September 2010

I've been seeing a lot of movies and talking to a lot of people at Fantastic Fest this year, and my brain is a little sluggish. Words are difficult. So I'm just going to give you a taste of my experiences in the first half of the festival, in photos. They're sourced in Flickr so if you want more details, click the photo to see its description in Flickr. After the jump, you can see photos from red carpets, karaoke, filmmaker Q&As, and other festival events.

Feel free to share links to your own Fantastic Fest photos in the comments -- I'd love to see what everyone else has been up to this year. Slackerwood has several photographers at the fest, so keep an eye out for more photo essays here soon.

Earlier this week, several women I know at Fantastic Fest commented that they're "over" certain kinds of violence in film, particularly rape/revenge themes and taking the woman-in-peril concept to brutal extremes. Earlier today, Ain't It Cool contributor Massawyrm made a similar comment. After reading it aloud to a table of badgeholders, there was a moment of pause when someone said, "I don't think I saw rape yesterday." How jaded we've become, when we have to notice if we haven't seen such brutality in film. But that's a bigger discussion than I have time for here.

Interestingly, the first movie of my day did involve rape, but was not among those films I'd classify as typical: Bedevilled, which won a Fantastic Fest audience award as well as a best actress win for Seo Yeong-hee. She delivers a powerhouse performance as a woman struggling to escape her oppressive life just as her childhood friend returns to their childhood home to get away from her own mistakes. It's a haunting film, and while I found the ending to be a bit jumbled, it's one that will stay with me for a long, long time.

I was rather shocked to find that even without a VIP badge, I had a low ticket number for the In the Attic screening today.  When talking to Alamo co-founder Karrie League on Sunday and asking what her favorite films were, she mentioned In the Attic as one she's been trying to program for a long time (two years to be precise).  Jette and I got tickets, then Debbie turned in her Secret Screening #2 ticket on a whim. It turns out she made the day of a first-time Fantastic Fest badgeholder who hadn't been to any screenings yet. I think some of the people in attendance were there reluctantly, but I hope they were as pleasantly surprised as I was.

This animated tale of cast-offs in the attics may be considered a "family" film, but is accessible for a more mature audience.  The easiest way to describe it is Toy Story marries A Town Called Panic and lives a post-Glasnost fairy tale. In the Attic pretty much turns the contents of an attic into a magical land populated by living toys and a mischievous cat, with a wide range of animation media. Pictured above is the character "Madame Curie," held by Alamo programmer Caitlin Stevens as Karrie League and director Jirí Barta field questions in the background. At the bottom of this post I have another picture showing more detail.

I love the fact that this sort of film is included in the Fantastic Fest lineup, and not just because it's a welcome relief from gore and violence. "Fantastic" is a very broad term and Fantastic Fest is great at embracing a broad spectrum of films that fit the definition, as well as include such a treat as seeing up close and personal such an integral part of the filmmaking process.

Today was a short day for me, and I'm wishing I had greater endurance. I managed to snag a ticket to the Fantastic Debates, where Michelle Rodriguez (Girlfight, Avatar) dukes it out with Tim League. The debates added boxing last year, and was a huge hit, not just because League challenged director Uwe Boll to a debate in the ring. But I need sleep, so I missed it. I also missed the celebration of Zack Carlson's publishing debut at the Destroy All Movies!!!: Class of 1984 screening. Never fear though, we will have some photographic coverage of the bouts ... errr ... debates.

But I didn't miss Carancho, because I'm a big Ricardo Darin fan. Carancho doesn't quite live up to my two favorite Darin films Nine Queens and The Secret in Their Eyes, but it's worth catching. I was also able to catch the restored 1960 version of The Housemaid. It's a trippy little film, and unfortunately I had to choose between the 2010 remake and the world premiere of Agnosia. 

Agnosia won, as I just had to see the follow-up to a Fantastic Fest inaugural year film called The Birthday, with Corey Feldman in one of his most memorable performances -- like you've never seen before. I think I still have the glossy booklet that was available at the screening somewhere around the house (it was beautifully photographed).  Director Eugenio Mira's latest feature has some stylistic similarities, but is a completely different movie, and not just a period piece.  It's another beautifully shot film, and one worth catching. 

I am utterly amazed -- after only three days at Fantastic Fest, it feels like I've been at it a solid week. So many wonderful films and conversations, many that I'll share in later entries. I've yet to be in bed before 4 am, but it's been worth the lack of sleep to be part of the magic and chaos of Fantastic Fest. As a veteran attendee, the best advice that I can impart on newbies is to "go with the flow." Plans are great, but you never know when being in the wrong place at the right time means seeing firsthand why Fantastic Fest is what you make of it -- and there might be someone filming, more on that after the jump. The best part is seeing celebrities relaxing and enjoying the festival along with regular attendees, without fanfare or massive entourages.

My Saturday was one of martial arts and karaoke, with my first dive in the deep end of the Fantastic Fest party pool. Here are the highlights:

I started the day with Naan Kadavul, described as "a music-infused Tamil epic about a dope-smoking Vedic superman and a group of beggar slave children." Nothing could have prepared me for the culture shock of this film. Naan Kadavul is one of those films that I -- or any American, for that matter -- would have been able to see if not for the dedication of Tim League and the Fantastic Fest programmers in bringing this film to the festival. The film is not a masterpiece, but its gift is a view of a landscape that is both colorful and dirty, full of tradition and tragedy. 

I mentioned recently how much I enjoyed the History of Film class I'd taken at Texas A&M, but what I didn't share was how much I disliked much of the required Liberal Arts curriculum. I found philosophy and classic literature to be dry, boring and uninspiring. However, if I'd had Tim Blake Nelson as a classics professor perhaps I would think differently now and my life would have taken an alternate path. As writer and director of  Leaves of Grass, Nelson introduces themes of classic literature in a very modern and engaging manner. Leaves of Grass is not a typical stoner comedy, as it switches to more of a drama and thriller about halfway through the film.

Edward Norton stars as Bill Kincaid, a conservative Ivy League college classics professor who reluctantly returns to the backwoods of southeastern Oklahoma after learning of the murder of his identical twin Brady (also played by Edward Norton). However, Bill discovers that his pot-growing brother is not actually dead but rather faked his death so that Bill would come home for his wedding -- although we quickly learn Brady has alterior motives. The more selfless motive is for Bill to reconcile with their hippie mother (Susan Sarandon), who lives in an adult care residence despite the fact that she is ten years younger and healthier than the other residents.

Turns out that Brady is in debt for his state of the art pot-growing facility to Pug Rothbaum (Richard Dreyfuss), a Jewish druglord from Tulsa. He and his sidekick Bolger (Tim Blake Nelson) come up with a plan to deal with Rothbaum who is wanting them to branch out into harder drugs. Meanwhile, Bill meets Janet (Kerri Russell), a writer who can "noodle" and quotes Walt Whitman while gutting a catfish. This comedy of errors results in a rather tragic resolution. 

Surprise! While most of the filmblogosphere is in town for Fantastic Fest, and a lot of celebs as well, ther are Other Films in town.  Which ones you ask? Let me tell you...

Leaves of Grass -- How spiffy is this? Edward Norton is in town for Fantastic Fest's Gala screening of Stone, so he's going to introduce one screening of Tim Blake Nelson's SXSW hit Leaves of Grass while he's here.  Look for Debbie's review this weekend.  (Lamar)

Lebanon -- Writer/director Samuel Moaz explores The First Lebanon War (in 1982) through paratroopers and a tank crew.  See Don's review for more.  (Arbor)

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole -- Owl armies and rebels in animated glory bring a book series to life.  Directed by Zach Snyder, you know, the guy who directed 300 and Watchmen?  So this isn't your average animated tale. (wide)

When it was announced that the Swedish horror film Let the Right One In would be remade for American audiences, many responses were skeptical. The selection of Matt Reeves as director for Let Me In left fans and film critics conflicted. Cloverfield had such a distinct cinematographic style that many folks were left wondering if Reeves could possibly stay true to the spirit of John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel on which the films are based, as well as meet the bar set by director Tomas Alfredson and Lindqvist's original screenplay. Let the Right One In was so compelling that I immediately followed up by enjoying the book, so my expectations for Let Me In -- this year's Fantastic Fest opening-night film -- were not very high. However, Reeves has delivered a worthy homage to the original movie while adding more emotion to the lead characters.

Let Me In focuses on Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a stereotypical young 98-pound weakling. The school bullies terrorize him on a daily basis, and the only person he could possibly confide in is his mother (Cara Buono) who drinks herself into a stupor every night. Instead he lies about injuries suffered at the hands of his attackers as he is subjected to public humilation.

When Abby (Chloe Moretz) moves in next door with her guardian, Owen befriends her despite her protestations. We quickly learn that she must consume blood to live, and that her guardian "Father" (Richard Jenkins) is charged with the precarious task of finding fresh blood sources on a regular basis. Father gets sloppy, and a frenzied Abby takes matters into her own hands, which jeopardizes their new home. Meanwhile Abby encourages Owen to stand up for himself and fight back. Although he succeeds in turning the tables on his tormentors, it backfires by making him the target of the head bully's older brother in a supernatural climax reminiscent of Carrie.

The opening image of Lebanon is bright and beautiful and tranquil, and yet strangely startling. The movie opens abruptly with a shot of a vast field of sunflowers under a brilliant sun, an image that lingers much longer than expected.

This image is a stark contrast to the rest of Lebanon, a violent and harrowing film about an Israeli tank crew in the First Lebanon War in 1982. All action in the film, which opens today at the Arbor, takes place inside the tank, a setting that could not be more distant from a sunny field of flowers.

Lebanon's story is compact, spanning only a day or so during the war's opening in June 1982. Amid the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon, a lone tank and a platoon of paratroopers enter a bombed-out Lebanese town in search of remaining enemy forces. The tank crew expects the mission to be relatively easy -- defeating the assumedly weak resistance and occupying the town for a short time. It quickly turns into a nightmare, however, when they find themselves in a violent situation. The crew's somewhat naïve hopes for a quick victory disappear in a hail of gunfire and explosions, and their mission becomes one of mere survival. To reveal more about the story would spoil much of the astonishing dramatic tension.

Austin Film Festival has announced the bulk of its films for the 2010 festival, including marquee screenings and locally made films. The fest still has yet to announce its opening-night, closing-night and centerpiece movies, but I'm sure we'll find that out soon. In the meantime, we've got a lot to look forward to seeing in October. AFF announced its conference schedule last week.

"Marquee screenings" are the big-name films, many of which might be Oscar contenders. One of the nice things about AFF is that it is late enough in the year to give Austin audiences a sneak preview of these end-of-year prestige films, which often don't open here until January or February. Some of these films are from filmmakers who have brought their movies to AFF in previous years.

For example, one of the marquee films is 127 Hours, the latest from Danny Boyle, who was at AFF 2008 with Slumdog Millionaire. Kelly Reichardt's film Wendy and Lucy was the centerpiece film at SXSW 2008 and now AFF brings us her new film, Meek's Cutoff.

Texas-born actor Thomas Haden Church returned to Austin this past March to lend his dry wit and charm as emcee of the Austin Film Society's annual Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards. Church first served as emcee in 2009, and personally I would love to see him become a long-running host. It's probably not that unlikely -- Church resides on his cattle ranch near Bandera, Texas.

I've been a fan of Church since his eccentric role in the 1990s television sitcom Wings, and enjoyed his conflicted portrayal of villain Flint Marko aka "Sandman" in Spider-Man 3. He recently appeared in the teen comedy Easy A, but can also be seen in Zombie Roadkill, a new FEARnet web series. The trailers and PSAs for the series are hysterical and had me jumping out of my seat. Check out my favorite PSA after the jump.

Fantastic Fest attendees have a chance to see the first two episodes before their online debut at a special screening on Friday, September 24, at 8 pm. Director David Green, stars Thomas Haden Church and David Dorfman, producer Ryan Hendricks and writer Henry Gayden will be in attendance. The screening will be followed by the FEARnet party at The Highball.

This should probably be subtitled "Mostly Fantastic Fest News" because with the festival starting Thursday, we're getting more news and info every day. We've also got some AFF news (and have heard that we may hear more on that front later this week), as well as actual non-fest items.

• Fantastic Fest has just published its ticket procedure for badgeholders to use this year, which fortunately has an online reservation component. Very good news indeed for those of us who can't always drive down to Alamo first thing in the morning, every single morning.
• In addition, the fest has announced its competition films and the members of each jury.
• Fantastic Arcade, the new videogame component of Fantastic Fest, also starts in a few days. To honor the event, you'll be able to play a new map in Left 4 Dead 2 called Fan Feast that is based on the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar and The Highball. The Fantastic Fest blog has a video and more info for people who actually know something about videogames (i.e., not me).
• No word yet on who will be/was buried to watch the movie Buried, but I do love this photo.

The marketing campaign for the movie Catfish centers around "secrets" that are meant to intrigue you enough to see what's going on. It is suggested that people who have seen the film not spoil it by mentioning anything at all, not even the premise. If you like this way of seeing a movie, stop reading this review, and come back again after you've seen the film. I don't think that Catfish is the kind of movie that deserves a "the less you know, the better it is" review style. On the other hand, the more I think about it, the less I like it, so there may be some basis for that line of thought.

Nearly everyone is willing to share the film's setup: Filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman share an office with photographer Nev Schulman, Ariel's brother. In 2008, Nev starts getting artwork in the mail -- paintings of his photos, and notes from an 8-year-old girl, Abby, who says she loves his photos and loves making art from them. Nev is interested, and starts a correspondence with Abby via the internet -- she sends him pictures and videos of her painting, he friends her entire family on Facebook. He also starts talking to some of Abby's family members on the phone. And then ... that's where I'm supposed to stop telling you about the storyline, lest I spoil anything.

That doesn't work for me. If you say "And then ..." and get all ominous, I am going to watch this film waiting for someone to leap out from the bushes with an axe. Or perhaps a chainsaw. I love going into movies knowing practically nothing (this is why you rarely see me writing about trailers; I like to avoid them), but somehow the lack of understanding what this movie was, and where it might go, was more annoying than thrilling. I truly was waiting for something brutal and fatal.

Easy A (directed by Will Gluck, written by Bert V. Royal, starring Emma Stone, with Malcolm McDowell as the principal) is a surprisingly well-written and intelligent teen comedy with oh-so-many inside jokes and film references.

A high-school girl decides to pretend she and a gay male friend had sex at a party so her friend will stop being beaten up at school. However, her plan backfires when her reputation as a "loose lady" spreads all over. Soon, she is making money off her bad reputation by letting loser high school boys spread rumors of her various sexual exploits with them for varying retail gift card amounts -- $50 at Home Depot for saying there was a grope session behind the athletic field, $250 at Office Max for saying the deed was done in the back of Mom's car, etc.

Coincidentally, the protagonist Olive (Emma Stone) has a slight crush on her English teacher Mr. Griffith (Thomas Haden Church), who is teaching The Scarlet Letter in her class.  He is rather paternalistically enamored of her as well, believing she is the one person in her class who has actually read The Scarlet Letter, although we see in various montages of clips from the silent movie version of The Scarlet Letter that Olive has only watched the oldest movie version of the book she could find.

The Great State of Oklahoma's female incarceration rate is the highest in the nation, and is more than twice the rate of any other state. This statistic says a lot about the state's conservative, law-and-order political climate. As Oklahoma State Senator Cal Hobson said, "Oklahoma leads America, and America leads the free world in incarceration."

This lock-'em-up mentality is the backdrop for Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo, a powerful and bittersweet documentary about female inmates who compete in the 2007 Oklahoma State Penitentiary Rodeo. The film, opening today at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar, is at once an intimate portrait of prison life, a thrilling rodeo action film, and an astute sociological study of criminal justice in America.

From its stark opening shots of prison walls and handcuffed inmates dressed in rodeo cowboy garb, Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo is a familiar look at life behind bars and yet a thoroughly original story about inmates who, to experience an unlikely sort of freedom, risk serious injury and even death. We've all seen prison documentaries with the standard mix of dreary cellblock cinematography and drearier inmate interviews, and there is some of this familiar territory in Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo. Although the interviewees' life stories are very interesting, they're not new or surprising. What sets the film apart from other prison docs, however, is its sports drama-like, root-for-the-underdog storyline.

I thoroughly enjoy interviewing filmmakers and actors, but I was particularly enlightened by Austin video game developer and recent astronaut Richard Garriott during our podcast interview about the documentary Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission, specifically regarding his motivation. I asked Garriott what science-fiction authors had inspired him in his youth, to want to travel to space. The answer? None -- he read fantasy, hence the inspiration for his first game, Ultima.

For Garriott, space travel wasn't anything out of the ordinary. His father Owen Garriott was an astronaut, and all of their neighbors were in the NASA space program as well. It wasn't until Garriott was older that he discovered that not everyone goes to space, and his poor eyesight would prevent him from being a part of the NASA space program. He was determined to find a way to travel to space, and in 2008 it became reality as he joined a Soyuz mission into space.

If you didn't get a chance to see Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission during SXSW 2010, be sure to catch an encore screening at Fantastic Fest, which begins next Thursday. Screenings will be announced here.

As a film fan, I love short films for the same reason I enjoy short stories -- I get almost instant gratification with little investment of time, and then it's on to the next short. The stories and films might seem easier to forget, but that's not the case when a good story can be told in fifteen minutes or less. Such is the case with several short films I've seen over the years at South by Southwest Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. In the past it was difficult to see these films outside of a film festival, but thanks to the Internet more short films are available to a larger audience.

The most memorable shorts I've enjoyed were those I viewed at Fantastic Fest from 2006-2009, including Phil Mucci's gothic horror film The Listening Dead (view after the jump) which won the Short Film Jury Award for Best of Show in 2006. That same year was the Fantastic Fest debut of British filmmaker Simon Rumley with the well-directed short The Handyman starring Greta Scacchi, along with the full length psychological thriller The Living and the Dead. Rumley has a great behind-the-scenes making of The Handyman.

Here's something you don't see every day, even in eternally weird Austin: a half-dozen men in full-tilt -- and I do mean full-tilt -- drag queen mode parading around a theater lobby.

Even amid the organized mayhem of a crowded Saturday afternoon at aGLIFF, it was impossible to miss the drag queens – all members of the Mardi Gras Krewe of Armeinius – as they entered the Alamo Drafthouse lobby. In costumes that no mere words could ever describe (and no – I will not resort to calling them fabulous!), the sequined and bewigged gentlemen were at the theater for a screening of The Sons of Tennesee Williams, a documentary about the Krewe's history. They also appeared at the festival's Centerpiece Party on Saturday night.

I wish I could say the films I saw on Saturday afternoon were as fabulous! as the Krewe of Armeinius (oops – I just called the Krewe fabulous!, didn't I). Unfortunately, this isn't the case, although all three films were interesting.

How desperate is Hollywood for box-office money? Not only was Avatar re-released a couple of weeks ago, now The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is getting a re-release as well. But I'm liking the fact that the Winnebago Man travels over to Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar this week, and is getting some other screenings at various Alamos, so check their schedule to see all the options for seeing it.

Meanwhile, here's what's opening in Austin this week -- sadly, none of these movies screened for press, so we have no reviews. We've been watching aGLIFF movies instead, and urge you to do the same through Sunday.

Anton Chekhov's The Duel -- A Chekhov book is adapted for the big screen by director Dover Koshashvili (Late Marriage). (Arbor)

Everyone Else -- Vacationing on the Mediterranean tests a German couple's relationship (pictured above, courtesy The Cinema Guild). (Arbor)

The news from Alamo Drafthouse just gets bigger and bigger. Earlier this year, you may recall that Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League was named CEO of all the Alamo Drafthouse locations -- the ones he owns and the corporate/franchise business, which are all essentially one company now. And as of Thursday morning, Alamo Drafthouse has gone into the movie distribution business, announcing that the new distribution company called Drafthouse Films will release the comedy Four Lions this fall -- you may remember it was the closing-night film at SXSW this year.

In addition, Peter Hall of Cinematical interviewed Tim League right after the news about his new distribution company and found out some more news about Alamo Drafthouse: League is working to open two new locations of the theater chain in New York and Los Angeles next year. These are in addition to franchise Alamo theaters that may open around the country.

Fortunately for me, Cinematical asked Tim League all the questions I planned to ask him, therefore saving me a phone call. (Thank you, Mr. Hall.) League has not set a definite number of movies that Drafthouse Films will distribute in a year. Drafthouse Films is not going to get into a massive bidding war with big-name studios at Sundance for new indie films. League intends to proceed with this slowly and at a pace in proportion with the Drafthouse chain.

Practically every day this week, Fantastic Fest has announced movies, special guests, and events for its 2010 festival. Of course, the film fest does start two weeks from tonight ... but I suspect there are still surprises in store for festgoers.

Yesterday, the last wave of films in the festival lineup was announced, including some world premieres and sneak previews. Darren Bousman, who brought his film Repo: The Genetic Opera to Fantastic Fest 2008, returns with a preview of Mother's Day, along with two of the film's stars, Jaime King and Rebecca De Mornay. The star-studded action-comedy RED will also preview during the fest ... and Karl Urban will be in town with the movie (be still, my heart).

Personally, I am looking forward to Agnosia, the latest film from Spanish director Eugenio Mira, who will be at the fest. Mira was at the first Fantastic Fest in 2005 with his weirdly comic Lovecraftian film The Birthday, which I enjoyed.

Bill Pullman will also return to Austin -- he was here in 2008 for a couple of movies -- for special screenings of Spaceballs and a Master Pancake version of Independence Day. In addition, earlier this week Fantastic Fest also announced that Roger and Julie Corman will be in town to accept a lifetime achievement award, and will be around for a double-feature of the new documentary Machete Maidens Unleashed (about Filipino exploitation films) and Corman's new film, Sharktopus.

Let's get down to the Austin-related films and guests, which is why you read Slackerwood, anyway. (Well, that and my deathless prose.) Here's what I know about from this week's announcements:

What a night, huh? Having a tropical storm camp out over Austin didn't stop the festivities at aGLIFF's Opening Night. While a few empty seats were spotted in the front row, and not a few drenched people including yours truly, the opening-night film was a rousing success.

Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls was the crowd pleaser it was expected to be. This historical retrospective wrapped up in a performance/tribute had something for everyone; music, activism, comedy and a whole lot of heart.  But what impressed me is yet again, aGLIFF programs director Jake Gonzales pulled off a technological magic trick. The Topp Twins themselves couldn't be there in person but were ready and willing to do a web chat with the audience. The Alamo staff was up for the challenge but kept insisting they couldn't promise it would work, and unfortunately a web chat was not possible.

Dunno if that pesky Hermine was part of the problem but that didn't stop Jake.  He was using Skype on his iPhone to talk to the twins while setting it up, so simply held his iPhone to the microphone and the Q&A was on. Turns out the Topp Twins played the Cactus Cafe some years ago. And they're working on another U.S. tour. At the end of the Q&A they sang us a short song in Maori while the thunder boomed overhead for us.

The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival -- aGLIFF -- starts tonight. Are you ready? It's going to be another year of diverse films that touch the lives of the LGBTQI community, which means just about everything that also touches the lives of everyone. Austin has some great niche festivals and the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival is no exception. I've seen some of the films and I can tell you, if you do not go, you're missing out.

For example, the Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls is a surprising documentary that is equally a music doc, a comedy, and an historical retrospective about the last three decades in New Zealand and in fact, the world. Never heard of the Topp Twins? Well, they're in the New Zealand music hall of fame, and among those talking about them is Billy Bragg. There's a little heartache and a whole lot of exuberance about two sisters who happen to be yodelling country comedian twins -- who just happen to be lesbian. aGLIFF couldn't have picked a better film to open the fest, and while the twins are in New Zealand they will be there not only in spirit, but through the wonders of technology, live on the big screen. And don't forget the opening-night party is at Annie's downtown on Congress, so hope to see you there.

The documentaries are strong, and Gen Silent is no exception, focusing on LGBT elders facing the end of their lives and still having to deal with discrimination in healthcare. Last year's A Place To Live: The Story Of Triangle Square touched on the subject with a housing project that resolves the issues, and Gen Silent brings some of those issues home, with long-term couples and others fearing the consequences of being in an environment where they have no control, and the fact that LGBT eldercare is not something long-term care facilities consider. Other documentaries include The Sons of Tennessee Williams and Freeing Bernie Baran (making its world premiere at aGLIFF), two eye-opening docs about hidden gay history. The The Real Anne Lister provides an intimate look into the life of a woman considered "the first modern lesbian," living in Yorkshire England during the Regency, and whose coded diaries were found and decoded in the latter part of the 20th century

"Finally, the movie that Eat Pray Love should have been."
-- Slackerwood contributor Don Clinchy, immediately after watching Machete

I feel I can't really do Machete justice without channeling Joe Bob Briggs, the drive-in movie of Grapevine, Texas, and giving you a count on decapitations, bare breasts, nine kinds of fu, and other grisly types of fighting, wounding, and death. And tattoos. But Joe Bob, I am not.

I also wish I'd seen Machete in a drive-in theater, but we don’t really have those in Texas anymore -- not the old-fashioned kind, anyway, with the crappy speakers that hook onto your cars and the scary faraway bathrooms and all that. Since drive-ins are nearly extinct, Robert Rodriguez's latest flick will flourish with a big, receptive, rowdy audience for full enjoyment. Don’t wait for DVD. You want the kind of crowd you get at an Alamo Weird Wednesday, who can respect the movie while at the same time cheering and applauding for the best lines and the most creative kills.

However, while Machete was born to be a midnight movie, the movie is happily free of too much self-awareness of this fact, and avoids an excess of camp, apart from the occasional knowing wink to the 1970s exploitation films that inspired it.

While living in Houston over 20 years ago, I became acquainted with some of the principal and soloist male dancers from the Houston Ballet Dance Company. To me their lives were glamorous and dramatic. Their passion on stage with their pas de deux partners often extended beyond the stage to fiery romances. I also remember one young Chinese dancer who was friendly enough but more restrained than his boisterous British and American counterparts. I had no idea at the time what led to his employment with the Houston Ballet, but the less-than-glamorous circumstances were captured in Li Cunxin's 2003 autobiography adapted by Jan Sardi (Shine, The Notebook) for the screen in the biopic Mao's Last Dancer. Directed by Academy Award nominee Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies), this film captures the politics and drama involved in Cunxin's remarkable journey from rags to international stardom.

Mao's Last Dancer spans several decades through a series of flashbacks. At the height of China's Cultural Revolution in 1972, Jiang Qing -- also known as "Madame Mao" -- revived the Beijing Dance Academy. Mao's cultural advisors traveled through the country to select those children who not only had the physical attributes of a dancer but also devotion to serving in Chairman Mao's revolution. Li Cunxin was the sixth of seven sons born to peasants in the poverty-stricken Qingdao province, and his family welcomed the opportunity for Li to pursue a better life. At the age of 11, he left home to begin seven years of harsh training regimen at the Academy.