Tag: Documentary

TICKLED – Review

tickled

Documentaries are often tagged with an unfair “rep’. Lots of people think of them as ultra somber, serious cinema exercises (many dread them as “homework”). So, why is this flick being released right in the middle of Summer, the time for mindless, fluffy entertainment?  Well, that’s because it is entertaining, just as funny as many comedies. The shocker is that it’s also  as gripping as any number of thrillers, filled with cloak and dagger operations with true threats and deception. Audiences will be surprised almost as much as the film makers were. You see, this is another example of the smaller doc subset, namely the project that begins with one goal or focus, then changes during its production. 2012’s THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES started as a light-hearted look at the excesses of the rich before making an abrupt turn to economic disaster and family drama. Just a few weeks ago WEINER grabbed audiences with its turnabout from a story of a stunning political comeback to a tragedy of unbridled ego and obsession. Now, movie fans get to experience the roller coaster ride taken by two writer/directors when they look into the silly, but eventually very somber, underground world of TICKLED.

The twisted tale begins with a TV reporter in New Zealand (if this were an Erle Stanley Gardner Perry Mason mystery it might be titled “The Case of the Curious Kiwi”). David Farrier’s designation at the station was “entertainment features”, you know, the celebrity interview or the profile of a “colorful local” that would often be in the center of a lunchtime “info-tainment” show or occupy the final moments of the night-time news broadcast. In the course of his many hours of research (those segments are tough to find!) David discovered a page on a popular social network website. It was from “Jane O’Brien Media” and offered links to videos of an unusual “sport” they dubbed “Ultimate Tickling Endurance Competitions”. These videos usually consisted of a fit young man strapped or tied to a mat or cushion who giggles uncontrollably as one or more other fit young men tickle him with their fingers or feathers or brushes. David is startled and amused by this activity, so he decides to contact “O’Brien” in preparation for his next news story. The response, from a female PR agent, stopped him in his tracks. In a long rant, she threatened legal action if this “pervert” (David is a high-profile member of the Gay community there) continued with his inquiries. This blatant homophobia stunned David, and, of course, made him more determined. He joined forces with a writer/film maker/computer expert Dylan Reeve, and the two began to unravel the tangled web surrounding this “sport”. Three O’Brien reps even fly to New Zealand to meet David. But he and Dylan are soon racking up the frequent flyer miles themselves. They go to the US, to meet a former contestant who dared to request his videos be taken off the web. Brutal cyber-retaliation soon cost him jobs. In LA, a “recruiter” tells of the nasty “payback” when he left the “company”. Further digging leads to the frozen tundra of the Northern states, America’s heartland, where young men would receive almost daily deliveries of expensive gifts and envelopes full of cash in exchange for more video “matches”. Internet forensics finally reveal a mastermind, a person living in the NYC area that David and Dylan decide to confront on camera.
First time documentary feature film makers Farrier and Reeve have concocted a compelling, enthralling, very entertaining motion picture. Farrier’s amiable “every-man” persona makes him a superb guide through this bizarre (to most) sub-culture. He never flaunts any moral superiority over his subject, just a healthy curiosity that brings the viewer “down the rabbit hole” along with him. But he and Reeve are not only excellent storytellers, they’re terrific hi-tech detectives busting through phony online accounts and IP addresses. Like many private eyes, the two play the “waiting game” as they “stake out” their subjects, knowing that they may be in physical, as well as legal, danger. The film is paced like a zippy procedural, and graced with lots of lush location photography (New Zealand looks quite lovely). This is particularly true of their side trip to central Florida to meet a benign tickling video enthusiast, a man with a sunny demeanor whose long-time quirk became a career, the opposite of the shadowy figure that sparked the main investigation. That figure becomes Farrier and Reeve’s own internet “Moby Dick” (or, for doc buffs, the title General Motors’ exec in Michael Moore’s first flick ROGER AND ME), and makes the story’s finale a real “nail-biter”. You’ll be amused and perhaps giggle a bit as you’re introduced to this “sport”, but by the end of this engaging 92 minute documentary you’ll remember the strange, fascinating mystery at the heart of TICKLED.
4.5 Out of 5
 
TICKLED is playing everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre
tickledposter

THE LAST MAN ON THE MOON – The Review

SONY DSC

2015 may just be noted in the annals of cinema history as the year that Hollywood really went “space happy” (a more benign term for “space madness” I suppose). THE MARTIAN, a fairly fact-based film (though we’ve not gone to the “red planet”) won critical praise and was a box office smash. We’ll see if it takes home some Oscar gold this Sunday night. And of course there’s that space fantasy, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, that smashed several records and is still in the box office top ten nearly ten weeks after its release. The studios have mined the stars since the beginnings of movies over a 100 years ago. The great majority of these films are fictitious, with a couple of notable exceptions being the overlooked gem from the 80’s, THE RIGHT STUFF, and the 90’s nail-biter APOLLO 13 (and its HBO companion mini-series “From the Earth to the Moon”). TV cable channels along with PBS have presented many interesting documentaries about the space race, but few have gotten the full theatrical treatment. This new feature-length doc gives us another look at that time, one from the perspective of one of the still living heroes of exploration: Eugene Cernan, perhaps best known as THE LAST MAN ON THE MOON.

