Film Review: K2: Siren Of The Himalayas

K2: Siren Of The Himalayas opens with a shot of three people against a background of bluish white. These figures are small and dark in the frame against nature’s backdrop, but they are clearly determined. A title card tells us: “As of June 2009, only 302 people had stood on the summit of K2.”

The film then takes us back to 1909, with footage from the first major expedition to climb K2, led by Luigi Amedeo, the Duke of Abruzzi. The year 2009 marked the one hundredth anniversary of that original expedition, and this documentary goes back and forth between the two expeditions. It’s such an interesting way of presenting the information because it acts as both an historical document and a log of a new expedition, and so we see how some things have changed, but – more importantly – how most things have not.

The film takes us through the activities of the 2009 expedition, giving us a day-by-day account. Just getting to the mountain is a journey in itself, as the film shows. At one point on the road (and I use the term road lightly), we hear one of the men say, “This right here is the scariest part of any K2 expedition.” It sounds like a joke, but just watch. The road, such as it is, basically ends, and the trucks continue over rocks above a river. I was getting nervous just watching. The film includes excerpts in voice over from the official account of the 1909 expedition, written by Filippo de Filippi, showing how the two efforts are united in a similar pursuit and in similar experiences.

There are interviews with Fabrizio Zangrilli, Chris Szymiec, Jake Myer and Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, who were all involved in the 2009 expedition. And they are really allowed to tell the story themselves, rather than having the film rely on an outside narrator.

The film provides lots of great information, like about the different routes used to tackle the mountain, and about the methods of avoiding altitude sickness. There is also information about the 2008 expedition, as well as the 1953 expedition, and about the K2 memorial.

And of course there is plenty of gorgeous footage. The 1909 account includes these wonderful lines: “All the landscape around K2 has the richest variety of design, the greatest majesty of form, and an infinite diversity of plane and perspective. The idea comes into one’s mind of being in the workshop of nature.” Indeed. And this is at Concordia Camp, before the real climb had even begun.

K2: Siren Of The Himalayas was directed by Dave Ohlson, and was released in theatres in the U.S. on August 22, 2014. It is scheduled for a November DVD release.

DVD Review: “Führer” Cult And Megalomania

“Führer” Cult And Megalomania: The Nazi Party Rally Grounds In Nuremberg is an interesting documentary focusing on Adolf Hitler’s plans for Nuremberg and the Nazi party rallies that were held there. It’s interesting in part because the film deals mostly with the 1930s, before the war, a time when Hitler was concentrating on grandiose architectural plans rather than world conquest.

It actually opens with footage of American soldiers in Nuremberg in May of 1945, and then a shot of the grounds as they are now. One set of the overall layout plans from the Nazi era has survived and the film includes shots of it. It’s so interesting that certain structures were scheduled to be completed in the 1950s. A chilling thought, that: the Nazis rule extending into another decade.

The film then goes into the history of the Nazi Congress, with footage from 1927. During the 1920s, Nuremberg was considered the most anti-Semitic city in all of Europe. And the film does give some information on why the Nazi party was attractive to people early on. There is also interesting material about how two different newspapers gave completely contradicting accounts of an early rally, with one mentioning the violence.

The film includes information on how the rallies actually cost the city of Nuremberg a lot of money. Hitler’s people suggested he found a corporation to finance the building operations, and the city of Nuremberg actually became one of the partners in that venture.

There is a lot of period footage, including footage from 1933 of Hitler with Albert Speer as Hitler inspects a model for the Third Reich convention grounds, a model based on his own drawings. (There are stills of some of Hitler’s architectural drawings.) There is also footage of construction for the site of the next rally, and of Hitler inspecting the work in 1934, being cheered on by the workers. And there is footage from Triumph Of The Will, and some photos of Leni Riefenstahl, the woman who directed the film.

One thing I really appreciate about this film is that it includes an interview with Reinhold Schwiddessen, who was a participant at a big Nazi rally. He talks about how they were taught to march, and made to practice over and over. I also find it interesting that folks outside of the grounds weren’t all that interested in what the Nazis were doing. The film’s narrator tells us: “In 1938, a stormtrooper official complains that he could not follow the Fuhrer’s speech on the radio because the local stations were playing dance music and popular melodies.” It’s also interesting to learn that at those big rallies there was a lot of drinking, vandalism, fighting and prostitution. There were problems with sanitation and a lack of accommodations. It makes sense when you think about it, but it’s something that is not often mentioned.

“Führer” Cult And Megalomania was written and directed by Michael Kloft, and was released on DVD on August 26, 2014 through First Run Features.

