Policeman
Sponsored by 3 Star Jewish Cinema this Israeli made film won the Wolgin Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Nantes Three Continents Festival as well as being nominated for various categories by the Award of the Israeli Film Academy. The often times meandering story of a team of police fighters who specialize in tracking down terrorists. Their group is being sued for a job gone wrong in which children were killed. As a group they decide to lay the blame on one of their own who is suffering from brain cancer because the government can't do anything to him while he's under treatment. One of the team is due to have a baby soon and although proud and expectant, he can't help himself flirting with other women. The relationships between the men and their families involve lots of hugs during greetings that fill up parts of the movie. Soon they have to take on a group of clueless terrorists who want to kill all the rich people. Irony being that some of them have rich parents. When the confused group kidnap the parents of the bride during a wedding ceremony, they don't seem to have any agenda other than getting a TV news crew to their hostage location so broadcast their rhetoric. The police fighter team is sent in and the result is at once expected and disturbing. Where the characters are set up for each side of this story, there isn't much in the way of making these people sympathetic. There's an experimental feel to the narrative that may seem awkward to viewers as the story seems to go nowhere at times. If nothing else, it's a curious look at a world we don't normally see or experience.
Being: Café Tacvba
The biggest rock group in Latin America started in 1989 with the same musical lineup of Rubén Isaac Albarrán Ortega (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Emmanuel "Meme" del Real Díaz (keyboards, piano, programming, rhythm guitar, melodica, vocals), José Alfredo "Joselo" Rangel Arroyo (lead guitar, vocals), and Enrique 'Quique' Rangel Arroyo: (bass guitar, electric upright bass, vocals).
Their music is a combination of typical rock rhythms with a bit of traditional Mexican, punk, ska, electronica and hip hop. They have experimented with different sounds over the years and each album explores a genre. They also were strange costumes, especially hats, in a style that is reminiscent of David Bowie or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. They have toured the states opening for Beck a couple years ago and sell out in South America, Asian and Spain. Yet in America they remain a well kept secret. Hopefully this film that includes some great footage taken of them over the years, as well as musical numbers will open peoples eyes and ears to their unique sound, Ernesto Contreras and José Manuel Craviotto directed and wrote this feature doc seems to have had complete access to the group. It's a love letter to the longevity of their musical collaboration.
Comic Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope
If you have never been the the big San Diego Comic Convention that is held every year as a Mecca to all geek and nerds of comics, movies, and video games then this movie is like a free ticket ride. We follow the adventures of two wannabe be comic artists, one the child of Trekkies, the other a family man serving his country in Oklahoma. There's also a young couple who met at the convention and the young man plans to ask his sweetheart to marry him during the Kevin Smith panel. There's also a costumer who hopes to get her work noticed at the costume contest, and a comic book seller who is having to finally but up a rarest of rare original comic that is valued at a half million dollars. It's interesting to note that what started as a convention for comics and artists haves been replaced by movies, TV and other media that cater to fantasy and scifi pursuits And you can't forget the die hard toy collector who has a whole room devoted in his house to his collectible toys still in their wrappers. There goal is to get the newest figure from Hasbro that is like nirvana for him when he gets his prize. This is a fan boy or girl's dream of going to the con, but the cost of actually attending is daunting, expensive and massive crowds and to be willing to stand in line for hours is not for the faint of heart. This film is the next best thing to actually going there. Directed by Morgan Spurlock and written by Jeremy Chilnick, Morgan Spurlock, Joss Whedon the feature include commentaries by various celebrities and artists.
Mariachi Gringo
Soon to turn thirty Ed (Shawn Ardmore) is stuck in a rut having returned toliving at his parent farm in Kansas. He is felling aimless and is on medication to help him out of his depression. He goes to the local Mexican restaurant where it's run by 2nd generation Mexicans. They can't seem to get behind their grandfathers Mariachi singing to the costumers. For some reason it hits a cord with Ed and soon he's coming over for lessons to the delight of the grandfather but he gets hit by a stroke. Ed decides to go to Guadalajara where the grandfather said there's a plaza where all the mariachi musicians gather to play, challenge, and get jobs. It's fortunate that he runs in to Lila (Martha Higareda) the beautiful daughter of a restaurant owner who takes him under her wings. As Ed assimilates to the new culture and learning from other musicians he eventually starts to bloom. As a gifted musician he quickly picks up the music and is offered a spot in a big popular groups complete with the fancy costumes. Ed is taken aback when he learns that being the token what guy the group decides to call themselves Mariachi Gringo. Although Ed doesn't do too badly for himself. Soon Ed has to decide what he has to do with his life and music. It's the music here that keeps the fairly predictable timing and plot devices together. Especially the vocal performances by Paloma Negra that will pulls your heart out and chews it into little pieces. Directed by Tom Gustafson and written by Cory James Krueckeberg.
Juan of the Dead
Cuban cinema is not often seen in these parts, but a Cuban movie with zombies? What else do you need to know? Like it's counter part Shaun of the Dead, this involves a group of people who try to keep the world normal (for them) while all hell breaks loose. Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas) and his best friend Lazaro (Jorge Molina) do everything they can to do not much of anything for money, booze and slacking around, They buy, steal or take, their lives are filled with instant gratification. Juan's daughter Camilia (Andrea Duro) is in Havana from Miami and doesn't really want to have much to do with her dad. Lazaro has a son named Vladi California Andros Perugorria) who was supposed to be a baseball player. There's been some reports on the TV about dissents among the population that are probably influence by the US trying to undermine the Cuban government. As the zombies wreck havoc on the population Juan and his friends decide to take advantage of the sitution for monetary gain by starting an extermination business by plastering the neighborhood with flyers for their services. They answer their calls with "Juan of the dead, how can i help you kill your beloved?" They do get some work, but more often than not, their clients perish in the mayhem. The TV news announcer keeps telling the audience that everything is under control and to continue on with their daily routine until he's taken out by a zombie, then Juan and his friends decide to take their chances of boating to Miami. Alejandro Brugués wrote and directed this farce that was filmed in Havana, Cuba. The beautiful but run down parts of the city are just a small commentary with the poor quality of health care...it's suggested that the outdated medicine may have caused the zombie outbreak. Plus the pride of it's citizens as embodied by Juan who refuses to leave his homeland. Lots of blood and zombie gore, but in a fun way.
(Reviews by reesa)
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