With all of the recent talk of the death of 35mm and the ongoing digital vs. film debate, Morgan White’s feature doc debut ‘The Rep’ seems to be popping up with pretty great timing. The film looks at the tradition of the rep cinema, focusing on The Toronto Underground cinema. Here’s the synopsis:

The Rep follows the first year of business for Alex, Charlie, and Nigel as they try to make their theatre, The Toronto Underground Cinema, a success in the dying world of repertory cinema. The film also places the cinema in context to the larger world of rep. Featuring interviews with theatres such as Film Forum in NYC, The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, and The New Beverly Cinema in L.A., and celebrities such as Kevin Smith, John Waters, Atom Egoyan, and George A. Romero, the world of repertory cinema will come alive as a vibrant and culturally significant medium that needs to be preserved.

I’ve posted about this film in the past, but I have to say this trailer does a much better job at capturing both the passion behind the rep cinema and the stress of attempting to turn that passion into a sustainable, money making career. For more information on The Rep and how to see it, visit the film’s official website.

Sean Dunne is a familiar name around these parts. I’ve posted a bunch of his shorts in the past (The Archive, Man in Van, The Bowler, etc.) and his last film American Juggalo (embedded at the end of this post) was a great watch and received a lot of positive attention online. I’m a fan of his work, so obviously I’m excited to see what he has in store for his first feature film, ‘Oxyana’. Here’s some info on the project:

Oceana, West Virginia, sits squarely in one of God’s blind spots. It’s one of the old coal mining communities that feeds the nations insatiable appetite for energy. Set in the middle of unbelievable natural beauty, a beauty that in the last number of years, has been marred by the Appalachian scourge of Oxycontin. Life persists, but it’s a living that few Americans could explain or even believe; closer in kind to the world of a medieval plague. Men and women die epidemically. The addicts— who are the vast majority, and all nice enough people— sell, scramble, and steal in an economy of nigh-endtimes desperation. Worn down and out by the pills, the mines, or the indignity of both, everyone is easily twice their own age, and unable to imagine an existence outside of coal, subsidies, and prescription narcotics. Things could hardly get darker— or more fucked and implausible— than in this place called Oceana.

Head on over to the film’s Kickstarter page, check out the incentives and donate! I’d love to see this film happen.

This special Hot Docs 2012 episode of The Documentary Blog Podcast is designed specifically for those of you who like listening to four guys talk about documentaries for nearly three hours. Other sites might consider breaking such a massive show into two parts, but we like to keep things LONG around these parts. On this episode, myself (Jay), Sean Dwyer (Film Junk), Frank Knezic (Film Junk), and Kurt Halfyard (Twitch, Row Three) blather on about 27 of the 198 films at this year’s festival. Even at nearly three hours, it feels like we barely scratched the surface.

0:00 – Intro
1:30 - Tchoupitoulas
16:30 - Indie Game: The Movie
44::30 - Meaning of Robots/Mechanical Bride
1:00:00 - Beauty is Embarrassing
1:07:09 - We Are Legion: The Story Of The Hacktivists
1:17:43 - GLOW: The Story Of The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling
1:22:48 - Detropia
1:29:40 - The Ambassador
1:40:09 - Francophrenia (Or: Don’t Kill Me, I Know Where The Baby Is)
1:43:46 - Despite the Gods
1:50:46 - The Imposter
2:02:37 - Women With Cows
2:04:12 - The Tundra Book. A Tale Of Vukvukai, The Little Rock.
2:05:29 - China Heavyweight
2:13:43 - Marley
2:15:45 - Love Story
2:21:48 - Jeff
2:22:50 - Private Universe
2:23:57 - The Job
2:25:04 - Chasing Ice
2:26:36 - Shut Up and Play the Hits
2:28:02 - Dreams of a Life
2:29:48 - Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet
2:31:41 - Low and Clear
2:33:11 - Only the Young
2:36:45 - Platform Moon
2:39:16 - Family Nightmare

