Of the many films that were entered into competition or were under the category of Showcase Features, I could only see a smattering (thanks to school and other previous engagements), but those I did watch were all interesting, in their own way.
The opening night premiere, inside the famed Cine Capri theater, was the United Artists release Saved!, a black comedy about a religious high school in Maryland. The plot, which revolves around a girl whose life becomes confused when she gets pregnant via her gay boyfriend (she has sex with him to convert him back to heterosexuality) and her devoutly religious friends abandon her.
Starring a cast including Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri, Martin Donovan and Mary-Louise Parker, Saved! is an often-hilarious, always over-the-top trifle that manages to viciously and wickedly skewer the idea of organized religion trying to become more hip to attract teenagers.
Malone does a fine job in the leading role, but the two shining actors who steal the film are Culkin, as the handicapped brother of Moore's character, and Donovan, as the principal of the high school. Each are both given a surprising amount of depth and pain, despite being subplots of the storyline. Thus, kudos must also be given to co-writer/director Brian Dannelly for taking the time and effort to make this a true ensemble film where no one is a dead weight. The only flaw is that the final 15 minutes of the movie tie up every loose string too quickly.
The festivities on Friday night revolved around a tribute to comedy director John Landis, who most people remember as the helmsman of such films as The Blues Brothers and National Lampoon's Animal House. Landis, whose insights were punctuated with self-deprecating humor, was also premiering his new comedic documentary from IFC, Slasher.
Don't be fooled by the supposedly frightening title. Slasher is about Michael Bennett, a man who lives in Huntington Beach, California. Bennett is a "slasher." A "slasher" is someone who goes to car dealerships and helps to slash car prices and have big blowout sales. Just think of all the advertisements you've seen about car dealerships cutting prices; this guy is the one who cuts them.
Bennett is a foulmouthed, raspy, strange little man who is both oddly charming and thoroughly repulsive. The 90-minute documentary, set around a three-day sale at a financially strapped Toyota dealership in Memphis, Tenn., proved to be quite funny and energetic, much like Landis' fictional works. The only quibbles I have are with the rapid-fire editing, which tends to leave out some important backstory and exposition. Otherwise, it's a very good film, and if you the Independent Film Channel on your dial, check Slasher out, on June 19.
Saturday's films were dwarfed by the Peter Fonda tribute, but more on that in a bit. A fairly entertaining if a bit outlandish, the demolition derby comedy Last Man Running was worth the time to check out, despite its flaws. Actor Rick Gomez (who you would recognize for a few reasons: his role on HBO's massive miniseries "Band of Brothers," and the fact that he looks like actor Sam Rockwell's twin) decided, in May 2001, to go to Long Island, New York and live out a dream: being in a demolition derby. He's going to get married in September of 2001 (and yes, 9/11 does play a part in the film), and considers this his last rite as a bachelor.
He and his goofball mechanic brother, J.J., try to be part of this brave new world of automobiles, but find obstacles at every turn. The film excels when we get inside the demolition derby, thanks to some strategically placed cameras inside the cars and on the helmets of the drivers. What's most interesting and most flawed about the film is that it's not all fictional. Some of it is fake, but the people at the derbys and the derbys themselves are all true. Of course, some of the plotlines are obviously fictional, and seem to be trying too hard to be funny.
The Peter Fonda tribute was intriguing, but, like the actor, a bit long-winded. It began with the 1971 release The Hired Hand, a western directed by and starring Fonda, and co-starring Verna Bloom and Warren Oates (who most college students will recognize as the drill sergeant in Stripes). For a 90-minute movie, it's very deliberately paced, but has some very subtly directed scenes, even if we know how the film will inevitably end. Fonda certainly had some work to do, but his cinematographer, Vilmos Zsigmond, and his other actors do a fine job.
