Tougher than You: Doctors at work in LIVING IN EMERGENCY

It’s getting to be that my fortitude is being tested on a weekly basis. I’ve witnessed the psychotic outrages of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (and liked it), the moral confrontation that is THE KILLER INSIDE ME (liked it), and the let’s-put-The-Rock-in-a-tutu TOOTH FAIRY (you’re kidding, right?). But all that was make-believe stuff. LIVING IN EMERGENCY is very real, a documentary, and at points can be rough going. But if you can work up the nerve to tough it out, your courage will be greatly rewarded.

‘Course, if you want to talk about courage, you have to talk about the subjects of the film: four doctors who have volunteered to work for Doctors without Borders (aka Médecins Sans Frontières) in two, war-ravaged countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia. Director Mark Hopkins — making his feature documentary debut having previously produced numerous docs — takes his cameras into the exam, operating, and break rooms, and doesn’t flinch from showing both the staggering challenges the volunteers face, and the effect those challenges sometimes have on them (one doctor compares the attitude of another to Heart of Darkness — that’s never a good thing). The film winds up an unwavering, credible evaluation of why the organization has justly received a Nobel Peace Prize — one of the best docs I’ve seen so far this year. It also reminded me why I need to stop whining when I have to watch movies like TOOTH FAIRY.

Click on the player to hear the interview.

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LIVING IN EMERGENCY
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No connection, but a great doc.

Going at a Crawl: BEETLE QUEEN director Jessica Oreck & friend.

What changed my mind about BEETLE QUEEN was debuting director Jessica Oreck’s approach to the subject of Japan’s seemingly nationwide fascination for insects. Oreck, who’s also an animal keeper and docent at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, lays the motivations out neatly — turns out much of Japanese culture is rooted historically in the observation and appreciation of creepy, crawly things — and examines how that veneration plays out in contemporary society through a healthy collector’s subculture; commercially marketed supplies for both the support and preservation of pet bugs; and vending machines that dispense live creatures into the eager clutches of the nation’s children (Japan, remember?). But then she takes it further, absorbing the animistic outlook of Shinto and such concepts as mono no aware and using them to model the film as a meta-presentation of the philosophies that drive the country’s appreciation of the natural world. More than just simple nature film or an anthropological examination, BEETLE QUEEN becomes the attitude itself, and a fascinating immersion into another society’s vision of the world.

Somebody Said There was Milk Around Here: Mongolian baby at home on the range in BABIES.

Director Thomas Balmès has a much simpler mission in BABIES, but with a somewhat similar goal: Travel the world, capture on film the first year-or-so of four babies from markedly different corners of the world, and let the viewer examine what in those initial months are universal, and what is markedly different. The four societies Balmès selects — a tribal group in Namibia; a farming family in Mongolia; and parents in urbane San Francisco and two-minutes-into-the-future Tokyo (again) — all form distinctive incubators for their newest residents. Yet for all that the environments leave their marks on these kids (in one particularly indelible moment, the overstimulated Japanese baby suffers a grand mal meltdown within a nest of playthings), what stands out most is how closely the recently arrived experience their entry into the world. That may not be a revolutionary concept, but it does make for a viewing experience that extends beyond just the obligatory, “Awwwwww.” (But you will probably go, “Awwwwww,” at least once.)

Click on the player to hear the interviews with Oreck and Balmès.

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BEETLE QUEEN CONQUERS TOKYO

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BABIES

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Less Friendly Bugs

The Magic's in the Details: Aisling (voiced by Kristen Mooney) and Brendan (Evan McGuire) in THE SECRET OF KELLS

I’m not sure when I first heard of THE SECRET OF KELLS. Probably last year, likely through AICN, definitely way before it wound up on the Oscar nominee list for animated feature (and everybody started going, “The what of who?”). At that time, the buzz was growing around this small, exquisitely designed film out of Ireland. Who imagined it getting any further than a small band of passionate geeks?

I got to finally see it courtesy of my friend Russ, who imported a U.K. region DVD and through channels too sinister to mention (I may be exaggerating a bit), had it converted to a U.S. region disk. The distributors announced press screenings not too long after, but I still felt Russ was well-justified in going to all that the effort. Over at Cinefantastique, we like to champion films with “a sense of wonder,” and THE SECRET OF KELLS meets that standard on nearly every front. Beautifully animated — imagine the simple but expressive designs of Genndy Tartakovsky (SAMURAI JACK; STAR WARS: CLONE WARS) wedded to the elaborate illuminations of the Book of Kells — and imbued with that rarefied magic that seems the sole domain of Ireland, the film well-earned its buzz, not to mention the Oscar nom and hopefully a growing audience as it is rolled out across the U.S. in the next few months.

