Jason goes to Jewfest South--Monday, Oct. 27

One movie a couple of Mondays ago, ARABANI is a unique look into the Druze community in Israel. As the opening text explains, they are Islam-ish community, wary of outsiders, and most importantly they don't accept converts. The only way to be a Druze is is both your parents are Druze. So that complicates things for Yoseph and his family. Years ago he left the village, married a Jewish woman, and had two kids. Now they're divorced, he has the kids, and is moving back home. And the neighbors aren't happy. Like, scrawl offensive graffiti on his house, kick his mom out of the mosque, and generally threaten the heck out of him unhappy.

This movie was made for what I assume is a minuscule budget, but is a powerful, intimate window into a world I know nothing about. And the nighttime vigil scene is one of the most powerful and understated scenes I've seen in a while.

Running Time: 87 minutes
My Total Minutes: 371,660

Jason goes to Niles to see a classic Bob Wilkins Creature Feature Show

Thanks to Tom Wyrsch (director of WATCH HORROR FILMS, KEEP AMERICA STRONG!) for putting this together. This is the third of four shows. You see, when Bob Wilkins did Creature Features back in the day, the movies were shown on 16 mm and the bumpers (skits, interviews, snide comments, etc.) were pre-recorded on video tape. After they were shown, the video tapes were returned to the new department and taped over. So almost none of them exist--except for four that survived, and Tom has reconstructed them, and kindly played the previous two at Niles.

But first, there was a giant raffle contest. I think Tom clears out his garage for these raffles, because there was a stage full of prizes. And I won his Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots! He bested me twice before the film (and we tied one last time) but I'm gonna practice and practice and practice until I can smoke him next time.

Anyway, as the show began there was the classic Bob Wilkins sitting in his big yellow chair and smoking his cigar. I have to pause now and confess that I didn't grow up in the Bay Area and never knew about Bob Wilkins before I came here. And so this is another example of weird 'false nostalgia' I have for a world I never actually lived in. Anyway, the highlight of the Bob Wilkins segments was an interview with George Takei. He's become so huge as a gay icon and Internet star, sometimes I forget he was on this show called STAR TREK. And in this interview he thanked the fans for their rabid support in convincing Paramount to make a big screen movie based on the show.

Okay, then the actual film, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1962): Not the Lon Chaney version, not the Claude Rains version, certainly not the later versions (Bob Wilkins had many powers, but not time travel.) No, this is definitely a "lesser known" version (unless you're a Hammer Horror fan.) And...well...it's not exactly bad but there's a reason this is lesser known. It has its charms, from the plagiarism-avenging backstory to the Igor-like assistant (rather, a mute sewer dweller who saved the phantom's life) and...heck, I changed my mind. This is actually a great version of the Phantom of the Opera story. No reason it shouldn't be a classic.

Running Time: 115 minutes
My Total Minutes: 371,573

Jason goes to Cinema Zone and sees THE TRIAL OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK

Jeff Ross of Indiefest and Mike Keegan of...well, formerly of the Roxie but now of an assortment of bay area movie events (including Indiefest) bring a new weekly event, at an undisclosed location. I didn't stick around for Roger Corman's infamous version of THE FANTASTIC FOUR, but I did see this first one

TRIAL OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK was supposed to be a pilot for a Daredevil TV series that never took off. Bruce David Banner is implicated in a mob crime (he was just stepping in to keep a woman from getting raped and/or murdered, and hulked-out a bit.) So blind lawyer Matt Murdock is his only hope. And the only hope for the entire city against the evil Kingpin (John Rhys-Davies.) But the whole time I'm thinking that you can't put this guy on trial. You especially can't put him on the witness stand becaus...[wait for it]...he's not credible!

Thank you, that is all.

Running Time: 100 minutes
My Total Minutes: 371,458

Jason goes to Jewfest South--Wednesday, Oct 22nd

One film a couple of Wednesday's ago. HANNA'S JOURNEY is about, of course, Hanna. A German student who, in order to further her career, travels to Israel to do some charity work with the mentally disabled. Her contact in Israel is Itay, a tough but not-too-jaded social worker who alternately teases Hanna with Holocaust jokes and flirts with her. She's not interested, or rather she's just interested in putting in enough work to claim it on her resume. But, of course, as these things happen, she starts to become a bit more interested in him. And she becomes a bit more interested in her own past, and the fact that she has a connection to Israel that she didn't know about before. Fascinating story, and a great acting job by the lead. But maybe I was just tired, because I wasn't really sure what to make of it all.

