ATL Flick Chick

Oscar Shorts Are Here

2012-02-09T18:19:00.000-05:00

The live-action and animated short films nominated for this year's Oscar race will be playing at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema beginning tomorrow February 10, 2012. If you're like me and attend a high stakes and highly competitive Oscar party every year, you might want to scoot on over so you can be knowledgeable about the shorts when filling out your ballot. Meanwhile, check out the Oscar shorts website here.

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Begins Tonight!

2012-02-08T16:56:00.003-05:00

The Atlanta Jewish film Festival begins tonight and runs through February 29, 2012. Check all the details here. Enjoy!

Honey, The Baby's Flying

2012-02-07T20:12:00.000-05:00

I saw a quirky French film last week called Ricky. It kept popping up in my recommendations on Netflix instant, so I gave in and watched it. Basically two factory workers meet, fall in love and have a baby. And everything's fine until the baby sprouts a pair of wings. It's never explained why the kid has wings, but I assumed it was from something shady going on at the factory. At first the family is cast into turmoil and exposed to a media circus. Then Ricky goes missing. You sort of get the sense that he may in fact be fantastical in a way that transcends the physicality of his feathers. In any case, the family eventually bonds for the better. A lighthearted way to pass the time.

Atlanta Film This Week Feb. 8 to Feb. 11, 2012

2012-02-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

There are two opportunities to see Marty McFly's daddy (aka actor Crispin Glover) this week! Enjoy!

Wednesday (2/8)

Crispin Hellion Glover @The Plaza--It is Fine, Everything is Fine--7p, $20
@dTox--Fat Sick and Nearly Dead--7p, FREE
Emory Cinematheque--Visions of Light--7:30p, FREE

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Thursday (2/9)

Crispin Hellion Glover @The Plaza--What is It?--7p, $20

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Friday (2/10)

Movie Mania--Eraserhead--7:30p, FREE
Contraband Cinema--Handmade Feminist Films, 8p, $6

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Saturday (2/11)

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Modern Masters of Film @The High--Never Fear--2p, 8p, $5, $7

Atlanta Film This Week Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, 2012

2012-01-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

Lots going on this week. Enjoy!

Monday (1/30)

@The Plaza--Full Metal Alchemist--Through 2/2

Tuesday (1/31)

@The Plaza--Full Metal Alchemist--Through 2/2
@The Plaza--The Room--9:30p, $9

Wednesday (2/1)

Emory Cinematheque--Shanghai Express--7:30p, FREE
@The Plaza--Full Metal Alchemist--Through 2/2

Thursday (2/2)

@The Plaza--Full Metal Alchemist
@Emory--Tenenbaum Family Lecture in Judaic Studies/Neil Gabler (Film Critic)--7:30p, FREE
Wonderroot’s Filmmakers’ Night @The Plaza--9:30p, $6

Saturday (2/4)

It Came From The Web--Bad Manor--8p, $5
@The Plaza--Old Man Cabbage--10p, $10

Sunday (2/5)

@The Goat Farm--Thrive--4p, FREE

Oscar Nominations Announced

2012-01-24T11:49:00.001-05:00

The Oscar nominations were announced today. Were you surprised, indifferent, perplexed, or indignant by any of the nominees? I was disappointed that Ryan Gosling was not nominated for Drive or The Ides of March. I was also upset that Michael Fassbender was shut out for his performance in Shame. Hugo garnered 11 nominations but I'm not really interested in seeing it. Your comments are welcome.

Atlanta Film This Week Jan. 23 to Jan. 28, 2012

2012-01-22T15:53:00.000-05:00

Enjoy!

Monday (1/23)

@The Plaza--Full Metal Alchemist--Through 1/26

Tuesday (1/24)

@The Plaza--Full Metal Alchemist--Through 1/26

Wednesday (1/25)

Emory Cinematheque--The Crowd--7:30p, FREE
@The Plaza--Full Metal Alchemist--Through 1/26

Thursday (1/26)

@The Plaza--Full Metal Alchemist

Saturday (1/28)

@The Plaza--Benjamin Smoke& Lawrence of Lawrenceville--9:30p, $10

Atlanta Film This Week Jan. 19 to Jan. 22, 2012

2012-01-18T23:17:00.000-05:00

This weekend you have a chance to boogie with Dirk Diggler. Enjoy!

