During the debate last week, both candidates spewed a lot of tax plan “details” back and forth but I couldn’t really figure out what either of them were actually proposing or how it would affect me. So, I was delighted to find this new thought leadership piece from my employer, “A familiar call for change: tax platforms of the presidential candidates“ waiting in my Inbox this morning.

• Line for buses to City of Ember Cave Party http://twitpic.com/d7b1 #
• Cave Party, people. http://twitpic.com/d7wd #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

Whew. It has been a blast, but I’d probably not be able to handle even one more movie. Last night ended in Longhorn Cavern at an awesome massive party with Bill Murray…read below.

• Martyrs – A girl who was kidnapped and tortured escapes and is befriended by another girl. They go on to find the people who tortured her…mayhem ensues. This film follows in the steps of Haute Tension that I saw at BNAT 5 and for the first 30-40 minutes it seemed to be just as predictable — so much so that I think a re-edit to reduce this section is needed. Until the key plot turn I swore I had the whole thing figured out then it took a really grotesque but fascinating turn that made me sit up and pay attention. If you like the gory real-world FX stuff than you’ll really enjoy it.
• RocknRolla – There isn’t anything too revelatory in Guy Ritchie’s latest British gangsta movie. If you really liked Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells or Snatch then you’ll like this one as well. Then again, you could just go back and watch one of those again…or if you’ve never seen Layer Cake (the movie that earned Daniel Craig the right to play James Bond) you should see it instead.
• City of Ember – Director Gil Kenan and actor Bill Murray helped Walden Media bring us this forthcoming family-friendly romp about post-apocalyptic people who have lived underground so long that they forgot the world above. The film is visually beautiful taking cues from the sets of Brazil and Metropolis, and is a lot of fun to watch. Be sure to take the kids.

• Get Lit: Closing Night Cave Party – The logistical problems that excluded a lot of people from the party and the more-than-an-hour bus ride out to Longhorn Caverns were not enough to dampen the mood for this rave in a cave. Buried beneath the Texas Hill Country, the main cave at this state park was the perfect setup for a booming DJ stand and a fun dance party. Free Red Bull and vodka may have helped a lot, too. (Big ups to Cargill for swinging his big stick around to get the first bus home in a somewhat timely manner.)

Ok, I’m going to take a moment to bitch. Not about the logistical issues of the party as some might expect. I live in Austin for a bundle of mostly inseparable reasons that reveal a strong alignment between my personal philosophy and the citizens of our great city. One of those ideals is that, no matter what, peoples is peoples. That includes “super” celebrities like Bill Murray. He is just a guy like any other guy. He is probably not much more/less special than any of the many friends I have. His presence is a curiosity, but I am not compelled to touch him, stand next to him, or follow him around. I am as likely to desire to strike up a conversation with him as any stranger I see in public. I’ve got nothing to say to the man that he would think is remotely original, and I don’t think he has anything to offer me beyond what he’s given to us in movies. What happened to Fantastic Fest attendees, particularly the Austinites, that he was mobbed everywhere he went? It took the poor guy 30 minutes to walk 100 yards, with bright lights and dozens of camera flashes in his face. That is not just absurd, it is also way uncool. In the future I expect better from you people.

Pictures and video after the break.

• Counter cafe for non-Drafthouse food http://twitpic.com/d3vi http://maps.google.com/?q=30.275620%2C-97.765755&ll=30.275620%2C-97.765755 #
• Yum… http://twitpic.com/d3w0 #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

A surprise secret screening screwed up many festival schedules, including mine as I had to skip seeing the Terror-Western called The Burrowers. Still, I had one of my best days at the fest and I’m feeling apathetic about tonight. I am extremely excited about the final events, sad at the thought that it is all over for another year, yet I am simultaneously glad at the thought of having my life back.

