At Slamdance Nathan Rupp and I will be interviewing the band The Insaints and the filmmaker Lilly Scourtis of the film The Last Fast Ride: The Life, Love and Death of a Punk Goddess Friday night during soundcheck. The film is about Marian Anderson who was one of the Bay Area’s most provocative and contorversial lead singers of the 90’s punk rock scene.  She was a fetish model and dominatrix that became known for live sex acts during performances.  These controversial sex acts usually involved women and bananas.   You guys should really check out this film.  

My ten day stay in Park City was an experience I won’t soon forget. Though I have no other winter terms to compare it to - yes, God help me I’m a freshman - it was the perfect blend of an exciting and relaxing trip. I dedicated myself to doing nothing but movie hopping, and the result was a (to me) staggering 25 films viewed during the trip. Thinking them all over there were definite front runners. Movies that resounded to me as a viewer for their original plot lines, jokes, filmmaking and informative q and a. For my own amusement, I tried to rate my 25 films from favorite to least, for there were also some movies that completely missed the mark! (more…)

Ashley Judd as HELEN

 
Ashley Judd performs brilliantly in the extremely dramatic and touching film, HELEN. Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, Helen examines a woman who seemingly has the “perfect life” (a successful teacher, married, has a beautiful daughter) but is actually struggling with serious mental illness that is deteriorating her mentally  as well as physically. We watch Helen being eaten away from inside out by her bipolar disorder and depression. We also witness the powerful and inspiring bond that arises between her and another woman through their struggles. The breakdown Helen undergoes is extraordinarily realistic as well as heart wrenching.

Talk about, depressing, dark and emotion driven, this film is not for the faint of heart. The cinematography compliments the story to a T. The muted and monochrome like colors juxtaposed with Helen’s descent into mental illness are genius. 

What I really liked about this film was that it was not your cliche film what with predictability and a happy ending. I loved the elusiveness that existed within the story and how there was not always easy answers or any answers at all, and things didn’t always work themselves out. I also loved the message of never giving up no matter how hard it is and even when you want to give up more than anything. I am  a big believer in the saying, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,” and this message definitely emanates from the film. (more…)

I am not a morning person. Any movie I have to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn for (excuse my lewd expression but 7:15 am deserves to be degraded) is not worth seeing. I don’t have a good track record with mornings; by the end of my senior year of high school I had 18 tardy detentions because I came to class fifteen minutes late without fail. I slept through fifteen dollars and what looked like a badass movie the day before, so Lulu and Jimi wasn’t in my good graces when I woke up after a 2:30am bedtime. Oh, Lulu and Jimi… from the first scene I was awake and damn glad to be, a true testament to what, by the end, proved to be a lifetime favorite movie for yours truly.

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