Short Films, Big Fun: A Review of Two Short Films by Exiram Productions
I got the chance to view two short films by Exiram Productions and had a great time watching them! Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to see these great shorts!
Credits Among Friends
Directed by Alexis Ramirez and Written by Stephen Olson, this comedy short is about four filmmakers who reunite for a movie night. One brings a guest, his new girlfriend. This is the sort of movie night where smart people get together to talk about bad movies – not good ones. And while their selected movie initially inspires them to discuss the concept of the male gaze. That discussion is quickly tabled when a discovery is made – one that impacts their real lives.
As someone who ran a movie night, I’m a sucker for the setting, and this short felt like coming home. A bunch of people dissecting a bad movie and laughing at its accidental charms is one of my favorite ways to spend time, and I had to laugh at the choice of the movie and its title. Funny and entertaining, I loved what this short brought to the table in humor and its meta-commentary. The movie within a movie is hilarious, and especially true-to-life (title and all) if you’ve watched a lot of similar fare.
I enjoyed all of the characters, and my only complaint was that I didn’t get more time with all of them! It felt like I was being transported back to my own movie night. The performances were familiar, and everyone felt extremely well-realized, even with the brief amount of time we had.
I liked the setting, the short used the space it had well. There were some really great shots that brought me into the narrative action, and contributed to feeling more ‘at home.’ In particular, I loved this one.
This shot is great at making it look like WE are the friends! From Credits With Friends. Image Used With Permission by Exiram Productions.
Credits with Friends is funny without being crass and charming without being trite. Well-acted and thoughtfully crafted, it left me wishing for an entire series where I could watch more meta-B movies, and hear more commentary from these folks.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what comedy Exiram makes next!
Here’s the trailer – be on the lookout for this one!
Directed by: Alexis Ramirez Executive Producer: Stephanie Falciano Music Composed by: Chris Barrett Starring: Michael Paone, Jennifer Agatte, Dustin Teuber, Dominique Alessi, Stephanie Falciano
Were-Flutter: Darkest Desire
Title: Were-Flutter: Darkest Desire
Genre: Horror
Release Date: February 1, 2023
Directed By: Alexis Ramirez
Written By / Starring: Lex E. Rojas
Music by: Joe Kowalski
This horror short features a story written by Lex E. Rojas, who also stars. The story is about Hope, a woman who finds a beautiful and mysterious necklace with a sparkling gem on her walk home. This is no ordinary walk home, and no ordinary necklace. Once held in the hypnotizing gem’s thrall, Hope is no ordinary woman. Hope’s transformation into a fearless, powerful creature sparks something anew within Hope.
The effects for the transformation scene were well-done, and I loved the entire concept of this short film. Lex E. Rojas’s throws her all at this performance. Her investment in the physical differences of her performance as ordinary Hope vs. Hope transformed pay off well, as the transformation feels emotional as well as physical. This is another short that does what short stories are meant to do – leave us wanting to see what happens next in this interesting world with Hope, a very interesting character.
Were-Flutter is currently on the festival circuit where you can catch it – here’s a trailer!
Directed By: Alexis Ramirez Written By and Starring: Lex E. Rojas Music by Joe Kowalski
What struck me most about Six Days to Die was its fearlessness in being something different. It’s highly stylized, and often I felt as though I was watching a graphic novel spring to life. Six Days to Die is an exciting, innovative, fantastical sci-fi western. This genre-bending film may not be for everyone, but the ones it’s for will love it. It features a rich, fully-realized world with unforgettable characters. If you enjoy emblematic, epic stories like “The Dark Tower,” are a fan of Westerns, have spent hours playing Red Dead Redemption 2, or enjoy highly-stylized productions — this is definitely a film you don’t want to miss.
Six Days to Die. Image Source: http://www.6d2d.com/, Courtesy of Matt Campagna and Goldstrike Films
This isn’t writer / director Matthew Campagna’s first foray into his “6 Verse,” but the story and production of Six Days to Die is so well-designed it didn’t matter that I hadn’t seen its predecessor, Six Reasons Why. Six Days to Die opens on a man known only as The Gambler (Darryl Hinds), as he makes his way through a punishing, viscerally familiar (yet surreal) landscape. He drags a heavy, skin-biting chain as he limps his way eastward. That’s all you need to know. The story unfolds as he navigates a cruel, punishing desert. Not far behind him is a person known as The Marshal (Melissa D’Agostino), who is quickly established to be as bloodthirsty and ruthless as she is relentless in her pursuit eastward. When The Gambler encounters The Boy (Ellery Miki-Petite) in a strange oil town, The Gambler comes to realize he has several tough decisions to make.
The biggest selling point for me with any film is its ability to create and maintain a compelling world, and to follow its rules – and Six Days to Die excels at its world-building. Every element of the production’s design is done in such a way it contributes to the mood and visual language of the story. In addition to its rich visual language, Six Days to Die has sound design and music that adds effective soundscapes to the story.
The costumes are particularly exquisite and detailed – from the design of the Marshal’s deep red ‘hero coat’ to The Gambler’s brocade suit, and including a particularly lovely and sparkly dress, each piece tells a story of its own and adds to the character. I am sure costume designer Vanessa Lee Wishart spent a lot of time stressing over the choices, but the results are sublime.