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As a lover of both genre cinema and documentary filmmaking, it’s no surprise that the combination of the two really hits my sweet spot. The marriage of these seemingly disparate worlds has become increasingly more common, giving documentary filmmakers an opportunity to experiment with the form and push the limits of non-fiction storytelling. This is a great way of bridging the gap between fiction and documentary filmmaking and working towards simply labeling them both as ‘movies’. That’s not to say there aren’t differences between the two. I love docs because they provide opportunities and insights that fiction films don’t (and vice-versa). In general terms, I think I can explain my love for the two as follows:

Fiction films are at their best when they engage me on a level at which I momentarily forget what I’m watching isn’t real. Documentary films are at their best when they engage me on a level at which I momentarily forget what I’m watching IS real.

This might seem problematic for some as many documentaries are specifically designed to illuminate certain realities in the world that shouldn’t be ignored. In these cases, applying an overtly cinematic aesthetic or drawing inspiration from genre cinema might not be appropriate. But when the opportunity arises, I love the idea of framing real events and real people within the constraints of genre. It’s a great reminder that reality is sometimes stranger than fiction, and even the craziest ‘true’ stories are always at the mercy of the editorial decisions of the filmmaker.

It might seem trivial or frivolous to draw such comparisons, but I think it’s a great way to introduce genre film fans to some great docs through some familiar reference points. We’ve already seen how documentary has influenced fiction — most evidently the horror genre, with the popularity of ‘found footage’ films — so let’s look at some examples of how genre has influenced documentary. I’ve listed a bunch of films below which I feel fit into specific genres or sub-genres. Some of these are fairly obvious while others might be a bit more of a stretch.

REVENGE FILM

THE EMPEROR’S NAKED ARMY MARCHES ON (1987)
Dir. Kazuo Hara

In Kazuo Hara’s ‘The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On’, a disgruntled Japanese WWII veteran takes justice into his own hands, dishing out punishment to the men he believes were involved in the unjust execution of fellow soldiers during their time fighting in New Guinea. The film is at times brutal, but also hilariously awkward as its main character, Kenzo Okuzaki, systematically tracks down his suspects and exacts revenge in the form of physical and verbal abuse. Kazuo Hara is a true provocateur, and his complex ‘anti-hero’ makes for an intense viewing experience that’s truly stranger than fiction.

SCIENCE FICTION

INTO ETERNITY (2010)
Dir. Michael Madsen

Michael Madsen’s ‘Into Eternity’ brilliantly combines an environmental issue — the long-term storage of hazardous nuclear waste — with a hypothetical, science fiction scenario that’s part Inconvenient Truth and part 2001: A Space Odyssey. Visually, ‘Into Eternity’ is rooted in a rich tradition of austere, hard science fiction cinema. The subject matter supposes what society might be like 100 thousand years from now — the approximate toxic lifespan of nuclear waste — and how we might warn future societies about the poisonous materials buried within the Earth. Imagining such future scenarios cleverly provides Madsen an opportunity to inject science-fiction concepts into a story that’s otherwise rooted in scientific fact. I absolutely loved the discussions surrounding possible future societies and how one might be able to communicate the dangers of the buried waste using only universal symbology. The inclusion of Kraftwerk on the soundtrack is a definite bonus.

POST-APOCALYPTIC

LESSONS OF DARKNESS (1992)
Dir. Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog’s stunningly beautiful ‘Lessons of Darkness’ recontextualizes images of post-Gulf War Kuwait, spinning an epic tale of “a planet in our solar system” facing a major catastrophe. Desert landscapes resemble a post-apocalyptic wasteland, shrouded by black smoke and illuminated by scattered plumes of fire. Contractors work at sealing off the oil wells lit ablaze by Saddam Hussein’s forces. Herzog describes the men as alien “creatures”, weaving an invented narrative throughout. They work at extinguishing the infernos only to become ‘seized by madness’, re-igniting the fires so that ‘they have something to extinguish again.’ It’s a haunting but absolutely magnificent documentary that seems somewhat under appreciated. To me, this is one of Herzog’s finest films. He also played with combining non-fiction with science fiction concepts in Fata Morgana (1971) and The Wild Blue Yonder (2005).