• Outsource – Outsource is a highly polished Sci-Fi short that descriptions give away. It is interesting and perfect short material.
• Surveillance – A good thriller is more than death with a twist ending. At some point the audience needs to empathize with the people on-screen. Although if you believe that all policeman are corrupt assholes then maybe you will connect with this movie. The evil smalltown cops are entertaining themselves by messing with the citizens-of-no-redeeming-qualities while a serial killer is on the loose. Sometimes you have no choice but to root for the serial killer. Then again, when the jerk who introduces the film gives away the plot before the movie has started…well, that might just be another straw on the pile.
• Astropia – “Dorks and Damsels in Distress” is the subtitle or tagline for this funny heartwarming story of a model who finds a job/home in a comic book store. I think that 2006’s Gamerz and 2005’s Night of the Living Dorks were better, but it looks like a new subgenre is emerging that is a big hit for the geek world.
• Appaloosa – Ed Harris delivers a very solid western, directing and playing one of the two leading men who get hired by a small New Mexico frontier town to keep the peace after the Marshal goes missing. Viggo Mortensen and Renée Zellweger helped deliver a classic Western story. Becky has even been convinced that she may really like the genre.
• Before I review the double-feature, be sure you know what Pinku films are. These two films were brought to the festival as part of a retrospective, and it was my first time to attend a retrospective presentation at FF. With quality like this it is likely I will look for more retrospective offerings.
  • A Lonely Cow Weeps At Dawn – A dead son (and cow) leaves behind his wife and father alone on the farm. In her love and devotion for the senile old man, she pretends to be the cow while a local magnate-wanna-be tries to get the deed for the land. This film is more touching than you expect.
• S&M Hunter – With the humor and soundbank of Kung Fu Theater, a man who can attack/subdue a woman with ropes — binding them in a very profession manner…yes, people get paid for bondage — rescues a man’s boyfriend who was kidnapped by an all-girl gang. Hilarity, bondage and nudity ensue in this very amusing film.

• Rolemodels – Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott star in this buddy movie about two guys forced to do community service by mentoring a LARPing geek and a foul-mouthed angry black boy. The movie is very funny and also includes some great stuff from Jane Lynch (of 40 Year Old Virgin fame) and the lovely Elizabeth Banks. Still, it wasn’t as funny as the Q&A with Paul Rudd and David Wain. If you ever get the chance to hear Paul’s story about meeting the youngest survivor of the Titanic, make him tell it.

Videos after the break

We’re all feeling a little frayed around the edges. I did the math yesterday and I’m applying over 50% more energy to movie watching than I do at my job…well, my job on a quiet 40 hour week…which almost never happens.

• Cam2Cam – Internet chat is not an innovative idea in 2008, and misogyny in horror films — particularly in the modern brutal fashion — is a dead cliche. When a young filmmaker tries to rest on that crutch it will fail as it did in this attempt to update the stalker psychopath for the late 90’s.
• Left Bank – This dramatic Belgian thriller rests more on the drama than the thriller, but ultimately delivers a thoughtful horror discussion piece. Cinephiles will pocket this movie for late night beer talks for many years to come.
• The Good The Bad and The Weird – Korea has once again challenged the boundaries of homage in delivering this dead-on three-way Asian-continent western. Song Kang Ho, who blew us away changing the creature feature in The Host, kicks off the fun robbing a train…that is then attacked by two other outlaws. The stunning visuals, impeccable acting and thrilling action make this a must-see/must-own.
• The Brothers Bloom – Our first secret screening of the week wasn’t really a Fantastic Fest appropriate film, but it is a blast. The story of two brothers who start their con game early in life then end up split about staying in the game sounds cliched, but it is a laugh riot and Rachel Weisz is a “<sigh> I’m in love” crush of a leading lady. If Wes Anderson could get over his dysfunctional family fixation (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited), this is the movie he would make.

• The Chaser – Becky was put off by the bleak violent nature of this Korean thriller, but I think it is another solid film showing that Korea is producing some of the best films. The complex leading character, an ex-cop who has turned pimp, is backed by a funny cast that helps break up the tension as he runs down the ultra-creepy psychopath that has made two of his hookers disappear.

