Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 12

The penultimate day! And I was legitimately hurting by then. But sometimes you have to play through the pain. So here was the last Saturday at Cinequest:

I started with...well, let's be honest, I started with drinks in the lounge at 10 am, like every day. But after enough of that, I went to the movies.

The first show started with the short INTO THE PLAINS, starring Maggie Alexander, a returning Cinequester whose previous film ENTHUSIASTIC SINNERS...I slept through. Look, my blog has some integrity, if not intelligence. Anyway, this time I more or less stayed awake (by the end of the festival, I don't really know what I'm watching vs. what I'm dreaming,) and it's a very good and gripping story of a woman who is avoiding her husband, "working late," and not facing their shared trauma of losing a child. Instead, she just takes off.

That was paired with the feature, RITOMA, a fascinating and inspiring documentary about the worldwide reach of basketball. Worldwide, as in...all the way to nomadic tribes in Tibet. Even more amazingly, it made it all the way to MIT (okay, I can kid because my alma mater literally had a documentary made about how much they suck at basketball.) Anyway, Tibetan nomads learn basketball from NBA broadcasts in their free time. They've got a little skill, a lot of enthusiasm, and zero sense for the strategy of the game. Bill Johnson was an assistant coach for MIT, and he learned about the basketballing nomads, so he comes up with a wacky plan. He travels to Tibet, teaches a team, and sets up a tournament with 8 local teams (and some visiting Americans.) And they have a blast. It's clear from the beginning, although there is a "hero" team, it really doesn't matter who wins. This is all about the fun they're having. International sports diplomacy on the smallest scale possible.

Blah blah blah, more drinks in the lounge. Ya know, I think I blame "Hambone."

Then back to the movies for a German crime thriller, CUT OFF. It's a satisfyingly gruesome story of a forensic pathologist who discovers a capsule inside a victim's skull. Inside is a note that leads to the realization that his 13 year old daughter has been kidnapped and threatened. This leads him on a wild chase with the help of his bumbling intern, with more notes hidden inside more victims, and a roundabout plot involving the an old case where he couldn't provide enough evidence to put a murderer away for long enough. Like most overly elaborate thrillers, the plot steps way outside the bounds of credulity, but ignore that and it's a lot of fun, and is twisty enough that I couldn't quite see the ending coming.

Next up was Shorts Program 4 - Animated Worlds. Hooray for cartoons!
THE BACKWARD ASTRONOMER: The decadent but empty romance of the wealthy, until a young man learns to be a backward astronomer and look down on the world from the moon.
FREAKS OF NURTURE: A young woman learns that her mom is amazing, in a cool stop-motion short.
FUN MORE: Super short, overlapping tasks and crude line drawings.
GUAXAMA: Memories of children on the beach, literally drawn in the sand.
I'M OKAY: Expressionist artist Oskar Kokoschka in WWI. Animated in a very playful style.
INANIMATE: A puppet has a sort of mental breakdown and starts questioning reality. Expect the unexpected.
MR. DEER: Animals on the subway. Being animals, just like people do.
NOT YET: A Hungarian film about a child searching for his mother. TBH, I don't remember much about this one.
ON THE DAY YOU WERE BORN: With simple line drawings, a man starts growing on his 45th birthday. Soon he can't fit his house, or his clothes, and then there's just a naked giant walking through town with his dong hanging out. Very funny.
PRIZEFIGHTER: Heavyweight champion Jack Johnson beat the whole world. But he was still subject to racism.
RANDOM THOUGHTS: Man Hurts Hotdog. Other anagrams. The story of an animator submitting to a film festival. Possibly based on Cinequest. From Steven Vander Meer, of SALMON DEADLY SINS (Cinequest 2014).
SELFIES: Made from selfies, about selfies.
SOLILOQUIES: A teen with anxieties, based on the life of filmmaker Julia Song.
TRUMP BITES: Bill Plympton animates actual Trump quotes, in his inimitable way.
TWO OF EVERY KIND: A couple of peacock queens make snarky comments about the others on the ark.

Then more shorts, Shorts Program 3 - Sci-Fi,  Fantasy, and Horror. Hooray for the far-out films (but not quite Mindbenders)
8:27: Earlier in the fest I saw THE LAST SUNRISE, which was a long form Chinese story about what happens if the sun goes out. This is a German take, and a more humorous take, on the same premise. Based on the time it takes light to travel from the sun to the Earth.
BOOK OF THE DEAD: A gorgeous CGI dream/nightmare about the process of dying...and returning.

I just really, really, really like this image

DAZZLE BEAST: A dirty underworld, and a young girl with a little magic.
THE GIVE AND TAKE: A funny story of an old eighties video game, a helpline that shouldn't really work anymore, and a cosmic glitch that allows it to work, and change the life of the guy answering the line.
HENRIETTA BULKOWSKI: Stop motion animation of a hunchback woman who wanted to fly, but could never look up. So she spent her life building a plane, only to find a bigger surprise.
JUMPY: An 8 bit videogame character has a lot of determination. He just needs to make that one big jump, but he keeps missing and getting increasingly frustrated.
LIFE ON MARS: A dying father convinces his little son that they'll meet again--on Mars.
NADINE: Superpowers and overcoming hate.
NEGROLAND: A poor black town, if the residents there were zombies. Or at least, if they were quarantined and mistreated like zombies. Actually, maybe it's a documentary about Flint, Michigan.
SHOULD YOU MEET A LADY IN A DARKENED WOOD: A nicely creepy animated piece about a taxidermist and his final prize. But the lady turns on him.
SINGULARITY: A brief consideration of super-intelligent artificial life.
TERMINALLY IN LOVE: Lovers, memories, fantasies, and dreams.
THE MISSING TRAIT: Inspired by the art of Magritte, a man...and his hat, are looking for the thing that is missing. Maybe an apple? Very cool.

And finally, I ended the night with BLOOD PARADISE, a very Swedish film featuring some gratuitous violence and the most gratuitous nudity of all of Cinequest. This wins the Skinequest prize this year. Robin Richards is a best-selling sleazy crime author, but she's in a bit of a rut. Her last book kinda flopped, and she has no inspiration for her next. So her publisher has an idea--send her to a Countryside Farm rustic resort for a little peace and quiet and hopefully some inspiration. But it's all just a little off, starting with the creepy driver Hans who claims to be her biggest fan and insists she calls him "Hans, Bubbi." Hans' wife is jealous and thinks they're having an affair. The farmer is a weirdo with a secret, his sister never speaks, his son is a gun nut. And it's all hilarious and sleazy, in a perfectly Swedish way, if that makes sense. At least, it has a Swedish sense of dry absurdity. I'm not sure if there's a stereotype of Swedish sleaze, but for now, for me, this is it.

And that was the end of Saturday. At least for the movies. There was still the matter of heading back to my hotel to drink with friends and filmmakers into the wee hours of the morning. First in the bar lounge so as not to disturb the sleeping guests. Then after they kicked us out at 2 am up to the room.

Total Running Time: 517 minutes
My Total Minutes: 502,297

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 11

It's all over but the writing now. For brevity's and sanity's sake, I'm skipping over most of the drinking and just writing about the movies now. Here's what went down on the last Friday of Cinequest:

It started the day with Shorts Program 1 - Inbound Visions. More than any other, the shorts program where you should expect the unexpected.
THE 17: The true story of a truly unjust law in El Salvador. It's bad enough to criminalize abortion, but classifying miscarriage as abortion and jailing women who experience it? That's beyond bad.
CHICKENS: Racist cops try to cover up a murder. The chickens come home to roost.
HAYLEY: A flight attendant might be paranoid, or she might actually be saving a little girl from trafficking.
LAMB: Led to the slaughter, like women in Hollywood to powerful predators.
NOCTURNE: A retirement home, a guest, and pie. Surprise.
NOTRE MORT: What do you do if you find your own dead body in the wilderness?
NURSERY RHYMES: For the life of me, I don't remember what actually happened in this one. But this image is pretty striking, isn't it?