On Sunday, I succumbed to the bias of Buffalo and saw The Falls, a modern noir set and shot in Western New York. The movie, which has some very interesting spots and some quality acting, is still too pedestrian and cliché for my tastes. Still, writer-producer-director Paul DeNigris has a smooth hand with his script, which brings up some twisty elements into an otherwise ordinary film. Also of note is Steve Briscoe, co-star and producer of the film, for two reasons. One: I recognized him from a string of local hardware store ads and talked to him; he's a very nice guy and quite funny. Two: he has a monologue halfway through the film that is slightly more touching than you would expect even though it has nothing to do with the movie.
The festival ended with Laws of Attraction, the new comedy with Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore, which is basically a flop waiting to happen. The plot is nothing special (two New York divorce lawyers have a fling, get married, and then fall in love), but some of the show is salvaged by Parker Posey and Michael Sheen as a warring celebrity couple who are represented by Brosnan and Moore, respectively.
I can't speak for the rest of the audience, but it just never took off. Moore is miscast from the get-go. This is not a boring, comedic actress we're talking about. Julianne Moore is a fine dramatic actress who needs a romantic comedy under her belt like I need a root canal. I'll put it this way: when the best part of the movie is the opening credits, there is a big problem.
Aside from the closing night premiere, the movies at the 2004 Phoenix Film Festival were promising, showing us that there are filmmakers out there in the world who can make movie magic.
Josh Spiegel is an entertainment reporter for the Web Devil. Reach him at Joshua.Spiegel@asu.edu
Phoenix Film Festival Awards/Tributes-Josh Spiegel
Aside from showing feature-length movies, documentaries and short films, the 2004 Phoenix Film Festival was host to four separate tributes to men (no women this year, sadly) who have excelled in their craft.
On Friday afternoon, character actor Dylan Baker, of Road to Perdition, Head of State and the upcoming blockbuster Spider-Man 2, was feted for his long years of service. Baker, who came with his young daughter, spoke to a crowd of about one hundred about his craft and the best way to be an actor. His best pearl was that an actor has to "direct themselves" in order to be successful in their craft. Baker is also well-known for his years of work on and off Broadway, acting and directing. However, it's most likely that he will get the most recognition of all for the new Spider-Man film.
Friday night was big for any fan of Bluto or Elwood Blues, as director John Landis came to town for a tribute. The high-school dropout-turned-stuntman-turned-director, of such films as Three Amigos!, Trading Places and The Blues Brothers, charmed his audience from the get-go, immediately commenting that the clip show of his work seemed to cut every film's clip off right before the punchline of the jokes.
The only tribute I missed was the one that took place on Saturday afternoon, for screenwriter-director Michael Tolkin. Tolkin, who's written The Player, Deep Impact and had a hand in the new film The Punisher, received a Copper Wing Award and talked about his craft.
Saturday night drew the biggest crowd, to the Peter Fonda tribute. After the showing of the film The Hired Hand and a clip show, which featured him in Easy Rider, The Limey, Ulee's Gold, and The Laramie Project, Fonda took the stage to talk about making The Hired Hand, his directorial debut, and about making movies. However, the conversation always seemed to turn to the influence his father, Henry Fonda, had on him; from the times when he was forced to run up and down the stairs of the five-story townhouse he lived in to get ready for breakfast to the film Peter directed Henry in, the elder Fonda dominated things. A slight point of interest: unless my eyes deceived me, a mere two seats away from Peter was Jane Fonda herself. Good to see the family supporting each other.
On Sunday night, following the premiere of Laws of Attraction, the Copper Wing Awards for the short films, documentaries and feature-length films were presented. The emcee for the evening, and I don't know why they chose him, was ex-"SNL" alum Jerry Minor. Minor was quite funny in his short time on-stage and managed to charm the audience well.
According to the audiences, the best picture at the Film Festival was Black Cloud, directed by former child star Rick Schroder (who was on hand for the entire film festival). The film also won awards for cinematography and ensemble acting. According to the judges, the best picture was the theater-themed comedy Break a Leg, which also won for best screenplay and director (each was accepted by Phillip Angellotti).
It was another successful year for the Film Festival, and I, for one, can't wait for next year's event to start.
Josh Spiegel is an entertainment reporter for the Web Devil. Reach him at Joshua.Spiegel@asu.edu
