NATIONAL CINEMA DAY

This Saturday, September 3rd will be National Cinema Day, a day when you go to participating theaters across the country and see a movie for $3.00. That's right: Every movie, every showtime and every format for just three bucks.

The non-profit organization, The Cinema Foundation, a group dedicated to promoting the cinema exhibition industry and growing movie-going communities, was inspired to thank audiences who had returned to the movies to help make a record-breaking summer box-office and serve as a major push to help lure those who still have not been back to theaters. The studios will use this day as an opportunity to let viewers in on the upcoming movie slate for this fall and winter with sneak-peek trailers.

2022 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

One of the biggest and oldest film festivals in the world is almost set to begin: the 79th annual Venice Film Festival will begin on August 31st and running through September 10th. The 2022 edition will open with the latest from Noah Baumbach with "White Noise". The director's last feature, "Marriage Story" in 2019 made it's world premiere in Venice, going on to receive critical accolades and award recognition including six Academy Award nominations. Adam Driver (who received an Oscar nod for "Marriage Story") and Greta Gerwig (returning to acting after making a big impression as a director) star in this dark horror-comedy based on the 1985 novel by Don DeLillo about a college professor who has made his name with a course on Hitler studies and has to deal with a toxic chemical accident that creates havoc in his small town.



"White Noise" is one title that will be in competition for prizes this year with Julianne Moore presiding as president of the jury. Other films that have been selected to compete will be new works from important figures of international cinema that includes Darren Aronofsky ("The Whale"), Luca Guadagnino ("Bones and All"), Alice Diop ("Saint Omer"), Martin McDonagh ("The Banshees Of Inisherin"), Joanna Hogg ("The Eternal Daughter"), Alejandro G. Inarritu ("Bardo, False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths"), Laura Poitras ("All The Beauty And The Bloodshed"), Andrew Dominik ("Blonde"), Florian Zeller ("The Son") and Todd Field who returns with his first film in sixteen years (following "In The Bedroom" and "Little Children") with "Tár" starring Cate Blanchett set in world of classical music.









Some highlights of world premieres that will be screened out of competition will be actress, Olivia Wilde's directorial follow-up to "Booksmart" with "Don't Worry Darling"; "Pearl", Ti West's prequel to his slasher hit, "X" from earlier this year will make it's world premiere before hitting US theaters on September 16th; two veteran American directors will be on hand with "Nuclear", a documentary by Oliver Stone and Walter Hill's feature film, "Dead For a Dollar". And two Danish filmmakers will be presenting their television series at Venice; the notorious Lars von Trier with "The Kingdom Exodus" (which is it's third and final season) and Nicolas Winding Refn with "Copenhagen Cowboys".





Special Lifetime Achievement Golden Lions will be presented to French actress, Catherine Deneuve and American writer/director, Paul Schrader. The seventy-eight year old acting icon, who suffered a mild stroke in 2019, has made well over one hundred feature films over her lengthy career which includes "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg", "Repulsion", "Belle de Jour", "The Hunger" and "Indochine". After writing the screenplays of "Taxi Driver" for Martin Scorsese and "Obsession" for Brian DePalma, Schrader made his directorial debut with "Blue Collar" in 1978, going on to write ("Raging Bull", "The Mosquito Coast", "The Last Temptation of Christ") and direct ("American Gigolo", "Cat People", "First Reformed") over thirty films. The latest from the seventy-six year old filmmaker, "Master Gardener" will make it's world premiere at the fest.

SHARP STICK (2022)

 

Written & Directed by Lena Dunham

Where & When: Nuart Theatre, West Los Angeles, CA.  August 3, 2022  5:20 PM

Back in 2010, Lena Dunham released "Tiny Furniture", her debut feature film she wrote and directed. This semi-autobiographical, indie dramatic-comedy gave us the first taste of her quirky, self-referential voice. Dunham spoke with caustic humor about how her generation feels unsteady trying to maneuver through this modern world as a young adult. This low-budget film, which featured her mother, Laurie Simmons, a New York artist who was the big name at the time, received plenty of critical acclaim and awards, leading Dunham to collaborate with Judd Apatow and create the HBO series, "Girls" two years later.

This urban comedy expanded upon characters and ideas from "Tiny Furniture", focused on addressing the challenges facing a group of aimless, twenty-something women. After six captivating seasons, "Girls" made Dunham a bigger name, introduced us to a future star (Adam Driver) and helped open the door to shows built around unconventional female protagonists who are deeply flawed and not necessarily likable.

