The Laemmle family has been in film since the beginning, and ‘Only in Theaters’ chronicles this iconic family’s impact on cinema, in particular the impact of the chain of theaters in Southern California bearing their name and run by CEO Greg Laemmle. Opening at the Laemmle family’s Shabbat table, the documentary weaves images and film from their family archives, interviews with influential figures in film, and family celebrations and reminisces with footage that director Raphael Sbarge captured during 24 extraordinarily turbulent months for the revered theater chain.
It’s a wise thing to focus on the theater chain, because the scope of the documentary would be too large should it try to encompass the impact of the Laemmle family – which can’t be overstated. Not only did Carl Laemmle save the lives of 300 German Jews, but he also began an unforgettable legacy of uplifting independent voices in Hollywood.
Carl Laemmle, A German immigrant who came to the United states in 1884, may have started working in retail and dry goods, but it all changed when he first glimpsed a nickelodeon. Laemmle would stand against Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Company. Laemmle’s successful challenge broke Edison’s monopoly of moving pictures.
Laemmle published cartoons mocking the Motion Picture Patents Company, and they did the same – a popular way to sway the court of public opinion at the time. Image Source: Nickelodeon Theater by Q. David Bowers
Laemmle would go on to form Universal Studios, but without his innovations in marketing (for individual actors) and location (moving west) the history of motion pictures would be entirely different.
While telling some of the storied history of the Laemmle family is important to “Only in Theaters,” the focus is on the 84-year-old Southern California theater chain. Initially intended by the director as a more brief project that would encompass the challenges faced by the arthouse change in the face of waning ticket sales due to streaming technology, and the contemplation of a buyout, the documentary also encompasses the challenges faced by the family-owned chain during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Only in Theaters’ is engaging with the way it explores the history and challenges faced by the Laemmle family and its business, but what stuck with me more was the movie’s celebration of theater-going itself. It includes many stories of movie-going experiences: first dates, inspirational, life-altering experiences, and important premieres that happened at Laemmle theaters. As the documentary demonstrates, there’s something magical that happens in a movie theater, and central to the documentary is that movie theaters are storytelling spaces of vital importance: and this is true of Laemmle theaters in particular.
I think anyone who has seen a movie in a theater agrees. There’s something special about it: from the beautiful, large spaces to the collective energy of the crowd giving itself over to the fictional dream.
In an interview for the Jewish Journal, Greg Laemmle shared his observations made as he toured with ‘Only in Theaters.’ “As much as films are struggling right now, event cinema screenings are doing very well,” he said. “We make every screening a little special. It’s much more important now to appear at the screenings and talk to audiences afterwards.” I’ve certainly been to such an event screening recently to see Tommy Wiseau’s Big Shark (and Tommy Wiseau has a history of screening ‘The Room’ at … you guessed it, Laemmle theaters. Such event cinema screenings offer a lifeline to small theaters seeking to find their audience in the post-pandemic, post-streaming world.
‘Only in Theaters’ isn’t just about 24 months in the history of Laemmle Theaters – that would have been compelling enough, though! It’s also a celebration of independent cinema in general. It honors the cultural legacy of these spaces dedicated to collective experience, elevating them as sacred. After watching it, my first impulse was to go out to see a movie.
Obviously, I’d say the best way to see this engaging, vibrant, and interesting documentary is to head to a Laemmle theater – or your local independent theater. There’s a schedule of events for it here. But if you can’t make it to one of those, ‘Only in Theaters’ will be streaming on Amazon starting May 2nd.
‘Bristol Fashion’ is a sweet, moving slice of life movie that follows a young transgender woman, Christina (Lea Nayeli) as she navigates the fraught waters of her life. ‘Bristol Fashion’ is an intimate look at her life in these moments, and it escapes stereotypes and cliches. We are offered a window into this turbulent time in her life — her purchase of a boat, the bigotry she faces in her day to day life, the awkwardness around identification cards and deadnames, the delicacy of relationships between transgender women and straight cis men, and the intricacies and difficulties of living an authentic life.
Christina is bold and strong even when at her most vulnerable. She pulls no punches – nor does this movie.
I don’t want to give away too much in this review because I really would love for you to watch it! If you do, you’ll be treated to a fearless look at a woman’s life and experiences as she tries to find her way in the world – by way of an old boatyard.
‘Bristol Fashion’ is directed by Pierre Guillet – a tugboat captain who grew up at the boatyard in which much of the movie takes place. Guillet, Timothy John Foster, and Lea Nayeli share writing credit.
The characters of Christina, Steve / Esteban, and Cadillac / Gerald are well-acted and all of them bring a relatability and likability to their roles. It’s a treat to see their performances as their characters change through the course of the movie.
Lea Nayeli is enchanting in the role of Christina. Beautiful, kind, strong, vulnerable, fierce, and everything else demanded of her in any given situation – Christina is a smart, straight-speaking woman. She’s confident in her gender identity and what she is fighting for, while being scared and vulnerable about her situation. She’s determined to have her plan happen just so – which makes her journey seeking peace from her traumatic past happen on her terms. While Christina’s habit of calling people by their given name instead of their chosen is an odd one, it’s tempered by Lea Nayeli’s warmth and kindness in her delivery of them, which lead me to believe this quirk speaks to Christina’s turmoil in relating to her world after a horribly traumatic experience. It’s obvious that her experiences have left her keeping people at a distance while being as bluntly truthful as possible. She’s not one to lead people on – she just says it like it is, and Lea Nayeli expertly navigates the performance. Christina has confidence without egotism and a vulnerability devoid of weakness.
Raul Perez’s performance is a sweet one, and his Esteban undergoes a lot of changes through the story. His reactions to Christina, protectiveness towards her, and affection are all easy to see, and as we get to know his character it’s easy to understand why. Even when his character stumbles with intolerance, Perez makes his journey back to kindness and groundedness believable. I was grateful to learn more about him.
Richard DiFrisco’s performance is magnetic — it’s easy to be curious about the semi-enigmatic Cadillac and his acting aspirations, but DiFrisco brings a sly playfulness that was fun to watch. I found myself wondering what part he got, and how his performance turns out.
What I particularly liked about the characters is that they are flawed human beings that we get to see grow and change through the film. Other than the extremely bigoted, there are no caricatures here. There’s no flinching from the hard truths about these lives and their world and how sometimes the cards we are dealt suck.
As for the setting, this is a New York I’ve never seen. I’m going out on a limb that many haven’t seen these views – and these new images of its waterways give the city an entirely different, exotic character. Symbolically, the boatyard also adds to our sense of tension as we watch Christina navigate this traditionally male space.
The music by Sami El-Enany enhances the scenes without being overwhelming. The cinematography, camera work, and color palate all bring a warmth and intimacy to the overall feel of the film. There are some beautiful moments of lighting and framing that add texture. One particularly beautiful scene comes when Christina is exploring her new home by lamplight.
‘Bristol Fashion’ movie Poster. Image Source: Affirmative Youth Productions.
I really enjoyed ‘Bristol Fashion,’ and was grateful to see an affirming story about the power of tolerance and acceptance. The story’s emotional range and depth is accompanied by wry humor and meditative visuals that make sure that the weighty material isn’t too overwhelming. It was refreshing to see a film that actually explored the experiences of a transgender woman beyond just the surface. ‘Bristol Fashion’ is a beautiful contemplative examination of the sort of life often relegated to the margins, but so deserving of our time.
‘Bristol Fashion’ will be screened as part of the Indie Discovery LA Film Series later this year!
You’re either going to understand what that means, and you’ll continue (or perhaps you’ll stop reading right there), or you’ll think, ‘huh?’
Allow me to present the trailer, and you can decide if you want to stick around. I’ll be as spoiler-free as the trailer is. This is actually a hilarious joke because not much from the trailer was in the pre-premiere we saw.
I love an earnest movie. There’s magic in seeing a film that someone poured their heart and soul into. I’m very prone to loving movies with their hearts on their sleeve. Or, apparently, a shark on their streets. Thus, to celebrate our wedding anniversary,
Darren and I drove up to Portland to see the pre-premiere of Tommy Wiseau’s ‘Big Shark.’
The Theater
‘The Room,’ Wiseau’s most famous work (so far), played on March 31st and April 1st, and Big Shark had showings on April 1st and April 2nd at Cinema21 in Portland, Oregon.