FANTASY

DARKON (2006)
Dir. Luke Meyer & Andrew Neel

Andrew Neel and Luke Meyer’s look at live action role playing (LARP’ing) makes use of the imaginary world of Darkon to indulge in some true fantasy filmmaking. When they’re not working in an office or selling coffee at Starbucks, these role playing hobbyists dress up in full fantasy garb, wielding foam swords and engaging in all out war over imaginary hexes of land. These battles are captured with a loving nod to the same cinematic techniques used in films like The Lord of the Rings. Swooping crane shots capture the action from above and high speed tracking shots follow these ‘warriors’ into battle. There’s even a sombre sequence featuring dark elves speaking in some form of elvish dialect which, hilariously, is subtitled.

CRIME FILM

MANDA BALA (SEND A BULLET) (2007)
Dir. Jason Kohn

I’ve talked about my love of Jason Kohn’s Manda Bala (Send a Bullet) many times before on this site. It’s a kinetic, stylish look at large scale corruption in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Kohn’s film is clearly inspired by genre cinema, incorporating cinematic flourishes that heighten the ‘bigger than life’ characters and circumstances presented in the film. The introduction of an anti-kidnapping squad plays out like a scene from Goodfellas, as a wandering steadicam shot introduces each member of the team. Kohn even manages to insert a car chase, making clever use of a driving class in which students learn how to evade potential kidnappers in their vehicles. They may be shooting paintballs rather than bullets, but the effect is still the same. Kohn has gone on record saying that he thinks of the film as a “non-fiction Robocop, depicting a very real, broken, and violent society.” Even the choice of shooting Manda Bala in a 2.35:1 anamorphic aspect ratio says something about Kohn’s interest in elevating this material into something cinematic.

FILM NOIR

THE THIN BLUE LINE (1988)
Dir. Errol Morris

Perhaps the most influential example of non-fiction genre-breeding, Errol Morris’ ‘The Thin Blue Line’ is a brilliant example of how a documentary can indulge in cinematic technique while still retaining its impact as a piece of investigative journalism. Morris’ use of stylized recreations is thematically sound, complementing the film’s questions of truth and perception and transforming the audience into armchair detectives. Cinematographer Stefan Czapsky’s background in genre film makes him a daringly unique choice for this project. After The Thin Blue Line, he went on to work with Tim Burton on numerous films, including Edward Scissorhands and Batman Returns. Morris’ himself has called The Thin Blue Line “the first non-fiction film noir”, making this one of the greatest examples of documentary embracing the conventions of fiction filmmaking.

HEIST FILM

MAN ON WIRE(2008)
Dir. James Marsh

This is an easy one. James Marsh’s ‘Man on Wire’ was one of the first big docs that wore its genre influence on its sleeve, drawing comparisons between the cinematic recreations of Phillipe Petit’s rogue WTC wire walk and a Hollywood heist film. Watching Petit prepare for the stunt by assembling his team is like something straight out of Ocean’s 11 or Mission: Impossible. Marsh’s recreations are quite clearly referencing genre cinema, playing out in stark black and white and at times looking like an example of German Expressionism. It’s Petit’s enthusiasm in telling the tale that really sells the audience on this adventure. Even though the story took place years prior to the making of the film, you truly feel like it’s happening before your eyes.

ROMANTIC COMEDY

SHERMAN’S MARCH (1986)
Dir. Ross McElwee

Ross McElwee’s failed love life hijacks a film that was originally about “the lingering effects of Sherman’s march on the South.” Instead, the concept is used as a sort of framing device for his search for a nice girl. After being ditched by his girlfriend, McElwee’s camera acts as a chaperone on a series of dates — or interviews — with potential suitors. The result is something akin to self flagellation; or a Woody Allen film. McElwee’s neurosis is at the forefront in a film that’s fearlessly honest and sometimes awkwardly personal. The film’s subtitle, “A Meditation on the Possibility Of Romantic Love in the South During An Era of Nuclear Weapons Proliferation”, perfecty encapsulates McElwee’s dry, cynical sense of humour.

