The San Francisco International Film Festival is different. It’s the longest running film festival in North America but you can never put your finger on what it’s going to offer and you can never guess which films will be shown. The festival is run by the San Francisco Film Society and instead of sticking to a formula like many other festivals do, they try and curate a wide range of cinema that appeals to the wide range of audiences that inhabit San Francisco. Just as the city is mixed with all kinds of people and influences, so are the films that they show.
The 55th edition which runs for two weeks from Thursday, April 19th to Thursday, May 3rd at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, the Castro Theatre, SF Film Society Cinema, SFMOMA and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley is no different. This year they offer a wide range of world cinema, riveting documentaries, all kinds of shorts, and local treats. But how is an outsider looking in supposed to know what to watch? The only thing missing from this lineup are those big name Hollywood blockbusters anybody can find each week. Instead, THE SFIFF brings the obscure and hard to find works that deserve to be seen and need these kind of festivals to promote them. We’ll give you a few hints of what we think is interesting but you should be fearless in watching movies you know nothing about.
Gimme The Loot Gimme the Loot just reminds of beat street from its synopsis. It’s about 2 New York graffiti artists who have to raise money in order to pull off a prank to get revenge on a rival gang. I missed it at SXSW where it won the Grand Jury award for Best Narrative so I’m definitely going to catch it at SFIFF.
The Intouchables The film won the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix (Best Film) award at the Tokyo International Film Festival and the Award for Best Actor to both Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy. Omar Sy also won the César Award for Best Actor and Étoiles d’Or for Best Male Newcomer. It’s pretty controversial dealing with French racism which Americans still try to hide from.
Robot & Frank Coming from Sundance, Robot & Frank got mixed reviews but for the tech-heavy influence of San Francisco, I’m sure this film will get a warm welcome. It’s about an old cat burglar (Frank Langella) who receives a helper robot against his will.
TWIXT This may not sound like much until you call it Francis Ford Coppola’s TWIXT. There has been a lot of anticipation for this one as it makes its way around the festival circuit before it gets a wide release. It’s a genre film (horror thriller) written and directed by Coppola about an eerie small town with a mystery. And if you didn’t know, Coppola lives in the bay area so he might just be sitting next to you at the screening.
Informant If you saw “Better This World” last year, you definitely want to see Informant this year which is a documentary about Brandon Darby, the FBI Informant known for taking down the two activists in last year’s documentary which won countless awards including the Best Documentary Feature at the 2011 San Francisco International Film Festival. It will be interesting to see how San Francisco’s progressive audiences react to the other side of the story.
Polisse Polisse was the winner of the Jury Prize at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Resembling a documentary, it’s a narrative going into the lives of the men and women of the Paris Child Protection Unit. It’s based on real-life cases but takes its liberties to give you a startling look into this disturbing world.
Last Minute Additions!
Even if you’ve studied the handy mini guide or program, you might not know that 6 new films have been added to the lineup:
Bernie plays 9:30 pm, Saturday, April 21, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
Nobody Walks plays 9:30 pm, Wednesday, April 25, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
Chasing Ice plays 7:15 pm, Thursday, May 3, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
This post is part of our SFIFF coverage
Held each spring for 15 days, the International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in one of the country’s most beautiful cities, featuring 200 films and live events, 14 juried awards and $70,000 in cash prizes, upwards of 100 participating filmmaker guests and diverse and engaged audiences with more than 70,000 people in attendance.Visit an Francisco International Film Festival’s Official Website
Sadly, I only got to stay for the first weekend of South By Southwest this year. Still, I managed to hit up 16 films which I think is quite respectable for 3 days. South By Southwest combines three passions of my life – not only film, but live music and interactive (the internet). This was my third year and I typically do things in 3 and thought this would be my last but even with the horrible rain at the beginning of the festival, I don’t think I can keep away…so look for me once again next year in the beautiful city of Austin, TX!
This year, no film wowed me like Pelada and Sound of My Noise the past 2 years…but still, the film festival lineup was stellar combining favorites from other festivals and a new batch of amazing documentaries and fresh narratives. There were definitely a handful that will be sure to raise a few eyebrows. Here are my top 5 this year consisting of 3 documentaries, 1 stellar indie narrative, and a blockbuster.
