SPIKE LEE TO BE HONORED AT AUCTION BENEFITING CHILDREN¹S CHARITY, CAMP BROOKLYN, ON WEDNESDAY, DEC 9

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will present the 20th Anniversary Mickey Mantle Community Service Award to director and actor Spike Lee as well as Denise Arbesu of Citibank at an annual sports and entertainment fantasy auction benefiting Camp Brooklyn on December 9th.

Camp Brooklyn was founded by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz to give children from low-income homes an opportunity to attend a sleep-away camp no cost to the camper. The Camp Brooklyn Fund gives these children a chance to leave their urban environment and learn about teamwork, loyalty, wholesome health habits, responsibility, personal respect and appreciation for nature, all of which are a part of a child¹s education at summer camp.

Since 2002 Camp Brooklyn sent more than 1500 Brooklyn children to summer camp. To help raise funds - - and send over 400 children to camp in 2010 - - Camp Brooklyn will auction off a number of unique and exclusive items at the event, including:

·A walk-on role In Spike Lee¹s next movie
·A Bruce Springsteen signed acoustic guitar
·A week-long stay along the Amalfi Coast in Italy with breakfast and gourmet
dinners in a sea view room at the 4-star rated Hotel Bonadies
· 4 or 5 day Carnival Cruise, sailing from the Port of New York
·An Alex Rodriguez #13 autographed New York Yankees pinstripe jersey

In addition to the above, a vacation package with Carnival Cruise Lines, VIP seats to the Late Show with David Letterman, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, getaways to Orlando, Salt Lake and Las Vegas and over 50 other items will also be auctioned.

The week leading up to the event, Camp Brooklyn will also host several items on-line at www.charitybuzz.com. This on-line auction will begin on Tuesday, December 1st and close at noon on December 9th. All on-line items will then be available for bidding at the event.

Tickets are $200 and available to the general public. All proceeds will benefit Camp Brooklyn. Tickets include a full buffet dinner, open bar, the award ceremony hosted by Jamie and Marty Markowitz and silent and live auctions with Q104¹s Ken Dashow as the auctioneer.

To purchase tickets or donate to the Camp Brooklyn Fund, visit: http://www.active.com/donate/campbrooklyn2009

Details:
Camp Brooklyn Fundraiser
Wednesday, December 9th.
6pm-9pm
Mickey Mantle¹s Restaurant
42 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
(business attire recommended)

For more information, please contact Karen Rosenberg at Empire Events Group, Inc. 212-625-1025 or email: karen@empireeventsgroup.com or Brendan Gilmartin at Shore Fire Media (bgilmartin@shorefire.com) 718-522-7171 x. 12
Nancie S. Martin at Shore Fire Media (nsmartin@shorefire.com) 718-522-7171 x. 23

The Mourning After

There have been a number of films within the last five years that deal with circumstances around the tragedy of 9/11 in New York City. A new film by budding director, Lawrence LAW Watford called The Mourning After is about an extramarital relationship between a man and a woman and affair that took place the night of Sept 10th that would change their lives forever.

Chris and Felicia work at the World Trade Center and on the evening of Sept 10th, the two decide to rent a room in a high rise Manhattan hotel suite. The film begins with Chris and Felicia preparing to go to work when the sounds of police sirens and fire trucks surround the background. Chris' cell phone is ringing off the hook and he immediately turns on the television to see what is going on. The face of Geroge W. Bush is seen annoucing to the world that two airplanes crashed into the twin towers in New York City.

The story turns now to Chris and Felicia, who were supposed to be in that building if not for their heated affair the night before, and both live with not only the guilt of cheating on their spouses, but also the torment of what would have been if they decided to stay faithful to their partners. The film takes a dramatic turn when Chris' life after the affair changes significantly compared to that of Felicia's and the two are battling feelings of shame, pity, and resentment that comes to a climactic close.

There are solid performances in this film and stunning shots of New York City's ground zero. It's a film that shows meaning and purpose in a meaningless act that occured on September 11th. The film was shot on a shoestring budget, but asthetically looks like it was made on larger scale indie budget. The Mourning After is definitely a film worth seeing and shows an intensity in a small sliver of screen time that has you yearning for more.

The film was made on a $12,000 budget in New York City. The trailer of the film can be seen here. Please contact Lawville Solutions if you are interested in more information about the film.

Take a look at the trailer here:

The Mourning After

Here is an inside look at the upcoming film "The Mourning After" directed by Lawrence "Law" Watford.