As the film begins, we observe an octogenarian (a very spry one) looking over prized steers and then taking in a bull-riding competition. We soon learn that this cowboy is actually Captain Eugene Cernan, as he then walks about the near-deserted Johnson Space Center. Soon he’s back at his ranch, setting out feed for his own cattle, his two dogs always at his side. He talks of his on upbringing, working on his grandfather’s meager farm. Photos are displayed of Cernan growing up and entering the Navy. An old fighter pilot pal joins him for a barbecue. Color photos and home movie footage of their younger days flash past. Then we hear of Cernan’s entry into the space program with footage of the grueling training exercises with nausea inducing contraptions. His former wife speaks of the his many hours, stretching into weeks, away from their home. Cernan examines the space modules and capsules now on display at different museums. Retired mission commanders and techs talks of the wonders and the dangers. Then we’re with Cernan aboard Apollo 17 for that final flight. But his work didn’t end there as we see, the former astronaut attends conventions (lots of handshakes and photos), does radio interviews, and travels the world in an effort to re-ignite the dying embers of the US space program, a task that would wear down men half his age. But as he tries to inspire a passion for exploration in new generations, we see the “space cowboy” enjoying more time for his ever-expanding family.

Director and co-screenwriter Marc Craig knows that Cernan makes for an entertaining guide through history and wisely allows him to tell his stories with few distractions. The scenes of the celebrated hero silently inspecting the sights of his former glories have a quiet power to them. Happily the film has more than its share of lighter moments. The wonderful family photos and films give the doc a nice “Mad Men” feel (Cernan along his pals and their gals are shown playing the infamous board game “Twister”). Particularly entertaining is a sequence utilizing whimsical retro animation (think CATCH ME IF YOU CAN) to illustrate the undercover astronaut job search. Most of the interviews are of the “talking head” standard, but the subjects are legendary: Apollo 13’s Jim Lovell and mission control marvels Gene Kranz and Christopher Kraft. Especially powerful are the unedited network news feeds (mostly from ABC) when the story tells of the tragic loss of Gus Grissom and his crew. But the film truly soars with the flight of Apollo 17. Craig and his team expertly marry the NASA footage with superb recreations (perhaps a mix of seamless CGI and miniatures with actors). The lush music scored by Lorne Balfe (TERMINATOR GENISYS) compliments each compelling image. Despite the majestic spectacle, Craig never lets us forgot the film’s heart, the remarkable Mr. Cernan, who enjoys recalling his legacy while moving on and looking ahead. He’s proud of the title, but you get the feeling that he hopes that he won’t be THE LAST MAN ON THE MOON. Here’s wishing that his hard work and memories send out an eager new generation of explorers.

4.5 Out of 5

THE LAST MAN ON THE MOON opens in select cities on February 26 and is available via iTunes and other streaming services

lastmanonthemoonposter

 

SLIFF 2015 Review : ARCHIE’S BETTY

archiesbetty-header

Here’s an idea that many kids (and adults) dearly wanted (or still want) to do. I’m talking about having such a love of literary characters, that you believe that you could actually visit their homes and towns. For fans of famous prose novels there might be a desire to go to Narnia, Oz, or Middle Earth. DC comics fans would love to live or work in Metropolis or Gotham City (Marvel superhero lovers quickly discover that the actual NYC isn’t filled with Avengers and mutants). Ah, then reality kicks in and we realize that these locales can only exist in our daydreams. But what happens when you hear rumors of a real place that inspired your favorite comics line. This is what happened to film critic and historian Gerald Peary. In his youth he didn’t gravitate toward the spandex crowd, rather he was smitten with Archie Andrews, along with his pals Jughead, Moose, and Reggie. And he was especially with the other two sides of Archie’s eternal “love triangle”, raven-haired rich gal Veronica and fresh-scrubbed blonde next door Betty. They’ve been having adventures in the little idyllic town of Riverdale for nearly 75 years now. Peary decided to follow up on rumors that it was based on an actual town, Haverhill, MA to be exact. As narrator of this entertaining documentary, he relates the story of cartoonist Bob Montana (source of some controversy-many believe he created the Archie feature, while the company insists that its founder John Goldwater come up with the concept) and how he fell in love with the town and high school, though only having lived there a few years. Peary and an Archie expert comb through high school yearbooks, newspaper clippings and the classic comic books and comic strips like a pop culture Holmes and Watson unraveling a mystery. Though Mr. Andrews was a print media hybrid of teen Henry of “The Aldrich Family” radio show and Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy in MGM’s popular feature film series, that ginger lad is all East Coaster. Many of the comics models are tracked down (there’s an old video interview with the real “Moose”), but the surprising reveal of the title “four-color” queen makes for a heart-warming finale.