Bay of All Saints (World Premiere)
It’s no secret that I love documentaries but Bay of All Saints separates itself from the rest of the pack. It’s fundamentally a story about single mothers who must support their families while their own homes are supported by just stilts over open water. It’s a fascinating look on people far away but with qualities that hit close to home. By taking six years to examine their lives, the documentary finds its own life and displays it through an amazingly shot film. Full Review
Safety Not Guaranteed
I love having fun in a movie theater and this movie was just plain fun. You’re supposed to lose yourself in cinema and forget that you’re even watching a movie so when you’re presented with a quirky story about time travel set in the current day, you forget that time travel hasn’t been accomplished yet and lose yourself in these characters wishing you were in their world. I love Aubrey Plaza and she’s remarkable in this film. Her chemistry with Mark Duplaas is wonderful and that combined with the other side characters and parallel shorelines is pure bliss. There’s so much win going on and it’s such a funny script. I seriously can’t wait to watch this one again. Full Review
21 Jump Street (World Premiere)
This is the big blockbuster winner of the festival. It didn’t need South by Southwest’s approval but it certainly got it. What does that mean? Especially after the MacGruber fiasco? Obviously not much in relation to box office sales but in the geek and film blogger community, it gets a pass. But besides that, the film was actually really funny and a great time in the theater for audiences. From the script to the acting to the outrageous plot turns and nod to the original work – 21 Jump Street got a lot of it right. Full Review
Seeking Asian Female (World Premiere)
Back to the docs. This one was a story we all hear about but never get to really see. It’s not an overbearing problem affecting half the world or a little known injustice that needed light shined upon it. It’s a modern day love story told from the perspective of a modern day non-first generation woman in a non-traditional marriage. It’s a documentary that anyone can relate to because at its core is everyday people trying to achieve a basic need we all want. Capsule Review
Decoding Deepak (World Premiere)
This might be my biggest festival surprise. I remember talking to friends before the festival on if I should even see this film. I dabble in the teachings from many different walks of life and am no stranger to Deepak Chopra but I thought I knew what this documentary would be all about. Boy, was I wrong. It was more about the relationship with his own boy and less about the eternal question of himself and what he recites. As with most of my favorite documentaries, there is no clear objective to the film but an expose on a strong controversial subject matter. Full Review
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival features a dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry leaders in a uniquely creative environment. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of independent film. The internationally acclaimed Film Festival program celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring provocative documentaries, comedies, genre standouts and more.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website
Bay of All Saints was not only my favorite documentary, but my favorite movie at the 2012 South By Southwest Film Festival. It was also many other’s favorites as it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary. It’s an extraordinary piece of work that shows not only passion but true dedication. It tells the story of a little known area in Brazil that many of the people don’t even know about. People living around this area don’t even know about or care to know about it. The doc features not just the stories, but the lives of families plagued with their various situations that put them in their current living condition and outline how each of them deal with it. And it begins this story six years ago in 2005!
Rather than making a film about facts and figures about Salvador, Bahia’s slums, filmmaker Annie Eastman decided to live down in the palafitas with her filmed subjects. She found an incredible narrator and voice of reason through a refrigerator repairman named Narato who has “never met a stranger.” Through fixing odds and ends and being somewhat of a shrink to the slums, Narato has become friends with many of the inhabitants of the bay’s shanty town. Through him, we meet our cast of Geni, Rebecca, Jesus, Rafaela, and Donna Maria (amongst others). The area is filled mainly with single mothers who can’t afford a house anywhere else and have decided to make their own cardboard houses over the water on stilts. The whole documentary is mainly interviews with these women and follows them as they live in their homemade homes and shows how nothing ever really progresses in terms of their living situation.
Set in the slums of Bahia, Brazil
The basis of this documentary was to see how the $49 million World Bank grant would work in Brazil’s plan to fix this palafitas problem which threatens the ecology of the bay and the advancement of the country as a whole. The question of the documentary then turned to if the money would even help as the government took years to get proposals off the ground and interact with the people of the slums. One of the women the documentary followed, Geni, was eventually elected to be a representative of her area and we got to see first hand what that actually meant – nothing. She had one of the most interesting quotes I’ve ever heard, “The courage I prefer not to have.” It was painful to see these people have their hopes risen and then dropped throughout the years as bureaucracy took hold of their new homes or alternatives. Throughout, the red tape, Bay of All Saints showed us the black and white of these people’s lives and how they aren’t much different than anybody else.
Houses on stilts...over water
We got to see the cutest and very intelligent kids hampered by this living condition. Rebecca, a very clever young girl ran away from her grandmother’s spot. Rafaela, Jesus’ daughter was with child during filming and eventually had a baby with a boy who said he would support her. Donna Maria, Rebecca’s grandmother, who was pretty much raised as a slave found her own strength and identity by going to adult classes between picking up trash to pay to live. It’s really interesting watching how others live and puts your own life into perspective. These are real people, not actors, and they’re going through this right now…still, to this day. It’s a powerful notion and beautifully presented in this short glimpse into their homes.
I loved this film because it held nothing back. It had a goal to expose the situation of the palafitas and it’s people. It not only did that in a personable way by highlighting the people rather than scrutinizing the bigger picture, but by going back year after year, the doc itself discovered new stories and took a meaningful life of its own. It packages up its thesis, research, and findings in an entertaining fashion that characterizes the good-willed mood of these people who still have hope and life in each and every one of them. It makes you think and/or care about something you might have never known about…the true goal behind any documentary.