Now Dunham has just made her second feature film, "Sharp Stick", an offbeat, coming-of-age story of an awkward young girl who treats her sexual awakening as if she's a determined student trying hard to get a top grade in school. There are certainly some interesting, funny ideas at play here yet they are muddled due to a narrative that falls uneasily between a strange, dark comedy and an uncomfortably creepy satire.

Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) lives in the Hollywood area of LA with her mother, Marilyn (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a new-age, Earth mother type and her sister, Treina (Taylour Paige) who is focused on finding success through being a social media influencer. Although she's in her twenties, Sarah Jo comes across as much younger due to her sweet, Pollyanna nature. Yet underneath lurks a lustful, passionate woman with burning desires that wants to be noticed. Sarah Jo decides to set her sights on Josh (Jon Bernthal), the married, stay-at-home dad of Zach (Liam Michel Saux), the special needs child she tutors, to lose her virginity with. And while this good-natured goofball tries to resist, Josh ultimately gives in to Sarah Jo's seduction, especially after she informs him that she had a hysterectomy at fifteen.

This one-time encounter soon evolves into an actual love affair. Later, Josh introduces Sarah Jo to the world of digital pornography with her far more fascinated than aroused. But Sarah Jo is unceremoniously dumped after Josh's pregnant wife (Dunham) discovers their affair. Lost and despondent, she tries to mend her heartbreak by focusing on her favorite porn star, Vance Leroy (Scott Speedman), writing him pages of long letters seeking guidance through his sexual wisdom to help her win Josh back. Then, as a way to impress Josh, Sarah Jo makes a cute, homemade poster board listing all of the sexual acts she plans to perform with random men from A to Z, with a place to check off when completed.

Dunham has finally moved away from relying so heavily on a fictionalized version of her life in her work, moving towards characters outside of her comfort zone. But with this film, she doesn't push far enough into the absurd that feels necessary, lacking clearly defined characters and creating a false sense of female empowerment. "Sharp Stick" also doesn't have much of a cinematic scope, never feeling more than an enhanced, expanded television episode.

Froseth plays Sarah Jo as child-like and very naïve, an unbelievable trait with her growing-up in this fast-moving, modern city of Los Angeles living with her worldly mother and sister. She also comes across as a bit dim which could explain some of her behavior yet her motivations remain unclear. Dunham adds race into the story with Treina being African-American and taken in as a baby to be raised by this family due to sad circumstances. Yet there is no commentary or development from this addition with the character sidelined for much of the film, leaving a feeling that this was too much of a calculated after-thought.

"Sharp Stick" seems to be making a statement about our society's obsession with sexuality and gender politics. But Dunham's use of oddball characters, provocative comedy and feminist ideology is not clearly conceived to make this film entirely compelling or enjoyable. Yet I am glad that Dunham has returned to the big screen and that it will not be over ten years until her next feature (she has written and directed an adaptation of the children's book, "Catherine Called Birdy" for Amazon Studios due out in September). While I have not always been won over by her work, I greatly appreciate what Dunham tries to achieve, offering a bold challenge to conventional themes utilizing a commanding female perspective.

WINNERS OF THE 2022 OUTFEST FILM FESTIVAL

The 40th edition of Outfest L.A. has come to an end and there were prizes that were handed out. "Please Baby Please", Amanda Kramer's avant-garde, queer journey that explores gender, obsession and lust, received the top prize from the Grand Jury for Outstanding Narrative Feature.

 
Here is a partial list of winners from the 2022 OutFest L.A. Film Festival:

Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding North American Narrative Feature: "Please Baby Please"
Honorable Mention for North American Narrative Feature: "Youtopia"
Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Screenplay in a North American Narrative Feature: Juan Pablo González, Ana Isabel Fernández and Ilana Coleman, "Dos Estaciones"
Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Performance in a North American Narrative Feature: Matthew Jeffers, "Unidentified Objects"
Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding International Narrative Feature: "Mars One"
Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Screenplay in a International Narrative Feature: Mariano Biasin, "Sublime"



Honorable Mention for Screenplay in a International Narrative Feature: Gabriel Bier Gislason, "Attachment"
Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Performance in a International Narrative Feature: Aamu Milonoff, "Girl Picture"



Honorable Mention for Performance in a International Narrative Feature: Raphaëlle Perez, "My Emptiness and I"
Paul D. Lerner and Stephen Reis Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Documentary Feature: "Sirens"



Honorable Mention for Documentary Feature: "Jeannette"
Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding U.S. Narrative Short: "Work"
Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding International Narrative Short: "Warsha"
Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Documentary Short: "Love, Barbara D"
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: "Unidentified Objects"
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: "Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story"
Audience Award for Best Narrative Short: "Troy"
Audience Award for Best Documentary Short: "CANS Can’t Stand"

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING AWARDS:

Emerging Talent: Yusuf Shadeed Nasir, "Regret To Inform You"
Freedom: "UÝRA: The Rising Forest"
Artistic Achievement: Mohammad Shawky Hassan, "Shall I Compare You To A Summer's Day?"

