Lots of additions to the late months of the sheet, hopefully they stay on but with that much lead time who knows at this point. The big addition is the Miyazaki anime film Ponyo.Hopefully he keeps up his seemingly flawless run. And while it is scheduled to open at the Edina, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it actually open at The Uptown. Daniel should also note that his fondest wish has come true, as the new Harry Potter film has been added to the schedule as well. Maybe you should keep your mouth shut next time, Daniel!

*** – Denotes recommended viewing

All dates subject to change

07/10 The Hurt Locker Uptown ***
07/10 Bruno Lagoon ***
07/10 Jerichow Edina

07/15 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Lagoon (tentative) (NEW)

07/17 Treeless Mountain Lagoon
07/17 Tetro Edina (tentative) ***

07/24 500 Days of Summer Uptown
07/24 Betty Blue: The Director’s Cut Lagoon ***
07/24 Seraphine Edina (tentative)
07/24 The Merry Gentlemen Edina (tentative)

07/31 In the Loop Uptown
07/31 $9.99 Lagoon ***
07/31 Soul Power Lagoon (tentative)
07/31 Shrink Lagoon/Edina

08/07 The Cove Uptown ***
08/07 The End of the Line Lagoon
08/07 The Answer Man Edina

08/14 Not Quite Hollywood Lagoon ***
08/14 Adam Edina (NEW DATE)
08/14 Ponyo Edina (NEW) ***

08/21 Inglorious Bastards Lagoon (very tentative) ***
08/21 Lorna’s Silence Edina

08/28 Cold Souls Uptown ***
08/28 The World’s Greatest Dad Lagoon ***
08/28 Taking Woodstock Lagoon ***
08/28 Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg Edina

08/29 The Adventures of Robin Hood Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 The Bride of Frankenstein Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 It Happened One Night Edina (One Night Only) ***

09/04 Thirst Lagoon ***
09/04 Afghan Star Lagoon
09/04 My One and Only Edina

09/11 The Baader Meinhof Complex Uptown
09/11 Captain Abu Raed Lagoon

09/18 The Beaches of Agnes Edina
09/18 Burning Plain Edina /Lagoon(tentative)

09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***
09/25 Paris Edina (NEW)

10/02 Amreeka Edina

10/09 Earth Days Lagoon (NEW)

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon

10/23 The Horse Boy Lagoon (NEW)

Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film, The Hurt Locker, certainly has caught my eye, but I’m still not sure if this film will be as good as it appears it will be. She’s made good films like Point Break and Strange Days, but also terrible films like Blue Steel and K-19: The Widowmaker. And the fanboys will hate me for this, but Near Dark is totally overrated. Hopefully, though, this ends up being another one of her good films.

Interest level: Rising

The Hurt Locker will open exclusively on July 10th at the Minneapolis Uptown Theatre.

Nothing like a good German love triangle type drama to really cleanse the palate. Am I right or am I right? Right? The good news is Jerichow is a remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice. The bad news? The trailer is in German, so you’ll just have to trust me on that.

Interest level: Should be higher

Jerichow will open at the Landmark Edina Theatre on July 10th.

Ahhh, Whatever Works, the latest film from Woody Allen, which once again proves that he can make a film every year. They may not be good films, but he finishes ‘em. I suppose that has to account for something, though I have no idea what. At this point all I really ask for from Woody is that the film is tolerable.

Interest level: Tepid

Whatever Works will open in Minneapolis on July 3rd at the Lagoon Cinema.

Considering I tend to be a bit biased on which films I recommend to watch, I figured I would start posting trailers to all the films that will be playing at Landmark Theatres here in town. That way, you can decide what films you want to watch. What a concept!

First up, The Girl from Monaco. A classic attorney meets girl, giurl turns attorney into a wreck farce that the French love so much. Will the attorney put his head on straight before his trial falls apart?

The Girl from Monaco opens on July 3rd at The Edina Theatre.

