Austin Film Festival 2007 – Chicago 10/Generation XXL/Street Team Massacre
“My stomach feels like a German porno.”
Time, once again, for my favorite film festival.
Ok. I’m lying. AFF is actually somewhere on the bottom of my list of festivals. So much so, that I actually have prior commitments that are going to keep me away from a couple of nights of the festival.
It’s gotten a LOT better since those first few years, but it’s still kind of small time compared to some other festivals I go to. They do, however, manage to get some great movies every year. And it’s movies. So, I go.
CHICAGO 10 (2007)
Directed by: Brett Morgen
Written by: Brett Morgen
This movie actually makes my case that AFF is a bit on the, um….underfed side. The sound mix was HORRIBLE. And I’m sure it was the settings in the theatre, not the movie itself. The music was so loud for most of the film that I couldn’t understand what the people were saying.
But enough bitching. Chicago 10 is about the trial of Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin and the rest of the “conspirators” after the 1968 Democratic Convention riots. It’s a documentary by Brett Morgan, who also brought us The Kid Stays In The Picture. It’s part archive footage, part roto-scoped/animated film with celebrities taking on the roles of the main participants. (Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, Nick Nolte, Roy Scheider, Jeffery Wright, Dylan Baker and Hank Azaria.)
And (sound problems aside) the movie is awesome. It starts out actually very funny. These guys were, after all, the Merry Pranksters. They knew how to play to an audience and how to make American institutions into the comedy that they were at the time.
Then, as the film (and the trial) goes on, it gets more and more serious. These guys were on trial for something that the cops and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley should have been on trial on. They brought a bunch of kids to Chicago to protest…peacefully. But they also knew that the cops would get more involved than they should have. They knew that there would be violence. And they knew exactly who would start it. And that’s exactly what happened. National Guard and cops were called in. They got scared by a bunch of kids sitting in a street. They started beating the kids.
I loved this movie. Of course I loved this movie. It was about my favorite era, so I was all over it. But it was an amazing documentary with amazing characters. And I learned more about the Chicago protests than I thought that I would. I can’t wait to see what Morgan does next.
This homegrown short (so homegrown, in fact, that you can see my old house in it…almost) is about Mike. Mike is 27. Mike can’t ride a bike. Never learned.
He finally finds someone (after asking some drag rats, among others) to teach him. A tall, lanky, old guy named Bob…who I’m SURE I’ve seen around town before.
And, as sad as it is, it’s hilarious. Mike is a great sport and he had a lot of fun learning how to ride.
Luckily, though, this was a short. Much longer, and it would have worn out its welcome.
Directed by: Teresa MacInnes
Speaking of short, this rather short (45 mins.) documentary about Canadian kids at a fat farm, was pretty good. Not great, but good enough for what it was.
Teresa MacInnes found some pretty charismatic kids (especially Greg, the class clown) and made us feel for them.
There’s not a lot I can really say about this movie. It was a longer short doc that was decent. And the kids were, for the most part, cool. It’s sad to see kids locked into habits that just make them fatter, but it’s VERY good to see them do something about it. I hope more kids see this sort of thing and get the idea that they can do it, too.
THE SECRET LIVES OF THE BATHROOM ATTENDANT (2007)
This one had so much potential. A bathroom attendant with a dark streak. Be good to him!
But it was just kinda lame. It’s hard to really describe why. The lead actor didn’t sell it? The doucebag wasn’t douchebaggy enough? I don’t know. Just lame.
Directed by: Adam Deyoe/Eric Gosselin
Written by: Adam Deyoe/Eric Gosselin/Jeb Heil
This was a terrible movie. Absolutely awful. But it had some of the biggest laughs I’ve had in a while. The line from the side over there is from it. There’s a bit about an abortion that’s hysterical.
Basically, a team of sports drink promoters have run-ins with the rival sports drink team. When the rivals sneak some expired drink to the good guys, they find out that the old drink turns people into zombies. Now they have to deal with a bunch of hick zombies.
And Lloyd Kaufman is in it. That should tell you the quality of the movie.
No, it’s not a good movie. Not at all. But, DAMN, is it funny. The writers, Adam Deyoe and Eric Gosselin, know how to write just plain wrong one-liners. If they ever got a real budget, Hollywood might be knocking down their doors.
But, as it is, you will probably never see this movie. It will probably show up on Troma DVD, but you’ll never see it in your local theatre. If you’re into really bad, great movies, look for this. You will love it.
