And so another year’s Seattle International Film Festival comes to a close. You might be saying “Hey! You only watched like eight movies? What kind of publication is this?!” Tut tut, readers.  We here at Redefine watched a boat load of movies! We just couldn’t find the time/space/wherewithal to write about every single one.

But because we love you guys, and to prove to my editor that I really did watch all those movies I said I watched, here’s 29 mini-reviews of all the films I saw that I didn’t get a chance to write about.

Air Doll - Japan

Korean actress Bae Do Na (The Host) stars as a sex doll given a soul. “Nozomi” partakes of all the wonders of human life: some sunshine, a part time job, some casual sex, and murder. But does she deserve this gift? It’s like Pinocchio, if Geppetto gave him a rubber vagina.

Amer - Belgium

Giallo is more than just the color red and extreme close ups of sweaty women. There’s supposed to be a little bit of pulp in there too! All style no substance. Second portion is exceptionally long and drawn out.

Beyond Ipanema - Brazil

Brazillian music is cool. A bunch of Americans think that. Brazillians are surprised that Americans think that. A musical movement is born! Too bad it’s already over.

Cargo - Switzerland

What do you get when you cross Sunshine and The Matrix? An irredeemable, Hindenburg-esque atrocity of a movie. When it starts you ask “where is this going?” When it ends, you answer “absolutely nowhere.” Shitty European CG doesn’t help either.

Castaway on the Moon - Korea

Korea’s take on Castaway. Worthless man is trapped on an island in the middle of Seoul. Internet-living woman sees him out of her window.  Woman wants a human connection, man just want Black Bean Noodles. Duck boat suffers.

The Concert - Russia

Charming, slightly cloying movie about an over-the-hill orchestra. Also, Jews being Jews. Take your parents, they’ll think you’re the best. The woman from Inglorious Basterds is gorgeous.

Crossing Hennessy - Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s take on When Harry met Sally. Asians feel love too! Especially over dimsum. Director Ivy Ho has a way with dialogue, but when the dialogue disappears, the movie plods.

Dear Lemon Lima - USA

Charming, adorable, cute, funny and earnest. Like all the non-sci fi parts of Donnie Darko. Even half-eskimo, suburban girls just wanna have fun! Fun movie for all ages.

Disco and the Atomic War - Estonia

Low, low, low budget documentary on propaganda experiments during the Cold War. More interesting than it sounds! Estonia is used as a media lab rat by the USSR due to its proximity to Norwegian radio waves. Communists want to see what all the fuss about, Estonians ask, “Who Shot JR?”

Hipsters - Russia

It’s hard out here for a teenager in Communist Russia. Glee meets Glasnost as young good-fer-nothing Russians trade their bootstraps for wingtips, wear Technicolor clothes. I personally liked the uptight Katya more than either of the leads.

Holy Rollers - USA

It’s hard out here for a young Hasidic ecstasy dealer. Jesse Eisenberg is probably a better actor than Michael Cera. The dude from the Hangover plays the best orthodox douchebag. Based on a true story.

Howl - USA

Pros: James Franco plays Allen Ginsberg. Cons: Like watching a Wikipedia article about Howl. Useless and disappointing if you’ve read the work. Who’s bright idea was it to animate Howl? Animation looks like a Fantasia fan-project loaded with cocks.

I Killed My Mother - Canada

It’s hard out there for a French-Canadian gay teenager. Pretty good movie for a 21 year old. Moms are the worst! Aren’t they? Main protagonist still comes off as a bit entitled and bratty.

K-20: The Fiend with 20 Faces - Japan

Batman Begins with a lower budget and a mounted camera. Kids in movies are still annoying. When did Steam Punk = Nikolai Tesla fan-fiction? There’s probably going to be a sequel.

Kanikosen - Japan

What the hell is this movie about? Proletariat prisoners on a crab canning prison ship invent unions, have dreams about tossing a beach ball. Chinese caricature on a Russian crabbing ship imparts valuable wisdom. I can’t tell if it’s interesting or not.

Like You Know It All - Korea

Talky movie about a young, shitty director and the shitty things he does. There isn’t a single likable person in this movie. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing! Also, film directors are all fucked up people.

Night Catches Us - USA

Philly in the 70’s never looked so cool. Good performances by all the leads, excellent costuming. Even better music. It’s hard out here for a young black man in a post-Panthers world (no joke).

