After two in Austin, I was ready to go. Of the 6 short films here, taped together with the most bland of title cards to introduce each segment and no other connecting tissue, only one is really worth seeing. Luckily, for those who don't want to sit through the whole mess, it's the first short, a hilarious comedy by the Zellner Brothers that takes their absurdist humor to a more commercial level.

But first, let me say more about the whole film. It was someone's bright idea to steal they notion behind 1965's "Six in Paris" and put together six short films by six of the most important filmmakers (okay, maybe 4 of the most important filmmakers) in Austin today and package it as a feature. This has numerous benefits and seems a brilliant idea to expose some of Austin's presumably most important filmmaking talent to a much wider audience. The filmmakers were each given $2,000 to make any short they wanted. They made a few rules and off they went.

Since the film has absolutely no cohesive whole, it's not necessary really to discuss it as such. I guess one should note that, as a whole, it discusses some of the issues important to the city, such as parking, corporate downsizing, the bus system, and the beautiful landscape of the countryside. It might be important to note that the film also doesn't utilize some tired ideas that often appear in many short films such as filmmaking itself or a group of guys who want to commit a crime. It does, however, have far too much simplistic and hackneyed storytelling.

So, here are the short discussed as the separate entities that they are.

Rummy by David and Nathan Zellner

This short is shot on crisp DV and looks gorgeous. Set in one of the numerous parks here near Austin, the natural scenery is visually captivating. The story features David and his co-star from "Frontier," Stephanie Wilson. The duo prove themselves to be two of the most talented actors in Austin; Their chemistry is powerful. The Zellners have crafted a hilarious script and its execution is marvellous. This segment left the audience rolling in the aisles and rightly so. It was perfection.

Beset by Gonzo Gonzales

"Beset" is beset with forced dialogue, bad acting and one of the stupidest scripts I've ever seen. A girl who has recently been attacked moves to a high security condo and is immediately stalked by a crazy obsessive rapist. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Not only has this story been done a gazillion times, its done here as if nobody cared. The acting is stiff and wooden and the camera work is poor at best. Gonzales does try some interesting transitory effects but its certainly not enough to make a movie from. This short is so typical and so poorly executed that Gonzales will probably be the first of the 6 offered a real directing job for Hollywood.

The Absence of Wings by Kat Candler

Imagine Candler's "cicadas" without the marvelous subtlety and you've got a pretty good idea of how "Wings" plays out. In context with the rest of the film, this piece actually seems worthy. But considered against Candler's marvellous feature debut, it seems a step backward, a true indication of a sophomore slump. In the film an abused teenage boy imagines a "good girl" from his school to be his guardian angel. When she shows herself to be just a regular girl, he beats her into unconsciousness. A sad, troubling and, more importantly, obvious story. Candler, nonetheless, proves herself to be a consummate filmmaker. The short is framed perfectly and the color is gorgeous. To bad the script is so bad. The "drinking" scene in the film plays like a segment of an "Afterschool Special." Still, Candler has real talent and this misstep wont haunt her for long. Her cast, particularly Lindsay Brockman, who was the star of "cicadas," and the young man who plays the lead, are quite talented.

Was the music by Explosions in the Sky?

Out of Bounds by Geoff Marslett

Certainly not the worst short in this collection, "Out of Bounds" is nonetheless absurd, pointless and sloppy. Marslett tries to make a sort of ludicrous rumination on school athletics. It doesn't really work. The short is also damaged by a song that the cast sings during the proceedings which has absolutely nothing to do with Marslett's point. (Albeit, it is humorous). Still, Gonzales' tripe and Candler's overwrought lament made this nonsense seem palatable.

Wrecked by Bob Ray

I know Ray made a lot of shorts while at Cinemaker before veering off into his own DV feature. Here, with a budget, Ray proves that he can cast a film, write dialogue well, direct and film. Sadly, his story is lame. About a computer guy who fears he will be a victim of downsizing, "Wrecked" allows Ray to wallow in his interests in blood, guns and homophobia. While technically adept, his song here is like a alt_rock tune performed by studio musicians for a CD to be sold on television. Ray chooses an attractive lead, at least, and proves that he can make a real film when given some cash. But the film is far too staid and contrived. Perhaps Ray felt he didn't want to repeat himself and create another sloppy masterpiece like "Rock Opera" but unlike Candler, he might have been wise to have chosen something not so far afield from the film that gained him notoriety. Ray told me recently that Jerry Don Clark has been out of pocket lately (I can't remembered if he moved or was working out of state or what). Clark has a tiny role here. Too bad Ray couldn't do another film with him in the lead. This just doesn't seem like a Bob Ray film to me.

Carlos by Zack and Wyatt Phillips

Sadly, the last short in the film only serves to remind us how long and worthless the whole project has proven to be. Carlos is a boring and ugly DV film that rambles on for 20 minutes. We are forced to spend an afternoon with a repulsive and unattractive Hispanic man while he traverses across Austin on bus and by foot. I don't feel bad calling this guy unattractive because it is obvious that is why the Phillips Brothers chose him for the role. They dress him in the most visually unappealing white cotton t-shirt imaginable and then force us to look at him and only him for 20 minutes. I think the boys were going for a sort of Jacques Tati thing but ended up more with a segment that looks like outtakes from TV's "The electric Company." The short does end with a funny joke but it is far too little too late. If you don't have a headache by the time this short starts, you will when it is over. A really lame and tired ending to a rather painful exercise in short filmmaking.

It is sad that "Six in Austin" is such a dismal failure. Maybe there really is a good reason that everyone keeps moving to L.A.

Note:

A ton of Austin people and organizations provided funds for the film. Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avelon helped somewhere along the way as well.

The website for the film www.sixinaustin.com offered me zero help in writing this review. I've never seen a film website with less information.

Report Card Zellners: A+ Gonzo: D+ Kat: B- Geoff: C- Bob Ray: C Phillips: D- Final Grade: C

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