Drag Me to Hell

100% predictable

200% cheesy

3000% awesome

Drag Me to Hell
2009, 96 minutes (as a work in progress), directed by Sam Raimi

Four Boxes

This internet-age mystery thriller starts off in a predictable fashion, with cliche characters Serious Guy, Goofy Guy, and Mututal Love Interest. It goes for predictable gags, shocks, and twists, and winds to what seems near a predictable conclusion.

Then, it just gets weird. I readily admit that I haven't seen something like it before. But, I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. I recommend that you see it for yourself, but be prepared to be disappointed.

Four Boxes
2009, 75 minutes, directed by Wyatt McDill

Garbage Dreams

This documentary tells the tale of three youth, growing up as Zaballeen, a lower-class society of garbage collectors and recyclers in modern Cairo. They survive by selling recycled raw materials sorted from the refuse, and achieve a recycling rate as high as 80% for their efforts. As antagonists, foreign waste disposal companies have recently moved in to "modernize" garbage collection. With a 20% recycling rate but legal right to all trash on Cairo's streets, the two sides face off, the Zaballeen, now lawbreakers, fighting to survive. It's not healthy or glamorous work, but it's their life.

The documentary hypes the environment angle, but there's basis for it. When the local Recycling school gives two of the boys, Nabil and Adham, a chance to travel to Wales to see their modern recycling efforts, they are suprised by the waste in the automated systems.

Each of the youth adopt in their own ways to their changing world, and the documentary follows them for more than two years to see the story to a rightful end. While each of the three choose different paths, Adham steadfast passion for recycling instills in him a sense of restlessness, a lack of place in the new world. He, of the three, clearly wants to travel, find a purpose, and so it was quite pleasant to find that the film producers flew him to Austin for the world premiere of his film. The standing ovation he received was well deserved.

Garbage Dreams
2009, 82 minutes, directed by Mai Iskander

Artois the Goat

This locally-grown, kitchy comedy tells a compelling tale of need. The raw, base emotion that fuels the desire to create resonates in me strongly, and this film acts as inspiration for that desire. It's a very uplifting story.

Artois the Goat
2009, 96 minutes, directed by Cliff & Kyle Bogart

Pontypool

When our very words have been infected, what can one radio man say to save the world?

I'm amazed at the vivid imagery produced by this film, despite the lack of many special effects and, indeed, any images at all of the horrors described. It's a slower apocalypse horror film with little on-screen violence, but see it with a strong recommendation.

Pontypool
2008, 95 minutes, directed by Bruce McDonald

I'm drawn to think about how Cloverleaf, a film I didn't particularly dislike, had to use so much imagery to create the same kind of story that Pontypool did with so little.

Moon

As I've mentioned before (see Sunshine, Gattaca), there is far too little sci fi being created these days. Sure, there's soap opera in space (see Battlestar Galactica), there's western in space (see Firefly), and there's plenty of horror in space. I like all those types, too. But there's too little science fiction in the sense of the true masters. Sci fi is meant to push the boundaries of science, not necessarily a lot, but just a little, to create situations of tenuous morality. Then the science can be set aside and the story is about the people, and how mankind in its brilliance adapts and coexists.

Moon
2009, 97 minutes, directed by Duncan Jones

Objectified

I didn't notice that this was from the same director as Helvetica, a quality documentary from SXSW a few years past. He apparently, as he put it, "still had questions [he] wanted to explore about design."

This is a documentary style I like. Quality production, smooth pacing, a topic interesting yet unfamiliar, touching on cultural icons to which I readily relate. The directed did a wonderful job picking designers to feature.

From my notes, an enjoyable quote, from the designer of the Umbra trash can (of which we have two in our house): "There's been a million chairs designed. Why on earth is there an uncomfortable chair? There is no excuse."

And another quote, from another designer: Create a marketing campaign for things you already own. "Why not enjoy them today?"

I really liked this film, and I think my wife will like it a lot, too. Given his indication of a third design story underway, I look forward to completion of the trilogy.

Objectified
2009, 76 minutes, directed by Gary Hustwit