THE REVOLUTIONARIES: From returning Cinequester Jadrien Steele (VICTORIANA), a story based on bombings by American radicals in 1970, in hopes of sparking a revolution. After an accident, one woman wants out, and suspicion, reprisal, and manipulation is the result.
THE WIND PHONE: In Otsuchi, Japan, there is a phone booth with a long line of people waiting to make a call. Their calls are ones of loneliness, missing their loved ones, maybe even regret. This phone isn't connected to anything.
WOMAN IN STALL: A woman goes into the bathroom, into a stall, and starts doing what she came there to do. A man knocks on the door. Did she run into the wrong bathroom, or is he a creep?

Next up was Shorts Program 6 - DocuNation. Hooray for real-life stories!
49 MILE SCENIC DRIVE: A brief history of San Francisco's famous scenic drive, the choice of the artist to design the signs, and the controversy when the design was recently changed.
BONES: Some artists just feel their art in their bones. And one uses that to make bones out of marble.
DOUBLE EXPOSED: A woman reflects on the home movies of her grandfather. Over footage of the one movie-making mistake he ever made (see the title) she reveals a much worse transgression of his.
I AM THINKING OF PIERRE CARDIN: A clever and colorful homage to the style of the great designer.
LION IN A BOX: A short, mostly animated account of a proud veteran's experiences with sexual assault, starting in boot camp when her drill instructor offers to make things either "very easy" or "very hard" for her.
NAZI VR: A fascinating look at the latest (possibly last ever) Nazi war crimes trial, which used a VR reconstruction of the camp to prove that the guard on trial couldn't have missed what was going on around him.
PROJECT CHICK: A look at artist Kim El from Pittsburgh. A poetic look at her life and work.
SHADES: Caring way too much about emojis.
SHOUT AT ME!: The training of a luchadora, and how she uses wrestling to combat violence and judgment against women.
THE SPRING THEY DIDN'T SEE: Shocking and depressing visual account of a Kurdish genocide, including the use of chemical weapons.
SUPER 80: An 80th Birthday party shot on Super 8. And how the love of his wife keeps him feeling super.
SWAN: A ballet performance. And it's beautiful.
THE SWIMMER: Swimming. And the thoughts that go through your head on a long-distance swim.

Next up was RED LETTER DAY, a hilarious, cynical, and gruesome horror flick from Canada. It takes a ridiculous premise, leaps far outside the realms of the believable, and completely fucking delivers. The day starts more or less normally in an affluent suburban town of Aspen Ridge. That is, until people check their mail. Seems like everyone has gotten a mysterious red envelope. Inside are instructions--you've been paired with someone in town, based on your social media presence you are the most antagonistic towards each other. Well, now it's time to kill them before they kill you. And let the mayhem begin! Of course, most people would refuse to kill. But the fear is there, and fear makes you irrational. The action follows one family around as they...kinda...try not to kill anyone, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to survive. I heard a lot of people grumbling about this one on the way out, but if you read the synopsis in the guide and were expecting something else, I think that's your mistake. This completely delivers on its outlandish premise, and has a lot of fun along the way.

What wouldn't you do to protect your family?

Then it was time for THE BLACKOUT. No that's not a description of my mental state at this point of the festival. Rather, it was the first episode of a new Russian television mini-series. Or maybe the first half of a two-part made-for TV movie? We were a little unclear on the concept, but in any case we only saw the first half. Which opened with an exciting premise--it's the near-ish future, and for some unknown reason communications between most towns on earth have been severed. Most of the world has gone black, except for a small area in Eastern Europe. We meet the main cast, the visuals are like a snazzier and more militarized take on BLADE RUNNER, and we almost get to find out what's going on. Seriously, that's the cliffhanger of the first episode. Whatever is in the woods outside town is about to come out and attack, and then credits roll. Apparently it'll be on Russian TV in the fall, and coming in some form to the U.S. in November.

The good news is because the slot was planned for two parts, we had a lot of time between this and the next film, which I spent going to the Maverick Meetup at Mosaic and having exactly one beer, then deciding what I really wanted was a burrito. So I stopped at Taco Mania (hey, it was closer than La Vic and just about as good, although it's true that nothing beats the orange sauce)

Then it was back to the Hammer for EVERY TIME I DIE, a clever and entertaining thriller. Sam is a paramedic, he has friends, but his life isn't great. He has blackouts, and visions of him accidentally killing his little sister Sara when they were little. He's also got a best friend, Jay, who invites him to a weekend at a lake house. Jay's wife Poppy has a sister Mia, and neither Jay nor Poppy know that Sam is already having an affair with Mia, and for that matter neither does Mia's husband, Tyler. Okay, confused yet, because it's easier to follow in the movie than in my terrible writing. Anyway, Mia wants to break it off, Tyler finds out about it, and when Sam tries to leave, Tyler runs him off the road, chases him down to the lake, and murders him. End of story? Not really, because Tyler's consciousness just floats into another body. Specifically, Jay's. That's the supernatural premise, and it's very well done. Sam, inhabiting other bodies, tries to both get back with Mia and reveal Tyler's crime, but isn't believed because, of course, he's in a body that's obviously not Sam's. It's a clever premise, and makes for an entertaining ride that's a spin on the "ghost possession" genre from the ghost's point of view. Really cool, and also a bit philosophical about the nature of identity.

And finally, the midnight movie, starting with the short COME CORRECT. You gotta know what to wear, and what to order, if you want to hang out in the swankiest bar in town. And if you get it wrong, you can either leave, or challenge the bartender to a shake-off. All you need are skills...and a man with an epic beard to be the judge.

And that was the lead-in to the feature, TERROR NULLIUS, a movie edited together from the history of Australian (and if I'm not mistaken, a little New Zealand) cinema, as well as the history of Australia itself. The title is a play on the concept of Terra Nullius, which was used as a legal excuse for invaders to steal aboriginal land. So classics like MAD MAX; PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK; PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT; ROMPER STOMPER; THE BABADOOK (which in this movie turns you gay) etc. as well as more obscure fare are edited together in a sort of story about feminism, gay rights, aboriginal land rights, and more. The stereotypical (and cinematic) outlaw Aussie persona is turned around to one who is finally standing up for the aborigines and against colonialism. Or maybe not, it's such a head-spinning ride and it was so late at night all I really know is I fucking loved it.

Wait a minute... one of those characters wasn't in the original ROAD WARRIOR

Total Running Time: 512 Minutes
My Total Minutes: 501,780

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 10

Five films last Thursday, as we're finally coming down the home stretch

First up, after a few drinks in the lounge, was a Georgian film, HORIZON. Giorgi is a young man who is somewhat starting his life over. He has officially separated from his wife Ana, and he has a sense of freedom and opportunities open to him for the first time in years. Basically, his whole life is on the horizon (at least, I assume that's the point of the title.) So he moves out to the country, living with his new best friend and enjoying country pastimes like fishing and duck hunting. Well, "enjoying" isn't exactly the right word. He muddles through them with his friend. And pines for Ana. His whole life is on the horizon, but the trouble with that is the horizon is always too far away to reach (don't @ me, flat-earthers) and so he never really gets there. The acting is good, the natural vistas are pretty, and the movie is a slow, "slice of life" drama. I will trust you to know if you like those. If you're a fan of those kinds of movies, this is a good one. For me, it comes down to whether or not I'm in the mood at that time. And it's so late in the festival and I'm on so little sleep that I need something with a little more kick.