Not much for updates this week. No new additions, and The Merry Gentleman had its release date pushed one week. Other then that, no changes at all. Ho hum.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing

All dates subject to change

07/01 Public Enemies Lagoon

07/03 MOON Uptown ***
07/03 The Girl From Monaco Edina
07/03 Whatever Works Lagoon

07/10 The Hurt Locker Uptown ***
07/10 Bruno Lagoon ***
07/10 Jerichow Edina

07/17 Treeless Mountain Lagoon
07/17 Tetro Edina (tentative) ***

07/24 500 Days of Summer Uptown
07/24 Betty Blue: The Director’s Cut Lagoon ***
07/24 Seraphine Edina (tentative)
07/24 The Merry Gentlemen Edina (NEW DATE) (tentative)

07/31 In the Loop Uptown
07/31 $9.99 Lagoon ***
07/31 Soul Power Lagoon (tentative)
07/31 Shrink Lagoon/Edina

08/07 The Cove Uptown ***
08/07 The End of the Line Lagoon
08/07 The Answer Man Edina

08/14 Not Quite Hollywood Lagoon ***

08/21 Inglorious Bastards Lagoon (very tentative) ***
08/21 Adam Edina
08/21 Lorna’s Silence Edina

08/28 Cold Souls Uptown ***
08/28 The World’s Greatest Dad Lagoon ***
08/28 Taking Woodstock Lagoon ***
08/28 Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg Edina

08/29 The Adventures of Robin Hood Edina (One Night Only) ***

08/30 The Bride of Frankenstein Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 It Happened One Night Edina (One Night Only) ***

09/04 Thirst Lagoon ***
09/04 Afghan Star Lagoon
09/04 My One and Only Edina

09/11 The Baader Meinhof Complex Uptown
09/11 Captain Abu Raed Lagoon

09/18 The Beaches of Agnes Edina
09/18 Burning Plain Edina (tentative)

09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***

10/02 Amreeka Edina

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon

Perhaps you remember those ads a few months back about something called The Neverything. I know I sort of do. They featured a writer who was struggling to finish her book because she was convinced that one of her characters knew she was writing about them. But what I remember best about them is that these short films were also used as car commercials, which always made me a little upset that what otherwise looked like a promising film was really just a way of selling cars. That is until I found out that the short film that was turned into a car commercial had been turned into a feature length film.

Marian (Carrie Preston) is struggling to overcome writer’s block. So when she consults with her mentor Jackson (Austin Pendleton) on how to rectify this, he comes up with the suggestion that she should kill off one of her characters. And while Marian initially balks at such an idea, when she eventually acquiesces it sets off a chain of events that leave her struggling not only to finish her book, but on the brink of insanity.

The concept of an author’s creation coming to life certainly isn’t a new idea, this same concept was examined in Stranger Than Fiction, but while that film is an enjoyable and engaging film, it certainly never appeared to have much below the surface of its striking concept. And what with this seemingly being a retread idea as well as having the appearance of being a thinly veiled marketing gimmick, I didn’t enter into this film with the highest of expectations, though even if I did, I’m quite positive the film would have exceeded any I might have claimed to have.

Yet in spite of my initial misgivings, Lovely by Surprise took little time to drawn me into its tale. With well rounded characters in interesting situations fighting seemingly impossible odds, it was as if every childhood fantasy tale of my youth had been woven into one singular cinematic narrative. And as each mystery is solved, and each layer pulled back, what is revealed is far greater then I could have dreamed of.

With its seemingly split story arcs, one focusing on Marian and her struggles to write the story of the brothers Humkin (Michael Chernus) and Mopekey (Dallas Roberts) and another on a car salesman named Bob (Reg Rogers) who is struggling to raise his 6-year-old daughter Mimi (Lena Lamer) after the loss of his wife, Lovely by Surprise is entangled in a very delicate narrative that should seemingly fall apart at any moment, yet manages to flourish again and again. The viewer is left trying to not only empathize with these characters, but discover just what everything means and how it is interconnected. But time and again the tale is revealed in a digestible manner, allowing each new twist and reveal to slide down as easily as drinking a glass of milk. And while the film is easy to take in, digesting it will take time and effort, and offers a host of things worth chewing on.

What is perhaps most shocking is that this is the first feature from writer/director Kirt Gunn. As much as the complicated story is so easily told the film has an often stunning look to it as well. Using negative space to full effect, Gunn has turned Lovely by Surprise into a literary and visual experience that is a feast for your senses. From men running around in their underwear, to long static shots of cornfields filled with houseboats, Lovely by Surprise is a downright visual treat that deftly compliments the at times bizarre storyline in a manner that is both stimulating and pleasing while never pandering.

