https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2003-03-07/148473/
D: Adam Ballachey.
Documentary Feature Competition, World Premiere
Welcome to the strange and depressing world of male stripping -- the shaved chests and stabbed backs, the G-strings stuffed with, uh, cash -- where we meet four dancers thrusting and butt-jiggling through various stages of their career. For sheer delusionary grandeur, few documentary subjects match Tarzan Tarantino, the aging stripper gone soft in the belly and, apparently, the head. Tarantino is a true American idealist who spies fame in every endeavor. He quotes Rocky, he yearns to be a pro wrestler, but he belly flops at everything he tries -- except his day job (ah, the irony) selling meat door-to-door. You can't make this stuff up. (CC, 3/9, 10pm; CC, 3/10, 3pm; Paramount, 3/14, 2:30pm) - Sarah Hepola
D: Grover Babcock and Blue Hadaegh.
Documentary Feature First Films, Regional Premiere
Fans of HBO's Six Feet Under should get a kick out of this thorough and engrossing look at all the folks who don't end up at Chez Fisher. Specifically, Babcock and Hadaegh's film follows the circuitous route taken by a handful of homeless, indigent, and off-the-grid decedents on their way to their final reward (in this case as likely a crematorium furnace as a plot in Potter's Field). On the way, we're introduced to the efficient bureaucracy staffed by professional people who do their best to track down missing or nonexistent relatives, seek out wills, or just plain try and figure out John Doe #13's real name. Warning: Dead people abound. But then so do the living. It's a fair trade. (Paramount, 3/8, 11am; Paramount, 3/13, 5pm; CC, 3/15, 10:15pm) - Marc Savlov
D: Greg Pritikin; with Adrien Brody, Milla Jovovich, Illeana Douglas, Vera Farmiga.
Narrative Feature Competition, Regional Premiere
Ventriloquists and their dummies usually go together like nubile young hitchhikers and sociopathic loners, but Pritikin's film thankfully dispenses with the horror movie clichés and instead offers a glorious and daffy serio-comic romance. Oscar nominee Adrien Brody (The Pianist) is flat-out fantastic as social misfit Steven, who blossoms when he buys a dummy and uses it to speak for his heart. Jovovich, as his Hesher-punk pal, and Farmiga, as the unemployment officer of his dreams, round out an impressive cast which also boasts a terrific soundtrack from Mike Reukberg. (Paramount, 3/10, 2:15pm; Alamo, 3/12, 11am; Westgate, 3/15, 6pm) - Marc Savlov
D: Joseph Pierson; with Bill Sage, Bill Dawes.
Narrative Feature Special Screenings
EvenHand explores a side of police work rarely seen in movies: the prosaic day-to-day nature of the job. Unlike the pyrotechnic shoot-'em-ups we've become accustomed to viewing, EvenHand delivers the real skinny on what's involved in the daily tasks of "protecting and serving." Set in the fictional town of San Lovisa, Texas, the movie is a realistic character study of two contrasting patrol officers -- one recently divorced and a newcomer to town, the other a gregarious old hand who plays by his own rules. Both men strive to be individuals in a world where preconceptions -- their own included -- reign. (Alamo, 3/9, 2pm; Millennium, 3/12, 7:30pm; Millennium, 3/13, 8pm) - Marjorie Baumgarten
D: The Pang Brothers; with Lee Sin-Je, Lawrence Chou, Chutcha Rujinanon, Candy Lo.
Narrative Feature Special Screenings, U.S. Premiere
"The world is really beautiful," a young girl promises Mun, who has been blind since the age of 2. But not all is rainbows when a cornea transplant restores her sight. Sure, she can fix her fetchingly bewildered gaze upon her hunky therapist, but that's not all she sees. The Eye is an impressionistic, almost gentle, ghost story whose chilly moments are but ice cubes in a sweet cocktail for the eyes; a movie where every perfectly lit, gloriously composed shot is a love letter to film as a visual medium. (Westgate, 3/8, 10pm; Alamo, 3/11, 12mid; Westgate, 3/15, 8pm) - Rachel Proctor
D: Kirven Blount; with Justin Hagan, Ralph McCain, Daniel Dresner, Mary Catherine Garrison, Piper Perabo.