Now for some movies I saw at the fest. "Crissy Judy" is a fierce dark comedy from Todd Flaherty who wrote, directed, edited and stars in his debut feature film. Judy (Flaherty) is part of NYC drag act with his best friend, Crissy (Wyatt Fenner). Referring to themselves by their performer names, even out of drag, they do everything together but one day, Crissy announces that the man he has been dating has gotten serious and plans on moving to Philadelphia to live with him. Lost and devastated, Judy tries to carry on with the act and life on his own, struggling every step of the way. With stunning, crisp black & white photography by Flaherty's brother, Brendan, "Chrissy Judy" brings to mind the mid-career era of Woody Allen's comedy-dramas with Flaherty's Crissy even feeling like a variation of Holly (played by Dianne Wiest) in Allen's "Hannah and her Sisters", a person struggling to make a creative career happen but whose life is a mess, abusing alcohol and making bad choices, particularly regarding men. But Flaherty has made a delightfully charming film that displays his own distinctive style and rhythm with well-developed characters, deeply felt drama and hilarious comedy.

For young gay men growing up in the '80's and '90's, the International Male mail-order catalogue, with it's pages filled with impossibly handsome men modeling fashion-forward clothing (and much less), helped open the door to explore and fantasize privately at home at a time when there were not many outlets for them to do this. And the fascinating documentary, "All Male: The International Male Story" from directors, Bryan Darling and Jesse Finlay Reed does a deep-dive into the history of the company started by Gene Burkard in 1974. After leaving the military, a closeted Burkard from the Midwest headed to San Diego where he found a chance to live openly and an opportunity to start a business. Creating a variation of the jock strap and calling it "jock sock", Burkard put an ad in adult magazines to purchase by mail and the product exploded almost immediately, evolving into mail order business with fashions for men with the catalogue created to evoke a worldly, lifestyle magazine. With narration by Matt Boner, the film interviews Burkard (who passed away in 2020), several former employees, celebrity fans and some of the models who describe their struggles with trying to look comfortable in the more extreme looks they were given to wear. My only minor issue with the film is that even at eighty-three minutes, "All Male" feels padded, with a hour probably being plenty of time to effectively tell the International Male story. What I found really interesting was Burkard's insistence that gay men were not the target audience for International Male. I still find this hard to believe yet he did prove that there was an awareness for his clothing outside of the community, successfully luring women into selecting items for their men to wear, many who certainly would never have purchased on their own. This catalogue came to a sad demise in 2007 but International Male will always be remembered for helping to redefine masculinity and open up how men could creatively express themselves through their clothing.



And while "Please Baby Please" was selected the Outstanding Narrative Feature, I was not a fan of this convoluted drama. Set in 1950's New York (but looking more like the 1980's), British actors Andrea Riseborough and Harry Melling play a newly married American couple, Suze and Arthur who witness a street gang brutalizing an innocent victim. Although they are both terrified, this act of violence also opens up for each a desire to explore their gender identities. Demi Moore and Karl Glusman make appearances as an odd neighbor and the gang's sexy leader who Arthur is obsessed with. It is clear that the director Kramer had found inspiration from David Lynch and other offbeat filmmakers yet unlike Lynch's mysterious, erotically-charged journeys into highly stylized otherworlds, Kramer's film feels tedious and incomprehensible, with a sense of trying too hard to just be weird. The script does not help with the characters having a lot to say but their ramblings are all meaningless, devoid of actual sentiment. "Please Baby Please" is an empty exercise into the avant-garde, never succeeding in creating a compelling, dreamlike adventure.

BOB RAFELSON (1933 - 2022)

Bob Rafelson, one of the filmmakers who helped create a cultural shift in American cinema in the 1970's, taking films from a sanitized, artificial world to a more gritty, reality-based vision, has passed away at the age of eighty-nine on July 23rd.