Thursday (1/19)

Feminist Film Forum--Hedwig and the Angry Inch--6:30p, FREE

Friday (1/20)

@The Plaza--Full Metal Alchemist--Through 1/26
Movie Mania--The King’s Speech--7:30p, FREE

Saturday (1/21)

TabooLaLa @The Plaza--Boogie Nights--10p, $10

Sunday (1/22)

@The Plaza--Ace the Zombie--9:30p, $9

Atlanta Film this Week January 10, 13, and 14, 2012

2012-01-08T19:26:00.003-05:00

Scare yourself silly this week at Atlanta's non-profit theater The Plaza! Enjoy!

Tuesday (1/10)

Splatter Cinema @The Plaza--Friday The 13th--9:30p, $9

Friday (1/13)

Splatter Cinema @The Plaza--Friday The 13th--9:30p, $9

Saturday (1/14)

@The Plaza--White Reindeer--7:30p, $9

I'm Not Broken, I'm Free

2012-01-06T18:39:00.001-05:00

2012 is getting off to a tremendous start. I just saw Pariah and I am so grateful for storytellers like Dee Rees who wrote and directed. At it’s core, the film is about a teenage girl who is trying to assert her true self. This is no small feat during adolescence which is a difficult phase for almost all of us. The fact that Alike (“Li” for short) is African-American and gay only makes the story more nuanced and heartfelt. Li’s mother (played wonderfully by Kim Wayans) suspects her daughter is gay, but cannot deal with that reality. So she copes by trying to choose Li’s friends, buying Li more “girlie” clothes, and co-opting Li’s father into taking some sort of action. Li herself knows who she is, but leads a somewhat double life to keep the peace. For example, she changes clothes at school everyday just to avoid her mother’s ire and lies about her whereabouts when she hangs out with another gay teen. Li’s true outlet is poetry which allows her to voice the anguish she is experiencing. The movie also delves into universal themes of first love, friendship, rejection, and family dysfunction. I found it interesting to note that the people in the movie who have the most problem with Li’s sexuality are the adults in her life rather than her peers. But Lee rises above, fortified in knowing that God does not make mistakes and that she is unbroken and free. At times funny, insightful, and painful, the movie is truly the definition of independent film.

Pariah is receiving a lot of worthy accolades and Oscar buzz. I sincerely hope it wins every award for which it is nominated. Pariah will be released in metro-Atlanta theaters on January 13, 2012. Go see it.

ATL Flick Chick's Year in Film 2011

2011-12-30T19:38:00.000-05:00

As far as I can tell, this post includes all the films I’ve seen in 2011 that came out in 2011or were shown/available in my neck of the woods to be seen by me in 2011. [I’m a lawyer, so I have a need to be unbearably precise]. The Top Five are my true top films of the year. The rest are not in any particular order, but are films I generally liked or at least found to be entertaining. I have added some commentary here and there of some films most of which you can find a full review by me on the site. I have placed an asterisk beside feature narrative films that have qualified to be eligible for an Academy Award at the 2012 ceremony. [Note Oscar nominations have not yet been announced.] Finally, at the end of this post, I list some of the 2011 films I really did not like.

Enjoy! And please comment on my selections.

