If you’re not on the Noah Baumbach bandwagon you need to hop on and see Frances Ha. Baumbach’s latest film, written by Baumbach and the star of Frances Ha star Greta Gerwig, seems to deconstruct both the indie film template and the romantic comedy scheme.

Gerwig plays a modern woman in the throes of indecision. “She’s an impulsive character,” maintains Baumbach in a phone interview with Free Press Houston. Indeed, one moment Frances is fretting over a nominal ATM charge and then at another juncture she randomly decides to fly to Paris for the weekend. All on the rapidly decreasing credulity of her credit card. “In another movie that would be the exact right thing for a character to do, but here it’s an example of her not being able to make up her mind.”

Frances Ha moves with a spirit that calls to mind what works best in romantic comedy; there’s a frisky sense of play to both the possibility of romance and of finding one’s way in life. But is Frances Ha even really a romcom? The point of the film isn’t about Frances hooking up with a beau so much as getting her own apartment after spending most of the film crashing at friend’s places, avoiding responsibility or visiting her parents.

Additionally Frances Ha has one of the best visual looks of many recent films with its gorgeous black-and-white palette. (Perhaps not oddly, another film in limited release next month, Much Ado About Nothing, also sports a bold b&w look.) “We did multiple tests for a week with many different cameras,” Baumbach explained. Director of Photography Sam Levy and Baumbach decided on a Canon digital model and the results evoke the kind of beauty of New York City that Gordon Willis achieved with Manhattan (1979).

In collaborating with Gerwig on the script Baumbach and her would trade out notes and pages as they were working in different cities on separate projects. “It’s different on different films,” explains Baumbach. “When I was writing Life Aquatic [The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou] with Wes Anderson we were both in the same room.”

Frances Ha sets a new benchmark for Baumbach’s films. The story will really move and connect with audiences in a way that the less likeable characters of Baumbach’s previous films prevented. Not because films like The Squid and the Whale, or Margot at the Wedding, or Greenberg aren’t great on their own merits (they are) but in Frances Ha the characters aren’t consumed by self-loathing so much as self-doubt. And when that barrier is silenced the future can only look bright.

I would never use the phrase indie darling to coin what Gerwig shows in her movie roles but her actions in Frances Ha are light years from what most contempo actresses have on display. Gerwig’s performance in Frances Ha ranges from song to dance all cleverly worked into the reality of the story. The one-sheet for Frances Ha has Gerwig in a mid-dance step, which Baumbach describes as “the best still from the film, it was like jazz. We wanted to find a way to use that for the poster.” Frances Ha also co-stars Mickey Sumner, Grace Gummer, Michael Esper and Adam Driver.

Baumbach’s influences obviously stem from French films from the 1960s. In addition to a few current rock songs Baumbach deliberately scores Frances Ha with music from French composer Georges Delerue. (Much like Tarantino scores his film predominantly with Ennio Morricone compositions.) Delerue may be best known for his work on Truffaut films although his output includes music for many international and domestic films. And if Baumbach’s sensibility recalls the frantic and quirky adventures of Truffaut’s Antoine Doinel series he also takes in 80s-era French filmmaking with a purposeful nod to Leos Carax’s 1986 Mauvais sang, in which that film’s protagonist ran down a city street at night in a long take tracking shot while Bowie’s “Modern Love” blasts on the soundtrack.

“I’m familiar with the film and scene you’re talking about. I hadn’t intended to use that particular song, yet when we were editing the film we tried a few songs with that sequence. The thing is “Modern Love” is the perfect song to jog to, so yes it became something of an homage.” If pressed to name a couple of his favorite French film Baumbach volunteered: “Of course there’s so many but a couple that come to mind are Eric Rohmer films. La Collectionneuse [1967] and Le rayon vert [The Green Ray, 1986 released domestically as Summer].”

Frances Ha opens in select theaters in Houston this weekend.