The film is "The Mourning After"… It’s the story of two corporate executives who were supposed to be in the World Trade Center on 9/11, but instead were in a near by hotel room having an affair. They reunite 3 years later, still deeply affected by the event and why they survived.

The script is an adaptation of a one-act play, written by David Ray. Lawrence’s grad school classmate. "I always loved the story. I was there when David pitched it back in film school. The challenge for David and I was figuring out how to make the most tragic event in U.S. history a backdrop and not the story itself."

The script was originally written in 2002 and was a finalist in filmmaker.com’s short screenplay competition in 2004. But while there was a lot of interest in the topic, nobody thought it was a safe bet as a film…

In 2005 Lawrence contacted David after he completed his last film "A Christmas Wish" and asked if the script was still available… It was and Lawrence immediately began the development… His first target was pitching to actress, Nia Long in 2005. "Melvin Van Peebles introduced me to her at the American Black Film Festival, where "A Christmas Wish" premiered… I asked her if she was interested in producing and she said yes and went from there, but it didn’t develop pass that point"… the project needed funding.

Before he knew it years had passed. During that time, he brought on some friends to help in the development, but the lack of funding made it impossible keep them from other immediate and pressing commitments out in LA.

As more time passed, and having no new material to show Law became antsy and began to randomly reach out to Hollywood talent in the hope that they’d be as attracted to the dramatic nature of the project as he was. "I know that there are a lot of well-known actors in Hollywood, who are pigeon-holed into comedies, or adventure, or television and I was hoping that one of them would see the project as mutually beneficial… I provide them with material that allows them to really demonstrate their chops and they provide me with the celebrity that will help me get the film out in major film festivals"

Law’s efforts eventually paid off when actress Keesha Sharp (Girlfriends) decided to come on board. "Before she came on, there was no project. Just a lot of hope. But once she said she was in, the shoot date became whenever she was free and the budget became whatever I could raise to make it happen"

In an effort to make it worth Sharp’s journey from LA to New York, Law began to search for another Hollywood male to co-star. To help in that effort he brought on talent agent Angela Gulizio, of G&G Talent. "I met Angela on the set of "I Am Legend" and we hit it off. She’s tough and no nonsense, but a genuinely good person who I felt I could trust"

Lawrence and Angela began contacting talent reps, who he thought were attracted to the "audacity" of the concept and the script. "we had interest from Kevin Bacon’s reps, as well as Adam Beach (Flags of Our Fathers). The last meeting we had was with Malik Yoba. We had a great lunch and we were close, but his schedule didn’t allow for him to participate"

In the end it would be the intense and fast approaching schedule, coupled with an inflexible budget that would leave his film starless.

Law would eventually pull from his friends and the production became a cast and crew of familiars, with some new additions. "The crew was fantastic! We shoot for 5 days with a crew of 5, plus 2 interns… but in the end, everyone, including the actors were taking on crew positions"

Law admits that the schedule was grueling, with one day going as long as 17 hours. "It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I know that a no budget indies are like that, but I can’t wait for the day when I can do this as a low budget idie with 14 hour days and three weeks to shoot"

With the film almost ready for release, Law is hoping to score big, with a spot at the major national and international film festivals, where he hopes the subject of 9/11, along with the films intense drama would connect will audiences.

You can contact Lawville Solutions at:

Publicist: Donnette Dunbar, Dash Media 212-758-7394

Visit the Lawville Solutions website at http://www.lawvillesolutions.com/

Early Review: Milk

The film Milk is the biographical story of Harvey Milk. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected into a public office. The movie stars Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco and Emile Hirsch. The film takes place with Harvey and his partner Scott Smith opening up a camera shop in the Castro District. The neighborhood was the hub of homosexuality in the 70's. Harvey Milk started as a community organizer in raising awareness about discrimination against gays in the neighborhood, which later led to him running for city supervisor.

During Milk's time in office, Prop 6 reared its ugly head. Prop 6 was a law would have made firing gay teachers—and any public school employees who supported gay rights—mandatory. The film ironically is relevant to what is happening today with Prop 8 which bans gay marriage. Another stunning performance by the flawless Sean Penn and a quirky, yet delightful performance by Emile Hirsch. This movie is a must see for anyone, regardless of sexual orientation. One of the major undercurrents of this story is about hope for change and fighting for what you believe in. Which is certainly a principle we all can relate to and wish to follow.