Incendies-- I saw this at the 2011 Atlanta Film Festival. It blew my mind. I can’t recall if it had a theatrical release in Atlanta, but it’s now on DVD.
The Interrupters--This documentary is probably the most sociologically important film to see this year. I’m mad that it did not make the Oscar short list for documentaries.
*Drive--Ultra-stylistic, moody, bloody fun.
*The Tree of Life--I did not expect to enjoy such an esoteric film that contemplates God and the universe. But I really liked it.
*Shame--Probably has one of the best performances of the year by Michael Fassbender.
*The Descendants--Just saw it, so stay tuned for a review.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey--The feel good film of the year.
The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975--Some Swedes capture the height of the American Civil Rights movement.
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest--Q-Tip, enough said.
Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone
I Will Follow--First film distributed by AFFRM
The First Grader--Pleasing true story.
*Warrior-- Features my boyfriend Tom Hardy.
Viva Riva--Rich tale of the criminal underbelly in the Congo.
*The Artist
*Attack the Block
*Crazy Stupid Love--A good opportunity to ogle Ryan Gossling’s abs.
*Limitless
*White Irish Drinkers--I saw this indie gem on Netflix instant
*Horrible Bosses
*Bridesmaids
*Colombiana--Loved seeing a black woman carrying an action flick.
Kinyarwanda
*Hangover II
*Jumping the Broom
*Larry Crowne
*The Lincoln Lawyer
*Tower Heist--Good to see Eddie Murphy getting back to comedy for grown folks.
*Fly Away--Netflix instant
Hobo with a Shotgun--Entertaining tomfoolery, but not a Rutger Hauer comeback.
*No Strings Attached--Meh

Movies I Disliked in 2011

*Young Adult--I could not relate, but it’s getting Oscar buzz anyway. Whatever.
*Red State--Marketed as a supernatural horror film but was not a supernatural horror film.
*Insidious--Poltergeist for Millennials
*Beginners--I was underwhelmed after reading great reviews. It’s not a horrible movie and I liked the dog’s performance.
*Fast Five--Watched it “free” on a plane only to see a friend who was an extra.

The Death of Silence

2011-12-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

The Artist is a sleek movie about a silent film actor George Valentin ( played by Frenchman Jean Dujardin) who experiences the demise of his career with rise of “talkies” or movies with sound. As George’s star declines, one of the youthful extras in his movies Peppy Miller’s (Berenice Bejo) career soars as she embraces the new technology. George and Pepper have incredible chemistry, but George’s pride won’t let him join in on the ingenue’s success. Because the movie is in black and white and is silent, it has been getting a lot of Oscar buzz. Indeed, in this day and age of car chases and CGI effects, it is rare to see a story stripped down to its basics. Also, to tell the story of the demise of silent film via a silent film is so cheeky. When the director Michel Hazanavicius does use sound, he uses it very sparingly and only to greatly enhance the story. Although I enjoyed the human story very much, the real scene stealer was George’s adorable Jack Russell Terrier who was a companion both on and off the set. That dog acted its butt off. I also enjoyed James Cromwell who played George’s loyal driver Clifton. [However, whenever Cromwell was onscreen, I could not help saying to myself “That ‘ill do, pig.” (see Babe)] In any case, The Artist is a sweet if silent ode to days gone by.

Atlanta Film This Week 12/27 and 12/31

2011-12-26T18:22:00.000-05:00

Enjoy this last week of 2011!

Tuesday (12/27)

@The Plaza--The Room--9:30p, $9

Saturday (12/31)

Silver Scream Spook Show @The Plaza--Mad Monster Party--1p, 10p, $7, $12

Good People from a Bad Place

2011-12-14T19:37:00.000-05:00

Shame is a brilliant drama written in part and directed by Steve McQueen and starring Michael Fassbender as Brandon, an every-day New Yorker who has an addiction to sex. His lack of control over his urges comes to a head (really, no pun intended) when his sister Sissy (played by Carey Mulligan) drops in for a visit. Where Brandon is repressed, keeping inside all emotion and navigating life in neat grey sweaters and black slacks and living in his neat and sparse apartment, Sissy literally wears her pain on her wrists, cries a lot, and is loud, messy and indiscreet. We never learn why Brandon is so repressed and incapable of emotional connection or why Sissy is so sad and suicidal. In an effort to console Brandon, after accidentally learning of his struggle with sex, Sissy tells him that they are good people from a bad place. That’s the only clue we have for the source of their pain. And McQueen does not really let us know whether these characters truly get over whatever it is. At the height of Brandon’s character arc, however, he breaks down in tears in the middle of the street and we know, at least, there is a wealth of human emotion behind his stoic facade. And the siblings are survivors, even if they fail to slay their demons. A well-acted, compelling film in its quiet nuances.

Note that the movie is rated NC-17 for graphic sex and nudity.