I got to talk to KELLS’ Tomm Moore — who directed the film with Nora Twomey — a few days after the Oscar ceremonies, and we delved into matters both cultural and technical, as well as discussed the current state of the animation industry in Ireland. Click on the player to hear the interview.

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By Genndy Tartakovsky

A baptism at the River Jordan from WAITING FOR ARMAGEDDON

I’ll admit I have little patience for people who confuse religious mythology for real-world politics. You want to believe that, when the earthly going gets tough, you’re going to be zapped up to heaven and have a front row seat for the conflagration and the return of your deity? Cool, swell, no skin off my nuts. You want the U.S. to model its domestic and foreign policies on such fantasies, that’s when I politely have to object.

Which is to say that I probably couldn’t have sat where the directors of WAITING FOR ARMAGEDDON did while interviewing people who dearly believe in the looming spectre of the End Times — including a couple who have come to their beliefs after, ahem, “scientific” analysis and a guy who leads tours through Israel and gets all giggly at the thought of the razing of the Dome of the Rock — and not wound up stabbing a pencil in my brain. I’m just not that strong.

Fortunately, directors Kate Davis, David Heilbroner, and Franco Saachi are, and their forbearance pays off in a documentary that gives you a good look into what a vocal and influential segment of our population believes is the world’s ultimate destiny, and what the risks may be in trying mold our politics to that worldview. It’s an important film for anyone concerned about the continuing incursion of religion into our public policy, and a balanced warning in particular for those who have noted the religious right’s involvement in Middle East politics without considering its possible costs.

Click on the player above to hear my interview with Kate Davis and David Heilbroner.

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More of the Highly Motivated

Living Dead Forest: Willem Dafoe (on top, duh) and Charlotte Gainsbourg ignore the warnings in ANTICHRIST

“Lars von Trier doesn’t like to fly.” “Lars von Trier isn’t going to talk to a lot of press.” Yeah, yeah; yadda-yadda. But just because he isn’t talking to us doesn’t mean we can’t talk about him, particularly about his childhood. I have it on good authority that he refused to eat his sandwiches until the crusts were cut off, and he slept with a night light until he was fifteen.

Seriously, though, I came out of ANTICHRIST — von Trier’s latest film which has been freaking out audiences from Cannes forward — aching to delve further into it. And with the director (did you know he got atomic wedgies every day after gym?) unavailable, I decided to carry on the conversation with a couple of people who could provide some intriguing perspectives on the film: Monika Treut, director of SEDUCTION: THE CRUEL WOMAN, GENDERNAUTS, and GHOSTED; and Steve Biodrowski, editor of Cinefantastique Online.

You can click on the player above to hear the discussion. And Lars, next time, we really want to get your insights directly. We promise we won’t mention how you were subjected to swirlies on a weekly basis.

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COMING SOON:
UNIVERSAL’S THE FOURTH KIND

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More von Trier Horror

As has been noted here and elsewhere, the plot of 9 isn’t anything to write home about, but the visuals, and particularly a corps of flat-out disturbing and scary monsters, are worth a look for anyone into atmospheric, creepy filmmaking. Click the player above to get Tim’s take on the film, and be sure to check out the trailer below.

David and the HOLY CRAP, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!: Little doll-person 9 (voiced by Elijah Wood) faces off against a mechanized foe.

So… more li’l doll people. Been a good year for that kinda thing — CORALINE, $9.99. And now there’s 9, in which a group of burlapy, goggle-eyed humanoids struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic waste heap. Would it surprise you that Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov were co-producers on this project? Would it further surprise you that the CG animated film — directed by newcomer Shane Acker, based on his deservedly highly-praised short film (do a YouTube search on “9 Shane Acker”; it’s worth tracking down) — has tons of grotty atmosphere and an overall dark attitude?

And monsters. Really weird, disturbing monsters (if the giant, soul-sucking spider robot doesn’t freak you out, the hypno-snake will). Which is a good thing, because the story itself isn’t really anything to speak of. Shame that a voice cast that includes Christopher Plummer, Jennifer Connelly, Elijah Wood, and Martin Landau doesn’t have better lines to deliver, but when you’ve got little burlap people defending themselves against a robot pterodactyl, snappy patter can sort of take a back seat.

