“The Beatles?…..Oh yes, I seem to recall their off-key caterwauling on the old Sullivan show”….Montgomery Burns
Cinema St. Louis teams up with the chefs over at Tenacious Eats for a one-of-a-kind movie/dining event! It’s a movies for Foodies night at SLIFF. A HARD DAYS NIGHT is the film and the Centene Building is the location. As A HARD DAYS NIGHT unfolds, local celebrity chef Liz Schuster and her Tenacious Eats team cook and serve multiple courses with paired cocktails served byBeth Sorrell at Cocktails are Go. Ticket information can be found HEREPlease note that tickets are not available for the film only.
A HARD DAY’S NIGHT was the Beatles’ first, and best, feature film of their career. Unlike the confused and confusing HELP! or the incredibly simplistic and message-oriented YELLOW SUBMARINE – in which the Beatles only appeared briefly — this film has sharp editing, good supporting characterization, and the good sense not to rely too much on the Beatles themselves for more than some good quips and great music.
Richard Lester’s compelling and innovative cinematography and editing underscores the fact that these four young Liverpool lads are going to change the world, well before they actually had begun to do so. Rather than making a throwaway flick for the fans, Lester crafted a minor masterpiece for rock and roll movies that has never been equalled or even attempted. The Beatles exploit their public personas to the max here — loverboy Paul, sardonic John, quiet and naive George, and cuddly Ringo. Wilfrid Brambell steals the show to the extent possible as Paul’s grandfather, “a real mixer” as Paul says, who seems to delight in starting fights and causing trouble.
On Saturday night, November 22nd, lucky St. Louisans will have the chance to see A HARD DAYS NIGHT and consume a five-course gourmet meal (with paired cocktails from Cocktails are Go) at the same time when it plays as part of Tenacious Eats ‘Movies for Foodies’ event that is part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. The location is the Centene Center for Arts & Education’s Rialto Ballroom Fourth Floor, 3547 Olive Street St. Louis, MO 63103. Doors open at 6pm.
Movie for Foodies is a one-of-a-kind event where food is prepared and plated in front of you by Chef Liz Schuster and her crew of talented chefs while you watch a film on the big screen. Tenacious Eats only works with locally produced food procured by them and hard-to-find ingredients imported from places that specialize in them. For each new film, the folks at Tenacious Eats write a new menu specific to that movie’s story. Sometimes the menu is literal and sometimes it is inspired interpretation. In all cases, each dining experience is different because each film is different. By integrating film and food, Movies for Foodies creates an original experience, a feast for the senses, an event that brings food and film, chefs and diners together.
EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL screens as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival Tuesday, Nov 18 at 7:10pm at the Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar Boulevard) with director/subject Darius Clark Monroe in attendance and to answer questions. Tickets can be purchasedHERE
Provocatively returning to the scene of the crime, filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe explores what led him to pull a bank heist as a teenager in Texas in 1997. By interviewing family members, close friends, and mentors, EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL, executive produced by Spike Lee, explores Monroe’s transformation as a joyous childhood gives way to a sobering recognition of his family’s severe financial problems. Their struggles changed Monroe’s outlook on his own life, eventually leading to his ill-considered criminal actions. Years after the crime and his imprisonment, Darius visited his neighborhood for his documentary which creates an intimate and personal journey of reflection and forgiveness. EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL perceptively examines lower-class struggles, the desperation of a teen under pressure, and the emotional impact of that fateful day on Monroe, his family, and his victims.
The Austin Chronicle wrote of EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL:
“How Monroe’s life took a hard right turn, and what he’s done to atone for that sin, is the subject of this moving film — a remarkably honest autobiography of a bad choice and its aftermath, an insightful study in cause and effect.”
Darius Clark Monroe took the time to talk to We Are Movie Geeks about his crime, his film, and his future.
Interview conducted by Tom Stockman November 5th, 2014
We Are Movie Geeks: Have you been to St. Louis before?
Darius Clark Monroe: Yes, I just left St. Louis yesterday.
WAMG: What were you doing here?
DCM: We had a community screening of EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL after the Missouri history Museum.
WAMG: How did that go?
DCM: It went well.
WAMG: Where did you grow up?
DCM: I grew up in Houston Texas.
WAMG: How old were you when you committed this crime?
DCM: I was 16.
WAMG: How old are you now?
DCM: I’m 33.
WAMG: Tell me about the crime that you committed at age 16.
DCM: I was working part time. I was a full-time high school student and both of my parents have full-time jobs and my stepfather had a part-time job. This was 1996, and after our home was burglarized it began to feel like our financial situation was on a downward spiral. I was the oldest kid, the only son, and I felt like I needed to help. One day my friend Trey and I were watching America’s Most Wanted and there was a story about a small-town bank being robbed not too far from my neighborhood. That’s how I got the idea of robbing a bank for some quick money for a quick fix to help this situation. That was just the state of my mind. So my best friend from next-door and another guy and I all planned this robbery of a bank just outside of Houston in Stafford Texas. We planned it for a couple of months and then we committed this robbery in January of 1997.
WAMG: Were you caught right away?
DCM: I was caught about 3 1/2 weeks later.
WAMG: Was anyone injured in this crime or were any shots fired?
DCM: No.
