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BUTTON, BOWS, and BOOMS

A rainy, cold holiday weekend gets one thinking of the multiplex, and the ATL Rectors are not immune. We hit three interesting — and quite diverse — flicks over the four-day escape:
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EVIL (GOOD) ROOTS

The stage was dark, with only a massive drum set on a riser at the back. Amazing, considering the amount of equipment used by the previous band, Gym Class Heroes. A single spot glowed on the giant ROOTS tapestry at the rear of the stage. There was only the dull background noise from the sold out crowd waiting for the headliners to appear.

An incredibly deep base thumping began,not a bass guitar, but resonating on such a low register as to vibrate the brass handrail in front of me in the loge (first row-center, I might add). What the hell was that? It played music, but,the glint of a huge horn bell emerged from under the tapestry at the back of the stage, and a shiny silver Sousaphone appeared, playing a signature Roots hip-hop beat. Quickly following was ?uestLove, climbing immediately into the vortex of his drum set. The rest of The Roots ensemble followed from behind the tapestry, joining Tuba Gooding, Jr.’s beat: F Knuckles (percussion), Capt. Kirk (guitar), Kamal (keyboards), Owen (bass), followed by the lead vocalist and one of the originators of the Roots (with ?uestLove) Black Thought. A very cool way to do a show lead-in, Continue reading “EVIL (GOOD) ROOTS” →

WHITE BOY, KILLS

Your plucky narrator went to see the Raconteurs with the Kills last night.

Who? Do you know the White Stripes? Well, the Raconteurs are Jack White’s latest band, after his sister Meg—the drummer in the WS duo—wigged out and “went away” (from which she has yet to return, apparently).
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Zavet

Click on thumbnail for full-size photo

It’s safe to say I’ve never seen a film that had so much bestiality — in a funny way, of course, as Zavet (which means “The Promise” in Serbo-Croatian) is more screwball comedy than anything else. It’s also a statement by the former Yugoslavia’s most prominent film maker (Emir Kusturica, who is quite popular in France) about globalization, the westernization of Eastern Europe, and a country boy’s coming-of-age journey to the big city. But as I said, it’s a screwball comedy first and foremost and features, among other things, an endless array of trap doors and pulleys, a local government official persistently wooing a buxom villager in a succession of funky old cars, and a man shot out of a cannon who never lands.

Of course, of all these things, you can prolly guess that the story revolves around the country boy’s coming-of-age. Briefly, the story sets up thusly: Young Tsane lives in the Balkan countryside with his eccentric grandfather and a handful of other village characters. Their buxom neighbor is the schoolmarm in the one-room schoolhouse, in which Tsane is the only student. One day Grandpa decides that it’s time for Tsane to come of age, so he gives him the family cow and instructs him to cross the hills to the nearest city and sell it. Tsane is also instructed use the proceeds to collect a souvenir, an icon, and a wife to bring back to the village. Once he gets to the city, the object of his affection quickly becomes the babe-a-licious Jasna (Marija Petronijevic) but luckily for us the two of them must first endure a surreal odyssey — including small-time gangsters, an old-timey whorehouse, non-stop gunplay, a bumpy ride in the trunk of an old Lada, a pair of bald, boisterous twins (one 6’6″, the other 4’5″) who dress alike and share a passion for imploding buildings, and yes, plenty of bestiality — before they can get back to the village and up to the altar. One emerges from the theatre baffled, light-headed, and laughing out loud.

SFIFF51, My take… Part 3

Part 3

The 51st San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF51) has just concluded. Unlike the previous two years, this year I didn”t work at the Festival, so I had no insider information to use in selecting films (nor did I have free tickets). You can see my chronicles of the 49th and 50th in the archives of this site.

For SFIFF51, I relied on the Program Guide for my selections, as well as chatting up members of the SFFS staff at the Members Night previews. The Program Guide has descriptions of each film, along with one picture. They are not reviews, but promotional descriptions meant to entice ticket buyers to buy tickets.

Here, I include the Program Guide entries for the films I saw, and append a paragraph called My Take — for my reaction to the film. I”ve rated the films, as well, from * to **** with ~ being a half star. I”ve noted the films that have distribution. Some will gain distribution due to their exposure here, some may never be seen again.