Click on the player above to hear Tim Burton talk about the film.

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More Scary Soulful

]]> http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2009/09/08/tim-burton-on-9/feed/ 0 Acting Legend,Action-Adventure,Animation,Death,Debut Feature,Drama,Earth,Emotion,Explosions,Fantasy,Gritty,Horror So... more li'l doll people. Been a good year for that kinda thing -- CORALINE, $9.99. And now there's 9, in which a group of burlapy, goggle-eyed humanoids struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic waste heap. So... more li'l doll people. Been a good year for that kinda thing -- CORALINE, $9.99. And now there's 9, in which a group of burlapy, goggle-eyed humanoids struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic waste heap. Would it surprise you that Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov were co-producers on this project? Would it further surprise you that the CG animated film -- directed by newcomer Shane Acker, based on his deservedly highly-praised short film (do a YouTube search on "9 Shane Acker"; it's worth tracking down) -- has tons of grotty atmosphere and an overall dark attitude? And monsters. Really weird, disturbing monsters (if the giant, soul-sucking spider robot doesn't freak you out, the hypno-snake will). Which is a good thing, because the story itself isn't really anything to speak of. Shame that a voice cast that includes Christopher Plummer, Jennifer Connelly, Elijah Wood, and Martin Landau doesn't have better lines to deliver, but when you've got little burlap people defending themselves against a robot pterodactyl, snappy patter can sort of take a back seat. Click on the player above to hear Tim Burton talk about the film. Trailer www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/9/ IMDB Listing Subscribe to MMP on iTunes Sign Up for E-Mail Updates [amazonify]B00004U8P8[/amazonify] More Scary Soulful Dan Persons no http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2009/08/27/dan-stone-james-joyner-on-at-the-edge-of-the-world/ http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2009/08/27/dan-stone-james-joyner-on-at-the-edge-of-the-world/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:56:12 +0000 Dan Persons http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/?p=957

The Whale Hunters Hunted: Sea Shepherd challenges a Japanese whaling vessel

Paul Watson dropped out of Greenpeace because he felt they weren’t doing enough to protect whales from fleets hunting in supposedly protected seas. He founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and over the years has become the bane of whalers — Japanese in particular — by employing confrontational tactics that start at stink bombs (did somebody have a bad experience in high school?), run through fouling props, and don’ t rule out rammings, if necessary. Are they controversial? Well, Greenpeace doesn’t like dealing with them. Does it make for a riveting documentary? Yup, no question.

In AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, director Dan Stone (exec producer of Animal Planet’s WHALE WARS, which also focuses on Sea Shepherd) follows Watson and forty-six volunteers as they track down and challenge a fleet of Japanese whalers hunting in the protected waters of the Antarctic — the “edge of the world” mentioned in the title. With two ships, one built to handle the treacherous, icy waters but not capable of much speed, the other fast enough but lacking the ruggedness; a bunch of amateurs for a crew; and tracking equipment that’s largely a notch up from a game of Marco Polo, Watson dares to take on ships larger and more formidable, and Stone has found the material for a dramatic, beautifully photographed demonstration of how some people are willing to risk their lives to protect an endangered species.

I was able to talk to Stone and his cinematographer, James Joyner. They were willing to clue me in on why one shouldn’t necessarily trust a Japanese vessel labeled “Research,” and how there are few safe ports in the world for those who would entertain extreme measures to come to the aid of the dwindling whale population.

Click on the player above to hear the interview.

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Sea Shepherd on TV

Don't Worry, It's Not the Brown Acid: Demetri Martin (center) and Paul Dano (right) take a trip under Ang Lee's supervision.

If I was to be completely honest about it, I’d have to say that my disappointment at not being able to attend Woodstock had less to do with the possibility of experiencing the performances of Joplin, Hendrix, The Who, et al, than with my fourteen-year-old, hyper-hormonal self missing the opportunity to see a real, live nekkid hippie chick in the flesh.

Ang Lee’s TAKING WOODSTOCK isn’t anywhere near as adolescently single-minded in its obsessions, but in a similar way, music isn’t really an issue for the film. The main character, Elliot Tiber — played by Demetri Martin and based on the real-life guy who was instrumental in bringing the fest to Max Yasgur’s farm — never gets a chance to witness the fest, despite several abortive attempts. Instead, Woodstock is both a front-and-center catalyst for the film’s drama and tangental influence for changes the characters, Elliot prime amongst them, will go through. Director Lee latches onto the almost universally familiar iconography — mostly as was conveyed by Michael Wadleigh in WOODSTOCK — to give us an alt-view of events from the perspective of the locals, exploring how that chaos percolated down to affect small yet profound (Ang Lee, remember?) changes in those observers.

