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CineManifest
Directed by Judy Irola
11/10/06 6:30 p.m. 11/12/06 1:15 p.m.
This documentary will take you back to a more radical point in history - the left-leaning, counterculture, antiestablishment setting of San Francisco in the 1970s. Cine Manifest was a group of seven young, idealistic rebels who decided filmmaking was the best route to revolution. Three decades later Judy Irola, Cine Manifest's sole female member, has captured the group's process and its combative nature on film.
The collective drew its ideology from Karl Marx, the socialist revolutionary who wrote extensively about class struggles. "When Cine Manifest started, we were all a little lost," recalls member Gene Corr. "We were looking for roots to connect us to something deeper and more historic. We were communists with a small c."
Criticism was a hallmark of the group. "We probably could have accomplished more if we'd been more positive. At the time that's what you did - you analyzed, you criticized, you talked things to death," says member John Hanson, who once responded to criticism of the script for his award-winning 1978 film Northern Lights in this way: "I admire your honesty. Your ideas are full of shit."
Eventually the collective collapsed under the weight of its own idealism and crushing self-criticism, and the members moved on to more traditional jobs in the film industry.
Go see this film to experience a different time; a time when young people were passionate and were willing to act on their ideals, a time when enthusiasm trumped experience. Pass the popcorn, comrade, and viva la cinema!
by Debra Goldyn
Santa Baby
Directed by David Widdicombe
11/10/06 9:15 p.m. 11/11/06 1:30 p.m.
One is never too young to begin their career as a stalker. Take it from 10-year-old Amelia who falls for Santa Clause. Inspired by his friendliness and frosted jelly candy scent, Amelia becomes smitten with the department store actor, visiting him and wishing it was Christmas everyday. When she discovers he isn't the genuine article and his real name is Bob, she doesn't care. Amelia continues to plead her unremitting love for him anyway.
This short film, written and directed by David Widdicombe, holds nothing back as it spoofs the whole evil seductress genre with its fifth-grade femme fatale. When Amelia catches Santa getting a little too friendly with another young girl, she demands, "Who is this little floozy." She then seizes Santa claiming he is hers in front of all the other kids waiting in line to unload their wish lists. Parents are appalled.
Jordan Todosey stars as Amelia, her sweet smile and innocent eyes betraying the troubled, unstable and lonely youth that lurks beneath the surface of her seemingly innocuous character. Even as a potential home-wrecker, her charm is hard to resist. Hardee Lineham compliments the ability of his co-star well as the poor dupe, Bob. He plays the straight man to Todosey's comically juvenile temptress. Overall, the short film delights as it steers clear of delivering any sort of serious message about love or growing up. It's all about getting the laughs.
Santa Baby screens Fri., Nov. 10 at 9:15 p.m. and Sat., Nov. 11 at 1:30 p.m. with five other mini-features. Their directors may not be famous yet, but this set of shorts, entitled "Short Circuits," is sure to offer a fair dose of absurdity and creativeness that longer films often lack. So come and check out these clever snapshots as they vie for the attention of movie lovers and producers.
by Jeffrey Woodruff
Chalk
Directed by Mike Akel
11/11/06 3:45 p.m. 11/12/06 4:00 p.m.
Real teaching leaves a mark.
That's the tagline from SomedaySoon's latest production, Chalk, a raw and uncensored mockumentory about pedagogical defloration and the trials of being a new teacher. Follow along as four virginal educators get their first rude taste of life on the inside of that special American hell we call high school.
Mr. Stroope is a guy-smiley, feel-your-pain friend who wants to connect with his kids through showmanship and a warm'n'fuzzy demeanor in order to secure the coveted "Teacher of the Year" title (an award he's going to have to crush the likes of a sweet, grandmother type to win). Then there's Coach Webb who is not gay, dammit, though her crew hair and draconian, hall-nazi demeanor do little to suggest otherwise. Mrs. Reddell, once a new and tentative teacher herself, is now thrust into the dubious position of assistant principle, a position of power that promises to consume her and destroy her once tender, but strictly platonic, dammit, relationship with Coach Webb. Finally, meet Mr. Lowrey whose prohibitively shy and awkward demeanor prevent him from socializing well with anything more assertive than your average cat.