Lovely by Surprise is a quirky tale to be sure, one particular scene involving Bob attempting to sell cars to a man only wanting hot dogs should fail yet instead turns into a truly marvelous experience, but the quirk that is inherent of the story is not there simply to sell soundtracks or infer greater meaning on otherwise flat characters, but rather it is the heart and soul of the film. It is what breaths life into every dismal nook and cranny of this film, as the people inside it desperately cling to anything to help keep them going. These people aren’t caricatures, they are living breathing beings, and if you don’t treat them with respect, their anima might just spill out into the theatre and show you otherwise.

Lovely By Surprise will be available via download and DVD (including Netflix) on July 7. You can find more details at www.lovelybysurprise.com.

James and I return with yet another thrilling episode of High and Low (Brow). This episode we try out our third format in three episodes (two public and one in secret) as I list off several upcoming Twin Cities film events that will be coming up in the next month, while James gives a DVD spotlight review of Beat the Devil. These new additions to the show are a bit rough, but hopefully the kinks will get ironed out in future shows.

This episode James and I also discuss Gymkata and Survival Quest, the two films that make up our theme of The Most Dangerous Game, a film/book that is about humans being hunted by humans. It makes for an interesting discussion as Survival Quest is a lesser known film by the underrated director Don Coscarelli, known for his Phantasm series, Beastmaster and Bubba Ho-Tep, while Gymkata is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made. Will James turn up his nose at these films as he did with 5 Dolls for an August Moon? Or will we actually find some common ground?

And be sure to stick around to find out what we will be watching for our next episode (which we will record in just two short weeks) as the selections have to be heard to be believed!

One final note, we have discovered that the cause of the high treble from the previous podcast was due to a crappy mic. We weren’t able to get it swapped out for this episode, but we should have a suitable replacement in time for the next one. I’ve messed around with the audio a bit to try and compensate, but please bear with us if it just so happens to cause your ears to bleed.

Thanks for listening and hope you enjoy the show!

Few new additions to the list but a bunch of movies are shuffled around to new locations and new release dates. Their are two big additions though, The Edina’s 75th Anniversary bash just got a little bigger with a screening of The Adventures of Robin Hood scheduled for Saturday August 29th. I’m relatively certain it is going to be an early show so parents can bring their kids to see it. Word on the street is they are trying to book a show for Thursday night as well. A little birdie told me that they are pursueing a whale for that slot. Wonder what that could be? Hmm.

The other big addition is Thirst on September 4th. Chan-wook Park’s latest is scheduled to open at The Lagoon, but I wouldn’t be suprised if it eventually opens at The Uptown if it starts gaining some buzz.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing

All dates subject to change

06/26 Cheri Edina
06/26 The Country Teacher Lagoon
06/26 The Stoning of Soraya M. Uptown

07/01 Public Enemies Lagoon

07/03 MOON Uptown (NEW DATE) ***
07/03 The Girl From Monaco Edina
07/03 Whatever Works Lagoon

07/10 The Hurt Locker Uptown ***
07/10 Bruno Lagoon ***
07/10 Jerichow Edina

07/17 Treeless Mountain Lagoon
07/17 The Merry Gentlemen Edina (tentative)
07/17 Tetro Edina (tentative) (NEW DATE) ***

07/24 500 Days of Summer Uptown
07/24 Betty Blue: The Director’s Cut Lagoon ***
07/24 Seraphine Edina (tentative)

07/31 In the Loop Uptown
07/31 $9.99 Lagoon ***
07/31 Soul Power Lagoon (tentative)
07/31 Shrink Lagoon/Edina

08/07 The Cove Uptown ***
08/07 The End of the Line Lagoon
08/07 The Answer Man Edina

08/14 Not Quite Hollywood Lagoon ***

08/21 Inglorious Bastards Lagoon (very tentative) ***
08/21 Adam Edina
08/21 Lorna’s Silence Edina

08/28 Cold Souls Uptown (NEW DATE) ***
08/28 The World’s Greatest Dad Lagoon ***
08/28 Taking Woodstock Lagoon ***
08/28 Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg Edina

