Popcorn 'N Roses

Subject:CINEMA #116 - "State Of Independence, Part One - Indie Film Spotlight"

TC (sans Kim) explores the current world of indie film in the first of a HUGE two part special focus on PNR's website, Indie Film Spotlight.

This is the BIGGEST Show we've ever done, with a look at how indie films are made, what goes into them, how they're written and much more.

Joining TC this week are two very special guests: Michael Colford, the founder and president of Boston's Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film, and the writer, producer, and director of the quirky indie comedy Once Upon A Film, Decker.

Also, TC discusses his own view of indie films, what some of his favorite indies are (betcha you can just GUESS which movies he's going to talk about, heh heh heh) and Wayback reviews of Once Upon A Film and Paranoid Park!

On the second part of State Of Independence this Thursday, TC will speak with some of the people involved with a closely watched indie film called Still Green - writer/producer Georgia Menides, producer Doug Lloyd, and the filmmaker behind the documentary Making Still Green, Steven Petty. You can catch Making Still Green now in weekly segments on Film Threat's website at http://filmthreat.com.

Don't forget to join us Thursday for part two of State of Independence, where we'll also speak with one of todays top indie blog writers, Larry Richman!

PERSONAL STUFF...

This week has been one of the most gut-wrenching weeks i've ever lived through - Kim has been hospitalized since last Tuesday with what appears to be an unknown stomach ailment. As she is a type 2 diabetic, they've had to take extra care to find out what's wrong. She is having a stomach scope tomorrow to try and see what the problem is, and there's a good chance she'll be there for the better part of another week at least, depending on what they find out.

It has been a godsend to have this show to work on because it helped me keep my mind off of what has been going on, because she's had both good days and bad, and a couple of times when we went to see her she was virtually comatose, or seemed like it - she could really hear everything, but was too medicated to respond.

I spoke with her yesterday - the first day I was unable to visit because my rides were busy elsewhere - and also her nurse. She's finally able to keep some food down, and that's definately a step in the right direction. I was sitting in the living room last night trying to get our worthless DVD player to work on the Brick dvd when she called me out of the blue and sounded better than she has in almost a week - back to her irasible self, drugs out of her system, bored out of her skull, and finally asking for her puzzle books and her latest mystery novel. YAY!  You have NO Idea how much that bounced me up because when Stacy, Jenn, and I went to see her on Friday she was back to being unresponsive after being fairly awake on Thursday.

Spending this week alone has been very trying, and with her condition going back and forth, i've had very little good sleep - Kim is EVERYTHING to me, and not having her here has made me realize that I would HATE living alone...but last night, I slept VERY well...that call was a real boost. Hosting the show alone was another matter - without her to play off of, I hope you won't be too bored as I ramble on about indie films...

I can't say how she is today yet, as I usually wait until around noon to call in and check with the nurses about her condition. And we're going to see her today also.

Your letters of support and encouragement have also been an element of what's kept me going this week, and for that I am FOREVER grateful.

Thanks to everyone whom I interviewed this past week and who knew what was going on - Decker, Georgia, Doug, Steve, and Michael - they were incredibly patient and understanding when I had to reschedule a few things this week.

Thanks again to everyone who listen to the show, who read the various websites regularly, and know that without you guys and the sites, I would be going stark raving CRAZEE this week....

Don't miss part two of State Of Independence on Thursday...and watch for a brand new VIDEO REVUE from Monica and Johnny Swanson sometime in the next day or so!

Subject:CINEMA #109 - "Independent Film Festival Of Boston Wrap up"

This week, we go inside the Independent Film Festival Of Boston...or try to, anyway...

You See, we both got sick and we couldn't attend as many films as we wanted to, but we still got to see some of them, thanks to the generosity of the filmmakers...

So this show is dedicated to the films we saw, and a great concert too...reviews of WE ARE WIZARDS, CRAWFORD, and THE GREENING OF SOUTHIE...plus complete coverage of the fantastic WizardRock concert.

Plus a segment on the recent Brattle Theater series of Nikkatsu films, email, and a few other odds and ends.

Don't forget the beginning of Made May, which starts TOMORROW with "Hollywood Vs The Mob - Real Life vs Reel Life". Full notes and photos for this show will also be up by tomorrow as well, with TONS of links to the filmmakers, the stars of the movies, and more!

