Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 8-March 11, 2014

Welcome everybody to Day Eight of my trip to Cinequest 24! I saw another five films today; two documentaries and three feature films. So I think we should skip the introduction and start talking about all the cool movies I saw today!

The first documentary I saw today was the awesome MASTERPIECE: FRANK MILLER'S THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. This bad boy tells the complete behind the scenes story of one of the greatest graphic novels to be published by DC Comics back in the 1980's. Combining interviews with industry legends like Miller, inker of the book Klaus Janson, Dennis O'Neil, Bruce Timm, Grant Morrison, Jenette Kahn, and narrated by the one and only Malcolm McDowell, Miller talks candidly about he's early days of doing Daredevil at Marvel, then giving the free reigns to create The Dark Knight Returns, and by doing this, brought the Batman character into a whole new world.

I was there when Frank's masterpiece was released to comic book stores and it had a major impact on me. It was dark, edgy, nihilistic,  and captures 80's Regan era with such accuracy that it made me paranoid. Frank Miller became a legend after the release of The Dark Knight Returns. creating other amazing series like 300 and Sin City, both which were made into Hollywood blockbusters! This was a great doc and very informative to those who never read the graphic novel (and if you haven't what the hell is wrong with you? Go buy the damn book now!) and a nice look back at one of my childhood's most amazing period. 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! Today was the last screening of the film, however, it is available as an all-new bonus feature in the newly released BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS DELUXE EDITION Blu-ray!! To purchase a copy, visit your local retailer or visit the Amazon website.

The second documentary I saw earlier was called THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK, which focused on the world famous Lucha Libre wrestler El Hijo del Santo, the son of the legendary El Santo. By using a combination of archival wrestling and interview footage, new interviews with family and friends, posters, movie clips and such, the story of Santo is told in all its glory for the first time ever! This is what Lucha Libre fans have been waiting for!

I grew up watching the old El Santo monster movies and yes, there were pretty bad, but always entertaining! Later on I was able to see El Santo along with his son wrestle on my local television station. What drew me to the film originally was being a Santo fan. But then when El Hijo del Santo talks about his father, the honor and legacy of theSanto name, and carrying on his father's name, the film became more about family, heritage and tradition. These three are very strong in the Mexican culture. THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK an poignant, inspiring and high flying film about one of the most important names ever in the history of Lucha Libre! If you're an El Santo fan or a fan of wrestling period, then you need to see this documentary! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The flm will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Saturday, March 15th at 2pm.

Film number three of the day was the very intense dark comedy/drama IT WAS YOU CHARLIE.  Meet Abner Roth. He used to be a world famous sculptor and a former college art teacher. Now all he is just a sad, pathetic little man who works as a doorman on the graveyard shift. He can't handle his family, is awkward in public places and doesn't have a lot of friends. Enter Zoe; a happy-go-lucky, free spirited taxi driver who becomes Abner's new best friend. But with all this pint up anger and guilt he's been caring around for the past three years, can Zoe change Abner's look on life or will it get worse for him?

This was a very layered film and quite dense. It does play with continuity as the film takes place over a series of three years, or more specific three birthdays for Abner. Director Emmanuel Shirinian kept me glued to my seat as I was trying to deduce the film's origin and see what was going to happen to our sad sack friend. Great acting performance by all the cast. An undiscovered gem of a film! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! Unfortunately, today was the last screening of the movie.

The fourth film I saw was the drama BREATH IN, about a family who take in a foreign exchange student named Sophie. Her timing couldn't have been more worse. Family man and music teacher Keith fantasizes about his days as a starving artist in Manhattan and secretly wishes to move back so he can be musically inspired again. His wife doesn't share her husband's dreams. To make things worse, he secretly falls for the beautiful Sophie and both plan to leave their respective mundane worlds and start a new in the city.

Talk about your mid-life crisis film! Poor Keith! All he wants to do is live his life as he wishes! But his conformed wife doesn't encourage him. In fact, she doesn't really believe in him at all! All he wants to do is make music his life passion, not just be a music teacher. As the old saying goes, those who can't do teach, and Keith doesn't want to fall into that category. And Sophia is so young and innocent and sees so much more in him than his own wife. So to all you mid-life crisis men out there: go get crazy! Go live the life you want! Buy that corvette! Run off with your secretary! And oh yeah, the movie was really good and you should check it out! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! Unfortunately, today was the last screening of the movie.

The fifth and final film I saw was the comedy A THIEF, AND KID, AND A KILLER. A young boy comes home to his apartment that he shares with his mother and finds a stranger in his bedroom doing heroin. Then things get really bizarre! Add his best friend who are hiding out in the kid's apartment from these two corrupt cops who were partners with the other two guys to pull off a jewelery heist that went wrong! *whew*

Yeah there's a lot of laughs to be found in here as well as some darkness. Death, suicide, drugs, violence, murder, everything you want in a kid's film! Boasting a great directing, good acting and a solid script, this was a very welcomed surprise! 4 out of 5 films! recommended!

And folks, there you have Day Eight in a nutshell! All together I've seen 37 films so far! Remember the festival ends on Sunday, March 16th so make sure you come out here to San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 7-March 10, 2014

Hello everybody and welcome to Day Seven of my trip to Cinequest 24! I once again saw five films today so let's get this show on the road, shall we?

Movie number one was the Canadian dark comedy LAWRENCE & HOLLOMAN. Here is a classic textbook example of polar opposites based on their individual outlooks on life. Lawrence (Ben Cotton) is the every so lucky, optimistic salesman who life works out perfectly for him and is working on a promotion. On the flipside is Holloman (Daniel Arnold), one of the most cynical, unattractive, and suicidal credit collector who's life had given him a shitty attitude and a shitty outlook on life. When these two meet, life begins to get crazy, especially when bad things start happening to Lawrence!

Once again leave it up to those wacky Canadians for creating yet another hilariously funny and uniquely original feature! Both Cotton and Arnold are awesome in their respective roles and bring a lot of emotional depth to their characters. The film can also be seen as a cautionary tale: be sure your friends are your friends because they might be your enemy. With its smart script, witty humor, and marvelous acting, the film is pure comedic gold! Definitely worth checking out! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! Today was the last screening but visit the film's official website at lawrenceandholloman.com.

Up next I decided to see the SHORTS 7 PROGRAM: WAIT FOR IT...and here we go! 

ADRIFT: A beautiful and poetic montage tribute to the fog of the San Francisco Bay that passes along the coast and through the Golden Gate Bridge. Really beautiful short to see! Very tranquil!

THE BRUNCHERS: A thirty-something London couple go out to the new hip place called Toast for brunch, only to have it totally booked. The reason they wanted to go out for brunch: they wanted to look cool and hip even though they're getting older. I really liked this film and it's something I can relate to a bit. Plus lead actress Natalie Dormer is smoking hot!!

GOLDFIELD: Finding gold means you might be inviting death. Pretty cool short.

HALF SHAVED: What happens when, by pure chance, and barber meets his former torturer who just happens to walk in for a shave? The end results may surprise you.

ME + HER: A wonderful stop motion animation short about a cardboard couple Jack and Jill living in Cardboard City. When Jill dies, Jack goes to great lengths to preserve their love. Very touching!

MY FATHER'S TRUCK: A little Vietnamese girls plays hokey from school and rides along in her father's truck while he's working. He picks up good people, bad people, and does jobs that are complicated. A wonderful coming of age short film!

TRYOUTS: A teenage American Muslim girl who tries out for the cheerleader squad but when her head garb is called out, she solves this problem by thinking outside of the box and with some very creative teenage ingenuity.

SHORTS 7 PROGRAM: WAIT FOR IT... will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Friday, March 14th at 6:45pm and again on Saturday, March 15th at 1:45pm.

Up next was the SHORTS 3 PROGRAM: HUMOR ME which boasted some very funny and original comedic shorts!

#TWITTERKILLS: Chain smoking woman  Zoehas gets her Twitter account hacked into (or is it an evil presence) and all her dirty laundry it being twittered to all her 6,669 friends, including her sister! Oops!

BOWLING KILLERS: Two bowling champions who are also professional hitmen lose sight of carry out a contract before their big game later that night. Pretty funny stuff here folks!

DATE OF THE DEAD:  Struggling actress Jessica goes out on a date with a fellow actor named Jim. The problem: he's a zombie! Oops!!

THE GHOST PEPPER EATING CONTEST OF JEFFERSON COUNTY: A hilarious documentary about a bunch of locals eating all kinds of chilli peppers to wind a major prize. My mouth was on fire just by watching it! Ouchie that's hot!!

OLYMPIC AND WESTERN: A PRIMER ON THE TYPOGRAPHIC ORDER AND AND ARGUMENT FOR ITS PROPER USAGE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: A really unique and interesting short film about typography.

REEL LIFE: A man who knows he's in a movie goes out on a date with a woman from the "real world" and lunacy insures: lovely montages, cut away sex scenes, discovering he's only PG-13 so he can't do or show much. Hilarious!!

SUMI: A young girl who does variant jobs over the phone. Some of them are really kinky! And it also turns on her male roommate!

TEXAS: A family discussion takes place at the Texas and Oklahoma borderline. My second favorite short film in the program!

THANK YOU, CABBAGE: My favorite short of the program! An acclaimed female writer, who reinvents herself after discovering what an asshole her husband is....all thanks to a cabbage. Yup, this was some funny shit here!

SHORTS 3 PROGRAM: HUMOR ME will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Saturday, March 15th at 4:15pm.

Film number four was the drama/comedy THE DIVORCE PARTY. Happy partying couple Kip (Colin Owens) and Leena (Ashlynn Yennie) are getting a divorce, and you know what that means? Yup, it's time to throw a Divorce Party before they move out of the Bohemian apartment. Yet among the booze, live music, wacky best friends, and cupcakes, Kip decides to do whatever it takes to save his marriage with Leena, no matter the cost.

A true indie gem of a film! Director Edy Soto (making this his world premiere) keeps the laughs and drama close together that you find yourself laughing and crying simultaneously. Soto fills the screen up with three dimensional and fleshed out characters that make the movie so enjoyable to watch. The whole cast is phenomenal in the film which raises it to a higher level. A triumphant debut of a film!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! Today was the last screening, but make sure you "Like" the film on its official Facebook page!

My fifth and final film of the day had a short before it. Another Ciniequest Picture The Possibilities (PTP) short, JASON AND ROY is about two best friends: one coming out as a gay man and the other coming out as a homophobic man.

The documentary feature BITE SIZE talks about one of the most critical epidemics facing American youths today: obesity. Shot over the span of a year, the film focuses of four kids who try to change their eating habits so they can not only look and feel better, but also not be picked on or bullied. With the dangers of temptations of snack foods lurking at the corner grocery store, at every fast food place, and in the cafeteria lunch line, these children must face their personal demons head on to not only shed their weight, but to also become a better person.

Like the doc film BULLY that played at Cinequest back in 2012, this film is a continuation of the trials and tribulations of what these overweight children must face day in and day out. Unfortunately, some of their parents aren't much help or support. One of the kids Emily, her parents send her off to fat camps and spend a lot of money on it, hoping the problem will be fixed when she returns. Moy's trying to lose his weight but his dad is not a positive role model because he's eating McDonald's while his son is eating healthy. Davion's problem is that whenever calls him fat, he looses his cool and gets into series of fights that could get him kicked off the football team. And KeAnna gets a little help from her principle. Director Corbin Billings captures it all in this powerful and riveting wake-up call to stop and end childhood obesity!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Friday, March 14th at 4:30pm.

And folks, there you have Day Seven of Cinequest 24! All together I've seen 32 films in 7 days. So far I'm right on track to reaching 60 films! Remember the festival ends on Sunday, March 16th so make sure you come out here to San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 6-March 9, 2014

Howdy folks and welcome back to my trip to the 24th Annual Cinequest Film Festival! For Day Nine, I saw another five films! Yup, I'm hardcore like that. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the reviews!

First film up was the documentary THE FRONT MAN. This little whimsical doc tells the story of Jim Wood (the front man for excellent The Loaded Poets) and his dreams of becoming a rock star. However, while on his dreamquest he almost misses out on the most important things in his life, mainly is sweet and lovely wife Christie. who wishes for them to have a baby soon. Can Jim have it all or does he have to make a sacrifice of one or the other?

Director Paul Devlin had the advantage of being Jim's best friend for the last 30 plus years and what we have is more than just a simply documentary. What we get is a personal story of a man who we get to know inside and out. We see him play with his band, being around his family, his love for his wife Christie, we see it all. Paul is able to really capture those special moments in Jim's life and it feels more like a home movie than a doc. But we sympathize with Jim and we cheer for him, because he's us. Jim is your average Joe who somehow got to have a family and make music at the same time without compromise. How can you not root for this guy? THE FRONT MAN is a celebration of being able to live out all your dreams while being able to walk in the real world! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The film will be screened again on Thursday, March 13th at 5:00pm at the Camera 12.

The second film I saw was being shown over at the San Jose Rep Theatre. EAST SIDE SUSHI is about a young Latina named Juana (Diana Elizabeth Torres), who's been working in food industry for years, finds financial stability in the high paced, male dominated world of a local Japanese restaurant. Finding her passion for food once more, Juana sets her sights on a local reality sushi competition show to prove to herself that she has what it takes to become a sushi line chef at the restaurant she works act, despite what her boss thinks.

Actress Diana Elizabeth Torres shines in this, her first feature film role and she knocks it out of the park. One can see Diana as a positive female role model, who has big dreams for herself and will not let others stand in her way. Director Anthony Lucero keeps the fun and laughs flow fluently and I walked away feeling so happy that I got to see this funny and heart warming comedy! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The film will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Thursday, March 13th at 4:00pm.

Film number three of the day was the dramatic comedy ACTING LIKE ADULTS. While on a scavenger hunt throughout the LA area, couple Brett and Shannon (Mark Famigletti and Leslie Murphy respectively) begin to see each other as who they really are. With the grand prize of an diamond engagement ring, the competition brings out the worse in Brett, which causes Shannon to have doubts about marrying him. By the end of the day, no one knows for sure if they will remain together as a couple or go their separate ways.

I walked into the theatre having no expectations and by the end of it I was completely blown away!  I absolutely loved this movie! Both Mark Famigletti and Leslie Murphy have magnificent on-screen chemistry that I became emotionally invested in them. It was hard to see them fight and I loved it when they made up. However, this isn't your typical dramatic comedy. It feels very real, and what I also enjoyed was that the film's directors Kyle Laursen and Eric F. Martin also made the city of LA it's own character, with its rolling hills and congested freeways and scenic parks. The film is a perfect example of what an indie film should be! One of the best films I've seen at the festival!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The movie will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Friday, March 14th at 4:15pm.

Movie number four was the very funny and interesting documentary TEENAGE. Based on author Jon Savage’s book of the same name, director Matt Wolf answers that age-old question: When did the teenager come into existence? Using a collection of archival news footage, old time movies, and diary excerpts read by four teenage voice overs, the documentary traces the evolution of the teenagers: from their humble beginnings in the 1930's to their emergence and dominance in the 1950's.

Before the main feature, there was another Ciniequest Picture The Possibilities (PTP) short. Entitled REAL FRIENDS, the film is about two young girls who are best friend and they spend their afternoon texting to each other rather than actually talk to each other. A very funny short with an interesting social commentary.

This fun little documentary caught me off guard. It was informative, it was funny, it was historical, and it was a very well made film that took me to school again. This is one of the reasons why I love watching documentaries. Here we get an inside look at the pre-history of the teenager and the end results of their discovered presence in society and in America. 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! Today was the last screening but be sure to visit the film's official website at www.teenagefilm.com.

The fifth and final film of the day was the insanely hysterical HUNTING ELEPHANTS. Poor Yonotan. He's twelve-years-old shy boy who gets bullied at school and his bank security father died while on the job. However, according the bank's president, there's a loophole stating that they don't have to pay him or his mother any sort of financial compensation. To make matters even worse, the bank president is courting Yonotan's mom! To get back what they deserve, he comes up with a plan to rob the bank. Enlisting the help of his grandfather, his uncle (the magnificent Patrick Stewart), and his grandfather's best friend, they will attempt to right the wrong that their family has suffered.

Now this is was one of the funniest film that I've seen! Stewart steals all his scenes, which isn't easy because the entire cast does the impossible and create a modern day comedy classic. What's even more impressive is that this is in Hebrew and was shot over in Israel! Who knew they made comedies? This is a comedy that transcends language and culture. It proves that everybody laughs the same! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! Today was the last screening for the film.

And that was Day Four of my cinematic trip to Cinequest. So far I've seen 27 films in the past 5 days! Getting closer to my 60 films goal for this year!! Remember the festival will be running till March 16th so there's plenty of time for you to join in on the fun here in Downtown San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 5-March 8, 2014

Welcome everybody to Day Five of my trip to Cinequest 24! So I was originally going to attend seven screening but because  one film went on a lot longer than I anticipated, I ended up seeing only six films today. But having that little break made me get caught up on some rest, so I can't complain. OK folks, let's talk all about the films I did see today!

I started off over at the Camera 12 to the drama film entitled NEVER. Set in Seattle, the film follows two twenty-somethings as they forged an unlikely friendship. Denim (Zachary Booth) is the new guy in town who falls in love with his new best friend Nikki (Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams) a struggling lesbian singer-songwriter who is still trying to make it in music. Together they learn how to open up their minds and hearts and learn to love life and themselves.

This was the screen debut of Miss Zelda Williams, and I thought she did a marvelous job in her role as Nikki. She was sweet, vulnerable, and an incredible singer! If she ever releases an album, I'll be all over it! Zachary Booth brings that lovable new guy to life with a hint of naivete and sensitivity. Together these two have great on-screen chemistry and bring that turmoil period called your "early 20's" to life. Boasting a strong script and solid directing, the film is very impressive and I look forward to seeing it again soon! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The film will be screening on more time on Monday, March 10th at 3:00pm at the Camera 12.

 

For my second film of the day I made a dash over to the California Theatre to see the locally made documentary called THE RUGBY PLAYER. This doc focuses on the life of Mark Bingham, one of the heroes aboard the United Flight 93 on 9/11. The film talks about his early life, his time as a rugby player for Cal Berkley (Go Bears!!), his coming out as a gay man, and his act of heroism that inspired a nation. Told through candid interviews by those who knew him and personal video footage shot by Bingham himself, the documentary tells the real story of a local man who became a hero.

What a fantastic documentary! It's local history that I knew a little about, but now thanks to the film, many more people will come to know of the courage of Mark Bingham, who has now become a local hero and an inspiration to many. For coming out gay, he broke the common stereotypes that are acquainted with being a gay man. He was a successful business man, a rugby player, a son, a friend, and now a national treasure. After the screening, director Scott Gracheff, producer Chris Million, and Mark's mother came out to participate in a Q&A session. This is my favorite documentary at this year's festival!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened one more time on Saturday, March 15th at 4:45pm at the California Theatre.

Film number three for me today was the oddball comedy A IS FOR ALEX. The film features real-life couple Katie and Alex Orr (BLOOD CAR from Cinequest 2007) portray cinematic versions of themselves as they are about to welcome their first child into the world. Problem is this causes Alex to suffer from high stress and anxiety issues, causing him to cry a lot. Like face first in their bed. Or crying in the bathtub. Oh, and there's this problem regarding these robotic killer bees that he created, which are taking over the town. Oh, and his mom is arrested on charges of possessing and downloading child pornography onto the Internet.

Prior to the movie, there was a short film screened entitled THE SHOEMAKER, a funny and informative documentary about a 91-year-old New York shoemaker who's been in the same shop for over 50 years.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Alex and Katie since 2007 with their first film BLOOD CAR, and it was awesome to see them again last year's festival with CONGRATULATIONS, which Alex produced. You can always on these two for coming up with some truly unique and original cinematic features. After the screening, Alex and Katie along with shorts director Dustin Cohen participated in a fun-filled Q&A session. This crazy comedy will leave you with a big smile on your face! 4 out of  stars! Recommended! The film will be screened again on Sunday, March 9th at 6:30 PM and again on Friday, March 14th at 4:45pm. Both screenings will be held at the Camera 12.

I stayed at the Camera 12 for my next feature entitled SEX(ED): THE MOVIE which was having its world premiere! This wild and crazy documentary tells the true history of everybody's favorite school subject matter: sex education! The film documents all the weird, sexist, bizarre, and bewildering sex ed films that we used to see back when we were in school! Using clips these old relics, combined with new interviews with modern day sexperts, as well as high school and college students, the film reveals some of the most hilarious moments ever captured on film, but at the same time exposes the gross incompetence on the subject matter.

I remember being taught sex ed back in the 5th grade. In fact, the films I had to watch were in this film!! Damn I feel old!! Anyway, this was a great documentary that really brought home the truth about sex ed. At times it was very sexist and misleading. At times the information that was given were sometimes incorrect. Plus it also gave the notion that sex was a bad thing and something you shouldn't even think about. The sheer stupidity and ignorance stems from the fact that there wasn't enough information or education back then. Nowadays, even though we have the Internet to look at all the sex we want, kids today are not being taught sex ed. And that is a shame! Director Brenda Goodman did a marvelous job of creating a very funny yet very educational documentary! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The film will be screened again on Sunday, March 9th at 4:45pm and once more on Tuesday, March 11th at 5:00pm. Both screenings will be held at the Camera 12.

Film numero five was the world premiere of the greatest 80's tribute films of all time ETERNITY: THE MOVIE! The film tells the story of Todd and BJ (Barrett Crake and Myko Olivier repectively), two inspiring R&B singers who want to make the best music ever created. Soon this dynamic duo is known as Eternity, the greatest 80's R&B band ever! But their friendship is put to the test as they both fall in love with the same woman (the beautiful Nikki Leonti). Can the guys survive this or will Eternity will be nevermore?

Holy crap this movie was so much fun to watch!! The big hair, the god awful 80's music, the clothes, the cars, the styles, everything screamed the 1980's! The production values were top notch! The directing looked amazing! The story was perfect! Both Crake and Olivier were awesome in their roles and had perfect on-screen chemistry. The gay innuendos were too much for me to handle! I was laughing so hard I thought my guts were going to explode! After the screening several members of the cast and crew participated in a fun-filled rousing Q&A session. ETERNITY: THE MOVIE is the greatest 80's film never to have been made in the 80's! And it's also my FAVORITE film of the festival! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again on Sunday, March 9th at 9:15pm and once more on Friday, March 14th at 4:45pm. Both screenings will be held at the Camera 12. Also make sure to like their Facebook page,  follow the film on Twitter, and check out their official website at www.eternitythewebsite.com

The sixth and final film I saw on Saturday was the midnight film LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS! Sisters Carla (Marissa Skell) and Marla (Gena Shaw) are on their way to the cheesy tourist trap “Uncle Slavko’s All-American Family Lodge” to surprise Carla’s fiancé, Johnny. But when he and his co-workers fall into a toxic chemical waste spill over in a nearby creek, these guys transform into hideous monsters dressed up in Big Foot costumes a.k.a PsychoMonkeys!! Soon the lodge is overrun by these PsychoMonkeys, and Carla, Marla, and the rest of the staff and guests must find a way to defeat them and save Johnny.

Wow what a fucking awesome movie this was! It had it all, blood, boobs, Kan Hodder, boobs, mutated killer squirrels, boobs, hot chicks cover in blood, boobs, a mutated moose....did I mention the boobs yet? OK just making sure. Director Matt Jackson did one helluva job of making this film funny, fast paced, and bloody as hell! The entire cast did a stupendous job! The production value was off the charts! After the screening several members of the cast and crew participated in a hilarious and informative Q&A session. Overall, this film has something for everyone! If you like THE TOXIC AVENGER and NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION, then LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS is right up your alley!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be playing again at the Camera 12 on Monday, March 10th at 9:30pm and once more on Saturday, March 15th at 9:15pm. Visit the film's official website and follow the film on Facebook too.

And that was Day Five of my cinematic trip to Cinequest 24. My new total now is 22 films in 5 days! So far so good!! Remember the festival will be running till March 16th so there's plenty of time for you to join in on the fun here in Downtown San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 4-March 7, 2014

Greetings and Salutations folks! Welcome to Day Four of my trip to Cinequest 24! Today is the day that the festival kicks off into high gear. And today I saw SIX films today!! So let us begin the reviews, shall we?

The first film I saw was ABOVE DARK WATERS (TUMMAN VEDEN PÄÄLLÄ) over at the Camera 12. Set in 1970s, the film centers around seven-year-old Pete, who's life in the course of a year will be dramatically and drastically changed. From happy beginnings with celebrating Christmas and having birthday parties to his step-fathers drinking and domestic violence, the film captures what the world looks like through the years of a child, and doesn't hold back any punches.

This was a powerful and amazing film. Coming once again from Finland, the beauty of the country is juxtaposed against the violence that Pete is witnessing. The love and tragedy is all there set in the tranquility of ice and snow. Based off the novel of the same name, director Peter Franzen does a great job of bringing the book to life! This is a film that I really enjoyed! 4 out of 5 stars!! The film will be screened again on Tuesday, March 11th at 9:30pm at the San Jose Rep and again on Thursday, March 13th at 9:30pm at the California Theatre.

Film number two was the Hungarian export HEAVENLY SHIFT. In this bizarre dark comedy, a young Croat transplant named Milan has a chance encounter with the night shift ambulance drivers on night in Budapest. Seeking greener pastures, Milan becomes the newest member, thus making this team a Trifecta when it comes to saving lives, losing lives, and everything else in between.

What I loved about this film is just how dark the comedy is! It's so politically incorrect, so over the top, so bloody outrageous, I was laughing my ass off from the start of the film to the very last frame! But what made the film that much more fun to watch was listening to the audience's reaction! I mean, when you have a scenes that involve a dead hooker impaled on a samurai sword, or a topless women's hair salon that gives me blowjobs, or when a body is about to die and all the do is just punch on the chest to save it, you know you are going to offend a lot of people. And believe it or not, there were quit ea few people at the screening that were offended. But that just goes to show you the the filmmakers got the job done right! My favorite film thus far at the festival!! 5 out of 5 stars!! The film will be playing again on Wednesday, Mar 12th at 9:30pm at the California Theatre and on Friday, March 14th at 9:15pm at the San Jose Rep Theatre.

The third film I saw today was also at the Camera 12, but before that there was a short. PRISONS TO PARADISE is about the organization Hour Children offers women the possibility to transform their lives and make the transition from prison life to family life.

The love drama INERCIA takes place in a Mexico City hospital, where Lucia visits her friend there. But then, at the same hospital, she runs into her ex-boyfriend Felipe, who is in serious ill health. Even though they haven't seen each other in over 12 years, they pick up where they left off. Lucia takes some time off from work to spend some time with him, but will the old flame become rekindled before it's too late?

This film is the equivalent to a love poem of story. It's just a wonderful and beautiful movie. Both lead actors have great on-screen chemistry and first time director Isabel Muñoz Cota Callejas captures all the romance. The one complaint that I have is that the film moves too slow, but that's just me. But what do I know, I'm just a film critic. Tee-hee! Still it's worth seeing. 3 out of 5 stars! The film will be screened again on Thursday, March 13th at 9:3pm and on Sat, March 15 4:15pm. Both screenings will be at the Camera 12. 

I made my way to the California Theatre movie palace for the fourth film of the day for me. Based on the Patricia McCormick’s National Book Award nominee of the same name, SOLD is about a 12-year-old girl named Lakshmi who lives in a Nepal village with her family. After a devastating monsoon that completely wiped out her family's rice paddy crops, her father sells her to a lady in the city to work as a domestic servant. However, to Lakshmi shock, she is working in a brothel and must take on clients to help pay off the debt that she owes to them. In the end she must find a way out of her nightmare before she succumbs to this life.

The other day I had the honor of seeing the documentary LIFE IS LOVE about human trafficking. Here, we have the bookend to that. This film's ability to capture the ugliness of being sold to a brothel, the unsettling images of this poor girl being mistreated and raped, the tortures that Lakshmi had to live with will make you absolutely sick to your stomach! Niyar (who played the lead role) was outstanding! Hard to believe that this was her first film role! Also appearing in the film were Hollywood actors Gillian Anderson and David Arquette in small but pivital roles. Overall this was one of the most heart wrenching film I've seen so far at the festival. If this film doesn't make you cry, then you have no soul! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be playing again on Sunday, March 9th at 6:45pm at the Camera 12. Also make sure to visit the film's official website to help create global awareness about this topic. Visit soldthemovie.com and make a donation today!

For film number five I headed back over to the Camera 12, but prior to the screening there was a short film to watch.  IN CONFIDENCE is about a beautiful woman who confesses to her friend (breaking the fourth wall to make us the audience her friend) about a life changing decision she made that she both accepts and regrets as part of her past.

Usually most short films I review only take a couple of sentences or two, but this one was different. It was cleverly written, very well acted, and directed and edited with precise precision. Shot entirely in one day and in one location, actress Beege Barkette was riveting in her role as the women, who through the length of the short goes from emotional state to the other, and she nails each emotion perfectly. Overall this was one of the most impressive shorts I've seen so far here. Later on Beege along with producer Mary-Lyn Chambers and the writer participated in an informative Q&A session.

The main feature TEMPO GIRL is about a young Berlin hipster girl/wannabe novelist named Dominique, who's publisher told her that her work "sucks shit." Mostly due to the fact that she hasn't really done anything with her life and basically tells her to go out and live life and find your story. So she and her Turkish boyfriend set off on a roadtrip that leads them to renting a gas station in a small Swiss Valley where she must push herself into crossing over her "borders" again and again until she finds herself, her limits, and her story.

While it is a romantic dark comedy, leave it up to the Germans to find a way to make something like this look and feel totally fucked up! First there's a shit load of cursing, there's a freaking abortion scene shot in grainy black and white!! And we see the whole damn thing!! And then there's a dog that gets shot in the fucking head!! Add some women slapping, gun shots, and hot sex and there's the movie for ya! Yet despite all this crazy shit, I found myself just glued to the screen. So I have to say that I really enjoyed it, but I had to take a shower after watching it! 4 out of 5 stars!! Shower recommended after viewing!! Both the film and short will be screened again on Monday, March 10th at 9:15pm at the California Theatre and again on Thursday, March 13th at 3:00pm at the Camera 12.

The sixth and final film of the day was the excellent midnight screening of BLOOD PUNCH. Meet Milton (Milo Cawthorne). When we first meet him, he wakes up hung over, runs to the bathroom and pukes his head off and finds a video screen with a recording of him detailing on what's been going on. And boy there's a lot of crazy shit going on in this here movie! Milton is a genius college dropout who is recruited by the lovely, chain smoking, bad ass bitch Skyler (Olivia Tennet) and her gun-loving, psychotic ex-boyfriend cop Russell (Ari Boyland) to help make them a shitload of crystal meth over at an old hunter's cabin out in the woods. However, things go slightly awry, and soon, blood has been spilled, which invokes an ancient Indian curse which causes these three to repeat the same day over and over again! Soon guns are blazin', blood is a spillin', and love takes flight in this outrageous midnight cult classic!

What I loved about this film is that they take it to the next level and make no apologies for going there. It's a dark comedy that has an awesome love triangle and gory violence. Now what more do you want in a movie people? How's the acting? Incredible! How's the directing? Fantastic! How's the story? Excellent? How's the bloodshed? Outrageously gory! How's the film overall? You'll have a bloody good time when watching this movie! So if you like GROUNDHOG DAY and EVIL DEAD 2, then you're gonna love BLOOD PUNCH!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screening again at the San Jose Rep Theatre on Sunday, March 9th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, March 15th 11:45pm.

And that was Day Four of my cinematic trip to Cinequest. So far I'm at 16 films in 4 days! Getting closer to my 60 films for this year goal!! Remember the festival will be running till March 16th so there's plenty of time for you to join in on the fun here in Downtown San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 3-March 6, 2014

Welcome to Day Three of my trip to the 24th Cinequest Film Festival! Already this year's fest is shaping up to be a fantastic one! Today I saw five films, so let's get show on the road!

The first film I saw was over at the Camera 12. HEART OF A LION is a Finland export that tells the story of Teppo, the leader of a racist skinhead gang who just got released from jail and flirts with a beautiful blonde waitress named Sari. The two fall madly in love with one another, but there's a problem: Sari has a bi-racial son named Rhamu from a previous relationship. Teppo's racial beliefs will be put to the test as he's challenged with accepting a son that is of a different race. And too make things even more complicated, what will his gang do if they ever find out about this?

It's always a surprise when I see a foreign film that displays racism right in the open for everyone to see. Here in America, we don't see that a lot, since this country is super sensitive about the topic of slavery still. Over in Europe, racism is displayed in all of its ugliness, and the film captures all of this and more. It raw, it's very in your face, it's violent, it's just one hell of a amazing film to watch! Not for the weak of heart or if your super sensitive, especially when you see the film's ending. 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again on Tuesday, March 11th at 9:15pm at the California Theatre and again on Saturday, March 15th at 11:30am at the Camera 12.

The second film I saw was again at the Camera 12. The documentary THE ARRIETA METHOD is about Mentxu and Lourdes Arrieta, two sisters that are born with a congenital disorder which makes them unable to speak or control their own muscles. Because of their handicap, the sisters create their own unique way of communicating with one another, and thus opened up a whole new world for them and for their family!

This was a very inspiring documentary, one that everyone should definitely see. What begins as a tragedy becomes a testament of the human will. In this case, two young girls who grown up to become women who helped make a difference. The only real negative criticism I had was that it went on a bit too long and I found myself getting out of the film. If the narrative was a little more streamlined then it would be better, but still go see this film. 3 out of 5 stars! The film plays again on Saturday, March 8th at 11:30am and again on Wednesday, March 12th at 4:30pm. Both screenings will be at the Camera 12.

Next up was another excellent documentary entitled THE HUMAN EXPERIMENT. Produced and directed by Emmy Award-winning journalists Dana Nachman and Don Hardy (and narrated by Executive Producer Sean Penn) the film explores the critical dangers of toxic chemicals that can be found in everyday consumer products: baby plastic bottles, tin food cans, bathroom soaps, etc. These common buys have been linked with the increase rise of unexplained health issues, the actual committees and bureaus that are supposed to be looking out for our own well being (the EPA and USFDA for example) have been bought out by the same corporations that are putting these toxic product on the shelves.

I was at a loss for words when I saw this documentary! While I do love my country, it has been bought out by all these corporations so now this is no longer the United States of America, it is just called the Corporate Sates of America. Now is the time for Americans to become political activists and take to the streets in protest, to email their Representative, to fight for our rights as to what are in our products that we buy in the store: our foods, our furniture, our clothes, everything! After the screening, Dana Nachman, Don Hardy and two other women from the film participated in a Q&A session. One of the most astounding and informative documentaries thus far at the festival! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again on Saturday. March 15th at 2:45pm at the California Theatre. Also check out their official website at http://thehumanexperimentmovie.com. Also check out their Facebook page as well.

Film number four took place at the San Jose Rep Theatre, where my new friend (OK drinking buddy) Harry Knowles was to receive the Media Legacy Award for his contribution to the world of online media. His website Ain't-It-Cool News was the very first website online that talked about films, reviews, and news long before anybody else was! Knowles was a pioneer, and for that he truly deserved this award! Congrats Harry!!

So for this special occasion, Harry brought to Cinequest his favorite film that he had at his film festival down in Austin, Texas. THE GRAND PIANO stars everyone's favorite Hobbit Elijah Wood as Tom Selznic, a renowned concert pianist, who is married to a famous actress Emma (Kerry Bishé). She arranges him to hit the concert stage for one last performance when he becomes engulfed in a deadly cat and mouse game with an unknown sniper (John Cusack).

Wow! I absolutely loved this movie! The acting was superb, the story was intense and dramatic, the directing was awesome, and the score was outstanding! Director Eugenio Mira channels the Master of Suspense himself as his directing employs both simple set ups and shot while simultaneously has extravagant camera pans and unique camera compositions. And what really makes the film work is Elijah Wood's acting, which was incredible! He was very believable in his role! John Cusack as the insane but brilliant sniper? What a great idea! And if you've been reading my reviews for a long time, you know that I'm a huge fan of Kerry Bishé. I believe that she is one very talented actress and I'm very happy to see her in these types of films which gets to show off her acting chops. Overall this was an amazing movie to see!

Now according to Mr. Knowles, the film is to have a limited release to theaters starting this Friday, but unfortunately not around here in the Bay Area just yet. However, it is available on iTunes if you want to download it now on VOD. To learn more about the film and when it will be playing in a theater near you, visit the film's page on its distributor Magnolia Picture's website.

The fifth and final film I saw today was also at the San Jose Rep. PARALLEL MAZE is the debut feature film from Chinese director Hua Ya. So the film is part Hitchcock and part experimental. Actually I had a hard time understanding the film due to the fact that there is a lot going on. The basic plot is this: a pregnant bank teller steals a suitcase full of money and hides out in a hotel room waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. But that still isn't the plot. Remember, there a parallel worlds that have parallel hotels with parallel bank teller in the almost same situation. So we see one such universe, then we are taken to the next universe, and so on and so.

It's clear to me that director Hua Ya is working on another film level (and the film proves that he is way more intelligent than me). This is a film that I would have to see another two or three times to digest the fundamentals of the film and to make sense of the parallel universes. But there is a mad genius at work here. A lot of people were leaving the screening, probably because it is such an experimental film. The one thing I would change though was the eight different endings, but then again, we are dealing with multiple universes, so we had to see them all. The film will be playing again on Saturday, March 8th at 2:30pm at the California Theatre and again on Wednesday, March 5th at 2:45pm over at the Camera 12.