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival features a dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry leaders in a uniquely creative environment. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of independent film. The internationally acclaimed Film Festival program celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring provocative documentaries, comedies, genre standouts and more.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website
Yesterday, I posted our documentary roundup and noted that the South By Southwest Film Festival is known for their amazing documentary selection as well as midnighters and emerging visions sections. This roundup focuses on that second half: the horrifying genre films as well as the questionable and odd movies. Sometimes, you have to be in the right mood, experience the right past events, or just have a certain taste for these kinds of works. One thing is for sure though, they are all quirky and made by people who all have something to say.
The Aggression Scale (World Premiere)
Simply put, The Aggression Scale is Home Alone for adults. Remember all those cool booby traps Macaulay Culkin set for those home invaders? How about that scene with the gangsters and guns on TV? Well Aggression Scale starts of loud, bloody, and messy with gangsters with guns and then switches gears to this family moving into a new house trying to start anew. Obviously, you know these two stories are somehow connected and the filmmakers leave some obvious clues for you – what you don’t know is how bad ass Ryan Hartwig who plays Owen, the young boy of the family, is. You see, the aggression scale is a test that determines how harmful an individual is…Owen scored extremely high and without his meds, is a menace to society. Oh, and you thought the gangsters were a menace to society? Other than Lauren’s (Fabianne Therese aka Legs) annoying screams, The Aggression Scale is a really fun film I recommend checking out. You might recognize some of the “bad guys” (Ray Wise, Dana Ashbrook, Derek Mears, Jacob Reynolds)
King Kelly (World Premiere)
Like OMG. This movie is just wow. If you don’t feel uncomfortable during the first scene, which is pretty much a porn clip of a live sex show, you might enjoy it. I’m still not sure if I recommend watching it or not but it makes you think and talk about it so it definitely gets it’s job done and it’s message across. It’s a progressive movie about those obnoxious teenage girls (mainly Louisa Krause (Kelly) and Libby Woodbridge (Jordan)) that record their lives and put it online for everyone to see. It’s shot entirely on iPhones and Cannon Elfs and the majority of the movie is actually actor-shot. That alone is some noteworthy stuff but the actual story that transpires through the movie is something else! You can compare it to Hangover-type movies where things just get out of control, events escalate past anything you would imagine, and you’re left asking, “What’s next?” I don’t want to spoil it as a lot of what happens comes from left field but know King Kelly is actually incredibly funny and smart…it just gets under your skin.
CITADEL (World Premiere)
People always put themselves in their movies…one way or another. This is exceptionally true for director Ciarán Foy who himself suffered from agoraphobia – an anxiety disorder which made him a hermit and afraid to leave his house. CITADEL’s main character, Tommy Cowley (Aneurin Barnard), becomes agoraphobic after his wife is stabbed and killed by some kids on the day they were moving out. Tommy’s wife was pregnant so now he’s left with the constant reminder and responsibility of his little girl. But these kids won’t leave him alone because they feed off fear and he’s very scared. But are these even children at all? Not according to our crazy Priest (James Cosmo) who has dealt with these feral children before. The movie is a bit corny but pretty frightening and very well done. It takes the real world situations and fears and combines it with the common midnighter experience of the unknown things that go bump in the night. If it wasn’t for Aneurin’s incredible performance, CITADEL might have not worked but you could see the fear through the sweat on his brow and that puts your right in his shoes on screen.
Dollhouse (North American Premiere)
When introducing the film, the presenter said he had no words to describe Dollhouse…it’s just so unique and different. I have to agree…there’s no way to truly talk about this film. It’s just too…can’t do it. Can’t find the words. Director Kirsten Sheridan decided to take a risk and cast kids off the street and give them no script. This is basically all improv with a bit of scenarios and character development thrown in. She said she would whisper to one or another what they were to do and have the other kids react to it. What resulted was a lot of laughing, cursing, awkward stares, confused dialogue and actual genuine interactions. After getting through the initial shock and awe and realizing you have as much knowledge of where this is going as the actors, you begin to appreciate the stylized storytelling that’s happening on screen. There’s a glorious food fight, drugs, explosions, lots of drinking, and some crazy unexplainable scenes. The music is a highlight as well as the curious feeling you get after watching this film. “What are you doing?”
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival features a dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry leaders in a uniquely creative environment. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of independent film. The internationally acclaimed Film Festival program celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring provocative documentaries, comedies, genre standouts and more.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website
The South By Southwest Film Festival is best known for their amazing documentary selection as well as their quirky midnighters and emerging visions section. Today, we’ll do a documentary roundup and tomorrow we’ll do an “unexplainable films you just have to check out” roundup. I am a huge fan of documentaries because they’re real and sometimes have stories so unbelievable that they could only be genuine. Seeing true emotion and resolution is something that narratives just can’t compare with because when the credits roll, they’re done but when the documentary ends, the story is really beginning.