It’s broad in its way — there’s a theater group that sheds its clothing at the slightest provocation, and Liev Schreiber turns up as an ex-marine-turned-quite-burly-transvestite (interestingly, comic actor Eugene Levy delivers a shrewd, nuanced performance as Max Yasgur) — but it’s in the service of a sweet and somewhat yearning examination of a period when people could dream of the world being better, and could imagine the steps that might be taken to make it so.

Click on the player above to hear my interview with Ang Lee.

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Here’s Where the Music Is

The Killing Waters: Looking down on THE COVE

Who the hell didn’t love FLIPPER? Cute ‘n’ cuddly (and how many sea creatures do you know get to claim those adjectives?), the titular bottle-nose dolphin of the classic sixties TV show was a real Up with People kinda mammal. You may not remember any of the specific episodes (didn’t most of them have to do with Bud and Sandy being held hostage by bank robbers?), but the image of fun-loving Flipper gliding through the water, dancing on the surface, and just plain grooving on life was indelibly printed on many a child’s memory (mine included).

Flash forward forty-plus years. In Taiji, Japan, dolphins are herded into an isolated cove.  The best get sold to sea parks and aquariums, the rest are killed for their meat, while Ric O’Barry, the man who captured and trained the original Flippers (there were five of them), resolves to expose the atrocity to the world. THE COVE — directed by photographer, environmental activist, and Oceanic Preservation Society co-founder Louie Psihoyos — tells the tale of O’Barry’s quest to get the goods on the Taiji fishermen, a quest that takes an unexpectedly global turn when it’s discovered that dolphin meat, including that  coming from the cove, is tainted with lethal levels of mercury.

Psihoyos knows how to build a story, and the film — as most of the publicity points out — plays like a real-life OCEAN’S ELEVEN. He’s also passionate about his environmental cause, and our conversation as a result was an interesting mix that covered the film itself and its underlying issues. Click on the player above to hear the interview.

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Wanted for Excessive Adorableness!

]]> http://mightymoviepodcast.com/blog/2009/07/31/louie-psihoyos-on-the-cove/feed/ 0 Activism,Al Gore,An Inconvenient Truth,Controversy,Death,Documentary,Drama,Earth,Environment,Indie Who the hell didn't love FLIPPER? Cute 'n' cuddly (and how many sea creatures do you know get to claim those adjectives?), the titular bottle-nose dolphin of the classic sixties TV show was a real Up with People kinda mammal. Who the hell didn't love FLIPPER? Cute 'n' cuddly (and how many sea creatures do you know get to claim those adjectives?), the titular bottle-nose dolphin of the classic sixties TV show was a real Up with People kinda mammal. You may not remember any of the specific episodes (didn't most of them have to do with Bud and Sandy being held hostage by bank robbers?), but the image of fun-loving Flipper gliding through the water, dancing on the surface, and just plain grooving on life was indelibly printed on many a child's memory (mine included). Flash forward forty-plus years. In Taiji, Japan, dolphins are herded into an isolated cove.  The best get sold to sea parks and aquariums, the rest are killed for their meat, while Ric O'Barry, the man who captured and trained the original Flippers (there were five of them), resolves to expose the atrocity to the world. THE COVE -- directed by photographer, environmental activist, and Oceanic Preservation Society co-founder Louie Psihoyos -- tells the tale of O'Barry's quest to get the goods on the Taiji fishermen, a quest that takes an unexpectedly global turn when it's discovered that dolphin meat, including that  coming from the cove, is tainted with lethal levels of mercury. Psihoyos knows how to build a story, and the film -- as most of the publicity points out -- plays like a real-life OCEAN'S ELEVEN. He's also passionate about his environmental cause, and our conversation as a result was an interesting mix that covered the film itself and its underlying issues. Click on the player above to hear the interview. Trailer [youtube pS5BIFTamvI nolink] www.thecovemovie.com IMDB Listing Subscribe to MMP on iTunes Sign Up for E-Mail Updates [amazonify]B00000F61N[/amazonify] Wanted for Excessive Adorableness! Dan Persons no