Were The World Mine

Are you in the mood for a whimsical story about homoerotic love? How about a movie that weaves in elements and dialogue from the classical Shakespearean play "A Midsummer Night's Dream'? Or better yet, Love Potion No 9 for the gays and lesbians?? Were The World Mine tells the story of Timothy who is an awkward gay teen trying to come to terms with his sexuality. He escapes the pressures of trying to be "normal" in school by confiding in his eccentric drama teacher who helps Timothy find himself. His teacher, Ms. Tebbit, casts him as the lead in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

In the film Timothy concocts a love potion and anoints the eyes of his subjects with it. In turn, the subjects look into the eyes of the first person they see after rubbing out the love potion, and fall in love with them. The twist here is that Timothy coincidentally anoints subjects who fall in love with the same sex. In his small town of 10,000 people, he soon turns everyone into gay lovers. It's an interesting concept and quite intriguing.

The movie is also a musical. There are moments when the film becomes more fantasy than romance and suddenly every character in a scene breaks into song and dance. It was a bit jarring at times, but the musical numbers were really good and fun to listen to. One of my favorite lines in the film was by Frankie, a rock singing hipster who looks like she just stepped out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Frankie says, "I'm a homflexible. I'm straight, but shit happens." Classic!

The film opens tomorrow in limited release in New York and California.

Check out the trailer below:

Remember Mystery Science Theater 3000?

I loved that show! I used to watch that show and afterwards pop in a movie and provide my own comical commentary. Of course, I was by myself. With no audience. In the dark. Okay way too much information, but at the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival, they decided to showcase the talents of The Raspberry Brothers. They screened the film The Lost Boys---a Corey's classic of course and I was laughing out loud the whole freakin time.

The funniest thing the commenters pointed out to the audience was Corey Haim's wardrobe during the movie. I never noticed how gay it really looked!!! Like seriously, what was the set costumer thinking?!? Also there is a quick shot when Corey shuts his closet door and there is a pic of Rob Lowe with an open shirt and oily chest. Was there some homoeroticsm in this movie?? I'm just sayin! I never noticed, but the Raspberry Brothers did!!

Basically the comedy trio did a short presentation of the film and there was a moment midway into the film that they stopped the DVD. The three guys went in front of the movie screen and re-enacted a scene from the film. It was pretty hilarious. Remember the scene with Corey Haim in the bathtub taking a bubble bath and singing the song "Aint Got No Home". In case yall forgot what scene I'm talkin about look at the infamous clip below:





Well the Raspberry Brothers didn't quite re-enact it the way the film was shot, they did it in their own sophmoric kind of way. It was pretty funny...plus there was some brief nudity. Which was kinda of weird for me. The picture above is an old screening date for the trio...but for more info go their website.

CMJ Film Fest Review: The Brothers Bloom

The Brothers Bloom is a cute quirky film quite reminiscent of The Darjeeling Limited and no it wasn't because the film shared the same NYIndieSeen favorite talent Mr. Adrien Brody. BUT...I digress and say that this movie is what I like to call a smunny flick. Smunny movies are films that are smart and funny at the same time. The film is about two brothers played by Indieseen favorites Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo who are both con-artists. They've been conning since they were kids. Really...kid cons.

The movie begins that way and then takes us to the present as the brothers-- who are now adults in their prime. Our friend Bloom, (played by Brody) is jaded by his conniving ways and wants to retire from the swindling business. However, his brother Stephen (played by Ruffalo) who sees what he does as an art form, persuades his sibling to pull off just one more con. The ultimate plan to extort 1.75 million dollars from a wealthy heiress.

Of course the plan goes awry when Bloom finds that he's falling in love with the girl played by Rachel Weisz. However, in my opinion; one of the funniest, cutest, and interesting characters in the entire movie has absolutely little to no dialogue. Rinko Kikuchi , who also had a mute role in the film Babel, plays Bang Bang the 3rd "silent partner" with tha brothaz. The wardrobe attire of the actors is quite dated...in the sense that we forget this film is set in present day, but their outfits look like this film should have taken place in the late 19th centry and maybe very early 20th. I love Bang Bang's wardrobes and "Olseneque" bug eyed sunglasses. She's got a cool swagger with her constant smoking and condescending attitude. Lovez it!

The movie literaly takes us around the world as the the crew takes us from Prague to Mexico to New Jersey. An interesting film that was recently screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival and is scheduled in limited release on December 19th. If you're a fan of smunny movies you'll love The Brothers Bloom. A heist film mixed with romance, lies and deceit. What more can you ask for??

CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival

Tonight is the opening night of the CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival!!!

Here is an intinerary of today's events! NYIndieSeen will provide to you live and direct as much insight as possible about the films premiering at the festival this week.

If you're in the city, stop by and check it out and support BOTH independent film and musicians!

OPENING NIGHT PARTY

Join us for The Hilfiger SessionsKicking off the CMJ Music Marathon - Tuesday October 21st, 2008At Terminal 5 – 610 West 56th Street , NYC – Doors open at 7 PMFEATURING: LOUIS XIV, Young Lords, and Special Guests.RSVP to rsvp@tommy-usa.comAnd check out previous HILFIGER SESSIONS exclusively on TommyTV.com


MEDIA MEET-N-GREET

5:00-7:00PM
Location: Surta – 16 First Avenue (at First Street )
Open Bar, Performances by Sarah White followed by a DJ set from the Beatards


Music Recommendations For Tuesday October 21st

Chairlift – breezy synth pop from Brooklyn - The Annex, 10/21/2008
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – devastating singer-songwriter from Oregon via Brooklyn - Bowery Ballroom, 10/21/2008, 9:00:00 PMLykke Li – Swedish singer with serious pop flair - Bowery Ballroom, 10/21/2008, 11:00:00 PMPhenomenal Handclap Band – sprawling, killer electronic/dance outfit - Music Hall of Williamsburg , 10/21/2008, 12:00:00 AMWale – great, nuanced hip hop from DC - S.O.B.'s, 10/21/2008, 10:00:00 PMDel McCoury Band legendary guitarist w/his two sons - Highline Ballroom, 10/21/2008, 10:00:00 PM


Film Recommendations
The New York Premiere Of Zack and Miri Make a Porno (Thursday Event)
(Dir. Kevin Smith, USA , 102 min) Will take place on Thursday, October 23rd - 7 p.m.Regal Cinemas Union Square , 850 Broadway AvenueLegendary for finding the humorous and heartfelt in life's more vulgar moments, Kevin Smith has helmed what might be his raunchiest film to date. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks play low-income working shmoes with a bright idea to score some cash: homemade porno! Who wouldn't wanna watch that?

Post-screening Q&A with director Kevin Smith.
Panel Recommendations For Tuesday October 21st
It’s Broken, Fix It
11:00am-12:15pm / NYU Kimmel Center , 4th Floor, Eisner & Lubin, Room 401
This panel will be an in-depth discussion on new models for the music industry and how they integrate to make a system that is profitable and fair for all.
Scott Austin, CEO, Authentik Artists
Dallas Austin , Artist/Producer/Owner, Rowdy Records
Steve Yegelwel, President, S-Curve Records
Chris Gannett, VP Strategic Marketing & Business Development, Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Ian Rogers, CEO, Topspin


A Jazz State of the Union Forum
3:30pm-4:45pm / NYU Kimmel Center , 9th Floor, Room 909
This panel featuring the legendary Slide Hampton, will deliver compelling conversation about changes in jazz music along with the state of the jazz industry.
Locksley Wellington Hampton / DBA Slide Hampton , Owner/President/Founder/Composer/Arranger/ Master Trombonist, Slide Hampton Musique
Eli Wolf, Vice President, A&R, Blue Note Records
Guy Eckstine, Partner, Iconique Music Group
Anthony Charles Hammond/ DBA Tony Charles, VP-Director of Marketing, Slide Hampton Musique/Owner, The Anthony Charles Agency
Jana Herzen President, Motema Music

A Performance Rights Organization Cage-match
3:30pm-4:45pm / NYU Kimmel Center , Shorin room 802
The Arena: Comic Book Heroes; an unsigned P.R.O.-less band, their entertainment attorney, and 3 P.R.O.'s. If you ever wondered what the difference was between ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, and if you’ve ever wondered how these industry giants deliver the Ben Franklins, watch them battle for the John Hancock! To raise the stakes, the band will be announcing their choice PRO at their CMJ showcase later that night.

The Hip-Hop Renaissance: A Cultural Rebirth? (Feat. Q-Tip)
3:30pm-4:45pm / NYU Kimmel Center , Eisner Lubin

For more information about CMJ click this link!

Early Review: The Lucky Ones

This isn't your average road trip buddy movie. In the wake the of Iraq War, The Lucky Ones tell a story from a fictional perspective about three injured soliders that return home after their tour from Iraq. Cheever (Tim Robbins) finds himself in a compromising situation when there is an unexpected blackout at the airport. All of the flights are cancelled. He runs into TK (Michael Pena) who is looking to go to Las Vegas to meet with a medical pofessional for an embarrassing injury that he refuses to tell his girlfriend about.