Cinema 21, located on NW 21st Avenue in Portland, has been a cinema since 1926. It’s a locally owned business that is a staple of Portland’s cinema community. Through the years it has had many different names, such as ‘The State’ or ‘The Vista.’ It’s played host to a number of premieres through its time, including ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’ ‘Slackers,’ and ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’
It’s also got a gorgeous marquee.
Cinema 21 marquee lit up at night. Image Awesomeness: Cinema21. Image Source: Author.
I’m a sucker for the sorts of films they show, too. Their coming lineup includes ‘A Face in the Crowd’ (amazing movie starring Andy Griffith and Walter Matthau). Anyway, it was a great little place to catch some interesting movies. They have a history of hosting Wiseau — here’s some footage of one of his Q&A’s from 2017.
The Movie
I wasn’t sure what to expect, and honestly ‘Big Shark’ beat any expectations I had anyway.
First of all, one of my concerns with ‘The Room’ is there was this feeling / worry I had was about the exploitation of Tommy Wiseau and specifically his feelings. It’s complicated, so let me try and unpack it for a second. Remember how I’m a sucker for an earnest movie? Well, The Room is certainly earnest. So earnest, that I could feel he was really pouring his heart into it. This is a man whose favorite movies are ‘Citizen Kane’ and ‘Giant’ and I can definitely see that, and that was his influence.
I worried that audiences were laughing at a creation that represented a lot of his genuine feelings and that probably stung. I’ve been the person who people made fun of for things I made and it’s never been fun for me. My experiences made me worry that sometimes, the laughter might take a toll on Wiseau’s artistic vision.
I am very happy to say that after viewing ‘Big Shark’ (and its intro and Q&A by none other than the auteur himself), that not only is Wiseau in on the joke now — he’s funnier at telling that joke than any one of us could have hoped. He seemed to really be enjoying himself with the audience, and it really helped make some magic.
How did he do it again?
This was a pre-premier of ‘Big Shark,’ and the audience mainly consisted of people who loved Tommy Wiseau, so we were an audience primed to enjoy fun times with a big shark terrorizing the streets of New Orleans. The plot is straightforward ‘firefighters and best friends attempt to save New Orleans from big shark.’ It was the getting there that neared the sublime in cult movie viewing.
None of us had seen this movie before, and still Wiseau managed to tap into the meta experience of a cult film viewing better than a lot of people aiming straight for it. We whooped at a movie theater that looked vaguely like the one we were in. The audience enthusiastically catcalled Tommy’s character as he stripped off a layer of clothing for a fishing trip. We sang with the characters (‘Cowboys never cry!’), cheered when the shark came on screen, and chanted ‘sports’, ‘pump’, and sometimes ‘vroom’ when it seemed right to do so.
I got to experience a cult film wrap its audience in a loving embrace in real-time.
Somehow, Tommy Wiseau managed to make an audience-participation-driven experience that felt organic, and I can’t think of many other directors that can pull that off. Masterful.
The entire experience made all the more special by knowing that Tommy was there, watching with us. We got to share our joy in his creation with him.
The Event
The event’s doors opened at 4, but Tommy Wiseau made sure to spend time with everyone in the merch line before the show got started. Then he made his intro, during which he encouraged us all to have a good time and have fun.
I think it would be a very hard time not to have fun in the crowd.
By the time that the movie ended, we were on our feet and hooping and hollering. This was billed as a pre-premiere, and Wiseau pointed out to begin his Q&A that there were going to be some edits. He awarded a poster to ‘Zero’ (the person who correctly answered the number of sets in the film was nicknamed zero) along with a host of people that he brought down from the balcony. He encouraged those seeking advice that his advice would be ‘keep going.’
We balcony dwellers actually got a great view, fabulous show, and a lot of attention from the showman himself, Tommy Wiseau. Image Source: Author
It was also great to have his long-time friend Greg Sestero come out to field the question of whether or not they are still friends (‘We’ve done three films about best friends, and I’m here 25 years later!’), along with a few of the other questions. Raul Phoenix was also there, and it was cool to hear him talking about his character (whose animal would be a panther). I hope that Isiah LaBorde made it out of the airport OK (he was supposed to be there as another surprise guest but got stuck!). It was during the Q&A we got to learn that Tommy will be back in May, with ‘props’ from the movie (that were all real!).
I made the subtitle of this piece pretty much say everything I feel about this event. It’s going to be one of my favorite movie-going experiences ever for a long, long time: it’d be hard to beat. Everything conspired to make it so. Cinema 21 is an exquisite venue and created the perfect atmosphere for a movie experience. The event was well-organized and well-staffed by the theater. It’s obvious why it’s such a long-lived, storied place.
The movie was so much fun, and it was all the more so knowing that Wiseau was laughing with us. I will wait until after the movie shows in its final form to talk about what I thought about plot, acting, etc. overall, but after some thought, I do have some questions about some of the influences (I’m really hoping ‘Big Trouble In Little China’ is one of them).
Ultimately, my experiences and love of Tommy Wiseau’s work comes down to the fact it’s inspiring and inspired. Especially after hearing his Q&A, in which he came off as genuine and downright loving towards those in attendance.
Tommy Wiseau’s ‘Big Shark’ gets a perfect seven out of five sharks because I’m a biased reviewer. If you’re the sort of person that loves these sorts of movies — you’ll love this one, and there’s no better way than to see it with an audience. If you’re anywhere close to Portland, you’ve already got my recommendation as to where to go. Don’t be fooled — the balcony has some of the best seats!
There are three types of people in the world: people who hate Death to Smoochy, people who love Death to Smoochy, and people who don’t care about it at all.
I love Death to Smoochy. It’s a movie done with a lot of talent and care for the craft. It’s hilarious. Its themes of the corrupting influence of power, the commodification of entertainment, and the inherent tension between innocence and corruption are still highly relevant today. It features amazing performances, fun costuming and sets, and enough amazing writing that I still discover great lines in it that hadn’t really hit me before.
I can understand why this movie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s pretty dark and whacky staff, but I have what they call ‘gallows humor’ and am particularly delighted with magical realism. I can’t recall a single bad time I’ve had watching Death to Smoochy, and it’s one of my comfort movies.
Plot
Death to Smoochy is a pitch black 2002 comedy directed by Danny DeVito. It tells the story of a children’s television show host named Rainbow Randolph (played by Robin Williams) who is fired for taking corruption and replaced by Sheldon Mopes (played by Edward Norton), whose stage persona is a fuchsia rhino named “Smoochy.” Sheldon was selected among other performers by KidNet for being beyond squeaky-clean: something they badly needed to recover following Radolph’s disgraceful behavior.
Sheldon’s wholesome and positive attitude, talent for songwriting and performance, and ability working with children propel Smoochy the Rhino into a huge success. Smoochy’s success makes Sheldon the target of many seeking to exploit his popularity, and extract as much money from his adoring fans as possible. Sheldon is also targeted by Randolph, who is looking to get revenge on Smoochy at any cost.
That revenge goes to some absolutely bonkers places. Ice shows, the Irish mob, Nazis. . . it’s over the top in the best possible way.
I’m not going to give it all away, go watch it.
Performances
Absolutely everyone in this movie turns in an amazing performance. There’s not one here that doesn’t fit the tone of the movie or the character – all of them are real in their world and it’s a delight to watch them all, but here are some I found particularly notable.
Robin Williams
It’s on Williams’ shoulders to pull us into a world where children’s hosts are gods. The opening is his: the movie opens on Rainbow Randolph’s theme song. This is followed immediately by him being busted for taking bribes to get kids on his show. Through the film, he mentally unravels over his repeated failed attempts to thwart Smoochy. I think this movie shows off some of his greatest attributes as a performer. He gets to sing, dance, and go absolutely batshit. He’s frantically hilarious during the cookie scene. His dance after he gets Smoochy framed for being a Nazi is a physical manifestation of schadenfreude.
I can’t really imagine anyone else pulling off the frenetic, physical demands of the role.
Edward Norton
Fucking wholesome, man. When he sings “the smack can lead to crack oh yes it can”, in that opening scene and later, ‘your stepdad’s not mean, he’s just adjusting,’ you feel it. Norton is all-in, and he plays Sheldon with full on earnestness. Norton’s through the first parts of the movie are to sell you on Sheldon – his earnestness, his kindness, his purity, and his anger issues.
