It Might Get Loud

Director: Davis Guggenheim
(2008)

It Might Get Loud focuses on the careers and stylings of Jack White, The Edge, and Jimmy Page. The film is mildly entertaining, but only to the nerdiest of rock fans. It has the feel of a well-produced VH1 special.



The best part of the film is at the end, when the trio is jamming to "The Weight" by The Band. The Edge says, "Oh, I've been playing the wrong chord the whole time. It's not E minor. It's B minor." To which Jimmy Page replies, "Is it? Oh shit." Other than that splash of realism, it's an awkward affair.

Trivial Tidbits:

• It Might Get Loud premiered at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival

Visionaries

Director: Chuck Workman
(2010)

The neglected genre of experimental film has been acknowledged in Visionaries, a documentary that recently saw its debut at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. This retrospective, directed by Oscar winning director Chuck Workman, showcases many of the icons of the movement and features over 100 clips of influential films.

Workman, who has made a career out of creating the montages seen during the Academy Awards, brings the mystifying genre to life by weaving together film excerpts and interviews with various filmmakers, including; Kenneth Anger (donning a NY Rangers jersey); Hollywood patriarch Robert Downey Sr. (a clip from Pound, featuring a 5-year-old Robert Jr., was a crowd pleasing moment); Austrian filmmaker Peter Kubelka; prominent critic Amy Taubin; Ken Jacobs (who started the experimentally-focused Cinema department at then Harpur College (now Binghamton University) in 1969); avant-garde cinema historian P. Adams Sitney; surrealist Palme d’Or winner David Lynch (briefly); and American filmmaker Su Friedrich (who was in attendance for the Q&A following the screening). Brilliant vintage interviews of the late, great Stan Brakhage, Andy Warhol, and Norman Mailer were some of the most compelling moments in the film.



Following the screening, Workman talked about how grateful he was that the featured filmmakers gave him permission to use clips of their films, despite the fact that they would be taken out of their context. Workman did a great job of delving into some of the techniques and motivations of the filmmakers, which all shared a common anti-Hollywood sentiment and style.

"The godfather of American avant-garde cinema," Jonas Mekas, was highlighted in the second half of the film. His work in founding the New York-based Anthology Film Archives has been indispensable in the conservation of experimental films. Preservation is a concern within this art form, particularly considering how unprofitable experimental films tend to be. However, while the early portion of the film was a balanced retrospective, this final portion feels like a standalone short film dedicated to Mekas. This may have been better suited as a much shorter epilogue at the end of the film rather than the focus of the last chunky chapter, which only ended up throwing the film off balance.

While the content of Visionaries was incredibly inspirational, the documentary itself was flawed. Workman frequently employed a scrolling text across the top of the screen that fought for the audience’s attention. A voice-over would’ve been more appropriate, rather than forcing the audience to decide between watching Meshes of the Afternoon and reading a racing Maya Deren quote.

Su Friedrich, Chuck Workman, and Jon Gartenberg speaking after the screening

In the end, the content of Visionaries is inspiring. Workman should be praised for introducing this widely unknown movement to a wider audience. However, the construction of the film itself leaves something to be desired. Visionaries may be likened to a mundane book on the Dadaist Art Movement – after skimming the book, praise would be given to the artists, not the editors or even the book itself.

Trivial Tidbits:

• Avant-garde icon Stan Brakhage was professor to Matt Stone and Trey Parker (of South Park fame) during his tenure at the University of Colorado
• Andy Warhol's Sleep (1963) is a film which consists of a long take of his close friend sleeping for over 5 hours

Wildlife Docs May Violate Animal Privacy

British news outlet The Guardian recently pointed to a study that argues wildlife documentaries may infringe on animals' right to privacy. The author of the study, Brett Mills, is a lecturer in film studies at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. He notes, "we can never really know if animals are giving consent, but they do often engage in forms of behavior which suggest they'd rather not encounter humans." His rationing seems flawed. Those animals that avoid human contact probably just have good survival instincts.

That being said, there is a worthy issue here. Filmmakers need to develop minimally invasive methods such as the use of hidden and minute cameras not only in order to protect the privacy of creatures, but also to ensure an accurate representation of what happens behind closed cave doors. Accuracy is vital because the footage can be used as research that may be used to help the animals in the future. But in the end, there are more pressing issues to take up - if anything, Mills should be fighting against those animal prisons that attract human gawkers throughout the world.

Trivial Tidbits:

• According to Box Office Mojo, March of the Penguins is the highest grossing wildlife doc, grossing a total of $77,437,223 after an opening weekend of $137,492 in 4 theaters
  

Nerdcore Rising

Director: Negin Farsad, Kim Gatewood (co-director)
(2008)

A chronicling of nerdcore hip hop artist MC Frontalot's 2006 national tour. No true nerd will be disappointed with this film, from the Magic: The Gathering tutorial to the incessant Chewbacca's Wookieespeak. MC Frontalot's entourage is gloriously awkward at times, but this is just an instinctive reaction by nerds when a camera is pointed at them.

Nerdcore Rising is part of a cultural shift in which the formerly disparaging term “nerd” is embraced by the individuals in this subculture. Despite this adaptation, nerds are still seen as outsiders in certain circles. This is evident as MC Frontalot strives to gain respect in the greater hip hop genre (along with more pressing goals, like earning a living via this art form).

The film features insightful interviews with unnerdy hip hop producer Prince Paul, 90s nerd “Weird Al” Yankovic, comical nerd Brian Posehn, fellow nerdcorer mc chris, Penny Arcade entrepreneurial nerds Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, and even a brief interview with the great (punk nerd?) Jello Biafra.

The tour provides an excellent framework for the film. Their early performances are somewhat shaky and often in front of scant audiences, including a performance in Georgia in front of a downright befuddled crowd. The tour culminates with a performance with Minibosses in front of a massive audience at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, ending the film with an encouraging sentiment.

official film site

Trivial Tidbits:

• The titular genre was coined by MC Frontalot in 2000 in the song "Nerdcore Hiphop"
• Nerdcore for Life is another documentary on the subject of nerdcore hip hop, also released in 2008

Lost In La Mancha

Directors: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe
(2002)

This is the comically tragic tale of Terry Gilliam's failed attempt to adapt of the legend of Don Quixote to the silver screen. The failed production, titled The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, was completely financed by Europe and was to star French actor Jean Rochefort in the titular role with Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp. However, the project was marred by a barrage of absurd and unpredictable setbacks from the beginning.

Fulton and Pepe were granted seemingly unlimited access behind the scenes in what would’ve probably ended up being a “making of” special feature on the DVD release of the film. They captured each of the unthinkable hurdles Gilliam faced, including screaming F16 flybys and an epic flash flood in the middle of the desert. In the end, they proved their resourcefulness in salvaging their footage and crafting this entertaining doc which has been dubbed the first “unmaking of” in history.

Mr. Gilliam having a rough day on set

My time working in film production helped me to appreciate the gravity of each setback. A friend of mine once calculated that the production company we were working for spent roughly $7 per second when we were shooting. By that calculation, something as seemingly trivial as an uncooperative horse could be costing the production literally thousands of dollars.

The doc itself can be seen as a Cervantian tale, with parallels made between the ebullient dreamer Gilliam and the delusional Quixote. Towards the end it seems clear that the crew knows the project has no chance of succeeding, yet Gilliam prods on. It’s almost painful to watch the filmmakers continue to toil on the project, particularly when the audience knows that the project is ultimately doomed. Nobody wants to be the one to tell the protagonist that his endeavor is derelict (that is, until the insurers adjusters come in).

official film site

Trivial Tidbits:

• Don Quixote is a novel written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes published in two parts in 1605 and 1615
• Gilliam has rebooted production, with Robert Duval slated to act as Don Quixote

Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival is nearly upon us. It runs from April 21 - May 2 in New York. There are 40 documentaries being screened at this year's fest. Here are a few that caught my eye;

• Feathered Cocaine about falcon smuggling in the Persian Gulf
• New American Soldier is the tale of three immigrants who enroll in the army in hopes of achieving UC citizenship. (Short Documentary)

RUSH

• RUSH: Beyond the Lighted Stage: the greatest band to come out of Canada...ever
• Straight Outta L.A., Ice Cube's film focuses on the Raiders move to LA in 1982
• Untitled Eliot Spitzer Film
• Visionaries takes a look at avant-garde cinema (it features Kenneth Anger and Ken Jacobs) and is sure to be a treat on the big screen

Currently solely "premium pass" and package deals are available. On April 13th, you can purchase tickets exclusively with an American Express card. Then on April 18 those residents who live downtown (address below Canal Street) can purchase tickets. Finally, on April 19, tickets go on sale to the rest of us.

Trivial Tidbits:

• The festival was founded by Jane Rosenthal, Craig Hatkoff, and Robert De Niro in 2002 in an effort to revitalize the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan after 9/11
• Racing Dreams won Best Doc Feature in 2009

Food, Inc.

Director: Robert Kenner

(2009)

What may be a more terrifying movie than the darkest of horror films is the documentary Food, Inc. - a portrait of the system of food production in America that has been shrouded in mystery. We have somehow become incredibly distant and unaware of something as imperative as the food we eat. Kenner did a great job bringing this dark issue to light without alienating his audience.

It’s unsettling to know how much has changed in the food production industry in the past 30 years alone. Today, we’re consuming corn that has been genetically modified and we’re eating meat from cloned animals. It's unclear what kind of long-term effect this will have on our health. If food producers continue to modify the way we have eaten for millennia, eventually we may not be able to turn back to the way things used to be. Massive conglomerates are controlling much of production, and they are manufacturing food in facilities that resemble factories more than farms. The conditions are inhumane for both the animals and workers. The fact that these companies refused the chance to appear on camera to stand up for themselves is a sure-sign that the film should be watched.

These massive corporations are not going to decide to change overnight. Change needs to happen on the federal level. While it may seem impossible to bring change to such a powerhouse of an industry, Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, points to the battle against tobacco as a model of how change can be accomplished.

If you follow the food chain back from those shrink wrapped packages of meat, you find a very different reality. The reality is a factory. It's not a farm - it's a factory. That meat is being processed by huge, multi-national corporations that have very little to do with ranches and farmers.

The one thing that everyone in this world has in common is that they have to eat, and this film challenges the eating habits of virtually all Americans. The fact that I was so apprehensive to watch this film is a testament to how powerful a message it holds. Before I watched it, I knew that it would have an effect on me. I thought it was a lose-lose situation; it was either going to push me to spend more money on organic meats or just make me feel terribly guilty every time I purchased a pound of ground beef at the Food Emporium. In the end, it left me inspired enough to get involved and it made me really eager for the fresh, independently-produced goods from the farmers’ market this summer.



official film site

Trivial Tidbits:

• McDonald’s is the nation's largest purchaser of beef, pork, potatoes, and apples
• 30% of the land in the US is used for planting corn
• Every day, 32,000 hog are killed in Smithfield Hog Processing Plant in Tar Heel, N.C (the largest slaughterhouse in the world)