DVD Review: Live Nude Girls

I’ve always been amused by signs advertising “Live Nude Girls.” I would love to know the set of circumstances that led to them to thinking the first word was necessary. The film Live Nude Girls sheds no light on this issue. It is about a man who inherits a strip club from his uncle, and… Well, that’s it, really.

Shane (Mike Hatton) and his friend Tommy travel to Los Angeles in a car patterned on K.I.T.T. from the television series Knight Rider. After all, this film takes place in 1985, while that show was still on the air. Tommy is first seen videotaping Shane in the car, as he fancies himself a documentary filmmaker. But as this is a period piece, his video camera doesn’t capture the clearest image.

The strip club is not doing all that well. In an early scene, the MC encourages the few patrons: “Give it up for Sandy. Come on, guys, help her out. She’s supporting a drummer and a crank habit.” There is a wonderfully funny moment when Tommy throws pennies at a stripper. Part of the reason the club is not doing well is Harry, the club’s manager. He is played by Dave Foley (an actor I am always happy to see). When Shane asks about the financial picture, Harry tells him: “Looks a lot like the Titanic, you know, post-iceberg, you know, if everything was also on fire and they were surrounded by exploding sharks and everyone had leukemia and did a lot of blow.” And soon Shane sees where the money is disappearing.

Right when he thinks he has to close the club down, a young blonde named Chloe shows up, and she knows how to work the pole. And suddenly business is booming, just like that. There’s not even a 1980s musical montage to show how business began growing. And actually, for a film that takes place in 1985, there is a surprising lack of great music. I’m shocked that the film doesn’t use some of those wonderful pop songs from 1983 through 1985. Instead, we suffer through a generic instrumental score, which is tedious.

Throughout the film, Tommy interviews club employees and patrons in the making of his documentary. This never really pays off in any way, but there are some funny moments. Like when Tommy asks, “What’s the secret to being a good lover,” and a police officer answers, “For me, just making sure I don’t have the gun in the bed.”

There’s a strip act based on Star Wars, with one girl dressed as Princess Leia (in the long white dress from the first film) and two others dressed in stormtrooper helmets. Soon Leia removes her white dress to reveal the slave outfit from Return Of The Jedi underneath, as you might expect. This is one of my personal favorite scenes. (There is also a reference to Howard The Duck later on.)

There is plenty of nudity, and in particular Mindy Robinson as Amber adds a great deal of appeal to the film. And it’s always great to watch Dave Foley. Most of the laughs are due to his comedic sensibilities. Also, approximately an hour into the film, Andy Dick shows up as Eddie, the owner of a sex toy company, who demonstrates his toys to the employees. This provides for some amusing moments.

But the film has a plodding pace, and is certainly not burdened by anything resembling a plot or character development or believable relationships. Some group comes into the club at one point to perform an act, because they had made a deal a while ago with Shane’s uncle. One of them is Cannonball Calhoun, a man who will eat anything and he is played by Ken Hudson Campbell, another actor I’m always happy to see. But nothing ever comes of this troupe of performers. That story idea is introduced, toyed with for a few minutes, then completely dropped.

And late in the film, suddenly, for reasons known only to the writer, one of the strippers tries to get the club shut down. And there is the cliche of the owner having to raise a certain amount of money in a short time to keep the club going. But who cares? There’s nothing special about this strip club. It’s a strip club. It stays open, it shuts down, it doesn’t matter. And ultimately that’s how we feel about the film as well.

Bonus Feature

The DVD includes approximately five minutes of deleted scenes, including a bit more with Andy Dick and some more with Dave Foley. There is also a little more with that troupe of performers.

Live Nude Girls was directed by Jay Leggett, and was released on DVD on August 26, 2014.

DVD Review: The Forbidden Girl

The Forbidden Girl is an often visually pleasing horror film, but is ultimately disjointed. It tells the story of Toby, whose girlfriend, Katie, disappears one night. And years later he is given a job as a tutor to a woman named Laura who looks exactly like Katie. And strange things begin to happen.

It opens in a strange, empty church, with Toby being told by a preacher (who turns out to be his father) that he must stop the satanic cycle, that evil will tempt him, and that all love is forbidden to him. It’s a bit goofy, but then six hours later he meets his girlfriend, Katie, in a mausoleum, and the two laugh about the preacher and his beliefs about Toby’s birthmark. But before Toby and Katie can enjoy each other, some sort of demonic entity shows up.

