Hounddog (Sundance Film Review)

Pre-viewing controversy surrounding Hounddog turned out to be more interesting than the film itself. Dakota Fanning is a very talented actor, but her ability to fascinate a crowd with her youthful performance could not deter the lack of intrigue built into the screenplay of Hounddog. Hounddog is about a little girl who is forced to grow up too quickly, lacking sufficient support from her family. Lewellen (Fanning) is able to be a playful youth until her father is struck by lightning and can no longer take care of himself. Add to this a stereotypically fire, brimstone, and whisky Christian grandmother, and Lewellen must forget about a happy life. Her only joy is in the music of Elvis—particularly his rendition of “Hounddog.” It is this redition that the stereotypically pimpled face milk boy sees Lewellen perform and halfway through the film rapes her. This was not an exploitive seen, and actually was not a strong enough event in the plot to matter—it should have occurred earlier in the film. And yet another stereotype (the black man as primitive witch doctor there to serve the interests of surrounding white), the neighbour and snake export helps Lewellen come to terms with her demons by singing the one song she feels caused her rape. But she sings “Hounddog” in its original context before Elvis redid it for a white audience. This is the only redeeming moment in this incredibly boring and over-dramatized film. The continually changing context of “Hounddog” creates an interesting look at the power of music to seduce and liberate. Unfortunately, the film is simply boring and relies on one-dimensional characters that have been created through far too many Deep South period pieces before this one.

Joshua (Sundance Film Reviews)

If you’ve ever wondered what a boring thriller could look like, then watch Joshua. It was like watching The Omen, minus Satan, but add far too much predictability. Of course little Joshua was standing behind every door, waiting to scare his mom. Of course little Joshua was systematically driving his family insane. And of course he won. The film’s music embodied how dull this film was. The storyline revolves around the age of Joshua’s newborn sibling, and every time we are told how old this newborn is, a piano note or two is struck hard resonating into. While the idea may have been to create the tension Hitchcock or Palanski were masters of, it felt more like the soundtrack of The Firm. But hey, a John Grisham book adaptation would have been better than this not-so-thrilling “thriller.”
After this film ended, Fox Searchlight interviewed me about my thoughts on the film. I didn’t want to slam the film, so I said, “It was a slow thriller.” Unfortunately, someone at Fox Searchlight was stupid enough to buy this, which will be lucky it is makes over $15 million. I watch films like these and am given hope. I’m given hope because if that could make it into Sundance and get bought, then something actually good has a chance as well.

Strange Culture (Sundance Film Reviews)

Strange Culture is a documentary about post 9/11 paranoia and the power of the government over artistic expression. It documents the story of Steve Kurtz who was arrested as a potential terrorist and is now being charged for mail fraud with a possible penalty of 20-years jail time. Kurtz originally called the police when his wife had heart failure. When the police arrived they saw Kurtz’s lab and chemicals. Considering them suspicious, they called the FBI who came into investigate. Kurtz was preparing for an art show that merged chemicals and art. Even though everything Kurtz had was legal, the FBI continued its investigation because of several things that seemed suspicious: a flyer for an art show that had Aramaic writing on it, the laboratory windows were covered with aluminum, Kurtz was a liberal professor, and many lab samples contained bacteria. It would later be learned that the bacteria was plant and fruit bacteria ordered online. Because of this online transaction, Kurtz is currently being charged with mail fraud—the only thing the FBI has been able to prove. While mail fraud is normally a civil matter, the FBI is trying to make it something more, thus making the penalty much worse than a fine.
Strange Culture is an interesting documentary to reveals something that many are currently very frustrated with. It reveals what happens when paranoia takes over logic in an age that is convinced that everyone is a terrorist—it’s Good Night and Good Luck for the current time. Unfortunately, the documentary was poorly made. The music felt like the soundtrack to a soft-core porno. The narrative flow of Strange Culture was unfortunately reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean 2: awkward, never-ending, and just lacking. With that said, it was an intriguing story poorly attempted.

Trade (Sundance Film Reviews)

Trade will premiere nationwide come April. This film begins in Mexico and events are set in motion when a 13-year-old girl, Adriana (Paulina Gaitan) is kidnapped by Russian traffickers and smuggled across the U.S. border. This Adriana’s brother, Jorge (Cesar Ramos), tries to follow the smugglers with the help of an FBI agent Ray (Kevin Klein), who has been searching for his daughter who was kidnapped many years ago. Together the FBI agent and the boy follow the smugglers’ trail to New Jersey. Along the way, the world of underground sex trafficking is revealed in a harsh but not exploitive way. Scenes of prostitution and rape help to unfold these horrible events, but it is not scaring in a way that Requiem for a Dream and City of God are.
There are truly no big names in this film save Kevin Klein, who is moderately well-known but by no means an A-list actor. Yet the opening credits reveal a driving force behind the film: Ronald Emmerich, director of Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla, The Patriot, and The Day after Tomorrow. Emmerich originally hoped to direct this film, against the approval of studios that were used to his usual multimillion-dollar blockbusters. While Emmerich not be able to direct this film, it is a major statement that such a large name would take interest in such a production.

