Jason goes to SFFILM--Day 3

Two more movies on Friday, but first a little party in the festival lounge, featuring a couple of drinks made with a Steven Soderbergh adventure, in alcohol form, Singani 63. That was freakin' tasty!

And then the world premiere of PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW, a very funny movie about the possibilities and dangers of social media. Jed (Nick Thune) is a freelance photo editor and Photoshop wiz who spends all day staring at a screen and therefore doesn't feel the need to add to it by joining social media. He also likes to personally entertain himself by photoshopping himself into the pictures he works on (not the ones he sends to clients, just ones he keeps for himself.) Well, when a friend convinces him to join Facebook, he finds that those photoshopped pictures are pretty popular. Tasha (Halston Sage) meets him in a coffee shop, and decides to take him on as a project--turn an unknown into a social media star. She already knows he's a nice guy, and he has Photoshop skills, so they go big pretty quickly. They even meet Usher, who totally doesn't remember that time in Vegas when they met, but the picture is online so it must be true and they were just really drunk and should hang out again sometime (oh yeah, Usher was there at the premiere, too) But, of course, there's a dark side to all of this, too. The Internet is a great place to meet people, but it's also a really easy place to lie to people. And not just big 'Here's a picture of me with Usher!' lies (seriously, I saw Usher last night, but didn't get a picture with him.) There's also the little lies like 'I forgot to tell you I'm married...' Which is what happens to Jed when he runs into an old high school flame, Franky (Kaily Smith Westbrook.) A very funny movie, with some clever insights into the power and problems of social media.

And then I rushed over to the Roxie just in time for the Dark Wave show, THE TRANSFIGURATION. Milo is a black teenage loner who may or may not be a vampire. In any case, he has a thirst for blood, and a fascination with vampire movies (although when he finally sees TWILIGHT, he things it sucks--not realistic at all.) The local older kids call him a freak, and beat on him, but he has methodical ways to set up and take his victims. One day, a slightly older white girl named Sophie moves into his building. They become friends, he shows her his vampire movies (she is the one who convinces him to check out TWILIGHT.) While their friendship grows, his problem with the local bullies gets worse. It's a slow boil drama that's more about character and atmosphere than bloodshed and violence, and it makes for a strong, compelling story with a powerful, philosophical ending.

Total Running Time: 188 minutes
My Total Minutes: 425,418

Jason goes to SFFILM--Day 2

Just one film last Thursday. One small drawback for me personally to the festival moving to early April is that this is the beginning of the fiscal quarter, and in my new position at work beginning of the quarter is busy, busy time (also, since it's my new position, I'm dealing with a learning curve) so I do have to be professional, get my real work done, before I can have my reel fun.

Anyway, the silver lining is that when I didn't get up to the city in time for any ~6:00 show, I had plenty of time to hang out in the lounge, invest a few more IAMs, and drink several beers, courtesy of the local Fort Point Beer Company. Lots of fun.

Then it was over to the Roxie for NOBODY SPEAK: THE TRIALS OF A FREE PRESS. This documentary tackles the Gawker/Hulk Hogan sex tape trial, from the point of view of how it attacked the principles of a free press. Heck, it literally destroyed Gawker, they are no more because of this lawsuit. And while I wasn't a fan of Gawker, I can easily see how it has a chilling effect on journalism. Not because sex tapes are (usually) important news stories, but because of how a billionaire can destroy a news outlet just because he has a grudge against them. Oh yeah, this wasn't really about Hulk Hogan, it was about Peter Thiel, the billionaire founder of PayPal who secretly funded the lawsuit (until good journalism uncovered it!) And okay, if you're not a fan of Gawker and take Thiel at his word that he has no intentions of going after other media companies, what of the precedent it sets that billionaires can destroy news companies for personal vendettas? How about Sheldon Adelson buying up the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the paper of record in Nevada? Or how about Donald Trump going after...everyone in the news media?

But with all that, what I found most fascinating was the subtle legal machinations at work in the Hulk Hogan sex tape trial (I hope I only felt that because I was already on the pro-free press side of the big issue.) In one move, the plaintiffs dropped any claim that Terry Bollea suffered emotional distress. That's because that would fall under the terms of Gawker's insurance policy, and so if they lost their insurance would have to cover the costs. Instead, they made Gawker (and the owner and editors) personally liable for everything. Because it wasn't about maximizing the award, it was about destroying the company. The other interesting point is how much hinged on the notion that Hulk Hogan and Terry Bollea are separate persons. They inhabit the same body and have the same voice, but Hulk Hogan is a character created by Terry Bollea and that character is a public person--who therefore gives up some of his right to privacy. For example, if you go on the Howard Stern show and brag about your sex life and the size of your penis, then a sex tape of you actually is newsworthy. But Terry Bollea, on the other hand, is a private person, and is afforded greater privacy rights, so details of his sex life are not newsworthy. I'm no lawyer, but I believe the technical term for that is...bullshit!

