Artyvac 7 files a review of WONDERLAND from the great Northwest.Its an origin of the suburbs flick with some interesting twists.
Long time listener, first time caller. Wanted to share about a movie I saw tonight up here in Portland called "Wonderland" (not to be confused with "Next Stop Wonderland", with which it has nothing in common whatsoever). Technically it's in release but I imagine, being a documentary, it'll creep across the country with little to no publicity for the next several months, so I figured you might want to spread the word.
"Wonderland" is nominally about Levittown, the world's first planned suburb. I say nominally because while the movie starts by talking about the plans for the town (people with the same last name were put on the same street and so on) the bulk of the movie is really a profile on its residents. And (unsurprisingly) its residents are a weird bunch. If you've seen Errol Morris's old movie Vernon, Florida, and add a bit of archival footage, you pretty much have the approach of the movie. There is no narrator's voice (apart from occasional on-screen titles, like the prologue that starts the movie), just the voices of the town residents.
Anyway, people who enjoy movies that put normal human behavior under the microscope (whether it be in documentaries like Errol Morris's and Terry Zwigoff's [I thought of Crumb a lot while I watched this - very similar in mood] or movies like Fargo, Happiness, and Safe) ought to take a shine to this. While it's definitely snide at points it's a lot more restrained and respectful than one might expect about a movie on suburbia, and there are a couple unforgettable moments and images (a flag burning ceremony, a bartender singing the Star-Spangled Banner while trying to prevent a customer from joining in, and an old man and his bird stick most in my mind). Plus you'll get a kick out of discovering some of the "famous" children of Levittown (such as Eddie Money, who comes home to do a concert and sings "Two Tickets To Paradise" like he never wants to hear the song again). Many more amusing surprises await, so if "Wonderland" comes around to yr neck of the woods, definitely go see it.
Artyvac-7
PS Also, I should note that the Portland International Film Festival is coming soon (check out www.nwfilm.org for details).