We don’t see what happens, and the film cuts to six weeks later (are you seeing the pattern?), with a cop telling a doctor what he knows about what happened with Toby and Katie that night. It’s exposition, but it still leaves us unsure of what happened. But when they enter the mausoleum, they find Toby in there.

Then it cuts to six years later (yes, you have it now), and Toby is being released from a mental institution, seeming to have come to terms with his experiences. He is given medication and a job referral (as a tutor, since, as we’re told, he tutored some of the younger patients during his time in the facility).

The home he is to work in is of course a mansion behind a large locked gate. There are some beautiful shots with wonderful, strong colors – greens in the exteriors, reds dominating the interiors. And Toby meets the three inhabitants of the house: Lady Wallace, an old, bed-ridden woman; Mortimer, care-taker and perhaps lover; and Laura, the woman Toby is to tutor. There is also some strange man dressed in white running around who is occasionally translucent. It’s never clear just who this is, but he seems to want to help Toby.

There are lots of creepy horror elements: a woman who can’t be in sunlight, an odd hall of portraits, secret passageways, dark wisps of smoke moving through the house, dream sequences, and so on. When some of Toby’s blood drops on Lady Wallace’s hands, her skin immediately becomes younger (making me think of Elizabeth Bathory), and the creepy portraits suddenly open their eyes. But she doesn’t attempt to get any more blood. I guess those few drops were enough, for she becomes much younger and stronger.

Through flashbacks to the night in the cemetery we learn a little more of what happened. Toby has a locket with Katie’s picture, and in one of the flashbacks we see her rip off his cross (uh-oh), telling him he no longer needs it now that he has her, and giving him the locket. By the way, the reds of the flashbacks create a nice parallel with Toby’s new environment, and make us wonder just how innocent this Katie/Laura really is.

When he meets Laura, she asks him, “Are you the new teacher?” That makes us wonder about the previous one. Of course, there is the question of why she requires a teacher at all. Though she speaks in a little girl voice (which quickly becomes irritating), and acts like a little girl, she is presumably Toby’s age. By the way, in her room, there is an “I heart New York” sign, which seems strikingly out of place.

Toby is overjoyed to see her, but she denies knowing him. Then a little later she shows up in his room, suddenly remembering meeting him in the graveyard. Toby says they have to get out of there. But why? It doesn’t seem yet that they are in any danger. She says she knows the way. But this leads to an odd bar scene with a ghost, a scene that plays sort of like a music video with some bizarre magic routine. There is a lot of interesting imagery, but it feels like stream of consciousness, propelled by hallucinogens rather than a coherent narrative. And in one shot Toby lifts his father’s mask off a body in a trunk, only to see his own face – just like Luke Skywalker does in The Empire Strikes Back. But then the whole sequence is apparently a dream, which makes it even more annoying.

Mortimer tells Toby the girl is forbidden, reminding us of Toby’s father. The relationships aren’t quite clear in this film. But after a while it seems that very little is clear. And as the film goes on, it seems more and more like some sort of Christian horror film. Mortimer has an adverse reaction to seeing a cross on the floor in Toby’s room. This is the cross that Katie pulled off in the cemetery. How did it get there?

Laura plays on an indoor swing, like a little girl, and tells Toby it’s going to be her birthday and that she wants to spend it with him because he is “someone who really likes me for who I am.” But we don’t know who she really is. And neither does Toby. And does she even know herself? Also, Toby and Katie never even had sex, so they couldn’t have been all that close; and besides, six years have passed. I can understand wanting to know just what happened that night, but is he really still in love with her? After all, even back then, they couldn’t have been dating all that long. Maybe a week or two, tops.

Well, when the demon shows up, he threatens Toby: “You will never know what true love is.” What an odd thing for a demonic being to say. And in the end it appears that the seemingly crazy preacher at the beginning was actually right all along. If only Toby had listened to his nutty preaching daddy and denied himself love, everything would be okay.

The Forbidden Girl was directed by Till Hastreiter, and was released on DVD on August 26, 2014 through Inception Media Group. The DVD includes the film’s trailer.

DVD Review: President Wolfman

In 1966, Woody Allen directed a film titled What’s Up, Tiger Lily? He had taken a Japanese action film, International Secret Police: Key Of Keys, and redubbed it, making it a comedy. The new horror comedy, President Wolfman, does a similar thing. It’s based largely on footage from the 1973 film The Werewolf Of Washington, which stars Dean Stockwell. However, unlike the Woody Allen film, President Wolfman does not use just one film. In fact, it draws on many sources, all of which are in the public domain (at least according to an opening title card). And it is honestly a lot of fun.