08/29 The Adventures of Robin Hood Edina (NEW) (One Night Only) ***

08/30 The Bride of Frankenstein Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 It Happened One Night Edina (One Night Only) ***

09/04 Thirst Lagoon (NEW) ***
09/04 Afghan Star Lagoon
09/04 My One and Only Edina

09/11 The Baader Meinhof Complex Uptown
09/11 Captain Abu Raed Lagoon

09/18 The Beaches of Agnes Edina
09/18 Burning Plain Edina

09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***

10/02 Amreeka Edina (NEW)

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon

It has taken me quite sometime to track down Warlords of the 21st Century. I hadn’t seen it since my youth and outside of a fleeting memory of motorcycle versus semi-truck I had little to go own. Thankfully, the Internet knows all and I was able to re-visit this classic from my youth.

Good news is hopefully this review should be up rather quickly, as I am having a blast writing it, the real question is whether or not I shared that same feeling about the film. Only time will tell.

I’m not a huge fan of 3D. I’ve seen it used effectively on occasion, Coraline is one recent example that quickly comes to mind, but when it comes to modern films I am not in any rush to see the 3D version over the standard version, and I don’t think I’m alone in that feeling, no matter how many directors claim they will only film in 3D from now on. It seems more and more likely that the hopes of the medium ride on Avatar, though with two major theatre chains converting entirely to digital by 2012, it may mean a long slow death for 3D, as studios desperately attempt to jam the format down audience’s collective throats.

But while I’m not going to cheer for modern 3D, and don’t even get me started on those red and blue anaglyph abominations of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, I am a huge fan of the original style of presenting 3D. That being two prints being projected simultaneously on an aluminized screen (Quick note: originally they were projected on a silver screen, hence the term silver screen) with the audience wearing polarized glasses.

Now modern theatres setup for 3D boast of having “aluminized” screens, but let me assure you they are nothing like they used to be. The old school screens looked like giant sheets of polished silver (while modern screens look like polished aluminum) and you will find nothing like that in today’s multiplexes. You might be wondering just why that matters. Well, let me tell you.

3D projection is inherently dimmer than standard film projection. This is an important issue because when a moving picture is dimmer, your eyes automatically attempt to correct this by focusing harder on the film. This increased effort directly leads to the infamous “eye strain” problems that so many viewers complain of. Modern 3D projection typically increase the bulb brightness to compensate for this, as well as partially aluminize their screens to help better reflect the images. But as horticulturists, herpetologists and all sorts of people know, few things reflect light better than polished aluminum. And those old school screens, which were highly polished, made the image literally pop off the screen. Rather then squinting to see the images, you practically bathe in them. After watching Vincent Price’s House of Wax saturate me in celluloid flames, I was hooked.

Donald Whitley Carson III (Robert Ryan) has a bit of a problem. Injured while out horseback riding with his wife Geraldine (Rhonda Fleming) and their close friend Joseph Duncan (William Lundigan), they have left them so they can get him medical help. Only that was hours ago, and it is finally slowly dawning on Donald that Geraldine and Joseph have no intention of ever returning.

When Inferno was released in 1953 it was considered a technological marvel, outfitted with state of the art picture quality and sound (Inferno was one of the first films that used stereophonic sound), that coupled with its 3D release would have made it the Jurassic Park of its time. But Inferno has a lot more going for it then simply being a technological marvel.

What might be surprising is that Inferno is a film noir, complete with unseemly characters, anti-heroes and femme fatales, all in glorious 3D. But the noir staples Inferno doesn’t have are the dark alleyways, oppressive fog and artistic shadows that are so often present. You see, when you film takes place in the Mojave Desert those qualifications tend to run a bit thin on the ground. But this separation from your standard noir film doesn’t end there, rather, Inferno’s stark visual look compliments its surprisingly straight forward narrative. Their aren’t any twists and turns, no sudden double crosses, everything in this film is laid out right before your eyes, explained to you, and it still manages to grab hold of you while it ratchets up the tension.