Peary makes for an entertaining guide through this quaint little town and the journey of this freckle-faced funster first appearing as a humor filler in publisher MLJ’s mostly action hero anthology “Pep Comics” into a media juggernaut that would ultimately take over the name of the company (MLJ became Archie Comics). There’s a lots of original art and classic (very valuable) books plus the merchandising: fashions, toys, a radio show, and a live-action TV movie (little mention though of the smash hit 1968 CBS Saturday morning show produced by Filmation Studios that registered Super Bowl-like ratings numbers and spawned the number one hit record “Sugar Sugar”). ARCHIE’S BETTY is a touching, whimsical ode to a bygone era and a tribute to the folks that created and inspired America’s favorite bunch of immortal ageless teens.

ARCHIE’S BETTY screens at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Theatre on Sunday, November 15 at noon as part of the 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Purchase tickets here

archiesbetty

 

SLIFF 2015 Review – 3 1/2 MINUTES, TEN BULLETS

312minutes-ten-bullets-header (1)

This award-winning documentary focuses on an issue still making headlines and filling up hours on the TV news. 3 1/2 MINUTES, TEN MINUTES concerns the killing of an African-American 17 year-old high schooler Jordan Davis, not by police officers, but by a legally armed citizen, 45 year-old white software designer Mike Dunn. The location of the incident aligns the story with another famous case. It all took place at a gas station/market in Jacksonville, Florida on Friday, November 23, 2012 (the day after Thanksgiving known to retailers as “Black Friday”). Dunn and his attorney cited the “stand your ground” defense, based on the state’s controversial law that helped acquit George Zimmerman of criminal charges in the shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin. On that night, Jordan was sitting in the back seat of an SUV driven by Tommie Stornes (Tevin Thomson and Leland Brunson were the other passengers). As Stornes left the vehicle to make a purchase inside the store, the music was playing at a high volume. Mike Dunn’s car pulled alongside in the next parking space. After Dunn’s fiancée went inside the store to buy a bottle of wine and some chips, he asked the young men to turn the music down. One of them complied, but Davis insisted the music resume at the same level. A heated angry exchange ensued between Dunn and Davis, ending when the older man pulled his handgun from his car’s glove compartment and fired ten bullets into the SUV, several of which struck and killed Davis. The incident quickly became known in the news media as “the loud music killing”.

Writer/director Marc Silver trains his camera, from the opening scenes, on the parents of Jordan: Lucia McBath and Ron Davis. Though divorced, the two are united in their quest for justice. They make a powerful team as they sit in on every day of the long court proceedings. Silver provides individual interviews as they share their memories of Jordan, and their struggle to keep him out of danger. The friends who joined him that night also offer many funny stories, but when that Friday is brought up, the high spirits abruptly end. We also get to meet the young woman who caught Jordan’s eye. She tells of his visit to her, at her retail job earlier that night. The real meat of the story is the riveting courtroom footage that Silver has expertly edited. It’s where we finally meet Dunn, through his time on the stand and the legally recorded phone conversations from jail to his fiancée Rhonda Rouer (who seems to be a basket of nerves in court). He’s stunned that anyone can question his version of the night (“I’m the real victim”). Luckily, his defence is legal pitbull Cory Strolla, who works hard to place doubt at the experts, and most harshly at the investigators. Although the outcome was decided last year, Silver still makes this a riveting courtroom drama. Hopeful and heartbreaking, 3 1/2 MINUTES, TEN BULLETS is also masterful and unforgettable.

3 1/2 MINUTES, TEN BULLETS screens at 7:30 PM on Friday, November 6 at Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium as part of the 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Admission is free, with Ron Davis and Lucia McBath in attendance.

3minutesposter

 

DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD – The Review

drunkstoned1

Attention comedy geeks everywhere! To paraphrase a literary classic, this new documentary feature lets us all “look back in laughter” at one of the most influential humor magazines of the last fifty years. Actually its legacy reaches on past its newstand existence. Yes, it’s been absent from newsstands (there’s still a few of them left) for nearly twenty years. But, to paraphrase again, we’ve come “not to bury this magazine, but to praise it”. And to recall the chuckles and the mini-empire it spawned. Of course, this wasn’t the first humor publication. Puck paved the way decades before. Then Mad magazine shook up the staid 1950’s. But by 1970, that mag had somewhat settled into a (still entertaining) routine, poking fun at suburbia, and wasn’t connecting with the “counter-culture”. Younger “baby boomers” wanted their humor to have a sharper edge, to reflect the “hippie” spirit, and so they turned to the “underground comix”, the realm of artists like Robert Crumb, Jay Lynch, and Skip Williamson, which were sold at “head” shops and other alternative venues. Then in 1970, a magazine tried to bridge that gap between Mad and the comix. It was sharp, stinging satire and parody. And along with the wit, there were lots of jokes about corporate America, rock music, drugs, and, to the delight of its mostly teenage readership, sex. in the pix of many, many topless ladies. Time to peer behind the scenes of that seventies (and early eighties) institution with (here’s the complete title) DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON.

