SXSW Film Reviews

Karaoke Fever

Spoof documentaries like last year's Best in Show prove that the genre isn't just a one-hit wonder (This Is Spinal Tap) and questions the notion that when it comes to chronicling the ticklish underbelly of some obsessive subculture, you can't make that shit up. Following the strange career paths of some very earnest contestants in a Southern California karaoke competition, the very real documentary Karaoke Fever turns all of that on its head: You can't make up sincere dreamers like Arianna, the five-octave-ranged 21-year-old with a penchant for swordplay, or like Frank Sinatra-look-alike Vaughn Suponatime. Karaoke aficionados forgive the culture's self-reflexive nature, which gives total schlubs like you and me a momentary taste of elusive star power. But karaoke virgins -- or worse, karaoke scoffers -- wonder why people subject themselves to such humiliation. This film provides some insight. Shot mostly on DV, there are some sketchy technical aspects, but none that distract. In fact, some of the fuzzy "establishment" shots (for me, at least) capture that blurry, drunken wistfulness, when you're waiting for your number to come up, watching your barmate enjoy his or her "15 minutes" under the lights. (Bad Dog, 3/17, 7:15pm)