Narrative Feature First Films, World Premiere
Set amid the cracked shadows of the NYC after-hours scene, Flowers follows the night-tripping adventures of aspiring actor Bill Potter (Hagan). Recruited off the street by a charismatic mobster (McCain), the once straight-and-narrow Potter suddenly finds himself inhaling a crooked landscape of cocaine, prostitution, and police corruption. Caught somewhere between Goodfellas and The Freshman, writer/director (and onetime Chronicle contributor) Blount's screenplay weaves together a complex ménage of underworld characters that whirl about Potter like a magnificent storm. But the physical demons destroying this anti-hero's body are far outstripped by those destroying his soul; even the blind love of a compassionate woman (Perabo) may fall short of his salvation. (CC, 3/10, 9:30pm; Hideout, 3/11, 2:30pm; Hideout, 3/13, 1pm) - Marcel Meyer
D: Michael Almereyda; with Karl Geary, Shalom Harlow, Ally Sheedy, Liane Balaban.
Narrative Feature Competition, Regional Premiere
There's always more to Michael Almereyda's films (Hamlet, Nadja) than meets the eye, and Happy Here and Now (in which no one seems to be) continues his elliptical streak. Balaban is Amelia, who sojourns to the Big Easy searching for her missing sister Muriel (Harlow) and winds up exploring the shadowy, dehumanizing world of online life via firefighting avatar o' love Geary. Mixed media + matching monitors = romance gone awry, again, but this time with a distinctly edgy twist. (Paramount, 3/8, 4:15pm; Millennium, 3/11, 6:30pm; Westgate, 3/15, 4pm) - Marc Savlov
D: Amy Maner.
Documentary Feature Special Screenings, World Premiere
Lubbock light and local filmmaker Amy Maner says she shot enough footage for Lubbock Lights to make a Lone Star Decalogue, so this 60-minute rough cut concentrates on what one assumes will eventually be the centerpiece to this documentary: the music. As the opening inclement weather shots suggest, there's more to Lubbock than just Tommy X Hancock, Terry Allen, and the Flatlanders. A whole X-file's worth, doubtlessly. But mythology takes a back seat to the likes of Jesse Taylor, and in doing so, makes the case for a Burnsian PBS (or is that Benson-esque CMT?) series on Texas music. (Paramount, 3/11, 4:30pm; CC, 3/12, 4:30pm; Paramount, 3/15, 7pm) - Raoul Hernandez
D: Bob Odenkirk; with Michael Blieden, Stephanie Courtney, Matt Price, Annabelle Gurwitch, Maura Tierney, David Cross, Jack Black.
Narrative Feature First Films, Regional Premiere
Rarely is dinner with acquaintances all that cathartic, but toss in a half-dozen bottles of vino, some kooky coincidences, alarming revelations, and much talk of chance vs. fate and late-night porn, and you'll have something akin to what happens when Melvin (Blieden, who also scripted the film) goes to dinner. Melvin is the directorial debut from Mr. Show's Bob Odenkirk, and a smashing time to boot -- witty and windy, terrifically acted, and shot through with a bitter romanticism (or is it romantic bitterness?) that goes down easy on the eyes, the ears, and, yes, even the gullet. (Paramount, 3/10, 9:30pm; Paramount, 3/12, 2pm; CC, 3/15, 8:15pm) - Kimberley Jones
D: Gil Cates Jr.; with Andrew Keegan, Lauren German, Glenn Badyna, Sunny Mabrey, Corey Pearson.
Narrative Feature Special Screenings, World Premiere.
