Los Angeles United Film Festival

Reviews By Linda Overly

Cowboy (2 min)

Directed By Matthew Modine

In first few seconds of this short we see a cowboy walking around the Big Apple, simple idea right?  Think again.  To be brutally honest this is the most raw and jaw dropping 120 seconds I've ever seen in my life.  Two days later I was still thinking WOW. 

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Untitled Documentary (72 min)

Directed By David Hausen

I'm nearly positive that first song I ever heard by the Red Hot Chili Peppers was their cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground back in 1989.  I'm also nearly positive that I instantly liked the song.  What I am absolutely sure of is that I heard a musical fusion of sound that I had never experienced before.  I knew that this band had something; I just didn't know what it was. For nearly two decades I've heard their amazing sound consistently evolve and seen one innovative video after another. So naturally as I rushed to get to theater,  I was ready to be impressed.  I was, but it just took a little while.

The rockumentary consists of footage of the creation and production of three of the RCHP's videos for their Stadium Arcadium album.

In the first video, the band pays tribute to ten genres of music, including rock and roll, funk, and goth.  The costumes and makeup were brilliant and seeing the band have such a great time was fun for awhile but I have to admit, I got a little bored.  Nevertheless, some how knew I would not walk away disappointed.

The production of the second video was so original and intriguing that it was undoubtedly my favorite portion of the film.  The concept was to hold an open audition for real life people to either, sing, dance, or play an instrument solo to the band's song Tell Me Baby, which happens to be about people trying to make it in the entertainment business. The genius of this concept is that after each person was on stage for a few seconds the Red Hot Chili Peppers would surprise them by running in through a back door, jumping on stage and jamming with them.  Between seeing the excitement of the band members waiting to make their entrance and the thrill of amazement of the aspiring entertainers, it was honestly hard to tell who was having more fun. 

The final video was directed by comedian Chris Rock, who to be agreed to be part of the project only if the Red Hot Chili Peppers agreed to be the only white people in it.  The set location was a friendly all black neighborhood (with a few Latinos also, I believe).  The video included cheerleaders, a marching band, kids beating drumsticks on buckets along with a pimped out green convertible, and a couple of bling, bling girls.  More interested than watching the video come together was seeing the band members frolic with the kids and hang out with everyone like they weren't anyone special.  Now isn't that refreshing?