Here is where I admit that I finally purposefully missed a Fantastic Fest timeslot to go home and get some sleep. I have to start storing energy for Thursday night’s “Get Lit” Cave party.

It is hard to keep up at this point, but I’m having a blast. We’ve reached that point in the frenzy where I leave one theater and walk to directly into another. Whew.

• Muay Thai Chaiya – Fans of fight films, boxing and UFC will probably enjoy this flick about 3 boys from the sticks who grow up to fight Thai-style in the big city, but the cheesy soap opera music and overwrought drama were too much for me. Besides, I like my fighting to be a little more fantasy-based.
• La Creme – The first time film director for this movie has proven an ability to deliver a new concept with panache (and a low budget.) A man hard on his luck finds a face cream under his Christmas tree that makes people think he’s a celebrity, then the problems really begin. I look forward to more creativity in his next film, but if you like French dramedy then you should look for this movie.
• Spandex Man – A strange man with a superhero costume enters a stranger world in this very entertaining short.
• Santos – Two boys with unknowingly activated super powers grow up as freinemies with a common love interest (like Spiderman and Harry Osborn). One is a mogul, the other a comic book artist. It is clear that soon they will have to use their powers against each other to fight for the girl and the world. Comic book and Ultraman fans will love the not-so-subtle homages in this often hilarious comedy.
• Fantastic Fest Awards Ceremony – As usual the awards aren’t exactly what I agree with, but there is always room for other opinions. Muto should have placed first in the Animated shorts. I’m not sure how Cargo 200 even placed. Let the Right One In is not surprising for best Horror Feature. The Audience Award must have been a tight race and I recommend all the winners.

• Repo! The Genetic Opera – When I was 17-19 and had spent my life in the oppression of Shreveport, my soul ached for the kind of rebellious rock strangeness that this opera offers. It is a bizarre fun ride featuring two of my favorite actors, Alexa Vega and Anthony Stewart Head, and if I weren’t already full of odd/rock from over 70 viewing of Rocky Horror then I might have room for this really fun film.

Videos (possibly inappropriate) after the break.

Sleep, precious sleep. The day ended with a real high…after 3am.

• Terra – This stunning work of computer animation is unfortunately delivered via sledgehammer. The story is about humans who have destroyed, not only their own planet, but Earth’s two closest planets, are searching for a new planet, and start killing the current peaceful inhabitants of an alien planet to make room for themselves. One alien and one human meet and make friends, then turn around and start fighting in the war and it all ends — I am not joking here — with a suicide bomber showing them the importance of sacrifice for peace. Yeah.
• Fighter – This is my second time seeing this amazing film that everyone should see, but particularly anyone with a teenage daughter (along with anyone who loves the Fu, since it was choreographed and co-stars Xing Gao — the man behind the action in Crouching Tiger.) The Danish story about a Muslim Turkish immigrant girl who loves practicing kung fu more than school or boys is forced to choose whether it is more important than family. It breaks my heart to know that the national karate champion lead actress is going to pharmacy school instead of continuing her acting career.
• Zombie Girl: The Movie – I can’t objectively discuss this documentary about a local girl who at 13 years old made a feature length zombie movie because I’ve seen Emily and her mother Megan at so many film events in Austin over the last 3-4 years that I think of them as distant well-loved family. After watching this unexpectedly professional documentary, I am ashamed that I haven’t even been able to finish a script even…much less a feature. I hope someone at a non-profit for girls sees this film at helps to get it distributed widely.
• Aie! – This short about a strange vampire searching for prey at a carnival is bizarre and wonderful.
• South of Heaven – When the producer at the Q&A promotes this film by dissing his last film, The Wackness (one of my favorite movies this year — I’ve seen it twice even), calling it “too normal” then it confirms what I’ve felt the whole movie. It is too odd to find purchase in the wider cinema community but it is odd enough for festival attendees to brag about. This highly stylized, in both visuals and script, movie is a full-on “festival” film. I doubt that its live-action Tex-Avery-styled noir crime-spree story will be seen outside of festivals, but if you’re into this type of avant-garde cinema then you’ll probably want to find a copy.
• Cargo 200 – This bleak Russian — is that redundant? — film is hard to describe as it involves several family members, former prison inmates, the people they meet at a roadhouse, several murders and a few w-t-f violent and gross moments. It is supposedly based on a true story so maybe the screen writer doesn’t get a lot of credit for the intricate intertwining of the plot points, but the complexity pays off in the last few minutes of the film…more or less.