HORIZON plays one more time Sun, Mar 17 3:45 PM in Redwood City

Next up was the documentary GIFT, a beautiful, colorful documentary about artists and the gifts they give to the world. Specifically, it's about artists who give away their works. There's a "moving garden" exhibit where the audience each takes a flower, as long as they can give it away to someone else. There's an artist collective who turn a threatened building into a living museum to protect it and the inhabitants. And, of course, there's Burning Man, that thing in the desert that has enshrined the "gift economy" into its values (we won't mention how much you have to spend just for a ticket there, not to mention supplies to live out there.) I have a little bugaboo about Burning Man docs, only because I've been going for a couple of decades and no documentary has ever captured my experience, instead pushing insistent optimism and purity of the Burning Man ethos. But really that's my hangup. This movie is legitimately great and beautiful, although probably about 10-15 minutes too long, since I started getting bored and sleepy at the end.

Then I had time to catch about half of the TV Dramas Shorts Program
THE SHADES: A man is on trial for a violent crime against a woman. His lawyer, who seems completely bored with the proceedings, gets him off on a due process point. So the community takes matters into their own hands. And the lawyer is part of it, but since it's only the pilot it doesn't reveal everything. This one was intriguing enough I'd be tempted to follow the series all the way through.
NICE IRANIAN GIRL: A short comedic series that is exactly what the title says. Well, specifically it's a nice Iranian girl living in the U.S. and trying to balance cultures.
TUCSON SALVAGE: Based on the book by Brian Jabas Smith, it's a look at the lives of some of the most marginalized people in Tucson. And it's really depressing.

Then I bailed early for some VIP Soiree time at Cafe Stritch. Sorry, I just needed a break.

Then an English thriller, THE UNSEEN. A young well-to-do couple has a happy life with their young son, until tragedy strikes in the form of a pool accident, and they lose their son. Gemma has panic attacks that literally strike her blind (a real condition...I forgot the medical term...it's very rare to happen in both eyes but that's what she has.) When this leads to an auto accident, a stranger named Paul steps in and helps. And he develops a friendship with Gemma and her husband Will. In fact, they become such good friends that Paul invites them to his country guest house so they can get away for a while and maybe get their lives back together. Of course, with the festival theme of Expect the Unexpected, Paul is more than he appears and it becomes a thriller. Which I guess isn't too unexpected because I said that in the beginning. Anyway, the acting is great, the surprises are satisfying, and overall it's a good story well told.

THE UNSEEN has two more screenings Sat, Mar 16 4:00 PM and Sun, Mar 17 1:15 PM, both in Redwood City

And I ended the night with Shorts Program 9 - Hidden. Expect the Unexpected!
BEN AND MIMI - MIMI AND BEN: A love triangle of a woman, her husband, and her pet caterpillar.
BLACK HAT: A distracted orthodox Jewish man keeps leaving his hat behind. And one night, he leaves it in a potentially very dangerous place.
THE BUMBRY ENCOUNTER: A young couple, lost on a mountain rode, witness what may be a U.F.O. But the authorities have other ideas...ideas that a mixed-race couple just shouldn't be. A great story of manipulation.
BUNNY MAN: Some young people in Vancouver talk about ethnic stereotypes. Then a Bunny Man walks in. My favorite!

The titular Bunny Man

DOLOR: Stop motion animation about the pain of losing a loved one.
FAUVE: Two kids play a game of trickery and one-upsmanship. Until things go wrong.
THE FISHERMAN: An old man talks to a fish. No wait, reverse that. A fish talks to an old man. People think he (the old man) is crazy. But the fish has an important message.
GUNS FOUND HERE: A fascinating look at the center that traces gun records back to their owner. In any police procedural, they "run a trace" on a gun. These are the guys who do that trace, and how the law is designed to make it difficult and time-consuming, so that there is no national gun registry.
NEFTA FOOTBALL CLUB: A donkey carrying a package of white powder. They say it's laundry detergent, but it's really something else. Anyway, a couple of kids find it. The older brother knows what's up, but the younger brother has a much better use for that white powder. A very funny Tunisian story.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: No one is more lonely than the mailman around Valentine's Day.

Shorts Program 9 - Hidden has two more screenings: Sat, Mar 16 2:30 PM at 3Below, and Sun, Mar 17 10:30 AM in Redwood City

Total Running Time: 474 minutes
My Total Minutes: 501,268

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 9

Wednesday. Five more films. Let's go. I think this was technically my "rest" day. Not that I stopped watching films, I just slowed down my drinking. Even the bartender noticed that the Tito's Bandito (confession--my alter-ego!) was a little slow on the draw. Don't worry, the Bandito will be back!

The Tito's Bandito. Have you seen this man?

Anyway, I started the day with BITE ME, A surprisingly sweet vampire love story that completely rejects the supernatural vampire myths (in fact, it starts with the protagonist looking into a mirror). 

Instead it's about fringe counterculture and finding love with a mundane. Sarah identifies as a vampire, in that she hangs out with fellow self-identified vampires and feels weak if she doesn't drink some human blood every week or so (no biting, all from willing donors, mostly in the community). She and a couple of her friends have been living in what they claim is a church, and therefore not paying taxes. So that gets the attention of the IRS, and James is the agent assigned to audit her church. And they turn out to get along very well. Even if it goes against the norms of both societies (it's interesting to think of the parallels between James' intolerant Christian friends and family and Sarah's too-cool-for-mundanes subculture) and especially against all professional codes of conduct (don't start dating until the audit is over!) they just kinda can't help it. It's funny and colorful, and in the end has a totally sincere message about how nobody is too special for ordinary, run-of-the-mill love.

It's so much fun when people ask my favorite film of the festival to yell out, "BITE ME!"

BITE ME plays again Sun, Mar 17 10:45 AM in Redwood City

Next up was LAST SUNRISE, a very clever sci-fi from China. It starts with a very simple but high-concept premise--the sun goes out. And not that it's slowly fading, it just rather suddenly blinks out, and what are the consequences of that? Obviously it's dark (dark enough for some beautiful vistas of the stars.) It's also cold and getting colder. And with plant life dying there's no more oxygen. Also our orbit is now more or less a straight line. Astronomer Sun Yang (I assume the name is intentional) was one of the few who saw it coming, but he's still not immune. He and his neighbor Chen Mu team up and work to survive I an increasingly cold world (both physically and emotionally) and make it to district 4, where allegedly there's a sanctuary that can save them--or at least prolong their survival. Really, without the sun all life on Earth is screwed pretty quickly, so it's more about the reactions of people to their impending extinction. Do you bind together in allegiances? Do you trust other people, or fight to protect yourself above all else. Really fascinating, although by the end you start to feel every minute of the 104 minute running time. It's great, but kind of exhausting (probably doesn't help that I was exhausted going in.)

LAST SUNRISE plays again Sat, Mar 16 6:30 PM in Redwood City

Then there was no time for Q&A, because I had to run off to the next show, which was Shorts Program 2: Family, For Better or Worse. All the different ways that a family can be:

ARCANGEL: Family can be a man and his elderly woman (maybe mother, maybe just friend) whom he's trying to get services for
BOY BOY GIRL GIRL: Family can be a gay couple and the drug-addicted lesbian couple who are carrying their baby girl.
THE CIRCLE: Family can be an aunt, spending the day with her niece before breaking some bad news
HAVE IT ALL: Family can be a working mom and her baby, and the exhausting comedic adventure of going to a work meeting
I AM MY OWN MOTHER: Family can be the mom who gave you up for adoption, and doesn't want you now, even if you're carrying get grandchild

MOVING ON: Family can be a surprise revelation after a dad's funeral
NAYSAYER: Family can be a father, barred from seeing his own son, who takes matters into his own hands. But in a recurring theme of the festival, his grip on reality is not good.
ONE CAMBODIAN FAMILY PLEASE FOR MY PLEASURE: Family can be one refugee family helping another, in the new paradise of Fargo, North Dakota
POZOLE: Family is food, even if it violates your dietary restrictions.

