As discussed in a post last year, Emily and I have been privileged the last few years to go to Butt-Numb-A-Thon (aka BNAT, pronounced "Bee-Nat"), a 24-hour film festival celebrating the birth of Harry Knowles, founder of Ain't Cool News. We were super excited to be invited again this year.
We had lots of adventures during our 11-day stay in Texas, the details of which we'll devote to a subsequent blog post. For now, we'll concentrate on the films we saw at this year's BNAT, held for a record 26.5 hours (starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12 and ending around 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 13). Emily and I were seated front-row center, which gave us quite the view of all the festivities.
Faust (1926, live organ accompaniment by Graham Reynolds)
We started with a lovely silent film by famed German director F.W. Murnau, who is best known for his 1922 film "Nosferatu," accompanied by Austin-based musician Graham Reynolds on the organ. The movie depicts the story of Faust, an eldery alchemist in a village that has been cursed with a plague by the Devil. Unable to stop the plague via prayers to God, Faust accepts a proposition from the Devil: He may use the powers of the demon Mephisto to stop the plague until the sand runs out of an appointed hourglass.
Unbeknownst to Faust, Mephisto had previously made a bet with an angel that he could corrupt a righteous man's soul. I'm not exactly sure why an angel would take such a bet (nor why he would have have any right do to so in the name of God and heaven...), but he does. Should Mephisto succeed, the Devil will take control over the earth. The brilliance of the film is in its many special effects, depicting all sorts of supernatural creatures from heaven and hell. Murnau used multiple cameras during takes and pushed the young film medium to new heights with his dedication to lighting, costuming, etc. "Faust" was Murnau's final film completed in Germany, as he made his way to Hollywood for the final few year's of his life. It was a great start to an amazing BNAT experience.
The Lovely Bones (2009)
Girl Crazy (1943)
I will admit that I have a bit of soft spot for the work of Judy Garland. On one hand, she was one of the most talented actors/singers of her generation; on the other, she lived a roller-coaster ride of a life, struggling with addictions to drugs and alcohol for a large portion of her 47 years on this earth. Hers is a story of triumph and tragedy, of achievement and incredible disappointment. Yet, 40 years after her death, we are left with her film legacy. And, while this film no doubt was seen as a Mickey Rooney vehicle, it is Garland who, of course shines as the real star (Rooney was two years older, but his small stature and prowess as a physical comedian make him appear younger).
The story is simple: Danny Churchill, Jr. (Rooney) is a young playboy whose frustrated, yet wealthy father sends him out West to an all-male college with no women for miles. Well, except for one... the dean's daughter, Ginger Gray (Garland). Hilarity, of course, ensues as Danny tries to woo Ginger, a task he finds quite difficult. With the legendary Busby Berkeley at the helm (at least temporarily... apparently he and Garland did not get along, and he was fired before the film was finished!), "Girl Crazy" includes plenty of song and dance, including a not-so-subtle cameo of Tommy Dorsey and his band. I'm hopeless for a good musical; combine that with a 21-year-old Garland (read: in her not-quite-yet crazy prime), and I was sold on "Girl Crazy."
When this film was announced, a chorus of "Awwwww!!!" could be heard throughout the theater, including from Emily, who had seen the film before. I'll admit that I'd never heard of it before BNAT, so the experience was completely fresh to me.
The film uses a story-within-a-story device by showcasing a ballet company's production of "The Red Shoes," based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Vicky Page (played by the lovely Moira Shearer) is a young dancer who, through a series of serendipitous events, becomes the lead ballerina of the ballet company Ballet Lermontov, owned and run by the demanding and overbearing Boris Lermontov. Casting Vicky in the starring role in "The Red Shoes," Boris unwittingly introduces her to a young composer named Julian Craster. Vicky and Julian initially argue over their interpretations of how the music and dancing should combine, but before long, find themselves in love with each other. This infuriates Boris, who does not want Vicky distracted from her work.
The beauty of the film is in its incredible imagery, vibrant colors and, of course, the presentation of the titular ballet, which takes up the middle portion of the film. We watched a recently restored digital print of this amazing film, and I definitely look forward to seeing it on Blu-ray sometime. Just an absolutely fantastic cinematic achievement.