The Oath - USA

Excellent documentary about reformed Jihadists. Abu Jandal might be the greatest motivational speaker of our time. He’s so good even I considered Jihad for a second.

The Penitent Man - USA

Fuck this movie. This is the movie the douchebag in your quantum physics class tries to make. Blah blah blah blah blah wormhole blah blah blah blah die. This is the worst movie Lance Henriksen has ever been in.

Plug and Pray - Germany

Could God build a robot so smart even God couldn’t beat it? Could man? SHOULD man? Also, the Japanese are still creepy.

Protektor - Czech Republic

Czech radio ain’t what it’s cracked up to be. Leading lady Jana Plodkova has gorgeous eyes, Protektor has gorgeous art direction. But ultimately, if you’ve seen one Nazis vs Films period piece you’ve seen them all.

Queen of the Sun - USA

Bees are really important. Bees are really in danger. Beekeepers are 95% crazy people. This documentary makes it’s point about half way through, and then goes off the deep end of bee admiration. Credits song is ridiculous, on par with the Monster Squad closing theme.

Rapt - France

French Asshole rich guy is kidnapped, no one cares. Criminals, frustrated that no one cares, release him sans a finger. Asshole levels up in assholery. Too Haneke or not too Haneke?

RoboGeisha - Japan

Unlike it’s nihilistic, unfeeling brethren (Tokyo Gore Police, Meatball Machine), RoboGeisha offers a little bit of heart and soul with its pop-culture detonation and gory slapstick. Exactly like aforementioned brethren, the movie lags a bit in the middle during the exposition. Bad guys: “It hurts when you cut me!”

The Sentimental Engine Slayer - USA

Mars Volta guy makes Mars Volta-esque movie about El Paso teen life. Masochistic to make, masochistic to watch. Joyless. It’s hard out here for a sociopathic, hooker choking, tranny fucking teen.

Skeletons - United Kingdom

Finally, a sci-fi movie that actually kind of works! Two dudes go around cleaning out people’s closets (read: secrets). Probably more enjoyable then that DiCaprio “I’m in ur dreams solving ur crimes” movie. Maybe it’s because everything sounds wittier with a British accent.

Some Days Are Better Than Others - USA

It’s hard out here for a twenty-something in Portland. James Mercer does a decent job, especially with the atrocious dialogue he’s given. Me and You and Everyone who watched this movie should demand their two hours back.

Vengeance - Hong Kong

Vengeance is not blind; it just has a memory problem. Old hitman seeking revenge for his daughter’s assault hires cool looking hitmen to kill cool looking hitmen. But sometimes even he can’t tell Asians apart! Lol! Nice to watch Johnnie To movie that isn’t about Triad politics.

William S Burroughs: A Man Within - USA

Burroughs is insane, we all know that. But did you know that he was like the King Midas of Insane? Everything he touches goes nutso. Even Peter Weller is batshit crazy now.

Whew! Glad that’s out of the way. See you next year, SIFF.

Director: Aaron Schneider
USA, 2009

Back when Saturday Night Live was still funny, Robert Duvall appeared in a sketch called “Who’s More Grizzled,” where contestants on a game show riff on subjects to show their grizzled-ness. Of course, Mr. Duvall won handily. No one does old and ornery better than Duvall. Get Low is his latest entry into the Grizzled Hall of Fame, with Duvall playing Felix Bush, a woodsy, ornery, secretive hermit in Depression-era California. Sensing that his passing is near, Felix uses a large, dirty ball of money to convince Bill Murray and Lucas Black (of Tokyo Drift fame!) to hold a big fancy funeral for him. While he’s still alive.

The majority of the movie is a bit of fluff, there isn’t much to be gained from Felix’s story or secret or his relationships with the other characters in the movie. It feels like more of a victory lap for Duvall, who gets all the best lines, as well as the last laugh. The supporting cast turns in excellent performances (Sissy Spacek and Lucas Black especially), but they all seem to be holding back and kowtowing to the venerable Duvall. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Basically, Get Low is 100 minutes of Robert Duvall doing his thing while Bill Murray cracks funny here and there. Duvall’s ornery crank is a classic character: old, embittered, wise, weathered, honest, wistful, human. It’s not really an impactful or meaningful film by any stretch, but I can think of a worse way to spend an evening.