See you TOMOROW!

IFFB Wrap Up!

Well, the 2008 Independent Film Festival of Boston has called it quits for another year. We are sorry we were unable to provide daily coverage as we intended, due to illness. However, our coverage isn't done yet...

We will be featuring a complete wrap up of the festival, it's happenings and goings on, and reviews of several films, on a special edition of PNR's podcast Subject:CINEMA, which will be up and running on Friday morning.

In the meantime...here are the winners of the festival competition...

JURY COMPETITION

Narrative:
Grand Jury Prize: BALLAST
Special Jury Prize: MOMMA'S MAN

Documentary:
Grand Jury Prize: SONG SUNG BLUE
Special Jury Prize: SECRECY

Short Film:
Grand Jury Prize: MAN
Special Jury Prize: GLORY AT SEA!

Programmers Choice Award: GOLIATH

AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS:

Narrative: MY WINNIPEG

Documentary: LIFE. SUPPORT. MUSIC.

Short Film: TONY ZOREIL (TONY ZEAR)

Congrats to the winners.

We will continue to post reviews of festival films throughout the weekend and in fact, throughout May as we see a number of the films we missed both in theatres and through screeners.

And Subject:CINEMA will be featuring a different narrative film all month long as part of our ongoing Film Festival review series, so dont' miss it!

Thanks to the IFFB for a great week of films!

IFFB Coverage now up and running

The Independent Film Festival of Boston is underway, and you will want to keep up on every aspect of this highly-thought of annual festival.

We are providing complete coverage and reviews of a number of films on PNR's sister sites Boston Popcorn and IndieFilmSpotlight.

Already featured - a full review of WE ARE WIZARDS, a fantastic new documentary focusing on the Harry Potter fandom worldwide, with an emphasis on "wizard rock", with bands like Harry And The Potters and Draco And The Malfoys.

Still to come - reviews of BLOOD CAR, FLASHPOINT, NATURAL CAUSES, CRAWFORD, and several other films, and more on the festival itself and what's upcoming.

I can't say how much we hope you check out the coverage.

Also, later this coming week, we'll be providing a complete wrap up of the IFFB 08, including discussions and reviews about several films, on a special mid-week edition of Subject:CINEMA, which returns to it's regular schedule tomorrow - i'll be updating the schedule calendar in the next couple of days to reflect the changes made during our time away due to Kim's illness and a couple of other things.

In any case, check out the coverage on IFS at http://indieflimspotlight.com and the BRAND NEW Boston Popcorn site at http://bostonpopcorn.net!

Independent Film Festival Of Boston prepares for launch

It's that time of year again...time to discover some of the biggest indies of the upcoming year!

The Independent Film Festival Of Boston kicks of a week of great indie films next Wednesday, April 23 and runs through April 29. Beginning this weekend, Popcorn N Roses and its sibling sites BostonPopcorn (see related story) and IndieFilmSpotlight, will be providing extensive coverage of IFFB, with news, reviews, film spotlights and more. Subject:CINEMA will also be doing an IFFB-centered podcast at the conclusion of the festival.

In the irony that IS the Boston film market, none of the films in the Independent Film Festival of BOSTON will actually be screened IN Boston itself, but in the surrounding suburbs. Films will be screening at Brookline's Coolidge Corner Theater, Cambridge's Brattle Theater, and the Somerville Theater in Somerville (where else?).

As noted a few weeks ago in this column, “TRANSSIBERIAN” directed by Brad Anderson, written by Brad Anderson and Will Conroy, and  starring Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, and Sir Ben Kingsley will open the festival on Wednesday, April 23rd at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. This marks a return to Boston for Brad Anderson, who previously shot his features NEXT STOP WONDERLAND and SESSION 9 in the city. Brad Anderson, Will Conroy, and cast will be in attendance for the Opening Night screening.

“ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD” directed by Werner Herzog, will close the Independent Film Festival of Boston on Tuesday April 29th at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline.

In-between those two movies are some 59 features, countless shorts, and over 20 special guests who are appearing with the screenings of their movies.