This is family

Next up was WBCN AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, about a Boston cultural institution in the late 60s through the 70s. A great indie radio station that combined rock and roll, politics, and rebellion (which is the only way to do rock and roll.) For a brief time it was the cultural institution of Boston. If you said you listened to the radio you didn't have to specify WBCN, that would be redundant. People would listen and turn their radios out the window so neighbors could hear. Legend has it you could walk across town without a radio and never not hear it. Using a wealth of archival footage, the film tells the story of a square entrepreneur and a gaggle of student radio DJs who first booked some overnight time on a failing station, and had the radical idea of playing what people were actually listening to. That turned out to be a winning formula, and by staying true to those roots they grew to become an institution. And then...they kind of knew it was over when they moved to some of the most prestigious real estate in Boston and really went "professional." But for a period it was an amazing place. Discovering new artists. Publicizing anti-war protests. Doing real investigative journalism (with their official "New Dissector"). I didn't live in that time or place, but the movie kind of makes me wish I had.

There was a time when these guys were the avant-garde of culture in Boston. Really.

And finally, I ended the night with a short and a feature. First up was the short, AMERICAN MUSCLE. It's a cool episode of a late night street race, directed by a guy who might or might not know how real it is. A story of leaving it all on the pavement to win a car, money, or at least some respect. Hopefully this short will get be expanded into a feature. At least, that's the plan.

And finally, APARTMENT 413 was an excellent thriller with a clever comedic touch. I don't want to give too much away, but it's part of the festival theme of mental illness and questioning reality (I guess in Cinequest-speak, they call it "Expect the Unexpected.") Marco has a good life...or at least an okay life. He has a girlfriend. They have a baby on the way. They have an okay apartment. He just needs a job so he can support them. But he has some bad habits. He oversleeps and misses an interview. He gets bored filling out applications and takes a break to play video games...for most of the day. And he's got a much, much bigger problem. Someone is leaving creepy notes around the apartment to threaten him. Or he finds a cell phone and some creep starts sending him messages that his girlfriend's baby isn't really his. Or he cleans the apartment and a second later it's a mess again. He starts questioning his own grasp on reality so much that he takes pictures of things to prove to himself and his girlfriend what's really real. Like I said, no spoilers, but expect the unexpected. Very well done!

AMERICAN MUSCLE and APARTMENT 413 play again Sat, Mar 16 10:30 AM in Redwood City

Total Running Time: 524 minutes
My Total Minutes: 500,794

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 8

5 more films on Tuesday, as we're now over the halfway point. Time for some quickie reviews, because I've reached the point of the festival where I can't do much better.

First up was a trip to Canada and the fossil fuel industry for CIRCLE OF STEEL. Wendy is an engineer, fresh out of school starting her new job. She might not like the oil and gas industry, but it's a job and she likes it more than being unemployed. There's also not much to do in this small town--pilates at home, Internet dating, drinking at the bar. Yeah, so it's not the good life, but it's better than unemployment. Oops, except there are rumors of unemployment and her last performance review was only rated "Acceptable." So she's likely to have bigger problems than a shitty job. Chantelle Han is excellent as Wendy, and the movie has fun with what easily could've been a really bleak premise.

Next up was AN AUDIENCE OF CHAIRS. A talented and popular concert pianist seems to have her life in order. And then it falls apart. And I confess I dozed off during the "incident" that estranged her to her family. But I was awake for the long struggle to regain her mental health and win them back. Carolina Bartczak gives a knock-out performance, depicting the struggles of someone going through a disease that alters her reality (which is kind of a recurring theme of this years festival.) And the ending is good, showing the importance of the smallest victories against illness.

Then for some silly fun, with the British comedy KILL BEN LYK. A serial killer is running around London killing everyone named Ben Lyk. So...if you're a Ben Lyk, you should probably lay low, right? Well, if you're a marginally famous YouTuber, you vlog about it and worst case, the views on your murder will be through the roof. Scotland Yard gets involved, and whisks all Ben Lyk's into a safe house, which is very convenient...for the murderer. Now he doesn't have to run all over town. In a bit of a CLUE-like setup, the Ben Lyk's start dropping. We do eventually get the backstory of why all this is happening, and it's funny and satisfying. But the most fun is just watching all the idiotic Ben Lyk's reactions to what's going on.

The next show continued the theme this year of including music videos before the features. SNEAKS - MONEY DON'T GROW ON TREES is a good song with a cool video, and rather than a review I'll just provide a link so you can enjoy it yourself.

That was the lead-in for ALL MY NIGHTS, and Italian thriller that for one reason or another I just couldn't get into. I've talked to several audience members who loved it, so don't take my word for it. A woman--Sara--escapes into the night in a seaside Italian town. A stranger--Veronica--picks her up, and brings her to her home. And the security is pretty quickly broken, as there were more twists and turns than my sleep-deprived brain could follow. Sorry.

ALL MY NIGHTS plays again Friday Mar 15, 3:10 PM in Redwood City

And finally, I ended the night with Shorts Program 7: Something Funny. Hooray for comedy!
TELLING PEOPLE YOU'RE NATIVE AMERICAN  WHEN YOU'RE NOT NATIVE IS A LOT LIKE TELLING A BEAR YOU'RE A BEAR WHEN YOU'RE NOT A BEAR: Made me laugh while providing important advice for avoiding getting mauled--and avoiding pissing off Native Americans.
THE BROWNLIST: Made me laugh while exposing the intricacies of how to be ethnic but not too ethnic in Hollywood. Especially if they've already cast someone super-Asian in another part.
HOLDING: Made me laugh when do strangers are put on hold at the same time. Seriously, maybe that suicide hotline should hire an extra operator.
HOOK UP 2.0: Made me laugh with a sorority girl and her clever approach to casual college encounters. From Cinequest vet Dana Nachman (BATKID BEGINS, PICK OF THE LITTER) and edited by Cinequest super-vet Kurt Kuenne.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A SEXUAL POSITION: Mad me laugh at the idea of a bureau licensing new sexual positions. Also, WTF is wrong with Cleveland?
HOW TO OUT-DRINK YOURSELF: Made me laugh with a recipe for new life goals. All it takes is a little time travel!
I WILL NOT WRITE UNLESS SWADDLED IN FURS: Didn't make me laugh...because it didn't play (because, if the rumor mill is correct, it was poached by another festival.) But it makes me laugh to post the online guide picture for it.

Seriously, either this film didn't play or I completely blanked on it.

MADE PUBLIC: Made me laugh when "I do" is put to an online vote. If only 50.01% of your friends agree, should you still get married?
PEGGY: Made me laugh when the perfect wife and mother is challenged at her son's birthday party.
THE PUPPET MASTER: Made me laugh when a sinister mastermind's plan hits a little snag.
SORRY NOT SORRY: Made me laugh when a husband-wife war starts with plums and ends with a perfect plan coming together.
SPOONING: Made me laugh thinking about the old adage of "no small roles, only small actors." Still, it can be tough getting typecast.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MY SISTER: Made me laugh because...incest is just always funny.
WHITE GUYS SOLVE SEXISM: Made me laugh because it's about damn time!

Shorts Program 7: Something Funny plays again Sunday Mar 17, 8:00 PM at the Hammer Theater

Total Running Time: 445 minutes

My Total Minutes: 500,270 (like I said, we're over the halfway point!)

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 7

The second week starts with a five-film Monday. Or rather, it really started with a couple of early drinks in the festival lounge.

The first film of the day was BORDERLINE, one of the more challenging films I've seen in the festival--and not just challenging due to the 144 minute running time. A story of love, obsession, self-destruction, and writing, it's shot mostly in oppressive close-ups of the characters faces. Director Anna Alfieri stars as Anna (essential, herself.) She has her first lesbian relationship with Robyn. It becomes an obsession, intermixed with her obsession to become a great writer. That gets in the way of the relationship, as she simultaneously gets overly attached and feels she doesn't deserve the relationship unless she becomes a great writer. So it ends, and she spirals into self destruction. And it's brutal and difficult to watch, but more than that it just drags on and on. It's 144 minutes, and you feel every minute of it. And I've been told at least 20 minutes had already been cut out of a previous cut. I think there's probably a good story in there--keep cutting.