Stay tuned for more giveaways here at The Documentary Blog!

To synopsize The Imposter is to risk spoiling the experience for somebody going into a film that’s probably best seen completely cold. I’ll keep this brief and general: the film starts with the sudden disappearance of a 13 year old boy from San Antonio, Texas. Almost four years later, he mysteriously reappears in Spain. That’s good enough. Fans of the twists and turns in films like Capturing the Friedmans and The Staircase will definitely enjoy The Imposter. Director Bart Layton tells this story with a sense of cinematic awareness that separates this sensational true-life story from your usual news magazine fare. It’s no coincidence that cinematographer Erik Alexander Wilson (Submarine, Tyrannosaur) and editor Andrew Hulme (Gangster No. 1, Lucky Number Slevin) have a background in fiction filmmaking as this movie draws on many inspirations from outside the documentary world. I was immediately reminded of the con aspect of Catch Me If You Can, the misguided wish fulfilment of A.I.’s placeholder robot-child David, and of course, Errol Morris’ The Thin Blue Line. Like Morris’ film, The Imposter utilizes cinematic recreations to tell its story and play with perception and memory. The audience does some Monday morning quarterbacking — or detecting — as the mystery unravels and slowly transforms into a ‘whodunit’. Outside of the film’s technical strengths and overall sense of craft, it’s the characters — specifically the title character and Charlie Parker, the old school private eye — that really push this story into the realm of the unreal, resembling a quirky, Coen Brothers-esque crime film. The Imposter is a must-see movie at this year’s Hot Docs festival for those who like their documentaries inspired by pure genre cinema.

5/5

GLOW: THE STORY OF THE GORGEOUS LADIES OF WRESTLING
Dir. Brett Whitcomb

I have no memory of watching Glow (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) when it originally aired, so I went into Brett Whitcomb’s nostalgia drenched documentary with very little nostalgia. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to graft the memories of my own favourite 80′s shows onto this one, getting by on the overall aesthetics of the era rather than the specifics of the content. Glow is representative of the 1980′s through and through, reminding me of a mix between The American Gladiators, Rollergirls, and the WWF. Beyond the “sport” itself, the scripted out-of-the-ring “sketches” reminded me of kids shows like You Can’t Do That on Television and (for my fellow Canadians) The Hilarious House of Frightenstein. The film mixes talking head interviews with footage from the original show, detailing the history of the production and providing some behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Those who’ve seen ‘Not Quite Hollywood’ should know the drill. While I did find the footage from GLOW entertaining, the actual interviews merely act as connective tissue, holding the stock footage together. The anecdotes are mostly trivial, and the fact that two of the show’s main creative forces refused to participate really didn’t help. There seemed to be some conflict between the cast and the creators, but it isn’t really explored in much detail. Mando Guerrero (GLOW trainer and brother of WWE wrestler Eddie Guerrero) gave the most animated and entertaining interview, but unfortunately only has about two minutes of screen time. The final act of the film gets away from the talking head format and focuses on one of GLOW’s most beloved alumnus, Mount Fiji. She was one of the bigger girls (both in popularity and size) that now resides in a nursing home due to her bad knees and diabetes. She thinks back on her days at GLOW with a sense of fondness but also sadness. When one of the original cast members decides to hold a reunion, the film captures some genuinely emotional moments that might have hit me harder if i’d gotten to know the ladies on a more personal, observational level earlier in the film. Still, GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling taps into a 1980′s nostalgic sweet spot that’s hard to resist for somebody who grew up in that era.