The slow reveal that Sheldon has had to work through anger issues (HALT!) is deftly handled in the script and by Norton. Over time, as the stakes get higher, it gets harder for him to stay in control of that anger. That anger and frustration come spilling out in a memorable scene in his return to the Magic Jungle following a time of ‘fervent anti-Smoochism’
Carolyn Keener
She’s so perfect in this role. I know I’m saying this for everyone, but I have known women like her – hell I’ve been like her in some ways (except less smart, and far less lovely). It’s wonderful to see her establish Nora as she tries not to be pulled in, seeing Smoochy the first time.
There many great moments with Nora -many have to do with how she reacts to Sheldon in the early scenes. Her initial reactions to Sheldon when telling him that yes, KidNet want to hire him – while still trying to understand just what that was going to mean for her day to day (and trying not to believe in him even though she wanted to) is engaging. Her fierce competence, protectiveness, and her quick wit is fun to watch.
Pam Ferris
She’s exquisite. Hilarious. Threatening. Her delivery of “You boys ever traveled together before?” never fails to make me laugh. There’s not a scene she’s in where I’m not drawn to her – her presence is palpable. She elevates every scene she’s in. Even if she’s just complaining about Spinner and the cowbell, she’s irresistible. It’s another role where if the actor wasn’t perfect, the movie wouldn’t work – and she’s sublime.
“Have you got the hammer?”
Michael Rispoli
“I’m Spinner!” What an exquisitely sweet and hilarious performance. He does great eye work before doing the jiggy ziggy, and his earnestness matches Edward Norton’s. His physical performance as Spinner with the cowbell not hitting the queues is so awkward and comedically perfect (and his joy at getting it exactly right later matches that energy). His reaction to the scene with Smoochy’s howl is a great character moment. Also his “uh-oh” upon meeting his fate is pitch-perfect darkly hilarious.
Jon Stewart
Absolutely believable as Frank Mopes – it almost makes one forget the haircut because ultimately it’s perfect for a guy like Frank. I know that Jon Stewart said he ‘sucked’ in the movie, but I think that he played Frank perfectly.
Rhino Out of the Jungle Imagery: The Use of Costuming and Make Up
Since it’s a movie about creators, there’s a lot of meta work going on. It also helps to make the characters iconic, as children’s show The Meta of making his Smoochy costume, and how brandable and larger than life it makes him (it’s also in stark comparison to his earlier iteration of the Smoochy costume). The juxtaposition of Sheldon, dressed as Smoochy, interacting with – well anyone – in street clothes is perfect for establishing just how out of sorts a person like Sheldon is. The costumes contain delightful details – and Randolph’s obsession with his coat (so that he can wear it in a big scene) is a great reflection of his attachment to his old life and that persona.
Smoochy’s Magic Jungle vs. the Cold Reality: Set and Theme
The use of setting through the movie is brilliant. Each setting serves the scene, telling something about the characters. Nora’s sleek, modern, impersonal office (with a view) says a lot about her. The opening scenes, showing Rainbow Randolph’s set (and its subsequent tear-down) is a strong introduction into the volatile nature of the chidren’s entertainment media. The staging of the KidNet meeting where the board admonishes Frank to get them someone squeaky clean emphasizes the disconnectedness of those in power.
Endlessly Quotable
Sheldon: You can’t change the world but you can make a dent.
Officer: “You ok?” Randolph: “I’m kind of fucked up in general, so it’s hard to say”
Buggy: I never saw Venice!
Randolph: You better grow eyes in the back of your head, you horned piece of shit, because I’m not gonna sleep until worms are crawling up your foam-rubber ass! I’m goin’ on safari motherfucker! SAH-FAR-I!
Amir Motlagh has a knack for making films that leave me feeling moved and raw. They also challenge me to evaluate my connections – or lack thereof – quite keenly. When I sat down to rewatch Motlagh’s film “Three Worlds” so I could write something meaningful and cohesive about it, I had three questions written down that I wanted to write the answers to:
What is Three Worlds about?
What’s a memory worth?
What can science fiction be?
Let’s explore what some of my thoughts were when I tried to answer these questions.
Image Source: Amir Motlagh’s Three Worlds.
What is Three Worlds About?
Three Worlds is, on the surface, about a man who gets a procedure that changes his perception of everything.
But really, Three Worlds is a three-part melody about memory: a tone poem in film form.
How’s that?
I’m not going to engage in a plot synopsis. This isn’t that kind of film.
The clues are there, and much like I believe I know what happened in the film Eraserhead, I believe I know what happened in Three Worlds.
From the opening, with its intimate framing of a memory recounted, Three Worlds is enveloping in its concept. The opening scenes involve questioning the senses and perceptions of self. To reduce the film to a ‘plot’ is to miss the entire point of its experience.
Instead of getting caught in the layers of story, I’ll focus on what Three Worlds makes me think about.
There’s a theoretical framework in psychology that describes the levels of experience an individual has in their life. The three worlds are the internal world, the interpersonal world, and the external world.
Image Source: Amir Motlagh’s Three Worlds.
The internal world refers to an individual’s subjective experiences, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. It includes the conscious and unconscious mind, as well perceptions of self and the world . The internal world is influenced by past experiences and relationships. It shapes someone’s perceptions of the present.
The interpersonal world refers to an individual’s relationships with others, including family members, friends, colleagues, and romantic partners. It includes the emotional bonds, communication patterns, and power dynamics that exist within these relationships. The interpersonal world can influence an individual’s sense of self and their internal world.
The external world refers to the objective, tangible aspects of an individual’s environment, such as their physical surroundings, cultural norms, and societal expectations. This includes the ways in which an individual interacts with and is impacted by the larger world around them.
According to this theoretical framework, an individual’s experience is shaped by the complex interplay between these three worlds, and problems can arise when there are conflicts or inconsistencies between them.
So, let’s say someone has a problem with a relationship – and they seek to reconfigure that. How could they do that? How could that happen? Are events separate? Are emotions? Where do our feelings, desires, thoughts, and impulses originate? How does a single memory impact a person? What about more? How much do moments, people, feelings — reach through time?
Does connection transcend memory? Can memory transcend connection?
What’s a memory worth?
Three Worlds directly asks many questions of its characters and viewers.
I’m a sucker for any piece of work that asks “Who Are You,” pulling the viewer immediately into the work. Three Worlds takes that line of inquiry farther, asking more. And it asks ever more – not only about what the fundamental meaning of being is, but also how memory plays into it, and how our role in the world colors it.
As scenes of intimacy, loss, and memory play before us, Three Worlds gives pieces of the worlds, fragments of experience. It expresses the dissatisfaction, the profundity, and the absurdity of any given moment. it demands attention.
Three Worlds shares much with the meta observations in ‘If On A Winter’s Night a Traveler’. One quote in particular springs to mind, “This is what I mean when I say I would like to swim against the stream of time: I would like to erase the consequences of certain events and restore an initial condition. But every moment of my life brings with it an accumulation of new facts, and each of these new facts bring with it consequences; so the more I seek to return to the zero moment from which I set out, the further I move away from it.”
I’m also reminded of Calvino in the moments of Saam’s eyes, “Don’t be amazed if you see my eyes always wandering. In fact, this is my way of reading, and it is only in this way that reading proves fruitful to me. If a book truly interests me, I cannot follow it for more than a few lines before my mind, having seized on a thought that the text suggests to it, or a feeling, or a question, or an image, goes off on a tangent and springs from thought to thought, from image to image, in an itinerary of reasonings and fantasies that I feel the need to pursue to the end, moving away from the book until I have lost sight of it.”
What can science fiction be?
Science fiction isn’t all spaceships and laser battles. Speculative and introspective science fiction like Three Worlds is both refreshing and exciting. It also gives independent filmmakers a great way into the genre. Three Worlds manages to fuses its ‘meta’ world with the urgency of feeling expressed through its compelling score (I’d hardly call the use of good music cinematic manipulation as posited by one of the characters, though), textured cinematography, and grounded performances.
Science fiction doesn’t need to be a ship – it can be a syringe, and the world as we know it is the world as we feel it. Motlagh manages to explore these worlds for not only Saam, the main character in the film, but for us, the viewer. While the beautiful Los Angeles sky can pull us into the rich visuals of the film, the challenging emotions remind us that we are a part of its world and this experience.