BORDERLINE plays again Tue, Mar 12 6:00 PM and Fri, Mar 15 9:30 PM, both shows in Redwood City

Then, after a few more drinks, I caught the bizarre and twisted surrealist neo-noir Western with possible political overtones, LAKE OVER FIRE, from those wacky, wacky Norwegians. A small town gets along well, riding their motorbikes and singing, while wearing fluorescent-trimmed cowboy hats atop their motorcycle helmets. The local mine (mining those little plastic beads you can iron together to make designs) has made the town wealthy, but with that wealth comes greed, in the form of The Cowboy. Different factions of the town are set against each other, murder and false accusations are the order of the day, and those peaceful townsfolk who try to bring everyone together fail horribly. Probably the funniest movie I've ever seen to feature repeated torture of a baby (relax, it's not a real baby, it's just an actor.)

I could describe more, but it really has to be seen to be believed. Too bad that was its last screening in the festival. Sucks to be you!

Well, well, well, we got a group of bad-asses here!

Then a couple more drinks in the lounge, and off to the Australian coming-of-age drama, SUBURBAN WILDLIFE. Four friends just graduated University. So adulthood begins. Well, it'll begin soon enough, after sufficient partying has been had. So drunken stupidity is the order of the day, and for once I'm not the one serving it up. Maybe this didn't quite speak to me because all the characters eventually learn something about growing up, and I've never really had that lesson. I've never had a need for the party to stop (then again, I've never started the day by stepping into a bowl of my own vomit, so I got that going for me.) Anyway, I really wanted to like this movie, but it was hard because I really didn't like any of the characters. So I found myself just counting the minutes until I could run off the the Soiree (at neighboring bars of Chacho's and San Patricio's) and drink some more.

SUBURBAN WILDLIFE plays again Sun, Mar 17 3:00 PM in Redwood City

So yeah, the Soiree was good. But this time I didn't just slam down a few drinks. I also gorged myself with fried Mexican junk at the buffet. Happy belly!

The next show started with a cool animated short, CROW: THE LEGEND. With a great voice cast including John Legend, Constance Wu, and Oprah Winfrey, it tells the Native American legend of the crow--once a brightly colored bird with a beautiful voice, his magnanimous quest cost him his plumage and his dulcet tones, but he did save all his friends, so it was worth it.

That was the lead in to the feature, LUCKY FIFTY. Regular readers of my blog (and I know that includes at least some of the team of this local production) know that my most common criticism is that a movie drags on too long. I call these "feature length shorts"--movies with a simple idea that are badly stretched out to 90 minutes. So it's refreshing to see a movie that knows it has a 56 minute story and doesn't tack on a minute more. Well done!

As for the story, Jay (Lawrence Kao) is a writer, trying to get any investor interested in making his script. After being turned down again, he's throwing a little tantrum behind the office where Monica (Jaya Prasad) finds him. And he finds a $50 bill. Monica is also a struggling actress, so they decide to use this new windfall for a day of fun on the cheap, starting with some tacos! They have a fun day and night, and seem to be on the same page in all ways. The next day he drives her home, and as luck would have it her boyfriend is interested in his script. If only he'd make some changes so it's not so...minority driven. A nice little story of the struggle of making it in an art that is at all times also a business, and the challenge of staying true to your vision.

LUCKY FIFTY plays again Tue, Mar 12 12:15 PM in Redwood City; Sat, Mar 16 5:30 PM also in Redwood City; and Sun, Mar 17 1:15 PM at the Hammer Theater.

And finally, I ended the night with COME, SAID THE NIGHT, a weird and creepy horror thriller about the Greek Gods. Or at least, about a family that still believes in them. Roy Grady is an eccentric single father (his wife died some time ago, and if it was explained I missed it.) His eldest daughter Magda also passed on just last year, and he and his two children (13 year old daughter Sprout, and young son Percy) are in their remote wood "sanctuary" to pay homage to her. At first they just seem a little eccentric. They worship the Greek Gods (particularly Harpocrates, the God of Silence) and he homes schools them to protect them from "otherness"--like the idea that the Gods aren't real or worse yet, there's just one singular God in charge of the multitude of different things. But he never really raises his voice to them, he definitely cares about them. And the kids have their quirks--for Percy, hypochondria that keeps him from almost never exposing his hands; for Sprout, sleep paralysis and the belief that a Gorgon is haunting her--but they all love their family. Which is not to say that it's entirely surprising when things turn dark an murderous, triggered by a little bit of "otherness" in the form of a beautiful park ranger and her son who is just Sprout's age. Well developed characters and a good story well told makes for a good end to another long day at Cinequest.

COME, SAID THE NIGHT plays again Wed, Mar 13 6:00 PM in Redwood City

Total Running Time: 489 minutes

My Total Minutes: 499,825

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 6

The big first weekend finished, and I had a pretty light day of films--only 4 on Sunday

First up was THE TRUTH ABOUT MARRIAGE, from returning Cinequest master Roger Nygard. With his trademark sense of humor and a rapid-fire editing technique, he takes us on a worldwide journey, starting close to home with his own friends and ranging as far as the amazing Don Blanquito, the most single man in the world (now married.) He ponders why a product that fails half the time and requires constant upkeep when it does work...is so popular? Full disclosure, this is a review written by a guy who has never been married, of a movie by a guy who has never been married, and is surprisingly optimistic about the institution. And he does come up with an answer in the end. And it's a satisfying one. So all was write with the world. Except for the fact that this was its last screening in the festival, so if you want to see it I don't know how you can. I'm sure it'll be released eventually.

Next a few drinks in the lounge. Then a few more drinks, and finally it was off to GROUPERS, a sick and twisted revenge fantasy about torturing homophobes...for science!

Confession, I got too drunk in the lounge before this film, and ended up mostly taking a nice nap, but I loved the ending, and I pieced together from my friends more or less what happened before. So...good job team! I loved the ending. Sometime I plan to really see the rest of it.

GROUPERS plays again Fri, Mar 15 9:30 PM in Redwood City.

So I then decided to skip the Soiree and the Meetup and go into sobering-up mode, which was a good idea.

The next show started with the music video SECOND HAND LOVERS. A cool music video with a lot of synchronized bodies (presumably the baggage of ex-lovers) following a guy around. Really clever.

Then the feature, GUEST ARTIST. Jeff Daniels wrote and stars, a rambling meditation on art and writing and alcoholism (appropriate given my sobering up mode,) based on his play based on a true incident (Mr. Daniels was not present to explain.) He plays famous playwright Joseph Harris, who hasn't written anything in about a decade, because he's been drunk. He's not to happy to be in Lima, PA to write a world premiere for the local theater. But Kenneth Waters (Thomas Macias) is absolutely ecstatic to meet him, he's a big fan. And they'll have a wild night in the train station, Kenneth trying to pick Joseph's brain, and Joseph trying to convince Kenneth to buy him a ticket back to New York so he can get out of this nothing town where no one would ever go unless they absolutely had to. It's a very funny, caustic, entertaining night. The one-room setup probably works great on stage, but is a little stifling on the screen--some effort could've been taken to make it more cinematic. But the strength of this film is its writing, and that crackles while jumping from hilarious to serious and surprises in the end with a bit of unexpected political bite. Very well done.

GUEST ARTIST plays again Wed, Mar 13 5:15 and Sat, Mar 16 7:30 PM. Both screenings are in Redwood City

And then I ended the night with ELECTRIC LOVE, an endearing rom-com about dating in the age of Tindr and Grindr, albeit with a surprisingly 80s aesthetic (I'm assuming Los Angeles just never wanted the 80s to end.) Tindr and Grindr have made hooking up easier than ever (also a point made in the first film of the day, THE TRUTH ABOUT MARRIAGE, so they made excellent bookends) but making romance work is still difficult--maybe more so when options are so easy. You still have to navigate annoying roommates, polyamorous podcasters, Internet trolls, best friends who may or may not be romantic rivals, and Grindr hookups who really aren't gay so stop calling them gay just because they used an app to find another guy to have sex with! (Confession...I've never actually dealt with that one...or really most of the complications I listed.) The film handles them all with sweetness and humor and provides a pair of appealing pair of leads in Adam (Zachary Mooren) and Emma (Mia Serafino, who is gorgeous). A really fun film to end a really fun day.