This weekend, we will publish a day-by-day calendar for the festival by venue, so you can pick and choose which films to see..and it's going to be a very hard choice for the most part for those flicks screening opposite each other!

To check out the original press release on Boston Popcorn, go HERE

For full info on the festival, visit http://iffboston.org

For tickets to IFFB, go HERE

DON'T FORGET: SXSW going on starting this weekend!

Don't forget that the spring's biggest filmfest, South By Southwest in Austin Texas, gets underway this weekend. IndieFilmSpotlight's Larry Richman is in Austin and will be bringing you regular updates on our sister site at http://indiefilmspotlight.com throughout the festival!

Larry's already posted a TON of SXSW news and there's plenty more of that to follow i'm sure! Be sure to check it out!

Subject:CINEMA #101 - "CityScapes: Hits From The Hub!"

This week, we launch our new recurring "CityScapes" series looking at individual cities and how they've been seen and portrayed in the movies. We're starting with our own backyard, so it's time for a look at Beantown in the movies!

This week's show also includes the usual antics - E-mail, Bonehead Of The Week, the Callback, and coverage of National Amusements' Kung Fu Flix series!

THIS WEEKS' NOTES:

As promised, Rob Collier's voicemail for our 100th show is between segments one and two - thanks Rob for your support over the last two years, and for such a great voice mail!

Next Week - DOUBLE VISION: Twins On Screen!

Subject:CINEMA #94 - "The 2nd Annual Fethival of Film Fethivals!"

TC and Kim list some films to watch for from the Big Four winter film festivals - Sundance, Slamdance, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara.

Also on The Show: The Callback, Bonehead OF The Week, an extended E-Mail segment, and TC and Kim face the biggest chasm they've ever had in their review of the JJ Abrams/Matt Reeves flick Cloverfield.

THIS WEEK'S NOTES:

Full notes coming Monday morning!

An indie film you do NOT want to miss...

A couple of weeks ago, New York Times writer David Carr spotlighted this fall's glut of indie films, pointing out that films that used to have the luxury of opening in New York and Los Angeles and then gaining wider exposure by word of mouth barely have that chance anymore, thanks to the number of large studios that have created "independent" marquee spinoff companies. Paramount Vantage, Fox Searchlight, Warner Independent Productions - all are owned by major studios yet are distributing films that cater to the indie fan.

Too many times those little films get lost anyway. They come to small indie theaters, usually the Landmark chain, play for a week or two, and then disappear until it comes time to release them on DVD. That's fine...sometimes.

But sometimes there's a film that nobody counts on to do well that will knock the socks off of people, whether they're casual filmgoers or film critics, and suddenly explode. The 2006 critics darling Little Miss Sunshine did that - and now there's another film that is deserving of the same thing.

Watch your local independent theaters in the next few weeks for a little gem from indie distributor Anywhere Road called Black Irish. Chances are very good you're seeing the next "little movie that could".

Shot in the summer of 2005 in Boston and the surrounding area, Black Irish follows the trials and tribulations of the middle child in the McKay family, 15 year old Colin, as played by 2006 Popcorn N Roses number one Rising Star Michael Angarano (best known as Will Stronghold from the Disney film Sky High and as Sid from Lords Of Dogtown), who yearns for the attentions of his emotionally remote father, played by Brendan Gleeson (Mad Eye Moody from the Harry Potter movies).

As written and directed by filmmaker Brad Gann, Black Irish has been one of the most successful films on the film festival circuit for the past 18 months. It has been an official selection at almost a dozen prestigious film festivals, and has taken either the official award or the audience award for best picture at FIVE of those festivals - Method Fest, Florida Film Festival, Jackson Hole Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. In addition, Angarano has picked up two best actor awards, and co-star Tom Guiry has picked up a supporting actor award for the film.

So if all this is true, and the movie is THIS GREAT, I know you're asking yourself "Why haven't I ever HEARD of this movie"?

The answer to that question is just as simple - "Because it's an indie."

Indie movies frequently don't have the kind of budget to engage in massive ad campaigns. As noted above, they rely primarily on word of mouth - and the press - to get the word out.

So...i'm getting the word out. You do NOT want to miss this film.