Of course the story of Nat Lamp really begins in the sixties, with the college institution, the Havard Lampoon. By then their magazine parodies became quite sophisticated. Now here’s one of the many interesting tidbits this doc unearths: Mademoiselle magazine approached the college editors to do a parody of them as a great publicity stunt. Inspired by idea, and the cash, the college staff plunged in. This generated the spark to go past the college and venture into the murky waters of the magazine world. The film zeros in on the original editors, Henry Beard, Doug Kenney, and Robert Hoffman. We see the mag’s shaky start with its trippy “graphix” and attempt to ape Mad with a weird cartoon duck mascot. There’s insight from the still lovable huckster former publisher Matty Simmons, who became the “godfather” to the young group, a fella’ who looked more like a used car salesman than the guiding force behind these subversives. And then we catch up with Michael Gross , the art director who gave NL a slick professional look (if you’re gonna’ do funny stamp make them look like the real thing). We’re treated to lots of terrific art from that golden era (didya’ know that Frank Frazetta and Neal Adams were contributors?). Soon, other writers made their mark, like Michael O’Donoghue, Tony Hendra (a Brit TV star!) Chris Miller, and PJ O”Rourke. Much of their work still has a real “bite” (that “Vietnamese Baby Book” still smarts!). There are even interviews with the men that sold advertising space (a tip of the cocktail glass to Jose Cuervo). Slowly the brand branches off and expands to the stage with “National Lampoon’s Lemmings” (great old video footage of Chevy Chase, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner) and the later “National Lampoon Show” (hey, there’s young Bill Murray). The doc gives lets us a listen to their first comedy record “Radio Dinner” and the syndicated weekly dose of mirth and mayhem “The National Lampoon Radio Hour”. With the jump into book publishing, the doc devotes a much deserved chunk of time to what many people consider to be the mag’s supreme comedy achievement, the still scathingly hilarious “National Lampoon 1964 High School Yearbook Parody”. Simmons says that NBC approached him about creating a weekend live comedy/variety late night show (he says they passed, sot wishing for their talent to be stretched too thin). Finally Hollywood makes them that “offer you can’t refuse” and we hear of the mega-smash ANIMAL HOUSE with lots of insight from director John Landis. This plus lots of behind the scenes footage and stories from cast members Tim Matheson and Kevin Bacon. Their next huge movie hit, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION, is also profiled with stories of its creator John Hughes, director Harold Ramis, and quips from Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. Along the course of the film we also hear from NL admirers like Billy Bob Thorton and Judd Apatow. This is one wild, funny trip through a true comedy kingdom.

Director/co-writer Douglas Tirola (along with co-writer Mark Monroe) aren’t re-inventing the documentary form with what seems at times to be a really well-researched bonus feature on the next super deluxe home video edition of ANIMAL HOUSE (hey, it’s been over two years, so it’s probably due for yet another re-issue). It’s told in a fairly straight-ahead chronological order (“then they did this, which led to this…”) and the interview subjects are the same basic talking heads (although there are some neat background knickknacks in view). But happily, the pace is jazzed up with some great graphic images from the mag’s pages and nifty limited animation enhancing some of the best gag cartoons (be sure and wait for the rolling Sam Gross-drawn frog). What actually surprised me was the way that the doc began to focus in on the funny yet sad and tragic story of Doug Kenney, the founder perhaps best known as the bespectacled Delta House veteran (“What are we supposed ta’ do, ya’ MORON!!”). The subtitle of the doc could be “The Seduction of Doug K”. He was engulfed by the vices of tinsel town and almost becomes a poster child for all the excesses of the flashy, coke-fueled 70’s and 80’s. His end became a harsh “wake up call” for those “over-indulgers”. Actually it would make a great solo doc or a dramatic/comedic bio-pic (Will Forte? Clark Duke?). I just wish the doc could have touched on the great “funny pages” section (No Vaughn “Cheech Wizard” Bode?) and the superb “Sunday Newspaper Parody” which revisited the 64′ Yearbook world. That’s being a bit nitpicky, but if they can run a few seconds of “Disco Beaver from Outer Space”? But (semi-) seriously this is an entertaining and informative look at a time before political correctness, when comedy burst its shackles and seemed to cover the globe.Without this mag would we have “Saturday Night Live”, “The Onion”, “Funny or Die” or “Adult Swim”. Uh-uh. And if you listen closely you can still catch the echos of raucous laughter generated by the lunatics of the Lampoon. Thank you Mona Gorilla!

4 Out of 5

DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD opens everywhere and plays exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre

drunkstonedpster

 

 

FINDERS KEEPERS (2015) – The Review

Finders Keepers 1

How can anyone argue with the rules of our childhood? Finder’s keepers is as sacred an adolescent law of survival as calling shotgun of implementing the infamous triple dog dare. But, what happens when we employ these tactics in adult life? One possible eventuality plays out in real life as the subject matter of a new documentary from Bryan Carberry and J. Clay Tweel.

FINDER’S KEEPERS follows the antics of two men, John Wood and Shannon Whisnant. John Wood lost his leg in a small plane crash that killed his father. Shannon Whisnant is an entrepreneurial picker who purchases the contents of a storage unit at an auction and discovers John Wood’s amputated leg inside a smoker grill within the storage unit he purchased.