– Michael Bergeron

Brian Chippendale is the percussive force behind Black Pus. As a member of Lightning Bolt, he pummeled faces in the power duo, redefining ideas of rock or metal or whatever adjective could most closely describe the interweaving of bass guitar and drums. Chippendale is perhaps one of this era’s driving musical forces, introducing a different kind of trap music. Black Pus has seven releases–each more expansive than the next, each capturing a new approach to style and method while still representing the established sound those familiar have associated with Chippendale. FPH recently had the chance to interview Brian Chippendale via e-mail. Below is a transcript of that conversation.

Throughout the course of the albums, I would venture to say that All My Relations is the most melodic, in a way. It seems that this album is the most realized in terms of taking what you had done (“Earth Ain’t Enuff” to “Word on The Street”) but also treading newer ground (“Fly On The Wall”). How would you say the sound has progressed from album to album?

I think the big step here is a full-blown studio. So where past recordings had melodic elements, like a lot of stuff off Black Pus 4, the hi-fi studio setting cleans and thickens and brightens those elements so they aren’t buried in a sometimes murky, sometimes harsh lo-fi vibe. It also documents me evolving my vocal styles and letting myself experiment more with clear singing like on “Fly on the Wall.”

In performing the songs live, do you try to adhere to the version on the album or do you tend to use that version as a springboard for the live experience and all of the idiosyncrasies that come with that?

This tour I’m on is definitely proving the recordings are a springboard. I can play versions of the bulk of the songs from the LP but the nature of my instrumentation, an untuned oscillator and vocal loops done live, tends to let the songs wander into new places. And because it’s just me, if something is sonically not working in a certain space I’ll just take the playing musically to a place that works for the room. I like not being tied to a certain perfection live– it let’s the project breathe and evolve.

The album works as a singular document, a linear body of work with mood and texture. Did you face challenges throughout the editing process in determining the composition of your album, as it could have been molded so many ways? Do you view each album as its own thing or as sort of a continuum of the band?

I really try to look at an album as its own work, like a novel in an abstract way– not necessarily defined by a plot, but more by the interests and energy level of that period of my life when it is made. The album idea is an arbitrary one, especially now when control of music content delivery has dissolved, but I enjoy it as a framework. It’s a funny piece of tradition in music, making 40-50 minute chunks of sound, but it works for me.

As this music seems very physically demanding, how do you prepare to perform these songs? Are there food omissions, or some sort of ritual, similar to maybe a boxer’s training aesthetic, in place to make sure you are conditioned to play a 30 or 45 minute set?

Man, I wish. I swore before tour I would practice twice as much but ended up barely getting a chance to play the week prior to leaving, what with getting my van in shape, printing some t-shirts, paying all the bills, a bunch of other stuff… Once I’m on the road, the key is to eat a few meals each day. It doesn’t seem to matter what it is, just eat. And stay warm before playing. Then, I can play. Setting all my equip up before a set, usually in a pretty warm room warms my body up, my energy level and temperature rises and then I’m good to go. Setting up equipment is a good focus ritual. Sleep helps, too, but that can be a challenge on tour.

Black Pus plays Cafe Brasil on May 27, 2013.

K.M. Anderson

The thing about Kon-Tiki is how it leaves you both with a sense of adventure as well as a feeling that one has control of their own destiny. Kon-Tiki is a narrative version of Thor Heyerdahl’s non-fiction account of how he led an expedition across the ocean in 1947 in a boat designed to mimic how people would’ve sailed 1500 years ago. In all Heyerdahl sailed 4300 miles over the period of approximately 100 days in a raft, albeit a huge raft larger than most living rooms, made of balsa logs in a successful attempt to prove that the Polynesian Island were populated from the east, from Peru.

Kon-Tiki wastes no time in getting the story on the water, if not on the road. KT establishes Thor (pronounced Tor) as a lad who falls in an icy lake and is quickly pulled to safety by his feet out of the freezing water. Then Thor’s an adult studying the intricacies of native peoples. A vibrant first act takes the audience through a colorful depiction of post-WWII New York as Heyerdahl seeks funding.

