Yellow

Yellow is a lost woman's spiral into depression, punctuated by the fantasies she constructs to cope.  Soaked with the hilarity of her hallucinations, the film has no real character development but leads from crazy to punchline.

Yellow
2012, 108 minutes, directed by Nick Cassavetes

You're Next

I missed this at Fantastic Fest a few years ago - it showed once and then disappeared from the schedule, one of the legendary screenings that got away.  Now it's back in all its glory.  A family gathers for reasons both complicated and unknown, while masked terror lurks.  When the horrors unleash, a family guest reveals her true nature.  It's pretty damn awesome.

You're Next
2011, 95 minutes, directed by Adam Wingard

Hours

2005.  New Orleans.  Something is wrong, and Abigail and her husband Nolan rush to the hospital.  Abigail dies in childbirth, leaving Nolan lost and barely able to relate to the premature baby in a ventilator that the nurse insists is his.

Then, Katrina.  The hospital is evacuated, except for Nolan and his baby, still attached to the ventilator that can save her life - if it keeps running when power goes out, order decays, and desperation sets in.

Maybe it's because of where I am in life, but this film moves me, in a way that few have.  It's intimate, raw emotion, and it's the first film since The Fountain that made me cry.  For me, it's the best film of the year.

Hours
2013, 97 minutes, directed by Eric Heisserer

We Cause Scenes

Charlie Todd had an idea: bring art to the masses.  Then he had a second idea: film it.  Almost a decade later, Improve Everywhere is known worldwide for its biggest scenes and continual favorites.  This is a great film about an innovative scheme.

We Cause Scenes
2013, 86 minutes, directed by Matt Adams

Reality Show

Departing sharply from my string of music docs, Reality Show is anything but real. In a fully fictional story, a reality producer decides to create a wholly-original program by centering on a family who doesn't know they are under surveillance. When the randomly-chosen family does turn out to be as boring and predictable as they appear, pressure from the network leads the show team to inject drama into the story, leading to consequences spiraling out of control.

Normally this sort of story causes my to cringe, and while parts of it are difficult to watch, overall the whole piece is incredibly funny, making it well worth the suffering. It's depression and hilarity in one.

Reality Show
2013, 92 minutes, directed by Adam Rifkin

In Your Dreams - Stevie Nicks

Having relished the snips of Stevie Nicks voice in music clips included in last night's Sound City, I decided to make this a music-doc-by-musicians trio and see Stevie Nicks' and Dave Stewart's film. Dave, half of the hit synth pop group The Eurythmics and lifelong camera buff, was drawn to Stevie due to their shared experiences (breaking up with a longtime love, then becoming famous in a band with their ex).

The film is organized by song, with minimal background and side story. In the film and Q&A, Stevie was clear to explain that the year spent making the album was the best year of her life. Indeed, each song is the most _____ of something she's ever done. They said the first cut was some ten hours long, but when finally edited the six minutes of adoration and self-reflection devoted to each song aren't enough to keep it all from sounding trite. I'll still take any opportunity I can to hear Stevie sing, but movies made when making albums struggle to work.

In Your Dreams - Stevie Nicks
2013, 100 minutes, directed by Dave Stewart and Stevie Nicks

Sound City

The Sound City recording studio saw dozens of multi-platinum albums, from Fleetwood Mac to Nirvana, all recorded and mixed in its A studio and on its infamous Neve console. Left behind by the digital age, when the studio shut down in 2011 Dave Grohl of Nirvana/Foo Fighters bought the console, moved it to his home studio, and brought together artists who had recorded on it over 40 years to create a new analog album. On the way, Dave makes a film, a story of the Sound City studio and Neve console that made him, personally, famous.

The Sound City story is fascinating from start to finish, but the film somewhat loses focus when it switches gears and styles and becomes a story of the new album. Regardless, the Sound City story, and the feelings that music invokes, are well worth the trip.

Sound City
2013, 107 minutes, directed by Dave Grohl

Pete and Toshi Get a Camera

In 1955, facing prison and banned from performing by the McCarthy witch hunt, Pete Seeger and his wife Toshi set out to make films. Eventually they decide to film their musician friends, and expand to American folk singers, the last Texas prison work crew that knew the old work songs, coal miner banjo pickers, etc.