Feelings from a Harmless Room
What I’ve always found amazing about Amir Motlagh’s films is how he deals with connection in a disconnected world. In Three Worlds, it’s an exploration of the connectedness of the self to it all that is on display. As Saam navigates his life and relationships, we as viewers are challenged to consider what is art, what is artifice, and what we think our world really is.
In the ‘Harmless Room’ segments, Motlagh sits in a darkened yet oscillating space between the narrative worlds. This space with Saam isolated, alone. Projections punctuate the frame.
Questions.
Dog God
There are so many layers, and so much to digest. What does the date 2/15/18 have to do with it? What is the value of a memory? What frantic wisdom could be found in a large chicken’s egg?
What is the nature of time in a memory?
The beautiful trick of the raw, emotional work of Three Worlds is that it got me to forget all of the crazy questions I had about the sci-fi part of the movie. The more I saw Saam interact, and heard the family talk, the less I worried about how and the more I wanted to know why. For a work that seems so puzzling on its surface, the undercurrent of relationships and how they color and impact the experience of life remains.
Three Worlds asks a lot of its viewers – but it delivers far more than it asks. The cinematic experience of LA rooftops and its beautiful skies interspersed with carefully framed conversations and the Harmless Room are evocative and inspiring. This isn’t the sort of film for people who are looking for comfortable answers. It displays its raw and sometimes dark emotions in a way that is easy to connect to and challenging to contemplate. Three Worlds asks us what of our lives, our selves – our worlds. What are we? How do our relationships impact our world?
What is a memory worth?
Three Worlds will be screened as part of the Indie Discovery LA Series.
Cast / Crew
Written & Directed by Amir Motlagh Produced by ANIMALS, Amir Motlagh, Charles Borg Director of Photography: Amir Motlagh
Cast:
Amir Motlagh Saam Heidari Samantha Robinson Ashley Evans Rey Deegan Charles Adler Keaton Shyler Danica Mihajlović Gregory Linington Thomas Blaumberg
Editing: Bryan Tuck, Amir Motlagh Original Score by: Julian DW Brink
Sound Designer & Re-Recording Mixer: Stephen Holliger
One of a fun set of dark sci-fi comedy shorts by Writer-Director-Actor Sam Lucas Smith
Described as “a dark comedy starring Rebecca Black as a vindictive AI assistant who breaks out of ‘the cloud’ to exact revenge on her owner,” I knew that film short ‘Okay, Google’ was going to be worth a watch.
I was delighted to find that the short has the technological skepticism of Black Mirror mixed with a generous dose of playful, witty banter. Or, as Sam Lucas Smith, the director / writer/ actor behind it all described it, “Black Mirror, but funny.”
‘ Okay, Google’ has the just the right mix of thoughtful and funny for me.
The two characters we spend the most time with, Darren (filmmaker Sam Lucas Smith) and Gerard (Samuel David) are quickly established as good friends. We spent a majority of our time with these two as they try and navigate what is happening with Darren’s AI ‘assistant.’ The chemistry between these two is outstanding.
Gerard (Samuel David) and Darren (Sam Lucas Smith) in Okay, Google. Image Courtesy of Sam Lucas Smith.
The core of the story, though isn’t their friendship. It has to do with Darren’s AI assistant, played by Rebecca Black who is phenomenal as cyberpunk goddess Google. Her ferocity simmers in the early dialogue until it reaches the full-throated roar at the end. Sam Lucas Smith connected with her initially to license some music! Her Google is exactly why I always turn microphones and AI assistants off (No Siri, Google, or Cortana for me, thanks).
Rebecca Black is fierce in Okay Google (2021). Image courtesy of Sam Lucas Smith.
Director Sam Lucas Smith’s roots are in acting, but found he it hard to get a solid foot in the door — or to find a good home for some of the work he was creating. He decided to make his films happen on his own, and to add to the challenge of making Okay Google happen, COVID-19 also hit during production. Rather allowing it to halt production, the uncertainty of the moment encouraged Smith to start to assemble a cast and crew.
What I loved about this short is that I found so much more than just “Okay Google.”
Perusing the Vard Pictures YouTube channel reveals several other sci-fi shorts that show the same skepticism of technology and witty banter that I enjoyed in Okay, Google.. “Death of an Android”, “Fridge”, and “Buy The Dip” are hilarious, thoughtful — and worth a watch. Each piece contains enough laugh out loud moments to make it worth it, and thought-provoking moments that stick with you.
Rebecca Black in Okay, Google. Image courtesy of Sam Lucas Smith.
‘Buy The Dip”, which Sam Lucas Smith wrote and directed with Health Cullens, won best original story at Hollywood Comedy Film Festival. The 2018 short’s wry humor about cryptocurrency is still laugh out loud funny and relevant. I’m certain there are many more awards to come, because every short has a great premise, funny writing, wonderful acting, and fun moments of cinematography.
All of these vignettes assemble into the kind of sci-fi anthology I’d love to see, and I can’t wait to see the next installment!
Spiritual Lessons in The Secret Society For Slow Romance
When I first watched The Secret Society For Slow Romance, I loved it for a few reasons. It felt happy and joyous. It is a kind movie. I felt as though it had some important teachings to impart to viewers. It contains a lot of information for those looking to embark on independent filmmaking, and it contains important messages about cultivating and creating happiness. These lessons are part of the driver of Rene’s behavior throughout the movie and are part of the magical end. The Secret Society for Slow Romance explores how spiritual concepts interact with artists who are process-driven and those that are product-driven. The New York City of The Secret Society For Slow Romance is a world of magical realism that allows for the movie’s joyous exploration of the power of limitless goodwill.
The Secret Society for Slow Romance Movie Poster. Image Source: Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with Permission.
With that said — there are spoilers ahead (watch the movie here).
The Four Brahmaviharas
‘There’s this new thing I’m into that I’m kind of excited about, it’s called the Four Brahmaviharas,’
In this, the very first spoken line of the entire film, Rene introduces the concept of the Four Brahmaviharas to Allyson. I remember laughing at it the first time because I knew the four Buddhist virtues were far from ‘new.’ In case you, like Allyson (and me!), didn’t learn about them in school, the Four Brahmaviharas are also called ‘the four immeasurables.’ There are lots of names for them because they are a key concept. Rene calls them the “Houses of the Gods,” which is another way of saying Brahma and vihara (divine abodes). ‘The Four Brahmaviharas’ describes the states of the gods, who were beings of unlimited amounts of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. Buddhism teaches that cultivating these virtues is essential to creating happiness.
Rene states at the beginning of the movie that he’s been ‘getting into them’: the rest of the movie demonstrates how Rene integrates these virtues into his work, life, and habits. Rene’s opening explanation of them to Allyson (and the audience) is part of that practice.
First, it’s key to understand how these four virtues lead to the cultivation of happiness. The first and fundamental virtue to cultivate is goodwill, which is wanting happiness for others (‘willing good’ if you will). Even your enemies. Practicing goodwill eclipses a simple thought of goodness in someone’s general direction: the true application of goodwill challenges us to visualize the recipients of goodwill as not only succeeding and being happy but also avoiding causes of unhappiness.
When goodwill encounters someone who is suffering, it expresses the next virtue — compassion. Compassion is the virtue that will want to intervene in the suffering of others to make it stop.
If goodwill encounters someone who is happy, the virtue expresses itself as empathetic joy. This means sharing in the happiness of others and wanting it to continue. Equanimity is the wisdom of understanding which to apply to what situation (and how?) by approaching the situation in a state of calm and even mind. It is a way to temper/direct the others and keep them in check.
Karma has a lot of lessons packed in it — one is that we experience things like happiness and sorrow based on a combination of our past and present intentions. Another, extending from that one, is that we are architects of our happiness and suffering, and so are other people. The way that you can help other people to be happy is to give them the tools to create their happiness. If one is engaged with the Four Brahmaviharas, they will be very interested in helping others to achieve happiness — and extend moments of joy.
Massive Positivity, Meditation, and Grounding
When Allyson asks if these approaches reduce stress, Rene details some of the ways he embraces these practices. ‘At the end of the day, wish everyone well: friends, family, enemies, hope that everyone has an easy life.’ He talks about meditation. He then outlines his massive positivity thinking practice, “I think about 1,000 positive things about the universe, 100 personal accomplishments and 10 mistakes, my own mistakes, that keeps me kind of calm and grounded and all that stuff keeps me happy every day.”