After we saw "The Red Shoes," Harry told us that he had planned to show another film in its place. However, he had recently been in conversations with Martin Scorsese in hopes of showing "Shutter Island" at BNAT. Scorsese finally agreed, but suggested that Harry show "The Red Shoes" beforehand. Harry, of course, agreed (it's probably difficult to say "No!" to one of the greatest directors of the modern film era, I imagine). Scorsese had been one of the forces behind the recent restoration of "The Red Shoes," and he has called it one of his most favorite films.
Now... "Shutter Island" was one of the films that Emily listed on her BNAT application, as she had recently the read the book. The film isn't slated for release until Feb. 19, 2010, so this was a real treat seeing what was, essentially, the first public screening.
Yes, that's right... for the final 15 minutes or so of the movie, the lovely Jaqueline Bisset sports a University of Oregon t-shirt! Nice!
Essentially, "Kick-Ass" is the story of Dave Lizewski, a nerdy teenager who wonders why no one ever tried to become a real superhero. In secrecy, he orders a green suit to use as a costume and goes out the streets to become a real-life vigilante. Within hours, he gets stabbed and ends up in the hospital. Once he recovers, he goes back onto the street, saves a man from being assaulted... and within minutes, a cellphone video of him in action hits the Web, and the legend of "Kick-Ass" is born.
Josh and Emily looking back at the assembled BNAT crowd.
We watched this Bulgarian guy dance for Harry for... a while. You can see us cheering from our front row seats.
Harry assigns all of the seats and this was our second time in the front row. We had the added benefit of being right in front of Harry and his wife, Patricia, with whom we've become friends with over the past year).
And now... the films!
When Emily and I first got together, she asked me if I'd ever seen the 1994 Peter Jackson film "Heavenly Creatures," starring an 18-year-old Kate Winslet. I had not, so shortly thereafter, we watched it together. I was quite taken at Jackson's ability to capture the emotions and inner turmoil of two young women involved in a forbidden relationship. Having only previously seen his work in the large-scale blockbusters "King Kong" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, it was certainly surprising that he could also helm such a strangely beautiful film that included no dwarves, elfs or mystical lands.
Flash forward to 2009, and I had no doubt that Jackson would have something special to showcase in his adapation of Alice Sebold's 2002 novel "The Lovely Bones." Emily had read the book before BNAT, and had given me a heads up on the details of the script. Essentially, it is the story of 14-year-old Susie Salmon, a lovely girl who lives in Pennsylvania (circa 1973), loves photography and has a wonderful family.
There's only one problem: As Susie tells us from the very beginning of the story, she is speaking to us from beyond the grave, having been murdered by a neighbor. Given this knowledge at the beginning of the film, the audience is led by a "neither-on-earth-nor-in-heaven" Susie as she observes her family's attempts to cope and recover from her death. While some might find the film a bit syrupy, with its lush and vivid landscapes of Susie's not-quite-heavenly space, it was a beautiful film that showcases the enduring love of a family prematurely separated from one of its members.
The story is simple: Danny Churchill, Jr. (Rooney) is a young playboy whose frustrated, yet wealthy father sends him out West to an all-male college with no women for miles. Well, except for one... the dean's daughter, Ginger Gray (Garland). Hilarity, of course, ensues as Danny tries to woo Ginger, a task he finds quite difficult. With the legendary Busby Berkeley at the helm (at least temporarily... apparently he and Garland did not get along, and he was fired before the film was finished!), "Girl Crazy" includes plenty of song and dance, including a not-so-subtle cameo of Tommy Dorsey and his band. I'm hopeless for a good musical; combine that with a 21-year-old Garland (read: in her not-quite-yet crazy prime), and I was sold on "Girl Crazy."
The Red Shoes (1948)
When this film was announced, a chorus of "Awwwww!!!" could be heard throughout the theater, including from Emily, who had seen the film before. I'll admit that I'd never heard of it before BNAT, so the experience was completely fresh to me.
The film uses a story-within-a-story device by showcasing a ballet company's production of "The Red Shoes," based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Vicky Page (played by the lovely Moira Shearer) is a young dancer who, through a series of serendipitous events, becomes the lead ballerina of the ballet company Ballet Lermontov, owned and run by the demanding and overbearing Boris Lermontov. Casting Vicky in the starring role in "The Red Shoes," Boris unwittingly introduces her to a young composer named Julian Craster. Vicky and Julian initially argue over their interpretations of how the music and dancing should combine, but before long, find themselves in love with each other. This infuriates Boris, who does not want Vicky distracted from her work.
The beauty of the film is in its incredible imagery, vibrant colors and, of course, the presentation of the titular ballet, which takes up the middle portion of the film. We watched a recently restored digital print of this amazing film, and I definitely look forward to seeing it on Blu-ray sometime. Just an absolutely fantastic cinematic achievement.
Shutter Island (2010)
After we saw "The Red Shoes," Harry told us that he had planned to show another film in its place. However, he had recently been in conversations with Martin Scorsese in hopes of showing "Shutter Island" at BNAT. Scorsese finally agreed, but suggested that Harry show "The Red Shoes" beforehand. Harry, of course, agreed (it's probably difficult to say "No!" to one of the greatest directors of the modern film era, I imagine). Scorsese had been one of the forces behind the recent restoration of "The Red Shoes," and he has called it one of his most favorite films.
Now... "Shutter Island" was one of the films that Emily listed on her BNAT application, as she had recently the read the book. The film isn't slated for release until Feb. 19, 2010, so this was a real treat seeing what was, essentially, the first public screening.
The story is of U.S. Deputy Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), who are investigating the disappearance of one of the patients at Ashecliff, a psychiatric hospital located on Shutter Island.
And really, that's all you need to know. Nobody should spoil this film for you. But, I will say that Michelle Williams, Sir Ben Kingsley and Jackie Earl Hailey are great in this movie (Emily was less impressed with Ruffalo, but I thought he was just fine. But, I also haven't read the book.).
If you're a fan of mystery/thriller films, definitely check out "Shutter Island" when it hits theaters in February.
Le Magnifique (1973)
"Le Magnifique" is one of those crazy gems of '7os French cinema that I may have never seen if I hadn't gone to BNAT. It's not currently available on DVD in the U.S., but I've since read that it's a cult classic in France.
The story starts in the craziest of ways: A man is trapped in a phone booth that is then jettisoned into the ocean... where he is subsequently attacked and killed by a shark, in said phone booth. I kid you not.
French star Jean-Paul Belmondo plays James Bond-esque superspy Bob Saint-Clair, a man who lives a fast life filled with cars, women, explosions and more. Unfortunately... he's merely a character in the mind of popular paperback write François Merlin (also played by Belmondo). Nothing like his debonair doppelgänger, Merlin is a clumsy, hapless soul who barely makes a living. His neighbor, Christine, is a gorgeous college student who loves his novels, but to Merlin, she is his muse and love interest of Bob Saint-Clair. What ensues is a crazy, campy story that switches back and forth from reality and fantasy in ways only possible in '70s cinema.
But by far, the coolest part of the movie for Emily and me was when we saw this:
Micmacs a Tire-Larigot (2009)
As a fan of Jean Pierre-Jeunet's last two films, Amélie and A Very Long Engagement, I was very excited to see this movie. Pierre-Jeunet has a style that is instantly recognizable, as he, much like Wes Anderson and Christopher Guest here in the States, continually employs many of the same actors in his films. "Micmacs" is the story of Bazil, a video store employee who is the unfortunate victim of a stray bullet that gets lodged within his skull. When the doctors are unable to remove it, Bazil is left penniless, without a job or a place to live. He soon finds himself teamed up with a group of scrap metal and junk collectors; with their help, he devises a way to get back at those responsible for the bullet in his head. What follows is a story filled with the sort of sight gags, crazy camera angles, quick close ups and overly eccentric actions of Pierre-Jeunet's other films. If you love his work, you'll love this.