• Fantastic Feud! – O.M.G. Known as the best party of the week, this evening started out as a chaotic gameshow with everyone (except for 15 year old Emily Hagins and teetotaler Zack) holding holding a beer, and ending with some awesome karaoke. Check out some videos of the craziness after the break.

p.s. Yes, I’m behind on reviews…I hope to catch up later today.

Oh, boy, I am tired. I need a solid 8 hours of sleep, but the Saturday and Sunday schedules only allow for about 6. Maybe next year I should just not shower those mornings?

• Estomago: A Gastronomic Story – With the exception of only one key scene, this film didn’t look like most of the films at FF. It is actually a nuanced love story with foodie-sensibility that alternates between two timelines in one man’s life, before he went to prison and after he arrived in prison. It is a brilliant film and I hope it gets a large US arthouse distribution.
• I Think We’re Alone Now – For such a low-budget documentary this film will draw you in. The stories it tells of two odd people obsessed with pop star Tiffany are compellingly disturbing…in a much less violent way than the rest of FF, but disturbing nonetheless.
• Short Films of Nacho Vigalondo – Nacho’s shorts (more information at the FF blog site) are as entertaining as his soon-to-be-released feature, Timecrimes, — which was one of the standout hits from last year’s fest — and having Nacho introduce the clips was just delicious proverbial icing. Hunt every single one of these shorts down.
  • Limoncello – Three filmmakers partnered with Nacho’s producing partner (with no involvement from Nacho) to each make a piece of this triptych of Spaghetti Western shorts: one about a man named Joe, who is a surprisingly good man; one about a couple who disturb the dead and act violently for a mysterious reason; one about a rough-and-tumble sheriff who hasn’t bathed in nearly a year. The films share only a consistent production quality, but they’re each a gem.
  • A Lesson in Filmmaking – in less than 3 minutes, Nacho very (very) simply shows you the secret to great film storytelling…and it is brilliant.
  • Sunday – Nacho’s supposed Cloverfield shows a couple on a picnic who witness a UFO. This short surely helped JJ Abrams keep his balooning budget just a touch smaller.
  • Code 7 – In this short trilogy of Matrix homage, a man gives the ultimate sacrifice for a galactic war and his compatriots mourn.
  • Nacho introduced us to his own set of Unnecessary (but hilarious) Sequels, and we all feel the need to abandon any future creations we might have attempted in this oeuvre. Gremlins 3 and Back To The Future 4 were featured.
  • Cheap Science Ficton – Nacho’s paid-for ecology short is a return to his simple (and brilliant) lessons in filmmaking.
  • Changing The World – Nokia gave Nacho a cell phone to film this pre-cursor/analog to Timecrimes.
  • The Intergalactic Adventures of Jaime de Funes and Arancha – A pilot for a TV show that was never made that parodies the sci-fi serials of olden film days.
  • Choque – A man with a temper problem takes on “the kids” who he sees as adversaries in the bumper car ring.
• 7:35 in the Morning – I have thought repeatedly about this Oscar-nominated short, but never known that it was Nacho’s. A diner full of people break into song-and-dance as a stranger serenades a woman.
• The Tap – This short is a fairly unoriginal delivery about a man wanting to take the latest drug just to meet/impress a girl. Nice nudity, though.
• Donkey Punch – I actually left before the end of this movie because I didn’t feel any compulsion to see the ending to a film that was predictable at every turn. It is well made and acted, but the filmmakers need to work on their suspense technique.
• You Better Watch Out – very funny short about a couple of guys who want revenge on Santa for not delivering on the promise holiday magic.
• Acolytes – It is hard to cover the plot of this movie without giving away the many surprising turns it delivers. Three teenagers take on the mystery of a local missing girl, and their former bully who is on parole, and it is pulled off very well. At one point I even was reminded of Heavenly Creatures because of the accents, the forest scenery, and the brutal nature of the confrontations.