You may be asking “how does something like this transpire?” Believe it or not, it all makes sense once the film explains the circumstances, but none of that changes the fact that truth is so often stranger than fiction and some real people are far better characters than can be written. John and Shannon are similar in ways, but are essentially polar opposites when it comes to how they view the world.

The filmmakers who brought us this film may have seen a quirky diamond in the rough, but FINDER’S KEEPERS does manage to tell an interesting story of human desires, delving into what makes these two curious characters tick. On the surface, the film feels like something hosted by Maury Povich or Jerry Springer, with absurdly eccentric characters quarreling over the silliest or strangest of squabbles. However, as the film progresses, the underlying human drama emerges, peeking its head out from behind the cantankerous curtains that separate these two men, revealing some raw emotion of illustrates the true fragility of human dreams and passion.

FINDER’S KEEPERS is not perfect. Few, if any films truly are, but in this case, it’s misleading. In all fairness and full disclosure, I’ll freely admit it took me two viewing to appreciate this film. Upon my first experience, I found the film to be funny and enjoyable, if not even interesting on a tabloid level. The laughter continued, and then a bit less, then a bit less, and I found the level of interest I had in the film was waning and I was growing bored. This was not a good sign.

Then, as any decent critic should at least consider doing, I gave the film a second chance. Still not perfect, but with this second viewing is when all the undercurrents of humanity poked through the surface sludge of silly sensationalistic slander. FINDERS KEEPERS was actually addressing the inner dreamer in all of us, even if we don’t look or talk or behave like these two men, it’s still essentially our story. There is something desired, but it’s just out of reach, despite of perseverance.

As Shrek would say, “people are like onions.” This is true, and not just in that some people stink. People have layers, many layers and these layers are not all the same. There’s not always a pearl within, but the process of peeling away the outer, decaying layers serves to reveal the true self. FINDERS KEEPERS does this for John and Shannon, but in two distinctly different directions.

John Wood is a man whose had a long, hard run of bad luck and poor choices he now lives with while trying to reconcile. He may have began his life in the luxury of a wealthy household, but for better or worse, it’s the choices we make that define us… FINDERS KEEPERS is a film about those choices.

While the film does become somewhat repetitive in its content, it’s a short feature film, running a pleasantly well-paced 82 minutes. While the intent, I believe, is to stay impartial, the truth of the matter is that we rarely ever feel sympathy for Shannon. We find ourselves empathetic for both characters, but ultimately Shannon is the heel, the villain, the antagonist. John, on the other hand, is clearly the protagonist, made out as the victim and showcased as the more likable character, despite his flaws.

The problem with Shannon is that he’s not an easy guy to like, even if we find a bit of ourselves in his persona, a bit of that dreamer or and rebel combined. FINDERS KEEPERS fails to compel its audience into caring much about its central characters, but it does raise some interesting philosophical questions, such as… if I buy a grill at an auction and find a human body part inside, do I retain the rights to that body part as goods purchased, or does the body parts’ owner retain the right to claim it back?

Something to think about.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

FIKETH-001_OneSheet_FM (1)

A BRAVE HEART: THE LIZZIE VELASQUEZ STORY – The Review

abh_image02

Life is hard. Just speaking in general terms, the daily grind of modern life takes a toll on the human mind, body and spirit. Granted, we’ve done all this to ourselves, but still the drive to survive and succeed in life is a daunting endeavor. Now, consider you’re not “normal” by society’s standards? Consider the playing field is not level in your life, but rather has been shifted and upended to resemble something like a cruelly insane funhouse ride. Consider what it would be like to have an undiagnosed syndrome that, amongst other things, causes your body to look so abnormally different from everyone else as to be labeled a freak? How do you feel, right now?

A BRAVE HEART: THE LIZZIE VELASQUEZ STORY is a new documentary from director Sara Bordo that made waves and garnered immense support when it played at the SXSW Film Festival. As the title suggests, this is the story of Lizzie Velasquez, a young woman born with an unexpected, undiagnosed condition that has taken an enormous toll on her body and appearance. Lizzie endured incredible hardships growing up, awkward questions and unpleasant stares from other kids, from strangers on the street, as well as the often-inhuman cruelty that is dealt out in high school. All of this and more, yet Lizzie remains perhaps one of the most amazing, positive and compassionate human beings you’ll ever hope to have a chance to meet.

What is it that makes Lizzie tick? There is a strength we witness in watching A BRAVE HEART that shines like a beacon through all the ugliness and negativity we see in the world. Lizzie is the very best of human nature with pretty much all of the nasty crap cut out. She is just a good, honest, real, sincere, likable person. What Bordo does with the film is to unveil a portrait of what we all can be, what we all should strive to be, but rarely excel to become.

abh_image01

A BRAVE HEART introduces us to Lizzie, intentionally allowing us to dwell on her appearance at first, allowing us to run through our natural human emotions. Bordo allows us to get all the inevitable societal bullsh*t out of our systems before we delve into the heart of Lizzie’s story. We learn a little of her history, we hear the expected stories of growing up as a child that’s different, but the really cool thing that Bordo does is to spend far more time and focus on the positive experiences Lizzie has had growing up. She made friends, participated in extracurricular activities, including cheerleading, and was generally liked by her peers. It seemed, for a while, Lizzie had defeated the grotesque elephant in the room without even having to put up much of a fight… then social media happened.