Colee (Rachel McAdams), who is a bit of a drifter, recognizes both TK and Cheever from her infantry and is also going to Las Vegas to take a guitar back to the family of a fallen solider who saved her life. When the three realize they are stuck at the airport they make a final attempt to get a car rental and to their dissapointment, every car is rented out. Cheever asks for help and Colee who is very outspoken, mentions they just came back from Iraq. The car rental agent makes an exception for the war heroes and offer them the last car he had initially saved for his boss.

As luck would have it. The three get an opportunity to take an impromptu road trip together.

The film is funny, quirky, and inspiring. It's a movie about trying to find yourself and realizing how time truly can change things and everything is not always what it seems. The characters are easy to like and even grow to love within the 115 minutes of watching this flick. There are some very interesting adventures that happens to each of the 3 soliders on their way to sin city. Each character finds out something different about their past and something new about their future. I like the fact that this film doesn't deliver some obligatory political statement about the state of our national security affairs or about the Iraq war itself. Instead the film has alot to offer with regards to the effects of people as people. It explores the natural and sometimes unnatural course of the human condition. And the film is not as trite as the movie trailer presents it to be.

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will release THE LUCKY ONES on Friday, September 26

Early Review: The Duchess

NYIndieSeen attended tonight's preview screening of The Duchess starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. The film is based on the true events of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. The story takes place in 18th century England where appearances mean everything. Georgiana finds herself being married hastily to the Duke of Devonshire--a man she barely knows. Unfortunately his only intentions for her is to bear his child. He has no love or compassion for his new wife. Feeling lonely, Georgiana befriends Bess Foster--who catches the Duke's eye. Behind closed doors lies buried secrets and Georgiana one night hears passionate noises behind one of them. Her best friend Bess and her husband! Oh the scandal!

However the scandalous story gets even better when Bess moves in as the Duke's mistress and a 3rd party marriage has now begun.

The performances are pretty good. Keira Knightley---who's weight sometimes scare me---gave a compelling performance. Ralph Fiennes, as always, had a stunning role. The movie is definitely an interesting brand of English tea from scandal, sex, lies, debauchery, and even a little girl on girl action. Overall its a must see and will probably get some Oscar nominations for best hair and makeup or something. Those period piece movies usually do. The Duchess will hit theaters nationwide Oct 3rdth.

Check out the movie trailer here if you haven't seen it already:

Early Review: The Family That Preys

Tyler Perry has officially redeemed himself. I was gettin a lil scurred cuz I payed $9.50 (not in NYC) to see Meet The Browns and really wanted my money back. However, tonight at the premiere of The Family That Preys, I saw a film that is by far one of Perry's best. Now for you Madea fans out there--you won't see her make a cameo or notice the eccentric sense of humor that comes with her films. Instead you will see a "Dynasty-esque" drama about two families torn between greed and scandal. Each family deals with it in their own unique way and fate seems to twist and turn itself into something unexpected on both ends in this melodramatic tale.

The film has stunning performances from Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard who should hear the name Oscar calling them repeatedly after delivering a magnifying spectacle in this film. My personal favorite performance was from that of underrated actress Taraji P Henson who was not only the comic relief of the film, but also a great balance between both families.

The Family That Preys was inspired by "an old country song" Perry said at the movie premiere. He stated that he wants to make films that inspire people and make people think and analyze about their own lives. He also says to "always live for today". This film will most certainly force you to reassess your own personal situation and know that every action you take in this life has a consequence....good or evil.

The film hits theaters nationwide September 12th.

Green Porno

Isabella Rossellini-- who has a name I absolutely adore-- directed a 15 minute short about the act of fucking between insects. Now that's what I like! I definitely wanna see a film about bugs gettin it on! But don't expect this short film to be a carbon copy of an episode off of the Discover Channel. No no...Rossellini dresses up in a bug costume and reenacts the act of love making. In one bug costume, she plays the role of a Praying Mantis. The costumes are very elementary and simple....something out of a school play, but the wardrobes adds its own sense of humor to this delightful piece.

The budget for this short looks like it cost 10 bucks and yet it is so imaginative and smart. It's too bad this only lasted 15 minutes I would have totally like to have seen this as a feature. Green Porno is actually a series of shorts divided into segments to precede certain screenings at the Tribeca Film Festival. Sort of a teaser film if you will before watching the feature presentation.