This production (in English) is the most expensive movie ever made in Norway. Heyerdahl also made a documentary on the Kon-Tiki voyage that won an Academy Award in 1951. Also, Heyerdahl wrote a book about Rapa Nui called Aku-Aku: The Secret of Easter Island that like Kon-Tiki excels in non-fiction adventure.

Most of the film follows the journey of the craft and the characters of the men on board. This isn’t a metaphorical trip a la Life of Pi, and there’s no tiger although there is a parrot and a stowaway crab. There’s constant danger from storms, sharks, razor sharp reefs and even a few whales with attitude.

Much of the film is subjective with shots taken from the point-of-view of the boat but in a moment of transcendence Kon-Tiki’s directors (Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg) lift the camera high over the boat and all the way into outer space and then slowly bring the viewer back down to the tiny craft, a mere dot on the ocean.

Kon-Tiki will appeal to action fans as well as older audiences familiar with the story. It’s good to see a film that gets you excited without resorting to over the top explosions and unbelievable gunplay. Kon-Tiki is currently in an exclusive engagement at the River Oaks Three.

– Michael Bergeron

To Boldly Go…

The anticipation surrounding this movie had built up so much, and I’ve been so disappointed this year by a majority of the hype machines that have been dragging their collective weight across 2013. The Great Gatsby was apparently the Not So Great Gatsby, the Evil Dead was pretty much Less Evil and More Dead, so naturally I was skeptical about this new Star Trek. I bought tickets, and headed to see it, but not in 3D. I figure, if the movie is good enough in 2D, then it’s worth seeing again in 3D.

The movie blasts off with a fast paced, suspenseful action sequence, that sets the tempo for the rest of the movie and has you clutching your pearls, waiting until you can finally relax. The pace doesn’t let up until the very last moment of the film.

One of the strongest elements of this movie is the humor, which is both thoughtful and natural. If you are a Trekkie, and you’ve seen the first film, then this movie will command a frequent onslaught of laugh out loud moments, many of which are between the lovable bromance that is Kirk and Spock’s relationship. Even if you haven’t seen the first movie, but are still familiar with the series, and further, if you are not, the movie will tickle you in some form or another.

The special effects are consistently impressive, and several moments blur the line between what is possible and what is Star Trek. The introduction of new technology, planets, villains, species, and more, changes the way that the Star Trek universe unfolded in the original series, making this film series completely Abrams’. For instance, having an android on the bridge before the Next Generation is a bold move, but it works, and unless you were a total nerd like me, you probably wouldn’t bat an eye.

I was hoping for a cameo, but what surprised me more was the villain. I didn’t do any research or look for any spoilers prior to seeing this movie, so when the villain was “unmasked” essentially, I let out a “no way” in the theater. Abrams’ made yet another brilliant, albeit bold, move, in his selection of the bad guy, but you’ll find no complaints here. Benedict Cumberbatch was absolutely fantastic, right on par with the performances from Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.

In fact, that’s something that impressed me the most with the first film and stayed consistent in the sequel. Chris Pine is a damn good Captain Kirk, who embodies a lot of the characteristics that made William Shattner’s Kirk resonate with audiences the way that he did, while Quinto’s approach to Spock is decidedly more human than Leonard Nimoy’s. However, this interpretation allows for a very special and new element in the relationship between Spock and Kirk, giving nerds like me a rager for the duration of the film. I think Quinto’s performance in this movie was great, but I could have used a lot more Spock time.

Ultimately, without giving anything away, this movie is evidence that Abrams is up to good things, and worthy of all the credibility that has come his way since the first film. After being so impressed with this film, I look forward to seeing what he does with the next one, as well as with Star Wars. I have full faith in J.J. Abrams. If you are even slightly connected to the Star Trek series, you’ll find this movie won’t disappoint, but if you aren’t a fan of the series, and haven’t even seen the first movie, you’ll still enjoy every minute.