I had never heard of this upcoming film when Harry introduced us to its director, Adam Green. I'm not sure anything could have quite prepared me for it. "Frozen" tells the story of three college students who have come up to a small New England ski resort for a lovely Sunday on the slopes. Near the end of the day, they decide they want to go up for one more run before the lifts stop running; however, when they get to the lift, no more people are being let on the mountain. The kids beg to be let on, and the lift operator agrees.
Unfortunately, the lift operator is summoned to the office minutes later, leaving the lift in the charge of another employee, clueless to the three skiers who are still on the slopes. Before they can reach the top of the mountain, the lift stops and they are left stranded more than 50 feet above the frozen snow. The lights turn off, and they soon realize that they will be likely be stranded there for the next five days, as the ski resort is only open Friday-Sunday.
It would be a pity to spoil what follows, except to say that Green told us that he used no CG, green screen or any other cinematic tricks in making the film. In other words, the entire film was shot on location, with the actors actually situated high above the ground on the lift at an actual ski resort (the movie was filmed at Snowbasin near Ogden, Utah). This was a truly terrifying film and we were the very first audience to ever see the movie (It is debuting at Sundance in just a few weeks. It's gonna freak them out, for sure!). One woman even fainted during a pivotal scene (she recovered and was fine after being escorted to the lobby).
Be sure to check out the awesome trailer!
Be sure to check out the awesome trailer!
There's a tradition at Butt-Numb-A-Thon that pretty much guarantees that at least ONE film will be filled with images so grotesque and disturbing, it's bound to send people running out of the theater ready to puke. This year, this Hong Kong-produced film was the selection, and it was pretty intense. It's not that it was particularly bloody or violent; the title alone gives away the true horror of the film: centipedes. Real, live centipedes... covering everything, and everyone. Centipedes... again, REAL CENTIPEDES, emerge from ears, mouths, noses, swollen stomachs.
The plot is fairly non-sensical -- two Hong Kong teenagers go on a forbidden trip to South Asia and one is attacked by centipedes, but survives (hilariously, the other girl dies of a heart attack just from SEEING her friend attacked by centipedes!), only to later find out that her grandfather had once been cursed in that same part of South Asia for burning down an entire village -- and largely unimportant. I personally found the film a bit less disturbing than advertised (I later found out that an additional 10+ minute was missing from this particular cut of the film, and I was assured that those extra scenes were truly horrific.), but it's still not anything I'd recommend to anyone who is the least bit squeamish. Not that you can find it here in the States... but, truly, Centipede Horror was unlike anything I've ever seen.
In the '60's and '70s, it seemed that anyone could make a film with a little time and money. Enter the "exploitation" genre, wherein filmmakers attempted to lure in audiences with sensational stories that seemed more realistic than scripted. In the case of "The Candy Snatchers," that is definitely the case. In fact, the movie is so "realistic," it seems the producers didn't even bother really writing a script, hiring talented actors... or really doing much of anything else. And it shows.
The plot is thus: Three crooks (a brother and sister duo, and their husky companion) decide to kidnap the teenage daughter of a local jeweler and then demand he pay a ransom in diamonds. The bury her in a shallow hole covered by wooden boards in a rural neighborhood where no one will find her... except for a little kid named Sean. Unfortunately, when he goes home to tell his parents what he's seen, we find out that he doesn't speak (ever.). His parents hate him for this, and as much as he pulls and prods on them to show them where Candy is being detained, they don't listen. Meanwhile, Candy's dad could care less about the ransom or his daughter's life, completely bungling the kidnapper's plan. Or something like that.
To be honest, this is the type of film you might run into someone's old VHS collection or on some late-night B-movie programming on cable. The acting is terrible, the plot is predictable and/or incredibly thin throughout, and the production quality is bare bones. Still, there is something endearing about a film that was clearly made with ambition and vigor, even in the absence of money, talent, interesting dialogue, etc. (read: The stuff that makes a film enjoyable to watch). Plus, I gotta give the writer credit for an interesting (and ultimately ambiguous) ending that somehow made me glad that I stayed awake during the whole film, as this was the movie that seemed to offer so many BNAT attendees the chance to take a nap.