3.5/5

BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING
Dir. Neil Berkeley

If you grew up in the 80′s, you’ve more than likely been exposed to the joyously demented art of Wayne White. His most notable contribution to your/my childhood is his work on Pee Wee’s Playhouse, in which he designed both the sets and the puppets (and won three Emmy’s in the process). He also provided the voices of a few of his puppet creations, including Dirty Dog, Randy and Mr.Kite. Since then, White has made a name for himself in the art wold, known best for his word paintings in which he adds humorously crass phrases on top of thrift shop paintings. In Neil Berkeley’s directorial debut ‘Beauty is Embarrassing’, White gets the full biopic treatment, chronicling his early days struggling as a cartoonist and puppeteer and his gradual progression towards mainstream success. The story is told via one of White’s one-man-shows, in which he projects slides of his work to an audience, accompanied by funny anecdotes. This works wonderfully as a natural framing device for his story. White reflects on the playfulness of his art, continually downplaying the intellectual elements of his work and seemingly intent on taking the piss out of those who take art too seriously. The film reflects his general sense of joy by attempting to match this energy through its structure, animations, and some playful editing. There’s a fun energy inherent in the presentation and the cinematography is appropriately vibrant. There may be some debate on the amount of time spent on Pee Wee’s Playhouse (those who watched the show wishing for more and those who didn’t for less), but I thought the pacing was pretty fair throughout. I always love films that provide a detailed sneak peek into the creative process and Beauty is Embarrassing manages to capture a few great moments as White constructs the film’s signature LBJ cardboard heads along with one of his famous word paintings. The only thing hampering Beauty is Embarrassing is a seemingly niche subject resulting in a potentially narrow target audience. Anyone who goes out of their way to see the film will find White’s passion for creativity and his optimistic views on life infectious and relatable, specifically to those dominantly right brained audience members.

4/5

WOMEN WITH COWS
Dir. Peter Gerdehag

Reminiscent of the Maysles classic Grey Gardens, director Peter Gerdehag chronicles the life and times of two elderly sisters — Britt and Inger — and their struggle to maintain their family dairy farm. Unlike the Maysles film, Gerdehag remains behind the camera, allowing the audience to experience these two feisty Swedish ladies honestly and unfiltered. While Inger has begun to lose interest in helping her sister maintain the farm, Britt has become more obsessed with milking her 12 cows, which she treats like pets. She waddles around the property completely hunched over thanks to a broken back which went untreated years prior. When government agents threaten to take her cows away, Britt desperately needs the help of her sister, who’s more interested in spending time with her two grandchildren. The conditions on the farm have deteriorated over the years, and Britt’s own safety is at risk. In the wrong hands, the film could’ve felt more like an extended episode of Hoarders, but Gerdehag is sure to stay focused on the sister’s relationship and Ingrid’s own struggle between living a real life outside of the dairy farm while still attending to her sister’s obsessive compulsive work ethic and dwindling health. Aesthetically, Women With Cows is quite beautiful at times as Britt seems to provide an endless supply of mesmerizing and compelling imagery as she shuffles around the farm completely hunched over. One standout image contrasts her agonizingly slow and uncomfortable walk with a snail making its way across a tree stump in the foreground. Her stubbornness is at times frustrating, but her commitment towards maintaining the families farm — which was willed to her and is her own responsibility — is truly inspiring. These are two wonderfully charming and memorable characters that manage to entertain while remaining 100% human thanks to the deft hand of director Peter Gerdehag and his obvious affection for their relationship to each other and the world around them.

4/5

I love the BBC nature docs that have been coming out over the last few years. Planet Earth and Life were great, and now we’ve got Frozen Planet, focusing on the Arctic and Antarctic. Luckily, the kind folks at BBC Home Entertainment have provided us with TWO copies of Frozen Planet on DVD for giveaway here at The Documentary Blog!! Here’s some info on the series:

A BBC/Discovery Channel co-production four years in the making, Frozen Planet is ambitious and epic in scale and provides the ultimate portrait of our earth’s Polar Regions, capturing the power of natural elements and the fragile, jaw-dropping beauty of scenery unlike anywhere else in the world. This landmark high definition series brings to the screen the frozen wilderness of the polar region for what could be the last time before they change forever.

Featuring the incredible wildlife cinematography that made Planet Earth a worldwide success, Frozen Planet has taken new technology to the most extreme and remote parts of our planet capturing groundbreaking imagery above and below the ice.

