Hey folks, Harry here with Psychedelic and his report from the 1st Annual World Cinema Naples Film Festival. I wonder if this is the festival that Laura Harring was attending in THE PUNISHER. Oh wait - that was a 21 day Brazilian Film Festival in Tampa. Oops, my mistake. My favorite bit is Gazzara talking about John Cassavetes. And by the way - seek out SAINT JACK -- You'll love it!
Hey Harry & The Kool Gang,
It’s been a while since my CineVegas reports last June and I have scoops from a new festival. I took some Bad Acid, missed that left turn at Albuquerque, and popped up in the Nazi Republican State of Naples, Florida. When I saw KILL BILL VOL.2, two armed police officers entered the theatre after everyone was seated to check IDs for those under 17. No kidding! George W. Bush came to town Friday for a $25,000 a plate fundraiser (also not joking). So I took refuge at the 1st annual World Cinema Naples film festival sponsored by the Marco Island Film Festival organization.
WOLFSBURG
This German film’s familiar story is made compelling by potent subtle acting and Christian Petzold’s taut direction. A car salesman hits a boy while driving and flees the scene. The movie follows the man’s guilt, the boy’s single mother’s grief, and the adults’ eventual meeting. Think of a paired down 21 GRAMS mixed with MONSTER’S BALL. Benno Fuermann as the salesman remarkably emotes with his eyes. Nina Hoss’ single mother is fragile numbness with erratic tearful breakdowns. I applaud Petzold’s understated shot compositions and correct choice of having only two music cues.
PAPER CLIPS
Charlie Barnett’s hideous music score stomps on every emotional moment and is so sickly sweet that sap practically drips from the speakers. If you can ignore that and Elliot Berlin & Joe Fab’s pedestrian direction, you’ll find a fairly moving documentary about a middle school in Tennessee building a Holocaust memorial. Letters and speeches from concentration camp survivors change teachers and students. Miramax owns it. Who knows if it sees the light of day.
BEDWIN HACKER
Long, plodding “thriller” from Tunisia is sometimes slick and sexy. A hacker breaks into a satellite and broadcasts French & Arabic messages that apparently address immigration rights. But I guess they’re more of a grudge match between two lesbian ex-lovers. It’s convoluted. Plot twists are seen miles away. Supporting characters exist only to look sexy. Directed by Nadia El Fani.
JOINT SECURITY AREA
Harry orgasms to Korean director Chan-wook Park. Based on my first experience I say he gives good cinematic head. This is a tragic tale of dividing military-political boundaries despite friendly best intentions. Bloody multiple murders on the North/South Korea border compounds lead to an investigation. Juggling timelines slice the mystery to touching unexpected truths. Pacing is a bit slack, but Park’s splendid direction wrings sadness. Seek it out.
I leave you with this reminder. Florida is a giant pussy ready to be fucked and Miami is the clitoris.
-Psychedelic
And now for Psychedelic's 2nd Report...
Hey Harry and Fearless Warriors,
Greetings from Naples, Florida—The Golf Course Capitol of the World. Too bad I don’t play. Hung and hallucinating, the parking lot’s tar tried sucking me into its bog. But I escaped and stumbled into another day of the 1st annual World Cinema Naples film festival sponsored by the Marco Island Film Festival organization.
11 Short Films
RENT-A-PERSON—Dir: Kurt Kuenne
Very funny musical tells about a bathroom attendant who rents himself to motorists so they can use carpool lanes. Opening number with men shitting and pissing in time while singing is a riot.
CHARITY—Dir: Douglass Spain
A tough, cynical obese woman with a heart of gold has a day from Hell. Black comedy ensues. Gets hearty laughs at first, but becomes repetitive and predictable. Allie Raye’s performance is good in title role.
CHICKEN PARTY—Dir: Tate Taylo
Misdemeanor convicts do road clean-up community service. Characters are stereotypes. Has some funny moments but soon wears thin. Allison Janney’s in it.
ANAND’S NO EXIT—Dir: Anand Alagappan
An unnecessary jump cut intro leads into a hysterical nightmare of calling a credit card company and getting trapped in automated menu loops. Needs tighter editing, otherwise a very good effort.
OPEN HOUSE—Dir: Adjsakdi Tantimedh
An expensive apartment is for sale under condition that a weird homeless guy must never leave it. Good skit idea dully executed and poorly acted.
THE BUG MAN—Dir: Mike Miley
Sentimental story of a bug exterminator who gets involved in his customers’ lives. Consequences are severe despite good intentions. Acting is good, solid production, but a predictable end.
SOLD—Dir: Michael W. Meyer
Disorganized nonsense about a 1930s salesman conned into selling pencils with CIA chips in them.
SPACE AVALIABLE—Dir: Kathilynn Philips-Springman
Terrific concept of a society that enforces population control by infanticide does not fully explore its provocative possibilities.
CINNAMON HILL—Dir: Tara Raquel Cates
White master rapes his woman slave in pre-Civil War era. Tries too hard being Dramatic & Significant. It’s conceited instead. Ma’at Zachary conveys pain well as slave.
CHARLIE CHARLIE—Dir: Shogo Nakagawa
A lonely, cute, artsy girl follows guys attempting to get the nerve to talk to them. Effective silent film hits emotional notes. It works all the better because she truly is attractive, but still can’t connect. Anyone alone on Saturday night can relate.
A WORK IN PROGRESS—Dir: Wes Ball
Mix of live action and impressive CGI animation is about a young girl drawing under a tree. Gradually more and more kids listen to her story of animals. The CGI animal characters are genuinely whimsical and visually endearing. Talented director Wes Ball could eventually be an animator at a place like Pixar.
One Feature Length Film
G-SALE—Dir: Randy Nargi
Mockumentary-style confused comedy concerns a town obsessed with garage sales. Consists mostly of talking heads babbling about boring junk and knick-knacks. Two or three chuckles, some life near end, but it’s really, really monotonous.
Ben Gazzara In-Person
Ben Gazzara discussed his career with audience Q&A following a screening of his shining performance in Peter Bogdanovich’s splendid SAINT JACK (1979). I asked two questions. The second was asked afterwards as Gazzara exited up the aisle.
1. Could you speak of the freedoms John Cassavetes would give you in his style of directing?
“The freedom to be free. (Jokingly said)
“Actually, a lot of people think that John improvised his films. He didn’t at all actually though; they were scripted. We rehearsed three to four weeks before we shot. In those three to four weeks we were rehearsing we got to know each other so well, got to know the material so well, and felt so free with each other…And we were free—to take off. You know. If we felt it we took off. If it was good he kept it. If it wasn’t good, then it wasn’t there. But you could do no wrong, that’s what I mean. You felt you could do no wrong. Therefore, you were liberated.
“Also, we shot an awful lot of film. Even though he was financing a lot of the pictures himself, he wasn’t afraid to shoot film. Yeah. And a lot of it, a lot of it. So you got a lot of chances.”
2. Very important question. Do you have any tips for wooing Christina Ricci?
Gazzara laughed and patted me on the shoulder.
That’s all for now. I leave you with this reminder. Florida spreads its legs for all three holes to be filled. Miami is the clitoris.
-Psychedelic