It figures that I would like any movie with the word "porno" in it. But trust me..you'll like it too. I'm waiting to see clips of this on YouTube! For now Sundance wants you to tune in on cinco de mayo to see the clips. All I could find was a snippet of what I saw this evening. Why didn't I think of this??

Tribeca Film Festival Review: Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha

Okay say this out loud 3 times fast. Ready? Go!

Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha

Did you say it aloud 3 times fast? Do you feel like an ass for saying it aloud and getting it wrong all three times? Well now you know how I felt after seeing this movie. A complete ass. Okay...maybe that's a bit extreme but my time could have been well spent watching another screening, but I chose this one specifically because the legendary Melvin Van Peebles was conducting a Q&A after the film. So even though I went in knowing absolutely nothing about the film I figured what the hell right? Movies like Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song are classics! Melvin's work has always been a little off-key so to speak so I wasn't that surprised when I left the screening having a WTF moment. I even found myself getting on the wrong train on the way home. I had become completely disoriented.

Anywho...so I really can't describe what the movie is about becuz there is no way to really explain it without it sounding completely confusing. So I'll just break it down in layman's terms: Melvin Van Peebles narrates this story (Dr. Suessian style) about his life as a 14 year old coming of age and living in the streets of New York City. Now Melvin Van Peebles plays himself....as a 14 year old. Yep you got it...he plays himself playing a 14 year old boy. See what I mean by bizarre? Then there are just these random people he meets aimlessly in his life who make no sense and serve no purpose other than to make a forced cameo as a favor to the filmmaker. Then there are all these psychedelic images of mosaics and colors that looks like a cheesy 70's porno. The music also has the cheesy 70's porn backdrop and I was expecting to see Linda Lovelace come out and do her thing. This was just weird for me. Perhaps becuz I don't understand the full scope of Peebles sense of avant garde and art that it just wasn't my cup of tea. But there are ways you can be experimental (Green Porno---will blog later) that is refreshing, creative, and simple.

I actually left the screening moments before the film ended and missed the Q&A becuz I realized there are more important things I should be doing with my time like catching a new episode of Grey's Anatomy...and its sad that I actually rush home to see a TV show that I already have set to DVR----but as you know I'm a bit of a compulsive-obsessive when it comes to the TV show. I mean damn I have an archive about a network TV show on an independent film blog. Anywayz..back to Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha. If you get the title and understand what it means....then maybe you'll get the movie. It's just that simple. Or maybe I'm just the moron. But to put it simply this movie was truly bizarre.

Tribeca Film Festival Review: The Wackness

Well I gotta say there is definitely nothing "wack" about The Wackness directed by Jonathan Levine. Levine directs a coming of age film about a kid named Luke Shapiro who is the community weed dealer in Manyhatty. Levine a native New Yorker himself who hails from the Upper East Side caught the true essence of the year 1994 by showing images of New York's grafiiti-ridden streets and hearing the sounds of hip hop ballads such as Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It" and R&B classics like R. Kelly's Bump & Grind.

The film stars Josh Peck as the dorky but loveable Luke Shapiro who is naiive when it comes to women. He meets and falls in love with Stephanie who has had as many sexual encounters as Miss Material Girl Madonna herself. Stephanie is played by new "it" girl Olivia Thirlby. Luke in the meantime consults with a wacked out therapist Dr Squires who trades in weed for each therapy session. Dr. Squires is played by the legendary Academy Award winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley. The two form a friendship that changes the lives of whom they encounter as well as their own. However their friendship is compromised when Luke starts dating Stephanie who just so happens to be Dr Squire's stepdaughter.

This film is full of colorful characters and has a great quality that has not been shown on celluloid in a while. Levine is quite accurate in his depiction of New York City in 1994. He even hits the mark on the slang by using words like "wack", "dope" and "word". The film won the Audience Award at Sundance and definitely has won the hearts of indie filmgoers during the screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Levine himself was there after the screening for a brief Q&A about the film and is definitely some fresh blood on the indieseen worth checking. Pretty humble guy. The film will be released nationwide by Sony Pictures in July. Check out the official website for the film here

Tribeca Film Festival Review: Split Second

Tribeca not only highlights independent feature films, but also short films. There are a compilation of short films that share a theme---split second--- at the 2008 festival. These short films feature a conflict with the protagonists that forces them to make a split second decision that could change their lives forever.