I am as much a user and supporter of the Internet and social media as the next modern member of society, so I’m not saying it’s inherently bad. However, after seeing A BRAVE HEART, I am much more critical of how some people choose to use this amazing technology and how little use they choose to give their own lives in this world. Lizzie unwittingly discovers that someone has posted a short video clip of her on Youtube with the simple, straightforward title “The Ugliest Woman in the World.” This sup-standard human specimen – one which some would refer to as a “troll” (no, not the kind that lives under a bridge, that I am aware) – has garnered a small level of anonymous cyber-fame by way of shamelessly bullying another human being.

Within what surely seemed like microseconds, Lizzie’s world fell apart. The terribly, vile things being said about her on the Internet by people who do not know her or have ever even met her, going viral and spiraling endlessly into a 7-figure view count, this all came down on Lizzie like ten tons of lead bricks. For most of us, we’d crumble in the wake of the emotional weight, have a nervous breakdown or disappear and isolate ourselves from society altogether. But for Lizzle, this absolutely incredible young woman, it ends up being the key to shedding her inhibitions and triggers her true self to emerge and take control of her life.

abh_image03

Lizzie fights back. Not fire with fire. Not with violence and vengeance. Not with hatred, but with courage and compassion in the face of ignorant malevolence. Instead of hiding or making excuses or succumbing to the ridicule in some other way, Lizzie stands up tall and proud, faces her demons eye to eye – or as much as she can when those demons hide behind the anonymity of the Internet – and she speaks openly and intelligently from her heart, saying this is who I am. My thoughts, beliefs, dreams and desires are what define me, not what I look like. She makes the case that it’s what she chooses to do with her life that matters, and what she does truly matters.

A BRAVE HEART does touch briefly on another case of cyber-bullying that had headlines in the news, but this is ultimately to tie into Lizzie meeting and being a mutual, reciprocal inspiration for the other person. This is Lizzie’s story and she’s going to keep telling it, but not to benefit herself… it’s to benefit others and fulfill what she believes is her life’s calling.

I’ll admit, this review may sound more like a marketing plug than an unbiased critique. I’ll accept that for what it is and counter by stating this; A BRAVE HEART is a modern gem of inspirational documentary filmmaking. It’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a testimony to having faith in the human race where it often seems a lost cause. See this film as adults, share this film with children of all ages, discuss and repeat. Help spread the seed that Lizzie is sowing and by God, help this young woman make a difference in this world.

A BRAVE HEART opens nationwide on Friday, September 25th, 2015

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

abh_poster

LISTEN TO ME MARLON – The Review

listentomemarlonpic

This year has already seen several extraordinary feature-length documentaries, many of which were pulled from the popular arts. Actually some excellent examples focused on the music world, with LAMBERT & STAMP and AMY attracting a great deal of acclaim (and quite a bit early Oscar-buzz). This new release delves into another art, the art (and it really is one) of acting, by giving us a peek at a true legend of stage and screen. Often actors become a touchstone, a symbol for the decade in which they garnered their greatest triumphs. In the 1950’s, the two actors who truly exploded onto the scene were James Dean and Marlon Brando. While Dean was a bright, shooting star snuffed out by tragedy after just three films, Brando rode a bumpy rocket, with highs and lows, into the next century. Biographies have filled the bookshelves through the years, but what did he think of his life and work? Film maker Stevan Riley was granted unlimited access to artifacts controlled by the late actor’s estate, literally bags and boxes full of audio recordings, hundreds of reels and cassettes. Combining those with rare home movies and videos, Riley delivers a unique profile with LISTEN TO ME MARLON.

From its opening moments, Riley establishes an almost dream-like state, as if we’re drifting through Marlon’s memories. First is a taste of his eccentric side (the first of many) as he explains how his head has been “scanned” in order to produce an immortal digital version of himself, he refers to it as the future of acting (hey, he was on to something!). With those words, his floating white image pops up on a screen at his now deserted Malibu estate, a pixellated halo surrounding his head making it seem like a talking comet (perhaps from Krypton, since it recalls his role as Jor-El). The camera weaves through the haunted empty beach home as we’re jolted to the violent family scandal that engulfed Marlon during his later years. Then we’re back to the beginning, far away from “la-la land”, landing in the now empty heartland home in Omaha, Nebraska where Marlon endured a fractured childhood with a broken, boozing mother and a bullying father. Riley then treats us to a mini-history of the Actors Studio, with an emphasis on his teacher/mentor Irene Adler (highlighted by great footage of a TV interview she did with Bob Crane, of all people!). He speaks of his Broadway breakthrough in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and his fear that people would think that he really was the brutal Stanley. Of course Hollywood would take notice. Via the screen test footage and publicity stills we can understand the impact he made, this brooding, young celluloid god brushing past the established, now middle-aged leading men like Gable and Cooper. Most surprising we see an ebullient, grinning Brando leaping to the stage to accept his ON THE WATERFRONT Best Actor Oscar from screen icon Bette Davis (it would be quite a different story 18 years later). There’s the artistic clashes with director Lewis milestone on MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY and much later with Frances Ford Coppola on APOCALYPSE NOW (this after Coppola jump-started his stagnant film career by bucking the studio and casting him as THE GODFATHER). We can hear the embarrassment in his voice as Brando decries his jobs in silly films like A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG and CANDY.

