Electra Luxx

I don't like leaving a theater during a film, until it is absolutely over and the MPAA rating is on the screen.  So missing the last thirty minutes of this film due to a projector failure has been gnawing at me, despite my earlier poor review of the first half.  With the SXSW music festival in full swing, I had the opportunity to get out of downtown and close out the film fest with another screening, this time as the Alamo South Lamar.

All in all, the stupid one-liners are funny ("I'm pregnant."  "Is it yours?"), but the overall plot is too disjointed and fumbly, just poorly executed.  It feels rough and unedited, and never reaches the level of cult awesome that it seeks.

Electra Luxx
2010, directed by Sebastian Gutierrez

Four Lions

"Why make a comedy about terrorism?"  Well, what could enrage a terrorist more than being laughed at?  Hilarious in its stupidity, this British film somehow works.

Four Lions
2010, 101 minutes, directed by Christopher Morris

Higanjima

I thought this would either be a Japanese splatterfest, or Japanese action film.  What I got was a host of whiny Japanese teenagers, with occasional bouts of awesome tempered by dollops of stupid.  I was disappointed.

Higanjima
2010, 122 minutes, directed by Taw-gyun Kim

Brotherhood

This films pulls out every cliche about stupid frat boys making increasingly dumber and dumber mistakes, until it all crashes down.  Every one of them deserves to be neutered.

Brotherhood
2010, 81 minutes, directed by Will Canon

When You're Strange - A Film About the Doors

Narrated by Johnny Depp, with all video from the 1960s and 1970s, this film is the definitive Jim Morrison documentary a must-see for any Doors fan.

"If the doors of perception were changed, everything would appear as it is: infinite."
"Obediance is suicide."

In attendance was the Doors' guitarist, Robby Krieger, whose first song he ever wrote - "Light My Fire" - spent three weeks at #1 on Billboard's chart.  As he described Jim, he was "always trying the hardest to crash his car or jump out of a window or something."

When You're Strange - A Film About the Doors
2009, 90 minutes, directed by Tom DiCillo

The People vs. George Lucas

Love him or hate him, or loved him now hate him, George Lucas' work has touched the lives of most of you.  This documentary explores the hype and build up of the Star Wars fan base through the troubling Special Edition and the crash after The Phantom Menace.  Lucas has become his own biggest fan, and for many people his revisions and extensions are destroying cherished memories.


And just think - in 1987 Lucas testified before Congress that the colorization of older films could ruin them by taking them out of their native context.  And then a decade later he takes the bell-bottoms and cheesy hair of A New Hope and combines it with cheesier SE graphics, vowing to never again release the "incomplete" original version.

During the pre-film introduction, the director shared breaking news that Lucas was planning a Saturday-morning Jedi Babies cartoon.  Lucas couldn't have timed it better.

This was a pretty funny documentary from the standpoint of someone who is very familiar with the roller-coaster of emotion as a Star Wars fan.

The People vs. George Lucas
2010, directed by Alexandre O. Philippe

Cargo

There seems to be just one a year, and here it is: a true unabashed science fiction film for 2010.  If you liked Gattaca, if you loved Moon, find a way to see this.

Cargo
2009, 120 minutes, directed by Ivan Engler and Ralph Etter

Outcast

This Irish/Scottish occult film is trying to imply a mysticism much larger than the film, but as often occurs, they do so by intentionally confusing the audience.  And then there's a directorial mistake that gives away part of the big mystery early in the film.  Still, the story is sound and it would make a solid rental.

Outcast
2010, 93 minutes, directed by Colm McCarthy

I'll note what I think was the big mistake in a comment.

Harry Brown

It's Gran Torino x Dirty Harry as Harry Brown (Michael Caine) loses first his wife (to illness) then his only friend (to a mugging).  With all ties to humanity gone, Harry takes payback entertainment to its finest as he fights social decay.  If you can, I recommend seeing this one on the big screen.


Harry Brown
2009, 103 minutes, directed by Daniel Barber

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

Two Appalachian men head out to the woods to fix up their newly-bought vacation cabin.  Why do all these college kids keep killing themselves on the propery?

This is a great film.  Funny, original, with a healthy supplement of gore and spewing fake blood.

"I should'a known that if a guy like me talked to a girl like you, some one would end up dead." - Dale

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
2009, 88 minutes, directed by Eli Craig

Electra Luxx

This large-cast discordant drama was meandering aimlessly through its script, when the Paramount camera decided it had had enough and ended things prematurely, giving a sizable burst of patrons the chance to scurry from the theater.  I give credit to the director for filling in so well at such an unexpected disaster, turning a stall session into a Q&A and sharing far more than most directors can or will about past and future productions.

Does the ending tie it all together in some Guy Ritchie-style narrative?  If SXSW adds a second screening at a reasonable time, I'll give it a second chance.  Otherwise, I may never know.

Electra Luxx
2010, directed by Sebastian Gutierrez

All pictures taken by and copyright Digren of Movie Digs.

 The Paramount premiere, before the relationship soured

Director Sebastian Gutierrez makes the most of his abrupt Q&A as star Carla Gugino looks on

Co-stars Emmanuelle Chriqui and Malin Akerman of Electra Luxx

Carla Gugino, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Malin Akerman, and Emma Bell

The Happy Poet

Camera in hand, I was almost roped into taking the official premiere pictures for this film, until the SXSW photographer finally arrived.

I was very grateful to see this as a premiere.  With the director's introduction, it was clear that he's Just That Way.  I fear without that disclaimer I'd get the impression that he was deadpanning the whole film, something that would detract from its honesty.  Fortunately he's not, and it is, and I wholly enjoyed it.  And it was never cringe-worthy!