For a chance to win a copy of Frozen Planet on DVD, simply send me an email here with ‘FROZEN’ in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address and I will announce the winner sometime next week. Also, BBC Home Entertainment has offered a 10% off discount code for our readers. Simply go to the BBC Home Entertainment website and enter the code FP312 when purchasing Frozen Planet on DVD or Blu Ray.

The Hot Docs Film Festival kicks off this weekend, so it’s time to start putting your schedules together and packing in as many quality documentary screenings as humanly possible. I’ve got mine put together and I’m really excited by the variety of subjects/films that I’ve got to look forward to. Luckily, I had a chance to check out a few of my most anticipated films in advance, including the Ross Bros. Tchoupitoulas, Indie Game: The Movie, Jeff, and James Franco’s Francophrenia. Here’s what I thought!

TCHOUPITOULAS
Dir. Bill Ross & Turner Ross

This might seem a bit premature, but the Ross Brothers Tchoupitoulas will likely end up being one of my favourite films of the festival (and maybe, the year). This nostalgic adventure follows a group of three kids (and their trusty dog Buttercup) as they explore the French Quarter in New Orleans. The sights and sounds of the nightlife weave in and out of the narrative, piquing the curiosity of the boys and exposing them to the rich cultures and traditions the city is known for. When the group misses their midnight ferry home, they’re face with an unexpected adventure that had me absolutely captivated. The feeling I got while watching Tchoupitoulas is most recently comparable to my experience with Terrance Malick’s The Tree of Life. In particular, the ‘endless summer’ section of the film in which Malick allows the boys to be boys. While I certainly didn’t grow up in New Orleans (I’ve never even been there), the film manages to tap into and awaken dormant childhood memories and images that are truly universal. A moment that stood out the most for me was in the final act, in which the boys come upon a seemingly abandoned ferry. They decide to sneak on board and explore its creepy, dark hallways, letting their imaginations (and the audiences) take over. This sense of curiosity and adventure says more to me about the human experience (and the cinema-going experience) than any graphs-and-charts social issue doc could ever dream to achieve. Tchoupitoulas is a vicarious and engaging cinematic adventure and a welcome reminder of why I love the movies.

5/5

INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE
Dir. James Swirsky & Lisanne Pajot

Having worked for a game developer for a few years, I was naturally intrigued by the premise of Indie Game: The Movie. I’m not much of a gamer myself, but I’m aware of the amount of work that goes into making a video game, and the thought of all of that content being created and managed by only a couple of guys is really mind-blowing. Without the support of a major studio or a fleet of employees, these indie game developers take on all of the responsibilities when delivering a game. If the product fails, they’re the only ones to blame. If it succeeds, they could become instant millionaires. Canadian filmmakers James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot chronicle the drama and insurmountable levels of stress behind the making of two games; Super Meat Boy and Fez. Both teams face their share of problems in delivering their product, but a passion for their art — enhanced by a regressive sense of childhood nostalgia — pushes them towards making a game that they themselves would’ve loved when they were kids. It would’ve been nice to see what all of this work adds up to for those toiling in obscurity, but I suppose the film is more interested in showcasing indie games as a credible art form and their developers as worthy competitors within the industry. Still, the fragility of success versus failure is palpable, especially within the over-saturated, uber-competitive world of game development. The film is well shot and features some vibrant representations of modern and classic video games sprinkled throughout. Visually, I was reminded of the aesthetic cleanliness of Gary Hustwit’s design trilogy. Indie Game: The Movie is a must-see for video game fans and should resonate with anyone with a passion for creativity.