WAMG: You were convicted. How much time did you end up serving?
DCM: I did three years of a five-year sent sentence in a maximum security prison in Texas.
WAMG: What was life in prison what?
PDCM: Prison was interesting. It’s not like the movies. It’s a place where men, who are not all monsters, are trying to figure out a way to maintain their sanity. It’s a place of crushing, crushing isolation. In the prison I was in at the time they had us picking cotton. This was 1998 and 1999. Prison is what you expect or more.
WAMG: How did your crime affect your relationship with your parents and the rest of your family?
DCM: It put everybody into a tailspin. Even though we were hurting for money, no one expects their child to rob a bank. There is no preparation for how someone can respond to that. It’s something you really can’t prepare for until that happens to you, and then when it happens there are so many emotions and feelings running through your mind. And my family, they were nervous about turning me in. They were conflicted. We all make mistakes and sometimes we’re put in really tough situations where we have to make hard choices. And those choices can have a ripple effect and impact more people than you might expect.
WAMG: Did your mother find some of this bank money in your room, is that what happened?
DCM: No, I gave her the money.
WAMG: What is your relationship like with your mother now?
DCM: We’ve always have a close relationship.
WAMG: Where are your accomplices now?
DCM: Trey is in Houston. He’s married with two sons. He works full-time in an assisted living facility and he also does stand-up comedy. The other accomplice, Pierre, I haven’t talked to since we did an interview in 2007. He chose not to participate in the film because of his religious beliefs. I have no idea what his status is right now.
WAMG: Did they each serve some time in prison as well?
DCM: Trey did but Pierre was never convicted.
WAMG: These people that you apologize to in your film, were they in the bank when you robbed it?
DCM: Correct.
WAMG: And what were some of their reactions to your seeking them out and apologizing to them?
DCM: Their reactions for the most part were extremely positive. I was blown away by the level of compassion that most of them had. But then there were some who are not too thrilled to see me.
WAMG: So some were more forgiving than others.
DCM: Absolutely.
WAMG: Were there any that just refused to talk to you at all?
DCM: Yes, there was one man who politely asked me to get off of his property.
WAMG: Were you surprised at the willingness to forgive that some of these people extended toward you?
DCM: Yes I was. I wasn’t really expecting the response, I just wanted to get this off of my chest and let them know that I was sorry. Their reactions were really inspiring, that people have a place in their hearts to forgive. One of the victims even chose to sit down and give an interview.
WAMG: You’ve recreated the robbery for the film with actors. What was it like filming those scenes? Was it weird?
DCM: Yes, it was very strange, and very emotional. The reenactment almost felt more real than sitting down for the interviews because here I was reenacting scenes from my life. That was challenging but a beautiful experience from a production standpoint.
WAMG: How did you get the idea to turn your story into a film?
DCM: This idea came to me in 10 years after I was released from prison and. At that time I was a graduate student at NYU. I was standing inside of a bank in New York City and I started freaking out because I thought the bank was going to get robbed. I had a panic attack and I was trying to figure out what was going on. I realized that it was all in my head but I really thought that I was going to be a part of another robbery but this time as a victim. I left the bank that day thinking about all the time that had passed. I was moving forward with my life but I had never come to terms with the fact that the people that I had robbed deserved an apology. That’s when I decided I should go back and find these people and say I was sorry. That’s how it started. I talked to my mother, and since my family had never really talked about this, I wanted to know how and why this had happened. That was seven years ago.
WAMG: Have you always been interested in film and film making?
DCM: No, I wouldn’t say I had an interest in film but I always had an interest in storytelling, even before I got in trouble. While I was in prison I thought about how to take the written word and use it in visual form. It was a random day in prison, and I went to the prison library and saw an article about the top film schools in the country and that was when I realized for the first time that you could go to school for film.
WAMG: How did Spike Lee get involved and what was he like?
DCM: Spike was great. Spike has been a film professor at NYU for 16 years. He got involved because I was in his class. It was my third year and I decided to do this documentary as my thesis film. We had a one-on-one meeting and I told him about my ideas for the film, and after a couple of more meetings he offered to executive produce it. He found the idea for my film intriguing and refreshing. He felt it was a story that needed to be told and he came onboard before anyone else Spike challenged me and pushed me to get it done.
WAMG: Did you watch Spike Lee’s films when you were growing up?
DCM: Oh yes, but I just watched his films like everyone else did. I never thought that I could be a filmmaker
WAMG: How has EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL been received so far?
DCM: It’s doing well I’m excited that it’s playing at the St. Louis International Film Festival.
WAMG: What are your future plans? Do you have some other films in the works?
DCM: Yes, I’m shooting a short film in a couple of weeks in Texas and hopefully I’ll be shooting a feature film this time next year.
WAMG: Good luck with your film and all of your future projects.
THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS AND MADNESS screens on Tuesday, November 18 at 7:30 PM at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Get ticket information here
Director Mami Sanuda’s new documentary may have begun as an overview pf Japan’s leading animation company, Studio Ghibli, but it quickly evolves into a fascinating, intimate portrait of legendary director/storyteller Hayao Miyasaki. We first meet him on a typical work day, briskly walking the area adjacent to all the much-younger working artists. No private, plush office for him, though his simple desk and chair are next to a window. Quite a nice view, but the studio structure itself is quite pleasant with bright white walls, massive windows that let the sunlight stream in, and opulent landscaping (even a rooftop garden). But Miyasaki doesn’t spend much time up there. Wearing a bright white butcher’s apron he more likely resembles a cafeteria supervisor (later we get to see a cosplayer in the exact garb at a fan festival!). But with his silver hair and beard surrounding black eyebrows and dark horn-rimed glasses, he could be an ancient shaman or wizard. In fact he is the master sorcerer of cell-vinyl paint. He joins all his workers for the 2 PM excercise lead by an unseen instructor over the studio audio system. Then it’s back to the storyboard for his latest feature, each square of art another brick in a magnificent castle. Said structure is last year’s epic THE WIND RISES. Much time is also spent finding just the right actor to voice that film’s lead, Jiro. Also getting much of the film’s focus is the determined producer Toshio Suzuki as he oversees merchandising (just as in the US, much of the funding comes from toys and clothing) and marketing (posters and trailers) for upcoming releases. We hear much about another Ghibli founder, director Isao Takahata (he was Miyasaki’s mentor) whose next film THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA may be his screen swan song. But as the work progresses (inspiring some political controversy in the local press over WIND’s subject matter), it becomes clear that indeed this new film will be Miyasaki’s goodbye.
Sanada’s film is a compelling study of a complicated artistic genius. The cameras follow him from the studio to his modest home (often walking, but sometimes taking public transportation, almost like sharing a subway seat with Walt Disney!) where Miyasaki offers heartfelt observations about his life and work (he really believes many of his films will have no legacy). Happily ,we get to see him invigorated and surprised by the results of his hard labor (at the studio everyday but Sunday, including holidays!). Intercut are many clips of glorious sequences from previous films and archival photos and sketches from decades past. The ending may seem a touch sentimental, but it never veers into the maudlin. As long as his health endures, it’s certainly possible that the master will slip on that apron, grab a pencil, and unleash the magic once more.
THE BIT PLAYER screens at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas on Tuesday, November 18 at 4:30 PM and Thursday, November 20 at 2:15 PM as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. For 11/18 tickets go here. For 11/20 tickets go here.
Just as in the 1982 classic pop tune from Huey Lewis and the News, poor Loida (Vilma Santos) is “takin’ what they’re givin’, cause I’m workin’ for a livin'”. While she is the lead character in her own story, to the rest of the world (or at least Filipino mass media) she’s THE BIT PLAYER, a lowly extra for movies and TV shows. As her tale begins, the single mother has just left the set and is fixing s a meal for her teenage daughter. Another payment’s due for her school, so Loida’s got to get another gig. A text comes through and, after borrowing a party dress from another actress pal (she’s gotta’ provide her own wardrobe), she hits the sack for only a few hours. Then, before dawn, it’s a quick trip downtown to load up in the talent van that whisks them off to a location. It’s a loooong, full day on a popular evening soap opera. The cranky assistant director herds them off to change clothes (no dressing rooms for them so they take turns holding up beach towels to ward off the crew members’ leers). While the extras become almost sisters, nobody else seems to really like each other. The imperious “great and powerful Oz”-like director, sequestered away in the control room/tent can’t stand his aide or the whiny producer who complains about the budget as she is constantly pampered by the masseuse. And the lead actors are treated as glowing royalty, but the bit players…they’re scenery, moving props. But it’s hurry, hurry while the extras swelter in the sun as backdrops for the show’s young lovers. Will they have enough food for the Lunch break? Nope, sorry. But, after an acting play-off with another extra in front of the AD, Loida snags a maid’s role (more pay!), and as the day drags on and on, from early morning to evening well past midnight, Loida is given a coveted speaking role (alongside one of her idols). Will this be her break into the big time (and big bucks) and jump from bit to featured player?
Director Jeffery Jeturian’s slice of working life gives us a look at the grit and grime behind the glitz of glamour TV. This may be best illustrated when a “Joan Collins”-like “queen bee” injures Loida (gonna’ leave a mark!) during a take because “it just came to me and seemed right for the scene”. The whole film is full of good-natured humor until the final act hits the viewer like a hard , sobering punch to the gut. But does it get our gal down, or does she, as another great song says, “pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again”? THE BIT PLAYER is filled to the brim with laughs and heart, so much so that you might pay closer attention to those plucky unknowns just out of focus behind the leads.
WARREN screens at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:15 PM as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Get ticket information here
From the concrete canyons of the Windy City comes this intimate tale of a post college twenty-something at a crossroads while dealing with an unraveling family and the return of a lost love. When we first meet Warren (writer/director Alex Beh), he’s rummaging through his mementos in the basement of his soon-to-be-demolished suburban childhood home. His grizzled Pop (John Heard) is living on booze and quickly fading memories while Mom (Jean Smart) has moved on and out, now living, along with Warren’s out-of-control kid brother, with a new beau. But Warren’s got his own life in the “city of broad shoulders”. He’s thrown in the towel on his acting dreams, but still occasionally joins two buds on-stage for some late night comedy improv at a local pub. Most days he’s a barista, serving over-priced drinks and pastries to yuppies at an independent coffee shop. But then one night she walks in. Emma (Sarah Habel) was the high school sweetheart who stuck with him until only a couple of years ago when both careers became stagnant. She was going to pursue her art muse in LA, but Emma’s back in Chi after giving up the oils and easels for selling pricey real estate. Oh, and she’s getting ready to marry her business partner, the driven overbearing Ted. As Emma’s trips to the coffee shop become more frequent, Warren must decide whether to give up the safe life and pursue his dreams, and lady-love, or perhaps end up filled with frustration and regret like dear ole’ Dad.
