LA UNITED FILM FESTIVAL

Reviews By: Kim Jindra

DIRTY COUNTRY

Directed By Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher

I must admit I was a bit hesitant about Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher's DIRTY COUNTRY because despite the fact I am a Texas girl, I am not a country and western music aficionado.  And, I rarely, if ever use raunchy vocabulary.  But Larry Pierce is utterly charming.

DIRTY COUNTRY is the journey of Larry Pierce from Middletown, Indiana to bawdy music hero.  One of my favorite scenes in the film was when Larry went into a truck stop to check out their stock of CDs and cassettes.  He was totally delighted to find his own music on the spinner.  And Laughing Hyena Records values his uncanny ability to turn out new product.  Larry shrugs it off saying all it takes is a medium to fast temp, sex and a good looking woman.   

Larry admits he started out to be a main stream C&W musician but things didn't work out.  He decided he didn't like euphemisms when the real word rhymed much better.  His lyrics had audiences in the film and in our audience howling.  For me, the rhymes were so obvious yet they caught me by surprise!

One thing is for certain, Larry is beloved.  A rock and roll band named ITIS band found one of his CDs and started covering his songs.  They didn't even know if Larry existed.  Finally their curiosity got the better of them and investigated.  The ensuing story is fun and definitely worth a look.

If sexual expression offends then don't see DIRTY COUNTRY, but you will be missing a fun, somewhat poignant, tale of a man who followed his dream and continues to do so to the delight of truckers and others everywhere.


DUELLESS MORNING
Directed By George Goss

George Goss definitely takes a loving jab at the Ken Burns' style of film making in DUELLESS MORNING.  It poses the question of whether Alexander Hamilton would have been shot by Aaron Burr if they had been ordinary citizens and not known politicians.  The film uses old pictures and letters to drive home the point that the average guy could just run away from a duel.  There were a couple of smiles but overall the film was not that funny.  I like the premise and was sorry their comedy wasn't more seriously amusing.  I liked the look of the film and especially the music by Mike Bell.

BITCH

Directed By Lilah Vandenburgh

My favorite part of BITCH, was the opening sequence because it sets up the main character perfectly.  Don't mess with this chick.  She fills the screen and the audience has to watch her.  But I felt the story falters when she crushes on the shoplifter.  It comes out of nowhere.  Of course, she comes to terms with her crush, but by then the surprise is telegraphed and the bloody kiss is not so powerful. 


GUMMY BEARS

Directed By Alexandre Hamel

GUMMY BEARS tells the age old story of what happens to inanimate objects when left alone.  This story begins with a discarded banana peel.  A catchy soundtrack and some fun  camera  work  save the story from being totally trite.

FANNY PACK

Directed By Payman Benz

This film is an amusing look at a man's obsession with his fanny pack.  He sings, he dances and he almost romances but romanticizes the fanny pack.  The fanny pack holds everything from laundry detergent to slacks.  It is also the perfect companion for the 'never nude' in the shower.  The best lyric is reserved for the guy with too much paraphernalia.   He gets the "knick knack" fanny pack.  I'll definitely remember this movie when I see another fanny pack.

FOR A FEW MARBLES MORE

Directed By Jelmar Hufen

This is a great story for a short.  When four kids are robbed of their playground and marble pit by a couple of two bit hoods they decide to take action. Their parents are unresponsive so they get help from the 'kid in the black hood'.  It costs them all of their marbles but his plan is genius.  The acting is great.  You don't even realize you're reading subtitles.

FROM THE 50 YARD LINE

Directed By Doug Lantz

This film is a love letter to marching bands everywhere but especially to his hometown of Centerville, OH.  The film follows a year in the life of the marching band.  It starts with band auditions and goes right through until the national marching band competition.

Along the way we get to know the kids, and how important marching band is to their own sense of identity and their education.  Like most documentaries it is easy to see the film's agenda: music education is just as vital to a student's growth as reading, writing, mathematics and science. 