4/5

JEFF
Dir. Chris James Thompson

I went into Jeff with unusually high (and probably unfair) expectations due to my love of character driven docs and the promise of some cinematic recreations. Part of me was wondering what could possibly be left to say about Jeffery Dahmer that hasn’t already been said? The story experienced some serious over-saturation when it was first reported and there have been countless movies and TV shows since. Luckily, director Chris James Thompson finds some new angles to explore, building a sense of dread as we watch Jeff, a covert madman, wandering the streets of Milwaukee in search for his next victim. This “killers-eye view” is presented by recreations (shot on film) featuring an actor in the role of Jeff. I was immediately reminded of Robinson Devor’s Zoo, which utilizes beautifully realized recreations to recount its gruesome story. Unfortunately, Jeff never quite achieves that level of cinematic intrigue, as most of the filmed sequences take place in rather plain environments and focus on fairly mundane activities. On one hand, they work at heightening Dahmer’s creepiness by reinforcing the idea that on the outside, he seemed to be a regular guy. On the other, these broad illustrations serve merely as accompaniment to the dominant talking heads, missing the emotional or visceral impact I was hoping for. With only three on-screen interviewees (a medical examiner, a neighbour, and a police detective), the overall picture is drawn from a somewhat limited perspective. Fortunately, detective Patrick Kennedy stands out as an interesting character, discussing his unusual relationship with Dahmer and how the high profile case affected his personal life. In a way, it’s almost his film as his on-screen presence is most dominant and his involvement in the story is the most interesting. We do get occasional images of the real Dahmer via home videos or news footage, but the film is mostly concerned with telling the story from the outsider’s perspective. In the end, Jeff does more to add to the mythology surrounding Jeffery Dahmer rather than provide much insight into the man himself, but I kind of like that.

3.5/5

FRANCOPHRENIA (OR: DON’T KILL ME, I KNOW WHERE THE BABY IS)
Dir. James Franco

Saturday Night Live documentary ‘SNL’, I thought this look at his time on the set of General Hospital might temporarily hold me over. Francophrenia (Or: Don’t Kill Me, I Know Where the Baby Is) takes place over one day/night, focusing on a complex shoot in which James Franco’s recurring character ‘Franco’ makes his return to daytime TV, staging a murderous plot during an art exhibition at an LA museum. Apparently the episode never aired, but we never learn why. Initially, the film seems to focus on the cult of celebrity, following Franco as he goes through hair and make up, poses for photos with press, and meets with his adoring fans. I could watch James Franco sign autographs and pose for pictures with General Hospital fans all day long. In fact, about 1/7th of the run time of Francophrenia is just that but still, I wanted more. Instead, an unusual narrative emerges as the real James Franco and his alter ego “Franco” cross wires. He grows increasingly paranoid and schizophrenic, questioning the intentions of the people around him and blurring the line between reality and fiction. The film turns into something resembling an art school/film school project, complete with cerebral narration, a talking men’s room door sign, ‘artsy’ after effects filters, and footage played in reverse. Co-director and editor Ian Olds’ urge to experiment with the already interesting footage seemed to reveal an insecurity rather than any sort of profundity. A little more confidence in the raw material and initial concept might have helped avoid such experimental urges. James Franco slumming it on General Hospital is strange and interesting enough to hold its own. Any additional artistic or experimental tinkering seems a bit redundant and somewhat undermines the simple brilliance of ‘Franco’. Having said all of that, the film has some genuinely funny moments, and I’m sure that the pretension on display is intended to be taken as satire. Still, I would’ve preferred a more straight forward treatment of this material as I think it could have been more entertaining and might have better complimented – and enhanced — the already surreal nature of ‘Franco’ and the strange atmosphere of the daytime soap set.

2.5/5

In the last couple of months I’ve had some down time while focusing on getting my next film, How to Build a Time Machine, up and running. I’d been itching to shoot something and with a fairly new camera (the Panasonic AF100) sitting on my shelf, I really wanted to log a few more hours shooting and become more familiar with my equipment before jumping into the next feature. So, I thought why not make a short documentary? With limited time and resources, I focused on a topic close to home…board gaming. My group of friends have recently started playing games like The Settlers of Catan and Pandemic, and this has resulted in some interesting ‘in game’ personality shifts. This short looks at the politics of competitive board gaming amongst friends, detailing one specific incident in which one friend loses his cool, threatening the future of ‘game night’.

Having made my initial list of top ten ‘must see’ docs at this years Hot Docs Film Festival, I was happy to see a trailer for Brett Whitcomb’s ‘GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling’ pop up online. The film “chronicles the rise and fall of the first ever all-female wrestling show through the stories of those who lived it.”

