July at the Movies

Cross-posted on and commissioned by Film.com


Now smack dab in the middle of the Summer movie season, July gives us the last two giant superhero flicks of the year, along with raunchy comedies, adult dramas, and two giant handfuls of festival darlings. Plus the biggest box office war of all time begins when 'The Dark Knight Rises' steps in to challenge Avengers for the all time throne. So what do we have to look forward to?

Marvel vs DC

"The Amazing Spiderman" - Tuesday, July 3rd

Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

Marc Webb's sadly mostly unnecessary reboot of the Spider-Man franchise finally hits theaters on Tuesday. While Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone make a stellar Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, and the film's fight and flight sequences are fantastic, the story falls a little flat, as it feels way too well tread already, not rebooting the series truly from the ground up the way Batman did or to a certain extent, X-Men did with 'First Class'. Still, the ingredients are there and I feel positive that an origin-less sequel, will bring out the best in the new series.

"The Dark Knight Rises" - Friday July 20th

Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face's crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.

If any movie this summer has the potential to break the 'Avengers' 600 million worldwide record, it's the final installment in Chris Nolan's Batman franchise. I've tried my damnedest to know nothing about this film as I want to see everything for the first time when I plop down in my cushy IMAX chair, but I can tell you this - early world is that the film is a masterpiece and even better than 'The Dark Knight'. If it meets these expectations, maybe Oscar will finally give this series the Oscar nod it so richly deserved the last time around.

More after the jump!

For The Kiddies

"Ice Age: Continental Drift" Friday July 13th

Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.

I could have sworn this movie came out already, then I realized I was thinking of 'Madagascar 3' *and* 'Ice Age 3D' and just gave up trying anymore with these. I've never seen an 'Ice Age' film, though I know they are major hits. It's just -- can I break this streak when I've come so far already?! This fourth installment once again features the voiced of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary, along with a host of other names, and actually marks the ten year anniversary of the first Ice Age film, which is kind of nuts to think about. For you fellow film nears out there, it's the first of the franchise to be shot in the 2:35:1 aspect ratio, and the second to be screened in digital 3D. I saw some footage at CinemaCon and it looked exactly the same as every other preview for every other Ice Age movie where something silly happens to a small woodland creature. Hooray!

"Step Up Revolution" - Friday July 27th

Emily arrives in Miami with aspirations to become a professional dancer. She sparks with Sean, the leader of a dance crew whose neighborhood is threatened by Emily's father's development plans.

The 87th and thankfully last sequel on this list, 'Step Up Revolution' is the fourth of the wildly popular series that jumpstarted Man of the Year Channing Tatum's career back in 2006. Step Up Revolution has fans extra excited because in a genius move of knowing your audience, stars Kathryn McCormick of 'So You Think You Can Dance'. It's 3D, it's probably filled with sexy times, and no doubt the dance is incredible. I can sense the middle schoolers getting ready to buy their opening night tickets already.

NOT FOR THE KIDDIES EVEN A LITTLE BIT

Savages - Friday, July 6th

Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.

After watching footage from this latest from Oliver Stone at CinemaCon, I found myself dying to see it, but also very confused as to whether or not it will actually be….good. Taylor Kitsch has racked up a terrible track record, and frankly Aaron Johnson and Blake Lively's aren't much better. Could this be the film to bring all three critical and mainstream praise? More importantly for lots of fans out there - could this be the film that makes people start caring about John Travolta again? There's a lot on the line with this gritty crime thriller, the first film from Stone since 2010's 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps'. Early reviews suggest it's fun and stylish enough to warrant a theater viewing.

Killer Joe - Friday, July 27

When a debt puts a young man's life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance.

When I asked friends who caught this movie during LAFF what they thought, I heard a succinct chorus of "wow that was screwed up and weird and screwed up and wow….but in a good way! I think." So take that for what it's worth. One of five Matthew McConaughey movies being released this year for some strange reason, 'Killer Joe' is the latest from legend Willian Friedkin and is definitely rated NC-17. No surprise considering its written by 'Bug' mastermind Tracy Letts, the man responsible for oh so may nightmares of mine in college after seeing that show off-broadway Sophomore year.

Klvwn - Friday, July 27

In order to prove his fatherhood potential to his pregnant girlfriend, Frank 'kidnaps' her 12-year-old nephew and tags along on his best friend Casper's debauched weekend canoe trip.

All of I've heard about this Danish sex comedy to come after six seasons of the 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'-ish tv show of the same name, is that it is one of the most hilarious in a long time. After killing at Fantasia, Fantastic Fest and more outside of the box film fests, its finally getting its US release. Nothing can stop me from checking it opening weekend.

The Watch - Friday, July 27

Suburban dads who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion.

Following in the trend of real life - meets - genre that has been dominating a lot of 2012 (see: 'Extrateresstrial', 'Sound of my Voice', 'It's a Disaster', 'Safety Not Guaranteed', 'Robot & Frank'), 'The Watch' pits neighborhood watch dads played by Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and EXCITED ALERT Richard Ayoade against alien invaders. It's written by Seth Rogen who has had ups ('Superbad', 'Pineapple Express') and downs ('Drillbit Taylor', 'Green Hornet'), so it really could go either way, but its directed by Lonely Island mastermind Akiva Schaffer and the trailer is funny enough to convince it might actually be a great time at the movies. Am I naive for thinking so? Whatever, RICHARD AYOADE YOU GUYS!