The moment the menu came on for the DVD of President Wolfman, I began to get excited. The song that plays during the menu is very cool. And then when I hit “Play,” the first thing that comes up is the usual FBI warning. But this time it’s like off of an old videocassette. That’s followed by an explanation/warning/excuse/promise: “The extraordinary motion picture you are about to experience is made entirely from public domain and recycled film footage of variable quality.” And then the film is off and running, with some footage of politicians overdubbed with dialogue about how the president is a werewolf. And then we get that great song from the menu during the opening credit sequence. The song has a wonderful 1970s vibe, which fits perfectly with the tone of this film. And there is a really nice touch, when the full moon turns into the seal of the president.

The film’s story centers on the president who is bitten by a wolf and becomes a werewolf, at a time when the United States is in financial difficulty and is seriously considering merging with China (basically, selling itself to China). (An advertisement promoting the merger says, “Then we can all cheer for the red, white, and red and blue and red.”) The evil leader of China has some interesting plans for the U.S.: “I will force the people of North Dakota and the people of South Dakota to switch places.” By the way, the two Chinese women that accompany him are completely funny.

The film is absurd, goofy, and often hilarious. And sometimes the more ridiculous, the funnier it is. Early on, the vice president says to the president: “I know your mother tormented you sexually. And one more thing I know: you left the men’s lavatory after urinating without washing your hands, then proceeded to serve lunch at a homeless shelter.” And after doctors discover the president’s malady, one tells him: “Good news, Mr. President. You’re a fucking werewolf. You’ve been cleared for discharge.”

Of course, being a werewolf isn’t all that great. A man accuses the president of killing his dog. When it is suggested that perhaps it was a raccoon that is guilty of the death, we get these wonderful lines: “Does a raccoon carry a briefcase full of nuclear secrets that says, ‘Property of John Wolfman, President of the United States’ on them? That’s what I found next to Duke’s body.” And regarding the president’s own son, someone advises: “Look, Mr. President, you have a duty to that boy, and if you can’t fulfill it, for God’s sakes, don’t eat him. Good night.”

And at one point Abraham Lincoln shows up to advise President Wolfman to kill all the Chinese. “Murder their children and use their blood to paint pornographic images on their farm fields so enormous they’re visible from space.”

Special Features

The film includes several special features, including a commentary track with writer/director Mike Davis and co-producer/artistic director Miles Flanagan. Mike talks about this actually being his second recycled movie (the first being Sex Galaxy). They talk about the sources of some of the footage, and about the process of creating the film. Interestingly, the actors didn’t see the footage for which they were providing the voices. Also, Mike Davis says he did not watch The Werewolf Of Washington all the way through. He also admits that they did shoot a tiny bit of new footage for the film.

There is also a series of short films which were some of the sources for the footage used in the movie. Experiments In The Revival Of Organisms is a twenty-minute film from 1940, some of its footage having been used in President Wolfman. There is creepy footage of a severed dog head responding to external stimuli. Sudden Birth is a twenty-two-minute film from 1966. It’s an instructional film for police officers on delivery babies. It provides this excellent advice: “And hold onto it – they’re slippery.” Some of the birth footage was used in President Wolfman, and yeah, it’s gross. The Talking Car is a sixteen-minute film from 1969, and is about traffic safety. The shot of the boy running into the street was used in President Wolfman. The father tells the boy: “If that car had hit you, you wouldn’t be able to go fishing tomorrow. Or ever.” Perfect. And then a car tells the boy: “Don’t be frightened. We are your friends.”

Also, some bonus footage is included. Ban Money and Thank You are both advertisements for the president. And She Wolf is a bit of goofiness using old nudie footage, with the wolfman face over the woman’s.

The special features include President Wolfman Outtakes. You might wonder how there could be outtakes if the film is one hundred percent recycled footage and so on. Right, I wonder that too. There is also a President Wolfman Music Video, but it’s really just the opening credit sequence, so it shouldn’t count as a bonus feature. Likewise, the President Wolfman Highlight Reel shouldn’t count as bonus material, as it is simply four minutes of footage from the film.

The film’s trailer is also included.

President Wolfman was written and directed by Mike Davis. It is scheduled to be released on DVD on August 26, 2014 through Wild Eye Releasing.

DVD Review: Love Or Whatever

Love Or Whatever is a somewhat silly, quirky, and ultimately sweet and endearing love story about a man who is a bit uptight and finds a new passion after his long-term boyfriend cheats on him. It stars Tyler Poelle, Joel Rush, David Wilson Page, Jennifer Elise Cox and Jenica Bergere.