ELECTRIC LOVE plays again Wed, Mar 13 3:00 PM in Redwood City and Fri, Mar 15 10:00 PM at the California Theatre.

Total Running Time: 356 minutes
My Total Minutes: 499,336

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 5

Saturday was my first (of many) days of full-on morning-to-night Cinequesting, starting with the first drinks (a Tito's Bloody Mary) in the lounge at 10 and ending with "springing forward" an hour to 3 am. But let's get to the actual movies

First up was TRAVEL BAN: MAKE AMERICA LAUGH AGAIN, a hilarious documentary about Muslim comedians in Trump's America. Or at least, that's the focus now. It actually starts with comedians going back in the pre-9/11 days, with an interesting backstory of how the legendary Mitzi Shore promoted Muslim comics at her legendary Comedy Store, sensing that there was a war brewing between America and the Middle East, and that they needed to be presenting a positive face of Muslims in America. The stand-up sets showcases in the movie had me laughing harder than I have in a long, long time (and my friends now that I'm someone who enjoys a good laugh.) At the same time, the news footage and cell phone videos of vicious, vile, racist attacks make me fear for the soul of my country. But fortunately, the movie gives the answer, as one of the comics (I'm sorry I forget which one) puts it, "Comedians are the doctors of the soul." Well said, and well proved in this movie.

TRAVEL BAN: MAKE AMERICA LAUGH AGAIN plays once more, Wed, Mar 13 8:20 PM in Redwood City.

Next up was a couple more drinks in the lounge, then to the California Theatre for a program that started with the music video STAND DOWN. With visuals reminiscent of NATURAL BORN KILLERS, Billy Bob Thornton plays a vet suffering from PTSD, heading for the ultimate showdown with...himself.

Then the feature was a different type of showdown, THE TINY LIFE OF BUTCHER DUKE. 20 years ago Butcher Duke could've been someone. He was a local tennis star, and won a contest to win a double-wide mobile home if he could only beat local ex-pro Creek Thomson in a best 2 out of three games match. And he took the first game, but Creek came back and crushed him in the next 2. Now 20 years later he still lives with his mom--at least, until she kicks him out. He's estranged from his daughter--who is getting married to a guy who is much like Butcher (some obvious daddy issues that are never explored because it's funnier to just let the audience ponder it.) And he coaches a team of children who are just...awful at tennis. They won zero games last year, and it doesn't look like they've improved at all. But he's got a chance at redemption. Creek's son, Delta (holy sh*t, I just got that joke) has taken over the tiny home business...and is running it into the ground. So as a promotion, he'll take on a rematch with Butcher, this time for a tiny home. And Butcher's luck is looking up, as Delta is truly, truly terrible at tennis. But there are more twists in store in this largely improvised comedy that is intermittently funny and often just kind of meanders. But even in the midst of meandering it's always a pleasant little ride that never takes itself seriously and really picks up at the end.

This man could really use a tiny home

THE TINY LIFE OF BUTCHER DUKE plays again Mon, Mar 11 9:20 PM in Redwood City; Wed, Mar 13 7:30 PM again in Redwood City; and Thu, Mar 14 2:50 PM in the California Theatre

Then the next show started with another music video, HEART KILLER. Who needs a review when I can just post a link.

That was the lead-in to ADONIS COMPLEX. A vacation at a lake house turns creepy and deadly when their fitness-obsessed host Tad is a little...too obsessed. Actually, it's not just the obsession, it's his...unorthodox theories on health and body-building. Oh yeah, it's a full-on horror/thriller with Tad as the monster and plenty of surprises about how far he'll go with this endeavors. Well acted and scripted, it's a nice creepy, occasionally cringe-worthy (at the risk of giving away spoilers, I have a bit of a phobia about needles) affair. Well done!

ADONIS COMPLEX plays again Mon, Mar 11 7:30 PM; Wed, Mar 13 8:45 PM; and Sat, Mar 16 1:00 PM. All screenings are in Redwood City.

Then for a little lighter fair, THE BRA is my favorite film of Cinequest 2019 so far. I love silent films (although I'll probably be missing the Buster Keaton program next Friday, if only because I've seen those films so many times and there's so much else to see.) But I can say I did see an excellent, beautiful, and surprising silent film at Cinequest with this one.

Okay, technically I wouldn't call this a "Silent" film, as the rhythmic soundscape is actually very important to it. But it's a dialogue-free film, and it's delightful. The marvelous Miki Manojlovic stars as Nurlan, a cargo train drive in Azerbaijan. As part of his daily route, he goes through a town where people have to run out of the way and pick their laundry off the line before his train comes through destroying it all. So part of his job is also returning odd articles of laundry that get snagged on his train. On his last day, he snags a blue bra. So his first journey in retirement is searching the village--modern day Cinderella style--for the owner. Which causes some pretty funny interactions with the locals, whom he's only seen from way up in his train. It's a wonderfully playful ride, and in the end it doesn't really matter who the proper owner is. The real bra is the friends we made along the way.

No words necessary

THE BRA plays again Tue, Mar 12 8:30 PM at 3Below; Sat, Mar 16 10:00 PM in Redwood City; and Sun, Mar 17 1:15 PM at the California Theatre.

Then another wonderfully creepy thriller, but one that takes a little while to get going. THIS IS OUR HOME is the story of Reina and Cory, a young couple who is going through some rough times, and trying to put their troubles aside with a tip out to Reina's secluded childhood home. Early one, they have an incident with a flat that shows Cory's immaturity, pride, stubbornness, and incompetence. The kind of scene that makes me hate him and not care about him as a protagonist. Hence there was a bit of a barrier to overcome for me to care about him, and that's why I said it takes a little while to get going. So when a little boy shows up and claims to be their son Zeke, it's mysterious and weird, and weirder sill when Reina humors him over Cory's objections. Things really get going when Zeke and Reina start teaming up against Cory. And then it gets really weird, dangerous, and scary. But since it's all happening to the character I fucking hated, it was all good!

THIS IS OUR HOME plays again Sun, Mar 10 8:30 PM at the Hammer Theatre; Wed, Mar 13 9:30 PM in Redwood City; and Fri, Mar 15 2:30 PM, again in Redwood City.

And finally I ended the day with a Cinequest tradition, always one of my favorites, the Mindbenders Shorts:

I SEE THROUGH YOU bent my mind when that guy tried to rip her face off. (Also when it played twice because it didn't play right the first time)

LOA'S PROMISE bent my mind when CGI robots take over an abandoned Argentinian ghost town.

MAKR bent my mind when that exorcist has more than he bargained for with a Djinn 

PENANCE bent my mind when people use the Bible to keep people from living their own lives, but luckily these Latinas take their own selves back.

TAKEN FROM ME bent my mind when robbers turn into snacks

TiCK bent my mind when vampires were burned away like bloodsucking insects

ULYSSES bent my mind when that fisherman caught a mermaid. And then...with what he did next. 

WAKEY WAKEY bent my mind when dreams and reality converge with tragic results.

WE GOT A MONKEY PAW bent my mind when wishes go awry. Maybe collecting occult artifacts is not the best hobby.

YOUR FRIEND bent my mind when a man learns that a robot--no matter how realistic--is no replacement for a real, existing, human friend.

YOUR ORDER HAS ARRIVED bent my mind when arrival announcements take over a guy's life.

Shorts Program 5 - Mindbenders plays again Sun, Mar 10 3:35 PM in Redwood City; Mon, Mar 11 4:35 PM also in Redwood City; and Fri, Mar 15 4:45 PM at 3Below

Total Running Time: 521 minutes

My Total Minutes: 498,980

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 4

The big first weekend starts, and so does my vacation! Now Cinequest gets really intense, starting with the VIP Soiree at Social Policy, the newest spot in downtown San Jose. A few tasty Tito's cocktails and some delicious food, and I was ready for a movie!

