SXSW: The Roost

We sat and watched The Roost - a movie that was a really appropriate choice - a 1950's style B-movie about bats - you couldn't have a movie more suited for the timeslot/location if you tried. While horror movies are not my thing, I really admire what they did. They made a cheap, cheap, cheap movie on 16mm based on what he loved. That's what we're all trying to do. That said, I didn't particularly care for it. I'm not a horror movie guy, particularly the B-movie sort of horror movie, The movie starts slow, characters who I didn't care about are talking about characters that you don't know... takes a bit too much time. Then the bats attack and turn people into zombies. Creative. The movie is bookended by an old TV show hosted by Tom Noonan, and I have to say, those segments are really, really great. Really enjoyed that. Plus it didn't have the typical horror movie ending so I really have to give the accolades. The movie still isn't my thing, but people who like that sort of thing, will love it.
5:03:58 AM    comment []  trackback []

SXSW: Murderball

...The movie starts slow. Really slow. I even began wondering why the movie was receiving such across the board praise. However, I stuck with it and was vastly rewarded. Murderball is, basically, the sport of Wheelchair Rugby as played by Quadriplegics. The term "Quadriplegic" I had always thought meant a complete non-use of all four limbs - but no so. It simply means a restriction in all four limbs. So some are not able to grip with their hands, some have no hands, etc. There's a wide array of degrees of ability. The movie follows a few people as they become involved in the sport, the expert, the ex-champion (who is cut from the team and goes to coach the Canadian team) and the learner (recently injured man who goes through a depression until he learns of Murderball). The documentary intertwines their stories as the US vs. Canada rivalry heats up (guaranteed to be a boon to the movie in both countries). I hate the cliche, but I felt really felt inspired on what these guys could do, they were given one of the worst turn of events possible and they made the best of it. Murderball is an absolutely incredible documentary and I recommend it highly - this one is going to be big.
5:02:56 AM    comment []  trackback []

SXSW: Reel Paradise

...The movie itself was a great documentary, the Pierson's were real, and showed all the problems that an American family has, even when they're in Fiji. The movie was beautifully shot (although with some of the Fijian landscapes, in some places it'd be much more difficult to get an ugly shot instead of a great one). I don't know that it's the most humanitarian of films, in that while the Piersons are trying to cope with various issues, the movie just ends up being funny. John gets pissed and yells at a man, it comes across as being incredibly funny. The rest of the audience agreed. John's son Wyatt steals the show, as he acts as a backseat programmer, proclaiming that nobody will want to see boring Independent movies. Despite Wyatt's shunning of the smaller movies, the movie shows a family that has grown up with movies that has had a life in movies, and most importantly a love of movies. It's pretty fun.
5:00:47 AM    comment []  trackback []