Get Low was screened at the 2010 Seattle International Film Festival. It will be the festival’s closing night movie, screening on Sunday, June 13^th at the Cinerama at 6:30pm.

Director: Teddy Chen
Hong Kong, 2009

Bodyguards and Assassins is a long film. Too long. It’s about 45 minutes too long. It’s also overwrought. There’s a lot of grown men crying about pride and integrity. Things that matter to a lot of people, but not stuff we as the audience particularly care about. In the beginning there are a lot of assassins, not many bodyguards. Lots of people die. Then, there are a lot of bodyguards and not a lot of assassins. Lots of people cry. Eventually the bodyguards and the assassins all appear on the same set. You get 50 minutes of pretty awesome action.

Do you want to see a dude* stop a horse with his head? It’s in the film. Do you want to see a large man named Stinky Tofu kill like 30,000 people? Bodyguards and Assassins got your back. Do you want to see a beggar inexplicably murder like 40 people with a steel fan? Hey I know the name of a movie you should check out. Do you want to see people yelling “Go!” and “Run!” a lot? No? We’ll that’s too bad.

The story is kind of sad if you know anything about Chinese history. Not that the film really cares about history, but you know that everything put out by Hong Kong now a days has to have a “Based on a true story” subtitle to sell. Just remember, no one’s really dead unless they get a little subtitle obituary. Lots of people get subtitle obituaries in this movie. If Bodyguards and Assassins were a TV miniseries, it’d have like 4 episodes. You should only see the last episode.

*Donnie Yen is still awesome.

Bodyguards and Assassins was screened at the 2010 Seattle International Film Festival.

The Wild Hunt
Director: Alexandre Franchi
Canada, 2009

When a previously fringe subculture is intelligently dramatized and written into a film, it is probably the largest step one can take to general acceptance. This goes for issues on race, sex, gender, and, as trivial as it may be comparably, geek issues. Sure, everyone and their mother are saying things like “It’s cool to be geek!” and “Geeks are taking over the world.” And it’s true to an extent. Being a geek is where the money is at, and when the money travels in that direction, so does entertainment. But Hollywood, while quite happy to suck at the teat of nostalgia for a few extra dollars, for the most part still considers the culture quite fringe. It’s why movies based on comic books and video games still blow ass after all these years; no one cares about the culture, the heritage that these things mean to the Geekdom. It’s all kitsch and no compassion.

And when Hollywood makes movies about being a geek? It’s pandering and fairly demeaning. Geexploitation has been a Hollywood trademark for years. From “Revenge of the Nerds” to “Superbad” to “Fanboys,” even when geeks are the heroes they are still tragi-comic characters with barely a single dimension to their name. Geeks are not real to the Hollywood scriptwriter. Their feelings and motivations are not like normal people; they act and think according to geek reason. Geeks do not come of age, they simply “sneak into the Skywalker Ranch” or “Have sex with a cheerleader” or “get to play Super Mario 3.” That is the ultimate goal, the Valhalla of a geek, according to Hollywood.

Geexploitation does nothing more to advance a maligned subculture than Audrey Hepburn’s Japanese-caricature neighbor did to advance the cause of Asians in film. Creating films with impenetrable dialogue and terminology don’t do anything either, though the conflict may be understandable the story becomes untranslatable. There’s a reason why people liked Brokeback Mountain much more than say Kevin Kline’s atrocious In and Out. One struggled to generate comedy from brutishly dissecting the alleged pros and cons of being gay. The other film made no such effort, accepting without question a world where the two main characters were gay. No onus of reason was necessary for the film to make sense.

So from the film summary of “The Wild Hunt,” most people (myself included) would expect yet another Geexploitation film, where the quirks are more important than the characters and the end results with “geeks learning lessons” rather than “people learning lessons.” Thank God that I’m wrong.

A thriller from Quebec, “The Wild Hunt” is the story of a young man, Erik Magnusson, trying to find his girlfriend, Evelyn, who had disappeared after spending a weekend at a Live Action Role Play (LARP) commune. The commune is secluded, its members are devoted, and each has their own personal reason for relishing the world of LARP. One of the more pivotal members, Erik’s estranged brother Bjorn, is dealing with his own crises within the confines of the LARP camp. When Erik arrives at the camp, he and his brother (reluctantly) unite to help each other. Things eventually get a little too real, as what starts out as regulated, rule-limited role play becomes darker and sinister as the real world starts to creep in.

