HOT DOCS 2017 Reviews: 78/52 (USA 2017) ***1/2

April 9, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, Alfred Hitchcock, HOT DOCS reviews, movie 2017 movies, 78/52 movie, Alan Barnette, Alexandre O. Philippe, gilbert seah, hot docs, Justin Benson, movie review, Peter Bogdanovich

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, the “man behind the curtain”, and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema.

Director: Alexandre O. Philippe
Stars: Alan Barnette, Justin Benson, Peter Bogdanovich

Review by Gilbert Seah

78/52 offers an unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO – the “man behind the curtain” and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. The famous shower scene – the opening and closing of the bathroom door; the water streaming from the shower; the curtain slowly pulling apart; the repeated stabbing; the blood flowing down the bath; the door bathroom door slamming shut.

The entire scene’s storyboard with the script is read aloud (and also the pages of the novel of the same name by Robert Block, illustrating the differences) to the audience as the scene, unfolds one step at a time, offering a fresh insight.

The contribution of both Edward Hermann to the music and George Tomasini to the sound effects are detailed in the film, providing more insight and pleasure to the cineaste.

The film includes clips of films that have been influenced by Hitchcock. Director Philippe (DOC OF THE DEAD) has done thorough and detailed research on Hitchcock and the shower scene and it shows.

The result is one of the best and most insightful documentaries on the techniques of the Master of Suspense.

Clip: http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/208152/sundance-2017-new-7852-clip-goes-psycho-shower-scene/

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Film Review: FRANTZ (France/Germany 2016) ****

April 8, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review Ernst Stötzner, film reviews, Francois Ozon, Frantz movie, movie review, Paula Beer, Pierre Niney

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

Director: François Ozon
Writers: François Ozon (scenario), Philippe Piazzo (in collaboration with)
Stars: Pierre Niney, Paula Beer, Ernst Stötzner |

Review by Gilbert Seah

What would be another year without another film from French director Francois Ozon? Ozon’s last two films were JEUNE & JOLIE and LA NOUVELLE AMIE and my favourites are SITCOM and LES AMANTS CRIMINELS. Ozon’s films have often been about twisted love. FRANTZ is no different.

At one point in the film, the protagonist is given the message to live and love life. The advice is more easily said than done. Ozon’s entire film is devoted to prove the fact.

FRANTZ is Ozon’s (which he co-write with Phillippe Piazzo) elegant tale of love and remembrance set in a small German town in the aftermath of World War I (1914-1918). A young woman, Anna (Paula Beer) mourning the death of her fiancé, Frantz forms a bond with a mysterious Frenchman who has arrived to lay flowers on her beloved’s grave. The mourning is representative of a larger national mourning where many Germans (and French) soldiers lost their lives. The question immediate to ones mind is who the Frenchman is and why he is laying the flowers. With Ozon, an open gay director, the best guess (and mine too) is that the Frenchman is Frantz’s gay lover and that the gay relationship was kept from the family. That would have been too obvious. This is not the case. The secret is revealed and only revealed about the half way mark of the film.

Anna’s German home town are just beginning to emerge from the shadow of horrendous war. Frantz’s parents are shattered over their son’s death. The stranger reveals himself to be Adrien (Pierre Niney) who knew Frantz in the pre-war period, when the two of them became fast friends over their shared love of art and, in particular, music. But there is much more to the story, which is revealed a bit at a time in Ozon’s carefully calculated though slow moving tale of redemption.

Anna is convincingly portrayed by 21-year old Paula Beer. Pierre Niney, famous for his lead role in YVES SAINT LAURENT shows off his magnificent (despite the artificially inserted made up war wounds) male body, basking in the son, reminding the audience that this is a film by Ozon. Ernst Stötzner and Marie Gruber are also excellent playing Frantz’s parents Doktor Hans Hoffmister and Magda Hoffmeister.

A bit of needed tension is provided by the village’s hatred for the French. Whenever Adrien walks about alone or at night, there is fear that he might be killed or badly beaten.

There are many issues on display in this post World War 1 drama. The most important is the individual’s search for happiness. This is seen not only from Anna’s point of view but also from her suitor, Frantz’s parents and also from the much oder Mr. Kreutz (Johann von Bülow) who wishes Anna’s hand in marriage after hearing of Frantz’s death.