After the screening, we all headed over the Maverick Meet-Up which was at The Blackbird Tavern. I didn't have anything to drink because I was too tired (and not because they stopped serving booze at midnight), but I did get to hang out with all my cinematic friends and that was totally fun!

And that was Day Three of my cinematic trip to Cinequest. So far I'm at 10 films in 3 days! Not too shabby!! Remember the festival will be running till March 16th so there's plenty of time for you to join in on the fun here in Downtown San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 2-March 5, 2014

Hello again everyone and welcome to Day Two of my trip to the Cinequest 24 Film Festival! Today I had the pleasure of seeing four diverse films so let's get on with the show!

The first film I saw today was the poetic MAPA over at the Camera 12. This documentary tells the story of a young Spanish filmmaker who is making a "video diary" of his journey to India to heal from his devastating break-up with his ex-girlfriend. After being fired from his directing job as a children's television show, he begins his quest of finding life and love while searching for himself.

Before the film, the festival screened a short film entitled SHOTGUN CYANIDE, which is part of their Picture The Possibilities (PTP). The short is about three friends who all seem to be your happy-go-lucky teenagers. However one is carrying a dark secret that could cost him his life, if his friends don't get to him first.

The documentary proves once and for all that no matter what dialogue you speak, we all can speak and understand the language of love. This hits all too close to home for myself, having been on the receiving end of a break-up, the trials of self healing and self discovery are all too familiar areas that we must all travel through in order to heal. Director Leon Siminiani gives us an inside look at his heart break and his rites of passage of self healing. 3 out of 5 stars! The film will be screened again on Monday, March 10th at 6:45pm and on Tuesday, March 11th at 6:15, both at the Camera 12.

The second film I saw over at the Camera 12 was the animated film CHEATIN'. Now this was a real treat for me to see! The plot is very simple: Girl meets Boy. They both fall in love. After some miscommunication, Boy cheats on Girl. Girl finds out and plots her revenge. But all isn't as it appears to be.

The film was created by the one and only Bill Plymton, who's animation is the stuff of legends! What sets him apart from other animators is that he still draws his films ONE FRAME AT A TIME!! Because of this, his films take on this surreal look that borders on the beautiful and the nightmarish. It's a little rough around the edges, it's in-your-face, it's the look of a genius at work! This being his seventh film, it proves that Plymton is still carrying the torch for traditional animation! And I applaud him for this! This film is another example of history that filmgoers don't get to see too often! 4 out of 5 stars!! The film will be screened again on Friday, March 14th at 9:30pm at the Camera 12 and again on Saturday, March 15th at 9:15pm at the California Theatre.

For film number three for me I headed over to the California Theatre to see LIFE IS LOVE.  The documentary tells the story of a group of young Cambodian women who were sold into human trafficking (some by their own family because of the the Khmer Rouge, so they sell one child so that the other can live), which has become a major issue in select countries. The women interviewed are, without question, some of the bravest women in the entire world. To overcome such abuse and devastation, these women find salvation and hope in Somaly Mam, a survivor herself, who has helped these women transform their lives. Mam is a leader in fighting against human trafficking and for human rights, and she continues to become a beacon of hope.

This powerful documentary was produced and directed by Cinequest co-founders Halfdan Hussey and Kathleen Powell. Originally intended to be a Picture the Possibilities short, the project continued to grow and grow until it became the full length feature is has now become. Watching this film is the equivalent of getting hit in the gut by a Mac Truck! It made me an emotional wreck, just hearing these stories of these women being locked in their rooms, serving clients at the age of 10, and then to hear from the clients themselves, who suggest that they need more "romance" but in reality, these men (and I use that term very, very loosely) are nothing more than sick, rich, perverted child molesters who should be sent to jail and raped themselves! Thanks goodness that there is Somaly Mam, who is providing hope and love to these abused young women. One of the most powerful documentaries I've seen so far! Try not to cry during this film! 4 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be shown again on Sunday, March 9th at 2pm at the Camera 12.

For the forth and final film of the day I stayed at the California Theatre to see the foreign film CLASS ENEMY. In this intense drama, a strict, emotionless teacher arrives to teach a German class midway through the year and shows no contempt towards his students. But when a female student who he has last seen with commits suicide, the students direct their anger towards their new teacher, who carries on like nothing happened, which only adds more gasoline to this already out of control fire.

This is a prime example of what I love about watching foreign films: excellent acting, compelling story, great cinematography, astounding directing, and interesting subject matter. Here we have teenagers that are three dimensional that look and sound like real teenagers, not the generic Hollywood stereotypes that we are used to seeing. The subject of teenage suicide is handled with the utmost care and respect; showcasing the dramatic effects it has on teenagers and how they handle it, but because we are in a different country, it treated in a more adult way. It thoughtful, intense, dramatic, and absolutely reviting!! I loved this film! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again on Thursday, March 6th at 2pm at the Camera 12 and on Saturday, March 15th at 12pm at the California Theatre.

After all the movies were over, I made my way over to the Maverick Meet-Up, which was at The Farmer's Union, where I just hung out with friends and filmmakers. However I found myself mostly hanging out with Harry Knowles, the man behind the website Ain't It Cool News. We talked about everything; from movies, Elijah Wood, and shroom brownies. It was the best conversation I have had in a long time.

And folks, there you have Day Two of Cinequest 24! All together I've seen 5 films in 2 days. So far I'm right on track to reaching 60 films! Remember the festival ends on Sunday, March 16th so make sure you come out here to San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!