I wouldn’t call myself a wrestling fan, but I definitely have a nostalgic connection to the old school WWF wrestling of the 80′s. While I don’t recall ever watching Glow, it seems to fit right in with the colourful aesthetics and goofy sense of humour that I recall loving so much back in the day. I’m also really interested in this idea that this show acted as one of the first ‘reality TV shows’.

For those attending Hot Docs this year, be sure to check out the trailer above and mark it down on your list of films to see. For more info on ‘GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling’ and how to purchase tickets, visit www.hotdocs.ca. Here are the screening dates:

Fri, Apr 27 11:30 PM – Bloor Hot Docs Cinema
Sat, Apr 28 1:30 PM – The ROM Theatre
Sat, May 5 6:30 PM – The Regent

I’ll admit that my interest in Hangs Upon Nothing isn’t due to its subject matter. Surfing docs are a dime a dozen and I wouldn’t really call myself a fan of the sport. BUT, my interest is ALWAYS piqued when I heard about a documentary actually shot on film. Nowadays it seems to be a pretty big undertaking, both financially and technically, and I’m always curious what drives a filmmaker to bypass the cheaper, easier digital route. After watching the trailer, director Jeremy Rumas has reminded me how much I love seeing documentaries shot on film. Rumas talks a little bit about the process on the film’s official site:

I’m shooting this movie with a Bolex RX5 that was made in 1967. It’s an entirely mechanical camera that operates off a spring driven motor, similar to the way an old wind up clock works. There are no batteries or electronics in any of my camera gear, including my light meter.

My Bolex uses 16mm motion picture film. About a third of the way into production, I decided to convert my camera to Super 16, which just means the film gate is widened(my cousin filed it out by hand), and thus you get a wider native image on the film. So the final movie is going to be a combination of regular 16mm footage cropped in on the top and bottom to fill a Super 16 aspect ratio, and a majority of the footage will be native Super 16.

The rough black borders on the edges of the images are a result of dust, dirt, film emulsion and whatever else happens to get stuck on the edges of the film gate, thus blocking light from exposing the film behind it. So the rough organic edges in the footage are actually from the images on the original film negative.

Stay tuned to the film’s official website for information on how you’ll be able to see Hangs Upon Nothing once it’s finished.

The only thing better than the Hot Docs Film Festival is the Hot Dogs Film Festival. Unfortunately, the Hot Dogs Film Festival doesn’t exist, so let’s talk about the Hot Docs Film Festival. I’m never disappointed by the selection of films at Hot Docs and this year looks like it’s going to be a great one. First off, I just wanted to give a big shout out to this year’s new festival director (and past Documentary Blog writer) Charlotte Cook! The line up looks awesome and I thought I would point out ten films that immediately stood out as must-see’s for me. Like most festivals, it will require some time with the programme guide and some suggestions from trusty worthy documentary fans before I finalize the rest of my list. You can find the full schedule of films over at the Hot Docs Film Festival website.

Tchoupitoulas
Dir: Bill Ross & Turner Ross, 82 MINUTES | USA

Indie Game: The Movie
Dir: James Swirsky & Lisanne Pajot, 96 MINUTES | CANADA

Beauty is Embarrassing
Dir: Neil Berkeley, 91 MINUTES | USA

GLOW: The Story Of The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling
Dir: Brett Whitcomb, 76 MINUTES | USA

The Imposter
Dir: Bart Layton, 95 MINUTES | UK

Francophrenia (Or: Don’t Kill Me, I Know Where The Baby Is)
Dir: James Franco & Ian Olds, 70 MINUTES | USA

Jeff
Dir: Chris James Thompson, 75 MINUTES | USA

The Ambassador
Dir: Mads Brügger, 94 MINUTES | DENMARK

China Heavyweight
Dir: Yung Chang, 89 MINUTES | CANADA CHINA

Despite The Gods
Dir: Penny Vozniak, 85 MINUTES | AUSTRALIA