This is Ozon’s most emotional and sombre film, again meticulously crafted and though might be tedious to some, succeeds in the very end. The film is shot in both German and French, black and white and in colour. Ozon reportedly drew his inspiration from the Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 drama BROKEN LULLABY, with stunning visual references to painter Caspar David Friedrich.

His next film L’AMAMT DOUBLE with his regular Jeremie Renier and Jacqueline Bisset should be something to look forward to.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO_z5BRsFnM

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Film Review: GOING IN STYLE (USA 2017)

April 8, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized Ann-Margret, film reviews, going in style movie, Joey King, morgan freeman, movie review, Zach Braff

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

Director: Zach Braff
Writers: Theodore Melfi (screenplay), Edward Cannon (based on the 1979 story by)
Stars: Joey King, Morgan Freeman, Ann-Margret

Review by Gilbert Seah

GOING IN STYLE is an updated remake of the 1979 caper movie of the same name that starred Oscar winners George Burns, Art Carney and Acting Coach Lee Strasberg . The main difference is that in the 1979 original, two of the three old cronies actually die in the film, making the title more appropriate. No one dies in the remake.

The three seniors in director Zach Braff’s 2017 version, are Joe (Michael Caine), Albert (Alan Arkin) and Willie (Morgan Freeman). The story is told primarily from Joe’s point of view. When the company they had worked for is bought out, their pensions become a casualty of the restructuring. When Joe meets up with the bank manager regarding the foreclosure on his house, he is inspired by a bank robbery that takes place during his visit. The three seniors decide to take back what is rightfully owed to them by the bank holding the company’s pension funds.

The script by Theodore Melfi gives each character their place in the story, Willie needs the money to visit his family more than once a year. Albert develops a love interest with Annie (Ann-Margaret). Joe has his separated daughter and granddaughter , Brooklyn (Joey King) live with him, so he cannot lose his house to the bank. FBI agent Hamer (Matt Dillon) pursues the trio with the clues he gets from the CCT. The three get caught in the original GOING IN STYLE, but the three here might just get away (no spoiler in this review.) They wear Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davies J. (sorry, Peter Lawford) masks as compared to the Groucho Brother masks in the original during the heist.

The film works better in the first third with a looser plot. Director Braff, who has more acting than directing in his resume (he was the main actor in GARDEN STATE; GOING IN STYLE is his directorial debut) proves himself more apt at comedy and getting the most out of his cast. The robbery scene is done more for comedy that suspense, which is clearly lacking during a typical robbery scene. Good thing too, is that sentimentality is kept to a minimum.

GOING IN STYLE is the typical inoffensive comedy (except for a bit of swearing thrown in clearly for good measure) with old people for old people. It is also good to watch these 3 Oscar Winners (Freeman, Caine and Arkin) together for the first time. Ann-Margaret still looks as stunning as ever and BACK TO THE FUTURE’s Christopher Lloyd is sufficiently funny as a forgetful senior. John Ortiz deserves mention as the dodgy character who helps the trio plan the robbery.

Though Michael Caine almost succeeds in pulling the film off, the film suffers from a weak narrative with the story going into three directions resulting in too many distractions. The film succeeds in delivering a few laughs. Another good thing is that no one can remember the original which was only a mediocre movie, so the 2017 movie should not disappoint many, especially when the target audience are seniors. (If the last statement is offensive to any senior, it should be noted that this film reviewer will be a senior pretty soon. Maybe I should start planning my own bank robbery.)

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcdTN5soeQw

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Film Review: SONG TO SONG (USA 2017)

April 8, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review film review, gilbert seah, michael fassbender, movie review, Natalie Portman, Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, SONG TO SONG, Terrence Malick

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

Director: Terrence Malick
Writer: Terrence Malick
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman

Review by Gilbert Seah

Terrence Malick’s films have been accessible to some and highly inaccessible to others. The best example is Malick’s TREE OF LIFE that the Toronto Film Critics association awarded Best Film of the year that most of the public hated. Malick’s last film was his indulgent ode to the Universe which he made though the man is neither a scientist of physicist. That was a complete mess.

His latest indulgent film SONG TO SONG begins at a concert of some sort where the crowd is wild and violent. It is an energetic scene that provides some promise of an exciting film that never comes to fruition. As the film unfolds, it is revealed that SONG TO SONG is supposedly a film about life that is led from song to song or from kiss to kiss.