Coming to an Independent Movie Theater Near You

Alps - Friday, July 13

A group of people start a business where they impersonate the recently deceased in order to help their clients through the grieving process.

Giorgos Lanthimos' follow up to 2009's Oscar nominee 'Dogtooth' has made appearances at every festival from Toronto to Hong Kong to San Francisco and on and on and on, picking up honors for Best Screenplay at Venice. I was disappointed to miss the movie at AFI Fest, but am thrilled to see it getting a US theatrical distribution as the log-line alone gives me chills.

Easy Money - Friday, July 13

A three-tiered story centered around drugs and organized crime, and focused on a young man who becomes a runner for a coke dealer.

This Swedish crime thriller starring Joel Kinnaman (who everyone keeps swearing to me is a real person, but I still doubt, as I've yet to see anything he is in, but keep seeing his name ALL OF THE PLACES, NO I DON'T WANT TO WATCH THE KILLING) is finally coming to theaters after an 18 month long festival run. Reactions out of LA Film Fest were pretty positive, praising its strong performances, though apparently it's a bit of a slow burn.

Trishna - Friday, July 13

The story of the tragic relationship between the son of a property developer and the daughter of an auto rickshaw owner.

'Tess of the D'Ubervilles' by way of Bollywood, this film directed by Michael Winterbottom ('The Trip') stars Freida Pinto in a chance to prove she can actually act. Although it understandably lost to my favorite movie of last year 'We Need to Talk about Kevin' at the London Film Festival, it was still nominated alongside big guns 'Kid with a Bike', 'Shame', and the 'Artist', and positive word on the street has me excited to see it when it finally hits theaters.

Ruby Sparks - Friday, July 25

A novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.

This film directed by 'Little Miss Sunshine' helmerrs Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris stars real life couple Zoe Kazan (doubling as screenwriter) and Paul Dano, and received wonderful response after its secret screening at LA Film Fest last week. With airs of the underrated 'Stranger than Fiction', aimed at the indie set, I have a sneaking suspicion I will love this movie. Plus, it features bit performances from seminal team players Elliott Gould, Steve Coogan and Chris Messina and 'True Blood' favorite Deborah Ann Woll. It has summer sleeper hit written all over it.

A Look Inside A Life

Katy Perry: Part of Me - Friday, July 5th

A documentary that chronicles Katy Perry's life on and off-stage.

This film almost went into the For The Kiddies section until I watched the trailer. 'Part Of Me' seems like it may actually provide a very candid look at the pop star whose life became non stop tabloid fodder when her romantic life took center stage upon meeting actor Russell Brand a couple years ago. Covering her very Christian upbringing and her recent depression amidst the 3D concert footage could make for an interesting film. Maybe? Seems to me a very bold direction to take when making a doc about a pop star that gets tweens a dancing and hey, I can appreciate that.

Searching for sugar Man - Friday, July 25

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock 'n' roller, Rodriguez.

One of my favorite films of LA Film Fest, 'Searching for Sugar Man' has been setting the indie scene on fire since walking away with the documentary audience award at Sundance, along with the special jury prize for its celebration of the artistic spirit. It also won second place doc audience award at Tribeca and won audience international award at LA Film Fest. In case you haven't put it together by now, this film is a massive crowd pleaser and beautiful filmmaking on top of that. Check out a more in depth review here.

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Hell Walk 2012 : Josh Tate Takes Doing Good To the Extreme Once More

For the second year in a row, Bad Robot employee and all around great guy Josh Tate is pushing the limits by walking 100 miles straight in 24 hours for a good cause. This year, instead of completing the 100 miles by walking around in a circle, he is taking to the streets and turning Los Angeles itself into his course, starting at USC Saturday and ending at the Dirt Cheap Sound Stage where the whole event took place last year, on Sunday, where it will be followed by a giant party. Oh, and he's walking for 32 hours - not 24. Whats his course look like? It must be seen to be believed. Follow the red. And then follow the jump.

We sat down with Josh last week to discuss this year's Hell Walk and in the process, got even more of an in depth look at the entire process, including its humble beginnings. 

The seed of Hell Walk, as the seed of many a great life change is, was a break up. When told he wasn't a serious enough person by an old girlfriend, Josh took a look at his life and reevaluated. Determined to start giving back, he began volunteering, but he felt like it wasn't enough,

"I was like, “Fuck this. This is not giving me any sort of spiritual fulfillment at all.” And I realize that was not very good--that doesn’t really speak well to my soul. So I was literally at Sonny McLeans, at the bar, with Melanie. I was literally just at the bar and I was telling her this exact story. And I don’t know how we got to this subject, but we started talking about the idea of having your own charity, because what I started realizing was that--I’m not a guy who’s good at taking direction, I’d rather just take the lead. And so, we started talking about what kind of charity we would do. And I remember just kind of saying, “Wouldn’t it be funny if I just walked around this bar for 24 hours as a walk-a-thon?” And we all kind of laughed it off. But then I was like, “Wait a minute, that’s actually a really good idea.”...Melanie actually has a picture of me at the bar buying the domain name. ...The next night I woke up and I was like, “What the fuck was I thinking? That was a terrible idea.” But I was like, “You know what, it’s a good thing to do.” And so if I kind of like--have you ever, well-- it’s called pot-committing in poker, where you have so much money in the game that you kind of have to keep playing. And so I kind of decided to sort of “pot-commit” myself to this charity. I decided to start buying T-shirts, making them, and then selling them. And I started to announce that I’m going to do this."