Beh has helmed an engaging slice of life comedy/drama that puts a fresh spin on the old “reuniting and it feels so good” movie romances. He shows us that Emma is at a crossroads too and not just flirting with the nostalgia of a former life. The cast is filled with energetic young actors in brief, quirky roles alongside with seasoned veterans like Second City alum Bruce Jarchow as a sympathetic landlord/acting mentor and the always entertaining Smart and Heard, who tugs at the heartstrings. Like many “rom-coms” we get a montage of the frolicking couple cavorting through the streets and the location work on the bustling Chicago streets is dazzling. WARREN is a most entertaining debut feature that will hopefully be the start of a great film making career.
THE IMPERSONATORS screens as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Monday, November 17 at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre at 9 PM. Get ticket information here
The Avengers they aint’! For those looking for an alternative to the big screen super-hero smashfests, THE IMPERSONATORS just may be up your alley. This is the story of a lovable bunch of losers and goofballs donning spandex as part of their jobs at Supers for Rent, an agency that sends them out to entertain at events and private parties. Leading the motley crew is Les (Josh Arnold), a surly, stout, slovenly, bespectacled stand-in for “Mr. Super” (a take-off on that “strange visitor from another planet”). The other employees bare little resemblance to the comic book originals ( “The Flying Fox” just got his AARP card. his teenage sidekick “Sparrow” is not far behind, “H2Joe” is terrified of the water, and “Captain USA” speaks with a thick Aussie accent, mate!) aside from their ill-fitting costumes. But just as Les is replaced by a younger,very buff newbie, the whole team is hired by the depressed little burg of Rockwell to cheer the citizens up and get the town back on its feet. But when they raise the ire of local gangster Winston (who resembles a bearded African-American version of Marvel Comics’ crime boss “The Kingpin”), Les and his co-workers must summon their courage and try to become real heroes. Or else!
Director Joshua Hull, working from the script he co-wrote with Arnold, delivers a very rude and crude, low-down parody that’s not for those easily offended. Bodily function and fluid gags (literally) run rampant as the bumbling bozos trip over their own capes. The film makers aim for a low, low-budget variation of THE MYSTERY MEN and James Gunn’s early effort THE SPECIALS and achieves a Mickey and Judy “Hey, kid’s lets put on a show!” vibe. There’s even some clever usage of comic book art for scene transitions and flashbacks. The cast’s a tad unpolished, but energetic, and there some inventive twists on old action flick clichés. They may not be age-appropriate for your tot’s birthday celebration, but for some raunchy laughs, THE IMPERSONATORS may be just the super-team for you. Just be sure and hide the cake!
NORTHERN BORDERS screens as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre on Sunday, November 16 at 5:45 PM. Get ticket information here
Bruce Dern follows up his Oscar-nominated performance in last year’s NEBRASKA with his starring role here as family patriarch Austen Kittredge, Sr in writer/director Jay Craven’s adaptation of Howard frank Mosher’s acclaimed novel. While his character in the former film was endearingly befuddled, this man is bitter and abrasive. This tale begins in 1956 as ten year-old Austen III ( Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) is picked up by his estranged grandfather at a rural Vermont train station. They’ve never met, but the lad is to spend a few weeks with them at the old family farm/sawmill until his father picks him up. The boy soon meets his grandmother, the eccentric, ethereal Abiah (Genevieve Bujold), a nurturing contrast to her stern, surly husband. She’s obsessed with ancient Egypt, decorating a room with trinkets and tchochkes, and referring to her grandson as “Tut”. The couple have an adversarial relationship and soon enlist the boy as a messenger/ go-between (“Tut, ask Mr. Kittredge to pass the salt.”). The old man and his grandson soon bond doing chores and hunting as the elder reveals the secret story of his long-lost love (maybe that’s why he’s so cranky). Austen III stays longer than expected and eventually enrolls at the one room school ,befriending one girl and making an enemy of another. When most of the family reunites for Thanksgiving (maybe the most unpleasant meal since AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY), AK, Sr. delights in re-opening old wounds while stories swirl about the missing, perhaps criminal sister. In the last act a family tragedy reunites them as Austen III begins see all of his relatives in a much more mature light.