To paraphrase the Bard, "All the world's a rave, and all the men and women merely ravers." Wrong play, I know, but this romantic and humorous look at love and light sticks in the age of electronica transposes Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream to the thumping and giddy rave community, complete with Glenn Badyna's wily Puck and a bevy of fanciful characters that -- let's face it -- wouldn't look at all out of place liquid dancing in front of Paul Oakenfold. With a soundtrack from a clutch of heavy-hitter DJs and an overriding philosophy in the best PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) tradition, this is the best take on rave since Greg Harrison's Groove. (Paramount, 3/9, 9:30pm; Alamo, 3/12, 4:30pm; Millennium, 3/15, 10:30pm) - Marc Savlov
D: Jonathan Karsh.
Documentary Feature Special Screenings
The sheer human suffering in Jonathan Karsh's award-winning documentary is simply unspeakable. Covering a year in the lives of Bay area mother Susan Tom and her adopted family of 11 special-needs children, the film examines the household's struggles to cope with each other and the outside world. There is Xenia, for one, a legless teenager who experiences her first crush and gets stood up at the Valentine Dance. Then there's Faith, who has sustained horrible burns as a baby and mistakenly believes she'll recover her looks by the time she grows up. Though unexpected events severely test the family's resolve, Susan and her children soldier on through their undeniable pain. (CC, 3/10, 1pm) - David Garza
D: Jeffrey Erbach; with Jeff Sutton, David Turnbull, Ardith Boxall, Tom McCamus, Bob Huculak, Katherine Lee Raymond.
Narrative Feature Competition, U.S. Premiere
Is it the nature of Nicholas or the nurture of Nicholas? That's the question at hand in this slow and surreal tale of a 12-year-old boy coming to terms with his attraction to his scrappy best friend. Played to creepy perfection by young Jeff Sutton, the titular character begs for love and attention -- even if it's only in whispers. When his schoolboy desire goes sadly unrequited, Nicholas enters an imagined world of talking cadavers, false conversations, and terrible fears. Though a bit thick in parts, the film offers a brave take on the quiet budding of loneliness and desire. (Alamo, 3/7, 9:15pm; Millennium, 3/9, 6:30pm; Millennium, 3/14, 5:30pm) - David Garza
D: John O'Brien; with George Lyford, Natalie Picoe, Richard Snee.
Narrative Feature Special Screenings, World Premiere
Vermont and comedy are not usually attributes paired in the same sentence, no less the same movie. But intrepid filmmaker John O'Brien perfects the feat in Nosey Parker, a film about a New York couple who move to Vermont to get back "in touch" and the reserved locals who act as though an alien spaceship has just landed. Never crossing the line that separates humor from condescension, the fish-out-of-water couple and their old-timer handyman George tiptoe around each other until curiosity finally gets the better of everyone. The largely improvised dialogue makes fantastic use of the actual residents of Tunbridge, Vt. -- O'Brien's hometown. (Paramount, 3/11, 2pm; Millennium, 3/13, 5:30pm; Millennium, 3/14, 7:30pm)- Marjorie Baumgarten
D: Jamie Meltzer.
Documentary Feature Special Screenings
Off the Charts offers an intimate look into one of the most fabulous exploitations of the American dream, the song-poem. These sonic train wrecks are what happens when amateur lyricists contact the vanity presses of the record industry in hopes of finding a back-door route to stardom. The documentary introduces us to the song-poets responsible for "Aliens Ate My Dog" and "Blind Man's Penis," as well as the musicians and producers who can turn a tune around in under an hour. Particularly admirable is the film's utter lack of condescension toward the eccentrics that thrive in this dark corner of the music business. (Alamo, 3/11, 7:30pm; Hideout, 3/12, 1:15pm; Alamo, 3/13, 10:15pm) - Michael May
D: Greg Pak; with Tamlyn Tomita, Wai Ching Ho, Glenn Kubota, James Saito, Cindy Cheung.
