The day started well. The storm that was predicted never materialized and we woke to a beautiful setting moon right outside our window. Things went downhill from there, Jenn got violently ill (throwing up from 2:30AM-4:30PM) so didn't join us for any movies. It's a good thing too. They stunk! I guess it had to happen eventually, but we don't usually get all the bad movies on the same day.
I do not recommend any of these for various reasons, but here's a brief recap so you can decide for yourself:
Choke
Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk (a part-time Portland Resident who also wrote Fight Club) this is the story of a sex addict who works for a Colonial Theme Park and is caring for his senile mother. Now there's a fun premise for a movie! It stars Sam Rockwell, Angelica Houston and Brad Henke. Angelica Houston, always a great performer, doesn't disappoint. While there are a few plot twists, the story really lacks substance and the sex addict stuff gets old fast. Palahniuk's web site says the movie was bought early this morning by Searchlight Pictures so, if it seems like your cup of tea, it should be in theaters eventually. I'm sure it will come to Portland because the author has a big fan base there.
It was fun having the director, Brad Henke and Chuck Palahniuk there to answer questions. Palahniuk collaborated very heavily on the film, so it is pretty true to the book. I should have taken a picture of him though. He had this great 1950's Stephen Douglas (of My Three Sons) look going that I thought was really cool (all he was missing was the pipe.)
Anywhere, USA
"Anywhere" is actually Asheville, North Carolina and this is a very regional and personal flick. So personal, that I can't imagine it finding a wide audience. Told in three parts, "Penance," "Loss" and" Ignorance"; using a cast of first-time actors from the Asheville-area; and termed autobiographical by the director -- this is a very unconventional movie.
The three parts are more like three short stories. The first is about a redneck (it's OK, they call themselves that) relationship gone awry. The second is about a girl and her uncle trying to cope with life's realities. And the third is about prejudice in the suburbs. There are frequent references to moustaches, pistachios and the tooth fairy (your guess is as good as mine.) It does have some funny moments. Our favorite line was: "Being in love is like having a whole pile of dumb ass dumped on top of you." And the director's daughter who plays the young girl in the second story was terrific!
Death in Love
I don't even know how to write about this graphic, disturbing and tortured film. Jois and I are so bummed that it was our last movie of the day, because it will be hard to clear our heads of some of the images and themes in this movie in order to go to sleep.
The director wanted to explore how the baggage of parents (even from things that happened before their kids were born) trickles down into their childrens' lives. That's all fine and well, but he used the Holocaust as the past event that is still affecting the family. I don't know about you, but I feel the Holocaust is a little bigger than the typical "baggage". The flashback holocaust images were gruesome, the contemporary characters were so messed up it was hard to root for any of them, there were numerous sex and masturbation scenes, and not one moment of levity. As one guy we talked to on the way out sarcastically put it: "The perfect date movie."
It starred Jacqueline Bisset, Josh Lucas, Lukas Haas and Adam Brody. They were all there, but most of the questions were for the director, so they didn't get much chance to speak. There were also three female actors who had been nude and/or in compromising positions throughout the movie. How they get up there and talk to an audience who just saw them having sex on an enormous screen is beyond me!
Tomorrow is our last day. If Jenn's out of commission again tomorrow, she will have to work on Thursday. So, we sold our Thursday tickets and I'm flying home with Jois late tomorrow night. We are seeing two movies tomorrow -- let's hope we end on a better note than we did today.
Choke
Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk (a part-time Portland Resident who also wrote Fight Club) this is the story of a sex addict who works for a Colonial Theme Park and is caring for his senile mother. Now there's a fun premise for a movie! It stars Sam Rockwell, Angelica Houston and Brad Henke. Angelica Houston, always a great performer, doesn't disappoint. While there are a few plot twists, the story really lacks substance and the sex addict stuff gets old fast. Palahniuk's web site says the movie was bought early this morning by Searchlight Pictures so, if it seems like your cup of tea, it should be in theaters eventually. I'm sure it will come to Portland because the author has a big fan base there.
It was fun having the director, Brad Henke and Chuck Palahniuk there to answer questions. Palahniuk collaborated very heavily on the film, so it is pretty true to the book. I should have taken a picture of him though. He had this great 1950's Stephen Douglas (of My Three Sons) look going that I thought was really cool (all he was missing was the pipe.)
Anywhere, USA
"Anywhere" is actually Asheville, North Carolina and this is a very regional and personal flick. So personal, that I can't imagine it finding a wide audience. Told in three parts, "Penance," "Loss" and" Ignorance"; using a cast of first-time actors from the Asheville-area; and termed autobiographical by the director -- this is a very unconventional movie.
The three parts are more like three short stories. The first is about a redneck (it's OK, they call themselves that) relationship gone awry. The second is about a girl and her uncle trying to cope with life's realities. And the third is about prejudice in the suburbs. There are frequent references to moustaches, pistachios and the tooth fairy (your guess is as good as mine.) It does have some funny moments. Our favorite line was: "Being in love is like having a whole pile of dumb ass dumped on top of you." And the director's daughter who plays the young girl in the second story was terrific!
Death in Love
I don't even know how to write about this graphic, disturbing and tortured film. Jois and I are so bummed that it was our last movie of the day, because it will be hard to clear our heads of some of the images and themes in this movie in order to go to sleep.
The director wanted to explore how the baggage of parents (even from things that happened before their kids were born) trickles down into their childrens' lives. That's all fine and well, but he used the Holocaust as the past event that is still affecting the family. I don't know about you, but I feel the Holocaust is a little bigger than the typical "baggage". The flashback holocaust images were gruesome, the contemporary characters were so messed up it was hard to root for any of them, there were numerous sex and masturbation scenes, and not one moment of levity. As one guy we talked to on the way out sarcastically put it: "The perfect date movie."
It starred Jacqueline Bisset, Josh Lucas, Lukas Haas and Adam Brody. They were all there, but most of the questions were for the director, so they didn't get much chance to speak. There were also three female actors who had been nude and/or in compromising positions throughout the movie. How they get up there and talk to an audience who just saw them having sex on an enormous screen is beyond me!
Tomorrow is our last day. If Jenn's out of commission again tomorrow, she will have to work on Thursday. So, we sold our Thursday tickets and I'm flying home with Jois late tomorrow night. We are seeing two movies tomorrow -- let's hope we end on a better note than we did today.
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