Review: Kinyarwanda

2011-12-12T19:50:00.001-05:00

Kinyarwanda is an independent film distributed by the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM) whose mission is to promote the theatrical release of indie films by African-American filmmakers. In a series of six vignettes, Kinyarwanda explores the lives of everyday Rwandans during the genocide in 1994 in which ethnic Hutus, at the urging of the government, killed almost a million ethnic Tutsis and their supporters in a period of about 100 days. I appreciated the effort made by writer-director Alrick Brown; however, I believed the subject-matter was so broad and so complex that the film only scratched the surface. First, unless you already know something about the history of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the movie was hard to follow. Although the vignettes all intersected by the time the movie ended, they did so in a non-linear fashion. This type of non-linear storytelling is interesting, but probably better suited for a less complex context. Second, Brown touched on a number subjects--religious strife (Muslim v. Christian), class-ism, the legacy of imperialism, the RPF (the revolutionary insurgent force which ultimately took over the government after the genocide), and more common issues of love and fidelity--but never delved deeply into any one issue. I think the movie would have been much more powerful if a single subject was explored, such as the reconciliation camps that took place after the genocide in which survivors were able to confront their attackers. Third, in certain parts of the film, it was very apparent that there just were not enough extras or other resources to realistically portray the scenes, especially scenes involving the RPF and when the survivors were fleeing to the refugee camps. Even with these shortcomings, I think it is important to support filmmakers like Brown and the AFFRM movement who are bringing interesting and compelling stories by and about black people to the big screen. So I urge you to see Kinyarwanda if it's playing near you.

Other films regarding the 1994 Rwandan genocide: Hotel Rwanda, Shake Hands with the Devil:The Journey of Romeo Dallaire, and Ghosts of Rwanda.

Atlanta Film This Week Dec. 13 to Dec. 18, 2011

2011-12-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

This week may be the last time you can see The Shining on 35mm film. Enjoy!

Tuesday (12/13)

Splatter Cinema @The Plaza--The Shining--9:30p, $9

Thursday (12/15)

@The Contemporary--Outrage--6:30p, FREE

Friday (12/16)

@The Plaza--The Dead--Through to 12/22

Saturday (12/17)

Splatter Cinema @The Plaza--The Shining--9:30p, $9

Sunday (12/18)

Movies with a Mission--The Black Candle: A Kwanzaa Celebration--3p, FREE
Movies in the Garden @The Mansion--An Elf’s Story--4:30p, $15-$25

Atlanta Film This Week Dec. 6 to Dec. 10, 2011

2011-12-05T22:58:00.001-05:00

Enjoy!

Tuesday (12/6)

Art Papers Screening--The Forgotten Space--7p, FREE

Wednesday (12/7)

@Emory--Walk on Water--7p, FREE

Friday (12/9)

Film Love--Andy Warhol#8: Kiss--8p, $5

Saturday (12/10)

@The High--ASIFA presents Best Animated Shorts of 2011--2p, 8p, FREE

At Least it was Free

2011-11-30T21:40:00.001-05:00

I saw a screening of the new film Young Adult starring Charlize Theron, directed by Jason Reitman, and written by Diablo Cody. In sum, I hated it. I almost walked out, but wanted to see if it got any better. It didn't. Reitman and Cody are the duo who gave us Juno. Where Juno was daring and endearing, Young Adult was just sad and unfunny. Theron plays Mavis, the author of a series of young adult novels, who decides to go back to her small hometown to get back with her high school boyfriend who is married with a new baby. Mavis is delusional, prone to drinking too much, and literally pulls the hair out of her head. While that may be an interesting character description, I found Theron's performance unbelievable and I had no empathy for the character. By the time the film revealed the reason for Mavis's bad behavior, I no longer cared. I'm just glad I didn't pay to see it.

Scratching My Head

2011-11-29T14:36:00.001-05:00

So the documentary The Interrupters was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, but it did not make the Oscar short list of 15 possible Best Documentary candidates. I just don't get it. I think the Academy may be a bit out of touch. What do you think?

Why?