But perhaps more compelling than his career, we get an intimate glimpse at Brando’s life and loves. There’s his passion for social causes, marching with Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 60’s, and speaking out for Native Americans in the 1970’s on TV with Dick Cavett. Happily Brando didn’t avoid the tube like most major stars, we hear him on NBC’s “Today Show” and see him with his father on Edward R Murrow’s “Person to Person”. And, of course there’s that other passion, and Marlon indulged that as he played the field during those early days of stardom. The film’s funniest moments may be the footage of him flirting shamelessly, his mischievous eyes twinkling, with a couple of female interviewers during a press junket (could anyone resist his charms?). Unfortunately he had a tough time settling down, as his wives take him to court (one even takes a swing at him). But there’s the joy he receives from his many children…and ultimately the heartbreak, as murder and suicide destroys his treasured siblings.

This is a most unconventional biography, nothing like a TV news magazine piece, or an hour of A&E’s cable TV bios. Brando makes a very compelling narrator, even as we hear his self-hypnosis tapes (listening to yourself trying to put you under…fa-reaky!). Before the later scandals, Riley gives us a wonderful look at his playful side, particularly in some home movie footage of him clowning with Montgomery Clift and Kevin McCarthy!  Plus there’s  behind the scenes color film on the set of WATERFRONT! This is a haunting, mesmerizing journey through the mind of an acting icon whose influence continues to this day. For film fans LISTEN TO ME MARLON is more than worth a listen and a look.

4 Out of 5

LISTEN TO ME MARLON opens everywhere and screens exclusively in St. Louis at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

listentomemarlon

 

CALL ME LUCKY – The Review

callmelucky_image

“Barry Crimmins is pissed.” That one, simple line does sum up the film rather well, but it doesn’t truly do justice to the new documentary from Bobcat Goldthwait. CALL ME LUCKY is the story behind the story of Barry Crimmins, a comedian’s comedian that heavily influenced the Boston comedy scene in the 80s and beyond, but may not be widely known today by the general public. This film is your chance to change that unfortunate hole in your intellectual experience.

Thinking back to the glory days of 1980s comedy, we’ll recall Bobcat Goldthwait as the wild, manic and seemingly uncontrollable comedian who spoke strangely, had crazy hair and appeared in the POLICE ACADEMY movies huffing aerosol. This is not your 1980s Bobcat, having kicked his penchant for drugs and alcohol years ago, Goldthwait is now one of the most intriguing fringe filmmakers, push boundaries and testing limits with a very smart, funny and diverse repertoire of films. Goldthwait’s style of filmmaking is like walking into one cave after another, each time gently poking the sleeping bear inside just enough to see what half-dazed reaction slips from its hibernation-addled lips.

CALL ME LUCKY is, in part, a fascinating film because it explores an artist whose life encompasses what Goldthwait is doing with his films. Barry Crimmins sees the world as it is, honestly and with the disgust it deserves, but does so in a thoughtful, engaging way that says “this is what’s wrong and it makes me sick, but I understand and I want you to be aware.” Brimmins is highly intelligent and hilarious, so his ability to make us laugh while making us think is nothing short of genius and I would dare venture to say he succeeded where Lenny Bruce may have ultimately failed in comparison.

Goldthwait has so meticulously constructed this documentary that, as a viewer, it does not become apparent until well past the halfway mark that in reality, CALL ME LUCKY is as much a mystery as it is a non-fiction film. The drama comes in the form of a secret buried deep in Crimmins’ past and Goldthwait is marvelous at slowly revealing this secret in a way that parallel’s Crimmins’ own revelation of the truth. We learn a great deal about Crimmins, his comedy and his political activism through that comedy and outside of the stage. We get to know Barry Crimmins as we was in the 80s and who he is now, how he’s changed and how he is very much the same.

CALL ME LUCKY is a character study of one man who stands for many. He may not say things in the nicest ways, but what he says has power and purpose. Goldthwait interviews a number of comedians of varying styles and of varying perspectives on the world, some of which are in alignment with Crimmins’ and others are quite opposed, but the one common denominator is that Crimmins’ respects them all and they intern respect him. That is a rare trait that deserves the spotlight shown in this film. Interviews portrayed in this film include Steven Wright, Patton Oswalt, Margaret Cho, and many others comedians, but one of the most compelling interviews is the one which Goldthwait slowly coaxed with care from Crimmins’ sister as he attempts to poke the sleeping bear of this story. This slowly burning, uneasy advance towards the truth gives the film an edge of mystery and an emotional uncertainty that adds to the film’s appeal. Perhaps this may be seen as a touch too tabloid in how it unfolds, but its done with respect and the results are raw, honest emotion captured on film and heightens the viewer’s connection with the story.