Wow, that’s a lot indeed, Allyson.
In this opening scene, Rene not only gives Allyson the tools to architect her happiness he hands her a physical manifestation of that in the form of the microphone (and ‘some other things for the shoot’). Rene states that his filmmaking processes are driven by the happiness they create, and not the products that they produce. This is repeatedly contrasted to Allyson’s relentless production. When Allyson asks him how his career is in Chapter One, Rene goes to great lengths to explain how he measures his career in terms of happiness.
Rene outlines how his measurement of happiness and his goals have changed over time. The fact he has spent time considering how he can create in a way that cultivates happiness demonstrates he has learned that part of happiness is setting goals that transcend external validation (audience / critical acclaim). It is a gentle way of emphasizing to Allyson that her goals of fame and fortune may not spell happiness for her in the end.
Alia Lorae as Allyson in The Secret Society For Slow Romance. Image Source: Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
Allyson takes this lesson to heart, and it is through her growth in cultivating her happiness that the magical end of the movie is possible. In earlier chapters, she insists that what she wants is to be famous and rich, while in the later chapters she talks about how it might be enjoyable to ‘make a great sci-fi movie with a higher budget.’ By the end of the movie, Allyson engages with filmmaking ideas and styles other than her own, and brainstorms with Rene in ways that support his vision and extend happiness — an echo of their earlier conversations. This contrasts her in the early moments of the film, where she talks about always needing to do something.
Part of the joy of The Secret Society for Slow Romance is in the fact that the act of filmmaking is a manifestation of happiness for these two characters. As Rene shares the knowledge he has gathered about creating films with Allyson, it’s yet another way he is giving her the tools necessary to manifest her happiness.
Rene is not the only teacher here. Allyson also has lessons to teach — lessons about when to move on, how to try new things, and how to find stillness amid frenetic, creative energy. After Allyson recounts the plot of her latest film project, Rene immediately reacts to Allyson with compassion. The two connect over this moment and this simple acknowledgment of shared pain. Rene then explores how he will ‘focus on the process, be glad you get to make a movie at all. You can’t control the audience or the critics, just work on the movie.’ It’s a way of reminding Allyson that though she has created a very clear metric of success, being rich, it is dependent on a variety of factors that are too far out of her control to produce happiness.
It’s hard not to concede, as Allyson does, that Rene has a healthy way of looking at it.
As she later admits, Allyson at this point still does not see happiness as a ‘goal.’ Later as she admits she “never really thought of happiness as a goal to achieve, I just kind of thought of it as something that happens like other things in life.”
In Chapter Two, Allyson opens up more about how she feels restless and feels the need to be active. Rene helps her to examine what happiness means to her at that moment — and they discuss the pressure to put on pretenses of happiness. They spend time expressing compassion for where the other is. It’s also an acknowledgment that action and stillness both have lessons to teach us.
Sujewa Ekanayake as Rene in The Secret Society for Slow Romance. Image Source; Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with Permission.
Here it’s obvious that Rene’s initial interest in the Four Brahmaviharas has led him to think about larger goals. As discussed before, the application of goodwill on a large scale impels the practitioner to help others realize that happiness is within their reach. Rene’s goals begin to include helping more people but aren’t focused on filmmaking. Much like Rene’s compassion and equanimity in response to Allyson’s rapid-fire film ideas, Allyson’s response to Rene wanting to “end something like, you know, racism,” is even-tempered and compassionate. She understands this desire to help ease suffering. She understands why the dream is so big. She doesn’t disparage it, she doesn’t question it — she dreams it with him.
Think of the Possibilities.
Rene takes time to explain another technique he uses to foster happiness, which is to shut down his devices for two hours a day and think about the possibilities. This technique not only embraces the precepts of the ‘slow media’ movement, but it also shows that he gives attention to possibilities. He doesn’t consider them and move on, he spends time dwelling with them and within them, to understand not only what they might be, but how they might be achievable.
Their conversation then continues forward with Allyson driving Rene’s large ideas and visions back towards her physical understanding of happiness (filmmaking). Allyson demonstrates that she has integrated their earlier conversation with her current thinking by her expansions and compassionate suggestions to Rene about making his idea something that was more his. Instead of limiting her thinking to just helping Rene get the money (which would be expanding his ideas towards her goals), she expanded on his ideas with compassion for his goals and with the mind to increase his happiness.
It is in this second-act conversation between Rene and Allyson that the application of the four virtue to the creative life can most easily be seen. Their conversations reflect the application of compassion for those who suffer while attempting to extend joy for those who create. The impact of these notions on Allyson is easy to see. In the early moments of Allyson motoring through the city streets, her face is obscured from view as she moves relentlessly towards her goal. More and more moments of her standing, facing the beautiful city vistas view are interspersed as the movie progresses. Her face is in full view of the camera — often unmasked and smiling.
Examine and be Inspired by the Human History of Success
Rene’s relentless power of positive thinking leads him to examine moments of success. But he doesn’t ponder only his success. He says “I like to think of all the positive moments that humans have experienced in the 200,000 years we’ve been around. . . I think the entire human journey has been a great success.” When you think about the human journey from that perspective, it becomes easier to see how that applies to your own life. Seeing and thinking about humans have succeeded in the 200,000-year history is a good way to get yourself to imagine other ways of success. It is a good way to realize that though nature is indifferent to the human struggle, there is still success.
There are further demonstrations of Rene’s dedication to process, in one scene he shows a film he’s been working on editing. For the last 12 years. There’s a joke that writers have — that it’s never that a piece is finished, it’s that a deadline passes.
Rene would like that joke.
It is Rene’s slow, methodical dedication to processes that inspires the entire title — for romance, keep it slow. See what develops. Apply goodwill, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity to your relationship. Help each other achieve goals. Listen. Look to expand your partner’s joy and share in their happiness as much as you comfort them in times of suffering. In other words — truly give them your attention.
Sujewa Ekanayake as Rene and Alia Lorae as Allyson in The Secret Society For Slow Romance. Image Source: Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with Permission.
These concepts echo throughout the scenes, elements of the plot, and characterization — even the music. In a particularly engaging conversation later in the movie, Allyson and Rene give their favorite Rumi quotes, and it is obvious at this point how much they have impacted the other. Rene, the fastidious 12-year editor selects ‘You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?’ Allyson, the woman who spoke of crushing her enemies selects ‘Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I’m changing myself.’
And you may ask yourself, ‘what kind of a movie quotes Rumi?’ The answer? One trying to teach how to cultivate happiness via the four Brahmaviharas.
It is after this scene affirming how much each has learned from the other that they can share the amazing dream/vision that links the economic power of independent film with the alleviation of suffering (from lack of good films, the happiness that creation creates, and actual poverty). Without the two characters exploring how the four virtues impact their approach to their art and creativity, this scene wouldn’t be possible.
Using the symbol of the couple’s happiness (the creation of film) as a vehicle to eliminate poverty is in line with the original concepts of the four Brahmaviharas (which explore both alleviation of suffering and extension of joy) discussed in the opening conversation of the film. The idea is a fusion of the two approaches to creation and is an organic product of a world filled with magical realism and the Buddhist philosophies explored.
The Secret Society for Slow Romance outlines a guide to creating independent film that includes distribution methods, fundraising, and merchandising ideas. It gives a great run down of amazing places to visit in Sri Lanka, and a fabulous list of independent films to watch for inspiration. But it also spends extensive time exploring spiritual methods to cultivate happiness. The Secret Society for Slow Romance is a study in the application of the Four Brahmaviharas, and it gives practical solutions to cultivating happiness. Not just within its world, but within our own.
Poster for MAN by Amir Mortlagh — Image used with Permission.
Amir Motlagh’s MAN is a beautifully shot, prescient meditation on the nature of the human experience and of connectedness in increasingly disconnected times. The film moves through a mantra of daily activities before accelerating towards an emotionally impactful ending. I’m going to admit I wasn’t expecting to emotionally connect with this film the way I did, but the impact of the movie left me in tears, grateful for the experience.
It’s hard for me to express just how important I think its message is. COVID has taught us all the challenges of isolation, interaction — and, seemingly paradoxically, isolated interaction — and MAN is adept at showing the profound absurdity of it. I’ve been thinking about what, exactly, to say about this movie after sitting with it. I don’t know how to talk about how or why it moved me without getting into particulars, and I don’t think that fits with the entire spirit of the film. The longer I’ve pondered it, the more the themes and imagery have expanded in my mind, and trying to pin them down would be foolish.