First up was MINE 9, the most unsettling claustrophobic movie I've ever seen. Set in West Virginia coal country, it's inspired by several elements of real coal mine tragedies but based on none specifically. Mining work is always dangerous, and the miners in this movie have some particular concerns about the high levels of methane and poor levels of safety systems. But in a brutally stark revelation early on, they talk about how if they die in there, at least their family gets to collect their life insurance so they're still providing; if they refuse to go in the mine, their family goes hungry. So they all agree, including the new rookie (and son of the most conscientious veteran.) Given the setup, you know tragedy will strike, and it does in the form of a massive methane explosion. But even before you get there, the filmmakers do an incredible job of setting up exactly how claustrophobic the mine is. Seriously, I was on the verge of a panic attack the whole time, and I'm not known to be claustrophobic at all. Once the explosion happens, it's a fight against the elements, against time (with limited oxygen supplies), and against less-then-fully-helpful rescuers (in one of the cruelest ironies, the conscientious veteran miner called MSHA to report problems, but they don't shut down mines until they've completed their investigation. But they're also very cautious about sending rescuers down mines after a report has been called in. So trying to do the right thing screwed them even more.) 

During the credits, real miners are interviewed and describe their experiences. What's striking isn't the stories of danger but how proud they are of their work, and how well they know the risks but do it anyway because that's how they provide for their families. It's the greed of the mine owners that leads to the exploitation and dangers. And even then, they talk about how they've worked in many perfectly safe mines that follow all protocols. It's just...too many times when that's not the case.

This face has a high probability of haunting your nightmares, but it's not a monster, it's a man in trouble

MINE 9 plays again Mon, Mar 11 7:05 PM at 3 Below; Tue, Mar 12 6:15 PM in Redwood City; and Thu, Mar 14 5:00 PM also in Redwood City.

Then I popped in briefly to the Maverick Meetup at Aura Nightclub for a quick drink before heading back to the 3Below for LUPE, and interesting and challenging movie of contrasts. Rafael is a strong Cuban boxer who can kick most anyone's ass. He's been living in New York, looking for his older sister, whom he suspects has fallen into a life of prostitution. And he beats the crap out of a few pimps along the way, rescuing girls, looking for Isabelle. But the story takes some unexpected turns. Early on we're told that Isabelle gave him the name Rafael, and he never liked it. Turns out, Rafael is transgender, and starts presenting as a woman, and she can still kick anyone's ass. The story transitions (pun intended) from Rafael trying to find his sister to Rafael finding herself, and herself is Lupe. 

And now, of course, we should all pause and police my pronouns. I know I used a lot of male pronouns for Rafael. I think that's fair, as I was referring to the character during the times when they were presenting as male. In any case, I'm prepared to be corrected and move on. What's more important, in my opinion, is the wonderful acting, sensitive storytelling, and a transgender character who is already strong when presenting as male, and even stronger when allowed to be her true self.

Lupe, looking good!

LUPE plays again Sun, Mar 10 8:00 PM; Mon, Mar 11 2:20 PM; and Sat, Mar 16 9:30 PM. All shows are in Redwood City

And finally I ended the night with REPOSSESSION, a horror/drama from Singapore with a really great idea that just dragged on a little bit. Jim is a well-off engineer, drives a nice car, lives in a luxury condo with his loving wife and daughter. They're solid, respectable citizens, doing good works like bringing food to some of the poorest people. But they're also at risk of becoming poor themselves, as Jim just lost his job and is too proud to tell his wife and daughter. So he lives off his savings. He takes some risky investment choices. He secretly drives people for a ride-hail company (His shame at this is maybe the biggest culture shock in the movie. Here in Silicon Valley, about half the time I take a Lyft or Uber, the driver is a highly trained tech worker just between jobs and there's no shame in it.) Now that real life drama is just frustrating. I can understand his thoughts, but I just don't like him for it. Just tell your wife and daughter already! They'll understand (and in fact, when he finally does, they do.) But there's also a supernatural terror--a demon that is haunting him, and has since childhood. It's the reason his sister is an invalid. And it comes back infrequently, but is terrifying when it does. That part could've been expanded more, because I liked the battle with the demon. It's a clever idea to juxtapose the very real economic fear and shame and the supernatural terror, I just felt like I would've enjoyed it more if the balance were a little different. The realistic drama emphasized his weakness of character, which is important to the story but made me really not like him. And the demon story was really cool but underused.

They're scared of something even worse than unemployment

REPOSSESSION plays again Sun, Mar 10 10:10 PM in Redwood City; Wed, Mar 13 4:45 PM at the California Theatre; and Sat, Mar 16 10:35 PM in Redwood City

Total Running Time: 258 minutes
My Total Minutes: 498,459

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 3

I wasn't able to make it to San Jose in time for any of the 5:00 shows (I was hoping to catch RICH KIDS) due to possibly very exciting developments in my day job. But of course I was there for at least some of the VIP Soiree at Il Fornaio. Tasty snacks and drinks with filmmakers from such films as THE TINY LIFE OF BUTCHER DUKE, ADONIS COMPLEX, and APARTMENT 413, so I have those circled in my program now. And then I was off to the California for the Thrive Award presented by Kaiser Permanente, this year presented to Patch Adams and the documentary CLOWNVETS.

But first, the short documentary series STORYBOOKED: INNER WORLDS. It's a showcase of creativity and drive, with an underwater dancer/performance artist, a musician, a choreographer, and an Olympic long-distance runner (is long distance running and introspection an emerging theme of this year's festival? I'll keep my eyes open for it.)

Then CLOWNVETS was an absolutely amazing and beautiful story starring the real-life Patch Adams. Actually, "starring" is the wrong word. He's the catalyst that kicks everything in motion, but the stars are his team of humanitarian clowns. We start with profiles of several veterans, all suffering from PTSD. There are the grim statistics on suicides (the biggest killer in the military, more than combat) and these people are at risk. And Patch comes in with a proposal--a trip to Guatemala to clown around for the needy and disabled in hospitals. I can't stress this enough, but none of these veterans were clowns before. In fact, they seemed like the least likely people in the world to crack a joke or even a smile. But their first assignment--via Skype--was pulling a funny face. Patch walks them through it easily--take your two index fingers, stick them in the sides of your mouth, pull your mouth open as wide as you can, and stick out your tongue. And then we're off to the races. And you can simultaneously see the vets come to life and the poor, disabled Guatemalan kids. It's a story about helping yourself by helping others, and it's about the healing and resilience powers of goofiness. I'm a big fan of goofiness, and a big fan of this movie.

Making this face can save your life. I'm absolutely serious

STORYBOOKED and CLOWNVETS plays again Fri, Mar 8 (today!) at 11:30 AM; Sat, Mar 9 at 5:30 PM; and Mon, Mar 11 at 7:15 PM. All 3 screenings are in Redwood City.


Then it was time for more fun with a sci-fi-rom-com, THE WRONG TODD. Todd is a nice enough guy, if a little bit lazy, coasting through life with his best friend Dave and his lovely girlfriend Lucy (Dave's sister.) And Lucy has some exciting news--a new job offer in Seattle! Thing is, Todd has barely ever left Rhode Island and isn't all that thrilled to move. And then his doppelganger from an alternate universe shows up, clonks him over the head, and sends him into his universe so he can steal Lucy. Now Todd #1 seems crazy to other Dave (with a crazy mustache) and his alternate universe wife-and-mother-of-his-child other Abby (Abby is Lucy's best friend, and in universe #1 she and Dave don't get along.) Confuse yet? Well, it's not that hard to follow, even when the technicians operating the parallel universe transport machine enter the picture. The sci-fi story keeps everything light and entertaining, but the heart of the movie is about the love story, and about Todd learning to appreciate what he had and doing whatever it takes to get back to his universe and win back his Lucy. And finally being willing to move to Seattle (which is an awesome town, I don't know why anyone wouldn't jump at the chance to move to Seattle!)