Running Time: 93 minutes
My Total Minutes: 425,230

Jason goes to SFFILM--Opening Night

The biggest party of the year started last Wednesday night, and of course I was there. One quick note, for people who are used to seeing me post this time of year (or a few weeks later) about SFIFF...this is the same thing, rebranded as SFFILM, and the festival is moved to early April.

After the opening remarks and thank-yous from SFFILM Executive Director Noah Cowan, and an introduction from Director of Programming Rachel Rosen, we settled in for the film.

LANDLINE is a very funny comedy about a screwed up family in the 90s (you know, back when landline telephones were a thing.) Mom and Dad (Edie Falco and John Turturro) have a failing marriage, she thinks he's a failure, he's having an affair. Youngest daughter Dana (Jenny Slate) is nervous about marrying her boyfriend Ben (Jay Duplass) and reconnects with her old college friend Nate (Finn Wittrock.) And youngest daughter Ali (Abby Quinn) goes out clubbing and is on drugs--and she's the normal one. Hilarity ensues, as everyone attempts to follow their own bliss, not exactly caring about who they hurt along the way. Until it becomes clear they are hurting the very people who keep them grounded--their personal landlines--and they attempt to navigate their way back. They're probably not the sort of people I would want to know in real life, but they're certainly entertaining to watch for 96 minutes.

Then a short discussion and Q&A with Jenny Slate, Abby Quinn, and writer/producer Elisabeth Holm. With Rachel Rosen leading the discussion, it was pretty cool to see four smart, talented, funny women talking on stage.

Then over to the Regency Center for the after party. A little food, a lot of drinks, and investing some new people into IAM-Intrepid Audience Members. As the official west coast proxy for this not-very-secret society, I have pins to give out if you're willing to take an oath, learn a handshake, and be intrepid in your support of the arts. Hey, you know where's a great place to do that? At the SFFILM Festival! Just look for the guy with the big hair and top hat who sits in the front row.

Running Time: 96 minutes
My Total Minutes: 425,137

Jason goes to Niles for a Buster Keaton Weekend--part 2

The fun continued on Sunday

First up was a panel discussion with Harry Keaton (Buster's nephew) and historians Martha Jett and Lloyd Williams. Led by our very own Larry Telles, it was a jovial conversation about Buster, mostly about debunking the rumors about his life. No, he wasn't illiterate. He didn't have much schooling but was tutored on the road in the tent shows/vaudeville circuit. Yes, Harry Houdini was a family friend, and Buster's dad Joe Keaton did tell the story of how Harry Houdini named him "Buster." But Joe was also a great...advertiser. So let's go ahead and call that one true. We also had great stories of Buster shooting his classic THE GENERAL in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and how he became a fixture in the town for a time.

And that was a nice lead-in to a very short clip of Buster Keaton on location shooting THE GENERAL.

And then a Warner Brothers Cartoon HOLLYWOOD STEPS OUT, featuring a shot of cartoon Buster Keaton. Check out the Wikipedia article for all the references its making.

Then we were treated to s series of commercials Buster did later in his career for Alka-Seltzer, Country Club Malt Lager, and more.

And finally, that afternoon was the grand finale, ending with his greatest classic. More copy-paste from previous times I've seen them.

THE SCARECROW (1920):

Buster and his fellow farmhand (who live in a wonderfully inventive house. Eating breakfast is an adventure in and of itself) are both after the hand of the farmer's lovely daughter. Wacky hijinx ensue, eventually leading to Buster disguising himself as a scarecrow. And getting the girl--actually matrimony is the recurring theme in these shorts.

Yup, still hilarious.

THE BOAT (1921):

THE BOAT (1921): Buster Keaton in yet another movie I'd seen before at Niles. Here's what I said in August 2009:

Buster Keaton's classic of destruction. Just trying to take his boat the Damfino on it's maiden voyage, he destroys his house, his car, the dock, and more. He ends up soaked, the Damfino does somersaults on the waves, and when he sends an S.O.S and they ask what boat is calling, answering "Damfino" doesn't result in help.

Yup, that sums it up pretty well. Plus there's a treat at the end for any lip-readers.

Yeah, pardon the nested references to previous reviews. I've seen it a few times. An excellent showcase of Keaton's inventiveness, as well as his physical skills. Also, I should recommend Kevin Brownlow's excellent "The Parade's Gone By" for...well, for many reasons. But high among them is Keaton's description of how he finally pulled off the boat-sinking gag. So much work for just a couple of seconds of screen time. But perfectionism pays off this time.

And finally...