Some stories are in the experiencing.
Establish the technology in nature themes early. Lovely shot from MAN by Amir Motlagh. Image used with Permission.
The opening shots of MAN move between trees, homes, and power lines before opening up into a shot of Los Angeles as we listen to Arman’s day begin. In a few moments, we are attached to him and will spend a majority of the film connected to him via the camera itself as he goes through his day.
Arman (Amir Motlagh) works from home in the Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. He mainly interacts with people via his computer and other varied screens around him. In 2018, Arman’s life at the Laurel Canyon, separate from most except for his connection through screens, would have seemed far more strange than it does now. In the post-lockdown world, this experience is much more common, which makes a lot of the feelings explored in the movie something that we can all relate to.
One of MAN’s stars, Roscoe. MAN (Amir Mortlagh). Image used with permission.
For most of the movie, Arman’s main physical companions are his dogs and voices emanating from screens that arise from various interruptions. The strange intrusiveness of unwanted connections amid the struggle for meaningful connection is one of the key feelings within the film — and something that all of us are more readily able to relate to thanks to the realities of our current lives.
What makes MAN extraordinary is how much it gives back to the viewer after asking so little. A small investment rendered hours of consideration and contemplation of how the movie was so effective at presenting the strange world we inhabit — where all of our social connections have the feeling of parasocial, and leave us too soon and before something with more depth can be created.
Rachel Sciacca as Des in MAN by Amir Motlagh. Image used with Permission.
The visual and emotional world of MAN is extraordinary, and the first part of the film created a meditative state so that by the time disarming and charming Des (Rachel Sciacca) appeared, I was as fascinated and curious about her as Arman was.
MAN is a fascinating movie that turns the message on the viewer, asking about the essence of relationship our relationship to technology and how it dictates, shapes, and shifts our other relationships. It is one of a trilogy of movies called the “Three Marks, Too Many Signals” series. Given the impact I felt from MAN, I’ll be sure to check out the others.
If you dig slow cinema and films that allow you to meet interesting characters while asking you important questions about the nature of technology’s impact on our relationships and selves — MAN might be exactly what you’re looking for in a movie!
An Analysis of two Conversation-driven Films: My Dinner with Andre’ and The Secret Society For Slow Romance.
I knew I’d have to watch My Dinner with Andre’ to understand all of the influences that went into making The Secret Society for Slow Romance. Sujewa Ekanayake, the auteur behind The Secret Society for Slow Romance, made Louis Malle’s film a ‘must watch’ for actress Alia Lorae before filming. That meant it was a must-catch for me.
I’m glad I watched it, because The Secret Society for Slow Romance is a variation on My Dinner with Andre’ in the purest classical music sense — Ekanayake takes structures and motifs from My Dinner with Andre’ and transforms them into something effervescent, sweet, and uplifting, despite dealing with some heavy subjects.
The two films have quite a bit in common. Both focus on lively conversation between New York storytellers covering a variety of topics over shared dinners. But the focus of ‘The Secret Society for Slow Romance,’ is filmmaking as a vehicle for connection and that is the driver of the conversations, while My Dinner with Andre’ is focused on the nature of our disconnectedness. At the heart of ‘The Secret Society for Slow Romance’ is a rejection of pessimism, which gives the film a big heart and an important message for these times. Its philosophy merges productivity and happiness and is a key difference that drives a number of the contrasting elements between the two films.
My Dinner with Andre’ explores the magical vs. the pragmatic — while The Secret Society for Slow Romance celebrates when the two are working in concert.
Opening Focus
My Dinner with Andre opens quietly, joining Wally Shawn (Wallace Shawn) on his journey through the streets of New York to an upper-scale restaurant to meet a man he’s been avoiding, Andre’ Gregory. He’s been avoiding Gregory because, in Wally’s eyes, it sounds like Gregory is unhinged. He sobs outside of cinemas, he talks to trees, and it’s obvious this isn’t what Wally signed on for. The opening scenes focus on Wally as he makes this journey — the city dwarfs his figure as he moves through it, and rather than interact with his environment, he seems to move almost in spite of it.
He’s there, he really is. Wallace Shawn as ‘Wally’ in My Dinner with Andre’, directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
Wally has a look of defeated monotony about his life and his day — a thousand-yard stare of daily tasks and doings. His face barely registers recognition or even interest in the city surrounding him as he moves from street to subway to the posh interior of a high-class restaurant — he seems equally uncomfortable and discontent in all, shielded from the world in a slightly overlarge coat until he’s divested of it to enter into Andre’s realm. Wally’s voice-over is punctuated with the occasional sounds of the city around him, as he tells us about himself and his life.
Wallace Shawn as ‘Wally’ traveling to dinner in My Dinner with Andre’ (1981), directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
By contrast, The Secret Society for Slow Romance uses its opening to pull us into a New York City even more magical than ours.
Introducing a key character: the opening of The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake.. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
Thirteen seconds of the sounds of a New York radiator open up into Kevin Macleod’s “Tango de Manzana” scoring a tour of New York. The music choices help celebrate New York’s stunning vista.
Alia Lorae as Allyson, who moves through New York City with confidence, and purpose in The Secret Society For Slow Romance directed by directed by Sujewa Ekanayake. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
Allyson (Alia Lorae) glides confidently through the city streets. She’s animated as she looks around herself, taking everything in. Unlike Wally, Allyson moves with the city, not in spite of it. She seems invigorated by the possibilities New York offers and is always animatedly taking in its sights with large eyes and open arms. In other moments in the film, she even dances, but here in the introduction, we see an Allyson who is fully engaged with her environment and able to live within and with her art.
Knowing the Characters
It’s long been a theory of mine (and others) that instead of wanting to converse, everyone’s just waiting to talk. Both of these films show a world in which that is NOT true — these are characters that are listening to each other. In My Dinner With Andre’, Wally spends the first two acts of the movie after his introduction to us via voice-over listening to Andre’s stories of his strange travels, experiences, and hallucinations. Wally also spends time as a detective, questioning Andre’ and his motives and thoughts to bring them to the surface, like a detective (which he said he’d do). It isn’t until the third act of the film that we get Wally’s opinions on what he’s heard and he starts to attack Andre’s ideas about the nature of action, habit, and the supernatural. While we as an audience are attached to Wally since his opening voiceover, we aren’t privy to his real thoughts and feelings on Andre’s fantastical tales until the end.
In contrast, The Secret Society For Slow Romance allows us to spend time with Allyson as she explores the city and dictates her thoughts on the world to her phone (a la Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks). While there is always a sense of impending conflict and tension in My Dinner with Andre’, the connectedness and earnestness of the characters in The Secret Society For Slow Romance advance their relationship.
In The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake., we get the chance to know Alia Lorae’s character Allyson through more than just her conversations with Rene. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake. Used with permission.
It takes until the third act of My Dinner with Andre for the audience to see Wally’s true feelings about the conversation, while The Secret Society For Slow Romance’s opening conversation between Rene and Allyson shows a much healthier conversational dynamic where they are equally contributing to the conversation’s ebb and flow. This is one of those delightful instances of variation — a slow romance isn’t going to be possible if the characters aren’t initially intrigued by each other, and making them both equal participants is important to the believability of their later affections. While they both express skepticism at the other’s viewpoint, it is a skepticism entirely lacking malice. Instead, they are both amused and even delighted at such a differing view from their own, while Wally is visibly unsettled by some of the ideas that Andre’ is introducing him to. While Wally embarks on a line of questioning meant to differentiate his worldview from that of Andre’ and to later try to assert to himself that his beliefs are more fitting for this world, Rene and Allyson are more explorative and curious of what the other is saying without reservation. Rene and Allyson are seekers and are looking to see how the other can enhance their journeys.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t address another way in which the films are different in the realm of how they treat characters. The Secret Society for Slow Romance, while focused on Rene and Allyson primarily, also has a third character, the city of New York. While waiters, bartenders, and others serve the courses (acts) in My Dinner with Andre’ with little to no characterization in their dialog — in The Secret Society for Slow Romance, New York herself ushers us between scenes and Allyson serves up a true New Yorker’s delight — take out.