The films featured in "Split Second" were:

Dusk
Hesitation
Roads
Being Human
Coffee Break
God Only Knows
Second Line

Dusk was about a hit and run accident that occurs in a Mexican desert.

Hesitation was about a middle-aged couple on vacation who encounters a little boy who is all too annoying and hesitation occurs when the boy is involved in an accident.

Roads is about a 13 year old Israeli boy and an ex-solider who connect and find themselves caught up with a drug lord who is seeking revenge.

Being Human us about two brothers contemplating on how to handle a medical miracle.

Coffee Break is about how far will a rookie police officer go to impress his partner.

God Only Knows is about a mother who is torn between love and a better life.

The best short films out of this bunch were Roads and Coffee Break. Roads had a deep rich plot that involved action and intensity as a young boy tries to escape the world of drugs and violence in his community. The solider who helps save him becomes a martyr in the quest to liberate himself from his past. Great cinematography and excellent pacing. Coffee Break was a film that in some ways we can all relate too because at one point we have all tried to do something to impress others. In this case a rookie male cop is forced by his partner to cajole a female stranger into having intimate relations with him and the rookie cops takes it a step further by performing a simulated rape.

Then there was the worst film out of this bunch. As a viewer I left the theater upset because of the film Second Line. Second Line is about two cousins who search for work in post-Katrina New Orleans. They are promised $90.00 a day for the work and their foreman Henry picks them up and agrees to take them back home. The two men are African-American and they are hired by a Caucasian foreman and his wife to gut out the dilapidated house. Natt finds a peanut jar that has a wad of bills in it that equals out to be 300 bucks. MacArthur, his partner, decides to take the the high road and tell his boss Henry about the money.

Instead of rewarding MacArthur, he lies and says the money belongs to his wife and keeps it for himself. All the while Henry has been drinking and poor MacArthur finds himself working in a dust-ridden house without a mask and instead has a piece of thin fabric to protect himself. He asks Henry repeatedly to provide him a proper mask, but Henry is dismissive. We eventually get the idea, that Henry has no intentions of giving a mask to his employee. Towards the end of the day Henry gives MacArthur a total of $90.00 for services rendered. MacArthur looks up at Henry puzzled and states that his partner Natt needs his $90.00 too. Henry states that the fee is for both and you get $45.00 each. At this point poor MacArthur decides to take the high road once again and gives Natt the full $90.00 without telling him that the fee was $90.00 between the BOTH of them. MacArthur soon reaches his boiling point and grabs an old machete that was hanging around the abandoned house and spontaneously charges at Henry with the weapon.


Henry's wife Bernie runs and screams for help. Natt immediately runs after Bernie, covers her mouth and nearly wrestles her to keep her from running away. MacArthur throws Henry into the trailer and Natt throws Bernie in there with them. We see the trailer close and only hear the cries of the victims and the scene fades to black. The last scene is macArthur upset and crying thinking about the event that just took place with a look of regret on his face.

The reason I gave a scene-by-scene synopsis of this short is because most of you will not see this movie. But if you do, feel free to give an opinion on your thoughts. I didn't understand the point of this film and found it to be very offensive towards African-Americans. It feeds into stereotypes that whites perceive of blacks and I was quite disgusted at this film. ALSO, why would Tribeca screen a film like this?? Perhaps I am missing something. Perhaps I need some further clarification on the meaning behind the film's message. Becuz all I got out of it were two black men solving aggression and anger with violence towards a white couple. There was a Q&A session after the film featuring all directors of each short film and I was not a bit surprised when I saw the film's director was Caucasian. A sad disgusting display of racial stereotypes. There will be more films to see at Tribeca, but frankly this was a VERY disappointing display of celluloid and quite frankly one of the worst films I've seen at this festival. Blech!

Tribeca Film Festival Review: Lake City

Lake City (2008)

So here's a quick scenario. Guy goes home to reconcile his estranged relationship with his mom. Mom wonders why her son has a brought a kid with him. Guy tells mom that the kid is his. Mom is confused and realizes she is now a grandmother. Guy tells mom that his babimomma is a drug addict and stole a shitload of heorin from Dave Matthews. Yes--Dave Matthews as in the leader of the self-titled band? Okay is this plot getting weird? Well not really I'm just making it sound appealing because this movie is basically like every other film I've seen before....nothing new. This is just another southern drama about a mother and son that reunite under desperate circumstances years after a family tragedy drove them far apart.