Seeking Asian Female (World Premiere)
Filmmaker Debbie Lum set out to make a documentary on yellow fever, or white guys who are attracted to Asian women. Instead, she stumbled on this fascinating story of 60 year-old Steven Bolstad and his quest to find a wife that won’t leave him. He’s been divorced twice and after seeing his son marry a Chinese girl, he thought he had to get one too because they never leave their spouses. Seeking Asian Female follows as he uses an online dating site to find a match and bring her back to the states to marry him. Debbie never thought this would actually happen, but then she met 30 year-old Jianhua (Sandy), and that all changed.
The documentary is a great example of the influence and blurry lines of documenting real-time events. Would this marriage have ever happened, succeeded, or failed the way it did if the cameras weren’t around? Would this documentary be as good as i was if the marriage never took place? They go hand it hand and no one will ever know. What we do know is that from the hundreds of hours of footage that Debbie recorded, she cut together a beautiful story of unconventional love between a hilariously (slightly racist – “She looks so Chinese!”) naive guy living in a dream reality and a powerful smart Chinese woman trying to change her reality.
Trash Dance (World Premiere)
Trash Dance is a quintessential documentary containing the typical formula you would expect. It’s a movie tracing the steps up to an unusual event gathering interviews from the subjects and taking you deeper into their lives. I thought it was great and touching while not trying to push any sort of meaning or hidden agenda on it’s audience – just display a work of art. Allison Orr is an Austin dance choreographer who likes to collaborate with people you wouldn’t think of when you thought of dance. This time, she wants to create a piece with trash collectors. The movie begins with her proposal to the reluctant group which is full of men and ends with a fascinating project that brings everyone one step closer to realizing that this might be what people do but if you give them the opportunity, they show you who they are. The documentary is really funny, takes you on the different aspects of trash collection from recycling to the dead animal route and give you glimpses of what the dance can become. Once you see the crane solo, you see the heart of the film and realize how artistic and skillful this workers actually are.
GLOBAL HOME (World Premiere)
I love films that let their audiences travel to new destinations and that was pretty much the premise of GLOBAL HOME – a documentary about couchsurfing. Beginning in Mali and taking us around to world to San Francisco, Japan, the West Bank, and Turkey, Eva Stotz visits interesting people she finds online. It shows us the differences in culture and how it relates to her own idea of being a nomad. For instance, in Mali, there are plenty of nomads and it’s very normal – even encouraged – to have visitors while in Japan, it’s not usual to have any visitors. Eva spent 5 weeks in each country and told her hosts to live their everyday lives as she recorded. Sadly, nothing really happens and the documentary drags along with plenty of B-roll and interesting experiences that were only talked about but not shown. It’s as if you know there’s something there but the cameras just weren’t able to catch it at the right time or the right place. But, if you enjoy traveling, you get to see the distinct differences in many mundane tasks you may not think twice about like laundry, festivities, cultural dress, and dancing.
La Camioneta – The Journey of One American School Bus (World Premiere)
This is a movie about a bus. Really, it follows the journey of an American school bus down to Guatemala where it transforms into a beautiful Camioneta. The scope of this documentary is amazing as it literally follows one bus and all the people that interact with it. Director Mark Kendall was extremely lucky to have everyone along the journey to continue on with the movie because the bus changed hands a couple times. It began at an auction in America where this 8-10 year-old bus in great condition was sold just as it went out of service. It was driven down by a Guatemalan who drives between his home country and America every 15 days! When it gets its way to the man who purchased the bus, it is fixed up and sold to a man who is going to turn it into his life business. Then, it is painted and artistically transformed into the Camioneta, or public bus, that it will continue it’s life as. The documentary highlights the key people behind all these transactions and exposes the dangers and life-changing decisions that each has to go through. To us, it’s just a bus…to them, it’s their well being.
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival features a dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry leaders in a uniquely creative environment. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of independent film. The internationally acclaimed Film Festival program celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring provocative documentaries, comedies, genre standouts and more.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website
Safety Not Guaranteed was my favorite narrative from the 2012 South By Southwest Film Festival and it’s not only because I have a small-ish big crush on Aubrey Plaza. Fueled by a great script, this is a quintessential example of a cute contained indie romcom that can easily be marketed to a larger mainstream audience. It has all the elements of a touching film with substance that’s both entertaining and intriguing. Based on the real classified ad about time travel, Safety Not Guaranteed takes the reality of the situation and exploits the fantasy in this day dream turned motion picture. What if the guy behind the ad was for real?
“WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED. I have only done this once before.” Do you remember that posting from a while back? It’s a real classified ad and it spread across the interent like wildfire. Writer Derek Connolly decided to take it one step further and wrote a script about a magazine reporter and two interns who track down the guy who wrote the ad and figure out if he’s a nutcase. Jake M. Johnson stars as Jeff Schwensen, the magazine reporter who really couldn’t care about the story but is really interested in reconnecting with an old flame played by Jenica Bergere. The wonderfully emo Aubrey Plaza and tight-ass Indian Karan Soni are the two interns who tag along.
Jake M. Johnson, Aubrey Plaza, and Karan Soni in Safety Not Guaranteed
Before they even discover Mark Duplass as Kenneth Calloway, the man behind the classified ad, the laughs roll in. This script has an insane amount of one liners and well crated dialogue. “Everything cool is gone.” To the actors credit, it was revealed during the Q&A after the screening that a few of the scenes in the movie were improved on the spot but that all of the character design, relationships, and actions were already plotted out perfectly in the script. It’s great to see when casting meshes with the written characters so perfectly. I don’t know who would have been better to play any of the characters – they were all perfect, especially Mark Duplass who walked the line of insanity and mystery. You can never tell if he really could time travel or if he just forgot to take his medications.
Aubrey Plaza with Mark Duplass in Safety Not Guaranteed
From the description, you can automatically think that this is a sci-fi movie but in actuality, it has a lot of heart and is a pretty atypical romantic comedy. There are a couple budding love stories throughout the movie and you watch each character transform and push each other to new levels. Most noticeably is our emo star who begins to actually smile when she realizes that the story is more than just work and our Indian intern is pushed beyond his boundaries while just trying to get another talking point on his resume. There are a lot of cute scenes which romcom fans are going to gush over and enough curious out of the ordinary scenes to keep a non romcom fan interested. Throughout both, there’s a ton of comedy that will make anybody laugh…Safety Not Guaranteed is truly a great time. (get it? time? lame, I know)
I <3 Aubrey Plaza
I had a lot of fun during this film and can’t wait for it to get some kind of theatrical release. It’s most likely going to be a well kept secret and favorite of those who actually get to experience it so look for it whenever it comes to your city. “Well there’s no sense in nonsense.” There’s a lot of quirky dialogue and story lines so don’t expect your everyday run of the mill film. There are a few surprises and you might be surprised at how much you enjoy this film. If you’re a fan of any of the actors, you’re going to really enjoy them in this because it looked like they all had fun while making it. There are actually two endings to the movie so I’m definitely going to be watching it again but I won’t tell you if Kenneth is for real or just real insane…you’re going to have to watch and decide for yourself! This is not a joke.
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival features a dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry leaders in a uniquely creative environment. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of independent film. The internationally acclaimed Film Festival program celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring provocative documentaries, comedies, genre standouts and more.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website
One of the greatest things about film festivals is stumbling into the films you love when you otherwise may have never even heard about them. I had heard about this documentary which held its World Premiere at South By Southwest but I was sceptic as many people are to the famed Deepak Chopra. While running late to one movie called Gimme The Loot (which eventually won the Narrative Feature Competition and got picked up by Sundance Selects), I decided to sit in for this doc made by Chopra’s son Gotham Chopra. I thought it would be more hoopla perpetuating the Deepak machine but I was dead wrong because it seems that one of Deepak’s biggest skeptics is…his own son.
Filmmaker Gotham Chopra with his father Deepak Chopra
Decoding Deepak is less about figuring out what’s behind Deepak (because I don’t think anyone can solve that puzzle) and more about the father and son relationship between a popularized icon and his family that was forced into the spotlight. You quickly grasp that this film is a great tool for Gotham to spend time with his father who has a ridiculous schedule running around the world and making other people happy. The main problem with running around the world and making other people happy is that you consequently neglect your own loved ones and leave them with jealousy and curiosity. That’s the curiosity behind this movie. You can tell that the movie takes shape as it’s filming – there’s no real storyline, goal, or hidden agenda – just a subject that’s worth filming. And to me, that’s what makes the best documentaries.
The most startling thing about this movie is how articulate it is. I guess that shouldn’t come as a surprise based on the countless books of Deepak Chopra and his well-educated family. However, it’s just something that is so uncommon in films these days. Many audience members will have to sit through the film with a dictionary at hand to keep up with some of what is being said. To me, that’s a good thing but also makes you wonder who the target audience is. Thankfully, as Gotham pointed out during the Q&A after the film, this isn’t for the yoga-going meditation-loving crowd that they could have easily gotten a 100% approval rating from, this is for a wide range of people and opinions especially the younger social generation. That is why they decided to premiere the movie at the South By Southwest Film Festival which is more of a skeptical, non-religious, forward-thinking, technology-savvy crowd.