Inferno wastes no time in informing the viewer that they are about to witness a decidedly different take on a noir film. Opening with Geraldine and Duncan creating a fake crime scene that will corroborate their tall tale, Inferno plum drops you in the middle of this decidedly unhealthy three-way. The bad guys are revealed in the opening scene, so much so that they might as well have had a sign saying “These two suck!” pointing right at them. Their web of lies and deceits is long since past, as they are now firmly in the third act of their sordid tale. All that’s left for them now is to wait and see their plan blossom. But when things begin to take longer then they expected, the cracks begin to show. Will their love survive?

From that opening Inferno introduces the police officers who are investigating the scene with Geraldine and Duncan. Far from being naive or incompetent, these are highly trained and qualified men of the highest skill. Their failure to divine the plot is no fault of their own, they simply have run up against a duo who have truly managed to pull off the perfect crime, perfectly.

Which brings us to our intrepid hero. A man left for dead, but in such a manner (with water, a pistol and a somewhat competent shelter) that he won’t possibly realize it until it is to late. Crippled by a broken leg, he can’t possibly survive in the desert for long, but what kind of a man must he be to be killed in such a torturous manner? Donald isn’t an anti-hero so much as he is a spoiled brat. Obscenely rich, with the attitude to match, Donald has taken everything and everyone in his life for granted, and his quest to survive this terrible predicament is utterly captivating, and even more impressive that such a despicable character can be someone whom the audience will root for.

While I didn’t see Inferno in 3D, I can confidently say that I had a lesser viewing experience because of it. Modern 3D simply can’t compare when it comes to drawing the audience into the film, and Inferno’s backdrop is clearly meant to draw the viewer into the protagonist’s dilemma, which is one of the most effective demonstrations on how the audience would be drawn to such a revolting character. Director Roy Ward Baker uses the Mojave Desert as if it is the true villain in this tale. It is not simply a backdrop, but an unending terror that is constantly at siege with your senses. If only John Ford had used 3D, who knows what some of his films would have looked like.

Echoing my House of Wax experience, there is yet another fire sequence that no doubt would have looked incredible. There are few things like watching a 3D inferno in which it appears as if the audience in being engulfed by the flames. And while Mark Kermode likes to complain that 3D films constantly point at the viewer rather then immerse them, Inferno is incredibly restrained at not breaking the 4th wall outside of one ridiculously fantastic moment involving a lantern screwballing towards the audience. Its one of the few blatant breaks from an otherwise engrossing and saturating viewing experience. And while this singular sequence does draw you out of the film for the briefest of moments, the rest of the film is a seamless and brilliant ride.

While Inferno is a 3D film, a term that is seemingly evolving into a perverse term in film circles, Inferno uses 3D to a degree rarely seen in the medium. It clearly is able to separate from the notion that 3D is merely a gimmick and stand alone as a great film on its own terms. 3D isn’t a gimmick when it is used to skillfully, it isn’t even an enhancement. No, Inferno is the remarkable and rare exception that proves 3D, at its most effective, is a requirement.

While the debate rages on between film geeks over whether Metacritic or Rotten Tomatoes is the superior criticism aggregator, their is now a third aggregator that has entered the mix, called Movie Review Intelligence. Movie Review Intelligence plans to separate itself from the Big Two by using an even smaller group of critics (somewhere in the neighborhood of 65) and weighting their reviews based on how much “pull” they have.

So far the site seems to have some impressive metrics working behind it, making it a bit of a thrill to read for those of us who enjoy crunching numbers. And while I’m happy to see Star Tribune critic (and friend of the site) Colin Covert being included within this select group, I’m a bit at a loss on why his compatriot across the river at the Pioneer Press, Chris Hewitt, is being left out.

The other negative that I have is that I’m not exactly happy that mediocre critics with wide ranging publications like Roger Ebert, Owen Gleiberman or ugg, Peter Travers, means that they might skew the reviews simply due to their wide readership, rather then their competency. And while the limited amount of critics does reduce the number of highly questionable critics being included, a major fault of Rotten Tomatoes, the same small sample size means that the resulting aggregation might potentially be widely skewed. It will be something to keep an eye on over the coming months, and hopefully this site proves as reliable and accurate as its lofty claims.

Horror fans will be happy to know that after years of waiting, Phantasm II will finally be released on DVD on September 15th. Considering it took almost 28 years to get the original Phantasm on DVD, the mere 21 year wait for Phantasm II seems positively brisk.

In other news, Don Coscarelli is awesome. So if you haven’t had much exposure to him, be sure to pick up the Phantasm films as well as some of his other films, including Bubba Ho-Tep, The Beastmaster and Survival Quest (which James and I will be discussing on our next podcast).

If you are a fan of Film Junk, and if you aren’t you should be, you will know that Jay Cheel has been making films for some time. And while his short horror film Colore Non Vedenti has everyone excited, Jay has been working on a new project called Beauty Day, which is a feature-length documentary on Ralph Zavadil, who played a Canadian public access personality called Cap’n Video.

Jay recently launched the production blog for Beauty Day, complete with a clip of Cap’n Video in all his glory. Hopefully over the coming weeks and months we will see more clips and get further updates on what looks to be a fascinating documentary. Make sure to check it out.

While the mainstream releases this week are relatively lackluster, being led by the remake The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 will do that, their is some interesting Indie fare showing around town. The Oak Street and the Mall of America theatre are showing Valentino: The Last Emperor, Departures opens at the Edina and the documentary Enlighten Up! opens at the Lagoon. But the movie that intrigues me the most is opening at The Uptown, and that is Away We Go. Directed by Sam Mendes, written by Dave Eggers and his wife Vendela Vida, and starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. Now while I’m not a huge Mendes fan, I am a big fan of Dave Eggers, so this movie should be, relatively, right in my wheelhouse. The problem is, the marketing for this film is freaking terrible. Especially that damned trailer, which might as well be nails on chalkboard. But I’m doing my best to ignore the “quirky” marketing materials and instead simply judge the film on its own merits. Hopefully you will as well.

As for DVD releases, wow, what a pile. Seriously. When your big release is a relatively awful Friday the 13th reboot, you know you have a weak release week. But their is a film that I know next to nothing about, but thanks to a brilliant viral marketing campaign, which includes a video of Gary Oldman, Bas Rutten and Bono trashing the film, has me interested in watching it. That film being The Perfect Sleep.

As always trailers are after the break!

This Saturday, June 13th, before the midnight screening of Pulp Fiction, Ian of Drinking with Ian will host a Jack Rabbit Slim’s Twist Contest. Winners will win DVD’s, movie passes and more, plus their will additional prizes for those who dress up as their favorite character.

If you want to participate in the Twist Contest, reply to THIS bulletin by Switchblade Comb with your first and last name, then simply show up Saturday night. The first five admissions will receive a free admission to the show.

Dance contest is at 11:45, movie starts at 12:15.

A huge number of new additions this week, I suppose that is what happens when the booking sheet isn’t sent out for two weeks. I’d list them off but it is somewhere in the neighborhood of ten films, which will just take me way to long to go through.

I will say this, the July 10th weekend is now looking like one hecdk of a weekend to go to the theatre. I’m recommending three of the films, and I’ve heard from several people that Jerichow is just as worthy of a watch.

The only other big addition is Inglorious Bastards, which is incredibly tentative right now to open at the Lagoon. And while I’m sure that is going to be a very wide release, that style of exploitation cinema really works better on a screen that isn’t in a giant multiplex. Though I do understand the subversive appeal of watching such a film along with tweens who have no idea what they are in for.

Though with all these new additions their is one film that dropped off the sheet, that being Mesrine: Part One. Hopefully it shows up again in the coming weeks as it looked very interesting.

*** – Denotes recommended viewing

All dates subject to change

06/19 Food Inc. Lagoon ***
06/19 O’Horten Lagoon
06/19 Outrage Lagoon (NEW) ***

06/26 Cheri Edina
06/26 The Country Teacher Lagoon
06/26 The Stoning of Soraya M. Edina

07/01 Public Enemies Lagoon (NEW) (tentative) ***

07/03 The Girl From Monaco Uptown/Edina
07/03 Whatever Works Lagoon
07/03 Tetro Edina (tentative) ***

07/10 The Hurt Locker Uptown (new date) ***
07/10 Seraphine Bruno (NEW) ***
07/10 MOON Lagoon ***
07/10 Jerichow Edina

07/17 Treeless Mountain Lagoon
07/17 The Merry Gentlemen Edina (tentative)

07/24 500 Days of Summer Uptown
07/24 Betty Blue: The Director’s Cut Lagoon ***
07/24 Seraphine Edina (tentative) (new date)

07/31 In the Loop Uptown
07/31 $9.99 Lagoon ***
07/31 Soul Power Lagoon (tentative) (NEW)
07/31 Shrink Lagoon/Edina

08/07 The Cove Uptown ***
08/07 The End of the Line Lagoon
08/07 The Answer Man Edina (NEW)

08/14 Cold Souls Uptown (tentative) ***
08/14 Not Quite Hollywood Lagoon ***

08/21 Inglorious Bastards Lagoon (NEW) (very tentative) ***
08/21 Adam Edina (new date)
08/21 Lorna’s Silence Edina

08/28 The World’s Greatest Dad Uptown/Lagoon ***
08/28 Taking Woodstock Lagoon (NEW) ***
08/28 Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg Edina

08/30 The Bride of Frankenstein Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 It Happened One Night Edina (One Night Only) ***

09/04 Afghan Star Lagoon
09/04 My One and Only Edina (NEW)

09/11 The Baader Meinhof Complex Uptown (NEW)
09/11 Captain Abu Raed Lagoon (NEW)

09/18 The Beaches of Agnes Edina
09/18 Burning Plain Edina

09/25 Somers Town Lagoon ***

10/16 Still Walking Lagoon

Pardon for the less then stellar image quality, but The Magnolia Theatre has come up with this nifty little poster to help sell gift cards.  Not so much a campaign as more of a running gag to give film buffs a chuckle. Hope you enjoy!

Of course this opens the door for the inevitable Mother’s Day poster warning of the inherent danger of having a stepfather.

Since their seems to be a lack of reviews of the various issues of Wholphin, though the internet sure seems to enjoy talking about them, and as I am a subscriber, I thought it would be a good idea to offer up my feelings on the discs. And since they are comprised of multiple short films, I figured I would simply offer up short synopsis and reviews of each film contained within the issues. This will hopefully prove helpful to those considering purchasing/watching them, as so little is explained on the packaging.

I’m going to start off with Issue 8 since it is both the latest issue and because the Internet seems abuzz about James Franco destroying a room during one of the films. Being that Wholphin is released quarterly I’ll hopefully have plenty of time to go back and review previous installments that I own. And while I don’t own every issue of Wholphin, I do own all but the inaugural issue, and it is out of print, making a review less then helpful for those wanting to purchase it. Even so, it is my hope that I can provide some additional insight to those of you who haven’t been exposed to this “magazine”, and hopefully help you decide which issues are worth your time and money.

Short Term 12
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
22 min Short Film

This winner of “Best Short” at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, Short Term 12 focuses on a single day at a residential facility for at risk teens. While the length of the film might initially be viewed as a short coming, the film delicately creates believable characters and interactions in its relatively short time span, making it easy for audiences to quickly identify and empathize with them. It also helps that the story is surprisingly strong, being both direct and full of emotional surprises. While not the best film on the disc, it certainly is enjoyable with a high rewatch potential.

Kids + Money
Directed by Lauren Greenfield
32 min Documentary

The first of two truly standout films on this disc, Kids + Money is a documentary on teenagers living in Los Angeles and their copious spending habits. The kids are all of differing economic backgrounds, but the one thing they have in common is an obsession with status and they use their money, and sometimes their parent’s, to acquire it. And while this concept is fascinating in and of itself, there are three key moments in the film that utterly encaptivating. One involves a girl with her own personal nanny discovering on camera that her best friend couldn’t afford to go to prom and had been lying about this to maintain her status. The second involves a sixteen year old child actor who has his own show on Nickelodeon and has been acting since he was a baby. In the last few years he has earned so much money that his mother quite her job and started managing his career. But when he states he’s been supporting his family financially for three years, his off-camera mother steps in and puts him in his place. While they try to give the appearance of a normal, healthy familial relationship, it is clear the relationship is far more complicated and tenuous then they want to admit. The last involves two pre-teen sisters who are growing up in a family that has more money than God. And while their mother seems relatively comfortable and open about trying to maintain balance and sensibility, the two girls present a see-saw dynamic unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The older of the two is relatively empathetic and caring, while the younger sister is an unholy Capitalist monster, basing everything on looks, makeup and clothes, and making sure everyone knows about it. And wait until you hear them talk, completing each others sentences in a way that the other never intended. As fascinating as the rest of the film is, these two clearly could have a feature made about them and your jaw would be on the floor for every minute of it.