What “The Wild Hunt” manages to do, and why it succeeds as a film, is that it doesn’t trivialize the characters, gives them a basis in the real world without being pandering, keeps them tethered to reality. Thus, their conflicts become sympathetic; their motivations are not alien to the non-LARPing audience. Though no extra knowledge is needed to enjoy “The Wild Hunt,” it does not trivialize the culture of LARP. Respect is given where it is due.

The characters LARP and they are flawed. But they are not flawed because they LARP. And they do not LARP because they are troubled. Erik remains a man apart, refusing the immersion from the very start but succumbing to his “birthright.” Bjorn channels his need for acknowledgement and accomplishment into his alter-ego. Evelyn craves attention, but requires action to see it manifest. Even villain Murtagh needs LARP to prove that he can work within a system, that his way of thinking and his philosophy can be useful. To some, LARP is a sandbox, to others a testament of faith.

Towards the beginning of the film, the director chooses to shoot from inside the LARPers’ imaginations. Swords are sharpened, fires blaze, magic and lore are very much real. Then with subtle sleight of hand, we are back in the real world. Weapons are rubber, the wigs are a little looser, and their face paint rubs off with the gentlest of touches. As order begins to disintegrate, this transition happens less and less frequently. The grey fantasy is lost, replaced by a dark reality. In the final moments of the film, Bjorn delivers a soliloquy worthy of Hamlet, lamenting all that has happened and all that he has done. He finally realizes what we’ve known all along, that his humanity is very real and his escape from it unsuccessful.

Writers Alexandre Franchi (also the director) and Mark Anthony Krupa (also stars as Bjorn) did an amazing job writing dialogue that matters, dialogue that gives us insight into a world only few of us have seen. The humor is subtle but satisfying, and doesn’t come at anyone’s expense. One LARPer laments the walk up and down a hill, as he has chosen to wear a full set of mail. Bjorn makes a phone call to his brother from a payphone requiring that he “fetch his mighty hammer, Mjollnir.” There is bickering about who is “dead” and who is “resurrected” and who has the bigger “enchantment.” LARP is not the joke. And while the film can be sardonically funny at times, it remains a thick character drama with a relatively bleak outlook. But this film stays away from being a commentary on geek fantasy. It does not laud or condemn LARP; it does not provide answers to the question of escapism. “The Wild Hunt” treats its audience with respect, and thus rewards its audience with a compelling story, tragic characters and a film experience worth viewing.

“The Wild Hunt” can be seen at the 2010 Seattle International Film Festival at these times:

June 5th - Egyptian Theater at 11:55 PM
June 7th - Neptune Theater at 9:30 PM

Director: Jo Baier
Cast: Julien Boisselier, Joachim Krol, Hannelore Hoger, Ulrich Noethen, Armelle Deutsch, Chloé Stefani, Gabriela Maria Schmeide, Roger Casamajor, Sven Pippig, Sandra Huller
Country: Germany
Year: 2009

Henry Of Navarre is a historical dramatization that attempts to document the period of Henry IV’s ascension to the throne and the religious wars which preceeded it. But despite the film’s loftiest intentions, a weak script and an even weaker crew burden it to the point of no recovery.

All of the characters in the film are just that — characters — and they fulfill their general beings with mind-blowing one-dimensionality. Take, for instance, Henry Of Navarre (Henry IV) himself. While generally loved throughout his reign, Henry is shown in the film as completely without fault — a point that is accentuated by the fact that he is surrounded by a slew of ridiculously worthless characters. Those characters include Catherine de Medici, mother of the three kings prior to Henry IV. She is known in history for her ruthlessnesss, but the only quality she possesses in the film is cruelty; she might as well have been Cruella de Vil, with less style. Her youngest son, Henry III, is probably the most complex character in the film, and even he is a caricature of a helpless homosexual king who keeps eccentric company. But it’s obvious that character development means little, since new characters spring up inconsequentially and main characters die off without warning. Their deaths are alluded to but never shown (not that viewers are saved from their breathily expelled “last words,” however).