Deepak Chopra becoming an ordained Buddhist in Thailand
Technology-savvy Deepak is as he’s never spotted without texting on his Blackberry. Never spotted without his designer glasses or flashy red shoes. Even when he’s going through the ceremonies of becoming an ordained Buddhist, he can’t help himself from his everyday addictions. (Deepak calls it skillful editing) The movie goes into that as well as a Buddhist staying in five-star hotels, selling books and whatnots, and speaking through TV shows and the internet rather than temples. Love him or hate him, Deepak has an answer for everything and you can never really catch him in a contradiction so to me, he walks his talk – no matter if you believe it or not. The funniest parts of the movie are when Deepak tries to direct the film as his own and tells Gotham, “You’re not God…you’re just the director.”
From Thailand to New York to Tokyo, Arizona, and India, Decoding Deepak takes you on a tour of Deepak’s life and his interactions with people around him. You see him as he receives prestigious awards, promotes his wares, handle business, deals with critics, and spends time with his family and friends. What makes him tick? The movie tries to get into that but Deepak’s mind runs a mile a minute and the second you think you understand him, he spins around and starts doing something else. You can tell that he truly believes what he preaches and practices it in his own way which he believes is true. The most touching part of the doc is when Deepak takes his son back to India to literally see his family’s history in the form of written letters from their ancestors. In return, Gotham wrote a letter to his son to see one day and also realizes that the same way his father put him on camera, he is also doing that to his own son. So again, this doc touches on a lot more than just a “spiritual guru who grows restless without his followers.”
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival features a dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry leaders in a uniquely creative environment. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of independent film. The internationally acclaimed Film Festival program celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring provocative documentaries, comedies, genre standouts and more.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website
The opening night film of the 2012 South By Southwest Film Festival was the World Premiere of Drew Goddard (writer of Cloverfield) and Joss Whedon’s (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog) long-awaited The Cabin in the Woods. If you’ve been following this movie, you know that it was supposed to come out over two years ago and be converted into 3D. Unluckily (or luckily), none of that happened as the studio of the film, MGM went bankrupt. Lionsgate swooped in, bought the film, and they’re releasing it on Friday the 13th next month. Spo0o0o0o0ky.
The Cabin in the Woods is a lot a fun as it’s completely serious while making fun of it’s own genre. Horror fans and scaredy-cats alike are going to love how these fan favorite writers penned a story that takes all the horror elements and exploits them in this entertaining comedy slash what just happened movie. Ever wonder why certain characters make dumb decisions or do certain things in played out situations? Like say, splitting up instead of staying together or taking a walk in the woods? The Cabin in the Woods explains all of that for our viewing pleasure. They create a group of stereotypical players: a jock (Chris Hemsworth), a slut (Anna Hutchison), a brain (Jesse Williams), a stoner (Fran Kranz), and a shy girl (Kristen Connolly) and throw them together in a Cabin in the Woods.
Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, and Kristen Connolly in The Cabin in the Woods
The movie is hilarious. I loved the beginning and the direction they were taking the movie. It’s got a loud 80s feel to the opening as you meet the characters while they pack up to go on the trip. Once you meet Fran Kranz as Marty Mikalski with his coffee cup bong, you know this movie is going to be ridiculously funny. You’ll miss some of the jokes because people will be laughing too loud! But wait, you hear imminent music and something strange is going on and Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford are in this movie for some reason…you can quickly gather that this isn’t your typical horror film. Something grander is afoot and it just adds so much more awesomeness to the story.
During the Q&A after the movie, someone asked how we’re supposed to keep quiet but tell people how awesome this movie is (no one wants to spoil the surprises). Joss answered that using the word awesome is good and not to shy away from saying “timeless classic.” Drew Goddard said that this movie came from a place of love and they both thought to themselves, “alright fuck it, if we could do anything we wanted to do in a horror film, what would we do?” And that’s basically it…The Cabin in the Woods is the movie you would make if you were 10 years old and could do anything and everything you wanted that encompassed Horror.
"You know damn right which war!"
I’m not going to say this is a timeless classic because at the end of the 2nd act, the movie kind of lost me. Yes, it’s funny, yes, it has a few scary jolts, but after the initial introduction and exposure of the grander scheme, The Cabin in the Woods lost its charm. It’s going to be an amazing rental and a good time in theaters but it’s not a must see in my opinion. Having said that, I will be definitely watch it again because it’s so much fun. You can tell that the cast and crew had a great time making this project and I’m happy it’s finally seeing the light of day…even if it means the end of days. “Let’s get this party started!”
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival features a dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry leaders in a uniquely creative environment. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of independent film. The internationally acclaimed Film Festival program celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring provocative documentaries, comedies, genre standouts and more.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website
21 Jump Street held its World Premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival and the audience absolutely loved it. I knew that this movie would play well for the SXSW crowd but I believe it’s going to do very well in theaters all across the world because it’s genuinely funny and such a great time. It does have some flaws, but 21 Jump Street could very well be the first must see movie of 2012. You’re in for quite a trip. Be surprised, I was…it’s a lot better than you think.
The movie begins when our stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are still in high school. One’s a popular jock while the other is an Eminem-wannabee…with braces. Guess which is which. Jump forward a few years and they both see each other at the Police Academy training to be cops. Jenko (Channing Tatum) is still a physical rock…in brawns and brainpower and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) is still lacking in the strength department but is really smart so they team up and become best friends. “Let’s just finger each other’s mouths.” Eventually they are transferred to become undercover cops at a high school to take down a new synthesised drug. Does the plot sound familiar? The movie makes fun of itself for “recycling things from the 80s” just as the movie is doing itself! (This film is based on the old TV series of the same name). There’s plenty of tongue and cheek humor in 21 Jump Street and that’s where it gets most of its charm.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill as teenagers in high school
Along with the tongue and cheek humor is some of the most offensive comedy I’ve seen in a blockbuster movie – and it was great! It might push a few buttons but it’s really really funny. The script is top notch and the execution from everybody involved is superb. There’s also plenty of social commentary on the current state of kids in America. The roles of our undercover cops get humorously switched but the roles of all the kids at school have been turned on their heads too. In this post-Glee school, no longer are jocks the instant popular kids in high school and now you have goths, environmentalists, cool nerds, and things Jenko can’t even understand! The movie is rated R but high school kids are going to crazy when they see this – the movie is going to benefit really well from positive word of mouth.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill getting some H.F.S. from Dave Franco
This is an action comedy but the action didn’t do it for me. They worked with what they had (being in a high school) and it resulted in some very lame fight scenes. The scenes are still funny but just not as entertaining. There are a few moments in the 2nd act that dragged along…especially if you’re not into this kind of comedy. You may become restless and just want the whole thing to end because the movie becomes very repetitive spinning off the same kind of routines and jokes. However, if you stick around for the ending, you will be rewarded! 21 Jump Street has one of the best endings of a comedy.
Ice Cube IS Captain Dickson
Along with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are Dave Franco and Brie Larson as Schmidt’s high school friends, Rob Riggle, Ellie Kemper, Chris Parnell, and Jake M. Johnson as the teachers and principal of the school, and Ice Cube as Captain Dickson. I don’t usually like Ice Cube in films but he killed his role as the stereotypical black angry captain – he was probably my favorite character in the whole film. Dave Franco kept reminding me of his older brother, James Franco, with his facial expressions but he held his own and will hopefully differentiate himself. Truly, the sums of all parts are excellent in this movie because each actor played their part so well. There’s no doubt in my mind that you have to see this film and there’s no doubt in my mind that you will enjoy it. “Ap Chemistry, Bitch!”
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival features a dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry leaders in a uniquely creative environment. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of independent film. The internationally acclaimed Film Festival program celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring provocative documentaries, comedies, genre standouts and more.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website
Sound of My Voice
Sound of My Voice is such an amazing film. I can easily say that it was my favorite film at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival and my favorite film of the year so far…I want everyone to experience it! It’s about two documentary film makers who infiltrate a cult. They’re a puppy-love couple so you have that dynamic. At first they’re a team but as they get deeper into the curious cult, they grow farther apart. The cult is a group of people who take care and learn from the teachings of a women who claims she’s from the future. Peter and Lorna set out to expose her and find out who she really is.
At first, you don’t know what the couple is doing or why they’re trying to get inside this secret society. You follow them as they get cleansed, put on white clothes, blindfolded and taken to a secret underground location. They have to perform a ridiculously long secret handshake and promise not to divulge any of the secrets they learn about. Lots of secrecy. Finally, they’re accepted in and you hear the story of Maggie,a lost soul who realized she was from a different time. You notice the beautiful descriptive narrative in the background as the story unfolds and get drawn into this captivating character just as the others in the cult are. Can you believe someone is a time traveler? Lorna certainly doesn’t but by the end of this movie, maybe you will…GO SEE THIS.
Attack The Block
If you’ve been following our South By Southwest coverage, then you already know I have a boyish crush on Attack The Block. It’s a sweet little movie that hits hard and keeps going. I honestly can’t wait until I have another opportunity to watch it. This is another film that I would recommend to anybody in a heartbeat. It’s about a street gang of kids from the ghettos of London who find themselves in the middle of an alien invasion. Awesome, right? Not for some of the characters…these aliens are vicious but our hero Mosesis here to save the day and he leads his gang of hoodlums through the streets to protect their block.
Check it. The script is crazy awesome and the dialogue of the kids is so nonchalant that it boasts this weird realism. Yes, realism…even with fictitious aliens. The action is non stop and the music’s tempo keeps pushing you forward to an ending you don’t want to see. You don’t want to see the ending because you don’t want the movie to end! For a small budget indie film, they did a remarkable job filming this and I can’t wait to see the behind the scenes footage. I’m telling you, it’s a work of art that is not to be missed. Read our full review here.
The Beaver
After a year of controversy with Mel Gibson, The Beaver is finally ready to show it’s dam teeth. Jodie Foster put a lot of hard work in this project and you can really tell. The Beaver is about a guy down on life. He has given up on himself and has no idea what to do next…so he tries to kill himself. Next thing you know, he wakes up with a puppet of a beaver on his hand…who has an Australian accent. He belongs to a family whose young son misses his dad, older son misses the guy he wanted to grow up to be and wife who misses her lifelong companion. This isn’t a comedy, but it’s hilarious. It’s a drama that is actually really deep with multiple meanings and tons of symbolism. They shove the symbolism in your face.
I really enjoyed this movie though, it’s my kind of movie. You can enjoy it on so many levels and take away a lot from it. Mel Gibson’s performance is crazy good and the rest of the cast is superb as well. This one is going to have a hard time in the box office but I really think you should watch it. Here’s our full review.
You Instead
So I’m addicted to music festivals and knew I had to see this one. You Instead was miraculously filmed in only 5 days at the T In The Park music festival in Scotland. IT WAS SHOT DURING A MUSIC FESTIVAL! The beginning was jumbled, so I was a bit scared but the movie really came into its own by the end delivering a great light and fluffy romantic comedy. You Instead is about two members of separate rock bands (one male duo and another four-girl group) who get handcuffed together by a mysterious festival goer. They have to figure out how to perform their sets, sleep with their respective counterparts and get along with each other while tied together. It’s pretty obvious what happens but it’s fun to watch in this cute little story.
This film might win an award for having the largest cast because they literally had over 85,000 festival revellers as their extras and backdrop. You truly get the festival experience with this movie and it just made me want to run out the theater and get started with the music portion of the South By Southwest festival. The cast and crew (which was actually about 90 people – they had set up 80 tents under one gigantic tent at the festival) did a great job acting and filming in such harsh and rushed conditions. They did have a few “film bombs” (people jumping in the shot) but still were able to piece together a fantastic film. The main cast actually had to perform and really sold their singing. It makes you take a double take and wonder if these were real bands and if you can buy their soundtrack somewhere. You Instead is just a fun film that you can’t help but enjoy.
Turkey Bowl
Talking about genuinely fun films…what’s more fun than playing touch football with your friends? Nothing, that’s what. Well actually, just catching up with your friends is the fun part. Turkey Bowl is an annual get together that a group of friends have. They come out and play a game of football…winner wins a turkey. I was impressed how they shot the movie because choreographing sports plays is not easy and doing it multiple times is even harder. Even so, Turkey Bowl turned out to be an impeccable presentation of friendly banter via a pick up sports game. The various personality types clashed with each other as the teams clashed on the field and no emotions were left out the game.
The heart of the movie were the relationships of the players which you grew to learn and love. There’s the obnoxious loud guy who’s way too involved in the game. The hated girlfriend no one cared to get to know. The two new random guys picked up to fill the teams. The misunderstood friend who doesn’t seem to care to try. And the guys who just came to say hello and not really care who wins or loses. Throw that all in with a funny script and you have a feel good movie that you can’t seem to find a flaw with. Why aren’t more movies like this made and shown? Man, do I love film festivals.
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW® is the premier destination for discovery. The internationally acclaimed, nine-day Film Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, with a truly diverse program ranging from provocative documentaries to subversive Hollywood comedies.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website
Gimme The Loot
The Intouchables
Robot & Frank
TWIXT
Informant
Polisse
This post is part of our SFIFF coverage
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage
The Aggression Scale (World Premiere)
King Kelly (World Premiere)
CITADEL (World Premiere)
Dollhouse (North American Premiere)
Seeking Asian Female (World Premiere)
Trash Dance (World Premiere)
GLOBAL HOME (World Premiere)
La Camioneta – The Journey of One American School Bus (World Premiere)
Safety Not Guaranteed was my favorite narrative from the 2012 South By Southwest Film Festival and it’s not only because I have a small-ish big crush on Aubrey Plaza. Fueled by a great script, this is a quintessential example of a cute contained indie romcom that can easily be marketed to a larger mainstream audience. It has all the elements of a touching film with substance that’s both entertaining and intriguing. Based on the real classified ad about time travel, Safety Not Guaranteed takes the reality of the situation and exploits the fantasy in this day dream turned motion picture. What if the guy behind the ad was for real?
It’s still over a month away, but we will start to be posting advance screenings here: 
Sound of My Voice
Attack The Block
The Beaver
You Instead
Turkey Bowl
This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage
