The Filmcake

June 13rd – June 19th

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly — This one almost feels like a heist film in some respects, in that its not so much about the characters as it is about quest for the money. The three in this one are morally not that much different from each other, but the film tries to engage you in the search for the buried treasure. Will Angel Eyes resources prevail? Will Tuco’s perserverence prevail? Or will Blondie’s brains prevail?

Since this is my first Leone experience, I viewed this through Tarantino eyes as well. It didn’t make me appreciate Tarantino more so much as it made me realize how bad the Tarantino knock-offs really are. After seeing this, it seems more noticeable when someone is stylistically ripping off Tarantino rather than going back to the same source material and referencing it in their own way. Whereas I see Tarantino as repurposing Leone stylistic flourishes, among others, and creating somewhat of an homage in his final product, it seems like others simply copy Tarantino because it seems “cool.”

Finally getting around to posting something about the final two days of the festival. This delay is what happens when late nights catch up with the return to work.

Day Four started with the Do or Die Shorts program. Some good, well made shorts for sure. But I found them a bit too serious for what I was in the mood for at the time. The exception was Chill Pill, which I felt was the best of the bunch.

This was followed with the Mind Bender Shorts program. These felt a little more solid overall. I liked ‘em all except for one in which I must’ve dozed off during cause I don’t remember it at all (hey, long days require rest every now and again).

We then battled the Bricktown traffic to be able to catch S & M Lawn Care from the Singletree crew. I didn’t like their previous Simmons on Vinyl all that much (though I wouldn’t mind seeing it again for a re-evaluation). This one I thought hit the mark precisely. Funny but focused. And I think Potts, Selix, and Rackley appear in the movie in just the right proportions. And you can’t help finding the analogy of their lawn care battle to filmmaking (or those with flash and equipment versus those with the heart and talent). I saw a lot of movies that were shot with a better camera and better lighting. But hardly any hold a candle to S & M Lawn Care. I’m honestly very excited about their upcoming film A Splice of Life.

The Saturday night outdoor screening this year was the documentary Elevate. About some Senegalese youth trying to make it in both school and basketball in America, the film was an uplifting pleasure.

The last day of the festival saw a trio of films at Harkins in Bricktown. First up was Paradise Recovered. As someone who is not religious, I appreciated the way it approached both the religious and the skeptical. Both portrayals could have gone for the worse, but both director and write kept the stereotypes in check. There were a few moments that seemed a bit too much, but the Q & A discussion afterwards did a lot to allay some of those concerns. Heather del Rio was absolutely wonderful in her lead role.

Next up was the wildly original zombie musical, The Dead Inside. The story got a little convoluted by the end, but it’s originality and wonderful performances by the two leads made up for those shortcomings.

The festival concluded with the Norwegian mockumentary Trollhunter. I really enjoyed it. It takes the Blair Witch conceit of found footage and creates a horror-WTF-mockumentary. I’m sure the film touched on Norwegian politics in ways I am ignorant of, but it was perfectly entertaining otherwise.

All in all a great festival. Can’t wait for next year…

Sarah guest posts at The Filmcake:

After racking up a serious sleep deficit and a thoroughly marinated liver, I’ve finally mustered up the energy to give a few shout-outs to the films, people, and local buisnesss that made my time at deadCENTER so damned memorable (the parts I remember, that is). In no particular order:

* Clifton Raphael and his film and television program at Jenks High School. As an Owasso alum, it pains me greatly to give any kind of a shout-out to Jenks, but it’s deserved in this case. Filmcake had the pleasure of chatting with Raphael at the OKCMOA Opening Night Party. Not only is he an extraordinarily nice guy, the quality of the films coming out of his program (All That Remains, RSVP) is impressive. I look forward to seeing what these kids do next.

* Joey’s Pizzeria. We stopped in after checking out the Film Row Frolic and before the Late Night Shorts. It was a little before 11pm, and their posted hours said they were open until midnight, so we thought we’d grab some pizza and a couple COOP Native Ambers (the fact that they have my favorite beer on tap is reason enough to love them). However, when we had our beers in front of us  and started to order our pizza, our waitress told us that they’d just shut down the oven. We were disappointed, but at least we had our beer. No worries. A few minutes later, though, the manager came by and said that they’d just fired the oven back up, so what kind of pizza would we like? Joey’s, you have a new fan.

* I Wear My Fanny Pack Low. This short screened during the Okie Shorts (which was overall, a very solid block of Oklahoma-made short films) and was easily the funniest couple minutes of the festival. Have you ever seen a fanny pack full of queso? Well, I have – and it’s a sight to behold.

* That fake Wayne Coyne guy. Every time I turned my head during this festival, this guy was there.  The very sight of him inspired a great and wondrous rage within me, for reasons I have yet to work out. By the time Saturday night rolled around, I was wanting nothing more than to punch this man in the face. And to his credit, he let me. Now I’m somewhat less enraged.

* Iguana‘s Black Pearl party bus. I’ve always wanted to ride in this thing, and Saturday night, I got to – twice. Some sort of blueberry trashcan punch, Lady Gaga blasting on the speakers, and what is apparently a complete lack of suspension made for one wildly jarring, drunken ride. It was fantastic.

* Bobo’s Chicken. This delicious, smokey, drippin’ with honey chicken is always a highlight of the closing night after-after party, and this year, we got to go on the actual Bobo’s run itself. We hopped back on the Iguana party bus with deadCENTER Tech Director Ian Peterson, Programming Director Kevin Ely, and filmmakers Stefanie Leland (Where Did the Horny Toad Go?), Matt Porter (More Perfect Union) and Jamie Renee Williams (Floating Lanterns). More blueberry punch, more bone-rattling, more fun. And I got to watch a man order $160 worth of fried chicken.

* Mark Potts, Cole Selix and the rest of the Singletree Productions crew. Filmcake was pretty harsh on these guys last year for their Simmons on Vinyl, and since it kind of sucks having to say negative things about people you might like, run into in real life, it’s a relief to say that this year’s film, S&M Lawn Care, is a vast improvement. The story of a small lawn care company forced to compete with a flashier, sexier (well, if you’re one of those who found Tom Cruise’s Magnolia ponytail sexy) lawn care company, the film felt tighter and more disciplined. As a result, it was funnier from start to finish. There was also some experimentation with different styles – I especially enjoyed the black and white Mr. Smith Goes to Washington homage. This felt like the work of filmmakers who have matured quite a bit in the last couple years (but haven’t lost their goofy charm). While the film has received some criticism for being misogynistic, this card-carrying feminist doesn’t agree. S&M Lawn Care was one of my festival favorites this year. I look forward to the next Singletree film (now, with crew and budget!), A Splice of Life.

A big congratulations and thank you to all the festival organizers, volunteers and filmmakers who made this a great experience. Get some rest, rehydrate, and we’ll see you in 2012!

The third day started out with some technical difficulties. The delay for the start of PressPausePlay kept getting longer and longer. Finally, Brian Hearn and Kevin Ely came out to deliver the bad news that the only version they would be able to screen was this horrible purple-tinted, almost negative image, of the film. They briefly entertained the idea of screening Trollhunter in its place, but instead ended up offering vouchers and/or refunds to anybody dissatisfied with the quality of the projection. So we ended up sticking it out. And like subtitles or a strong British accent, the bad video was something that you eventually got used to and sort of ignored as you worked through the film. The movie itself was quite interesting. It had the dual distinction of making we want to return to the ACL music festival as well as making me want to immediately get working on my own film projects.

After the movie, it was onto the supremely awesome party at ghost advertising on Broadway sponsored by the Oklahoma Film & Music Office. Stella and Iguana? Yes, please. If upon my death I enter into heaven and see a cooler filled with Stella and a tray of Iguana mini tacos, I will know that I have lived a decent life.

After the party we joined the packed crowed at Kerr for the Okie shorts. They were really solid this year. Very impressed. I Wear My Fanny Pack Low was hilarious. Catoosa Blue was a nostalgic look back through my childhood. All That Remains kept me wanting more. And Highway 9 was an impressive piece of work. Good stuff.

Then it was time to hit the Film Row Frolic. Had a delicious curry crepe washed down with a Bud Light to the musical stylings of an ACM@UCO band playing in the background. Then a Joey’s pizza craving just had to be satisfied. After all that fuel consumption, we headed next door to the IAO for to catch some of the Late Night Shorts before deciding to abandon them altogether in favor of returning home. All in all, another great day at deadCENTER.

Today is going to be a long day but promises to be just as memorable. If only I can sneak in a nap before I really get started…

After a day of decent rest, I was ready for Day Two. As usual, Thursday started off with the Opening Night Party on the rooftop of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. It was certainly a bit windy and the Stella disappeared surprisingly quickly, but I still had a wonderful time. We ended chatting up Clifton Raphael, the Jenks High School teacher who heads up their film and TV program, JPS Cinema. I was quite impressed with the program. Instead of doing the typical high school TV show, he focuses on having his students produce documentary films. Very cool. I only wish that I’d had the interest when I was in high school and that such a program had been available to me. Some of his students will be screening their films in the Okie Shorts Program (All That Remains) and in the Mixtape Shorts Program (RSVP).

I don’t know what’s going on with deadCENTER this year, but I’ve found that there’s stuff on the schedule in the printed deadCENTER program that is not on the online schedule. I find this very annoying. I don’t know if the online schedule is just more up-to-date and certain events have been cancelled or what. I guess I’ll find out. I’d just urge everybody to check out the printed schedule in the festival program for a (hopefully) full listing of events.

We had planned on seeing Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times at the Noble Theater, but were convinced to head to IAO for the sold-out Comedy Shorts Program. I hadn’t been over to Film Row in a while, so it was nice to see Joey’s Pizzeria right next door (especially since IAO was dry…not quite sure why they weren’t selling beer). Since we were early, we grabbed a COOP Native Amber Joey’s and chilled there for a bit.

By the time we headed back to IAO, the place was filling up nicely. The shorts themselves were pretty damn good. I certainly applaud the programmers for their selections. I kind of miss that there weren’t any of the humorous promotional shorts before the films. The lack of commercials is certainly appreciated though.

Write of Passage — A decent short about writer’s block. Not particularly original. It seems like a short about writing that features an old typewriter shows up at the festival every couple of years.

Mowing Shoes — Quirky and funny. And Matt Brown!!! Yay!!! If there can be no promo shorts this year, at least I got a dose of Matt Brown. Director Joe Cappa was in attendance.

Bathing & the Single Girl — An entertaining short from the mind of Christine Elise McCarthy about a romantic drought. It seemed more like a spoken word routine than a movie, but it still entertained for sure.

More Perfect Union — A nice short about love and relationships that didn’t quite go to all of the usual places. It seemed on the verge of going somewhere that might have been off-putting (white boy saves brown people and/or women are nags) but then subverted that track and finished with something more thoughtful and subtle. The director and one of the co-writers were in attendance.

There’s Something Wrong With Steve — My favorite of the program. Some times we think people are crazy for some of the stuff they believe. This short takes a funny and compassionate look at a couple of these people. Very nice.

Mercy, Grace and Crab Meat — A solid short. Two Mormon missionaries get caught up with an angry drug dealer. It moved along at a nice pace. The Tarantino Reservoir Dog influence wasn’t overdone. It touched on faith and God’s plan and all that. But then it kind of fizzled out for me. It seemed like a missed opportunity.

After the shorts program, we headed over to the Red Piano Lounge at the Skirvin to catch the end of Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs. I have to say it was kind of awesome to see the OKC crowd cheering on the Mavericks. After all, if the Mav’s win it all at least the Thunder can say that they’ve only lost to Champions (Lakers last year and hopefully the Mavs this year).

Then we headed on over to the bar at the Colcord for the Opening Night After Party. Kind of lame. I assume they’re remodeling or something, but for some reason the bar only had two beers available for purchase, Bud Light and Shiner. These two beers are the alcoholic equivalent of watching a completely indulgent and pretentious short that has bad audio. Perhaps you can sit through one, but then you’re going to be quickly out the door. I hear there were drag queens a bit later. For that, I’d have needed a better beer.

For today, I’m looking forward to PressPausePlay and the subsequent panel discussion. I’m hoping that the Friday Night Frolic won’t disappoint and will live up to last year’s party (though I’m a little doubtful).

So Day One of deadCENTER 11 kicked off on Broadway Avenue. As with last year’s kick-off film The Birth of Big Air, I wasn’t particularly excited about the film going into it. Last year, Jeff Tremaine’s documentary about BMXer Mat Hoffman ended up winning me over. Things were a little different for this year’s kick-off.

First of all, the Kick-Off Party was MIA. Sure there was the redCENTER fundraiser for those shelling out $100 for a ticket. But without the Stella Artois and snack food from local merchants for the All-Access pass holders, I’m not even sure if the festival has actually begun. I get that free Stella for pass holders only limits the number of people that might pay extra for the redCENTER party. And I’m all for any fundraiser that’s going to help the festival stay afloat. I was still a little sad that there was no Stella in my hand during any point in the evening.

And that sort of set the tone for the evening. I just really hope it doesn’t set the tone for the festival. I hope this hasn’t shifted to become a festival for the douchebags rather than a festival for filmmakers and film lovers. Another thing that kind of irritated me had to do with the adult beverage situation. A tweet went out yesterday evening advising people not to bring coolers with their own alcoholic drinks as only 3.2 beer could be consumed since it was taking place on the street. However, the redCENTER partygoers were able to bring out wine, beer, or mixed drinks out onto the street without any problem. Then when one of the festival organizers referred to the gathered audience as “you people” it just seemed to confirm my irritations. Nit picky, for sure. And I expect the rest of the festival to live up to all of my expectations.

Now with all of that being said, it was very heartening to see so many people show up for the night’s film Talihina Sky, a documentary from Stephen Mitchell about the Kings of Leon. According to some of the organizers, there very well might have been more people at this Kick-Off than there was last year.

The film itself was okay. I think you probably have to be a KoL fan to really love this movie though. For myself, I quite liked their Youth and Young Manhood album but haven’t really cared for anything since. The documentary was interesting, juxtaposing these rock stars with their uber-religious family and a much more modest southern way of life. I can’t help but compare the film to Bradley Beesley’s doc about OKC’s The Flaming Lips, The Fearless Freaks. The Kings of Leon are not nearly as interesting (personality wise or musically) as the Lips. And where Beesley’s film had a compelling story arc (notably the bro-mance between Wayne and Steven) as well as an excellent recap of the band’s history and influence, I didn’t feel like Talihina Sky really had any of these. It was very muddled. Wayne and Steven of the Lips are distinct and memorable characters. With this one, I could barely distinguish the band members from each other, and sometimes from the rest of their extended family.

To be sure, there was something compelling there. The southern upbringing, the Pentecostal influence, and the somewhat sudden stardom make for an interesting story. I just wish there had been more attention payed to the band’s history–their rise from playing church gigs to arenas–and to the band members’ struggle to balance the rock ‘n roll lifestyle with their strict upbringing. There was something there…it just didn’t quite hit the mark. In the end, maybe it comes down to my feelings about the band itself. I just sort of got the feeling that these guys weren’t so much rock musicians as they were playing the role of the rock star. To me, it feels like rock ‘n roll posturing more than anything truly authentic or interesting. And this documentary did very little to dispel that notion.

Well, Day Two kicks off a little bit later with the Opening Night Rooftop Party at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the documentary Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times. Once I throw back that first Stella, the 11th edition of deadCENTER will truly have begun. I can’t wait to get things started right.

Sarah guest posts at The Filmcake:

As I set up my canvas folding chair in the middle of Broadway, grumpily purchased a Bud Light (real drinks were apparently banned for everyone except those attending the fundraiser pre-party at RED), I contemplated the film I was about to watch – the Kings of Leon documentary, Talihina Sky. deadCENTER is only the second U.S. festival to screen the film (Tribeca was the first), and the filmmaker says this will be the last. That’s pretty cool. But as someone who is not a Kings of Leon fan, I had one big question – would enjoyment and appreciation of this film require the viewer to be either a pre-existing KoL fan or a member of the Followill extended family? Or would Talihina Sky present a compelling enough narrative that even an interloper such as myself would find it interesting?

Slowly, the answer became clear – membership in either the KoL fan club or the Followill family required. Actually, some of the Followill clan were in attendance (since they’re from, y’know, around these parts), and seemed to be enjoying themselves and the film immensely. As I imagine I would, if I got to watch my family reunion videos projected on the big screen. That would be a lot of fun.

But for the rest of us, it became pretty boring pretty quickly. Instead of painting a complete, nuanced portrait of the KoL and their extended family, the film took a more scattershot approach, presenting us with several enticing storylines, but never delving too deeply into any of them. The Followill family reunion scenes were, in fact, the most interesting and entertaining, and I wish the filmmaker had spent more time there. I would have liked to get to know these people more. I would have liked to see more of how they – God-fearin’, rowdy, rural folk – interact with their kin who are now Big Fancy Rock Stars. This could have been a compelling story. Instead, the tensions, pride and conflicting emotions simmering within these relationships were merely hinted at. The large cast of characters actually became confusing – I was never really sure who was who, or what their relationship was to everyone else. And not being a KoL fan, I even found myself sometimes lost as to who the band members were in relation to one another.

These guys’ lives have clearly followed a pretty unusual trajectory, one ripe for a documentary. How did they go from their strict, Pentecostal upbringing to living the stereotypical sex, drugs and rock-and-roll lifestyle? We see clips from the band members’ childhoods, singing gospel songs at revivals. We also see them as they are now, touring, horsing around in high-end hotel rooms, bickering in the studio, but we see very little of how they got from point A to point B. There was one nice sequence in which clips of Pentecostal church-goers lost in the throes of the Holy Spirit, thrashing around and speaking in tongues, is cross-cut with footage of the band performing onstage. The movements and emotions expressed are eerily similar. But I wanted to know more about the journey. I know these guys didn’t just wake up one day as Rock Stars. Was there struggle and guilt involved? Were they never really into the whole strict religion thing in the first place? How do their family members deal with their lifestyle?  Everything just seems taken for granted, when I know there has to be a wealth of unexplored drama here.

While I may not have been a Kings of Leon fan, I am a New York Times fan, so I eagerly await tonight’s screening of Page One: Inside the New York Times at the OKCMOA.

May 31st – June 5th

Dick — After catching Michelle Williams in a couple of films last week (Wendy & Lucy and Meek’s Cutoff) and seeing that Kirsten Dunst had won Best Actress at Cannes, I had a sudden desire to see this movie. I hadn’t seen it in a while, but I think it still holds up. Williams and Dunst are charming enough and the scripts is funny and smart.

Marwencol – A wonderful documentary from last year. Had I seen this earlier it no doubt would have ended up on my Top 10 of 2010. It follows a man who finds therapy in creating a miniaturized village populated by alter egos of the people in his life. It’s emotionally quite powerful while also feeding into that recent documentary zeitgeist that asks “What is art?” Highly recommended (and available now on Netflix Instant Viewing).

Zombie Girl: The Movie — Another good documentary. This one follows a 12-year-old filmmaker from Austin as she tries to make a zombie movie. It was great to see the passion of filmmaking living inside such a young girl. And beyond her age, the documentary showed both how hard it is to make a movie and what an accomplishment it is to complete one. Both Zombie Girl and Marwencol have provided me with some inspiration to get working on one of my projects. Hopefully, deadCENTER adds a little more.

Day Night Day Night — I first heard about this one from the 2007 IFC Spirit Awards. It was nominated for a couple of awards that year. Looked interesting, so I added it to my list. A few years later and I finally get around to it. I think it’s pretty damn brilliant. There’s basically one true actor and really only two sets (a hotel room and Times Square). The film is basically about a young woman who straps on a bomb and heads to Times Square. But how it plays with the audiences expectations and biases, and how it only vaguely asks questions to which there aren’t clear answers, and the way it slowly yet tensely develops is masterful.

May 23rd – May 29th

Old Joy, Wendy & Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff — A trio from Kelly Reichardt viewed back-to-back-to-back. I love the ease with which these three films saunter from beginning to end. In their quiteness, they become all about a feeling. Not only are the characters searching for something that eludes them, but we begin to feel their emptiness in our own souls. In Old Joy, Mark is reunited with his old friend Kurt. He is searching for his place between the domesticity of his homelife and the wilder day of the past that Kurt represents. In Wendy & Lucy, the search is both for a home and a dog. In Meek’s Cutoff, the settlers are searching for the unknown. Not a lot happens in any of these movies, but they still remain so powerful.

Bridesmaids — A damn good comedy from writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, director Paul Feig, and producer Judd Apatow. It’s funny and it’s kind of sweet. It follows the Apatow bro-mance formula only replacing the dudes with chicks. But I think a little bit too much was made of it though. Of its portents. It’s certainly better than average. And of course it’s nice to see a comedy like this that almost exclusively features female actors. But this film isn’t a game changer. I don’t know if I buy the suggestion that Hollywood doesn’t want to make smart movies that feature women. I frankly don’t think Hollywood wants to make smart movies. It would be great if Hollywood would change, but I’m not going to hold my breath. At least in the independent world of film, there appears to be somewhat more balance and smarter movies.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance — The second installment of our Westerns Marathon. I REALLY liked this one. Some great lines of dialogue. Tom and Ransom seem to symbolize the changing face of Western movies and of society at large. They also seem to represent today’s political divisions. On one hand, you have Tom Doniphon who symbolizes the rugged gunslinger, the status guo, and the law & order conservative values. Then you have Ransom Stoddard who represents a change towards the educated, progressivism, and a new way of doing things. I’d imagine that one’s political views shape how you view both Doniphon and Studdard. Still we can all agree that Liberty Valance is clearly the enemy. And ultimately, the thing that stopped him was a bullet. A true masterpiece.

Piranha — A schlocky and fun comedy horror remake of the 1978 film. I would have liked to have experienced it in 3D. While I doubt there was much subtlety to the 3D effects (stuff just flying out at the viewer), I think it would have added to its enjoyable terribleness. It’s also one that would work great at the drive-in. Which is just another reminder that I need to hit the drive-in before they are no longer in existance.

May 16th – May 22nd

The Searchers — This is quite possibly the first John Wayne film that I’ve seen in its entirety. My film knowledge is sadly lacking when it comes to Westerns. So, this was a perfect film to kick off our Westerns Marathon. It is problematic, for sure. But I also think it’s pretty great.

I loved those outdoor shots. Of course those grand shots just made the ones shot on a sound stage look all the more fake and small. And I didn’t really care for Mose and Charlie all that much…pretty much solely based on they way they sounded. I can see those characters as a product of the time though. But John Wayne really surprised me. Sure he’s got his drawl…but I think it totally works here. I figured I’d hate him but I quite liked him.

Of course Ethan Edwards is despicable. But the key for me is viewing the film as a post-war film. The circumstances are left vague. We know that he apparently fought on the side of the Confederacy….but didn’t surrender (or didn’t fight?). We know there was a gap between the end of the civil war and his return home. According to Wikipedia, the medal he gave to Debbie was a Mexican Revolutionary War medal. Does that mean after the war he fought in that war as well? Given that he is in possession of a bunch of money that doesn’t have a mark on it, could he have been a paid mercenary or perhaps he just stole it (he admitted that being sworn in as a Texas Ranger wouldn’t be legal).

At any rate, it all creates a morally ambiguous sort of fog of war. At this point, he’s seen blacks and whites, Union soldiers and Confederates, French, Spanish, Mexican, and Native Americans. I don’t think he really knows who he is supposed to hate anymore…who the everchanging enemy is. The only thing he has is family…and that was ripped away from him. I think by the end he has learned that his niece is worth saving.

I Spit on Your Grave — Quite disappointing. The original controversial 1978 version is much, much better. It kicked the audience between the legs, made them feel complicit, and then cautiously urged them to root along with the revenge. This one just seems like someone wanted to make more of a Saw ripoff than a film that questions the role of the viewer and of gender. Maybe the acting was terrible in the earlier version, but it is horrendous here. The girl is okay, but the rest of the cast was disappointing. Maybe the gloss of a newer film just makes it more pronounced.

The Fighter — A not disappointing but not entirely impressive movie from David O. Russell. Sure it’s a boxing movie that isn’t really about boxing (hint: it’s about family). It’s good. Christian Bale is wonderful as is his norm. And Marky Mark is kinda believable as a boxer. Otherwise, it was just one of those good movies that you could recommend to anyone but probably won’t remember or care about too much later on.