SONG TO SONG is a love story set against the Austin, Texas music scene, with two entangled couples — struggling songwriters Faye (Rooney Mara) and BV (Ryan Gosling), and music mogul Cook (Michael Fassbender) and the waitress whom he ensnares, Rhonda (Natalie Portman) — chase success through a rock ‘n’ roll landscape of seduction and betrayal. The betrayal involves Faye who hides her affair with Cook from BV. BV has a fling with Amanda (Cate Blanchett) while Faye also experiments with same sex with Rhonda. The film intercuts frequently among the couples, without any meaning or direction.
The film contains a lot of voiceover, particularly from Rooney Mara at the beginning of the film.

SONG TO SONG is stunningly shot by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki with credit also going to Malick. The best spectacular scenes are the ones with the rooftops, the crystal clear waters, the beaches including interior scenes like the gorgeous decorated and furnished apartments.

It is difficult to judge performances when a film has no narrative or direction. But Malick, has assembled, besides the main stars mentioned above, other famous names in his cast like Val Kilmer, Iggy Pop, Tom Sturridge, Holly Hunter and Lykke Li.

The film’s first cut was 8 hours and shortened to two hours with huge snips that included singer Patti Smith totally removed from the film. Even Fassbender thought he would have been totally cut out of the film leaving only his voiceover.

In SONG TO SONG, Malick delves into romantic relationships in an experimental type film where narrative is thrown into the wind. The film is often all over the place. incoherent and senseless.

The critical response to the film has been pretty bad so far with only a few praises. It currently stands, at the point of writing, at just the 50% mark on meteoritic and rotten tomatoes. SONG TO SONG is also one of the lowest rated Malick films.

As in almost every Terrence Malick film, SONG TO SONG is undeniably, a visual treat. But that is all that can be said about the film. It also runs too long at 129 minutes.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Yo2e8AzgA

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Full Review: I CALLED HIM MORGAN (Sweden/USA 2016) ***

April 8, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, Movie Review film reviews, Helen Morgan, I called him morgan, Kasper Collin, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

Director: Kasper Collin
Writer: Kasper Collin
Stars: Lee Morgan, Helen Morgan, Wayne Shorter

Review by Gilbert Seah

The film begins with the voice of a radio dj, describing the weather of the fateful stormy night in February of 1972, when the talented and much celebrated jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan was shot dead by his wife Helen during a gig at a club in New York City. The murder sent shockwaves through the music community, and the memory of the event still haunts those who knew the Morgans.

This documentary by Swedish filmmaker Kasper Collin (MY ANME IS ALBERT AYLER) is a love letter to two unique personalities and the music that brought them together. The film title implies that it is a twin story of two people – Lee Morgan and the woman, Helen who utters the sentence “I called him Morgan”. The film is about love, jazz (lots of memorable jazz tunes performed here) and America, with cinematography by Bradford Young and the clever editing by Dino Jonsäter, Hanna Lejonqvist, Eva Hillström and director Kasper Collin.

The dj at the start ends up a lecturer at the university that Helen takes a philosophy course with. The professor tells his class about his love for jazz. When Helen tells him that he is the wife of Morgan, the professor immediately knows her to be the wife of Lee Morgan and asks to interview her at some point. She grants the interview which enables a large portion of the film to achieve its greatest effect – a candid tale about Lee and Helen Morgan rendered by Helen herself.

The documentary traces all the events that lead up to this sad state of affairs. Helen was interviewed after her release from prison, just a month before she passed away, The film succeeds on several levels – as a jazz history on talented trumpeter Lee Morgan – his fight against drugs; the crime of the shooting as well as Helen’s redemption serving the Christian church. Others interviewed, who put a perspective to the proceedings are drummer Albert Heath, saxophonist Billy Harper, and legendary saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter.

Director Collin does not shy away from describing the individual characters of his two subjects. He shows Helen to be a great cook, a wonderful talker who can make friend easily while Lee to be a classy dresser and big spender who enjoys the riches of his jazz talent. Helen’s background is also under scrutiny, with her poverty and being a mother at a very early age even before being her teen years. Her son is also interviewed. The background gives the audience insight of her behaviour. The jazz atmosphere is also captured on film with performances by Lee and his jazz band.

There is much to appreciate in this documentary – whether it being the love for jazz or the love of watching family drama with murder thrown in for good measure. There also are many lessons in life on display. The climax of the film is the detailed description of the murder as well as Helen’s redemption.