• Jack Brooks, Monster Slayer – Robert Englund chips in to help this typical popcorn horror movie about a young man with anger management issues finding his calling. The real-world FX are a refreshing touch, but the intro is a hodgepodge of unnecessary plot points.

Some miscellaneous notes:

• @arosenheim loverboy and night ranger were my latest itunes purchases #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

I am very tired and I’m pretty sure with today starting at 11:30 that I’ll be even more tired by the end of tonight. The Danes have made a good showing at the festival this year with 4 films — 3 with good reviews and one that I’ve already seen and I know will do well, so they’re 4 for 4. Becky almost punked out and went home before the midnight slot but the challenge of getting home unescorted forced her back into the theater for our most unpleasant viewing so far.

• Just Another Love Story – It was slow to develop but once this film got to the point, it was an intriguing thriller. Rae (who introduced the film) had the best description for it, so I’ll steal hers: imagine While You Were Sleeping except the lead roles are reversed, and everyone’s life is totally more f’d up. (Dane film #1, btw.)
• El Senor Puppe – A short film about a lonely old ventriloquist who argues with his puppet, mainly about the young pretty woman who just moved in next door. Cute, but a little senseless.
• The Substitute – A boy whose mother recently died and his middle school buddies realize their teacher is an alien. This is one of my top films of the festival so far. Outrageous and funny, shot really well. I look forward to Hollywood buying the rights and re-making it in English. (Dane film #2.)
• Eagle Eye – This great actioner from the director and star of Disturbia delivers on the popcorn promise of its trailers. If you are planning on seeing this then see it soon so you don’t get anything spoiled.
• JCVD – Unquestionably my favorite film of the festival, so far. If you love really good acting then you have to see this film as Jean Claude Van Damme plays himself at a post office that is being robbed. His performance is unexpectedly nuanced. Don’t question me on this one, though that may be easy to do. Go see this wonderful film.

• Deadgirl – Two opportunity-challenged high school boys skip school and find a dead girl in the basement of an abandon asylum. If that sounds like the start of your favorite kind of creepfest then you will probably enjoy this well-crafted horror movie. If you feel otherwise then (like me) you will find this film to be another solidly violent misogynist not-quite-torture-porn.

• Missed a movie cause Kevin Smith wasn’t on time. #
• @billjank amen brother. 2 parties create counterbalance. #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

Our first day of Fantastic Fest was surprisingly dud-free, but I did miss a time slot so I’m already one movie down on my goal of seeing 42 films over the 8 day festival.