Finally, in 1963, the McCarthy case is dropped, and Pete can again travel abroad. He and his family set out on a whirlwind 11-month tour of 28 countries around the world, recording and re-performing folk and native music while his wife filmed. This archival footage, complete with excellent audio, is coupled with modern interviews to tell the tale of their journey and the music they found and shared.

Pete and Toshi Get a Camera
2013, 88 minutes, directed by William Eigen

Kiss of the Damned

First and foremost, this is a love story. It is love at first site for Paolo when he encounters the reclusive Djuna, and not even her "condition" as a vampire keeps him away. As she relents, her destructive sister Mimi arrives, seemingly focused on destroying those around her.

The best parts of this film are the passion the young couple share, and their interaction with the local vampire community. The whole experience was pleasantly enjoyable.

Kiss of the Damned
2013, 97 minutes, directed by Xan Cassavetes

Good Ol' Freda

The Beatles were together for 10 years. Freda Kelly worked for them for 11. President of the fan club and band secretary, Freda was there from the early days at the Cavern to the final breakup. This film documents her life and experiences as a part of the band never before told.

If you like music; if you love the Beatles; if you like the voice of reserved British women, you should catch this film.

Good Ol' Freda
2013, 86 minutes, directed by Ryan White

Snap

A schizophrenic's psychotic break, set to dubstep.  What more should you want?

Snap
2013, 88 minutes, directed by Youssef Delara and Victor Teran

Hawking

Why would the world's most celebrated physicist narrate a biographical feature documentary?  To make sure it's filled with his own dry humor, of course.  Hawking is such a film, covering the highs and lows of Cambridge Professor Stephen Hawking's life, from youth through college, discoveries and marriages, and the continuing decay of his body.  "I felt like some sort of tragic character," he says, so "I took to listening to Wagner."

While clearly a person who's self ambition has been the focus of his life, he nevertheless recognizes the impact that his life and career has had on those around him, and on public culture in general.  I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about him in his own words, and in those of his friends and family.

Hawking
2013, 86 minutes, directed by Stephen Finnigan

Plus One

Just one year out of high school, Jill is diving into college life while her boyfriend David stayed behind. A stupid kiss is the impetus to tear them apart, and David thinks he has just one night - at the ultimate Spring party - to win her back. Thanks to extraterrestrial interference, though he may have more chances than he expects.

Meanwhile, Teddy is simply looking for the time of his life, and gets more than he bargains for. This is a story of understanding, of decisions, of consequences, of what it means to be you. All of which is set in the midst of young nudity and debauchery and a good bit of science fiction.

Plus One
2013, 95 minutes, directed by Dennis Iliadis

Milo

Ken has stress issues: an asshole boss, an overbearing mother with a young virile husband, a deadbeat dad, and a wife who desperately wants a family. All the stress leaves him with constant GI issues. Compounding these issues are the bloodthirsty parasite living in Ken's colon that comes out for revenge...

This is the best film I've seen so far this SXSW. I could easily see this become the Army of Darkness of the current college generation.

Milo
2013, 85 minutes, directed by Jacob Vaughan

Burma

Seven years after last abandoning his family, Christian's father shows up unexpectedly on the eve of a family weekend. None of them - Christian, his brother, or sister - particularly welcome their father's arrival, but tepidly accept him to hear his explanation for his disappearance.

A dialog-driven drama, the film explores the bonds of family and the impact when those are torn apart.

Burma
2013, 81 minutes, directed by Carlos Puga

La cinquième saison (The Fifth Season)

When I saw that Casa Kafka was a sponsor of this French-Belgian production, I knew it would be hopeless, depressing, senseless. In a small Belgian town, nature simply...stops. Chickens no longer lay eggs, cows stop producing milk, field lay fallow, trees die but won't burn. Young Alice and her friend Tom suffer and cope, with traveling beekeeper Pol and his son Octave as the only ones who maintain their senses against the seemingly global calamity. As food grows scarce and desperation grows, even they can't stop the tide of insanity.

There's seriously nothing cheerful about this film. Be warned.

La cinquième saison (The Fifth Season)
2012, 93 minutes, directed by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth

Haunter

Lisa's been repeating the same day for...well, she doesn't know how long.  But now she's woken up, realizing that her life is on a cycle, and soon enough understanding that she and her family are ghosts.  As she tries to break herself and her family free, a more sinister presence reveals itself.

