After four years and 20,000 guests served, filmmaker George Motz and the team behind the NYC Food Film Festival are pleased to announce the first annual Chicago Food Film Festival, taking place September 24-25 at the MCA Warehouse. Packed with mouth-watering documentaries, features, short films and food, the festival brings you the opportunity to taste what you see on screen for a multi-sensory, full-bodied experience.

Kicking off with Edible Adventure #002 on September 24th, each film is paired with a tasting of its subject matter. Nuggets of fried cheese curds, corn dogs, and other fair foods are served with the film Eat Your Fill, directed by Mark Irving, where a man eats every menu item that is fried and/or on a stick at the Wisconsin State Fair, to special ice creams paired with trippy The Death & Life of Ice Cream, directed by Orrin Zucker. Look out for other delectable matches of films and food involving oysters and exotic sodas like Fanny Bay oysters served during the screening of Craig Noble’s The Perfect Oyster and exotic sodas paired with the award-winning Soda Pop.

Closing night, September 25th, takes you on the Chicago Burger ‘N Beer Experience, curated by Chicago’s own Chef Michael Kornick. While feasting on burgers supplied by Kornick’s DMK Burger Bar and drinking independent beers from Chicago and beyond, festival-goers can feast their eyes on films such as Beer Wars, directed by Anat Baron, and The Best of Hamburger America, directed by Festival Director George Motz.

The festival sprang from the imagination of George, after the critical success of Hamburger America film and book, along with co-creator Harry Hawk, formerly of Schnack and Water Taxi Beach. ??In 2009, acclaimed director Ron Mann called the festival “his absolute favorite” after his film Know Your Mushrooms was screened and followed by a 10-course mushroom-inspired tasting menu from Next Iron Chef star Brad Farmerie of Public and Double Crown. Other past events have included a screening of Whole Hog by Joe York, during which over 1000 people feasted on whole hog barbeque. Following a screening of the food film classic Big Night, the audience enjoyed a re-creation of the famous Timpano featured in the film. And at the World Premiere of Florent: Queen of the Meat Market for one night only the audience was treated to memorable menu items from the shuttered iconic restaurant.

For those who act quickly, the Festival is offering a limited number of discounted VIP Passes and Pre-Sale Tickets to most events beginning this evening, Thursday, August 19th at 5 PM CST. Visit www.chicagofoodfilmfestival.com to order online.

Seattle’s cutest film festival is all systems go for 2010! The third annual CouchFest will be happening at your Seattle neighbor’s houses on November 7th, 2010. What? You don’t know what Couchfest is?

“Starting every hour, each inviting house will have its own unique 30 minute program of short films. You, early adopter and a lover of film, may visit the houses with themes that interest you. The houses will be comfortably located near each other so you can stroll, meander or bike with excitement and anticipation to your next selected house. There will be a short intermission during each individual program where you and your couch neighbors can gripe or praise the films you are watching. Ultimately, the hope is that you might interact, share and discover fellow lovers of film.”

You might have heard of DIY shows, but this is a DIY film festival. And it needs more Y! Go to http://couchfestfilms.com/submit.htm to find out how to submit your own short film. There’s no submission fee, no restriction on location, and even a Golden Couch Award that you may or may not win! And if you live in Seattle and you want to provide a couch/DVD player/TV, just go to the website, dummy!

REVIEW BY JUDY NELSON

It was the perfect setting for the classic food film, It’s Grits: a sweltering 90+ degree Sunday in a big tent, with everyone fanning themselves with their program booklets, in a venue called the Tobacco Warehouse. It felt like being in the Deep South, the home of grits themselves, with one exception; it was the middle of Dumbo, Brooklyn, and it was mostly Yankees in attendance. A bonafide Yankee born and raised, I have only tried grits a few times and found it difficult to believe that a short film from the
’70s was going to convince me that they were the perfect food item. It was a pleasant surprise to be proven so wrong.

It’s Grits is a charming B&W documentary by director Stan Woodward, filmed mostly through interviews with Southerners, done on what was probably a minuscule budget. Even though the movie was celebrating its 32nd anniversary this year, it still feels fresh because this documentary style is all the more common now in films. With the thesis that, “Everyone from all walks of life in the South eats grits,” Woodward creates his delicious palate and draws the viewer into the delicate story line. After countless confirmations of his thesis in South Carolina, he takes us up north to New York, New York, where, at an ethnic food fair (which looks like it is on the Brooklyn waterfront close to where the movie screening took place), he asks people if they like grits. Most people don’t know what it is, but don’t seem to care; one guy offers him falafel instead, convinced it’s the better choice.