Running Time: 100 minutes
My Total Minutes: 371,358

Jason goes to Jewfest South--Sunday, Oct 19th

Okay, technically it's the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival, but I call it Jewfest South for short (compared to the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, which is Jewfest North.) Anyway, it started weeks ago and I'm finally getting around to writing about it.

After missing the opening night featuring Israel's most popular female singer Rita Jahan Foruz, I did make it out for a double feature on the second day of the festival.

First up was THE JEWISH CARDINAL. The amazing true story of Jean-Marie Lustiger, a Polish Jew who converted to Catholicism and joined the priesthood. And while keeping his Jewish identity (he's quick to remind his parishioners that he's a Jew--just like Jesus) he becomes a favorite of Pope John Paul II. In fact, for a large part of the movie it seems like it's going to be all about their friendship (they even go swimming together in a pool the pontiff had installed.) And, in some ways, it is. But then the tension in the movie enters--a sect of Carmelite nuns build a convent in Auschwitz. Jews are outraged, and Lustiger (who by now is Archbishop of Paris) is on their side. But John Paul seems to be uninterested. For the latter half of the movie this becomes the basis for a kind of unique political thriller--church politics, that is. A fascinating story, anchored by some great performances by Laurent Lucas as Lustiger and Aurélien Recoing as Pope John Paul II.

Then I saw OUT IN THE DARK, which I had actually seen last year at Jewfest North. It holds up to multiple viewings. Here's what I said last time:

OUT IN THE DARK, a drama, thriller, and gay love story set in Tel Aviv and the occupied territories. Nimr is a Palestinian and a grad student in Tel Aviv with a promising future ahead of him. He's also gay, and he takes the big chance of going dancing in a gay Tel Aviv nightclub. Well, that gets him on the radar of the police. Not that it's illegal to be gay, but it's great blackmail material--become an informant or his student visa will be revoked and he'll have to go back home...and if anyone back home finds out about his dalliances, he's as good as dead. In Israel, even in liberal Tel Aviv, he's an outsider viewed with suspicion for being Palestinian. Back home in the occupied territory, he has to keep his lifestyle a secret. And his only friend (and lover) is Roy, a sweet kid from a wealthy family who thinks he--with the help of his father's connections--can solve anything. It's a tense and provocative story about a very difficult situation.

Yup, I'll stand by that review. Nothing to add.

Total Running Time: 186 minutes
My Total Minutes: 371,258

Jason goes to Niles for Baby Peggy's 96th Birthday Party

That's right, I'm friends with an actual silent film star! (And in real life, not just on Facebook. And yes, she goes by the name Diana Serra Cary now.)

First we saw a collection of restored clips from her movies. There's not really anything to summarize or say about it, but it was just cool to see more footage of her at just a couple of years old being a movie star.

And then the birthday cake! Which was beautiful, because it had a picture of her on it, and was delicious, because it was birthday cake.

And finally, CAPTAIN JANUARY (1924): I've seen this over and over again (starting with when I first met Diana six years ago at her 90th birthday party.) And it always gets me. The friendship between the Captain and Jeremiah Judkins (Hobart Bosworth.) The nosy busy-bodies trying to take her away. The tragedy, the comedy, and the beautiful ending. This film always gets me, and it's just beautiful. I like to think I would love it even if I wasn't friends with the star.

Total Running Time: 93 minutes
My Total Minutes: 371,072

Jason goes to Niles for a Laurel and Hardy Spoooooooky Afternoon!

HIDE AND SHRIEK (1938): Our Gang has some hilarious adventures in a haunted house, which convinces Alfalfa to quit his Detektive business once and for all (which might be an inside joke, as this was the last of the Our Gang shorts Hal Roach produced.)

THE LIVE GHOST (1934): Laurel and Hardy help a gruff sea captain shanghai a crew, before they are shanghaied themself. The biggest rule on the boat is never utter the word "ghost"--the captain hates that! So when a drunken deckhand falls into a trough of whitewash, ghostly hijinx ensue. Pretty funny.

Then a short intermission, and two more films.

THE TIN MAN (1935): Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly get lost on the way to a party and end up in a spooky inventor's house. He has created a robot to terrorize guest. Which, in this case turns out not to just be Thelma and Patsy, but escaped convict Blackie Burke. Hi-tech sci-fi hijinx ensue.

OLIVER THE EIGHTH (1934): Stan and Ollie each answer an ad from a rich widow seeking a new husband. Sneaky Ollie throws Stan's letter out, only sending his own. But that's not the real reason he's the only one who gets a reply. In fact, she's specifically looking for an Oliver. All seven of her previous husbands have been Olivers, and they've all died at her hand. A pretty grisly plot for a comedy short, but very funny.

Total Running Time: 76 minutes
My Total Minutes: 370,979