Black Irish is having it's official openings this weekend, in Boston and Los Angeles. After that, it will spread to the rest of the country over the next few weeks. It's a movie you'll want to take the time to seek out, because if you don't, you'll have no doubt missed one of the best movies of the year.

Popcorn N Roses will keep you up to date on openings in more cities over the next month.

On Spout: http://www.spout.com/films/319579/default.aspx

Subject:CINEMA Special - The New England Film And Video Festival Wrap-Up!

Our regular edition of Subject:CINEMA this week will be coming up on Monday, October 8th, at 6 PM...

In the meantime, here's our special wrap up of the 32nd annual New England Film and Video Festival!

This special features reviews of three films we took in at the festival, Once Upon A Film, Cut Off, and Still Green! One quick correction, if I might - I called the writer of Still Green "Gretchen" in the podcast, and that's wrong, it's Georgia Menides, and i'm so sorry, Georgia! It was nice meeting you!

If you should find yourself near a local festival, even though you may have never been to one, take the time and go! We had such a terrific, positive experience, and we know you'll love it!

A special, heartfelt THANK YOU to Patrica Moreno, director of the NEFVF, and her fantastic staff, and the staff of Brookline's Coolidge Corner theater, for making this such a fun and positive experience!  You all made us feel very welcome, even though we were newbies, and it's very much appreciated!!!

See you with Masters Of The Macabre: Boris Karloff tomorrow!

New England Film and Video Festival - Saturday

Day three of the New England Film and Video Festival expanded our horizons a bit, so to speak.

We first attended a panel on New England Film Festivals on Saturday, hearing from representitives from a number of festivals, including the Roxbury Film Festival, the New Hampshire Film Festival, the Boston Underground Film Festival, the Chlotrudis Short Film Festival, and the Woods Hole Film Festival. Each representative outlined how each festival worked, and the kind of films they usually selected for their festival. They also commented on the internet's influence on each festival and their feelings about featuring films that have already been seen on the internet, a topic Kim and I are going to discuss on our Subject:CINEMA NEFVF recap show later this weekend.

We decided not to stay for the second part of the panel, as there didn't seem to be much of a chance to network with the various representitives, and because we needed to do a couple of things before the next screening we planned to attend...

We then attended the premiere screening of Cut Off, a new action comedy with an all-star supporting cast that included Faye Dunaway, Anne Archer, Malcolm McDowell, Clint Howard, and leads Amanda Brooks and Thomas Ian Nicholas. A full review will be posted on Monday.

We had a little trouble getting in to see Cut Off, as we thought we were on the press list for this showing, and we were not; fortunately, another young filmmaker, Michael Geoghegan, got us in, having seen us there the previous evening. After the film, we had a discussion with Mike about his film and he promised to send us a copy of his short film Afterfall, which is screening Monday, so we won't have a chance to see it. It sounds very intriguing, and once we see it, we'll post our review of it here.

More coverage on Sunday, and don't forget to check out our special edition of Subject:CINEMA this weekend featuring a complete overview of the New England Film and Video Festival.

New England Film & Video Festival - Friday night

Our first evening in attendance at the New England Film and Video Festival was a very interesting experience.

We got a chance to speak with Patricia Moreno, the director of the festival, for a few minutes - she was actually nice enough to be waiting for us to arrive (which wasn't necessary, but much appreciated). She gave us a rundown on the festival, and how they went through the selection process for the various features and shorts shown throughout the festival.

We then attended the screening of Once Upon A Film, a quirky romantic comedy, which we'll post a full review for as soon as I can secure complete cast and credit information on it.

We'll have more on Saturday and Sunday following each day's events, and bring you a full wrapup and overview of our festival experiences on Monday, and also we will bring you full coverage of the festival in a special edition of Subject:CINEMA later this weekend.

New England Film And Video Festival starts tonight!

The five-day New England Film And Video Festival gets underway Thursday with the documentary, PlayByPlay Men And The Art Of The Perfect Call from director Ziad Hamzeh, which takes a look at some of the men who have spent their life calling "America's favorite pastime", baseball. It's a perfect match with the Red Sox'post-season run.