Unintentionly, Henry Of Navarre feels like a complete spoof of period pieces. It begins with running and screaming peasants, who seem fresh from theatre school. Over time, the theatrical aspects fade a little, but the cliches remain. Henry Of Navarre attempts to appease everyone by incorporating all genres of cinema. Immense battle scenes with hectic camerawork show up time and time again. A voyeuristic jaunt through a hedonistic masquerade evokes a scene from Eyes Wide Shut. Sex scenes of numerous types satiate the viewer with a plethora of breasts. And montages of flashbacks add nothing to the storyline whatsoever.

The worst points of the film, though, are when the soundtrack becomes noticeable. Veteran composer Hans Zimmer and Henry Jackman, who has worked on films like Pirates Of The Caribbean and The Da Vinci Code, crafted it. But whereas the aforementioned films probably have a series of checks and balances to keep their soundtracks from becoming too predictable, Henry Of Navarre seems to have none of those, and some scenes are seriously laughable. Each time Henry IV’s latest lover appears from the woodwork — standing in the sunlight, of course — a lute and flute combination befitting the Renaissance period cues. As Henry IV and his comrades dash up the stairs to aid a fallen king, an action soundtrack you might find in Die Hard accompanies. Haunting music one might find in a horror movie seems to build up to a tense point, but there’s actually no gravity behind it at all; a few soldiers are casting shadows onto the metal bars of what could be a prison, but it’s not a prison at all, and the soldiers are complete nobodies.

The lack of a critical thought process behind segues and general mood shifts are, in the end, the absolute downfalls of Henry Of Navarre. While the filmmakers obviously approached the project with a genuine desire to craft a fantastic high-budget period piece, what they end up with is quite a failure.

Mao’s Last Dancer
Director: Bruce Beresford
Australia, 2009

Based on his bestselling autobiography, the dramatized story of Li Cunxin escaping from Communist China is not a particularly unique one. Handpicked from a dusty village in rural China, a young Li is forced to abandon his family and attend the most prestigious (and rigorous) arts school in all of China. At first, Li is inattentive, unmotivated. But, after viewing a tape of Baryshnikov (another ballet dancer who defected from his communist homeland), Li is inspired to become the greatest ballet dancer in the entire world.

His fame eventually leads him to an exchange program with the Houston Ballet Company. It is here in America where his talents and love for ballet are allowed to thrive. Li falls in love not only with the freedom of dancing in America, but a young American woman who attends the same school. It is from there that Li fights for his right to stay in America. But what will his desire for freedom cost him, and his family back home?

Strands of “Farewell My Concubine” and “Forever Enthralled” are (unavoidably) wrapped around the film. Director Bruce Beresford is more than capable, but “Mao’s Last Dancer” lacks the depth and familiarity that Chen Kaige has expressed over and over again on the subject of culture vs Communism. But what the film does offer is an exemplary physical performance by debut actor and Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Dancer Chi Cao. His physical prowess in the movie is breathtaking; watching his performances in the film is on the level of watching Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. I don’t watch much ballet, but after seeing this film it was easier to appreciate the art of dance. Coupled with some genuinely touching moments, satisfying performances from the leads Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood and Joan Chen, and exquisite dance cinematography, “Mao’s Last Dancer” is sure to please anyone looking for a pleasant, visually stimulating film with an inspirational story attached.

This film marks the opening night of SIFF 2010 at the Everett Performing Arts Center. Kyle MacLachlan, the Northwest native famous for his starring roles in the Twin Peaks series and Dune, will be in attendance at the Everett Opening Night. His role in the film as the immigration lawyer who represents Li is understated yet excellent, much like Mr. Maclaclan always is.

The film screens at the Seattle International Film Festival on these dates at these locations:

May 27th - Everett Performing Arts Center - 7:00 PM
May 29th - Uptown Cinemas - 5:30 PM
May 31st - Uptown Cinemas - 3:00 PM

Noise: a genre that is difficult for the average person to appreciate. However, when one sees its creation firsthand or creates it oneself, noise becomes a type of musical art that takes on its own appeal and meaning. In People Who Do Noise, noise becomes associated with faces, through interviews with dozens of Portland noise musicians. The documentary gives viewers who might be unfamiliar with the controversial genre a deeper look.

At its basest, noise is a genre that comes about through the manipulation of various instruments — often homemade — with sounds that range from dirty squeals and ambient drones to robotic pulses, and everything in-between. It can be carefully controlled, or it can be a form that takes on its own life, with very little human input, through the use of electronics.

When discussed, noise can be hard to quantify with words. But listening to noise musicians discuss the creation of their art actually yields surprisingly deep discussions. Some compare the act of creating noise like working within an electronic circuit or closed environment. Others create noise because it is a reminder of an impending apocalypse to come. Still others enjoy it because it’s a type of music that’s easily accessible to all who are curious. The reasons and inspirations for creating noise are vast, but always interesting; for while some pop musicians might say, “I really like to write fun songs that make people dance,” noise musicians talk about noise music in a way that’s similar to physicists talking about physics.

All of the Portland noise musicians in People Who Do Noise — from Smegma to Yellow Swans to god to Argumentix — approach their craft with a seriousness and earnestness that one can’t help but appreciate, even if one doesn’t necessarily appreciate the music itself. Nonetheless, noise musicians can also see the ridiculousness in their craft, when viewed from the outside.

Musician Sisprum Vish gave an anecdote about his childhood which serves as a pretty solid example as to why people become interested in noise. He recalled being a young child who would record cartoons and slow them down because the resulting sound was appealing, and it is this kind of curiosity that is necessary for creating noise. It’s a genre for those who like to tinker endlessly — for who like to build and invent and experiment.

“I think my work is fueled almost completely by what happens when you do something wrong,” reveals musician Redglaer. “Feedback is the wrong thing, but that’s almost at the heart of my work and of a lot of people’s work.”

Utilizing amazing sound mixing and a strong balance of interviews and performances, People Who Do Noise is a good introduction for those who know nothing about noise, as well as an appropriate portrait of noise musicians for those who are already interested.

Like any other self-respecting genre, noise isn’t for everyone. However, it is created by people who find amusement in their craft. And although the amusement to be found in creating noise might come from engineering strange instruments or going against the musical grain as opposed to gaining fans and touring extensively, it doesn’t make the genre any less important.

Set in contemporary Jordan, Captain Abu Raed is a tale of friendship spreading generations. When Abu Raed, an airport janitor, finds a discarded pilot’s hat in the trash, he wears it and is soon spotted by a neighborhood boy who’s convinced Abu Raed is a pilot. Although reluctant at first, Abu Raed soon finds himself playing along with the neighborhood children in this fantasy, regaling them with stories from his “travels.” Soon, the children meet with Abu Raed on a daily basis to hear his stories.

One day, however, it is revealed by one of the boys, Murad, that Abu Raed is in fact a janitor and not a pilot. One might think that the tale begins and ends there, but in fact, that is just the beginning. The film goes on to show how a forgiving Abu Raed impacts the lives of these children even after he is discovered by them to be a liar.

The first Jordanian film to be exported for international cinemas, Captain Abu Raed is at times slightly cheesy, but it’s mostly heartwarming. Abu Raed might be a strange individual, but it becomes obvious very quickly that his heart is absolutely in the right place. Essentially, the film serves to paint a character portrait of him, the sweet, elderly next-door neighbor.

Captain Abu Raed is a well-paced film with characters that are easy to relate to. Although largely light-hearted, the film delves into uncomfortable territory at points with domestic violence and child abuse situations, but it is during these parts that Abu Raed’s character really shines through. Nonetheless, a good number of the other characters who are introduced in the film seem extraneous, and at some points in the film, it seems that there are a million directions in which the story can be taken. In fact, however, the film heads into surprising territory. The end result is a bit unpredictable and, to some, might feel inappropriate.

But what is most notable about this film is the lighting. From frame to frame, the lighting is inconsistent, but each shot in isolation is fantastic. It almost seems as though the director, Amin Matalqa, prefers shooting photographs to films, and the quality of the shots only improve as the film goes on. Generally minimalistic in nature, the cinematography captures the understated architecture of a poor town in Jordan. Neon colors manage to appear in the most unlikely of places, with blue-hued lighting inside Murad’s home and yellow-hued lighting in narrow alleyways of the neighborhood.

A tale of what happens when social classes collide and morals take precedence over self, Captain Abu Raed is a story from which dreams are made. In it, love and caring prevail over evil and anger, and one is reminded that human beings can sometimes be kinder than cruel.

www.captainaburaed.com

If you like zombie movies, read only the bolded parts of this review.