My Friend Told Me About You
By Carlos Dangler in collaboration with Daniel Ryan
25 min Short Film

The one film in this issue I truly didn’t like, so much so I didn’t finish the film. It’s smart, well written and has some fantastic dialogue, but it is also so pretentious I wanted to vomit. Though the degree of turgid self-aggrandizing this film reaches is almost impressive in its own right.

From Burger it Came
Directed by Dominic Bisignano
7 min Animated Short

A truly odd film, as Bisignano relates to the world his past struggles with OCD when seemingly every interaction caused him to think he had become infected with AIDS. If that isn’t enough, there is a Greek styled chorus following along, only it is played by a tape recording of Bisignano’s mother, who just might be crazier then he was.

Love You More
Directed by Sam Taylor-Wood
15 min Short Film

Based on the short story “Peter Shelley” by Patrick Marber, Love You More is the second standout film on this disc, as it chronicles a boy and a girl who just might fall in love because of a shared interest in the Buzzcocks. Simply a magnificently made film that easily navigates the awkward “Will we or won’t we?” tension of newly blossoming adolescent love.

Hidden
Directed by Hanna Heilborn, David Aronowitsch and Mats Johansson
8 min Animated Documentary

Damn my HDTV. Once again a foreign film proves impossible to watch as the subtitles were cut off due to it being presented in letterboxed full frame. But what I did see was animation that was impressive to no end. Animated like it was being filmed by a non-professional cameraman, complete with sloppy zooms and awkward focusing, the animation clearly stands out as something special. Make no doubt about it; I’ll be checking this one out on my computer the first chance I get.

Great Man and Cinema
Directed by Jim Finn
4 min Documentary

Just a half step behind the two best films on this disc, this “documentary” is actually a semi-straight faced propaganda film about the Dear Leader Kim Jong Il, using archival stock footage of the man. All backed by the outstanding track “Fucking U.S.A.” by the Bay Area band Neung Phak, making it just as much a bizarre music video as a propaganda film.

The Room Before and After
Original Wholphin Short
Directed by Dave Eggers
Part 1: James Franco 40 min
Part 2: Creed Bratton 10 min
Part 3: Maria Bamford 10 min

Finally the one the entire Internet seems to be talking about, James Franco destroying a room. Oddly enough, Franco’s version was the one I found least compelling, as it essentially was him mumbling and breaking stuff for a half hour. Sure, running through a door Looney Tunes style is impressive in its own right, but the sheer length of the ordeal really ends up detracting from the impact of the film. And since Franco’s segment is clearly all about seeing how many things he can trash, it simply pales in comparison to the other two pieces. Creed Bratton’s clearly has the strongest narrative of the three, and in the course of the four minutes you watch him crumble from rage to despair before your eyes. It is easily the most disturbing of the three, yet oddly enough garners the most sympathy as well. But my favorite was Bamford’s, already a bonafide loose screw in her stage act, brings inspired lunacy to these proceedings as a woman with all sorts of relationship issues. And I dare you to not laugh when she pulls the scale out to weight herself. The only drawback to her scene is the post-performance interview in which she stays in her on-stage caricature of herself. I was far more interested in hearing about her goal and motivations for the scene then simply cracking a few jokes.

Overall I can happily recommend this disc as nearly every single film on it is worth watching multiple times, which is rare in compilations. And while this is not the best issue of Wholphin to date, it certainly ranks very high and is a worthy benchmark for newer releases to aim for.

Holy crap! I know next to nothing about this film, other than it is being pitched as It’s a Wonderful Life meets Sin City (wtf?), but uhh, holy crap! Watch the trailer and see why that is the only appropriate response to this upcoming Indie film.

Also, note to bookers, what the hell are you waiting for?

Official Site

Film: Ink
Director: Jamin Winans
Starring: Chris Kelly, Jessica Duffy, Quinn Hunchar, Jeremy Make
Release date: TBD