THE GENERAL (1926):

Buster Keaton's classic! No need, really, to describe it. If you haven't seen it, just go see it. But I will tell you instead about the first time I saw it on the big screen. Which was at the Castro. And with the Alloy Orchestra. This was at the San Francisco International Film Festival in...I think 2004. I had seen a few silent films before, but mostly on DVD at home and it might have been my first experience seeing a silent film in a theater with live music. At the very least, it was the first time I really appreciated what the big screen, enthusiastic audience, and live music can do for a film. It was then that I realized you haven't necessarily "seen" a silent film if you only watched it alone at home. It was a complete revelation, and still one of my favorite film events ever. And it definitely holds up to multiple viewings.

Huh. Well, that's not very descriptive. So here goes. It's actually based on a true story from the Civil War, and Buster plays a Confederate engineer (train driver, not thing builder) named Johnie Gray. He tries to enlist, but is rejected because he's too valuable to the Confederacy as an engineer. But when his engine is stolen, he chases it behind Union lines, steals it back, and saves the day. You do have to be able to accept a Confederate as the hero, but this isn't a politically charged film like BIRTH OF A NATION. It's just a fact that the story is one of Confederate heroism. Anyway, I found it easy to get over it. And it's both a hilarious physical comedy, but also a thrilling action flick. And it's fantastic on both counts. Truly a master at the top of his game.

Total Running Time: 129 minutes
My Total Minutes: 425,041

Jason goes to Niles for Buster Keaton Weekend, Part 1

Last weekend was a Keaton-palooza at Niles. I missed the opening night so I could see the US whup Honduras 6-0 at Avaya Stadium, but I was there for a full day of Keaton hilariousness on Saturday.

Most of the films I had seen before, so let's look at what I wrote before.

THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1921):

Buster Keaton is a clumsy bank clerk. Counterfeiters have rigged up their hideout to seem like it's haunted to scare people away. But Buster and an awful cast of actors in costume for Faust have some wacky hijinx in there and end up foiling the crooks. Hilarious.

Yup, that's right.

THE HIGH SIGN (1921):

Keaton as a not-so-sharp sharpshooter who is simultaneously hired to protect and assassinate the local miser August Nickelnurser. The Blinking Buzzards want to kill him because he has refused to pay their extortion price. So not only does Mr. Nickelnurser hire the most inept bodyguard, he also rigs his house with all sorts of secret passages, leading to a pretty frantic and hilarious final act chase.

Yup, and "hilarious" is going to be a theme of this weekend.

THE CAMERAMAN (1928):

What can I say, this is Buster Keaton being a comic genius. It's also the first film he made for MGM, and the start of him losing control over his own films--something he later called his worst mistake in his life. But he's still great in this as a humble tin-type photographer who sees a pretty girl (Marceline Day,) finds out she works at an MGM newsreel office, and decides to clear out his savings account to buy movie camera, get the great footage, and really impress her. He just has a bit of a learning curve. But with his stone-faced gumption and a very clever monkey, he saves the day. It also includes a hilarious public pool sequence that is surprisingly risque for the time. Hilarious, and I just had to wonder how the cameramen on the movie felt about the scene showing a monkey could do their job.

Ooh, "comic genius" should also be a theme of the weekend.

Then a short intermission and on to the next show!

ONE WEEK (1920):

Buster Keaton in one of his best shorts. He and his new wife are given a house as a wedding gift. Trouble is, it comes as a kit, unbuilt. Bigger trouble, the man she turned down to marry Buster messes with the numbers on the kit and they end up with the craziest house ever.

Yup, one of his best shorts. Also, it's not just built crazily, there's a huge storm that destroys their housewarming. Also, I love this observation I made about the house in ONE WEEK and Richard Elfman's THE FORBIDDEN ZONE, and VIDEO DIARY OF A LOST GIRL. Remember, one of the best reasons to watch silent films is because they're still inspiring modern films!

THE PLAY HOUSE (1920):

It opens with a brilliant all-Buster vaudeville show--including an all-Buster audience (and it bears reminding that this was all done in camera--no CGI, no green screen. All these tricks were done in-camera.) Then Buster wakes up and he's just a stagehand backstage in the theater. But he does get his chance to shine when the monkey escapes and he fills in at the last minute. Pretty hilarious. And, of course, he gets the girl in the end but that's really just a side plot--the recurring gag is that there are twins and he's always grabbing the wrong one.

Yeah, "brilliant." That's another word that should dominate the weekend.

STEAMBOAT BILL JR.  (1928):

The Buster Keaton classic. What can I say? Keaton at the top of his game, playing the puny college son of burly steamboat captain William "Steamboat Bill" Canfield (Ernest Torrence.) He's an embarrassment to his father, and to make things worse it turns out his college sweetheart is actually the daughter of his father's worst enemy, the rich and powerful (and appropriately named) Mr. King. It seems he's in for nothing but trouble, but when a big storm hits town, Steamboat Bill, Jr. uses his wits to save everyone and win the girl. It also features one of Keaton's most famous gags--where the side of a house falls on him, leaving him unscathed as the open window frame falls right around him.