And these are the protectors of America's future generations.
To suggest that these south Texas whacks are actually teachers is at best charitable; to watch them fumble through their paces is exactly what the painfully embarrassing hilarity of Chalk is all about.
To be sure, the film is more than just a poke-fun at four frustrated failures - Chalk examines through these four losers and their loser lives the fundamental reasons why teaching as a profession sucks your will to live. Between the food and the fights and the checking for hall-pass rights, these people are pushed well beyond their breaking points.
And even though the acting becomes stilted and overworn to a degree which occasionally gives the thing away, writer/director/producer and three-year veteran of the teaching wars himself, Mike Akel pulls off a clever comedy commentary with just the right mix of sneer and acid. Not my favorite of the festival, Chalk yet wins a nod and a chuckle from this critic; it's easy to see why this film won the L.A. Film Festival Jury Award for outstanding performance.
Check out Chalk at this year's Denver Film Festival on Sat., Nov. 11 at 3:45 p.m. and again the following Sun. afternoon at 4 p.m.
by R. K. Liggin
Analog Days
Directed by Mike Ott
11/11/06 9:15 p.m. 11/12/06 4:00 p.m.
Sophomores, listen up! If you want to know what's happening with your suburban community college counterparts, then you should check out Analog Days playing at this year's Denver Film Festival. It's an unflinching look at the lives of a group of friends who are students in their last semester at Newhall Community College (some non-descript California town). What's good about this film are the characters that fill their individual, yet cohesive stories with real-life qualities. They're at a stage in their college careers where they begin to question everything from their choice of classes to the generic rhetoric of superficial classmates to the "system" and its passionless components (hapless instructors and condescending politicians). At times the film is sobering and honest, but it still manages to mix in scenes of the comedic ineptitude that some of the less intelligent friends display (anyone remember beer bongs?).
That being said, I would highly suggest you check out Analog Days when it plays at the Film Fest. It's an insightful glimpse at the often unspoken fear and despair that can creep into a student's mind midway through a college career. This movie shows that doubt is a natural process when confronted with all of the worldly information of philosophy, political science and critical thinking courses. It is an easy movie to relate to, and you will care about the characters and their futures because you will see yourself in at least one of them.
by Joshua Loveland
Purvis of Overtown
Directed by Shaun Conrad & David Raccuglia
11/11/06 7:30 p.m. 11/12/06 3:15 p.m.
Imagine life in a neighborhood filled with drugs and poverty. Imagine watching a neighborhood decline. Imagine being a sensitive soul in a town filled with pain and injustice. What would one expect to come out of such a place? What would one expect to come from a person living in this kind of environment?
Purvis Young, despite growing up in and living in his poor community has become a well-known artist. The documentary "Purvis of Overtown" chronicles his life and the life of his community.
One interesting thing about this film is that it really shows how Young was inspired to paint. The film follows Young's life and shows both the historical and personal inspiration for his work. At one point the movie even follows the artist as he first sees something he wants to paint goes through the painting process and produces the final paintings. And through interviews, the audience gets a real feel for what Young is thinking and feeling when he paints. This film also focuses on the link between artist and environment, something that is often overlooked, but which has a large influence on Young's work.
This film is about the artist, but it's also about the history of the town. The film really endeavors to illustrate how Overtown is soaking in history and how that history has shaped its inhabitants, especially Young. The historical aspect of this film is enjoyable because it moves beyond the typical portrayal of the ghetto and shows some of the positive historical happenings in the neighborhood. The film also endeavored to show how the town ended up the way that it is today.
This movie, although about art, was in itself rather artful because of the cinematography; it definitely has a creative edge. Unlike typical Hollywood fare, Purvis has far more interesting and experimental camera angles. But one of the most intriguing things remains how it constantly switching between black and white and color, alternating between perspectives, perceptions.
Purvis of Overtown is a fun way to get inside of an artist's head and get a painless history lesson at the same time.
by Carrie Gebel
Cheech
Directed by Patrice Sauvé
11/11/06 9:15 p.m. 11/12/06 6:45 p.m.
If the movie Cheech is any indication, Quebec cinema is a mishmash of French and American movie-making styles; the blend combines deliberate avant-garde expression with the commercial staples of sex and violence. The film also manages to include an eccentric and intriguing storyline about a bunch of disillusioned, idiosyncratic characters sidelined on the margins of life.
The movie opens with a murdered man lying facedown in a pile snow. The scene then cuts to the morning of the victim's last day of life. Ron, the proprietor of a dodgy Montréal escort service, is listing to a self-help tape trying to imagine himself on a beach. A series of brief introduction scenes introduces the others: Max, Ron's maladroit assistant, wakes up on the ground next to the couch that holds his sleeping beauty, Stefanie, a employee of Ron's; one of his other girls, Jennifer, is getting dressed after a night with a client; Oliver, Jennifer's sexually unattended boyfriend, is rehearing a call to the escort service; and Oliver's lonely neighbor sleeps on his hardwood floor listening to Oliver who lives in the apartment above his.
The day is going to prove to be one of the worst for all of the characters as director Patrice Sauvé and writer François Létourneau artistically present the events that lead to Ron's demise. Who is going to get the depressed pimp out of his misery? All signs point to Cheech, owner of a rival brothel, who's upset that Ron is impinging on his territory. Nothing is what it seems, though, in Cheech as it looks to be a knockoff of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels but turns into a social commentary in the same vein as Crash.
by Jeffrey Woodruff
Nailpolish
Directed by Jane Ainbinder
11/15/06 6:00 p.m. 11/19/06 4:00 p.m.
Have you ever hated yourself? Wanted the perfect guy? Longed for the perfect soundtrack to fill the dead air in your life? Go see Nailpolish by Jane Ainbinder, playing at the Starz Film Festival Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. or Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. This movie takes place on the Jersey shore during a typical 1980s summer. It's about regular kids just growing up in America. Trust me, it will give the phrase "stiff as a cork" an entirely new meaning.
Remember the days of no sunscreen, just baby oil? These were the days when manicures and beauty school were a hot and brand new revolution. Nailpolish is about best friends, girly fantasies, nail polish and the dirty ways of horny boys. It's a story about what we do when we missed the class on how to be normal and what to do when it all falls apart.
This film has distant mothers trying to compete for their daughters' boyfriends and needy, dependant fathers longing for the approval of the women in their lives. These girls are just struggling to find out who is going to show them how to be women. Throw in some mullets, underage drinking and a little Mrs. Robinson syndrome and you have a new cult classic. Although many viewers may not have grown up in the rockin' 80s, it is an incredible film. If you want to learn a thing or two about growing up and becoming an adult, go see this film. It's a fun ride through a girl's lessons on love, life, drugs and sex. What more could you ask for? How about if they throw in a sweet 80s soundtrack? Watch it. Then watch it again.
by Stephanie March
Cocaine Cowboys
Directed by Billy Corben
11/18/06 3:45 p.m. 11/19/06 1:30 p.m.
Everybody's putting shit up their nose in the film Cocaine Cowboys. This documentary, directed by Billy Corben and showing Nov. 18th at 3:45 p.m. and Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m. at the Starz Film Festival, throws its audience into the late 70s and early 80s cocaine scene. It's a sometimes violent and explicit film that may shock some audiences. It is a paradise lost where the once calm community in Miami crumbles before the audience's eyes. There are dead bodies all over the place. This is not another Miami Vice. If you are looking for a true glance into the early cocaine wars in Miami then go see this movie.
This film doesn't have a regular Italian Godfather that we have become so accustomed to in mainstream films; it has a Columbian Godmother. Everybody has a price and people are dropping like flies. Millionaires are popping up in the ghettos of Miami and everybody's getting rich because of the huge demand for cocaine. It takes over. Cocaine is dropped from planes, smuggled into the United States and the police are outgunned.
It's not for the weak of stomach. The scenes are graphic and often disturbing. But the most disturbing thing may not even be the dead bodies filling up Miami. The horrible thing about these drug dealers is that the addiction in this business isn't so much to the drugs; the addiction is to the money. How many people have to die for a skyline? If you want to find out, go see this film.
by Stephanie March
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