Another year and another great festival wraps up deep in the heart of Texas. As the curtains draw to a close on the Paramount and the music fades, Friday marked the end of another great festival at South by Southwest. With over a hundred films screened, this year’s festival has introduced a plethora of great …
Milo Directed by Jacob Vaughan Written by Benjamin Hayes, Jacob Vaughan People usually know what they are getting into when they enter certain movies at SXSW. There are the big headliners ; there are the obscure international films; there are the intimate indie flicks and mumblecore movies; then there are the kind of films like …
The Act of Killing Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn Denmark/Norway/UK, 2013 The documentary film opens with a pertinent and incredibly insightful quote by Voltaire followed by a surreal dance sequence of killers in drag set against a waterfall. After 1965 where the military overtook the Indonesian government, a martial rule was in place …
Short Term 12 Directed by Destin Cretton Written by Destin Cretton US, 2013 Trauma and abuse in a child’s formative years undoubtedly create ripple effects throughout their adult lives. Everyone talks about making choices, but what happens to those kids who are unfortunate enough to grow up in an environment where that choices are not …
Zero Charisma Directed by Katie Graham, Andrew Matthews Written by Andrew Matthews US, 2013 There is no question that the once derivative term “geek” has become a widely accepted and sometimes lauded term. To be a geek in 2013 means something entirely different than it did twenty, even ten, years ago. The wide access of …
Burma Directed by Carlos Puga Written by Carlos Puga Every family has their own issues, tendencies, and dysfunctions, but that familial bond transcends any sort of disagreement. However, what happens when familial bonds are tested against each other? When trust is betrayed, when parents abandon their children, what is the end result? Carlos Puga’s Burma …
Snap Directed by Youssef Delara, Victor Teran Written by Victor Teran Snap is a psychological thriller that plays like a dubstep song on celluloid. It’s loud, abrasive, with hard cuts, and loud imagery. The film follows Jim Whitman (Jake Hoffman), a musically talented schizophrenic as he traverses an introverted life, trying to keep a darkness …
Swim Little Fish Swim Directed by Ruben Amar, Lola Bessis Written by Ruben Amar, Lola Bessis, Brian Paccione (script consultant) US/France, 2013 There have been many meditations on the relationship between people and the creation of art. Swim Little Fish Swim takes a stab at this, examining how some people use art to connect to …
Sake-Bomb Directed by Junya Sakino Written by Jeff Mizushima (screenplay) US/Japan, 2013 Sake-Bomb follows the odd couple pairing of Sebastian (Eugene Kim), an aimless and sardonic Asian-American, and his inexperienced Japanese cousin Naoto (Gaku Hamada) as they search California for the latter’s ex flame. Before Naoto inherits his own sake company, he sets off to …
Don Jon Directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt Written by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (screenplay) US, 2013 Gender roles can be a land mine of a topic. The subject matter is riddled with opinions that no one can agree on. It is a topic that perforates and polarizes. However, most can agree that objectification plays a large role in …
La Cinquième Saison (The Fifth Season) Directed by Peter Brosens, Jessica Woodworth Written by Peter Brosens, Jessica Woodworth France, 2012 Time is wholly a human construct. While other organisms simply accept the effect of moving time, humans feel the need to perceive and measure its passing. The seasons are an extension of human need to …
Spring Breakers Directed by Harmony Korine Written by Harmony Korine (screenplay) US, 2012 Spring Breakers, by strict definition, is not a very good film, but that does not mean that is a bad one either. The structure of the story is loose, looping and barely there; the characters lack much substantial development; however, for all …
Prince Avalanche Directed by David Gordon Green Written by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson (original story), David Gordon Green (adapted screenplay) US, 2013 The inception of this film does not so much start with a story but a location. Filmed in the ash ridden Bastrop, TX after the late 2011 fires that devastated thousands of homes, Prince …
Luke is in a serious, committed relationship with the mild mannered Jane (Anna Kendrick), while Kate is in a relationship with straight laced music producer Chris (Ron Livingston).
Evil Dead Directed by Fede Alvarez Written by Fede Alvarez (screenplay), Diablo Cody (screenplay), Sam Raimi (1987 screenplay), Rodo Sayagues Mendez (screenplay) US, 2013 It was no secret that when news of an Evil Dead remake was in works, the intitial, “Why?” was then followed by outcries from beloved fans of the original 1981 cult …
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Directed by Don Scardino Written by Chad Klutgen (Story), Tyler Mitchell (Story), Jonathan Goldstein (Screenplay), John Francis Daley (Screenplay) US, 2013 The film opens with the prototypical childhood scene. A young boy, bullied and an outcast, finds solace in his home magic kit. Flash forward thirty some odd years, and the …
For a long time prior to the advent of DVDs and Blu-Rays, videocassettes were the storage medium of choice for movies, tv shows, and other assorted things. The invention of the videocassette was revolutionary, as it allowed people to, for the first time, watch things on their schedule, rather than the network’s, and gave the …
We are just about to kick off our Sundance coverage, and we already have another film festival to focus on. SXSW has gone ahead and announced a few great titles from its upcoming lineup. The WB/New Line comedy Incredible Burt Wonderstone has been announced as the opening film. The film stars Steve Carrell, Jim Carrey, …