Narrative Feature First Films, Regional Premiere
The four technology-themed shorts comprising this DV anthology film are a little peculiar but emotionally honest and winning nonetheless. "My Robot Baby," which stars Tamlyn Tomita as the ambivalent mother to a ridiculously ovoid mechanical infant, gets the feeling of new motherhood exactly right. Its corollary, "The Robot Fixer," features a pitch-perfect, beautifully understated performance by Wai Ching Ho as a mother determined to complete her comatose son's collection of toy robots. "Machine Love," starring director Greg Pak as an android, is a bit self-consciously wacky but will ring true to office drones. "Clay" is a slower and more obviously philosophical meditation on death. (Paramount, 3/10, 7pm; Westgate, 3/13, 10:15pm; Millennium, 3/15, 6:30pm) - Marrit Ingman
D: Josh Pais.
Documentary Feature First Films, Regional Premiere
Inspired by writer/director Josh Pais' rearing on 7th Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side, 7th Street thrives as a dynamic time capsule for the past, present, and future observers of this unique, citizen-rich neighborhood. Filled with, in Pais' words, "the people who taught me about life and the people who became my family," 7th Street deconstructs this fascinating, historic environ from its pre-developed beginnings as a salt marsh to its early industrialization by Hungarian Jews to its ghetto status of the 1960s and beyond. Assembled as a meld of hand-held street interviews, black-and-white footage, and historic photographs, Pais offers friends, family, and strangers a platform from which to exorcise demons and stories from an unsung street long desperate for a voice. (Hideout, 3/7, 7pm; Hideout, 3/9, 4pm; Hideout, 3/14, 2:30pm) - Marcel Meyer
D: Alex Holdridge; with Holdridge, Brian McGuire, Kelly Dealyn, Camille Chen, Michelle Fairbanks, Sara Simmonds, Scoot McNairy, Kierstin Cunnington.
Narrative Feature Competition, World Premiere
Austin transplant Alex Holdridge's first film, Wrong Numbers (which won the Austin Film Festival's Audience Award two years ago), was about two underage college kids trying to score some beer; his second, the wry romantic comedy Sexless, ups the age (midtwenties) and tweaks the object of desire (affection, connection, contact), but the gist is the same: wistful longing bookended by some very funny stuff. The look of the thing has changed dramatically, however: Shot on high-def, Sexless looks like a million bucks (as does Town Lake, lensed in the late-evening warm melt of sundown). Locals Okkervil River, Shearwater, and Daniel Johnston supply some of the (very good) tunage, and Austinites can make a game out of spotting hometown landmarks throughout. (Paramount, 3/9, 7pm; CC, 3/10, 5pm; Paramount, 3/15, 2pm) - Kimberley Jones
D: Jesse Moss.
Documentary Feature Special Screenings, World Premiere
Finding sympathy in a man whose passion for building cars meant only to destroy other cars supercedes his passion for his wife and children, who has slept on the couch for the past decade, and calls his teenage son "faggy" after he dyes his hair pink for a punk show, and who shouts things like "Smash and pass! Boom-boom-boom-boom!" in a twangy Long Island accent even as others label him a "legend in his own mind" (or, as his estranged wife says, "a sick fuck") is no easy feat. But Moss has done just that with Ed "Speedo" Jager, a veteran demolition-derby driver who counters every triumph on the track with heartbreaking insolence off of it. This colorfully assured video vérité absorbs it all quite admirably, without mockery and with a ton of style. (Hideout, 3/8, 7pm; Hideout, 3/10, 8pm; Hideout, 3/14, 12:30pm) - Shawn Badgley
D: Jonas Akerlund; with Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari, Patrick Fugit, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke.
Narrative Feature Midnighter, Regional Premiere
Drive. Wait. Score. Pop. Repeat. Being a speed freak is hard work. Repetitive, and endless, and tiring. And funny? Spun takes everything about this extreme state of being, cranks it into overdrive, and lets the pieces fall where they may. In addition to director Akerlund's creative nerve and a zesty score by Billy Corgan, Spun also features the adrenalized dramatic stylings of an oddball group of actors. The dank odor of the speed oozing out their pores can practically be detected in the back row. Ugliness takes an equal place to the humor in Spun -- but when you do things like cast Deborah Harry as the nosy butch next door, it's sometimes hard to tell which is which. (Alamo, 3/10, 12mid; Alamo, 3/13, 12mid; Westgate, 3/15, 10pm) - Marjorie Baumgarten
D: Steve James.