I CALLED HIM MORGAN is also an absorbing and fascinating documentary on life – how strange life can turn out to be – and how one can learn to control life or let bad things just happen.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/209778666

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FAMILY SHORT Screenplay: TWO GEESE AND A LADY GIRAFFE by Chanda Walker

April 2, 2017 festreviews Uncategorized

WILDsound Festival

Watch the winning kids writing family screenplay for 2017.

Winning Screenplay – TWO GEESE AND A LADY GIRAFFE
Written by Chanda Walker

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – John Fray
JEFF – Brian Carleton
VALERIE – Andrea Meister
ELVIS – Gabriel Cameron
LADY GIRAFFE – Cynthia Crofoot
GRANDMA – Victoria Urquhart
HARRY – Peter Mark Raphael

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Family

Talking animals teach children various basic concepts on a playground, such as the alphabet.

Get to know the winning writer:

What is your screenplay about?

2 GEESE AND LADY GIRAFFE is about two siblings who wants to go to the park with their grandmother, and comes across surprising adventures.

What genres does your screenplay under?

It would be kids.

How would you describe this script in two words?

Fun-loving.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

It’s a great screenplay because it teaches a lot. During the summer months sometimes kids…

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TV PILOT Screenplay Reading – ECHOES OF BONNIEVILLE by Simon Schneider

April 1, 2017 festreviews Uncategorized

WILDsound Festival

Watch the winning February 2017 TV PILOT screenplay.

Winning Screenplay – ECHOES OF BONNIEVILLE
Written by Simon Schneider

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Geoff Mays
TULLY – Talia Price
WILLIX – Casey Estey
OFFICE HICKS – Philip Krusto
PETER – John Lester Phillips
JAMIE – Ursina Luther

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Crime

A small town is rocked by creepy deaths where the victims have willingly offered themselves as a sacrifice to some unknown dark force. Investigating the murders are Officer Hicks, Sherriff Healy and visiting expert on the occult Dylan Willix but with the two cops mistrusting Dylan, progress is slow. Meanwhile, bored checkout girl Tully begins to experience strange visions that may link to the force behind the deaths.

Get to know the writer:

What is your TV PILOT screenplay about?

Echoes of Bonnieville follows Detective Dylan Willix, an investigator of the paranormal and occult, into the sleepy town of…

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BEST SCENE Screenplay Reading – HEIDI, by Keith Makenas

April 1, 2017 festreviews Uncategorized

WILDsound Festival

Watch the February 2017 Winning Best Scene Screenplay.

Winning Screenplay – HEIDI
Written by Keith Makenas

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – Geoff Mays
HEIDI – Talia Price
DOCTOR SANDRA – Ursina Luther
CHIEF – John Lester Phillips

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Crime

She connived her way out of a mental hospital to get back into society and now has no shortage of victims to quench her serial killer cravings.

Get to know the writer:

What is your best scene screenplay about?

It’s about Heidi a beautiful blonde that connived her way out of a mental hospital to get back into society and now has no shortage of victims to quench her serial killer cravings.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Thriller, Comedy, Horror

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

It gives a unique perspective of a serial killer that you’ll grow to love

How would you describe…

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BEST Scene Screenplay of HYPOTHERMIA by Jax Lemon

April 1, 2017 festreviews Uncategorized

WILDsound Festival

Watch the February 2017 Winning Best Scene Screenplay.

Winning Screenplay – HYPOTHERMIA
Written by Jax Lemon

CAST LIST:

NARRATOR – John Fray
COLBY – Andrea Meister
BUZZ – Gabriel Cameron

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller

The blizzard of the decades strikes the East Coast. A beautiful girl found raped and beaten on a remote campus. Can a burned out campus cop find the killer and save the remaining students?

Get to know the winning writer:

What is your screenplay about?

The blizzard of the decades strikes the East Coast. A beautiful girl found raped and beaten on a remote campus. Can a burned out campus cop find the killer and save the remaining students?

What genres does your screenplay under?

Mystery / Thriller

How would you describe this script in two words?

Gothic Mystery

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Hypothermia combines the haunting atmosphere of a…

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2016 Film Festival Videos

April 1, 2017 festreviews Uncategorized

WILDsound Festival

18 Film Festivals. 2 cities (Toronto, Los Angeles). 131 Films. 32 Countries. 3 Moderators (Matthew Toffolo, Amanda Lomonaco, Kierston Drier) Watch all of the Audience FEEDBACK Videos for each film presented at the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film Festivals.

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