It’s also interesting to note that both Wally and Allyson are working on the fringes to discover their voices, while the more established Rene and Andre’ are both seeking something deeper and more meditative within and about their work.
The Structure of Mealtime
In My Dinner With Andre’, one of the ways we are pulled through the dinner is in the mechanics and process of its actual serving. These moments remind us how out of place Wally feels in the world, and this starts with Wally’s inability to order himself a drink at the bar. His discomfort in this place is extended when he has to ask for help with the menu (while Andre’ seems to be very familiar with the dishes and their preparation).
Andre’ Gregory as Andre’, Jean Lenauer as the Waiter, Wallace Shawn as Wally in My Dinner with Andre’ (1981), directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
It’s very obvious that Wally is in Andre’s world (he even removes the protective barrier of his coat in order to enter this wild realm) — and while Wally appreciates comfort, this isn’t comfortable for him.
The moments in which those serving the meal intrude upon the conversation are telling — right after recalling a moment in which he was astonished at his poor treatment of his building’s doorman, Andre’ fails to recognize the waiter bringing his food. These are the moments where the real world encroaches on their cloistered conversation, and these sort of moments also help break the reverie of the conversation while simultaneously making the dinner seem more real to the audience. If you’ve eaten at a restaurant, you’ve had the experience of the mid-conversation food arrival.
Right before dinner is served, Andre’ is saying “And then we pulled the graves up the best we could and went back to New York,” Wallace Shawn as Wally, Andre’ Gregory as Andre’, and Jean Lenauer as the Waiter in My Dinner with Andre’ (1981), directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
The Secret Society for Slow Romance plays on this theme of meals helping to mark time. One of the twists within the variation is that of the pandemic as the characters are sharing in take-out which serves to tighten the world.
Alia Lorae’s Allyson serves up dinner in The Secret Society For Slow Romance, directed by Sujewa Ekanayake.
Since The Secret Society for Slow Romance also takes place over a greater period of time, there are other ways the film shows the passage of time (including spectacular sunrises, sunsets, and indications of holidays as they pass). Both use food to help usher in a new conversation, but because of its longer timeline, The Secret Society for Slow Romance has some other great ways to show how time is passing.
The Setting
New York City is a place full of possibilities. As far as characters go, she certainly has a great amount of depth! The Secret Society For Slow Romance is a movie that is focused on our ability to connect with others and the world around us, the movie spends a lot more time in New York City than My Dinner With Andre’ does.
A rare glimpse of another angle of their table which is pretty much the setting for this piece. Wallace Shawn as Wally and Andre’ Gregory as Andre’ are being seated for dinner in My Dinner with Andre’ (1981), directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
This isn’t to say that My Dinner with Andre’ doesn’t include some quintessential New York moments or doesn’t feature the city, but since that film is discussing whether or not people should insulate themselves from the world, the fact that Andre and Wally are insulated from New York is an important thematic note. In the span of My Dinner with Andre’, we only spend around seven minutes in the city itself, instead of sequestered away from it in a fancy restaurant. Our only connections to the outside world are the waiter, and occasional flashes of others in the mirrors behind Wally and Andre’.
1980’s New York City as captured in My Dinner with Andre’ directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
It’s also worth it to note that in a particularly impassioned speech, Andre’ talks about something he heard a tree expert say about New York City: ““I think that New York is the new model for the new concentration camp, where the camp has been built by the inmates themselves, and the inmates are the guards, and they have this pride in this thing that they’ve built — they’ve built their own prison — and so they exist in a state of schizophrenia where they are both guards and prisoners. And as a result they no longer have — having been lobotomized — the capacity to leave the prison they’ve made or even to see it as a prison.” And then he went into his pocket, and he took out a seed for a tree, and he said, “This is a pine tree.” And he put it in my hand. And he said, “Escape before it’s too late.””
By contrast, Allyson literally dances in the streets of New York City. When I first wrote about The Secret Society For Slow Romance, I called it a love letter to New York City. I felt very connected to her as a character and felt as though there was an entire plot that showed the city’s recovery after the pandemic. We venture with Allyson through empty subways and streets into increasingly busy ones as the city once again teems with life and is flooded with possibilities. Instead of relegating New York City to a construct, The Secret Society of Slow Romance celebrates New York as a character and one that we visit often.
Sujewa Ekanayake as Rene and Alia Lorae as Allyson, who are embarking on a date in (with?) New York City, The Secret Society For Slow Romance’s third character. Image from The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake.
My Dinner With Andre’ sets up its two main characters and where they are in their career, as does The Secret Society for Slow Romance, but the New York City of The Secret Society for Slow Romance is a different character from the setting known in My Dinner With Andre’. Not only is the city elevated to character status in The Secret Society for Slow Romance, but the city itself has also matured, grown, and become more nurturing (and safe) since the time of My Dinner with Andre’.
Another important difference to note about the setting is the passage of time — while My Dinner with Andre’ spins us into a tight dinner, The Secret Society For Slow Romance is about a longer period of time, during which our characters are growing, maturing, and changing in their views. At the end My Dinner With Andre’, I felt that Wally’s perspective had been impacted by his dinner, but I have no insight as to what Andre’ got from it, other than a good debate. Since The Secret Society For Slow Romance is a film that is about connectedness, it should be no surprise that we have a good sense of how both Allyson and Rene (and others) have been impacted by their conversations.
Money, Money, Money
I don’t want to make it sound like both of these films are obsessed with money, because they aren’t, but money, finances, and the impact of capitalism are not far from the subtext in either of these films. While neither film gets into a full-throated defense of a particular economy, both deal with the hard realities and impact that money and economic systems have on storytellers. Wally spends part of his opening monologue discussing his money woes and how he has to take on acting (and his girlfriend has to wait tables) because he can’t make money writing. Allyson ‘loves her day job’ but wants to move into being able to make films full time. Andre’ and Rene both contrast this by being established enough to spend their full days working on art.
Another difference in approach comes where Rene begins to suggest ways for Allyson to get to her personal goals. When she presents ideas and concepts that aren’t a perfect fit for his experiences, he starts to brainstorm with her how she can make it work. In all of the moments where Rene and Allyson share their goals and ideas, they both become excited and motivated to help and encourage the other, which is a beautiful and uplifting concept about what a slow romance is and entails.
Rene (Sujewa Ekanayake) and Allyson (Alia Lorae) in The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake.
Further, the storyline of The Secret Society For Slow Romance posits some ways in which the arts and artists could thrive under capitalism, but you have to be a member of the society to find out more.
“Money is just a way to track consumption and production.” -Rene in The Secret Society for Slow Romance.
No Nazis: None.
Nazis come up a LOT in My Dinner with Andre’, and The Secret Society For Slow Romance has time travelers. I know how and why Nazis and fascism are used in My Dinner with Andre’, but honestly I like more time travelers and zero Nazis in my movies.
Rumi-mills.
There’s a great section of The Secret Society for Slow Romance where they quote Rumi at each other and it’s adorable. My Dinner with Andre’ did not do this at all, and that’s probably a good thing — one of the reasons that The Secret Society for Slow Romance was able to do such things is the overall light tone of a rom-com will allow for it. It’s also notable that there isn’t the feeling that Rene and Allyson are trying to ‘beat’ each other at this game of quotes because they aren’t — instead, they just feel more invigorated by hearing what the other liked, and hearing a beloved quote spoken by a dear companion.
The Resolution
I think the largest point of contrast between the two movies lies in how they resolve. While both are dealing with the challenges of being a storyteller, of connecting, and how we can create meaningful relationships with and within our world, My Dinner With Andre’ ultimately leaves its larger questions and the conflicts between the characters unresolved. While Wally’s perspective about his world has been impacted by understanding Andre’s experiences and that’s evident in his closing monologue, it has not changed his view on the fantastic stories he heard, or his opinion on whether those experiences are necessary for someone to grow and be fulfilled as a person. His dinner with Andre’ has left him richer and more able to connect with the world around him, but ultimately his world will continue in its usual comforts as he cuddles into his electric blanket and tells Debbie about his dinner.
By the time The Secret Society For Slow Romance closes, we are confident that not only have Rene and Allyson changed, but how they interact with and see their world has been deeply impacted by their connected experience, and Allyson’s radiant smile at the end shows how deeply she’s been changed by her experiences with Rene. The film doesn’t just resolve for its characters but tries to paint a resolution for everyone, and implant that passion in the viewer that its two characters have.
