the 60,000 “garbage people” of Zaballeen, Egypt, a mammoth, trash recycling center located outside Cairo known as the world’s largest dump.

In Search of Memory (Unrated) Biomedical bio-pic chronicling the career of Eric Kandel who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2000 for his contributions to the field of neuroscience.

The Paranoids (Unrated) Argentinean romantic comedy, set in Buenos Aires, revolving around the love triangle which evolves after a depressed clown (Daniel Hendler) lets his ailing best friend’s (Walter Jakob) broke girlfriend (Jazmin Stuart) move-in with him after an argument. (In Spanish with subtitles)

Pyaar Impossible(Unrated) Bollywood romantic comedy about a nerdy college student (Uday Chopra) who gets a shot with the girl of his dreams (Priyanka Chopra) after a sudden twist of fate. With Dino Morea, Rahul Vohra and Anupam Kher. (In Hindi with subtitles)

Sweetgrass (Unrated) “Big Sky” documentary, set in 2003, follows a couple of aging cowboys on their final summertime trek as they drive a huge herd of sheep to slaughter across treacherous terrain through Montana’s Beartooth Mountains.

Waiting for Armageddon (Unrated) Faith-based documentary about America’s 50-million Evangelical Christians who fervently believe the end is near.

Wonderful World (R for profanity, drug use and sexuality) Romance drama about a depressed, divorce and unemployed proofreader (Matthew Broderick) who gets a new lease on life after the arrival of his hospitalized roommate’s (Michael K. Williams) sister (Sana Lathan) from Senegal.

The LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION features the DIRECTORS and STARS of two new supernatural themed movies, “LEGION” and “THE GRAVES” at the SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2010 event. Appearing in Person for Sony Pictures “LEGION” will be Director SCOTT STEWART and Stars TYRESE GIBSON (Transformers), ADRIANNE PALICKI (Friday Night Lights), and DOUG JONES (Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Abe Sapien in the Hellboy Movies). The LEGION Presentation starts at 12:00 P.M. and will feature film clips, question and answer session, and free LEGION give-aways courtesy of Sony Pictures.

BRIAN PULIDO, the Creator of CHAOS! Comics characters Lady Death, Evil Ernie, and Purgatori, writes, directs, and produces his first full length horror film “THE GRAVES.” BRIAN will appear on stage at 2:00 P.M. with Stars TONY TODD (Candyman), BILL MOSELEY (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Army of Darkness), and CLARE GRANT and JILLIAN MURRAY (starring as THE GRAVES sisters) to preview scenes from THE GRAVES courtesy of After Dark Films.

The LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION also features over 100 exhibitor tables full of Old and New Comic Books, Toys, Graphic Novels, Movie Memorabilia, Trading Cards, and much more available for purchase. The event will be held at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, 700 West 32nd Street, in Los Angeles, across from USC College. Show hours are 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Regular Admission is $8.00, five years and under are free. Premium Admission is $20.00. Check the website at www.comicbookscifi.com for more information on the program, give-aways, and exclusive items, or call (818) 954-8432.

In an unprecedented distribution maneuver that will bypass theatrical and other traditional windows, the highly anticipated film, Bass Ackwards, which will have its World Premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, will be available nationwide one day after the festival closes. Through this unusual distribution deal with New York based New Video and Zipline Entertainment, Bass Ackwards will be available for purchase and download in tens of millions of homes via major digital retailers, cable VOD and DVD on demand beginning Monday, February 1, 2010. A full retail DVD release in the spring will include in-depth bonus material documenting the unique distribution strategy. This ground-breaking deal is a first of its kind for a feature-length film out of a premier festival like Sundance.

The film, executive produced by Sundance veteran Mark Duplass and marketing executive Marian Koltai-Levine, produced by Thomas Woodrow and directed by actor Linas Phillips, also stars Phillips as a man who embarks on a lyrical, strange and comedic cross-country journey in a modified VW bus after ending a disastrous affair with a married woman.

“The partnership with New Video and Zipline Entertainment breaks new ground. It combines a cutting-edge film with an innovative distribution vehicle — the prestigious Sundance Film Festival,” said Thomas Woodrow, producer of Bass Ackwards. “It’s a new way to quickly bring the film to a broad digital audience after launching the film at the Festival.”

“The title, Bass Ackwards, not only describes an offbeat and entertaining film, but also the spirit of the filmmakers who are joining us on this innovative ride,” said Steve Savage, co-president, New Video. “Together we’ll be taking a film from its festival buzz immediately to an audience who is ‘on the pulse’ and want to see it now. The digital age is an exciting time in the evolution of indie-film distribution with Post-Festival-Releases among the new paradigms.”

Bass Ackwards is one of eight American films selected by the Sundance Film Festival for inclusion in NEXT (<=>), a new category that recognizes films for their innovative and original work in low-and-no-budget filmmaking. Armed with a pedigree of Sundance Film Festival veterans, Bass Ackwards will be part of a wave of films that showcases the diversity of independent cinema.

“The goal of an independent filmmaker is usually to strike out on your own, without the assistance of big budgets or a big studio, and tell the story you want to tell the way you want to tell it – all while getting as many people as possible to see your film in the process,” said Mark Duplass, executive producer, Bass Ackwards. “The way Thomas has approached this alternative distribution idea for Bass Ackwards is no different.”

The deal was negotiated by Jason Janego on behalf of Furnace Films and Zipline Entert