The films are presented in the order I saw them, April 25 through May 8, 2008.

UP THE YANGTZE
Canada

On a cruise ship gliding up the Yangtze River, European and North American tourists get a relaxing firsthand view of changing China. The perspective is markedly different, however, for two Chinese teenagers working on the boat. Chen Bo (assigned the gringo-friendly name Jerry) is a good-looking, supremely self-confident urban dude with a quick appreciation for the newly introduced practice of tipping. Downstairs in the galley, meanwhile, the shy country girl Yu Shui (aka Cindy) grapples with the demeaning drudgery of dirty dishes. Yu Shui would much rather be in school, but it’s not in the cards. Continue reading “SFIFF51, My take… Part 3” →

SFIFF51, My take… Part 2

Part 2

The films are presented in the order I saw them, April 25 through May 8, 2008.

I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND
Czech Republic, Sony Pictures

I Served the King of England marks the return of director JirÃ Menzel, master filmmaker of the Czech New Wave. The story, told in flashbacks, concerns the rise and fall of an amorous and opportunistic apprentice waiter. Jan DÃte is a little man with a big appetite for discreet sexual encounters and worldly success. His coming of age at various grand hotels exposes him to the lifestyles of the upper crust, the crÃ¨me de la crÃ¨me of 1930s Czech society, and a taste of their self-indulgent and carefree extravagance fuels his ambition. Soon he lands a job at a prestigious luxury hotel, where a chance encounter with a Sudeten German activist leads to a newly varnished Aryan identity. As the hotel changes hands from private ownership to the grip of the German SS, he finds himself in one of the Lebensborn breeding resorts designed to spawn the Aryan master race. It appears he finally has it made, but with the Germans occupying Czechoslovakia he is unfortunately on the wrong side of history. Luscious to look at, this finely crafted film is based on the picaresque novel of Bohumil Hrabal (1914—1997), a frequent Menzel collaborator who inspired a generation with his lyrical yet unsentimental view of 20th century life.
â€”Janis Plotkin Continue reading “SFIFF51, My take… Part 2” →

SFIFF51, My take… Part 1

Here, I include the Program Guide entries for the films I saw, and append a paragraph called My Take — for my reaction to the film. I’ve rated the films, as well, from * to **** with ~ being a half star. I”ve noted the films that have distribution. Some will gain distribution due to their exposure here, some may never be seen again.

The films are presented in the order I saw them, April 25 through May 9, 2008. My first film, The Golem, was a one time, live performance.

THE GOLEM WITH BLACK FRANCIS

A silent classic and an exemplary specimen of German expressionist cinema, The Golem is set in 16th century Prague. A rabbi fashions a proto—Frankenstein’s monster, sculpted from rough clay and brought to life through sorcery, to protect the Jewish ghetto from a Christian emperor’s decree that it be dissolved. Through means both surprising and charming, the creature manages to stave off the wrath of the emperor and his court. But it eventually goes haywire, as the rabbi’s jealous assistant turns the golem toward evil. A true juggernaut, the golem destroys everything in its path. The last in a trilogy of films on the golem myth, all cowritten and codirected by Paul Wegener, The Golem depicts the labyrinthine ghetto as a baroque and anxious world of secrets and magic capable of producing amazing discoveries as well as horrific power. Wegener, who had a long career as an actor, plays the title character with odd grace. Photographed by master cinematographer Karl Freund (Metropolis, The Last Laugh), the film, in a beautiful archival print, remains visually stunning. But there are aural enchantments in store as well at this special screening. Black Francis (aka Frank Black), best known as the front man for the towering 1990s alt-rock band, the Pixies, will perform the world premiere of his original score for the film live and onstage at the Castro Theatre. One of the most influential songwriters and performers of his generation, Black Francis’s collaborative appearance with The Golem marks a unique outing in musical and cinematic history.
â€”Sean Uyehara Continue reading “SFIFF51, My take… Part 1” →

LOU REED

Lou Reed was in Asheville NC last night,and I was there to see him. A jaunty little 220 mile ride up I-85 and I was there. (The bitch was the drive back at midnight,UGH). What an astounding little town,not unlike a little Berkeley: protesters, hippies everywhere, weird little shops selling organic tools and macrobiotic nail clippers. A perfect place for the king of cool to land.