2011-11-28T13:56:00.001-05:00

Just read a headline on The Twitter that Sylvester Stallone plans to make Rocky into a musical. Really? Must every successful movie receive theatrical treatment in song? Imagine the stench of the meat locker scene on stage! Lol--yikes!

Atlanta Film this Week Nov. 28 to Dec. 3, 2011

2011-11-27T16:04:00.001-05:00

There's lots to do this week, assuming you have recovered from your tryptophan coma. Enjoy!

Monday (11/28)

@The Porter Sanford Center--Alley Pat:The Music is Recorded--7:30p-- RSVP Here

Tuesday (11/29)

Peripheral Visions Presents--Films for One to Eight Projectors (shorts by Roger Beebe)--7p, FREE
@The Plaza--The Room--9:30p, $9

Wednesday (11/30)

Emory Cinematheque--Le Doulos--7:30p, FREE

Thursday (12/1)

@Emory--Kevin Brownlow: My Life with ‘Napoleon’--8p, FREE

Saturday (12/3)

Santa’s Super Saturday Show @The Plaza--1p, 10p, $5, $10

Turkey Break

2011-11-22T19:06:00.001-05:00

Not much going on this week with Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday. But if you're Atlanta on Friday or Saturday you can take in the Midnight Madness movie at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. This week: Pulp Fiction. Gobble Gobble. Enjoy!

Puppet Master

2011-11-20T15:43:00.001-05:00

If you walk out of a screening of Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey without a smile on your face, then you might want to check your pulse because you may not have a heart, or even a soul. This delightful documentary chronicles the life of Kevin Clash who is the puppeteer inside the lovable Sesame Street character Elmo. As a working-class teenager in Baltimore, Clash discovered his fascination with puppets in the late 1960s by watching iconic children's shows such as Sesame Street, of course, and Captain Kangaroo. He started making his own puppets and putting on shows for his mother's day care kids, as well as local charities. Although he was made fun of at school, his parents did not discourage him from his passion. As a result, he ended up on a local Baltimore television show while still in high school. That lead him to a stint on Captain Kangaroo and eventually to jobs with his idol Jim Henson and on Sesame Street. The rest was history. Clash's passion for his craft has taken him all over the world. Not only has he built a great career in puppetry, but his embodiment of Elmo and other characters has enabled him to bring joy and love to countless children everywhere. This is an awesome story of someone who followed his heart and built a longstanding career as a result. Viva Elmo!

Atlanta Film This Week Nov. 16 through Nov. 19, 2011

2011-11-14T20:56:00.001-05:00

Ugly dogs, zombies in Africa, and burlesque--all coming to an Atlanta screen near you. Enjoy!

Wednesday (11/16)

@Auburn Avenue Research Library--Ghetto Physics:Speak Truth to Power--6p, FREE
@Georgia Tech/Nollywood Film Screening--Memories of the Heart--7p, FREE
@Landmark Midtown Art Cinema--Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview
Emory Cinematheque--Dark Streets and Dangerous Dames: Film Noir--Devil in a Blue Dress--7:30p, FREE

Thursday (11/17)

@Landmark Midtown Art Cinema--Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview

Friday (11/18)

@ The Plaza--The Dead--continues through 11/24
Midnight Madness @Midtown Art Cinema--American Psycho

Saturday (11/19)

Decatur Docs Presents--Worst in Show--5p, $10-$20
TabooLaLa--Female Trouble--10p, $10
Midnight Madness @Midtown Art Cinema--American Psycho

Oscars Shake-Up

2011-11-09T18:45:00.001-05:00

Since everyone is all aTwitter, you may have heard by now that Eddy Murphy has backed out of hosting the 2012 Oscars. This comes on the heals of Brett Ratner resigning after making a homophobic slur. I could care less about Ratner, but I was looking forward to Murphy hosting. My first thought was why is Murphy hitching his wagon to Ratner? I saw Tower Heist and it really wasn't that good. [I can sum up my review in one word: meh] Murphy could have stayed and worked with the replacement producer. It's not like Murphy is doing anything else. Oh well. Last year, Anne Hathaway and James Franco were a disaster. The Academy really needs to get someone GOOD [not necessarily hip] to get people to watch. Who do you think should host?