I was on site for the end of last years event, the complete recap of which you can find here, but it wasn't until now I realized just how far Josh had pushed his body leading up to the 24 hour walking extravaganza,

"…next thing you know, it’s April 30th, the day I’m starting it, and we were going to start it at 8am, but all my friends were like, “No, no, have it at night because we wanna be there at the end.” So at the last minute, I’m like, “Fine we’ll have it at night.” So I wake up in the morning at six o’clock on Saturday, April 30th, and all day long I’m getting ready at the sound stage. I’m getting set up: getting a bouncy castle put in there, getting all the beer chilled, getting the course put together. I’d never even been on the course. I’d never even walked 100 feet until that day because I was afraid if I did it would freak me out! [After building the course,] I went home to nap. I didn’t nap at all. So, I started walking at 8 o’clock that night, and I was already pretty sleepy--because I’d already been awake for 14 hours! I was ready for bed!" 

The day itself definitely lived up to it's name. This isn't called Hell Walk for shits and giggles.

"And so I started at 8 o’clock that night, and there was a big party. The other part of the Hell Walk was that everyone else would be having a lot of fun and I’d be by myself walking. So, literally, they were having a party on the other side of the stage. My friend John brewed some beer. People were all hanging out. There was loud music playing... And I was just by myself in a circle. Eventually, people left. The worst part was around five in the morning, when I had been walking for about nine hours. I had never walked through the night. I was ready to quit, and then the valet that we have here at work showed up, and my boss here at work showed up. And then the guys took the lights on the top of the sound stage and blocked them out. And I asked them, “Can you guys just get those in here so we have some light in here.” And when light came in, I felt fine--even though I had fifteen hours left to go."

By the time I arrived, the atmosphere was amazing, everyone pumped to see Josh cross the finish line as he got his second…or third…or fourth…or 16th wind,

"We watched movies when we were there, so we had something to do. We watched The Fellowship of the Ring, The Freshman, Amadeus. That night, at 7:55, I knew I was gonna make it. I only had 5 minutes to go. My friend’s band, who is playing at Hell Walk [on Sunday], started playing “500 Miles”, by The Proclaimers. That’s what I asked my friend and his band to play when there was five minutes left. So he did and I started running. I had so much energy! And then I heard this big count-down. And then it was 8 o’clock! I was dying. I walked for 24 hours without any resting. I took one-minute bathroom breaks, but that was it."

 It was a truly joyous occasion, food and drinks were plentiful, the music was great, and Josh was surrounded by friends and co-workers including his very supportive boss, JJ Abrams,

"Three days before Hell Walk, J.J. Abrams and his wife told me that whatever I was short for this fundraiser, they would pay the difference, because they knew I wanted to raise $25,000 for this charity called Children’s Hope Chest. So we ended up raising the whole amount. A month later, I decided I’d do it again."

In planning Hell Walk 2, Josh knew he wanted to get even crazier. He started by entertaining the idea of walking on a treadmill blindfolded, but quickly realized that was a bad idea, when after 30 minutes, he was completely disoriented. Then it hit him,

"I thought, “I need something with a good story.” … I’ll walk for 100 miles without stopping, through LA."

He switched up the charity too, beginning a trend that will continue every year, lending aid to different charities Josh feels passionate about,

"We are going to donate the money to a group called The Special Operations Warrior Foundation.  What they do is-- special operations or green bourets, delta force, army rangers, all those people-- they have the highest casualty rates of any unit in the military because they are in the most perilous combat situations.  So, when I was a kid, I remember my father came home really upset one day.  A plane full of his friends crashed and they all died.  At the time, I didn’t really understand what the big deal was.  I mean, I understood death, but it was a very abstract concept.  But when I look back on it, I’m like, “Holy shit, every single one of those guys had kids.” So every one of those kids lost a parent. And so, we decided a long time ago that this would be for military kids that lost a parent. It took a long time for us to find a charity that really focused on that specifically in the way we wanted it to.  I wanted it to be a college scholarship thing.  What Children’s Defense--a charity we work with here--did was help me see how giving scholarships for college changes lives.  So we finally found this group, Special Operations Warrior Foundation. That’s exactly what they do.  Kids of special operations soldiers who are killed in Afghanistan get scholarships.  The military does help with casualty pay, but that’s only helpful if you wanna go to San Jacinto Community College. They can maybe cover that.  But what if you’re an amazing kid with a bright future, and one day your dad dies and your whole life gets turned upside down?  For that kid who wanted to go to Harvard, Yale, or MIT, this organization can provide scholarships for that."

Last year's charity, Children's Hope Chest, was so grateful, they even donated back to Hell Walk 2 this year. Awe.

This year also had tons of events leading up to Hell Walk 2, adding more of a year round feel. Before American Reunion was released several months ago, Josh held a special screening for 200 vets, their family and friends, featuring an introduction by director Chris Moore. A couple months later, a Hell Walk 2 Bar Crawl spent the day at Sonny McLeans, JPs and Big Deans, raising money through selling t-shirts and taking donations as supporters simply had a great time all day and got to know Josh and his cause. Finally, last week, Sonny McLean's hosted a Raffle Party, where amazing prizes ranging from signed posters and scripts to DVD box sets to $100 gift certificates to fancy restaurants were raffled off. My group won three seasons of Fringe and a $50 bar certificate, so we were feeling pretty good. That night alone raised over $5000 towards Josh's $50,000 goal. 