Craven directs in a sure, steady hand eschewing showy film making flourishes that may distract from this leisurely look at New England life and loss. He elicits solid performances from veterans Dern and Bujold (we don’t see her on screen nearly enough) and promising newcomer (Davey-Fitzpatrick). A superb supporting cast is assembled including John Shea as a local doctor, Jay O Sanders as a pesky “G-man”, and Jessica Hecht as the prodigal daughter. The photography of backwoods Vermont is lovely as the seasons slowly change. NORTHERN BORDERS is an engaging, nostalgic coming of age story that showcases two of the cinema’s most accomplished actors
TREEHOUSE screens Sunday November 16th at 8:30pm at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar Boulevard) as part of The ST. Louis International Film Festival. Tickets can be purchasedHERE
Britsih-born director Michael Bartlett made a name for himself in horror circles with THE ZOMBIE DIARIES, its sequel, THE ZOMBIE DIARIES 2. and THE PARANORMAL DIARIES: CLOPHILL. His latest shocker is TREEHOUSE. When a young girl and her little brother are the latest to go missing without a trace, their hometown imposes a curfew, and no one is allowed to go out after dark. But two brothers break the rules, and when they unwittingly stumble across an old treehouse deep in the woods, they find themselves in the middle of an unimaginable nightmare. Inside the treehouse, the brothers discover the missing girl, terrified and hiding, but her brother has vanished. Together, the trio will soon face a fight for survival against an unexpected and bone-chilling evil. Shot in the backwoods of Southern Missouri, TREEHOUSE takes a deliberately retro approach — with pacing reminiscent of such ’80s classics as “The Vanishing” and “Stand by Me” — which is certain to delight fans of old-school suspense.
Michael Bartlett took the time to talk to We Are Movie Geeks about his latest project
Interview conducted by Tom Stockman November 4th, 2014
We Are Movie Geeks: How did a horror movie director from England and up in Branson Missouri?
Michael Bartlett: I met the love of my life and she is from here so I moved here to be with her.
WAMG: How did you become interested in horror films? Did you grow up a horror movie fan?
MB: I grew up with a neighbor named Kevin since I was about seven years old. His parents were yuppies and they would go out a lot and party. They would rent Kevin whatever movie he wanted to watch just to keep them happy. So my mom would let me go over to his house to watch these movies with him what she didn’t know was that we were getting the bloodiest horror movies the evil dead movies in the howling they had a name for these in England they were called the ‘Video Nasties’,they even tried to ban them at one point. So I kind of grew up on horror films. We would go to the local video store and rent every film that they had. Also in England at that time Hammer Horror films were on a lot every weekend they would run a different Hammer Horror.
WAMG: Were you able to see horror films in movie theaters growing up?
MB: No, just on DVD and VHS.
WAMG: What were some of your favorite horror films and hoarder filmmakers?
MB: My favorite horror film is THE EXORCIST though I didn’t actually see it until I was 16 years old and I already had seen so much stuff I had become desensitized. I was absolutely blown away by the exorcist. Another horror film that I love is John Carpenters the thing I just love the sense of paranoia and that especially near the very end of the movie. So those two films made a big impression on me. I also love the evil dead films. I also love the Blair witch Project and paranormal activity the first one, I was blown away by it the first time I saw it I watched it in a dark room on my computer. I also like a movie called THE DIVIDE.
WAMG: I’m not familiar with that film.
MB: It’s about a nuke that goes off New York and it follows a group of people Who are living in an apartment. And they hide out in a bunker and then they all start depleting because of radiation poisoning. It’s like a descent into madness, it’s really pretty terrifying. As far as filmmakers go, I would say that John Carpenter is my favorite because I love so many of his movies, even some that non-horror films like ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13.
WAMG: Let’s talk about your new film TREEHOUSE. How did the script for TREEHOUSE come about?
MB: It was originally a 60-page script that was sent to me by a writer in London, Alex Child. When I got around to optioning the film and developing it, I did a complete rewrite. I’d say everything from the beginning of the second act, when they discover the treehouse, to the end of the film is all mine and the first act I’d say it’s 50-50. I left much of his work in there, the basic structure, but I changed things here and there.
WAMG: I have not seen TREEHOUSE yet but plan on at the St. Louis International Film Festival. What attracted you to this story?
MB: When Alex was pitching it to me, What really made that stick out to me first of all, it was gripping, I was really interested in where it was going to go. And immediately from the pitch I could see the poster in my head and I could see a trailer in my head. When you can see those things, it’s a really good sign. And really because of the originality as well. So many times when you read a script you think you’ve seen some version of that film before. When I saw THE DIVIDE I was struck by how original it was and that’s how I felt about this script for TREEHOUSE, so originality is a big factor but ultimately it has to be something commercial or there’s no point in doing it, you’re just going to lose your investment.
WAMG: What was the budget and the schedule for TREEHOUSE?
MB: The budget started off at $1 million and then we tried to work it down from there, Meeting with investors, seeing how much money they have and then meeting somewhere in the middle. The schedule is interesting; it was a 19-day shoot originally. What I did to make it work, I had seen a movie called THE SIGNAL that came out in 2007 and I was very impressed when I found out that that movie was shot in 13 days. I thought that was amazing and I thought I’d better track down the Director of Photography of that film because he can obviously shoot fast. That’s what I needed and I still wanted to maintain quality. So I found him, his name was Jay Christopher Campbell and he came onboard and agreed that we could shoot it in 19 days. But what ended up happening was we all got a very bad flu bug. We lost our lead actor for three days and I was out for one day. When I was out the crew shot without me but I wasn’t happy with any of that so I reshot that. That was in January and February 2013, We had reshoots to do but we couldn’t do them in the summer so we had to wait until November to do those, so that added a couple of days as well. I shot a flashback scene in Atlanta. I flew down there and shot with an actor named Clint James who plays the father in the flashbacks that build the background of the story. So in the end, filming ended up taking about 30 days and that was because I really wanted to take my time and get everything right. I put two years of my life into this. My previous film was called ZOMBIE DIARIES 2 and it was a complete nightmare. It was a rushed movie. Rushed in preproduction, rushed in postproduction, with filmmakers having no control over anything and everybody who saw the film said to me that it felt like a rush job. I felt like ZOMBIE DIARIES 2 was a black mark on my directing career and I was very keen to make sure that didn’t happen again so I was lucky to have the level of control to be able to pull this thing out.