The majority of the movie is filled with humorous, endearing encounters and images. There is even a “Grits cheer” at a football game in South Carolina, and an interview with a man who eats his grits with a dollop of peanut butter. But the undertone is that the agriculture and industry based around corn in the South is faltering, and it needs revitalization. There are a lot of images or corn mills and machinery alongside interviews with the mill owners and corn growers, and they seem all the more depressing in black and white. This was 30 years ago, and a lot has changed since then, but the North/South divide still exists in spirit.

If we can ever reach an accord regarding this deep divide, grits might be the answer. Following the movie, we took part in a Grits “takedown” in which 30 local chefs prepared their own take on grits, and we viewers/participants got to sample each one and vote on our favorite. It was a wonderful experience and a well-run event, and most (if not all of us Northerners) left happy and full of grits.

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: Arvin Chen
Taiwan, 2010

Taipei is a gorgeous city at night. Writer/Director Arvin Chen obviously knows this, and reveals this (poorly kept) secret to the world in his debut feature Au Revoir Taipei. This unrelentingly adorable film focuses on a single night in the titular city, following a young man named Kai (Jack Yao) and his quest to win back his ex-girlfriend who is studying in Paris. This involves him acquiring a one-way plane ticket to his former love, which he can only get with assistance from a local “made man” who is quietly trying to go legit. With the help of his tall but meek friend Gao (literally “high”), and the mousy but surprisingly forward Susie, Kai dodges wanna-be gangsters in bright orange suits with only one thing on his mind: love.

The leads may be a capable, adorable couple but the city is the true star. The film captures eloquently some of the most charming aspects of the city: the multicolored broadways, the lush night markets, the hedge maze that is the Eslite main store. Au Revoir Taipei is a caper that is constantly interrupted by the city’s many treats. Kidnappers take a side route to pick up some dumplings.  A chase through the park is stopped by the neighborhood midnight exercise squad. A conversation between gangsters is interrupted by the loud slurping of beef noodle soup. It’s quintessential Taipei.

A perfectly balanced hybrid of Wong Kar Wai’s chaotic urbanism and Wes Anderson’s quirky cadence, Au Revoir Taipei is a universally enjoyable movie, a strong first film and an endearing document on the natural charm of Taipei, a city that never sleeps.

Au Revoir Taipei was screened at the 2010 Seattle International Film Festival and can be seen on these dates:

June 12^th - Kirkland Performance Center @ 6:00 PM
June 13^th - Pacific Place Cinema @ 9:15 PM

This week’s recommended picks! Go to the website for the Seattle International Film Festival for more details.

8: The Mormon Proposition

A documentary studying why Proposition 8, the constitional amendment banning gay marriage, passed in California. The primary reason they point to is the Mormon Church’s heavy involvement in the movement to stop gay rights.

SHOWTIMES
Mon, June 7 @ 7:00pm (Egyptian Theatre)
Tue, June 8 @ 4:15pm (Egyptian Theatre)

Gordos

Five overweight individuals struggle with images of self in this black comedy, and it doesn’t help that their skinny therapist feels more and more revulsion towards larger individuals as time goes on — especially for his pregnant wife.

SHOWTIMES
Wed, June 2 @ 9:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)
Fri, June 4 @ 11:00am (Pacific Place)
Mon, June 7 @ 9:20pm (Uptown Cinemas)

The Two Horses Of Genghis Khan

The Two Horses Of Genghis Khan (Chingisiyn Hoyor Zagal) is a documentary film about a Mongolian vocalist, Urna Chahar-Tugchi, who is from a family livestock farmers from Inner Mongolia. She promises to repair her grandmother’s violin and find the song inscribed on the violin’s neck — one which originated in the Middle Ages and is utilizes a specific singing technique which makes it possible to sing on horseback for hours.

SHOWTIMES
Thu, June 3 @ 5:00pm (Everett Performing Arts Center)
Sun, June 6 @ 4:00pm (Uptown Cinemas)
Tue, June 8 @ 9:15pm (Egyptian Theatre)

Robogeisha

Robogeisha is an outlandish film where cyborg geishas fire machine guns out of their hands and chop off heads with blades emerging from leg warmers. Directed by Noboru Iguchi, creator of Tokyo Gore Police, RoboGeisha is meant to be ridiculous, and it revels in it.

SHOWTIMES
Fri, May 28 @ Midnight (Egyptian Theatre)
Tue, June 8 @ 10:00pm (Neptune Theatre)

Altiplano

A village falls sick due to pollution from a local mine, and its superstitious residents turn their rage on local doctors. It’s a study between old beliefs versus new ones, and how they connect in our world today.