So what's the best way for you to get involved? If you like walking you can track Josh's route live, form a team, and come down and join him, anywhere along the way. 

So next Saturday, at 8 o’clock in the morning, I’m gonna start at USC, which is where I trained last year. I’m gonna start working through LA and I’m just gonna keep going for 100 miles. This year we have about a hundred people walking different parts of the course with me. These people who are joining me are navy seals, some models from Abercrombie and fitch, some Playboy gals, some people from Bad Robot…To join, go on the website and click “Join a Team”, right in the middle of the page.  Because we want people to either lead their own team, or join another team. All you do is click on that button and enter your email address, and someone from Hell Walk will contact you and ask you when you’re available and when you want to do it. The course starts at USC, and it winds through downtown LA, and it goes into China Town, and it goes into Silver Lake, then to Los Filez, then Koreatown, then Hollywood, then West Hollywood, then Beverly Hills, then Century City, then Brentwood, Santa Monica, Venice, Mar Vista, and then it starts bending back at that point, through Santa Monica.  But it’s literally all over.  To find 100 miles is not easy in LA."

If you're more inclined to come for the party portion of the event and cheer Josh on as he concludes his 100 miles, that too is an option,

"The actual party, like the Hell Walk party we had last year, is gonna be at 11 o’clock on July 1 and go till 4 o’clock. The party planner from Bad Robot actually planned the event. The cook downstairs is gonna make some food for us. He is having a taco truck. My friend John is brewing beer. Bands are coming out….there’s a jumping castle."

Bad Robot chef Mike Doutt prepares pork shoulder for Sunday's gourmet tacos. Holy Hell Walk.

After last years' success and the excitement building up to this year, Josh is feeling more positive than ever about the do-it-yourself charity model and wants to help others follow in his footsteps by starting a brand new instructional website,

"It's a great interactive thing... I think more people would start charities if they knew how to.  It would be good to have more of *this* instead of having these massive charities where 40% goes to overhead, and 60% goes to their actual core mission. You know, for this, there’s just me. I don’t take any money, except for the charge the credit card companies take for making a donation.  We send all of it, we send about 95% of everything directly to the charity.  So, my idea for “diycharity.com” is to create it for every state where if you’re like “I live in Alabama and I want to create a charity for hurricanes,” this website helps you do it.  You fill in your information and it prints and shows you all the instructions, shows you all the forms, shows you how much things are going to cost, and it gives you partners you might want to work with that already exist. And then, you can kinda fix it yourself.  But sometimes its easier to, instead of trying to raise $100,000 to fix one thing, it can be easier for 10 people to raise $10,000 to do that, I think.  Or if you just wanna, I dunno, build a bench for your senior citizens home that’s down the street.  “Here’s five grand. Now go think of a crazy idea to go raise five grand, and here’s how to do it”.  

Are you as inspired as I am? If so, join me, Josh Tate, Bad Robot, Identity Studios, the Producers Guild, SAG-AFTRA, and tons more for some of the walk Saturday (Join a team!) and the big celebration on Sunday. Be sure to donate at hellwalk.com and follow @hellwalk2012 on Twitter for updates on the route.

About Hell Walk 2 
Hell Walk is a transparent organization with no bureaucracy. None of the funds raised will go to supporting any infrastructure or pay any salaries or expenses. All funds raised for Hell Walk 2 will go to fund five college scholarships (at $10,000 each) for military children who have lost their parents due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Josh explains, "as the son of an Air Force veteran, I have always understood the immense sacrifices that our servicemen, servicewomen, and their families make every day. Too often, the sacrifice is the ultimate one. I know in my heart, [that raising $50k to go towards scholarships] will be the best thing I have EVER done in my life." Follow Hell Walk 2 on Twitter at @HellWalk2012 and "Like" Hell Walk 2 on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hell-Walk-2/269714799753130.

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Brave Thoughts

SPOILERS. ALL OVER THE PLACE. EVERYTHING. SPOILED. 

I just saw the 9:45 showing of Brave in 2D at 86th and 3rd. I didn't want the animation to be muddied or dark, and I'm very glad I saved the three bucks and forewent seeing it in 3D.

The movie is utterly charming. It's funny, it's madcap, it's sweet, it is absolutely stunningly beautiful. I was actually jarred a few times by the photorealism. The score is lovely- the second song less memorable and moving than the first- but in general it's a movie that fits together beautiful. After all, look at the people who made it.

Because it is a Pixar film, it is extremely easy to find the faults, because they stick up from the surrounding landscape like great stone monoliths. There's a lull in the middle. Some of the mad cap is too mad cappy, some of the gags were obvious and not particularly clever. The humor aimed at small children was the weakest, but the younger members of my audience laughed boisterously through them, so clearly those jokes hit their mark, just like the impeccably rendered arrows Merida lets fly with such abandon and skill. BAM. LIKE A WRITER,YO.

The core of the film is the relationship between Merida, a sixteen year old tomboy who has only ever treated her future title as a distantly looming annoyance, and her mother Queen Eleanor, who is so steeped in tradition she believes in magic. They are both awesome. Their story is fantastic- they love each other deeply, amuse and vex and exasperate each other endlessly, and for all the world cannot get the other to hear what they mean to say, because they're both so busy trying to do that that neither one of them is listening to the other. They war, come to an understanding, and forgive each other. Both grow in the process. I cried like a baby at the end. Like ya do, it's Pixar (full disclosure: I have seen neither of the Cars movies, nor do I... particularly intend to. If you cried during either of them, please tell me so in the comments below).