The Happy Poet
2010, directed by Paul Gordon

Cast of The Happy Poet pose before the premiere

"Just remember I'm the happy Poet, motherfucker, not you."

L

Liz Fisher of The Happy Poet at the Q&A

Monsters

Unlike most reviews you'll probably read, I didn't think this film was Cloverfield 2.0.  It could have been, but the director did an admiral job taking his film in a different direction.  I'm intrigued by the production style, with the entire film done as ad-lib with an almost entirely extras cast, based on a rough paragraph outline per scene.  (Indeed, as the credits rolled, I thought they were a temporary version as only the two lead actors are credited.)  Don't let the sci fi fool you; this is a love story set in post-apocalypse Mexico.  The fitting conclusion was the announcement by star Whitney Able that she was engaged to co-star Scoot McNairy.  (Alas, I didn't have my camera, though I'll rectify that tomorrow.)  I'd see this again.

Monsters
2010, 97 minutes, directed by Gareth Edwards

Cyrus

I saw this film based solely on my faith in the Duplass brothers, having seen and liked the Puffy Chair when it showed at SXSW several years ago.  And while their latest film has strong points most noticeably Marisa Tomei's wonderful performance, the bulk of the film was dominated by the type of creepy uncomfortable comedy that makes me shield my eyes from the screen.  That finally ends as the plot switches to a tit-for-tat rivalry of affection, but then it simply ends with a wholly abrupt and insufficient serious resolution.

I'm nonplussed.

Cyrus
2010, 92 minutes, directed by Jay and Mark Duplass

Micmacs à tire-larigot

Per the director, "micmacs" means "shenanigans", and there's not a better way to describe the film.  This is a cliche-filled whimsical romp through the world of the down-and-out, centered around Bazil, a poor soul who lost his father to a land mine in the war, and much later was shot in the head, costing him his home and job and leaving him destitute on the street.  He learns the manufacturer of both implements of destruction, and when the opportunity arises, leads an ingenious troupe in fitting revenge.  I think I've seen this film three times before in various forms, but it was a pleasant way to spend an evening.

Micmacs à tire-larigot
2009, 105 minutes, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Marwencol

In April 2000, Mark Hogancamp was attacked by five individuals outside a bar.  The damage was severe, both physically and mentally, with brain damage that left him unable to work, almost completely wiped of memories, forced to learn who he was again.  He found that he wasn't the same person any more, and while in some ways it wasn't bad - like his newly-found aversion to alcohol - his trauma left him unable to draw as he could before, cutting off his creative outlet.  He worried that they had taken his imagination, too.

After two years his publicly-funded therapy was cut off as well.  To compensate, he devised his own methods, centered around a 1/6th scale Belgian village called Marwencol.  Set in World War II, his village and its stories were his therapy, letting him calm himself, improve the dexterity of his shaking hand, and giving him an emotional escape.  He takes his work one step further, though, by intricately detailing his world and photographing the stories as they progress.  Years later his work is discovered, and his amazingly-genuine images are proclaimed as art.  Is he ready for this step in his recovery?  Is it recovery at all?

I found this documentary enthralling.  The thematic style of the documentary portions are woven with the narrative of Marwencol, leading up to his debut as a artist at a New York gallery.  The story was solid from start to finish, with solid editing, and it never dips into pity in any way.  I was truly inspired.  Check this one out.

Marwencol
2010, 83 minutes, directed by Jeff Malmberg

The director left a secret film showing Mark's reactions to the movie and the pros and cons of traveling to SXSW to see it.  While it's still available check it out at http://www.marwencol.com/sxsw.

The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights

Usually a music documentary tries to delve deeper into the history or emotions or interactions of the artists.  This one does none of the above, sticking straight to the official story line for a band of admittedly occasional interest, the White Stripes.  (Disclaimer: I only like a few songs, such as 'We're Going to Be Friends' and 'Icky Thump'.)

Moreover, lack of documentary content on this tour of the Canada, timed to correspond to the band's tenth anniversary, is shored up by including what felt like an hour of live concert footage, set at an uncomfortable volume compared to the much quieter interviews.  (Actually, I'm amazed I can call the interviews "quiet", as the consist entirely of Jack White talking in his stream-of-consciousness fashion while Meg is rarely able or willing to get a word in.)

Maybe I already knew enough about Jack, but I was hoping to see a little more about what brought Meg to music.  Regardless, I got nothing of what I was looking for.

The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights
2009, 93 minutes, directed by Emmett Malloy

Erasing David

It's SXSW again, and while we had every intent to skip this year due to whatevers, a pair of badges landed in our laps earlier this morning.  After a flurry of organizing it up and amazingly being denied at the Paramount for the opening night film, my wife and I ended up at the cozy little Hideout for the U.S. Premiere of this British documentary.

Filmmaker David Bond, having been notified that his government lost information about him and his daughter, starts to wonder just exactly what part of his life is out there to be discovered.  Each piece of information shared with the government or a business becomes part of a collection, one that when compiled can reveal far more than desired.  Putting this to the test, he chooses to disappear for 30 days.  Meanwhile, he has hired two private investigators to track him down, starting with only his name and face.  Can he last the month, or is there already far too much out there waiting to be found?

The film jumps between David alone on the run, his investigators as they gather up his life and try to predict his moves, and interviews and research on privacy conducted before the adventure began.  I thought it was a well-edited, solid documentary, very well suited for the blend of film and interactive content that is the first weekend of SXSW.  Privacy has become a choice of how much you are willing to reveal to get the services you desire.

Erasing David
2009, directed by David Bond and Melinda McDougall

Edit 3/22/10: It's rather hilarious that this story came out just a week later:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/facebook-finds-mafia-boss/story?id=10124958