• Animation Shorts Program – I’m glad they decided to schedule groups of shorts as a block since there are usually several shorts I don’t get to see because they are attached to films that I don’t go to see. There are a couple duds in this collection, but most of them were top notch entertainment and two of them were innovative enough to warrant multiple viewings.
  • Berni’s Doll – A funny and well-made short, but I suppose my concerns about misogyny are a bit silly for a short about a man who buys a woman a piece at a time starting with the torso.
  • Blood Will Tell – It is beautifully rendered and the Sigur Ros score is haunting, but i’m always put off by “weird for the sake of weird” shorts. If you like Tool videos then this is probably your bailiwick.
  • City Wasp – “Live action” animation seems like it is all the rage. (Think Sony Bravia ads with real people as characters.) This one features an old man with a big-ass hearing aid and the penchant for getting cars to make noise. It is quite entertaining.
  • A Coffee Machine and His Sword – In this Korean animé, a sword-fighting ninja is reincarnated as a coffee vending machine where he meets a girl, his also-reincarnated foes and faces the modern realities of his feudalistic nature.
  • Dog – An extremely short short but incredibly touching tribute to one of man’s best friends.
  • The Facts in the Case of Mr. Hollow – The stunning visuals are the first thing this short offers, but what I keep coming back to is the dearth of motion in this compelling story.
  • Fantaisie in Bubblewrap – An adorably simple piece that will either horrify your overly-sensitive nature or have you laughing to tears.
  • Film Noir – An homage that is a moving collage to the noir genre. Very well-crafted, but without any story.
  • Fish – <sigh> Weird for the sake of weird.
  • Game Over – A very clever animation reproducing the classic video games of our childhood, this short uses everyday objects.
  • Karaoke Show – I am not a fan of constant exposure to full-frontal male nudity so I really want to dislike this short, but the music was so intriguing. It almost felt like Prefuse 73 with even shorter timing.
  • Muto – Run, don’t walk to find this short. The artist used an amazing technique of painting the cels of his animation as murals (sometimes incredibly large) on walls in a run-down neighborhood. This is just amazing stuff.
  • The Squirrel Next Door – The best credit to this animator is that (unlike SNL) he recognized that his subject matter was only worth a couple minutes. By the time you’ve finished this review the short would already be over and you’d have moved on.
  • Violetta – More weird — this time with grotesque thrown in.
• The Watermelon Chickens – Silly Asian antics can be Korean, too. A young boy swears revenge on the watermelon swallowing chickens that indirectly caused the death of his grandfather.
• Zack and Miri Make a Porno – Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks drive this laugh fest about a pair of long-time platonic friends who decide to make a porn flick to solve their money woes. I’m always happy to see Jason Mewes (the Jay of Jay and Silent Bob) working, and he is the highpoint of a decent supporting cast. Like a disappointing money-shot, Kevin Smith almost drops the ball in the climax of the film but he redeems himself with a solid denouement.
• Kevin Smith Q&A – I missed the next timeslot in the festival because (studios and stars are never f’ing on time for premieres and) you know that a Smith Q&A is going to be good — c’mon they made one into a DVD even. I was not disappointed as Smith regaled us before and after the movie with stories of his hilarious antics and slightly twisted viewpoint. If you get a chance to see Smith speak, take it.

• Fanboys – A group of boys find a good reason to follow-through on their long-discussed plans of sneaking into Skywalker Ranch to see Phantom Menace before it is released. A good-enough film that will probably only be accessible to the geeks it portrays. (But danggit! that Veronica Mars is a hottie in that Princess Leia slave outfit.)

Last night we attended the Wierd Wednesday offering, which this week overlaps with Fantastic Fest, Dark Age, part of the special Oz-sploitation retropective. Director Mark Hartley, who brought his documentary Not Quite Hollywood (about Australian Exploitation Cinema), was in the house to help Wierd Wednesday host Lars Nilsen introduce the film. If you’re attending FF from out of town then you should make a point of hitting the Alamo Signature events as they represent the spirit of FF. (Locals on the other hand should be seeing these things on a regular basis outside of the festival.)

As usual, Lars was an entertaining fountain of knowledge. The film was fun and featured Australia’s two most famous aboriginal actors. The special effects for the main creature were incredibily poor, but just about everything else was well done.

This morning’s NPR story about Mueller’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee is what did it. My anxiety over news items has reached a critical level. Somewhere between Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, AIG, and political muckraking I realized that I will once again have to abandon news media in an election year. This mornings story left me with a fairly solid belief that the guv’ment had Bruce Ivins killed to cover-up their scare tactics over inciting the American public for the Bush’s war agenda… See, it is quite literally driving me crazy. So I will abandon my responsibilities of being an informed citizen.

Someone send me an SMS if the world ends between now and Election Day.