Fay Grim (Sundance Film Reviews)

Parker Posey is considered, by many, the queen of the indie film world, and Hal Hartley is considered, by fewer, the king of that same kingdom. They collided some years back with the film Henry Fool, and they are back again with the sequel. Fay Grim is an intelligent comedy with fast paced dialogue that takes a turn for the dark at the film’s final climax. The story begins with Fay (Posey) trying to survive as a single mother to her teenage son, whom has captured the sexual attention of too many girls at high school. Added to this, the FBI and Fay’s brother’s publisher have a newfound interest in what Fay could know about the whereabouts of her missing husband Henry’s journal—which they consider to be brilliant and possibly contain national secrets. The events that follow lead Fay into the European world of espionage and terrorism, causing her to fight her way through gunfire and far too much mistaken identity.
The first noticeable feature about Fay Grim is the comedia del arte style acting that Posey performed wonderfully. The film’s white comes through the speed of its dialogue. As Hartley said before the film premiered, it is impossible to catch every line of dialgue and that’s okay. This plays extremely well when Posey has her phone on vibrate and has it on her—in her new outfit that has no pockets. This is also one of the view films to portray a middle-eastern terrorist in a positive manner—also revealing this terrorist to be the voice of patience, wisdom, and tortured conviction. For the less film savvy viewer, Fay Grim could be described as an indie-dark comedy with Gilmore Girls-esque dialogue.

Top 10 Films of 2006

Pan's Labyrinth
Children of Men
The Fountain
V for Vendetta
Little Miss Sunshine
Thank You for Smoking
A Scanner Darkly
Blood Diamond
The Prestige
Half Nelson

Why I Hate Redding

I have come to terms with my sarcasm. But recently, I’m finding myself to be a greater optimist than I previously thought. I’m optimistic about social change. I’m optimistic about the future of art. I’m optimistic amidst the pain and confusion of my friends that we will find peace and fulfillment. And I’m optimistic that the church will become something more than the dead dogma it refuses to move past now. With that said, I remain a pessimist about Redding, CA. This was the city I called home for several years before I went to college. This is the city that took so much from my family. And this is the city, I am convinced, continues to hurt so many. I know this may come across as bitter high school angst the refuses to let a grudge die, thus causing me to demonize a place instead of pinpoint the source of the problem. Yet, the more time I spend in Redding and the more stories I hear from those still there, convinces me that there is something very wrong with that city.

As I continue my theological studies, I am further convinced that Jesus favoured the poor over the rich—and he is thus, with those who are with or near the poor (we can argue about the fact that while I am near the poor I still remain uninvolved due to the paralyzing nature of academia later). This conclusion makes me believe that places that are removed from oppression are removed from God’s sight. I often say that the true Church does exist, just not in the suburbs—how could real community exist in a place that was created for the American, not Christian, dream of privacy. And Redding is one of the most narcissistic cities I have ever encountered. True, there is oppression in Redding as there is oppression anywhere. Yet, so many problems seem to be caused by suburban alienation.

I spent this Christmas in Redding and I began to formulate my reason for hating this Tehama County bubble. Redding is a trap. It is so easy to get stuck there. The saying, “Those who don’t do, teach,” changes to “Those who don’t do, get married.” I guess when you don’t know what to do with your life (not job, but life) you just don’t want to face that mystery alone. Tragically, this seems to backfire when you realize that your lack of vision, drive, or courage can take down a marriage. It’s sad to go back to a place and see people that sat next to you in English working at Best Buy, or finding out that several of your former friends are now pregnant not through love but irresponsibility. And there are those who get out of Redding, but they can’t leave because Redding has a way of pulling you back.

I used to attend of Christian that did not have a single African-American student in it. The school was small in general, but this became even more of a conundrum when the 2,000 person school not a quarter of a mile away had the most diversity in the entire city—and even that high school was known as the ghetto one. This could be said for many cities. No city will ever be perfect. But this coupled with say Simpson college and the amount of drama the takes place at the several disjointed churches in that city (not to mention how messed up Red Bluff is), reveals a Christian theology that refuses to find those in pain. The more separated I become from Redding, the more I see how incredibly fucked up that city is. The beauty of its skies can’t hide the ugliness of its heart.

Don’t worry, I don’t believe that Redding is Sodom. There are still those who are doing good deeds there. But those people are far and few. The city thrives off on the idea that isolation is the key to happiness. While this may work for some, I am sure that the city will have an identity crisis soon enough (there’s my optimism again). It’s taken me a long time to reform myself without all that the baggage that city put on me. Yet, every time I go back there, I feel like I’m restarting the process. But alas, I’m back in SoCal—my real home.