SHOWTIMES
Wed, June 7 @ 6:30pm (Pacific Place)
Fri, June 9 @ 4:00pm (Egyptian Theatre)

Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist, And Rebel

Hugh Hefner is known as an old man with Playboy girlfriends, but who is he really? This documentary explores his life and how he has influenced female rights and legislature such as Roe v. Wade.

SHOWTIMES
Sat, June 5 @ 6:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)
Sun, June 6 @ 1:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)
Wed, June 9 @ 9:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)

Protektor

A stylish drama set in Nazi-occupied Prague, which explores the fragility of relationships by means of bright, minimalistic visuals.

SHOWTIMES
Wed, June 9 @ 9:00pm (Kirkland Performance Center)
Fri, June 11 @ 6:00pm (Pacific Place)
Sun, June 12 @ 4:00pm (Egyptian Theatre)

Hipsters

Set in 1950s Moscow, Hipsters shows how musicians can break free in the midst of Soviet conformity. A love it or hate it musical some will swoon over and others will abhor.

SHOWTIMES
Sat, June 5 @ 5:45pm (Kirkland Performance Center)
Thu, June 10 @ 6:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)
Sat, June 12 @ 2:30pm (Pacific Place)

Brotherhood

Brotherhood explores how homosexuality changes when placed under the weight of society. Lars and Jimmy meet when training together in a neo-Nazi group and soon find themselves feeling deeply passionate about one another. The atmosphere of intolerance forces them to keep their relationship under wraps.

SHOWTIMES
Mon, May 31 @ 9:00pm (SIFF Cinema)
Fri, June 4 @ 9:30pm (Uptown Cinemas)
Wed, June 7 @ 4:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)

I Kissed A Vampire

It’s a vampire musical. That’s all you need to know, really. If you like guys who look like Adam Lambert, this is the boat for you.

SHOWTIMES
Sat, June 10 @ 7:00pm (Neptune Theatre)
Mon, June 12 @ 4:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)

The Wildest Dream (IMAX)

Go along with Conrad Anker as he recreates the journey of Geroge Mallory, a man who died upon scaling Mt. Everest in 1924. Using the same equipment and clothing as Mallory, Anker finds just how difficult it really is, and why Mallory departed with the words, “We shall go, and if it is a one-way ticket, so be it.”

SHOWTIMES
Fri, June 11 @ 7:00pm (Pacific Science Center IMAX)
Sat, June 12 @ 1:30pm (Pacific Science Center IMAX)

The Sentimental Engine Slayer

The debut full-length film of The Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, The Sentientl Engine Slayer is a grimy look into the life of Barlam (played by Rodriguez-Lopez himself), who seems to be spiraling out control. The film is loaded with bright colors and iconography, and a killer soundtrack one would of course expect.

SHOWTIMES
Thu, June 10 @ 9:30pm (SIFF Cinema)
Fri, June 11 @ 4:00pm (SIFF Cinema)

Micmacs

The newest film by Delicatessen screenwriter and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Micmacs is a surreal dark comedy where a homeless and jobless Bazil finds himself associating with a whole slew of eccentric characters.

SHOWTIMES
Fri, June 11 @ 7:00pm (Uptown Cinemas)

Plug & Pray

A documentary that looks at the creation of artificial intelligence and where the future of it might lead us.

SHOWTIMES
Wed, June 9 @ 9:30pm (Harvard Exit)
Sun, June 13 @ 6:00pm (Harvard Exit)

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

This week’s recommended picks! Go to the website for the Seattle International Film Festival for more details.

Some Days Are Better Than Others

Four Portlanders with different — yet very Portland, Oregon-esque — lives spend their days trying to find meaningful human connections. The sell here is the acting debut of The Shins’ frontman James Mercer and Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein.

SHOWTIMES
Mon, May 31 @ 9:00pm (Pacific Place)
Tue, Jun 1 @ 4:00pm (Pacific Place)

Garbo: The Spy

Certainly there is no shortage of stuff we don’t know, and Garbo: The Spy is a reminder that we really don’t know anything. An account about a Spanish doube agent during WWII who manipulated just about everyone, Garbo compiles archival footage, interviews, and music to show us the life of Catalan Juan Pujol, who ultimately retired by faking his own death.

SHOWTIMES
Tue, June 1 @ 5:00pm (Everett Performing Arts Center)
Thu, June 3 @ 7:00pm (Pacific Place)
Sat, June 5 @ 11:00am (Pacific Place)

Waste Land

Chosen as best documentary by audiences at Sundance and Berlin International Film Festival, Waste Land follows New York artist Vik Muniz as he heads to Brazil to take on a project in the world’s largest landfill. He creates portraits of local garbage pickers using recycled materials and uses time lapses to document the transformation of the portraits.