The story, the acting, the cinematography, all were pretty good.  This will make an excellent pre-teen slumber party movie.  (In the Q&A, the director, who's previous work was a bit more adult-oriented, said he made a point to make this film without a drop of blood onscreen.)  My only issue was with plot resolution.  Everything gets resolved, which is great, except it's done in a multi-scene twenty-minute climax that left me mentally exhausted.  I would have preferred to see the tension tweaked to turn the long plateau into a building towards the final confrontation.  But other than that, the film hits its marks.

Haunter
2013, 97 minutes, directed by Vincenzo Natali

Oh, Alamo, don't show 70s footage of a topless lady dancing in a bamboo cage while injecting herself with needles in the pre-footage before what will eventually be a PG film.  The 9-ish-year-old actress who came to the premiere of her first film should not have seen that.

Drinking Buddies

Kate is dating Chris and good friends with boss Luke, who is sort-of engaged to Jill. But maybe Kate and Luke need more from each other, and what's going on with Chris and Jill? Drinking Buddies is a will they/won't they romance, as these couples figure out what it means to commit for life.

Drinking Buddies
2013, 90 minutes, directed by Joe Swanberg

Tiny: A Story About Living Small

With no building experience, no tools, no blueprints, and no materials, Christopher Smith and his friend Merete set out to build a small little tiny (oops, must use correct term every time) house. Intermixed with their progress are interviews with others who live in and build such homes, usually 200 square feet or less. The film seems condescending at times to those who choose to live in more space - even to me in my 1000 square foot "mansion" - but I don't think that's intentional and it passes.

Meanwhile, they hope to inspire ecological- and soul-enriching movements towards living living for time rather than money, including with another kickstarter scheduled to start soon. I wish them both the best of luck.

Tiny: A Story About Living Small
2013, 62 minutes, directed by Merete Mueller

The Bounceback

Being a hopeless twenty-something, Stan hops a plane from LA to Austin to "run into" his ex, who is spending the weekend there from New York. Keeping them apart are their friends Jeff and Kara, who have both broken up with each other and desperately want them all to move on. With a backdrop of the raunchy Air Sex championships, the two former lovers have one weekend to decide if they're meant to be together or if its truly time to move on.

The Bounceback
2013, 92 minutes, directed by Brian Poyser

TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away from Keyboard

This "slice of life" documentary (no narration, no post-interviews, just film and a few on-screen comments and glossary) covers Peter, Fredrik, and Gottfrid, the founders of The Pirate Bay, from their 2009 trial in Sweden through the loss of their finals appeals in 2012. Told almost entirely from their perspective, it presents one view (the correct view) on the legality of the case against them. If you've ever been interested in TPB from a legal or political perspective, I encourage you to check this out.

And yes, in accordance with the wishes of the filmmakers, feel free to find, download, and share the film online.

TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away from Keyboard
2013, 82 minutes, directed by Simon Klose

V/H/S/2

Having acquired a heap of knowledge and a pile of leftover tapes from their first outing, this second installment of the V/H/S horror line feels more polished and... boring... than the first.  Sure, everything tied together better in a central theme: private detectives are asked to look for a college student who's been missing for a few days.  At his house, they find lots of static-y monitors and piles of VHS tapes.

This time, it all feels more predictable in its narration.  There's a story with ghosts, one with zombies, one with occult, and one with aliens.  It's all nice and tidy.  And that's what makes it boring.

V/H/S/2
2013, 95 minutes, directed by Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans, and Jason Eisener

The Paramount was already running an hour late after their first film.  I stayed in line for Evil Dead for two hours, but when the film was supposed to have started and the previous screening was still letting out, I bailed for dinner and a sure spot at this midnight film.  Knowing now that some people made it (barely) to both thanks to V/H/S/2 also being inexplicably delayed, and knowing that I didn't care much for the midnight film, makes me angrier at the Paramount and SXSW for being unable to keep their schedules even remotely on time.

Upstream Color

Kris is kidnapped. Brainwashed. Wiped out. Left with nothing but emptiness, and a subtle link she can't explain. Jeff has the same emptiness, but he's found her. And then there's the sound. Quinoa. The connection. The hypnotic telepathic worms. Told with minimal dialog, this surreal film explores the involuntary bonds these people share with each other and their counterparts. More than that, I can't explain.

Upstream Color
2013, 96 minutes, directed by Shane Carruth