Dead Snow is a smart, funny, and overall impressive addition to the campy Zomedy subgenre. It doesn’t deviate from the formula, and throws hundreds and hundreds of zombies at our heroes, who range from valiant to imbecilic. All the classic zombie tropes can be found here, from grunting growling zombie communication, the continued movement of dismembered undead limbs, and gruesome disemboweling/dismemberments.

Four medical students travel to the mountains to vacation. While out there, they run into an old man who tells them the tale of Nazis, and their cruel actions against the local people. The local people rebelled, driving the Nazi zombies along with their stash of Nazi gold into the cold Swiss Alps. Of course, the campers laugh the old m,an off and proceed to get wasted and have outhouse sex. Pretty much immediately they are besieged by the nazi zombies. Hilarity and gore ensue.

Obviously, the filmmakers behind Dead Snow wanted to make the most gruesome, campiest and fun zombie movie they could. The film straight up steals scenes from other horror neo-classics such as Shawn of the Dead and The Descent. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as movie geeks will undoubtedly get a kick out of recognizing tribute after tribute. It all adds to the fun of watching the film.

Dead Snow’s comedic timing is on point as well. The main characters are constantly bounding between surprisingly cunning and hilariously incompetent. Their profiles may be unfortunately shallow, but honestly, what were you expecting from such a gore-happy slashfest? It’s best that you don’t get too attached to these characters anyways, since Nazi Zombies are about to get very intimate with the contents of their abdomens.

As far as zombie movies go, Dead Snow isn’t a revolutionary film, but rather, a tribute to how far the genre has come in the last few years. It’s a modern, slick, funny, and memorable affair, and a must-see for zombie fans young and old. It is a movie made for midnight showings and large audiences, and should remain a cult hit for years to come.

An artist’s dream is that work he/she leaves behind will outlast their lifetime — that he/she will make a permanent mark on the annals of human history. Ultimately, the result is much more important than the person behind it, but in many cases, the artist becomes larger than the art itself, obscuring their legacy and leaving them forgotten, lost in a wind of ego and fame.

Ondi Timoner’s documentary, We Live In Public, is, ostensibly, about Josh Harris, the tragic and misunderstood dot-com multi-millionaire with an uncanny eye for the future. His ideas about technology, the flow of information, and the basic human need for exposure made him millions of dollars at the dawn of the World Wide Web. But his underlying psychosis, his fame-whorish attitude, and his penchant for throwing millions of dollars at his eccentric “artistic projects” led to his bankruptcy at the end of the ‘90s.

His largest and most successful artistic endeavor was the titular project – Quiet: We Live In Public, in which more than 100 of New York’s bohemia were picked to live in a bunker-style capsule hotel where the rights of privacy did not exist. Josh Harris plays the deity figure, providing everything: free food, bathing areas, a church, uniforms, and much more. At first, the people involved are excited to be there, living in an artist’s utopia and relishing the ability to enter into their neighbors’ private worlds with the touch of a remote. But as things go on, as Mr. Harris starts to add grueling psychological torture to the experiment, and as the inhabitants fight for every shred of dignity and privacy they believe they deserve, things break down quickly and the commune is ultimately dissolved by the police.

Ms. Timoner experienced this astounding experiment firsthand as a resident of Quiet, and was right to document what ended up being one of the most eerily foreshadowing ideas ever crafted during the dotcom era. With the rise of reality television and the advent of YouTube, we all live in an extended version of Quiet, only now the relinquishing of our privacy is not forced upon us, but rather, we readily give it away in exchange for so-called fame (granted, the destruction of Quiet may have been more of a result from Mr. Harris’s fascist tactics and torture than anything having to do with round-the-clock exposure).

And that is where the message is somewhat muddled. Josh Harris’ own eccentricities are his own undoing, and the movie makes great effort to point that out. It is his boredom with his own creations that causes him to sabotage his projects, sometimes deliberately. After the end of Quiet, Mr. Harris’ next endeavor was the first proto-YouTube channel, in which he and his girlfriend lived together in an apartment televised 24/7. No fascist overtones, no space church — just living happily and being broadcasted over the internet with a chatroom for interactions. Rather than being revelatory, though, this project ends up being a depressing window into a man who is transparent in most of his actions… a man who has great ideas on paper, but cannot overcome his own shortcomings to actually execute anything worthwhile.

Review by Allen Huang.