THE WRONG TODD plays again Fri, Mar 8 at 11:45 AM at the 3 Below; Sat, Mar 9 at 3:15 PM in Redwood City; and Thu, Mar 14 at 7:45 PM again in Redwood City.

Total Running Time: 169 minutes
My Total Minutes: 498,201

Jason goes to Cinequest--Day 2

Cinequest is in full swing now, but I've still got my day job. So I got to San Jose last night just in time for the VIP Soiree at Forager Tasting Room & Eatery. A few delicious Tito's Vodka Mules, and some tasty eats, and I was ready for my first movie of the day.

Repetition and variation was the theme of the day, starting with MAN RUNNING. Jim (Gord Rand) is entering a 100 mile (or wait, it's probably 100 km, it's in Canada) ultra-marathon, despite the race officials being warned of his medical condition. The thing is, he's a doctor, so he has authority to decide for himself, and he chooses to run, risks be damned. The movie is partly about his competition with nature and his own limits, and partly about the psychological baggage he's carrying and what he's thinking about while running. See, he has a young patient (Milli Wilkinson) who is dying of some unspecified cancer. It's clear that she's losing that fight, and wants to retain some control over her fate. Let's not sugarcoat it, it's about assisted suicide, and who has the right to make that decision? The patient? Her parents (who are against it)? And what role should the doctor play? What role did he play? The thing is, we see flashbacks to many different versions of what may or may not have happened. It's less about what happened than how this all is weighing on his mind, and that strange mental zone you get in when you're running long distances, alone with your thoughts (those who know me might be surprised to learn this, but a couple of decades ago I used to run regularly on the beach in San Diego, so I'm not unfamiliar with that mental space.) It's a wonderfully shot, excellently acted, seriously meditative piece about some tough issues that are never handled with as much seriousness and subtlety in mainstream movies. 

As far as the intentionally obscured answers to what really happened...I don't even think it's about that. Or at most it's about what the audience makes of it. I have a rule that if the movie is about "what really happened?" then the answer is "you sat in a dark room while flickering lights and synchronized sound entertained you for a while."

MAN RUNNING plays again on March 7 (hey! That's today!) 5 pm at the Hammer Theater, and next Wednesday, Mar 13 5:35 PM in Redwood City

Then I briefly popped into the Maverick Meetup at Cafe Stritch for a quick drink and to greet a few of my Cinequest friends, then off to the California for the late film.

As part of the festival's name change--it's now the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, this program started with a brief interview with the poet laureate of California and former head of the NEA. He'll be part of the Poets N Film event tonight at the Hammer Theater, and he spoke about the ability of art to bring people together in shared experiences. He also recited a poem about NOSFERATU, which is possibly my favorite movie, so that was excellent.

I think this poet's name is Dana...something

Then variation and repetition was the theme of the day, ending with THE FARE. A sort of Twilight Zone inspired story of a cab driver, Harris and his fare, Penny (like the coin.) Harris is driving to a lonely desert destination to pick up Penny. They make some small talk, he's driving her to her destination--also in the middle of nowhere. There's some weather ahead, dispatch warns him, and suddenly the cab goes dark for a second, and when the lights return...Penny is gone. He tells dispatch, who seems unconcerned and sends him on to his next fare. And it all starts over. When he reaches the pickup point, his fare is...once again Penny. Only Harris doesn't remember her at all. And we repeat...but with little changes. Over and over he starts to remember a little bit. There's something breaking through his consciousness. Ultimately, all will be explained (perhaps over-explained, I prefer a little more mystery and room for interpretation, but that's just me.) Rather than the literal explanation, I prefer to recognize it as a poetic love story, a story of star-crossed lovers and learning to appreciate the brief time they have together.

THE FARE plays again Mar 7 (today!) at 7:10 pm; Sat, Mar 9 at 1:10 PM; and Sun, Mar 17 6:30 PM. All three shows in Redwood City

Total Running Time: 173 minutes
My Total Minutes: 498,032

Jason goes to Cinequest--Opening Night

I'm back, and so is my favorite drinking festival with movies, Cinequest!

I got there early, checked in, grabbed my media pass, and immediately got to my main task at the filmmakers--drinking in the Continental, where for festival guests the Tito's vodka flows freely along with the  PHP Honey Pale Ale from Umunhum brewing. 

Of course, it's not just about drinking for the sake of drinking, it's toasting my good returning friends--much hugs all around! And it's about making new friends in the film festival community. 

A notice to all the visiting filmmakers, if you have a drink with me, I will see your movie if at all possible, and I will write about it (probably poorly, but...whatever.) Your drink does not have to be alcoholic, but mine will be. There are, unfortunately, necessary constraints (stupid finite time and space, why can't I be everywhere at once?!) If someone else whose film is playing in the same time slot has already drunk with me, I will make all efforts to see both of them somehow, but if that's not possible it's a first-come, first-served system. To maximize the number of films I can see, I don't waste time travelling between San Jose and Redwood City in the same day. So if a drink has committed me to be in a location on a day, I stay in that location all day. Also, weekends (Fri-Sun) are all San Jose for me, since I get a suite at one of the magnificent downtown hotels to keep the party going as late as possible.

Anyway, with that out of the way, it was on to the glorious California Theatre for the opening night festivities. Cinequest CEO and co-founder Halfdan Hussey kicked things off with his opening remarks, something I've come to look forward to like an opening benediction (funny, since I'm not a religious man, but I suppose independent cinema is something like my religion.)

There were some brief words from Stand Up to Cancer, a humorous piece by Children's Musical Theater, and the first half of the big event--the Maverick Spirit Award given to Nandita Das. She was interviewed by my friend Sean McCarthy, a Guerilla Wanderer and part of the team behind the festival trailer (I've found no link to it? I guess you have to just...go to the movies to see it. Anyway, after several animations, this is their first live action festival trailer.) Nandita spoke eloquently...more eloquently than my meager words can convey. But she spoke about her career (over 40 films, in 10 different languages) and about the ability of stories--be they literature or cinema--to allow one to empathize with the other, and what exactly it means to be the "other." 

And then it was time for the feature film, MANTO. I confess to a great deal of cultural ignorance here. I had never heard of this author, and I know barely enough of the history of Indian independence and the subsequent partition into India and Pakistan to put this story in a bit of context. 

I have to assume that if I knew more about either the history or his work I would've enjoyed the movie more. As it was, I found him to be a great character (masterfully performed by Nawazuddin Siddiqui.) The storytelling is episodic, shifts seamlessly from his stories to his life--mostly focusing on his trial for obscenity. Ultimately, I found it drags on a little too long, which is very common for biopics made by true fans--they tend to not want to leave anything out. And in fairness, for someone who is familiar with his work it probably wouldn't feel as long. In the end, it left me with a desire to learn more about him, and read his work. Which is easy enough to accomplish.

Then there was the big after party at The Glass House with J. Lohr wine (I enjoyed their Cabernet,) Drake's brewing (I enjoyed their Pilsner,) more Tito's, and Hendrick's Gin (which makes a damn good martini.)

Here are the filmmakers who know (or learned) how to Cinequest right, and have secured my attendance by drinking with me (or at least, watching me drink):

MAN RUNNING

CLOWNVETS

SHORTS PROGRAM 2 (specifically, POZOLE)

THE WRONG TODD

LUPE

LUCKY FIFTY

SUBURBAN WILDLIFE

SHORTS PROGRAM 1 (ummmm...I don't actually remember which filmmaker I drank with, but it's circled in my guide)

AN AUDIENCE OF CHAIRS

RICH KIDS

I'd say a pretty successful opening night!

Cheers! It's Cinequesting Time!

Running Time: 112 minutes
My Total Minutes: 497,859