Ultimately, what Goldthwait has done is provided a much deserved and much needed portrait of a personality at endanger of being forgotten. Crimmins’ now resides in a remote section of woods away from society, but as is apparent in the film, still keeps up with domestic and global politics and events and is as willing to express his thoughts as ever, just not on stage as a comedian garnering laughter in the process. CALL ME LUCKY may very well be one of the most important documentaries you will see in 2015 and is certainly one of the best this year, so do yourself a favor and seek it out.

CALL ME LUCKY opens in theaters on August 7th, 2015.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

call me lucky

A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY – The Review

A LEGO-« BRICKUMENTARY Still 1

Few things are as exhilarating to witness as the unbridled passion and joy that builders put into their Lego creations, and the same can be said of watching children play with these toys as well. That’s right. Lego building blocks are a popular toy for the imaginations of both the young and the old. Having been around since the 1950s, this timeless toy has a fascinating history and a seemingly unstoppable appeal for generation after generation. But, how did it all start and what makes it such a juggernaut?

Directors Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge have taken it upon themselves to explore and reveal the very essence of those questions and, as a result, have created what must be the most comprehensive and thorough detailing of one of the greatest toy inventions… ever! A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY is narrated by comedic actor Jason Bateman, whose voice is recognizable, but played as familiar in place of being funny.

This documentary provides the audience with an awe-inspiring level of history, anecdotes and curious knowledge of the second largest toy company in the world, despite the fact that they produce just a single category of toys… Legos. At its core, when you really consider the immensity of that accomplishment, its rather incredible. Knowledge nerds and trivia junkies will find this film irresistible, as will anyone with an honest passion for toys or even popular culture in general, as Legos have definitely entered into that broader realm of our society.

A LEGO-« BRICKUMENTARY Still 2

A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY, on the other hand, is not a fully realized perfect experience. The filmmakers did a fantastic job of avoiding the mass marketed, feature-length advertisement trap that would have meant disaster. At no point as a viewer did I feel I was being sold something, not did I feel I was being brainwashed into loving Lego (partially because I already do), but there still exists an unavoidable element of self-promotion that is tolerable, even acceptable. However, in doing so, there is a personalized touch that is lost, or at least minimized.

Despite all the wonderful facts and stories that go into forming the overall Lego story, the film ultimately feels a bit dry. Lacking any personality of its own, or of the filmmakers’ involved, nor any true stylistic uniqueness, A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY often feels bland and unemotional. Don’t get me wrong, the film has some funny moments, especially when the narrator, shown on screen as an animator mini figure, certainly brings out the inner child and the heart-felt chuckle. Even this, however, is borrowed from the LEGO MOVIE.

A great deal of the interesting information available in the film is presented as just that, interesting information not unlike what you may read in an article on the Internet, but in movie form with audio and video. This may appeal to the droves of Lego fans whose interest lies within meticulously constructing Lego sets into the carefully planned out builds pre-determined by the Lego designers. That’s all fine and dandy for those content with following instructions and recreating others’ visions, but what the film lacks is a more freely flowing, artistically minded approach to the many Lego fans who say “screw the instructions” and want nothing more than to allow their creative minds to run free amidst the three-dimensional universe of plastic geometric shapes.

A LEGO-« BRICKUMENTARY Still 3

In all fairness, A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY does focus on a few relatively prominent artists. One of which being Alice Finch, a self-taught Lego master builder who has won multiple awards and whose massive recreation of Rivendale from The Lord of the Rings is anything but boring… in fact, its quite jaw dropping. As amazing as her work is to see, this is a short segment and the only creation of hers we see on film. Secondly, the Lego artist Nathan Sawaya is featured a bit more prominently, and for this I am grateful. Sawaya’s work is impressive and inspiring, ranging from large sculptures to small simple Lego men strategically placed in public, sort of like what Shephard Fairey and Banksy do with stencils, Sawaya does on a smaller, less political scale with Lego brinks. He also recreates masterpiece paintings, but with Legos and that is really cool.

There are a couple other names in the Lego art world that are touched upon, but I feel the balance between historical information and artistic interpretation leave the film feeling a little too much like a PBS documentary directed by Ken Burns and not enough like a contemporary, socially relevant film about a corporate powerhouse that has consequently evolved into something much more. I still very much enjoyed A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY, and I certainly recommend the film highly to be seen by children and adults alike, but continue to believe the film had the potential to be even more. Much like the subject matter itself, the film has great imaginative potential but limits itself too much to remaining loyal to the instructions.

A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY opens in theaters on July 31st, 2015.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

ALEGOBRICKUMENTARY_Radius_key_art