WAMG: Was TREEHOUSE shot there in southwest Missouri near Branson?
MB: Yes it was shot in Branson and it was shot in Taneyville where WINTER’S BONE was filmed as well, and in Forsyth Missouri.
WAMG: Where did you find these young actors that are in TREEHOUSE?
MB: I worked with a casting director named Heather Laird. She had to cast WINTER’S BONE so that’s where I had heard of her. Normally a casting director would whittle things down for you and give you a short list, but I was keen on doing a lot of that work myself so when actors applied they would give us head shots or videos and I would go through everyone of those. I went through 600 for the role of Crawfors and 600 for Elizabeth and 300 for Killian. I watched every one of them, then I shortlisted them down and we gave the actors scenes from the film to read. Finally I got each of these characters narrowed down to about three potential actors for each part. At that point I got the original writer involved because that was part of our deal; he would always be involved creatively through the process. I would still have the final say but that input was always valued. That was how we found the actors for Killian and Elizabeth. For the role of Crawford, who’s sort of the third lead, the older brother, we hired Daniel Frederick an actor from Kansas City who was originally from Southwest Missouri and just happen to be home for Christmas so we got lucky with that casting.
WAMG: TREEHOUSE doesn’t seem like it’s as gory as your zombie movies. Do you prefer suspense and atmosphere over gore, was this something you were conscious of?
MB: That’s correct, yes. I much prefer atmosphere and suspense. It was fun growing up watching all the gore films, but the things that I used to really enjoy, that would trigger my imagination were things like a television series that my parents used to let me watch called Tales of the Unexpected, which was sort of like a British version of The Twilight Zone. Then in my teenage years I would keep watching the same two movie that would play late at night. They were George Romero’s MARTIN and the original version of THE VANISHING. There was something about those two films that I found fascinating. The pacing of those films felt very immersive, like they were dragging you into a world where so much of the other stuff was so faster cut. So that’s why I’m more of a fan of suspense and TREEHOUSE definitely goes down more as a suspense film.
WAMG: I heard the director of THE VANISHING just died last week
MB: Oh I hadn’t heard that.
WAMG: Georgia Sluzier was his name. Did you ever see his Hollywood remake of THE VANISHING?
MB: I did, I wasn’t really a fan of it.
WAMG: It was ridiculous. He changed the ending. His original had such a perfect ending.
MB: Absolutely!
WAMG: Yeah and at the end of the remake he pops out of the grave and gets into a big fight with the villain. I was embarrassed for him. Do you allow your actors to have much leeway with their roles or are you strict with keeping to the script?
MB: No I’m pretty open. I think part of being a good director is knowing that you don’t always have all of the answers, particularly in this situation where we had a script that was written by three British guys that was set in Missouri. I think Alex and I took our cues from films like STAND BY ME. I had been living in Missouri for a while by then so I was used to the way people would speak, But occasionally things would slip in and people would tell me that there’s no way that anyone from this area would say that. So the actors would come up with ideas and change their lines around. They would always ask me first and I was absolutely fine with that. If it works it works and if it doesn’t, there’s always the script to fall back on.
WAMG: You’ve committed your career so far to horror films. Do you see yourself straying into other genres in the future?
MB: Absolutely. I tried to get a time travel film off the ground. Around 2010 everyone was trying to get me to do ZOMBIE DIARIES 2 but I didn’t really want to do it because I didn’t want to be typecast as someone who just made those found footage movies. I feel on some level those weren’t being taken seriously so I worked very hard and came really close to getting a big budget time travel film made. At one point the producers of THE GRAY were involved. I’ve always been the kind of director that makes movies because I want to tell interesting stories. TIMELESS, the time travel film, was such a special project . It was so original. Unfortunately LOOPER came out, which was kind of similar to it and that killed any opportunity to make that movie. We probably could have gone ahead after LOOPER if I had been willing to compromise, but with an idea like that you’ve only got one shot at it and you have to get it right and that means getting everything right, the story, the cast. I worried it would’ve been ZOMBIE DIARIES 2 all over again. You can’t spend your life making films and that you were not happy with. But any projects that come along, as long as they’re really cool and really interesting, and it’s something I can put my soul into and be happy with the end result, that’s all that matters really. I’d like to make a road trip movie someday. I like those. And maybe more thrillers I really liked PRISONERS and things like that. Any genre really as long as it has an interesting story.
WAMG: What’s next for Michael Bartlett?
MB: I’ve got a few projects in the works right now. I’ve got a group of writers working on different films for me. I’m going to the American Film Market next weekend to pitch a few of those. The Weinstein Company really likes TREEHOUSE but they didn’t feel like they could open it wide theatrically and make money with it. I’d like to make a film that has the success like the new movie OUIJA has.