The festival will conclude on Monday night with the world premiere of director Jon Artigo's Still Green, a coming-of-age story that looks at how a sudden death can change everything within a group of close-knit college-bound friends. The film stars Sarah Jones, Ryan Kelley, Noah Segan, Douglas Spain, Vonzell Solomon, Paul Costa, Gricel Castineira , Nicole Komendat, Brandon Meyer, Ashleigh Snyder, and Mike Strynkowski.

In-between those two movies are five days of great independent films, shorts, receptions, panels and more. We'll be attending for the first time, and we can't wait to see some of the great new films that the festival is showcasing.

All screenings will be held at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline; panels and workshops will be in the Brookline Marriott Courtyard hotel just down the street from the theater.

For the complete lineup, visit the festival's website at http://nefvf.com. You can find the entire day-by-day lineup and purchase tickets at the Coolidge Corner's website at http://www.coolidge.org/nefvf07.

Watch Popcorn N Roses this weekend for reviews of Once Upon A Film, Cut Off, and Still Green, plus we'll also have complete coverage in one or two special Festival editions of our podcast Subject:CINEMA during the weekend.

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL - Romanian abortion drama takes top prize

The 60th anniversary edition of the Cannes Film Festival wrapped up Sunday night with the presentation of the festival's coveted awards.

The top prize, the Palm d'Or, was given to Romanian director Cristian Mungui's abortion film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. The drama, which follows the lives of two students dealing with an unwanted pregnancy in the waning days of the Ceausescu regime, bested 21 other films in competition, including Wong Kar-Wai's Cannes opener My Blueberry Nights, Emir Kustirica's Promise Me This, Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, the Coen brothers No Country for Old Men and Russian auteur Alexander Sokurov's Alexandra.

The runner up, who gets what's know as the Grand Prize (go figure), was Japanese director Naomi Kawase's The Mourning Forest, about the journey of a caregiver and her elderly patient who wind up stranded in the woods after setting out on a drive in the country.

Julian Schnabel earned Best Director honors for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the harrowing story of a 43-year-old French journalist whose entire body was paralyzed by a massive stroke except his left eye, which he subsequently used to blink out a memoir composed entirely in his head. Although much in demand at the festival, the film is thought to be one that will be hard to market in the U.S.

The Jury Prize, which amounts to third place, was a tie between two movies:  Persepolis, an animated feature by first-time French-Iranian director Marjane Satrapi, an account of growing up under fundamentalist rule in Iran featuring voice work by the legendary Catherine Deneuve; and Silent Night by Mexican director Carlos Reygadas, which explores a father's faith after he falls for another woman.

In the acting department, Russia's Konstantin Lavronenko landed the Best Actor award for his role in The Banishment, while South Korean Jeon Do-yeon was named Best Actress for the comedy romance Secret Sunshine.

Gus Van Sant, who grabbed the Palm d'Or in 2003 for his dark fictional retelling of the Columbine massacre with Elephant, was given a special 60th Anniversary Prize for his latest film, Paranoid Park, about a Portland skateboarder whose life is turned upside down after he accidentally kills a security guard.

Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih Akin, who won the prestigious Golden Bear a few years back at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival with the hard-hitting love story Head On, scored Best Screenplay Award for his latest, The Edge of Heaven.

Walking away with the Camera d'Or, which honors a first-time filmmaker, was the Israeli husband and wife team of Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen for Meduzot. Keret is best known in the film world at the moment for his short story "Kneller's Happy Campers", the basis for the critical 2006/07 film festival darling (and one of my personal favorites) Wristcutters: A Love Story. The short film prize went to Watching It Rain by Elisa Miller of Mexico.

This year's jury was headed by Oscar-nominated British director, Stephen Frears, and the jury included Aussie actress Toni Colette, Hong Kong star Maggie Cheung, French screen star Michel Piccoli and Nobel Prize-winning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk.

So now it is over and Cannes takes a back seat until next year. And please, now that all the hype and hoopla is over, get George Clooney and Brad Pitt off my tv for a while, will ya?

Heh heh heh...

Subject:CINEMA #49 - Art House Confidential

On this month's Wednesday edition, TC and Kim take a look at art films, and whether or not the terms "art film" and "indie film" are interchangable. Also, complete audio reviews of "Air Guitar Nation" and "Wristcutters: A Love Story"!