The film opens with a question. Corey (Tyler Poelle) asks, “So what happened after that?” The woman seated opposite him, who is all scraped up, says she was attacked by a mountain lion. The film immediately sets a funny tone when the woman asks, “Have you ever been taken from behind by a mountain lion,” then admits (perhaps even brags), “It wasn’t half bad.” Goofy? Certainly. But funny.

Jon (David Wilson Page) comes in to have his way with Corey, yet as he strips, Corey tries to neatly put away the items on his desk – a cute way of establishing an important character trait. Corey intends to propose to Jon, and has had the ring for a few months, waiting for the perfect moment. But before that can happen, Jon discovers the ring, and his reaction is less than ideal. He immediately leaves for a bar and ends up cheating on Corey with a woman.

By the way, there is an excellent and interesting transition there, cutting from Jon with Melissa (Jenica Bergere) in her car to Jon in bed with Corey. When Corey hastily proposes, Jon admits his indiscretion and says he thinks he’s bisexual. As Jon leaves, Corey yells, “And don’t come back until you’re gay again,” a funny moment.

There is then a musical montage of Corey alone. It seems a bit early in the film for a montage, but it fits with the cute tone of the film. And soon Corey realizes that one of his patients is the woman that Jon is dating. But soon Corey meets Pete (Joel Rush), who may be just want Corey needs.

There are lots of things to like about this film. Some of them are small moments, little details. For example, early in the film when Corey comes home, Jon is on the phone with his parents, and they are clearly completely accepting of their son’s relationship. That is so refreshing. And when Corey tries online dating, there are some seriously hilarious moments. One man is much older than Corey expected, so Corey says, “Your profile said you were twenty-five.” The man responds, “Yes, I was twenty-five.” There is some very silly sexual innuendo in this scene. And then there is some completely hilarious stuff with another date and his puppet. It’s over-the-top, but it totally works.

Sure, some of the jokes are a bit stupid and fall flat, like a joke about Corey’s balls hurting, but I really like the overall feel of the film. There are some really nice performances, particularly by Tyler Poelle as Corey and Jennifer Elise Cox as Kelsey, Corey’s sister. One thing I love about this film is the brother-sister relationship, and a lot of the humor comes from their interactions. In one scene Kelsey is eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and Corey gets upset, reminding her he’s allergic. Kelsey responds: “You’re not allergic, you just hate it. There’s a difference.” And ultimately this film has a lot of heart, which is wonderful.

Love Or Whatever was directed by Rosser Goodman, and was released on DVD on July 22, 2014 through Canteen Outlaws and TLA Releasing. The DVD includes the film’s trailer.

DVD Review: The Marx Brothers TV Collection

The Marx Brothers TV Collection is a three-disc set of television appearances by Groucho, Harpo and Chico Marx, featuring more than ten hours of footage. There are dramatic roles, comedy routines, even commercials in this set. There is so much that I don’t really have space to detail everything that’s included, so will focus on some programs that deserve special mention.

The GE Theater: “The Incredible Jewel Robbery”

The Incredible Jewel Robbery stars both Harpo Marx and Chico Marx. I love that a film titled The Incredible Jewel Robbery spends a good deal of time showing Harpo and Chico stealing paint and auto parts and television wire and a bagel and a costume. There is a police officer always lurking nearby (and of course not another soul in sight). That’s the first half. The second half is how they use each of the items in their plan, all without any dialogue. This is from 1959. (The only negative bit is that you have to suffer through an introduction by that jerk Ronald Reagan.)

The GE Theater: “The Hold-Out”

Groucho Marx and Dennis Hopper in the same program? You bet. Hopper plays Fred, the boyfriend of Marx’s daughter. Brooke Hayward plays Margie, the daughter. John (Marx) opposes their marriage, in Groucho’s only dramatic role.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

I didn’t even know that the television series Mr. Smith Goes To Washington existed. In this episode from 1962, Harpo Marx is mistaken for a famous French pianist and as a consequence invited to play for the president. He starts on piano but then naturally moves to the harp.

I’ve Got A Secret

There are a few segments from I’ve Got A Secret in this box set. The first features Chico Marx making a seriously funny guest appearance. The second features Harpo being interviewed, with the panel having to interpret his answers (Johnny Carson and Betsy Palmer are members of the panel). Chico returns for another segment featuring a large block of ice.