WAMG: Good luck with TREEHOUSE. I’m looking forward to seeing it when it plays November 16th at The St. Louis International Film Festival.
MB: Thank you and I look forward to my trip to St. Louis for the screening.
THE WINDING STREAM screens as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 15 at 5:30 PM at The Stage at KDHX. Get ticket information here
In the history of recorded American country music (or as they liked to call it then, “Old Time-y Music”) one of the pioneers was AP (Alvin Pleasant) Carter, who along with wife Sara and her sister Maybelle, were the original Carter Family. Beth Harrington’s fascinating documentary feature film traces their still ongoing legacy that began in the 1920’s in the back hills of Virgina. The film talks with many modern-day members of the clan who share their memories and take viewers to the often barely still-standing homestead where the music was created. We follow the trio to Bristol Virginia where several of AP’s tunes were committed to old 78 records which flew off store shelves. An early hit was Sara’s rendition of “Single Girl/Married Girl” a sisterhood anthem far ahead of its time. Their popularity exploded with the advent of unregulated (by the US FCC) border radio in the early thirties. The story of radio station XERA and its powerful signal that blanketed much of the States is a compelling tale worthy of another feature. We hear of AP’s constant travels in search of songs (often aided by African-American musician Lesley Riddle) and how lonely Sara fell for his cousin, nearly breaking up the act. Luckily Maybelle provided a second generation with daughters Anita, Helen, and June, who later married Johnny Cash beginning another generation of performers. Harrington makes excellent use of archival footage (Technicolor film footage along with TV kinescopes), family photos (Maybelle loved hippies!), and those scratchy, but still toe-tappin’ records. There are interviews why most of the principals (including great quotes from the late “Man in Black”) and new recreations of classic melodies by many contemporaries, from George Jones to Sheryl Crow. This is an overflowing treasure trove of entertainment, even some energetic ‘high-steppin'”.
Harrington keeps the movie flowing at a wonderful, brisk pace, knowing just when to cut away to another delightful piece of prized film or audio. The choice to animate some of the old photos almost distracts as they resemble Terry Gilliam’s Python clip art work, but thankfully it’s not overdone. This is a film to dazzle music fans and film goers, as several songs were featured predominately in the superb soundtrack for O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU. If THE WINDING STREAM doesn’t have you humming and swaying along to the beat, better have someone check your pulse. What a sweet slice of Americana!
ELEGY TO CONNIE screens Saturday, Nov 15 at 6:30pm at St. Louis University as part of The ST. Louis International Film Festival. It is a FREE event.
ELEGY TO CONNIE is a touching and unique documentary by local artist and filmmaker Sarah Paulsen that employs stop-motion animation to address the events leading up to and following the 2008 Kirkwood City Council shooting. The troubling incident is retold in interviews with a group of unintentional women activists who are bound together by their friendship with slain Councilwoman Connie Karr, and the animation amplifies their voices through striking visuals that sometimes illustrate their comments directly but frequently offer metaphoric counterpoint. Made in collaboration with these women, the film addresses the complicated issues surrounding the shooting – citizen representation, disenfranchisement, white privilege and black alienation, post-tragedy healing – and celebrates Connie’s legacy as a leader.
Sarah Paulsen took the time to talk to We Are Movie Geeks about her film.
Interview conducted by Tom Stockman
We Are Movie Geeks: Tell me about your friendship with Connie Karr
Sarah Paulsen: Connie Karr was my mother’s best friend and so she was around our house working on projects with my mom. She was a big fan of my artwork and came out to my first SLFF animated documentary screening. She really believed in me and would constantly encourage me, keep up with my art and animation practice, and provide me with advice on other places to share my work. There was a contagious enthusiasm about her, that I loved, and she just made me feel instantly comfortable and appreciated. I think she had the same effect on my mother and the other women I interviewed.
WAMG: Are you still friends with this group of women who talk about Connie in ELEGY TO CONNIE?
SP: Yes absolutely. Many of the women have been out to several of the screenings and we’ve also had private screenings were we’ve been together as a group. We are all very busy, balancing work, family, and civic life so scheduling things can be difficult, but certainly making this film and becoming closer with these women, who were initially Connie’s friends, has been a benefit of the process.
WAMG: Did you have any concerns about using such a playful approach, in terms of technique, to such a tragic story?
SP: Well certainly I wanted to be sure to be respectful with the content, but I’m a huge fan of artists that use animation to talk about difficult stories like: William Kentridge talking about Apartheid South Africa, Martha Colburn addressing war and terrorism, and John and Faith Hubley tackling several world issues. Recent animated docs like Waltzing with Bashir and Ryan, also left me inspired about the possibility of translating audio stories with visual components that are both illustrative, as well as convey psychological states. I think the bigger issues for me was reviewing the film with the women I interviewed as we made it, they really wanted to be sure to celebrate the life of Connie and not make a film just about Cookie. So there was a balance between their wishes to talk about Connie and my desire to depict some of the underlying issues leading up to the shooting. I think we all learned something making this film.
WAMG: How long did it take you to make your film?