That's the plot. So what's appealing about the film?? A few things I guess. Although the plot is nothing new and a carbon copy of most southern dramas I've seen in my lifetime, I am amazed at the performances by the great Sissy Spacek and the underrated talent Troy Garity. Garity is phenomenal to watch and without saying much, speaks volumes with his facial expressions. Sissy Spacek once again reprises her role as a southern mother who lives on a farm and is the matriarch trying to hold the family together does something a little different in this film---she turns into a bit of an action star. Therefore, the movie may be worth seeing just for that reason. The other reason would definitely be Garity's performance. Another sleeper at the film festival, but there are plenty more to see and review so we'll keep you up to date as the festival unfolds.

Cheerio.

Tribeca Film Festival Review: Love Live Long

Well as most of you already know, the Tribeca Film Festival is in full swing and there are a ton of movies to watch over the next 9 days of this festival. An NYIndieSeen staffer, has all access into the festival and has seen 2 flicks so far to review for you IndieSeen readers.
Love Live Long (2008) The world premiere of this film took place here in NYC at The New School Tishman Auditorium. Director Mike Figgis takes us into a movie inside of a movie. This avant garde stylized story is about a woman named Rachel who videotapes herself on suicide watch and a yuppie hotel connoisseur, mysteriously cross paths in Istanbul. Darren has no idea who this mystery woman is, all he knows is that she is beautiful, appealing, and is worthy of a sexual encounter. Little does Darren know that Rachel is suffering from some serious psychological issues and he finds himself involved in a tryst that could change his the life as well as his wife and children.


The movie is a bit too slow for my taste. Figgis holds on shots of closeups for longer than necessary which slows the pace of the film. Some of the cuts are jarring and there is really no backstory involved with the characters in this film. The film is shot documentary style with a video handheld and has that movie-within-a-movie appeal. The film doesn't really deliver and the plot is severely lacking. Unless you prefer avant garde stylized films that does not necessarily tell a story, but instead let closeup images of people's facial hair and moles on their skin do the actual storytelling...then maybe this film is for you. But trust me...this movie is no Leaving Las Vegas that's for sure. Apparently the film was shot in 7 days. Now that makes plenty of sense why this movie looked like a rough cut.

Stop-Loss: Early Review

Stop Loss is a new film by Kimberly Peirce, the indie filmmaker who broke out in a big way in 1999 with her hit Academy Award decorated film Boys Don't Cry. The movie stars Ryan Philippe, Rob Brown, Timothy Olyphant, and the hotness that is...Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film opens up with Philippe as a solider who has just arrived home from his service in Iraq. He is finally ready to settle back home in Texas and spend time with friends and family. However, Philippe finds him self in an unfortunate situation when he is "Stop Lossed".

What is Stop Loss? It's when a soldier's service is beyond their expected term of service and they are called to go back and serve for an additional length of time. Typically this is a contractual obligation that is argued upon by many U.S. soldiers, however they are expected to complete their duties under the authority of the Commander-In-Chief. Peirce for the first time, touches upon this issue in a fictional film and introduces us into the world of soldiers who have gone AWOL and sort of an underground railroad of former soldiers who now "lay low" and have changed their identities to avoid criminal charges as result leaving their base and choosing not to serve in war.

Ryan Philippe gives a strong performance as Brandon King, a gung ho army strong Texan who won't take no for an answer. He chooses not to serve his Stop Loss and decides to go AWOL. Channing Tatum who plays Steve Shriver gives an incredible performance as the solider who is not yet ready to deal with his home life and the girl he left back. Shriver begins having flashbacks of his moments in combat and we see the effects of what war can do to the mind of a human being.

The film also stars JGL as Tommy Burgess who is conflicted when he returns home and suffers from deep seeded issues of alcoholism and figuring out what his place is in this world outside of Iraq. This is an amazing film. It's actually by far one of the best films about the current war situation in Iraq. It also opens your eyes as to what is really happening to our soldiers out there and the effect of the war insurgency called upon by George W. Bush. Stop Loss has passion and will definitely incite controversy on both ends of the spectrum. Whether you are anti-war or pro you will feel strongly about the message in this film. This is another plus for director Kimberly Peirce who directed a film about a woman posing as a man in a small Nebraska town in the film Boys Don't Cry.

Stop Loss is released in theaters nationwide on 3/28/08.

Oscar-Nominated Midgets!

Here in the lovely city of New York at the Directors Guild of America located on 110 W 57th St (5th & 6th) is the 5th Annual Presentation of Live Action and Animated Short Films nominated for the 80th Annual Academy Awards!

Shoo! That was a mouthful.

Reservations are recommended though.

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