Showtime

Chico Marx is absolutely hilarious in this nine-minute segment from the British program Showtime. Chico plays piano, doing that wonderful four-handed bit with another pianist sitting in for Harpo. There is even a surprising marijuana reference. (By the way, in a segment from The Colgate Comedy Hour, Harpo and Chico do their four-handed piano routine.)

Kraft Music Hall With Milton Berle

This episode features an appearance by Harpo Marx to promote his record At Work. He plays the clarinet. It’s an incredibly funny segment. In the second segment, he plays the harp.

Marx Brothers Home Movies

This is one of my favorite items included in this box set. There is footage from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and it’s narrated by Harpo’s son, Bill Marx. This is some pretty amazing footage, including Harpo in a play with Fay Wray, and a shot of Bill performing on stage with his father. There are a lot of other famous faces in this footage.

Groucho

This is an episode of the British version of You Bet Your Life from 1965, and it’s hilarious. He asks one guest, “Are you trying to sell sundials in England?” One guest is from Liverpool, which leads to some Beatles references. The guy is not a fan, and from the applause, the audience isn’t either. Odd. The woman mentions “a very new singer that’s just come out called Otis Redding.”

The Swift Show Wagon

Groucho Marx does a comedy routine, including a joke about the Red Sox. And there’s a routine with Groucho Marx Dancers leading to Groucho performing three songs. My favorite is “Dr. Hackenbush.” This is from 1955.

The Dupont Show With June Allyson: A Silent Panic

Harpo Marx appears in a dramatic role as a mute man in a store window who witnesses a murder. Harpo turns in an excellent performance in this show directed by Arthur Hiller.

The Martha Raye Show

Harpo appears as an umpire in a very silly skit featuring Duke Snider and Pee Wee Reese. And Harpo plays “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” on the harp, which is wonderful.

The Dick Cavett Show

Groucho Marx is a guest, along with Shelley Winters. At the beginning of the second segment, Groucho sings “Everyone Says I Love You.” And then the cast of the play based on the lives of the Marx brothers come out as well, though they have trouble getting in a word. Groucho tells some excellent and hilarious anecdotes. This feature is approximately fifty minutes, and for me is one of the set’s highlights.

Commercials

Harpo appears in a series of commercials for Labatt’s Beer. These are quite odd. In the first, Harpo is pursuing girls while a puppet talks to him about beer. He also appears in a series of advertisements for All-Pure Evaporated Milk and Foster’s Freeze. Groucho appears in a Right Guard commercial.

Most of the stuff included in this set is wonderful. However, there is also an episode of Celebrity Golf. Harpo is the celebrity guest, and he makes golf almost watchable. Almost. And then Chico Marx appears in an episode of Championship Bridge. I’m not sure what could possess anyone to film a card game or to watch it. And Chico seems to take the game seriously, so there really isn’t any humor here. And The Wonderful World Of Toys is an odd and pointless special about toys in Central Park, starring Carol Burnett and Harpo Marx. But the rest is excellent.

The Marx Brothers TV Collection was released on August 12, 2014 through Shout! Factory. The box set includes a forty-page booklet with lots of photos and information on each of the programs included.

DVD Review: Man At Bath

Man At Bath is an unusual film about two men whose relationship may or may not be at an end when one of them travels to New York. It stars Francois Sagat and Omar Ben Sellem.

The film opens with some hand-held video footage shot as Omar (Omar Ben Sellem) walks along, humming a bit to himself. He then turns the camera on himself as he lights a cigarette. The film then takes us inside his apartment, where we see him continue to casually shoot some footage, while his partner, Emmanuel (Francois Sagat), is in the shower. Omar is packed, and tells Emmanuel, “I gotta go.” That’s actually the first line of the film, but we then soon learn Omar will be gone for only a week.

Emmanuel then basically forces himself on Omar, leading Omar to tell him he wants him gone by the time he returns from his trip. The camera is hand-held, with some movement, drawing parallels to the footage Omar was shooting in the opening moments, leading us to feel that Omar’s perspective is the film’s perspective as well. But then the film actually stays with Emmanuel, as Omar leaves. We see him watching Omar, then dancing by himself in the apartment. There is something odd about Emmanuel. His head is shaved, but there is a dark patch on the top of his head, as if drawn with a marker. It’s a bizarre look.

Emmanuel goes to another man’s apartment and immediately strips while the man watches wordlessly. He then tells Emmanuel that he’s like a sculpture. “But would I buy you like I bought this other art? No, ‘cause you’re bad art.” It’s an interesting moment, with Emmanuel, a strong man, suddenly looking vulnerable standing there, now speechless. The older man is fully dressed, while Emmanuel is naked. The older man’s next request is surprising (though nothing really comes of it). I love that it’s done without a score, without any music, just spoken directly, plainly. And then when music does play, it’s from a source in picture – a record the older man puts on.