"Classic" absolutely. I actually believe there's a legitimate debate to be made over whether this or THE GENERAL is Keaton's greatest masterpiece.

Another intermission, a little Bronco Billy's pizza, and on to the evening show!
COPS (1922):

Buster Keaton, in one of him most famous shorts. Through a series of missteps, he ends up stealing a policeman's wallet, "buying" a truckload of a furniture, and ending up in the policeman's parade. And that's just the start, as his wacky missteps lead to the entire police force chasing after him. All, of course, to make something of himself and win the hand of his girlfriend.

Yup, one of his most famous and most hilarious. And I'll add a shout-out to the "goat glands" scene. If you want to know more, there's a hilarious documentary about the doctor who pioneered goat glands treatment, NUTS.

THE BLACKSMITH(1922):

A workplace theme, with Keaton as a blacksmith's (way too weak) assistant. He shoes a horse, gets filth all over it, and destroys a beautiful white Rolls Royce. A bit of trivia--the car he destroys is his own, given to him by in-laws with whom he was no longer on speaking terms. A bit of on-screen real life revenge.

True, but I forgot to say something like "hilarious" or "classic" or "brilliant." It's all of these things.

COLLEGE (1927): Hmmm...this appears to be the only one that I hadn't blogged about before. I think I had only seen it on DVD at home before. Anyway, Keaton plays the valedictorian at his high school, but his speech is kind of upstaged by a rainy day and a warm heater that shrinks his clothes in a very embarrassing way. Anyway, anyone who listened to his speech knows he is a fan of books and not a fan of sports. Unfortunately, his girlfriend doesn't particularly like that attitude, so when he gets to the same college as her, he tries out for all kinds of sports. Baseball, track and field, etc. And he fails at all, with hilarious results. Eventually he's put on the crew team as the coxswain--partly because he's small and smart, but mostly because the dean likes him and sympathizes with his romantic plight. But his real athletic prowess comes when he finds out that his girl is being held in her room and threatened by the campus jock (a scene that is way too creepy to fly in a modern film.)

And that was last Saturday at Niles. Awesome, hilarious fun, made even better by the fact that I barely had to write anything new, I could blog most of the day just by cutting and pasting!

Total Running Time: 363 minutes
My Total Minutes: 424,912

Jason watches THE SENSE OF AN ENDING

As usual, even after Cinequest ends, it's never really over. This was playing at the theater near my work, and knowing it had the Cinequest stamp of approval, I had to see it.

It's a superbly acted movie, starting with Jim Broadbent as Tony Webster, an aging semi-retired proprietor of a camera shop, who learns that he has been bequeathed a diary written by his best friend from school. Tony has formed something of a life. An ex-wife, a daughter (and a grandchild on the way) but also a reputation as kind of a curmudgeon who doesn't care much at all about other people. The movie jumps back and forth between his current years and his school days, showing the audience his old friends, his first love Veronica (played in current years by Charlotte Rampling) and his best school friend Adrian (Joe Alwyn.) It crafts an excellent, character-driven story about regret, responsibility, memory, and the "story" part of your personal history.

Let me think...nope, I can't reveal more than that. Sorry. But go see this. It might be slow at first, but it'll pay off. Kind of like life.

Running Time: 108 minutes
My Total Minutes: 424,549

Jason watches GET OUT

Cool freakin' movie. Definitely lives up to all the praise it's getting.

A very modern horror film, which is smart enough to warrant several viewings, while also individual enough to know that I, as a white man, will never truly understand the full significance of the horror involved. A young black man Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) is dating a white woman Rose (Allison Williams) and is finally meeting her parents (Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford.) They seem super nice, if in a sort of trying-too-hard-to-prove-they're-not-racist way (this would make an interesting double feature with LITTLE BOXES.) But there's something strange going on. Starting with Rose's mom hypnotizing Chris, ostensibly to cure his cravings to smoke, but totally without his consent. Then it gets...weird, in a way that I don't want to spoil. But I can say I loved the way it played with expectations and overturned common horror cliches--starting with the cliche that the black guy dies early.

You know what? Lots of people have written about how smart this movie is. They're right, it's great. Especially how well written it is. I'm not that good of a writer. You shouldn't be convinced by my stupid blog. Instead you should watch it yourself.

Oh, and of course director Jordan Peele, famous for the Comedy Central show KEY AND PEELE, makes an odd choice with horror for his directorial debut. I can attest that it's also a very funny movie, and his comedy chops are definitely used in his ability to challenge and subvert expectations. And while I'm sure he'll make comedies in the future (and I'm sure I'll enjoy them) here's hoping that he'll also continue playing in the horror genre.

Running Time: 104 minutes
My Total Minutes: 424,441