After "The Candy Snatchers" ended, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew at this point we'd already seen the six vintage films we'd been promised, but only four of the new films we were to watch. Nothing could prepare me for what came next. Please watch this trailer to get a better idea of what we were oh-so-privileged to see:
Essentially, "Kick-Ass" is the story of Dave Lizewski, a nerdy teenager who wonders why no one ever tried to become a real superhero. In secrecy, he orders a green suit to use as a costume and goes out the streets to become a real-life vigilante. Within hours, he gets stabbed and ends up in the hospital. Once he recovers, he goes back onto the street, saves a man from being assaulted... and within minutes, a cellphone video of him in action hits the Web, and the legend of "Kick-Ass" is born.
Soon, he discovers he's not alone as a superhero when he meets the precocious (and deadly) Hit Girl. Trust me, you've never seen anything like this before, unless you've watched an 11-year-old girl slice and dice her way through piles of bad guys á la The Bride from "Kill Bill." The BNAT audience not only loved it, we started clapping in time with the soundtrack as the piano reprise of Guns N' Roses "November Rain" began playing, slowly building to Hit Girl's wave of destruction (at which point Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" began to play). It's more awesome than I can actually describe.
Once the film ended, the very receptive BNAT audience erupted into a standing ovation. Director Matthew Vaughn and co-star Christopher Mintz-Plasse ("McLovin'" from "Superbad") were on hand to answer questions. Vaughn said he wasn't completely happy with the print we saw, as it had not yet been color corrected and there were still a few musical issues to work out (I took that as him being a perfectionist, as the film was amazing as we saw it). Being that we were the first audience anywhere to see it, he had to be somewhat pleased with our enthusiastic reaction. I got a chance to talk Chris during the subsequent break and he was both cool and tiny (seriously, I could have fit him in my pocket.).
This was, hands down, my favorite film of the entire event and I have already told my geeky pal John Hambelton that we have a ManDate to see this film together when it opens in April. Comic book/superhero fans rejoice... "Kick-Ass" is incredible (it his, however, strictly for mature audiences; kids may like "Spiderman" and "The Dark Knight," but this film is too much for them. Trust me.).
And finally... the ONE film that EVERYBODY thought we would see at BNAT. Although it opened to the public just a few days afterward, I was looking forward to seeing this and its amazing effects. It did NOT disappoint.
Since many of you have already seen this film (since, as always, it took me forever to post this not-so-brief synopsis), I'll spare you the details. "Avatar" is the story of the Na'Vi, a race of tall, blue humanoid creatures who live on a far-away planet called Pandora. Everything is going fine until people from Earth (aka the most selfish planet in the universe, according to this and most science fiction stories) come along to mine it for precious minerals, specifically, the absurdly named "unobtanium." Nope. Not making that one up.
Scientists, however, have devised a method by which humans can utilize life-sized "avatars" that are essentially giant clones of the Na'Vi. Through the use of operating chambers, the humans can interact with the Na'Vi through their avatars... and hilarity ensues.
Well, not really. The story of "Avatar", at its core, is not that original (some have called it "Dances with Wolves" on an alien planet). But, the effects are incredible and, well, revolutionary. This is a film that MUST be seen in 3-D, which makes me wonder how well it will do on DVD and Blu-ray, as those mediums cannot come close to recreating the experience. I truly enjoyed being swept up into the world of Pandora as its sweeping landscapes of trees, brush, waterfalls, etc. flew by. It was, by far, the coolest film I've ever seen in RealD 3D (and James Cameron was nice enough to send every BNAT attendee their own personal pair of nice RealD glasses, nothing like the cheap pair they give you at the theater) and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys being completely enveloped in the cinematic experience.
And... that was the BNAT 1138 lineup. While I've enjoyed all three events that Emily and I have attended this year was especially notable because I definitely enjoyed aspects of all the films and we were treated to some really satisfying surprises. Plus, I got to strut my awesome Mario pants and crazy Mario & Yoshi with Japanese lettering shirt for the 8 a.m. pajama contest, an image with which I will take my leave.
Josh rocks on with his bad self as Harry reminds the crowd that he's awesome. Wooh! (wooh.)