THE SHOW (times may be off due to Podshow insertions):

Segment 1 (1:52) - What makes an art film; are "art film" and "indie film" interchangable?

Segment 2 (16:20) - Continuing the debate; what directors usually make art films?

Segment 3 (30:55) - Review - Air Guitar Nation

Segment 4 (46:11) - Review - Wristcutters: A Love Story

THIS WEEK'S NOTES:

Kim and I neither one considered ourselves "art house" fans until a couple years ago, and many of the movies that you can consider "art" films never make it to your local cinema. We were extremely lucky to get a chance to see the elusive "Wristcutters" and it's the perfect example of that type of film.

SATURDAY: SUPER SUMMER SNEAK PEEK!

MOVIE REVIEW: Wristcutters a quirky, unexpectedly heartwarming, totally disarming, and absolutely BRILLIANT charmer

(POST THREE OF THREE)

WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY

NOT RATED:

STARS: PATRICK FUGIT, SHANNYN SOSSAMON, SHEA WIGHAM, TOM WAITS, LESLIE BIPP, TOM ARNETT, ABRAHAM BENRUBI

DIRECTOR: GORAN DUKIC

For those who are curious about life after death, and especially for those who wonder what happens when they kill themselves, Wristcutters: A Love Story offers up an unusual side trip.

The movie is the story of Zia (Fugit), a twentysomething young man from New Jersey who kills himself (the suicide opens the movie) over something that happened between he and his girlfriend (it's never actually revealed what happened, but it's implied that he may have found out she was cheating on him).

Zia informs us via voiceover that life after death isn't much different from regular life, except that it might even be worse. Since offing himself, he's found a job at Kamikaze Pizza, he lives with a fussy Austrian roommate (Benrubi), and spends his off time hanging out at a local bar, where he's befriended by Eugene (Wigham), a Russian immigrant whose entire family has offed themselves at one time or another, and as such, once again live all together in the afterlife.

When Zia finds out from another suicide from his neighborhood that his ex-girlfriend he offed himself over, Desiree (Bipp), offed herself about a month after Zia's funeral, he and Eugene set off to find her. Along the way they're joined by Mikal (Sossamon), who they find hitchhiking on the side of the road. It seems she doesn't believe she belongs here, because she killed herself accidentally, and is now looking for the People In Charge so that she can set things right.

As they drive without aim hoping to find Desiree, one night, while driving without headlights (which have been malfunctioning the entire trip), they almost run over Kneller, who is just lying in the middle of the road. Kneller, a strange but intriguing man, takes them back to his campsite, where they discover that the people staying with Kneller perform small personal miracles, including a mute girl who can throat sing, and a man who can float in the air.

When a camper returns with the news that Messiah, the man who runs another camp not too far away, has convinced Kneller's runaway dog to stay with him, Kneller, Zia, and Mikal head to Messiah's camp, hoping to bring the dog back, and where they find Messiah preparing to perform the biggest miracle of all - separating his body and soul into two distinct beings. And at his side is Desiree, who is assisting him in his planned miracle. Zia sadly discovers she didn't kill herself over losing him, but because she wanted to follow Messiah to this world after he killed himself in the real world.

But things don't work quite the same way in this netherworld reserved for suicides, and Zia's afterlife is about to take an unexpected turn...

The debut feature from director Dukic, and based on the short story Kneller's Happy Campers by author Etgar Keret, Wristcutters is a darkly comic look at what happens in a world where all the inhabitants are there by the choice of their suicide in the real world, and how life in the afterlife can still somehow be a real life (confusing, but you'll get it when you see the movie).

With the three leads and Tom Waits turning in absolutely wonderful performances - Waits is particularly excellent in his small but important role - you'll find yourself swept away into their somewhat bizarre existance, and wondering if Zia is right when he says that this life is even worse than what he left behind. Fugit is one of today's breed of rising young actors, along with a few others like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jamie Bell, and Michael Angarano, who have the ability to grab a character and envelop themselves totally in it, and his quirky and poignant portrayal of Zia will wrap itself around your heart. The movie is hilariously funny in the most unexpected places, and because of it, it doesn't seem at all like you've spent a whole 95 minutes watching the movie...you become so fascinated with these quirky people that you almost wish it wasn't over yet when it finishes.