The parts of the film that confused me were the MacGuffins. Or didn't confuse me, exactly, I just felt they weren't entirely necessary.

Find them after the jump



1: Why was the old witch obsessed with bears? Were the too many unhappy customers a reference to EVERYONE, after war broke out? Did the Fourth brother go to her before or after the war began? It would make sense to go before to get all tricked out with witchery to go beat some heads and conquer a kingdom, but if it turned him into a bear the next day, then he couldn't have been too successful. Was the witch obsessed with bears before she started a war by turning some dude into one? Or is the bear carving obsession a manifestation of guilt? Either way, why the hell would she think it was even kind of vaguely a good idea to use that spell a second time? The whole timeline of that story and the motivation of the witch made me crinkle my nose and go "wait, but". Maybe this just indicated the necessity of a second viewing.

2: The tapestry and the mother's belief in magic. Because there are no throw-away lines in Disney movies, as soon as Queen Eleanor said she believed in magic, I lent that significance, beyond the fact that Merida, too, believed. Merida believed because she had seen it. I assumed that meant Eleanor had, also. When we are shown Eleanor sewing at the tapestry and muttering to herself, I assumed the item was in some way magical, an assumption that seemed well served when Merida sliced the tapestry, separating her mother from her family, Eleanor's subsequent reaction, and again when the witch delivered her not really at all cryptic out- that to reverse the spell, Merida would have to mend what had been torn by pride.

When Merida delivered her speech to the clans, and her mother pantomimed her through the last part of it, that was Eleanor mending the rift her pride had caused. Not caving to her daughter's whims but understanding Merida's feelings and acknowledging them to be right. Merida mended the rift caused by her pride when she begged her mother to come back because she loved her and needed her. The tapestry was purely a signifier that I believe served no purpose whatsoever other than as a plot device to get them to castle/start the chase/prevent Queen Eleanor from being all kinds of naked in the final scene. The tapestry was a foil for the characters, distracting them from what needed to be done, offering Merida a (false) tangible answer to an intangible problem. So clearly the tapestry didn't have anything to do with the witch's warning or the spell at all. I'm still not sure how much of what I saw on screen was meant to purposefully mislead us to believe it did, though.

So, yeah. There was a lull in the middle, they caught fish for too long, and the wacky brothers were far more entertaining in their 15 seconds as bears than they were in the rest of the film. The clan leaders and sons were used just enough to be funny and not dwelt upon too long, which I appreciated. Ultimately, the story was moving and fun, if not as neat or clever as I have come to expect from Pixar. Damn good, but not great. So I'm kind of surprised by the critical backlash online.

I do feel that it was missing something, the same way The Princess and the Frog was missing something (cough the score cough Randy you've done better see also: Faust), that ethereal something that pulled it together to make it not just exceptional but actually great. I think Brave is going up against some problematic mindsets though. Firstly, because Merida is technically a Disney princess, she is being held up against Ariel and Belle, and to a lesser degree Pocahontas, Mulan, Rapunzel, and then the pretty blondes with the soft 40s voices who I adore but who are not toted as the best of role models these days. If you compare and contrast the behavior, decisions, and character of these young women, Merida's doing just fine. She has as many and more foibles and equal or greater strength than most of them. Belle and Ariel are from movies that are considered classics if not masterpieces, however, and though both led their own films, the primary force behind their stories was romantic love. Secondly, because Brave is a Pixar movie, it is being held up against a long series of films that were, one after the other, in some way considered revolutionary or exceptional for their genre. Toy Story was the first of its kind, certainly not buddy-comedy dynamic wise, but in pretty much every other respect. Finding Nemo is goddamn genius. Pixar takes stories that are not really all that ground breaking- disenfranchised nobody overcomes all odds to become celebrated artist (Ratatouille, anyone?)- but tells them in such a fantastically original, creative way that they are utterly transformed and become new again for the audience. Brave didn't have that same level of reinvention and ingenuity behind its story.

Thirdly, so much was made of Brave being Pixar's first movie with a female protagonist that it's difficult to imagine a way in which they could have satisfied the immense but immensely vague expectation that fact seemed to generate. I'm sure there are people out there with ideas of how they could have done this better- I still think there are things about Brave that should have been changed- but it's not like this movie fails to deliver. It is unparalleled in its animation, it is endearing and harrowing and fun. Good work, everyone.

There are a few things out there that have bothered me but in particular, this comment from Richard Lawson (that comes in the middle of an otherwise okay review) doesn't just rub me the wrong way, it pisses me right the hell off:

But still, why is the Pixar movie with the female lead a movie solely about female relationships?

This question... Ugh. Firstly, it is incorrect. We see Merida's relationship with her father very clearly, from extremely early on the film. It remains strong throughout. We see her relationship with her brothers, we see her relationship or lack thereof with her suitors. The movie is not solely about female relationships. There is, in fact, only one female relationship on display, and it happens to be the relationship the story's about. Secondly, I'm sorry, have you found there to be a lack of Pixar movies about male relationships? Because I haven't. Why wasn't there a female character in the original Toy Story who participated in the action? Or did Richard feel that since Dory helped Al Brooks the clown fish find his son in that Father-Son story, Merida should have had a platonic male companion that facilitated her search for her mother?  We have seen male characters as rivals, as buddies, male characters as heroes, male characters as villains, male characters as victims. We have seen female characters as support, as romantic love interests, as platonic friends. Some have even been vital to the action (Jessie! Dory! Eve!). Legitimately strong female characters! Love you, Pixar! None have led the way, however, and none have had significant relationships with other female characters.