It’s interesting that while the film’s opening and the hand-held camera work seem designed to put us in Omar’s world, the film then spends much more time with Emmanuel. But we’re still seeing him from Omar’s perspective, even in Omar’s absence. It’s almost like we as the audience take Omar’s place.

In New York, Omar goes to screenings of a film that he is involved with in some way, and we see portions of them through his hand-held video camera. At one Q&A, he focuses his camera on one man in the audience, Dustin. We don’t see Omar for quite a while in New York. We see his perspective, we see what interests him, but he is largely absent from his own storyline. It’s an interesting way of presenting it.

And though both Omar and Emmanuel become involved with other men, it is clear that they are still thinking of each other. And we do see some of Omar and Emmanuel’s relationship through flashbacks.

The film has a very believable, matter-of-fact style to it, at least until a female friend says to Emmanuel: “I want to see your ass. I’ve been dreaming of seeing your ass. I will give you twenty bucks to show me your ass.” That is the first thing that feels artificial, and momentarily destroys the vibe that the film has worked hard to create.

By the way, there’s a nice, surprising little bit about telegrams being obsolete that I really appreciated. And for you J.D. Salinger fans, there’s a shot of Dustin reading a bit of Franny And Zooey in a bathtub.

Man At Bath was written and directed by Christophe Honore, and is was released on DVD on August 5, 2014 through Canteen Outlaws and TLA Releasing. The DVD includes the film’s trailer.

DVD Review: Around The Block

Around The Block tells the story of a teacher helping to inspire a group of students that others have perhaps given up on. What sets it apart from the many other films with a similar set-up is that it takes place in the Redfern district of Sydney at the time of the 2004 riots, and focuses on the Aboriginal students. What also makes it interesting is its use of Hamlet in the telling of the tale.

There is some awkward voice over at the beginning while Dino Chalmers (Christina Ricci) films some teenagers dancing in the streets: “We do not choose to be born, but can we choose to be free? Is anyone really free?” Fortunately, that sort of clunky, juvenile narration is only used at the beginning and the very end.

The film focuses on two characters – Dino and Liam (Hunter Page-Lochard), the boy she was filming. Their very different lives are set up clearly at the beginning, as the film follows each of them home. The camera is hand-held as it follows Liam through his home, and the colors are sort of darker yellows. In contrast, the camera work is much smoother and less hurried when Dino arrives at her own home. And there is much more light as well (which might seem happier, but is also less interesting, paler – and that is telling too), as she shows her fiancé the footage she shot.

Their two very different worlds meet when Dino gets a job teaching English and drama at the school Liam attends, a school that is likely to close before the end of the year. She sees Liam outside her classroom, recognizes him from her footage, and learns he’s supposed to be in her class. She hands him a copy of Hamlet to entice him to attend.

Meanwhile, Liam’s father is in prison, his uncle killed, and his brother vowing revenge. Liam feels an obligation to his family, but wants to follow his own path. What creates a stronger connection between the two worlds is the play Hamlet, which Dino is teaching her drama students. The elements of revenge and family obligations and uncertainty all play into Liam’s situation. Also, the uncle that was killed had been an actor and had played Horatio and had always wanted to play Hamlet. So Liam’s involvement in the play works as a way to connect both to an earlier time in his childhood and to a family member who is gone, as well as a way to break free from the paths of his father and older brother.

Hamlet is arguably the greatest artistic achievement of the human race, and so it’s always interesting to see what inspiration a film will draw from it, and how it will use it. Around The Block makes excellent use of the themes of the play, and of course scenes drawn straight from it, as we see auditions, rehearsals and so on. For fans of the play, one thing I found odd is that in Liam’s callback and in the actual production at the end, he drops the “Ay, there’s the rub” line from the “To be or not to be” speech. But that line is what connects the previous thought to his next thought. I am curious why the screenwriter chose to cut that line.

There are some excellent performances in this film, especially that of Hunter Page-Lochard, who plays Liam. Also impressive is Ursula Yovich as Liam’s mother.

Special Features

The DVD has several special features, including a commentary track by writer/director Sarah Spillane and production designer Michael Fitzgerald. Sarah Spillane gives a bit of background on the Block, which is interesting.