SP: I thought about the film for two years, 2008-2009. I started writing about the film for one year. I got a mini grant through Critical Mass to start the project during the summer of 2010. I worked consistently on the project from about mid 2011 to mid 2014, once I received funding through CALOP, MAAA, and then RAC. So I guess it took me about three years once I had the support to spend more time on the film and less time working my assortment of jobs.
WAMG: Was ELEGY TO CONNIE carefully story-boarded, or did you make things up as you went along?
SP: Both. I had the fortune of having a residency in Paris in 2012, during that residency I completed a 41 page storyboard that illustrated the major scenes of much of the film. I am so thankful for the focus I was able to have during that residency. When I went to animate a scene for the film, I would initially revisit the storyboard and then decide if it was conceptually saying what I wanted it to, then I’d either further storyboard the details of that section and/or create a full list of what I needed to make and/or come up with an entirely different idea. Also when I am animating there is always a joyful element of discovery through the materials, by accident, or just in the flow of animating so I try to keep these parts in the film. For instance in one scene, a claymation woman is at a counselor, and as she is speaking the picture on the wall behind her begins to slide around (by accident initially). So I had the claymation counselor readjust the picture at the end of the scene and it seemed illustrative of her process of trying to heal. An accident that worked in my favor.
WAMG: Were you familiar with Cookie Thornton before the shootings?
SP: The strangest thing was several months before the shooting my mother told me I ought to interview Cookie and make a film with him as he was having several problems with the city. The fact that she said this to me remains in my mind to this day. At the time I was working several jobs and so that was not really a possibility. It does make me wonder though if I would have interviewed him, told his story, would that have shifted anything? Making this film was in a way my trying to tell a part of that story that I didn’t get to make with him.
WAMG: You state in the film that Connie Karr was the one that was most allied with Cookie Thornton, at least in her concern for the residents of Meacham Park, so why do you think Cookie still shot her?
SP: This is a very complicated question, one that the women I interviewed were really asking themselves when we started the film. I think everyone who lost someone that night probably asks themselves, “why this person I loved so much?” I personally believe that by the time Cookie went to council that night, he was in a psychological state of utter despair- feeling dehumanized, unheard, burdened by who knows how much debt, he was without hope. I think he saw the entire body of Kirkwood politics as an enemy, the history the council represented, the whiteness, the embodiment of institutional racism. To do this shooting, he had to detach himself from his own humanity, this is why his brother said, “He went to war.” So I think much of who was shot was collateral damage in the face of his perceived enemy “City hall”.
WAMG: What has been the reaction to ELEGY TO CONNIE?
SP: I have had many great conversations as a result of sharing the film. One thing that continuously comes up, is that people want to know more about Meacham Park. So I am encouraging any residents of color in Meacham Park to tell this story and get it out.
WAMG: How has Connie’s family reacted to the film?
SP: My mother spoke with Connie’s husband about the film when we began it and was supportive but did not want to get involved in making it. For the most part my sense of their family is that they want to put this event behind them and move on with their lives. They’ve left Kirkwood. Since completion of the film, I’ve written a letter to both her husband and her daughter letting them know that I am happy to send the film to them if and when they are ready. Hopefully some day her daughter can see and hear how loved Connie was by her friends and community. I’ve tried to respect their need to mourn and not interfer with that process. Beyond that my mom has really been working at trying to connect with Connie’s old friends and co-workers. That has been a really beautiful process, at one of the screening my mom met one of Connie’s old co-workers and they were able to complete connect about who Connie was from two very different perspectives. They filled in each others stories. In a way this film may actually be more geared towards Connie’s friends, then her family, in that her family knew her in a private way, that we never well know, and so they have a sacred morning that needs to happen for them that is separate then our community healing the loss of this great leader.
WAMG: Have you heard from any of Cookie’s family?
SP: I met Cookie’s Aunt at the Filmmaker’s Showcase screening and we started crying as we met and hugged. She had no idea the amount of debt he might have been in, and was curious how I had found that out (via St. Louis Post Dispatch). She was in the process of writing her own memoirs and I look forward to hearing more about that. I would love to sit with any members of Cookie’s family that would like to see the film and my mother, that sounds like a space of true restorative justice. I also understand that a person of color’s initially reaction to hearing that I made this film may be fear and trepidation that I will stigmatize or villanize Cookie.
WAMG: Have you shown the film at other festivals?
SP: The film will be playing at the St. Louis International Film Festival this weekend. Other than that I am in the beginning steps of submitting it to other festivals around the U.S. and world. So we will see.
WAMG: Would you ever like to make a more conventional documentary?
SP: Probably not. I think my main strength is being a visual artist and animator that makes films. If I was to make a film I’d want to make it like Wes Anderson or David Lynch and have total control over sets, costumes, backgrounds, that doesn’t seem very fitting for a documentary film. I did like the surreal quality of the sets and re-enactments in The Act of Killing and the use of still images and montage in older Errol Morris films like (Thin Blue Line and Tabloid). Plus Werner Herzog and Les Blank are also just great image makers so these guys would be my inspiration. I never thought I’d be making movies so never say never right.
WAMG: What are your plans for future films?
SP: Right now I want to work on some paintings about white privilege and loss of cultural identity as a part of becoming “White” as a result of what I learned about myself making this film. Probably if I am to make a film it will be a loosely narrative animated film where I am not using an audio story to guide the film. We will see as I never know when I find an amazing story.