The New York born and raised Rafelson began his professional career in television, first working as a story editor on the series, "Play of the Week" in 1959. He soon began writing for other television programs before he decided to head West to try his luck in Hollywood. He began as an associate producer at Universal Studios for the film and television units.

Later with fellow producer, Bert Scheider, they formed a company, Raybert Productions and their first project was inspired by the incredible success of the British rock group, The Beatles and Rafelson's own experiences while playing with a band. "The Monkees" was a tv show about the wacky adventures of an American rock band, casting actors who actually had a pop music background; Micky Dolenz, Davey Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork. This comedy series became an immediate hit, featuring a non-traditional format, using fast-cut editing, interviews and documentary-styled footage which helped the show win an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1967. And this fictional band became a real musical group who had several songs reach the pop charts and went out on tour. "The Monkees" ran from 1966 to 1968 and after the show ended, Rafelson made his directorial feature film debut with "Head", a trippy, musical-comedy that featured the Monkees, expanding far beyond the television show. The movie was not much of a success but it did succeed in beginning the long friendship and working collaboration between Rafelson and Jack Nicholson who co-wrote the script with him and appeared in the film.

Raybert Productions (later known as BBS productions after adding Rafelson's childhood friend, Stephen Blauner to the company) were responsible with producing some of the more notable films of the New Hollywood era, beginning with Dennis Hopper's "Easy Rider" in 1969, followed by "The Last Picture Show" from Peter Bogdanovich and Rafelson's second film as a director, "Five Easy Pieces" in 1970 which helped cement Nicholson, who earned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role, as a major movie star. Rafelson followed that up with "The King of Marvin Gardens" featuring Nicholson, Bruce Dern and Ellen Burstyn; and "Stay Hungry", a 1976 comedy starring Jeff Bridges and Sally Field that is really only notable today for the film acting debut of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nicholson would go on to appear in three other films with Rafelson; a 1981 remake of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" which gave Jessica Lange a star-making turn; "Man Trouble", a black comedy with Ellen Barkin and the 1996 crime-thriller, "Blood and Wine" that featured Jennifer Lopez. Rafelson's last feature film he directed was "No Good Deed" another crime drama with Samuel L. Jackson in 2002.

FIRE ISLAND (2022)

Written by Joel Kim Booster



Directed by Andrew Ahn



Available to stream now on Hulu



Fire Island, a large center isle running parallel to the South shore of Long Island, NY, has been a popular mecca for gays and lesbians since the 1960's, a summertime getaway that would offer opportunities to live and celebrate openly which couldn't always be done in the city at the time. Now we have "Fire Island", a refreshingly audacious romantic-comedy involving a group of gay friends in search of fun, sun, sex and possibly even love. It stands out with it's racially diverse, mostly Asian cast as the leads, offering a welcome change of routine usually found in gay-themed comedies. Another reason "Fire Island" is such an anomaly is that a major studio (Searchlight, now owned by Disney) is actually behind this film that makes no attempt in appealing to anyone outside of the LGBTQ communities.

Joel Kim Booster, a stand-up comedian and writer, not only stars but has written the screenplay, crafting a charming, wild romp that manages to squeeze thoughtful conversations about social and racial issues in between the silly gags and romantic entanglements that is loosely based on Jane Austen's novel of class and manners, "Pride and Prejudice". Austen might seem to be an unlikely source of inspiration yet gay men certainly have established rituals, conventions and societal rules that tends to be closely followed in a queer enclave.

Oversleeping after a night of wild escapades, Noah (Booster) barely arrives on time to meet his friends on the ferry that will whisk them off to the Fire Island Pines. Noah's friends; the colorful, Luke (Matt Rogers), the flaming, Keegan (Tomás Matos), the practical, Max (Torian Miller) and his BFF, Howie (Bowen Yang) who has moved to LA but made the trip, are all ready for a week of debaucherous fun after they arrive at the house of their "mother", Erin (a welcome but underused, Margaret Cho) when she drops some bad news on them. Due to some bad financial decisions, Erin will have to sell her house, making this their last time in the Pines together.

The boys begin their first evening at the Blue Whale when Noah sees Howie making eyes at a handsome man across the room. He forces Howie to go meet Charlie (James Scully) who is with his own small group of friends which includes Will (Conrad Ricamora), looking like he would prefer to be anywhere but this club. Determined to get his shy friend laid, Noah vows not to connect with any boy until Howie does so first. This proves to be more of challenge than expected as Noah catches the attention of a sexy young man, Dex (Zane Phillips) while grocery shopping. And Noah starts to develop a complicated attraction to the aloof Will who is sending mixed messages; first Noah overhears Will criticizing him and his friends to Charlie yet also shows concern about him getting involved with Dex, implying he shouldn't be trusted.

