Hey folks, Harry here... Seems that the person we know only as Massawyrm has gotten a sneak peek at the festival the world is a buzzing about... CINEMATEXAS... a couple years back I was checking every out on this one... as Dorothy Parker did last year... Well this year, Massawyrm beat us all to it, so he'll be filling us all in. Here we go....
Hola all. Everyone's favorite Chain-smoking, Dr. Pepper swilling, Indie fest schilling Christ clone here with some great, albeit a bit late, pre-coverage of the CINEMATEXAS film festival starting tomorrow/today, Friday, Sept. 14. This is a great short film festival sponsored by the University of Texas showcasing short films by both students and international entries by some great established directors. I was handed a tape previewing several of the international entries, some of which just plain knocked me on my ass. This is gonna be one hell of an indie fest. Here's what's really got me excited:
There will be a presentation of Andy Warhol's rarely screened "Vinyl", his 1965 adaptation of Anthony Burgess's novel "A Clockwork Orange". Now I'm NOT a Warhol fan, in fact, it's safe to say that I've never really liked a single piece of Warhol's art. However, I'm a big fan of both the book and Kubrick's brilliant adaptation, so I'm thrilled to be seeing Warhol's vision of this masterpiece which predates Kubricks by several years. This one shows next Friday, the 21st, at 10pm at the Texas Union Theatre.
There are over 100 international short films showing, some in competition, others not. Two international films really blew my skirt up and baked my noodle something fierce. One brilliant, mind blowing short by Guy Maddin and a kooky, quirky documentary by Errol Morris.
The first is Guy Maddin's short "The Heart of the World", which won the 2000 Best Experimental Film Award by the National Society of Film Critics. This movie is BRILLIANT! Absolute, sheer, genuine brilliance, painted on the screen by a truly inventive craftsman. Imagine if you will a 1920's communist propaganda sci-fi love story written and directed for the proletariat and buried in a vault for 80 years, perfectly preserved and presented to us in trailer form advertising the 8 hour end of the world extravaganza. That's roughly what this short is. It's amazingly well conceived and presented in pure, original style and format befitting exactly what this type of film would have looked like back in the 1920's. It's gorgeous, well crafted and flawless showing the same craft and talent that was shown in the Peter Jackson produced "Forgotten Silver".
I wish a full 8 hour cut of this film existed. I want more of this world. I want more footage! I've had to watch this short half a dozen times already, and I cant wait to see it big. Wow.
Then Errol Morris has a wonderful 26 minute documentary on Clyde Roper, Giant Squid Hunter, titled "Eyeball to Eyeball". Yes, you read that right. Giant Squid Hunter. He's the Quint of the beast that believe it or not, is more than mythical. This is half documentary on the man and half on the elusive giant squid. God, I just love writing the words Giant Squid. How cool is that. Say it to yourself and try not to smile. Giant Squid.
I'm reminded of that great Fishing with John double episode when John visits the orient with Dennis Hopper to hunt Giant Squid. yeah, that's the episode where their guide had wooden legs but real feet. It was great.
But this, this is greater. It's hypnotic and fascinating. Very cool stuff.
I love short films. Unfortunately there really is no solid venue for great shorts like this, short of downloading them. You see, I compare short films to features in the same way I compare poetry to novels. Short films are small, concentrated amounts of emotion or the isolated germ of an idea that can't really be expanded into a full blown film. But that's what's so pure about it. They're short, simple and sometimes very moving or clever.
One piece of visual poetry is the Strip Mall Trilogy, another great piece showing this week at the festival. Three shorts which total 9 minutes that contain what I am convinced is more cuts than in all of Requiem for a Dream, and yet is still effective in it's delivery. The second part actually being the alphabet song performed numerous times while the letters being spoken are shown as part of different signs that you would find in your local strip mall. Although it seems in description to be overly simple or even silly and asinine, but it really is effective and real, honest poetry.
Then of course there's "Everything Hits at Once", a music video for the band "Spoon" animated by one of the contributing animators to Linklater's "Waking Life", Divya Srinivisan. This thing is just plain cool. It's an animated underground comic about angst, loneness and want that is just beautiful, melodic and touching. Yes, it's a music video, but it's one of those that doesn't focus on the band, but on the themes of the music and the tone of what it implies. Another great short.
I'm really looking forward to this fest. It starts Friday night, the 14th and ends on Sunday, the 23rd. For more info check out Cinematexas I'll be there this week. If you run into me, please stop by and share your thoughts. I might need a smoke or a ride home.
Till then, smoke 'em if ya got 'em. I know I will. If ya got 'em that is...