The movie also features something else that is rare for a dark comedy - a HAPPY ending. Like 2006's dark but still funny One Last Thing..., the twist at the end is unexpected (and yet still strangely expected), and the final two shots of the movie, especially if you've been paying attention to a particular recurring conversation throughout the movie, add a boisterous and unexpectedly happy kick to the heartstrings. Speaking for myself, it brought happy tears to my eyes.

Wristcutters is one of those quirky offbeat little films that unexpectedly works it's way under your skin and into your psych and then refuses to let go.

Given the fact that movie has recieved almost a dozen nominations and several awards since its premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, including a prestigious nomination as "The Best Film Not Playing In Your Local Theater" at the 2007 Gotham Awards, it is a CRIME that this movie has yet to find a distributor. This movie deserves to be seen by as many people as possible, and deserves a chance to become the indie hit I believe it is ultimately destined to become.

Ever since seeing director Riaan Johnson's incredible and mesmerizing debut Brick in 2006, I have held a very high criteria for a movie in regards to earning a spot on my all time favorite movie list. Wristcutters: A Love Story EASILY passed that rigorous criteria, and now ranks with Brick, Catherine Hardwick's Lords Of Dogtown, and Yimou Zhang's Hero as one of my all time favorite films. I left the theater feeling completely heartwarmed, and with a great big smile on my face.

Here's hoping the gods shine on Wristcutters and allows it to find a distributor soon. It is absolutely the kind of movie that must be on your "Can't Miss" list when it comes out...this movie is just too damn good - and too damn FUNNY - to have it remain an unjustly buried treasure...

MY SCORE: 5 (out of 5)

WRISTCUTTERS TEASER

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On The Web: http://www.wristcutters.com

On My Space: http://myspace.com/wristcutters

MOVIE REVIEW: Air Guitar Nation shows that "to Air is Human...to Air Guitar...is divine"

(POST TWO OF THREE)

AIR GUITAR NATION

RATED: R

STARS: DAVID "C-DIDDY" JUNG, DAN "BJORN TOROQUE" CLARK, GORDON "KRYE TUFF" HINTZ, ZAC "THE MAGNET" MUNRO, AND THE STARS OF THE 2003 WORLD AIR GUITAR CHAMPIONSHIP

DIRECTOR: ALEXANDRA LIPSITZ

There is something inherently silly on the surface about the idea of a documentary following grown men and women who desire to get on stage and play....nothing. But Air Guitar Nation changes your perspective very quickly. Because although the particpants in the World Air Guitar finals take it very seriously, they also admit that what they are doing is one of the silliest things most people have ever heard of.

The story focuses on a couple of young entrepreneurs who decide that it's high time that America particpate. The contest has been going on since 1996, but an American champion had never been crowned before. In 2003, they set off to find the best American air guitarist and send him or her to the world finals in Oulu, Finland.

What follows are the stories behind some of the americans who chose to particpate in the contest. Focusing mainly on the East Coast champion, David "C-Diddy" Jung, an actor who plays his air guitar wearing a "Hello Kitty" chest protector, and the East Coast runner-up who refuses to give up, Dan "Bjorn Toroque" Clark, and their friendly rivalry in the air guitar world, you can't help but get totally caught up in their world, even if it's just for a hearty laugh.

After Jung captures the East Coast title, Clark, a determined (some might say "obsessed") air guitar competitor, heads to Los Angeles to enter the West Coast qualifier, and then, defeated there as well by local favorite Gordon "Krye Tuff" Hintz (a government employee by day), raises his own funds to make it to the Norway finals.

The finals are held in an outdoor arena and while in Finland, the finalists take part in an "air guitar training camp" which has to be seen to be believed - some of the stuff taught in this camp, while no doubt helpful to the competitors, is outright HILARIOUS to those of us watching from the outside - and prepare to take each other on in the ultimate World Finals, the first to feature not just one, but two american entrants.

Air Guitar Nation is the kind of documentary that, when you think about the idea, makes one wonder why ANYONE would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars making a movie about this kind of thing. But sitting back and watching it, you can't help but admire the work the filmmakers have done, and the obvious fun that the participants have in competing.