Centerville has such a strong band tradition that it is hard to imagine they could ever wind up in the position of Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.  Fairfax is the secondary subject of the film.  In the short segment on Fairfax the contrast is clear.  The band in Fairfax has to wear uniforms that were donated by Cerritos High School in their first parade.  It is almost heartbreaking but the kids are just excited to be playing in a band.

Then back to Centerville with their expertly choreographed program, flashy uniforms and 285 member band.  I was amazed competition is so stiff that they spend an entire football season working on one program.

Times were different from 1971-1974.  I remember watching at least five new shows a football season.  Our high school band was well respected. They got superior ratings every year.  Our band director did his own formations and my band friends spent just as many hours learning the routines.  I was not in band but I appreciated their hard work and worried about them at contest.

It is hard to watch Lantz' efforts without getting caught up in the stories of both bands.  It is at least a one hanky documentary.

During the Q&A, after the screening the audience learned the band program at Fairfax High is still struggling and their band director may lose his probationary position because of school district budget cuts. 

MARCELINO and BARTOLOMEO:  'BYE-BYE' 

Directed By Mario Pochat

 MARCELINO and BARTOLOMEO:  'BYE-BYE' is a cautionary tale for both children and adults.  In two minutes director Mario Pochat successfully demonstrates the consequences of goofing off at work.  The underlying message is he who laughs last laughs best.


OM

Directed By Fredric Reshew

OM attempts to show the connection between the inner thoughts of a class of  yoga students  and those of a Manhattan bike messenger.

About midway through the film, a ditsy overenthusiastic blond approaches  her yoga instructor with the news she is off to India to gain more yoga enlightenment.
Her instructor basically blows her off.  I am afraid this will be the attitude of those
film goers who aren't enamored of yoga.

Director Fredric Reshew, an admitted yoga devotee is obviously trying to say something profound but the connections will be lost on the non yoga audience.
Instead of drawing me into yoga, it had the opposite effect.

There were a couple of amusing bits in the yoga class but overall I felt no emotional pull.


ROW HARD, NO EXCUSES

Directed By Luke Wolbach

ROW HARD, NO EXCUSES is the personal story of two middle aged American men who team up to take on the waves of the Atlantic in an international rowing
race from the Canary Islands to Barbados.

All of the two person crews start with the same boat.  It arrives in pieces and must be assembled by the crew.  The crew must be self sustaining once on the water.  Outside support results in disqualification.

Before we get to the race we learn that both Tom Mailhot (41) and John Zeigler (51) have similar, rather rocky relationships with their fathers.  It would seem that bond would help sustain them in their quest to tame the Atlantic.

Director Luke Wolbach does an admirable job of cutting hand held video from several of the crews to compare and contrast their various expectations, goals and experiences.  

Zeigler and Mailhot enter to win.  When they make a crucial strategic mistake on day 2 of the race it forces them to play catch up - a position they clearly do not relish.  Now, for them, it is not just a 36 team race but a battle of wills against the elements.

Zeigler is forced to take an honest look at his physical inability to row alone.
Meantime, Mailhot resents rowing an extra shift at night and Zeigler's tight control of the phone, physically they battle callouses, blistering and salt infected wounds.  It is the salt that takes the worst toll on first Zeigler and then Mailhot. They manage to overcome many of their problems and differences but they never seem to appreciate their moral or physical victories.

Wolbach does a good job of contrasting the Americans to several other teams but most notably with the team from the Canary Islands.  They sing, laugh and celebrate their efforts.  They relish their experience.   Another amazing story is the young couple who is forced apart when the husband is overcome by claustrophobia and sickness.  The woman decides to row on alone after he is picked up by the support boat.  She ends up finishing in last place but is euphoric over her ability to finish by herself.  It doesn't matter the rules disqualify her boat they could not disqualify her effort.

The Americans are glad to see their families at the finish but they seem more focused on their failure to win.  It begs the question, were their expectations too high?

No matter the answer.   This was an inspired story, masterfully told.