Maybe the first Pixar movie with a female lead is about female relationships because they are important and extremely underrepresented in both the Disney and Pixar catalogs?  Maybe because there's a lack of Mother-Daughter stories outside the genre of 'chick flicks' that those stories are normally relegated to? Are magic and adventure not allowed in girl stories unless there's a prince involved? What the hell is the point of this question? I really don't know, but I can tell you what the implication of it is.


The implication of this question is, why wasn't there a male character to help Merida along the way? The answer is, because she didn't fucking need one.


And on a final note, dat hair. Fabulous.

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The Top Documentaries of LA Film Fest 2012

Cross-posted on Film.com


This past Sunday marked the end of the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival, which boasted the world premieres of big ticket films like “To Rome With Love”, “Magic Mike,” “Brave” and “Seeking a Friend For the End of the World.” But the heart of the fest is in its lesser-known titles, the indie flicks without distributors or making festival rounds and the docs that may be destined for Oscar nominations.

Here we take a look at the latter of these categories with my top five documentary features of L.A. Film Fest 2012.

The Person — “Beauty is Embarrassing”

“Beauty is Embarrassing,” a profile on artist Wayne White, was perhaps the most personal doc of L.A. Film Fest. While others follow stories, movements or profile many people at once, “Beauty” follows the story of one man and his success and struggle as an artist. White himself is our narrator of sorts, providing the thrust of the narrative; doubly so as the film is framed by snippets of his one-man show. Any artist can relate to the circumstances that got White started and guided his life, and the film secretly acts as inspiration for anyone out there aspiring to make a living from their artistry.

Director Neil Berkeley’s adventurous directing — which includes a couple of animated sequences-as-flashbacks that I adored — reflects White’s style in many ways and links the story and filmmaking in a way documentaries rarely do. When especially considering the current state of pop art, which has birthed the wildly lucrative pop culture art of Mondo, Gallery 1988 and more, this doc pays proper due to the man who was in many ways the founder of the movement, the man who made comedy, irreverence and entertainment acceptable in the art world. It it also worth noting that White looks and sounds like both Zach Galifianakis and LAFF entry “Red Flag” actor Onur Tukel, and the three of them should start a band/ comedy troupe/ experimental theatre company as soon as possible.

The Movement — “Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midwives”

You know you’re in for something special when right before a movie starts the director asks, “Who here hasn’t seen a birth before?” As my arm shot up, I began to realize I was about to witness something intense. “Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midwives” does more to solidify the relationship between mother and daughter than any part of this weekend’s top release, “Brave,” did. The film tracks the history of Ina May Gaskin and the group of midwives that live on The Farm in Tennessee, a community originally born by a giant group of San Francisco-based hippies in the ’70s. After directors Sara Lamm and Mary Wigmore got through their births naturally with the help of Gaskin’s “Spiritual Midwifery,” a book read by any birth specialist who knows what’s what, they knew they had to tell her story and show off the beauty of the natural birthing she fights for in the process. Luckily for them, a chockful of archival photos and videos were uncovered, including footage of some of the more complicated births like Breach or Shoulder dystocia. In a hospital, situations like this would have led to an immediate knife, but these midwives argue steadfastly that women’s bodies were meant to bear children and the caesarean rate is out of control, a fact exemplified by the statistic that the U.S.’s childbirth mortality rate for mothers has drastically increased as the caesarean rate has.

“Birth Story” is unique because it both acts as an educational tool, teaching us about the history of the Farm and midwifery as a profession and skill, and as an emotional journey into assisting and experiencing motherhood. I found myself moved to tears by every birth in the film and when the Breach birth is a success, the whole audience burst into applause, overcome with an empathetic wave of relief and joy. Do you know how crazy it is to watch a tiny human come out of a big human?

But far from crazy, the act is a beautiful experience, and this film details the importance of understanding that, of not being afraid, of laughing, smiling, trusting and knowing that *you* are in control, not a surgery-happy doctor. Especially after seeing the HBO doc about aging models, “About Face,” I found myself filled with emotion hearing these older women note that though midwifery is sadly a dying profession (even illegal in Alabama), it is also one of the only ones where grey hair in a woman is respected, a sign that she is better at her job than most anyone else. “Birth Story” is a must-see for any woman — and, frankly, any human — and will make you appreciate that the female body is capable of so much more. Beautiful, entertaining, and inspiring, it’s no surprise “Birth Story” won L.A. Film Fest’s Documentary Audience Award.

The rest after the jump!

The Mystery — “Searching For Sugar Man”

Every so often you hear a story that is just too outrageous, too unfathomable to actually be real: A Detroit-based musician who hardly anyone has ever heard of in the U.S. turns out to be held at the level of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix across the world in a country he had never even been to, and no one here had any idea until 20 years later?

In the age before the Internet, folk singer/songwriter of the early ’70s, Rodriguez, created some of the best music of his era that no one ever heard of. The head of his record label at the time chuckles in the film that he sold “six albums.” But meanwhile, in South Africa, his music was the soundtrack of a revolution. There, they had no reason to believe he wasn’t as big as Dylan, and here, we had no reason to know he was a legend thousands of miles away. “Seeking For Sugar Man” documents the unbelievable story of how a couple of South African fans, including journalist Craig Bartholemew, set out to uncover the mystery of Rodriguez, including how he died as everyone had heard a different story (He shot himself on stage! He set himself on fire! He ODed! He’s actually in a mental institution!), taking us through every step of the way until an unexpected discovery brings the legend back to life.

“Searching for Sugar Man” is the most cinematic documentary I saw at the fest, as its crisp high definition, rocking soundtrack, animated sequences and clever sound design are paired with a pacing and structure most akin to a mystery — witnessing pre-Internet age detective work is fascinating, making you long for days when stories like this were even possible. Ultimately, this surprisingly touching film is about the artistic spirit and how it moves you and moves other people, no matter what else gets in the way, and I suspect it will go far this awards season.

The Issue — “Call Me Kuchu”

The first and still the most powerful doc I caught at the fest was “Call Me Kuchu,” a film that chronicles two years of the gay rights movement in Uganda. The atmosphere for homosexuals is extremely volatile in the missionary-frequented religious country as local papers label them terrorists and out those who are closeted for their own safety without so much as batting an eye. The despicable editor of one such paper, The Rolling Stone, goes so far as to say that  homosexuality isn’t a civil rights issue — and we don’t fight for the rights of murderers, so why do we fight for the rights of sodomites? It’s a terrifying situation over there for people who just want to be themselves, but for many of them, the issue is too important to fight for to leave — although in the wake of the anti-gay bill (death penalty for “serial offenders” and prison time for anyone who knows someone is gay and doesn’t out them) about to come back into Parliament, one of the main subjects of the film has since sought asylum in Europe.

While directors Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malike Zouhali-Worral were in Uganda covering the movement, an incident occurs that changes everything. In the Q&A, they noted how difficult it was to continue the movie afterwards as not only did they have to find a new narrative, but they were in deep despair and mourning along with the rest of their subjects, confused about how to keep fighting when your limbs have just been chopped off. The film is very relevant and very present as you feel like you are with this group of people every step of the way — because you are, to a frightening degree. While many of the docs that screened at the fest recall events that have already taken place, “Call Me Kuchu” is in the action, to the point where we as an audience become so involved that when Act Three hits, I could hardly feel my face any more, I was crying so hard.

Wright and Zouali-Worral noted during the Q&A after one of their screenings this week that access wasn’t as difficult as we might suspect because everyone on all sides believes so much in their stance that they *want* to spread the word, not caring for a moment that those on the far right of the issue might look like heartless pricks to all of Western civilization. The result is an unparalleled look at an issue like this, in a time when we need to be as educated as possible in order to help.

The Story — “The Queen of Versailles”

“The Queen of Versailles,” like “Call Me Kuchu,” started off about one thing, but when life took an unexpected turn halfway through, a very different film emerged. In this case, we get a microcosm of what happened to families across the country when the financial crisis of 2008 hit through the tribulations of the Seigel Family. I couldn’t help but think the film would make a great double feature with “Margin Call,” seeing the dramatized account of what happened and then watch how the events of that day affected this real personification of the American dream.

Director Lauren Greenfield crafts a wonderfully paced and executed tale about these people from humble beginnings who become the epitome of crazy rich people, and then in the wake of financial meltdown have to deal with things like cutting their staff from 19 to four. Though that might seem incredibly silly to us, it changes the entire dynamic in their household. My audience even applauded when a little girl carries plates to the table in one scene later in the film. Pets die, dog poop becomes encased in the floor and kids have to learn about things like public school and commercial airlines.

But what will really make you feel the impact is seeing the difference between company Westgate before the crash — and then after, when 7,000 people were laid off. You start to see these conservative capitalist schmucks in an extremely sympathetic light. Sure, in the beginning of the film, we laugh and chortle and roll our eyes at how ridiculous this family is, but when we start to realize how many people they employed, how important working hard was to Richard Siegel, who built this empire, how supportive his ostensible trophy wife is to her very bones, you start to appreciate the fact that, in theory, anyone can reach those levels of success, and it sucks just as much for them to lose $560 million as it does for us to spend ten bucks on parking. It’s all relative, something I never thought I would think when it comes to filthy rich people building the largest home in the world.

This documentary is very now, very immediate and both difficult and entertaining to watch on multiple levels. While it’s certainly not Greenfield’s directorial eye that caused the financial crisis, it was her eye that recognized the value in Jackie Siegel as being both a little batty and totally sweet and accessible, like a real-life Cher Horowitz. You end up totally on Jackie’s side, through and through, and feel her pain as her husband seems to age ten years over the span of one as his life goes from enjoying the fruits of his labor to planting seeds on his hands and feet, an old man who thought those days were behind him.

During the film, your emotions run the gamut — from hating these people to loving these people, to crying when a kindness of Jackie’s is revealed to guffawing out of awkwardness during a major family fight. This access, pretended to be achieved on oh so many reality shows, is in fact almost unprecedented. These are very real people who live under very outrageous circumstances who still manage to show us a story that can be related to by anyone.

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Shakespeare Forum's Hamlet

The Shakespeare Forum presents their inaugural production Hamlet at the Theater for the New City.

Lead by co-founders and directors Sybille Bruun and Tyler Moss, The Shakespeare Forum offers a weekly open workshop that allows New York artists to share pieces they're working on or just watch their peers. It is an ever-growing community of artists offering each other support and constructive criticism. Private classes are also available and the Forum is also developing an outreach program to public schools in need of theater arts education.

Hamlet marks The Forum's first ever production and having personally attended several of their Tuesday meetings, I am extremely excited to watch this fine ensemble (many Forum regulars) take on one of Shakespeare's finest plays. For whom better to perform Shakespeare than those regularly engaging with his work?


Hamlet
Directed by: Sybille Bruun
Starring: Dan De Jesus, Pat Dwyer, Adam Goodman, Dylan Kammerer, Erin Keskeny, Tyler Moss, James Patrick Nelson, Andrus Nichols, Tom O'Keefe, Chris Seiler, Brian Smolin, Claire Warden

Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue (between 9th & 10th St)

June 21-24, 26-30 at 7:30pm
June 23, 24, 30 & July 1 at 2pm

For more information and tickets, go here.

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Someone Who'll Watch Over Me @ Canal Park Playhouse

The TRUF and The Canal Park Playhouse present a new production of Frank McGuiness' Tony Award nominated play Someone Who'll Watch Over Me. The play involves three Westerners--an American, Irishman, and Englishman--imprisoned as hostages in Lebanon, whose constant seesaw between hope and fear are revealed in their conversations and storytelling.

Someone Who'll Watch Over Me captures the duality and reciprocity of both faith and communication; with each conversation had and story told, the characters grow to feel responsible for each other, while the audience is tied to them as the ultimate watchers of their tale. Directed by Justin Lauro, this intimate and well-paced production features Lauro, Timothy Riley, and Alex Teachey who all wonderfully capture the intensity of their characters' circumstances, while keeping the audience invested in their emotional turmoil and wondering about their futures.

Someone Who'll Watch Over Me is paired with the play Sarazad and The Monster-King, a retelling of the frame tale of Arabian Nights, which also deals with themes on the power of storytelling. Both can be seen at Canal Park Playhouse.




Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
Written by: Frank McGuinness
Directed by: Justin Lauro
Featuring: Justin Lauro, Timothy Riley, and Alex Teachey


Running now until July 20th
Wednesday-Saturday, 8PM

Canal Park Playhouse
508 Canal Street (between Greenwich and West St)

For tickets go here

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Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Prize Pack! WE LOVE CONTESTS!

We're contest FIENDS at this point!

So what's this one?!

You know the drill! Enter the handy dandy rafflecopter and win a prize pack!

One (1) winner will receive:

·         $25 Visa

·         Official Soundtrack (CD)

·         T-Shirt

·         Tote Bag

·         Lip Balm

·         Shot Glass

·         Glow Stick & Bracelet

·         Key Chain

One (1) additional winner will receive the official Soundtrack, T-shirt, Tote Bag, Lip Balm, Shot Glass, Key Chain, Glow Stick & Bracelet

"Seeking a Friend For The End Of the World.", directed by Lorene Scafaria, previously best known for writing the charming "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," rather than the raunchy comedy marketing suggests, is in fact very much a romantic drama, littered with comedic moments. The film follows Dodge (Steve Carell), a corporate drone whose wife leaves him the moment it's announced that an asteroid is headed straight for Earth and everyone has three weeks left to live. He soon encounters his free spirited neighbor Penny (Keira Knightly in full Manic Pixie Dreamgirl mode), who herself has just left her simpering wannabe musician loser of a boyfriend. The two strike up an unlikely friendship as they try to help the other, getting Dodge to "the one that got away" who recently wrote him a letter professing her love, and getting Penny back to family across the pond, who she hasn't been very good at keeping in touch with while playing records and wrecking havoc on men's hearts across the US. The film shows how even in the face of The End, when people primarily cling to a pointless routine or revel in rallying against it, two souls can still find each other and that fulfillment they always dreamed of, but gave up on long ago. "Seeking a Friend..." is extremely sweet, perhaps to his detriment, as at times it is primarily ruled by a sentimentality some may find inauthentic, though it spoke greatly to me. As Knightly and Carrel don't have a sexual chemistry per se, the audience must do some reaching to fully buy their burgeoning romance, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it doesn't work on its face. These are lonely people who find each other in the heightened emotional landscape of a disaster. If you connect to that and to them, the film works. If you don't, I can feel you wincing already. Still, the script is strong and accomplishes what it sets out to do, paying off everything it sets up in unpredictable, if not slightly schmaltzy ways. "Seeking a Friend..." certainly won't be for everyone, and succeeds far more as a romantic drama than a comedy, but it will no doubt find an audience who connects with its message.

Enter here!

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"Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World" Soundtrack Tracklisting

1. Wouldn't It Be Nice (The Beach Boys)

2. Devil Inside (INXS)

3. Sex Tourists (French Kicks)

4. In The Time Of My Ruin (Frank Black)

5. Set Adrift On Memory Bliss (Radio Edit) (P.M. Dawn)

6. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) (The Walker Brothers)

7. The Air That I Breathe (The Hollies)

8. Dance Hall Days (Wang Chung)

9. Ooh (Scissor Sisters)

10. This Guy's In Love with You (Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass)

11. Stay With Me (The Walker Brothers)

12. Dodge Walks Home/The Beach (Rob Simonsen & Jonathan Sadoff)

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