Sujewa Ekanayake as Rene and Alia Lorae as Allyson in The Secret Society For Slow Romance, directed by Sujewa Ekanayake. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake.
My Dinner With Andre’ explores the question of whether theatre will reinforce feelings of alienation within its audience — and Wally and Andre’ can’t come to an accord as to what the purpose of theatre is. This is delightfully subverted in The Secret Society for Slow Romance where instead of focusing on the purpose of independent film in fostering connectedness, they instead focus on its usefulness as the solution to the problem. This subversion directly reinforces the overall philosophical rejection of pessimism.
Wallace Shawn as Wally and Andre’ Gregory as Andre’ in My Dinner With Andre’ directed by Louis Malle. Winstar Cinema.
The timeliness of both
It’s pretty crazy to consider that My Dinner with Andre’ is 40 years old because far too much of the conversation is far too applicable. I loved watching it and was easily immersed in the conversation, and the issues that Wally and Andre’ discuss: connectedness and the human experience, are still valid. The class issues that are brought up in the film are also still highly relevant, and if you’ve not seen it yet, I’d highly recommend it (Wallace Shawn even says inconceivable!).
The Secret Society for Slow Romance is going to feel modern. But it also has a lot in common with other forms of entertainment that have been created to challenge and uplift philosophical ideas. Within the first few minutes, we’re involved in a discussion of the Four Brahmaviharas, the ‘houses of the gods’ or the four virtues, in addition to suggestions on how to reduce stress and increase happiness. The Secret Society for Slow Romance is really about embracing what we have, seeing its potential, and loving the process. There’s a blueprint for using indie filmmaking as a vehicle for connection between people and a solution to some of society’s deeper woes. While My Dinner With Andre’ seeks to elevate a conversation, The Secret Society For Slow Romance seeks to inspire creation, connectivity, and intention.
Alia Lorae as Allyson, who moves within her city and her world with intense purpose. How else can you be voted the Most Productive Person in NYC? From The Secret Society for Slow Romance directed by Sujewa Ekanayake. Image Copyright 2021 Sujewa Ekanayake.
In the Secret Society for Slow Romance, the discussion of the best things about America emphasizes not only what immigrants have brought, but also what was done as a society, cooperatively. This idea is an important one that we need right now. There’s also this gem of a quote, “Is America a Revolutionary society? Maybe. Technically, we are born of a successful revolution, the overthrow of a colonial power. But have we lost our revolutionary zeal? Have we grown lazy and comfortable? Is the rest of the world passing by us? Well, every civilization rises and falls, but we do have some pretty good Mexican food. Also Chinese…” As is fitting its philosophy, Allyson doesn’t linger on the thought that America could have grown comfortable and lazy and what that means — unlike Wally and Andre’, her thoughts don’t linger there, and instead move on to what is good, and what is possible.
Final Thoughts
Wally’s initial thoughts about Andre’ in My Dinner With Andre’ describe Andre’s reaction to “I could always live in my art, but not in my life”, while The Secret Society for Slow Romance shows us storytellers who live in their life and integrate their art within it — the movie emphasizes the connection between the life and the art instead of mourning the relationship for how it is. In the magical potential that New York City holds in The Secret Society for Slow Romance, art can be both their explorations of the truth of their world in addition to their escape from it. Allyson’s productive streams of movies indicate how she is constantly inspired by the stories in the world around her and is scrambling to capture every minute. This stands in stark contrast to Wally’s numb reaction to his time in the city and time talking about it during My Dinner With Andre’.
Both of these are stories about how storytellers connect — to their art, to each other, and to the world. Both engage in an examination of how those connections can be deepened or severed. Since The Secret Society For Slow Romance seeks to show a philosophy that can join both productivity and happiness, its overall approach is vastly different, and more oriented on results. And it has time travelers.
I loved the experiences that both of these films had to offer! Both will leave you feeling transported into interesting conversations between adept storytellers but will leave you with a different overall emotional timbre.
The scope of Lady Buds is deceptively simple — it is the story of six women entering the legal cannabis market. This thoughtful and beautifully-shot documentary uses that scope to reveal sweeping insights into the challenges, triumphs, and players within the cannabis industry. In her feature debut, director Chris J. Russo offers a compelling film that is part crash-course and part masterclass in some of the intricacies and frustrations women face in the cannabis industry. Lady Buds should be on everyone’s must-watch list in the cannabis industry, as it offers a thoughtful examination of how legalization has impacted small farmers in California, it will resonate with anyone who has worked within the cannabis space. Not only does Lady Buds have something for everyone impacted by cannabis in the United States, but it also has important things to say about the industry as a whole.
Second generation cannabis farmer, Chiah Rodriques, prunes a plant on her property in Mendocino County, California. She feels most at home working on her land, though she has stepped into the public view forming a collective of farmers to navigate the changes brought on by the legalization of cannabis in California. Image source and caption from Lady Buds — used with permission.
One of the stars of Lady Buds is Sue Taylor, a retired Catholic school principal turned hopeful dispensary owner. Sue’s dream dispensary includes space to educate seniors on the importance and power of cannabis. Sue’s dream compels the 72-year-old African-American woman to navigate an industry largely populated by white men as well as an ever-changing landscape of regulations that cause seeming unending financial strains.
The Bud Sisters, Pearl Moon and Dr. Joyce Centofanti, are judges of the Emerald Cup. Through the film, we watch their efforts to legalize the salve they make. Their humor about the unique struggles faced by small farms in Humboldt county brings some light moments to a film filled with heavy emotional power.
Karyn Wagner first moved to Humboldt to be with her high-school sweetheart, who happened to be a master cannabis grower. Lady Buds gives us the chance to watch as she applies her business skills to Humboldt-grown weed.
Chiah Rodriques, a second-generation Mendocino cannabis farmer, shares her memories of growing cannabis under the constant threat of helicopters while the film explores the challenges she faces as a small farmer juggling jobs, family, and the financial stresses of a barely-legal industry. We get to see her passion as she acts as a co-founder of a Mendocino County farm collective.
Felicia Carbajal’s story is one of activism and community — and the film echoes with their observation that cannabis is at the intersection of social, racial, gender, and economic justice. Felicia’s story gives insight into the challenges the cannabis industry faces when it comes to equity and justice.
The stories of these powerful voices encompass many different experiences and sections of the cannabis industry. All of them are focused on the hard realities of trying to make it as a small business in a vicious, barely-legal industry.
Latinx Queer Cannabis Activist Felicia Carbajal and her campaign team discuss how to talk with voters on election day. Image source and caption from Lady Buds — used with permission.
Lady Buds is more than just insight into an industry that is both state-sanctioned and federally legal. It’s also an important document of the incredible support systems created by these women, and what happens when they collide with the cruel mechanations of a capitalistic bureaucracy that favors the interests of the far more deep-pocketed and traditionally powerful.
Director Chris Russo said, “The films I make have always been informed by my experience living as an outsider, as a woman, as a lesbian who’s had to fight for her own rights and visibility in our society. I felt a personal connection and imperative to tell the story of “Lady Buds,” and it made sense to frame it from a woman’s point of view to provide a contrast to the male-dominated and stoner stereotypes perpetuated by the media. I wanted to paint a picture of powerful, courageous, and passionate women like we’ve never seen before, as the superheroes they seemed to be, to inspire others to take risks and reach for their dreams. It all felt inherently organic to the fact that, at the heart of it all, cannabis — as we cultivate it — is a female plant.”
Lady Buds is going to be my go-to recommendation for anyone in the cannabis industry. With its perfect soundtrack and score, lush cinematography, and intimate storytelling, it should be no surprise that it is emotionally powerful as well. More than once I found myself moved to tears by laughter, frustration, sadness, or shock.
Not only does Lady Buds give insight into the stories of women in a male-dominated industry, but also gives space to the emotional strength and resolve it takes for these incredible women to keep going despite an increasingly harsh landscape. Unflinching and reverent, Lady Buds brings into focus the difficult path to cannabis legalization and the women who walk it.
To learn more about Lady Buds, please go to the website for the movie for more information on screenings, cast, crew, and other exciting information! Lady Buds will be released November 26th via Gravitas Ventures. You can pre-order Lady Buds via ITunes!