There is also Around The Block: Behind The Scenes, an eighteen-minute featurette with footage of the production and interviews with director Sarah Spillane, producer Brian Rosen, producer Su Armstrong, editor Veronika Jenet, cinematographer Martin McGrath, composer Nick Wales, and cast members Christina Ricci, Hunter Page-Lochard, Jack Thompson, Ursula Yovich, Mark Coles Smith, Ruby Rose. Sarah Spillane and Hunter Page-Lochard talk a bit about Hamlet. Spillane also talks about the budget and schedule.

The special features also include four deleted scenes, a music video and the theatrical trailer.

Around The Block was written and directed by Sarah Spillane, and was released on DVD on August 5, 2014.

Film Review: Anna

Anna is a thriller about a man who can access others’ memories, and is assigned what at first seems a simple case but which of course turns out to be much more complex and even dangerous.

The film has an interesting opening scene. It at first feels like a routine break-in scene, with the woman startled by a noise in her home, and then relaxing when she thinks she’s safe, while we see the intruder behind her. But suddenly there is an odd detail. She walks right by a man without seeing him, and then is attacked by another man, while the first watches. She locks herself in the bathroom where the tub is overflowing. That first man is in there watching, but then is suddenly downstairs as the water runs down toward him. The focus has switched from the woman to this man, which is a nice surprise. He rushes upstairs to pull another woman out of the tub, and then he and the first woman suddenly come to in a laboratory, where Sebastian (Brian Cox) informs us, “John’s own memories are intruding.”

We learn, through a television news scene, about Mindscape, “The world’s top memory detective agency.” The news story is about a senator who is the target of an investigation involving embezzlement and blackmail, but the reporter then goes into detail of the history of the use of psychic ability in the solving of crimes and so forth. As is often the case with news footage scenes in films, it’s not quite believable. The newscaster would give just a brief account of the embezzlement case regarding the senator, but wouldn’t be likely to give a history lesson. This is just exposition for the film audience, and that’s exactly what it feels like. The exposition is handled in a rather clunky manner in this film.

We learn that John Washington (Mark Strong), the man from the opening scene, has returned to work several months after suffering from a mild stroke and is in need of money. We also learn that it’s been two years since his wife’s death, and that he hasn’t been dating in this time. Sebastian assigns him the case of Anna, a teenager on a hunger strike. His job is simply to get her to start eating. John quips, “Just tell her parents to hide the fashion magazines.”

But once we get past the exposition, the film becomes quite compelling. Anna’s home is a mansion, with a gate and security cameras. The shot of the gate closing behind John immediately gives us the sense of his own imprisonment, that he is now trapped in whatever lies ahead. We’re introduced to Anna’s mother, Michelle (Saskia Reeves), and stepfather, Robert (Richard Dillane), who tell John (and us) that Anna was always unusual. Michelle calls her “gifted,” while Robert calls her “haunted.” We learn that Anna wishes to go back to school, but is being kept at home because she has cut herself. She is also under constant surveillance within the house, that two people – Judith and Ralph – monitor the cameras from a special room. All of this is an intriguing set-up.

And the film creates some interesting characters, particularly John and Anna. When we meet Anna (Taissa Farmiga), she displays some psychic ability herself, guessing what John is going to say just as he says it. What is odder is that she finds the sound of a metronome soothing. John asks her some questions, leading her to say my favorite line of the film: “I’m not a sociopath, just smart enough to think like one.”

John gets down to business, telling her a bit about how the memory viewing works, including an explanation for why that woman walked right by him in the opening scene. Anna’s memories immediately show her stepfather in a poor light, which begs the question, Why did he hire a memory detective? John is able to get her to eat a sandwich in their first session. And though he had told Sebastian he wasn’t ready to date, he immediately goes on a date with Judith. But if things seem a bit easy for John, it soon becomes clear that there is much more going on with this girl, and that there is something odd about her memories. Was she abused? Did she harm others? And though he’s a memory investigator, he very quickly becomes a real investigator, talking to people who claim Anna ruined their lives.

I got really caught up and involved in this film, but was disappointed with the ending. I can’t detail the problems without giving things away. So let me just say there are some problems with the logic. Basically, everything one character does is with a certain goal in mind. But at the end this character does something which completely negates all that had been done before. Plus, there are some believability issues with the ending, as John becomes something of a moron, and as evidence is completely overlooked by the authorities. And ultimately the film doesn’t have as much to say about memories as I would have hoped. But the characters and set-up are really interesting, and the performances are quite good.

Anna was directed by Jorge Dorado, and was released on DVD on August 5, 2014.