"Fire Island" began as a series developed by Booster for Quibi, the short-lived streaming service that burned bright in April 2020 before it was snuffed out only eight months later. Booster later expanded the project into a feature film, attaching Andrew Ahn, who made an impression with his directorial debut, "Spa Night". While there is certainly a lusty nature to the film, this comedy surprisingly largely avoids raunch (and more shockingly, nudity), preferring to focus humorously on the bonds of long friendship and support between these gay men. But their frustrations with being considered outsiders in their own community are pointedly discussed, bringing attention to classism, body image and racial stereotypes that they have to contend with.

Romantic-comedies have long been appealing to many gay men who have easily been able to put themselves into the shoes of a lovely damsel in a comedic quest in search of a handsome hunk to swept her off her feet, rescuing her from a tragic life being single. But these days, we no longer have to use our imaginations with gays, lesbians and everybody in-between are able to openly tell their stories without coded references. Warm hearted and enjoyably breezy, "Fire Island" refreshingly displays the amusing and sometimes absurd practices involving love and romance between gay men, proudly without a thought over heteronormative frame of reference.

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JAMES CAAN (1940 - 2022)

James Caan, who famously played a variety of short-tempered and volatile characters throughout his career as an actor, has passed away on July 6th at the age of eighty-two. In 1972, he was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his turn as the aggressive and violent, Sonny Corleone in the Best Picture winner, "The Godfather", the first in the mob-crime saga about the Corleone family based on the book by Mario Puzo.

Born and raised in New York City, Caan attended college at Michigan State University wanting to play football but was unable to make the team. He transferred to Hofstra College back in New York where he became interested in acting, later studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre. Caan first began his professional career on the stage before getting work in television with his first job in an episode of  the police drama, "Naked City". He went on to make guest-starring appearance in the shows, "Dr; Kildare", "Route 66", "Wagon Train" and "The Untouchables". Caan's first major role in a movie was in "Redline 7000", a 1965 auto-racing drama directed by Howard Hawks. Making an impression on this director who made his name during the early Hollywood era, Hawks hired the young actor for another film, "El Dorado", a western with John Wayne and Robert Mitchum.

The first role that changed the course of his career was playing Brian Piccolo, a promising young football player in "Brian's Song", an ABC television movie-of-the-week. Caan had turned down the role several times, largely because he didn't want to do television anymore, but relented once he actually read the script. Billy Dee Williams co-starred as Gale Sayers, an African-American teammate who befriends Piccolo, forming an unlikely bond before Piccolo is stricken with terminal cancer. This moving sports drama was so popular, becoming the most watched made-for-tv-movie in 1971, that it was also released theatrically. Caan would first met Francis Ford Coppola, a fledgling filmmaker, when he cast him in a supporting role in his fourth feature film, "The Rain People" in 1969. And in 1972, Caan would reunite with Coppola for "The Godfather" which would help him become a major movie star.

Some highlights from the films Caan made during the early part of his career are "Cinderella Liberty", "Freebie & The Bean", "Rollerball"; "A Bridge Too Far"; the semi-autobiographical Neil Simon romantic-comedy, "Chapter Two"; and "Funny Lady", the 1975 sequel to "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand.

By the 1980's, Caan's career had cooled due to personal issues (which included problems with substance abuse) and several movie flops (including "Thief", the 1981 Michael Mann directed thriller that has since become a cult classic) with the actor deciding to remove himself from the business for a number of years. It was Coppola who managed to lure Caan back on to the screen with his military drama, "Gardens of Stone" in 1987. And while this film didn't attract much attention at the box-office, Caan still continued with an active return to acting.

He went on to appear in "Alien Nation", "Honeymoon in Vegas"; "Dogville"; "Eraser" with Arnold Schwarzenegger; "For the Boys" with Bette Midler; "Bottle Rocket", the directorial debut of Wes Anderson. But one of his biggest successes was the Rob Reiner adaptation of Stephen King's psychological thriller, "Misery. Caan played a famous writer of a series of romance novels who ends up in an accident in a remote area and rescued by a nurse who also happens to be one of his biggest fans. But the nurse (played by Kathy Bates in her Oscar-winning role) discovers that he is writing his final book, demanding he change his mind or else. Caan also appeared in the popular 2003 Christmas comedy, "Elf" playing the biological father of Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell).