By Melody Watson
They say that everyone in Los Angeles wants to break into the movies, in the case of this uber-meta comedy, even the killer is killing for face time. The movie begins as director Wallace Cotten is “cut off” and has to get a real job. He is hired to film crime-scenes for the LAPD. Unsatisfied with simply filming the crime-scenes, his producer, Roger, decides that they can spruce up the videos and go from being “a Los Angeles crime-scene videographer” to “the Los Angeles crime-scene videographer.” When clean-up guy Charlie realizes that the last two murders are connected, Cotton and Roger decide that they have their detective and a film noir documentary in the making.
Todd Berger, the director, writer, and actor keeps things surprisingly suspenseful and completely ridiculous. With a good script that doesn’t give too much away and actors with great timing, he has a real winner here. There is a lot going on here, it spoofs on slasher flicks, court tv, detective movies, and artsy documentaries all while switching cameras and perspectives. At it’s core its mostly a biting satire of all those lost souls in Los Angeles who would kill for their big break.
Random cameos by John Landis, Sherilynn Finn, and Bob Vance (Vance Refrigeration) make the movie feel more big budget and the camera work jumps around so effectively that you don’t mind that it looks like an indie movie. It’s very funny, and I think that this one definitely has cult classic potential.
Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman will accept The Oxford American’s inaugural award for Outstanding Contributions to Southern Culture at the magazine’s first-ever Best of the South Gala in Little Rock on Saturday, April 3, 2010.
Freeman was nominated this morning for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the film “Invictus”.
“We are very pleased that Morgan Freeman will be the first recipient of this award, which we hope will create a long-standing pantheon of great Southern cultural figures,” said Warwick Sabin, the publisher of The Oxford American. ”He was our first choice for this recognition, not only because of his remarkable career and accomplishments, but because he has remained involved with his community in Mississippi and has done so much to improve it.”
In addition, The Oxford American announced that is attaching a new $10,000 prize to its award for Lifetime Achievement in Southern Literature, which also will be presented at the Best of the South Gala. The first award was bestowed in 2006 to the novelist Donald Harington, who recently passed away. This year’s winner will be named in the coming weeks.
The entire Capital Hotel — including all of the public and private rooms — are reserved for this special event. Only a limited number of tickets will be available for the evening, which will include a pre-event VIP reception, a cocktail reception, a four-course dinner, and a special awards program featuring celebrity entertainment. The food will be curated by John T. Edge (the James Beard award-winning expert on Southern cuisine), and prepared by Lee Richardson, the Capital Hotel’s executive chef.
“We envision a lively and fun event that reflects the character and personality of The Oxford American, highlighting music, literature, food, art, and other creative expressions of Southern culture,” Sabin said. ”It will be a sophisticated and entertaining affair anchored by celebrity presenters.”
Cindy and Chip Murphy and Riley Lipschitz are chairing the awards gala, which will raise money to support the operations of the magazine, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tickets begin at $500, and tables of ten also can be purchased.
Glazer’s is the gala wine and spirits sponsor.
More details about the event available at http://gala.oxfordamerican.org
By Chad Larson
I am really having a good time with these short films from this year’s Oxford Film Festival. There is an enormous amount of creativity out there and this is my first real opportunity to be exposed to it.
“Oxvegas” is…interesting. It’s the kind of off-the-wall, bizarro comedy that are sadly few and far between, and rarely done right.
It’s the story of a man who wanders out of the woods on to the Oxford square, or maybe the square of a parallel universe Oxford. Bizarre television shows on the TV inside Ajax encourage kids to start fires and put them out by “running around until the wind blows out the flames.”
A murder mystery emerges in which the main character is in possession of a pair of granny-panties belonging to Lydia Miller, who has just been murdered. The bizarre behavior and television shows continue while the main character gets interrogated by the FBI.
The movie includes a parody of Mr. Ed starring the daughter of a lesbian couple who dates a dead guy, a scene at the Ajax bar that’s poorly dubbed and so much more.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect at first with “Oxvegas,” but it’s really a fun movie if you’re in to oddball comedies. Plus, it was produced locally and filmed locally, so who knows, you might be in the background somewhere!
Also, it’s the first time I’ve seen a death threat to Santa Claus. It also clarified whether or not the ACLU existed in heaven, thanks to the televangelist that all the bar crowd at Ajax seemed riveted by.
“Oxvegas” screens at the Oxford Film Festival on Saturday at 5 p.m.
By Chad Larson
I’ve had trouble with insomnia before, but not nearly the kind of trouble the poor girl in “The Collectors” does.
As the film opens, we see that she’s writing in her journal about her hallucinations. She walks down the street and witnesses a strange couple, dressed in black and wearing masks, appearing out of some sort of distortion.
Following them around town, she sees them examining people’s thoughts. All of the thoughts seem to be negative. The thoughts are placed in a box.
This movie, despite having only one word of dialogue, really does a good job of creating an atmosphere. The opening setup with pages from Faye’s journal and her tossing and turning in bed shows that she’s really starting to slip due to her insomnia. I was surprised at the quality of the audio and special effects.
There’s a deeper story at work here than what we are seeing. Faye’s alarm clock sits next to a copy of the Watchmen graphic novel. Watchmen of course tells the story of superheroes living in an alternate 1985, in a world that is on the brink of annihilation due to the growing tensions between the US and Russia. The first person whose thoughts are read by the Collectors is reading a copy of Newsweek, the cover of which says “The new cold war: tensions rising with Russia.”
There are many references to war, Nazism, dictators, George Bush being an evil dictator, etc throughout the movie.
At the end of the movie, I found myself wondering if Faye was hallucinating the Collectors and just playing off of the existing tensions and global concerns in her world, or if there was really some strange otherworldly power at work that only she could see.
Good movie, if you like otherworldly stuff, you’ll really enjoy it. “The Collectors” screens at the Oxford Film Festival on Saturday at 5 p.m.
By Chad Larson
I grew up working in a grocery store. My family is in the business and has been for three generations. That tradition will likely continue. We were pretty good about not wasting food, because so much that came in wasn’t prepacked like you see at the big chain stores.
Dive! is a documentary that examines the amount of waste coming from these stores throwing away perfectly good food that’s near the expiration date. Bags of limes are tossed because a single fruit has gone bad.
A group of “divers” are the main focus of the story. They raid the dumpsters behind large grocery stores, racking up on food that would otherwise go to waste. They eat like kings on what many would consider garbage. They live by a strict set of rules – don’t take more than you need, leave the site cleaner than you found it, and don’t enter areas that aren’t yours to enter (i.e. no lock cutting).
There’s more to the story than that, though. The main filmmaker becomes obsessed with the waste from these stores. Why are people going hungry when we waste so much?
One interesting fact: LA throws away almost 3 billion pounds of food per year.
This movie is a real eye opener, especially considering that the companies refused to speak to the filmmakers, even off camera. It’s sad to see the statistics that are included throughout the film.
I think that anyone who eats or buys groceries should see this movie and take its message to heart.
“Dive” screens at the Oxford Film Festival on Friday at 11:1 a.m. and Saturday at noon.
By Melody Watson
Eve’s Awakening
A girl floats in a giant tub as she adds hot and cold water using her debit card, eventually she finds herself going down a drain of debt.
“Eve’s Awakening” is a smart allegory about rampant consumerism; various biblical images are used to represent greed and a lion is redemption. The gothic art is gorgeous and the animation is reminiscent in style to both the old Masterpiece Theatre opening credits and the excellent “Persepolis.”
Split Second Splat
Five men jump out of an airplane and there is only one parachute; a bloody, mid-air fight occurs.
Survival at what cost? Is life all just a game to be the one with the parachute? Is instant karma gonna get you? Does the director have some unresolved mommy issues? These are all questions I asked myself while watching this visually appealing, watercolor short. Much like life, this animated short offers more questions than answers.
Animation block screens at the Oxford Film Festival on Friday at 10 a.m. and Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
In “Room 327,” John has received a note instructing him to check in to room 327 at a specific motel and not to bring the cops. He walks in to the room to find a cigarette still burning in the ashtray.
The short film then takes us on a journey where John awaits word from a nameless tormenter who calls him on the hotel room phone.
John is also interrupted many times by Ricardo, the front desk clerk, who suspects something is afoot within the room due to John shouting at the phone.
The movie could have expanded on the situation just a bit to clarify the story a bit more. It’s part of the genre to leave some things unsaid, but I felt like the stories purposely vague nature left me uninterested in the “why” of the story because there weren’t many details or backstory. That’s not a dealbreaker though.
There’s a couple of plot twists toward the end, and make sure to stay until the end of the credits for another.
“Room 327″ plays at the Oxford Film Festival on Saturday at 5 p.m.
By Melody Watson
The animation block is always one of the most popular categories at the film festival and this year will likely prove to be no different. Here is a review of a couple of the films. The block plays Friday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. and Saturday, Feb. 6 at 4:30 p.m. For more info on other animation, visit the Oxford Film Fest web site.
To the Moon
The story of a little man and his quest to claim the moon for England. His friends mock his dreams, he perseveres and flies a hot air balloon to the moon. Once there, wackiness ensues and he and the moon duel it out.
The look of “To the Moon” is an interesting mix of George Méliès’s “ A Trip to the Moon,” the illustrations out of H.G. Wells and Jewels Verne’s best works, and Looney Tunes. While I thought that the animation was clean and well done, I was annoyed with the story. It starts with a thoughtful message of anti-imperialism but devolves into “YAY England!” Much like a Roadrunner cartoon, the plot and the characters defy logic. Its message is muddled and it seems like the director’s prime motivation for making this is to wag a finger at America for putting a flag on the moon…I guess? With all the work that went into it, I really wanted to like it more.
Topi
Topi captures a moment of understanding between a young hindu boy and an older Islāmic man during the 1947 partition of India. It highlights the violence and religious conflict of the time, but focuses on the idea that “no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Unlike “To the Moon,” Topi has a great message but poor animation. I think that the director, Arjun Rihan, does as best he can with whatever software he’s using, but the result is lacking. I couldn’t help but be reminded of computer animation in the time before PIXAR. While the only emotions needed here are sad, angry, and thoughtful; the CG people are severely limited in range by what must be the director’s use of out-dated equipment. Luckily, the short has an uplifting story to help you forget that it looks so bad.
I hope that those watching don’t write it off, we’re all kinda spoiled when it comes to computer animation, and any story that reminds us that our differences can be overcome with a little respect and compassion is worth paying attention to.
Oxford Film Festival has a series of fan clubs from around the region, Dallas, Memphis, Birmingham. The clubs travel every year to the festival and are an integral part of the fest experience each year. I recently asked one of them, ok, the only one willing to respond to my inane questions, just why they are so infatuated with the fest. Meet Sam Frazier, a semi-retired filmmaker and Birmingham resident that joined the fan club started by Shannon and Kelly Johnson (unrelated friends).
OFF: Why did you start a B-Ham fan club for the Oxford Film Fest?
SF: Actually I’m not a founding member, so you’d have to ask Kelly and Shannon. I’m joining them this year because it’s clearly the cool thing to do and I am a follower by nature.
OFF: How long has the fan club been active?
SF: This is our glorious third year. Apparently, this makes it our leather anniversary. Kinda kinky, huh?
OFF: Tell me a little bit about you and your own involvement and/or love of films?
SF: I’m a semi-retired filmmaker/production and post-production lackey who has had films at Oxford, Sidewalk Film Festival, Bend, Newport Beach, IndieMemphis, and others. I still serve as a screener for Sidewalk and in the past have been a judge at a couple of festivals as well as a reviewer for Filmthreat.com. Currently, I’m thinking about coming out of retirement to make a documentary, but that could cut into my drinking time, so it’s iffy at best.
OFF: What have been some of your favorite films in past Oxford film fests?
SF: There was a serious lapse in judgment or clerical mistake when Oxford decided to screen my films. But, other than that, they’ve always had excellent taste and brought in great films. Last year was a bumper crop. “The Wednesdays” was probably the best short film I’ve seen in years and “Good Dick” launched the careers of two immense talents. Of course “Sunshine Cleaning” and “America Unchained” also stick out. There are so many, I lose track.
OFF: What are you looking forward to this year?
SF: I haven’t been able to completely plan my weekend yet, but “For The Love Of Movies: The Story Of American Film Criticism,” “The Scenesters,” and “A Quiet Little Marriage” are already on my list. I’m always interested in Joe Swanberg’s work so I’ll have to check out “The Mountain, The River and The Road.” I’ve already seen “The Vicious Kind” and cannot recommend it highly enough. Adam Scott’s performance in it is Oscar-worthy.
On a personal level, I think not ending up in the emergency room is a reasonable and attainable goal for me this year.
OFF: You have experience with other festivals, what is different or unique about Oxford Film Fest?
SF: There are a nearly endless number of film festivals out there these days. Of them, only a very small handful don’t have an agenda, program quality films, attend to filmmakers, make it accessible and enjoyable for the public, and are organized enough to pull it all off. Believe me, I’ve been to many fests lacking in one or more of these qualities. Oxford is one of these rare festivals that has it all. That is the reason they have such strong support.
OFF: What is your film fest strategy to keep going nonstop for 4 days?
SF: This really is a serious problem as there are many movies you may not have another chance to see, great parties, and not much time for sleep. With that in mind, here are my keys to keep going:
1- Get up at a reasonable time, eat something, then head out for the day. Naps seem like a good idea, but are ill advised at best.
2- Drink as much cold water as possible during the day. This keeps you alert and hydrated—which helps with the inevitable hangover from the party the night before.
3- Plan out and schedule the films you want to see that weekend. However, don’t be too disappointed if one of your must-see movies gets sold out. I was very excited about “Prom Night in Mississippi” last year, but the line was so long it was clear I wasn’t getting in. Another theater was opened to show it, but that looked like it was going to sell out as well. It was then announced that there would be an additional screening later that weekend, so I relaxed and took in another feature that sounded interesting. It turned out to be one of my favorite films of the festival and I still got to see “Prom Night” as well. This is where a devoted, organized, and intelligent festival staff really pays off. So don’t panic if your favorite film is sold out. If it’s that popular, then there will be additional screenings and there’s always another film worth watching.
4- Peppermint oil. I know this sounds odd, but a few drops of peppermint oil rubbed on your forehead and the back of your neck really helps with the headache you’ll experience from the aforementioned parties. It smells nice, too, so it might help you make friends.
OFF: Advice for people who have not been to a fest before?
SF: Whatever else you think you have planned for the weekend, forget it. This is a time for total immersion. Your housework, the gym, time with your spouse, your thesis, CPR accreditation—there’s plenty of time for these things when the festival is over. Besides, you might miss your next favorite movie if you’re not careful.
By Chad Larson
Fun fact: Loup Garou is not pronounced “Loop Guh-Roo” as I have been saying it for nearly a year now. It’s more like “loo groo”. The main fact that you need to keep in mind about the Loup Garou is that it can very easily remove your head.
I first heard about “Night of the Loup Garou” during the lead up to last year’s film festival. After the festival last year it also ran at the Amp (R.I.P.) for a bit, but I never had a chance to see it. So when it showed up on the list of films available for me to review prior to the festival this year, I jumped at the opportunity.
Micah Ginn has assembled a cast of Oxford actors to give us the tale of murdered coeds in Taylor, MS and the investigation that leads to one shocking conclusion: the Cajun werewolf known as the Loup Garou has been moved out of its element, and it is not happy about that.
The cut of Loup Garou I saw was the same as the one they showed at the Amp theater, and it has a lot of funny additions that add to the viewing experience at a theater, since it has previews for “She Wolf” at the beginning, along with a hilarious set of slides similar to the ones you’d see in front of a film at the Malco, just with trivia about the making of Loup Garou. Trivia that is totally, 100% true.
The entire movie has a nice film grain effect laid over it, complete with pops and clicks and other effects to replicate a sort of grindhouse, 70s horror cinema feel. The special effects are really good, especially when you see a character’s removed head laying on the ground.
There’s even a tie-in to last year’s football epic “The Blind Side” when the real-life Collins Tuohy makes an appearance with a small role.
Loup Garou was a fun Oxford movie. I found myself trying to spot locations that were familiar at the beginning of the movie but since I’m not very familiar with Taylor, where the bulk of the movie takes place, I couldn’t do much there. I did recognize Taylor Grocery though.
If you want to see a great local horror movie, check out “Night of the Loup Garou” at this year’s Oxford Film Festival, screening on Friday at 9:15 p.m.