Documentary Feature Special Screenings, Regional Premiere
From Steve James, the director of Hoop Dreams, comes another searing portrait of American life. After a decade, James returns to find Stevie, the troubled boy he once mentored as a Big Brother. Abused and abandoned by his mother, brutalized by the foster-care system, Stevie has grown into a mess of a man -- misguided, drunk, and dangerous. Director James places himself in the drama, struggling to help Stevie at the same time he fears exploiting him, trying to love Stevie at the same time he seems most unlovable. Theirs is a deeply troubling, important story. (Westgate, 3/10, 7pm; Westgate, 3/12, 4:30pm) - Sarah Hepola
D: Boris Mojsovski; with Kim Huffman, Don Allison, Santino Buda, Valerie Buhagiar.
Narrative Feature Competition, U.S. Premiere
With a contemplative pace and an eye for the dramatic, Three and a Half shows us the lives of three lonely people as imagined by three artists riding a subway. The painter sees a beautiful immigrant isolated by her inability to speak the language. The filmmaker tells of an actor whose repressed homosexuality threatens to upset his world. And through the novelist's eyes, we see a widowed academic grappling with grief. Three and a Half is an aching, elliptical film, a curious series of human studies that may beg more questions than it answers. (Alamo, 3/9, 4:30pm; Westgate, 3/12, 10:30pm; Westgate, 3/14, 1pm) - Sarah Hepola
D: Mark Moormann.
Documentary Feature Special Screenings, Regional Premiere
The correlation between music and math, if not explicit, is seldom documented with as much panache as Tom Dowd & the Language of Music. Dowd was one of the Atlantic 3; while Ertegun and Wexler scouted talent, Dowd, a young physics student straight out of the university, recorded it, engineered it. Recorded, engineered Bird, Diz, Prez. Otis and Aretha. Coltrane. Skynyrd. Introduced Allman to Clapton. Standardized 8-track recording. Helped make the atomic bomb. Dowd, who died last October, was a similar force in modern music, and producer/director Mark Moormann preserves ground zero with jaw-dropping archival footage, music, and mathematical precision. (CC, 3/8, 4:15pm; CC, 3/12, noon; CC, 3/14, noon) - Raoul Hernandez
D: Sam Green and Bill Seigel
Documentary Feature Special Screenings, Regional Premiere
We already know what war is good for, but what about violent anti-war protest? More than 30 years after the impassioned SDS offshoot the Weathermen turned the especially truculent Weather Underground, some of its members ask that same question of themselves. An engrossing documentary, The Weather Underground lays out the history, sometimes hysteria, of the Underground protesters capably and with an even hand -- inspiring some (but not too much) sympathy for those hairy, wild-eyed kids who put it all out on the line in protest of a wrongheaded war ... even if their own methods were likewise ill-advised. (CC, 3/9, noon; CC, 3/12, 8:45pm; CC, 3/15, noon) - Kimberley Jones
D: Benny Matthews; with Kal Penn, Sunil Malhotra, Prem Shah, Tina Cherian, Serena Verghese, Mousami Dave.
Narrative Feature Special Screenings, Regional Premiere
A witty assimilation comedy that trucks in neither grotesque caricature nor syrupy platitude, Where's the Party Yaar? follows Indian transplant Hari (Malhotra) as he finds his way around the New World (Houston, Texas) and his U.S.-born hipster cousin Mohan (Penn) as he finds his way around his own mild snobbery. Hari's convinced he'll find his true love at a South Asian-centric campus party; Mohan's fratty buddies are determined to keep the goofy F.O.B.s away, convinced they'll scare off the ladies. Antics ensue; Indian and American stereotypes are skewered; amends are made. It's your basic college comedy, but better, fueled as it is by a stellar soundtrack, a whip-smart script, and Penn's (Van Wilder, American Desi) considerable charisma. (Westgate, 3/12, 7:30pm; Westgate, 3/13, 7:30pm) - Cindy Widner
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