By: Amanda Hart
Photo courtesy of Librotraficante

In March, FPH covered an important fight that was brewing on the steps of the State Capitol. Our favorite Houston Senator, The Great Dan Patrick, had introduced Senate Bill 1128 which would have redefined what Texas universities could classify as history.  That same day, Texas Republican House of Representative Giovanni Capriglione introduced House Bill 1938  which outlined the same goal as SB 1128.

According to the bill(s), “A college or university receiving state support or state aid from public funds may not grant a baccalaureate degree or a lesser degree or academic certificate to any person unless the person has credit for six semester hours or its equivalent from courses providing a comprehensive survey of American history.” Translate that from white man speak and you have effectively eliminated all history courses that focus on minorities. It was not coincidence that this bill was introduced on the first day of spring break. Patrick, Capriglione, and their cronies thought that everyone would be sleeping on the job.

Fortunately for us, and all history courses everywhere, their plan did not work. Activists from all over the state came together and stood in solidarity against these bills–and their voices were heard. Thanks to activists such as Tony Diaz, one of the founders of the Librotraficante Movement, SB 1128 and HB 1938 were crushed by the masses. According to Diaz, “We formed a Texas-wide coalition that fought against HB 1938 & SB 1128, which would have discredited Ethnic Studies at Texas state colleges and universities and effectively eliminated Mexican American, African American, and Women’s Studies programs, among others.  Both bills are now dead.”

Movements such as Librotraficante have made a name for themselves fighting abusive legislation that wishes to whitewash our nation’s history. Librotraficante was born when Arizona House Bill 2281, which dismantled the Mexican-American studies programs in their schools, was passed. When the Mexican-American studies programs were eliminated, it led to the banning of multiple authors from the school libraries. Authors such as Isabel Allende, Junot  Díaz, Dagoberto Gilb and numerous others.  Tony and others in the movement responded by  “smuggling” the banned books back into Arizona and setting up “underground” libraries all over the country.

Diaz summed it up best when he said, “Capriglione and Patrick submitted these bills on the first day of Spring Break. They must not have realized that the Librotraficantes spend Spring Break defying oppression. At this time last year, we launched the Librotraficante Caravan to Smuggle Banned Books Back into Arizona, and this year we defended Ethnic Studies in our own back yard. This is a warning to all far right legislators in any State of the Union, if you attack our History, our culture, or our books, we will defy you. And we will win.”

You can read more about SB 1128 here and here

Everytime you walk into a health food store you might want to give a nod to Father Yod. Funny how the local Whole Foods is just an extension of what Yod created back in the 1970s. But The Source Family doesn’t glorify health food stores per se, rather this excellent documentary examines the communal family that Yod created.

Maybe his aim was utopian, and maybe Yod even had a criminal past, but one thing is certain: this family was living the life. Father Yod had several wives and fathered a lot of children many of whom are seen talking to the camera, of course now grown up. And you have to shake your head in wonder at how smart, educated and accomplished his progeny are.

The family ran a popular Hollywood vegetarian restaurant that attracted movie stars and rock stars alike. Yod and his group even had their own band and released several recordings. In fact a soundtrack recording now in release has many tunes recorded from 1971 through 1975.

Now for the controversy if you can call it that. Father Yod closes the store and moves the family to Hawaii when the group’s “unorthodox sex practices” come under scrutiny. In a weird turn of events Yod himself suffers an accident while hang gliding and dies because he refuses medical treatment. The juxtoposition of Yod’s wives as they were then (there is plenty of stock footage) and now shows that they are as beautiful as ever.

The Source Family is currently playing at the downtown Sundance. See it, have a utopian vision of your own and go eat a healthy meal afterwards.

– Michael Bergeron

The Weekly Music Round Up: May 17th-23rd

The Free Press Pick of the Week:

Do something right by going to see the Wrong Ones, here is our album review for their new record which they will be releasing tonight!
http://www.freepresshouston.com/music/nothing-wrong-about-em-review-of-the-wrong-ones-infinite-hallucinations/ 

This Week in Music-

Friday, May 17:

• The Wrong Ones, Poor Dumb Bastards, Hell City Kings, Talk Sick Brats, The Swamps- Fitzgerald’s
• B.E. Godfrey, IDYL, Austin Smith, Eli- Fitzgerald’s

Saturday, May 18:

• Born Liars (Record Release Party)- Fitzgerald’s
• Yngwie Malmsteen- The Concert Pub North

Sunday, May 19:

• Gladys Knight- Arena Theater
• Barry Manilow- Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilio

Monday, May 20^th:

• They, Who Sound, featuring Parham Daghighi, Abel Cisneros, David Dove & Eddie Hawkins- Avant Garden

Tuesday, May 21^st:

• Ratt, Seventh Rize-  House of Blues
• Charlie Robison- McGonigel’s Mucky Duck

Wednesday, May 22^nd:

• Moths, Josiah Gabriel, Texas Instruments, Nikkhoo, Cordial, Hoffle Stoffle Awaffogus- Dean’s
•  Straight No Chaser – FUNK: From A to G, featuring Savvi, Equality, & DJ Flash Gordon Parks- The Alley Kat

Thursday, May 23^rd:

• Jambalaya, featuring Tyler, the Creator, Earl Wolf (Tyler, the Creator & Earl Sweatshirt), Zeds Dead, Big Boi, RL Grime, & G-Eazy- Bayou Music Center
• Dancin’ in the Street…Motown & More Revue, featuring Bacement Soul Orchestra & more- Miller Outdoor Theatre

For every fan of classic French film as well as affectionatos of foreign and art films comes Renoir. A biography of sorts this handsome movie depicts the late years of the impressionistic painter Auguste Renoir. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Renoir is really about the model who became a kind of muse to Renoir and subsequently became the wife of Jean Renoir the famous film director.

We’re first introduced to beautiful actress Christa Theret as Andrée Heuschling as she lies her way to a meeting with the master painter. Even as she disrobes for a session we don’t feel any kind of sexual spark so much as a serious working relation of a model and an artist. Enter Jean (Vincent Rottiers)  back from WWI and with a rather nasty leg wound. Soon the magnetic attraction between them becomes obvious. Eventually they would get married and Andrée would star in most of Renoir’s silent films. They were divorced in 1930. If the average bear is familiar with the cinema of Jean Renoir at all it would be for his later sound films like The Rules of the Game and Grand Illusion among others. But those who know will recognize the efforts the film Renouir goes through to establish Jean’s growing fascination with movies. One scene in particular shows him experimenting with the tools of the trade (a camera, a screen).

In real life Jean Renoir made films first in France and then came to America (during WWII) and made some great films despite being a slave to the studio system (like Swamp Water, The Southerner, Diary of a Chambermaid and The Woman on the Beach). Eventually Jean Renoir made other films in India and Europe and also wrote a book about his father.

Director Gilles Bourdos captures the colors and swirls of Renoir senior’s paintings and all of the outdoor scenes are stunning in their idyllic beauty. Another character, a young lad Coco Renoir, would also work with his brother on later films. As a petulant kid he also becomes the eyes and ears of the audience when he asks Andrée to show him her tits. Although she refuses we have already seen what he wants to see and we know that form and aesthetics are the order of the day.

Renoir opens in Houston this weekend at the downtown Sundance and at the Bijou Cine Bistro in Richmond (technically a satellite of Houston).

– Michael Bergeron

By Jacob Calle

Killing off wildlife for economic gain is terrifying. We leave our descendents little to nothing, showing them that their ancestors were no better than how white men treated slaves. But I guess that’s just human nature. We are a horrible species. Perhaps we are the animals without the soul. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has declared yet another Black Rhino extinct, this being the Western Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis longipes). The rhino had little to no conservation efforts, making them an easy target for poachers to kill for their horns. There is said to be less than 5,000 Black Rhinos left while Northern White Rhino and Asia’s Javan Rhino are quickly following the deadly shadows of it’s extinct relative. “The situation could have had very different results if the suggested conservation measures had been implemented,” said Simon Stuart, chair of the IUCN species survival commission. “These measures must be strengthened now, specifically managing habitats in order to improve performance, preventing other rhinos from fading into extinction.” The horns of the rhinos is a curse and a beautiful gift. Due to artificial beliefs that the horn defeats cancer, poachers have taken advantage of this false belief and dehorned thousands of rhinos leaving them dead where they had found them.

AAZK (American Association of Zoo Keepers) have created a fun interactive conservation program to raise funds for the 5 remaining species of rhinos. The National bowl-a-thon called Bowling for Rhinos helps conserve our giant endangered unicorns. The fundraisers are organized by volunteers to help raise money to send directly to where it needs to be. 100% of all donations are sent directly to these insitu rhino conservation areas.

June 21 from 6:00pm-10:00pm at PALACE BOWLING LANES (4191 Bellaire Blvd. Houston, TX 77025 (713-667-6554) will be Houston’s opportunity to support these creatures.

Entry Fee with Bowling:

Online Pre- registration

$25 Adult (13 & up)

$10 Child (5-12)

Night of Event  

$30 Adult

$15 Child

Entry Fee Non-Bowling:

Online Pre-registraion

$10 Adult

$5 Child (Children under 4 are free)

Night of Event

$15 Adult 

$10 Child

Choose from one of two bowling sessions: 6:00pm-8:00pm or 8:00pm-10:00pm

Entry fee with bowling includes: unlimited bowling for two hours, event giveaway item, free shoe and ball rental, access to auction and raffle

Non-bowling entry fee includes: event giveaway, access to auction and raffle

Silent Auction wiith Zoo Animal Paintings

All proceeds will go towards Rhino Conservation

For more information visit www.houstonzoo.org/bowling-for-rhinos

Animal conservation is a very serious effort to help these species survive. While at times tear jerking and a lot of energy we must keep struggling to reach our goal. Bowling for Rhinos takes the heat off the work and makes conservation fun while not even realizing you are bowling for a rhino’s life. So please join in and spare a life.

Click here to view the embedded video.

National Ride Your Bike to Work Day:

The League of American Bicyclists got together and decided to designate May as the National Bike Month, way back in 1956. Now, 57 years later, we are here to remind you that tomorrow, the third Friday in May, is Bike to Work Day! That means you, the responsible, Earth loving consumers that you are, get the chance to utilize all that empty bike rack space at your office, and forget about fighting your coworkers for a parking spot in your garage!

Aside from all the added health benefits of riding a bicycle, some of which include a healthier heart, better looking calves, etc., you will be reducing your carbon footprint, creating less traffic and congestion (for people who can’t have as much fun as you on National Ride Your Bike to Work Day), and above everything else, will save you a fortune in overpriced gasoline and vehicular maintenance costs.

If you don’t have your own bicycle, don’t worry about it. There are 21 Houston B-Cycle stations all around our city, including Downtown, Midtown, Montrose, and Medical District locations. For more information on these B-cycles, check out: http://houston.bcycle.com

For those of you concerned about having a safe biking experience, Mayor Annise Parker recently put into effect the unanimously approved safe-passing ordinance, which requires drivers to give cyclists, pedestrians, and other non-vehicular road users at least three feet of space at all times.

To help support this initiative, you can twitter, Instagram, or Facebook about your experiences with Bike to Work Day, and help promote it via your preferred social media outlet. The more that you can do to promote this cause, the bigger the response will be! Imagine how energetic and full of life all of your coworkers will be after getting a nice morning work out! For those of you that live relatively close to work, this won’t be a challenge, but more an opportunity to prove to yourself that all of those years of not riding that dusty old two-wheeler in the garage haven’t atrophied your ability to safely navigate the roads, free of embarrassment. Coincidentally, National Bike to Work Day is also National Bring a Fresh Change of Clothes to Work Day!