SHOWTIMES
Tue, June 1 @ 7:00pm (Pacific Place)
Wed, June 2 @ 9:30pm (Pacific Place)

Gordos

Five overweight individuals struggle with images of self in this black comedy, and it doesn’t help that their skinny therapist feels more and more revulsion towards larger individuals as time goes on — especially for his pregnant wife.

SHOWTIMES
Wed, June 2 @ 9:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)
Fri, June 4 @ 11:00am (Pacific Place)
Mon, June 7 @ 9:20pm (Uptown Cinemas)

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo

Apparently, in Japan, beetles are a respectable creature that are collected and sometimes even sold in vending machines. In this experimental documentary, Jessica Oreck explores this fascination and abstractly draws parallels between the lives of the Japanese and beetles.

SHOWTIMES
May 31 @ 1:30pm (Pacific Place)
Wed, June 2 @ 9:15pm (Harvard Exit)

Disco And Atomic War

resented in a combination of Estonian, Finnish, Russian, and English, Disco And Atomic War reveals the strained relationship between Finland and Russia during the Soviet era, as residents of Tallinn, Estonia did everything they could to rig their television sets to watch illegal Finnish television and get a handle on “dangerous” Western culture.

SHOWTIMES
Thu, June 3 @ 7:00pm (SIFF Cinema)
Mon, Jun 7 @ 9:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)
Wed, June 9 @ 7:00pm (Kirkland Performance Center)

Father And Guns

The highest-grossing French language film in Canada, Father And Guns (De pére en flic) is an outrageous buddy picture between father and son cops, Jacques and Mark Laroche (French-Canadian comedians Michel Côté and Louis-José Houde).

SHOWTIMES
Thu, June 3 @ 9:15pm (Uptown Cinemas)
Sat, June 5 @ 9:00pm (Uptown Cinemas)
Fri, June 11 @ 4:30pm (Kirkland Performance Center)

Ride, Rise, Roar

David Bryne’s collaboration with Brian Eno was a musical dream come true for many individuals, and this concert film documents a 2009 tour where the two decided to collaborate again for the first time in 30 years.

SHOWTIMES
Thu, June 3 @ 9:15pm (Everett Performing Arts Center)

Brotherhood

Brotherhood explores how homosexuality changes when placed under the weight of society. Lars and Jimmy meet when training together in a neo-Nazi group and soon find themselves feeling deeply passionate about one another. The atmosphere of intolerance forces them to keep their relationship under wraps.

SHOWTIMES
Mon, May 31 @ 9:00pm (SIFF Cinema)
Fri, June 4 @ 9:30pm (Uptown Cinemas)
Wed, June 7 @ 4:30pm (Egyptian Theatre)

Fight Club

This film needs no introduction. A part of SIFF’s Tribute To Edward Norton, Fight Club will be airing at the Egyptian as a midnight screening this year. You don’t want to miss it.

SHOWTIMES
Fri, June 4 @ Midnight (Egyptian Theatre)

Hidden Diary

An estranged mother-daughter relationship leads Audrey to her grandparents’ old home, where she discovers an old diary that recalls her grandmother’s life in the 1950s. The result gives Audrey new insight on her own relationships with the female figures in her life.

SHOWTIMES
Sat, June 5 @ 11:00am (Egyptian Theatre)
Thu, June 3 @ 4:00pm (Neptune Theatre)

Cell 211

New prison guard Juan Oliver falls unconscious after a minor accident, and after fellow guards place him in a cell to recover, inmates escape and seize control of the prison. When he comes to, he decides not to give himself away and fakes being a prison inmate through all the turmoil.

SHOWTIMES
Sat, June 5 @ 7:00pm (Neptune Theatre)
Mon, June 7 @ 4:00pm (Neptune Theatre)

The Two Horses Of Genghis Khan

The Two Horses Of Genghis Khan (Chingisiyn Hoyor Zagal) is a documentary film about a Mongolian vocalist, Urna Chahar-Tugchi, who is from a family livestock farmers from Inner Mongolia. She promises to repair her grandmother’s violin and find the song inscribed on the violin’s neck — one which originated in the Middle Ages and is utilizes a specific singing technique which makes it possible to sing on horseback for hours.

SHOWTIMES
Thu, June 3 @ 5:00pm (Everett Performing Arts Center)
Sun, June 6 @ 4:00pm (Uptown Cinemas)
Tue, June 8 @ 9:15pm (Egyptian Theatre)