Tuesday

"The Boys" Short -

"To Build a Better Mousetrap"

"Charades"

Some days.

Some days it just doesn't pay to leave the house.

I am a type of person who expects perfection. When the world does not go exactly like I want it to, it just pisses me off. I can not handle it. I don't get angry or violent. I get bitchy and irritated and pissy. Then again, everyone has faults. This one may be one of my biggest.

Called the Festival and found out that nothing would be shown at the TBA screening at the Paramount tonight. Didn't really want to see "Princess Mononoke," so went to the Dobie.

On my way into "The Boys," passed a woman in the hall talking on a cell phone and saying that "The Boys" was about 3 violent brothers, so it might appeal to males. Found this amusing. Got into the theater and they were playing a Sade CD which seemed rather ironic after the previous comment.

"The Boys" might be a good film. It's hard for me to judge. Oft times I say that for a film to be good, you have to want to spend 2 hours with the characters. The titular "Boys" and the women in their sphere are such white trash, such low class people, that I did not enjoy suffering through their story for 90 minutes.

Perhaps the script is partially to blame. Based on a play by Gordan Graham, the screenplay by Stephen Sewell revolves around three Australian brothers seemingly in their 20's, their female companions and their mother. The script must be vastly different than the play because it negates the chronology of a stage work. "The Boys" jumps around in time like so much cinematic folderol. There is no reason for it except to drain the piece of any dramatic tension it might be able to build.

The script also doesn't really tell us anything. We see these characters, know they are trash, watch them do exactly as we expect and then are left to imagine their worst crime. This is an example of the problems with the film: There is one black character. It is not clear if he is the landlord, the "Boys'" mother's lover or both. He's black, so we know he will be a victim of the "Boys'" violence eventually, which he is.

The work doesn't even seem to want to figure out why these "Boys" do what they do. It is hinted that their behavior is partial to be blamed on lack of a father figure. Their mother is also not very bright. Still, the crimes committed here, on screen and off, never seem to have any motivation or reasoning. There is some nonsense about man as God and stuff, but it is never clear and concise. It's all rather wishy washy.

Perhaps those enamoured with crime dramas and violence in film will find something to enjoy here. These are not my tastes, so the film seemed rather futile to me.

Between films at the Dobie hung out in the food court for a bit. Then went back into the theater. There was not one interesting conversation to overhear anywhere. At last, inside the theater, a cute young kid came in and sat down. I looked over at him a bit later and he had taken off his shoes and propped his feet up on the seat ahead while he read. Make yourself at home.

Before "Charades" started, a couple sat in the row next to me. As soon as the lights dimmed, they whipped out dinner containers and stunk up the place. Do people not understand the concept of "No Outside Food or Drinks?" Yes, the multiplexes are cash cows. But have some damn consideration for your fellow audience members who do not want to smell your rank dinner while they watch a film. Sheesh.

The feature was preceded by a computer animated short called "To Build a Better Mousetrap" which was slightly amusing. Rather derivative though. Still, it got lotsa laughs for a 2 minute cartoon.

"Charades" had lots of problems, but I liked it a little. Maybe it's because I'm intrigued that it was co-written by actress Karen Black. She's a 70's icon of sorts, so it's interesting to see what she might come up with.

When director Brad Marlowe's "Wednesday's Child" won for Best Film at the festival, the smug S.O.B. talked about beating a picture that cost a million dollars. I am assuming he meant this one as it had several name stars in it including Black, Erika Eleniak, Jack Scalia, and C. Thomas Howell. The film looks like a Hollywood film but on a pretty low budget.

I guess it's supposed to be a sort of black comedy. (Okay, couldn't resist the pun, but it's true too). But like the film before it, it plays with the chronology and introduces a weaving narrative structure. Narrative being paramount here, it also has narration by Black to try and explain the jumpy timeline. The story concerns one woman's revenge for a crime done to her family, but it takes a lot of twists and turns to get to this end. I enjoyed trying to figure it out, even though it's pretty obvious. But the film is too often bogged down by it's narrative style, it's slapdash editing and it's jumps in logic and exposition. It seems the print we saw was probably a work print, still there is a lot of work to be done to get to a truly interesting and appealing film. "Charades" does have some promise, however, as minor as it may be.

Directed by Stephen Eckelberry ("Men"), the film is also known as "Felons." It's been around since 1988. Since Eckelberry is mainly known as an editor and a post-production director, he ought to get to it and finish the damn thing up. Then again, Black seems to be taking this around to festivals as her calling card, so perhaps he is no longer involved. "Charade's" script does show promise. But it's the promise of a novice. As a middle aged woman, Black needs to continue to strive to perfect her craft. You're never too old to start! Take it from me.

Ah, the Dobie Theater. What to say about the Dobie tonight. Well, the staff tonight simply did not give a fuck. They are so irritating. It's hard to accept, but since they are the only game in town, what can you do?

Please AFF, please. I beg of you. Find a better venue for next year's festival. The Arbor 7 is way too far from downtown. The Dobie folks just don't care. Only the Paramount seems to truly be a fine establishment, and they only have the one screen. I don't have the answer; It is only my job to question. And question your decisions for the venues, show schedule and the film's selected I do

I am in awe and wonderment by the awesome opportunities the festival provides for the film community, the film business, the Austin community and the Austin film community. And I am in awe and wonderment of how this opportunity seems often times frittered away... This is Austin. We should be 3rd only to Hollywood and Sundance. Too often what I see here seems rinky dink and poorly executed.

Some days.

Some days it just doesn't pay to leave the house.

I am a type of person who expects perfection. When the world does not go exactly like I want it to, it just pisses me off. I can not handle it. I don't get angry or violent. I get bitchy and irritated and pissy. Then again, everyone has faults. This one may be one of my biggest.

Then again, maybe I'm just right.