Some of the finalists are good enough to put serious fear of defeat in both Jung and Clark, including air guitarists from England, Belgium, New Zealand, Austraila, and of course, Finland.  And Jung, whose parents flew to Oulu for the event, realizes just how serious the competition can get as he watches his fellow air guitarists in action.

The Audience Award winner at this year's SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, Air Guitar Nation will have you rocking out to the great music used by the entrants, tickle your funny bone, and leave you heading out of the theater with a smile on your face, and firing up the CD player at home with some Malmsteen, so YOU can practice for next year's round of air guitar qualifying . Because even though you can see that they don't take themselves TOO seriously, you can also see, through the lives of the participants, just how much FUN air guitar really can be...

MY SCORE: 4 (out of five)

On The Web: http://airguitarnation.com

On MySpace: http://myspace.com/airguitarnation

PNR's #1 Rising Star of 2006 named Best Actor at Method Film Fest

  PNR's #1 Rising Star of 2006, Michael Angarano, took top acting honors at the Method Film Festival last evening. 

In addition to winning best actor for his role in the indie film Black Irish, the film also took home top honors as best feature, and co-star Tom Guiry took home the best supporting actor prize. The film also scored a rare double win as best feature AND the audience award at last weekend's Florida Film Festival.

In addition, Michael's other film at MethodFest, Man In The Chair, walked off with the award for best ensemble acting.

Man In The Chair also took top honors for best film at the Kent Film Festival last weekend in Kent, CT.

So...can we pick 'em or what? Congrats to Michael on his wins!

SUNDANCE, SLAMDANCE: Juries award prizes

Here are the press releases announcing the winners for Sundance and Slamdance jury prizes....

First up, Sundance...

2007 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES
JURY AND AUDIENCE AWARDS

Park City, UT–The jury and audience award-winners of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival were announced tonight at the Festival’s closing Awards Ceremony in Park City, Utah. The films receiving jury awards were selected by distinguished jurors from films screening in the Independent Film Competition and the World Cinema Competition. Awards were given to both dramatic and documentary films screening in the four competitive categories: Documentary Competition, Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The films in these categories were also eligible for the 2007 Sundance Film Festival Audience Awards as selected by Film Festival audiences.

The premier showcase for U.S. independent film, the Film Festival is an important new platform for international independent film and screens films that embody risk-taking, diversity, and aesthetic innovation.

In addition, the Shorts Jury awarded a Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking to a U.S. and international filmmaker. Other awards recognized at the ceremony include the recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Prize, awarded to a film which excels in addressing compelling topics in science or technology and the recipients of the Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award, created to honor and support emerging filmmakers with their next screenplays.

“The films in this year’s program have opened up the possibilities of what independent film can be and will be in the future,” said Geoffrey Gilmore, Director of the Sundance Film Festival. “The 2007 Sundance Film Festival award-winners reflect the talent, diversity, and evolution of independent film and exemplify the artistic power of film to illuminate and explore issues that are prevalent in our global society.”

The Independent Film Competition is the heart and soul of the Sundance Film Festival program. It has introduced audiences to many of the best American and international independent films and filmmakers of the past 24 years. Films selected to screen in the Dramatic and Documentary Competitions were eligible for a number of jury awards.

The 2007 Sundance Film Festival Award-Winners are:
The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was given to MANDA BALA (SEND A BULLET), directed by Jason Kohn. In Brazil, known as one of the world's most corrupt and violent countries, MANDA BALA follows a politician who uses a frog farm to steal billions of dollars, a wealthy businessman who spends a small fortune bulletproofing his cars, and a plastic surgeon who reconstructs the ears of mutilated kidnapping victims.

The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was given to PADRE NUESTRO, directed by Christopher Zalla. Fleeing a criminal past, Juan hops a truck transporting illegal immigrants from Mexico to New York City, where he meets Pedro, who is seeking his rich father.

The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was given to ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS (VORES LYKKES FJENDER)/Denmark, directed by Eva Mulvad and Anja Al Erhayem. In ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS, Malalai Joya, a 28-year-old Afghani woman, redefines the role of women and elected officials in her country with her historic 2005 victory in Afghanistan's first democratic parliamentary election in over 30 years.

The World Cinema Jury P