And there’s that: He played at The Orange Peel: a venue named by Rolling Stone this month (in their Best of Rock 2007) as the “best rock venue in the US”. An open, standing room only theatre that allows you to get right up at the edge of the stage, just a few feet away from the performers. I came early and was stage-right/center, no more than 10 feet from Lou’s mike stand. The sound levels were perfect (they must have theorized that there would be a slightly older crowd,and they were right). It was a brilliant night of art-house cool music with a slightly sinister allure.

Reed was cool before we knew what it was, with his Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol, Nico days in 60’s lower Manhattan. VU broke up around 1970, though he never stopped playing and evolving thru more than two dozen albums, not all of them gems.

His musical and romantic collaboration with Laurie Anderson (another avant-garde performance artist) has positively affected his music over the last 15 years they have been together (they married just this year), mellowing it and giving it a softer edge, yet still very Lou.

He showed that side last nite in his playlist: a mix of some of his classics (Ecstasy, I Believe in Love, Dirty Blvd) mixed with some newer pieces like Call on Me, A Thousand Departed Friends (his screed against AIDS), Guardian Angel, I Wanna Know, and Tell it To Your Heart. His accompanying band included legendary guitarists Mike Rathke and an old guy named Dan ‘something”. I know that Dan is legendary not only because Lou introduced him that way, but by the way the guy played. Incredible: A blend of Jimmy Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn, with a little John Butler mastery in evidence.

For an old guy (65 and addled a bit by his decade of heroin addiction in the 60’s) he still has a clear voice and can still make the guitar sing their unique LOU sounds.

Perfect Day, an interesting ballad from his 1972 Transformer album was their encore. A fitting way to end what I felt was MY PERFECT DAY with Lou Reed.

Big City Food

Alison and I had a nice time in NYC last week, overlapping for Thursday night through Saturday morning. In between we had a lot of good food — expensive and cheap. As an East Coast Guy I am always aware of NYC’s boast about serving the nations best food. But having lived in SF and now returning there periodically, it’s hard for me to not counter that the Bay Area is truly America’s melting pot of culinary excellence. And recently London has begun to challenge both of these cities on it’s culinary merits in my and Alison’s world…I was very mindful of these ideas on this trip because we planned to visit Babbo which has achieved a great deal attention lately. But we had other experiences that were just as thought provoking. Ultimately we ate well, which is always the goal, but following are my notes on the specifics.
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THE BANK JOB

Roger Donaldson, the director was in attendance and participated in a Q+A after the film.

FILM BLURB
A tightly wound heist film, The Bank Job is based on an infamous 1971 London robbery, in which a gang of East End crooks got away with approximately £500,000. Roger Donaldson’s film unpacks all that went into the job and all that came after, including the shady criminals, the corrupt politicians, the government cover-up, the violent revenge and, of course, the royal scandal. Jason Stratham plays the mechanic and small-time criminal who masterminded the heist, ultimately finding himself in far over his head. The film opens in the Bay Area on March 7.

MY TAKE
Michael X, a black radical, has pictures of Princess Margaret in a compromising situation and is using them to thwart his arrest by the Government. MI5 (or MI6, who can tell) knows they are in a safe deposit box in a London bank. A babe returning from Morocco is found with drugs in her possession. An agent promises her immunity is she will round up a band of guys to break into the bank, give the pictures to MI5 and keep whatever else they take. They do this, but of course, there are complications. A Porn Lord who has the goods on crooked cops, a high class madam and members of Parliament become involved, so the hapless crooks are sought by dangerous dudes on both sides of the law and the government.

I wanted Michael X and the Porn Lord, despicable chaps, taken down, but could have accepted an ending where either MI5 or the small time criminal with balls of steel, prevailed.

Very cool film — taught, tense, and with more plot turns than Lombard Street. Incredibly, based on a true story.

A film that reminded me of Sir Ben Kingsley‘s Sexy Beast, as well as Layer Cake. Check it out.

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