The performances are evocative and interesting. Darryl Hinds at The Gambler is sympathetic, mysterious, and charmingly funny. Melissa D’Agostino gives a powerful, magnetic performance as The Marshal – her presence is felt even in the scenes she’s not in. Once I met her, thoughts of her relentless character were never far from my mind. Ellery Miki-Petite’s performance is dynamic and interesting. Colm Feore brings the necessary gravitas and force to his character, named ‘The Man in Black.’
I had an amazing time watching Six Days to Die and enjoyed the story so much I immediately wanted more. If you enjoy movies where it feels as if each frame is a work of art within itself, or want a good Western told in an innovative way, you’ll enjoy Six Days to Die.
When I first watched Only In Theaters the very first thing I wanted to do after it ended was go see a movie in a small, local theater and start to do so regularly. The urge sparked a bit of curiosity. Specifically, I wanted to know – how was the call to action so very powerful? That led me to look into the director, and what his other work was like. I found that Raphael Sbarge’s documentary work features the common themes of community, sustainability, familial connection, the power of collective experiences, and the importance of service. This makes for a very heady combination – one powerful enough to inspire action.
Only In Theaters Trailer.
The story of Only In Theaters is, of course compelling – how else to describe a documentary that includes the very beginnings of Hollywood, a small family business, and a global pandemic? There is a sweet coziness within that siren call to action.
I don’t want you to get me wrong – the Laemmles are an amazing family, their theaters are an institution, and their story is an incredible one that exemplifies so much of what I want America to be.
The fact I was practically jumping out of my seat to see a movie in a local theater made it obvious to me that Only In Theaters is blessed with both.
To show you what I mean, let’s just talk about the opening minute of Only In Theaters (I love analyzing the beginning of things – they are, after all, the time to make sure the balances are correct).
It opens with the sound of an orchestra tuning up before we hear three things – ‘welcome to the theater,’ ‘is cinema dying?’, and ‘ the movie theater is dead’ in rapid succession. Yet the opening barrage lands on ‘what the hell is going to happen to movie theaters?’ These statements are immediately followed by Ava Duvernay talking about how important it was for her work to be seen in theaters. From there, images of movie theaters and headlines throughout the pandemic are interspersed with some of the interviews we’ll see throughout the film.
For every possible problem, a glimmer of hope as an antidote. The action of the images is ‘restricted’ to a laptop screen, with a movie theater visible beyond its edges. We slowly close in on it until the laptop partially fills the entirety of the frame – nearly blotting out the image of the movie theater. A powerful visual symbol of the the rise of streaming.
All of that in the first minute.
To recap: before the title, there’s an orchestral warm up followed by a quick review of the themes, subjects, and players we’ll see throughout the movie.
It’s a perfectly executed overture to the documentary.
Who Puts Such a Perfectly Executed Overture In A Documentary?
Someone who has spent most of their life storytelling and around storytellers, that’s who. So let’s talk about who Raphael Sbarge is for a bit.
Raphael mentions in the director’s statement for Only in Theatersthat his father was an artist and filmmaker and his mother was a Broadway costume designer. He described how the Laemmles, a family involved with storytelling and art, immediately felt familiar to him. It’s no wonder, coming from a family of storytellers.
Raphael also has years of experience as an actor. Exciting experience, no less. As a nerd, his imdb is an absolute treat. In an interview with him and Sujewa, I mentioned his multi-episode run in Star Trek: Voyager as the compelling and sympathetic, but I could have easily talked to him about some of his amazing voice over work in games like Mass Effect (or Knights of the Old Republic), or his role as Charles McGill, Sr. in Better Call Saul. His resume also includes major roles in series like The Guardian, Once Upon a Time, and Murder in the First. That doesn’t even touch his theatrical career.
With someone so talented and dedicated, I don’t want to minimize or diminish his acting career because frankly it’s astonishing. He’s incredibly talented, versatile, and hard-working. But If I talked about all of that, it would overtake this article.
Just as with his acting, I could also spend a bit of time talking about his non-profit work. Raphael initially founded a non-profit called “Green Wish,” inspired by the birth of his daughter and with the intent to support the community’s recognition of the efforts of local organizations. As many nonprofits do, the work pivoted. He describes the change in focus and mission as “With the success of all of these films, and with a growing awareness that we were being most effective with our film and media work, Green Wish’s mission has now changed. It is now focused on creating socially relevant content in an effort to do maximum good, to inspire and engage people to want to effect real change, through creating “content with a conscience.” In alliance with my production company, our hope is that the ideas and ideals of Green Wish will continue to do maximum good.” Wishing Well Entertainment, the production company he created and mentions in the above, is focused on projects with social relevance. His intent with these efforts are clear: to create thoughtful, educational content.
With that said, I don’t want to minimize or diminish his efforts in the nonprofit area, either.
In fact, his career in acting and his nonprofit focus both heavily influence his directing projects and his storytelling style.
Since 2019 he’s been very busy behind the camera, helming several projects including two research-intense documentaries and capturing the revival of an extremely moving one-man play. I want to bring his documentary films from this period into particular focus, because in them I found a thematic thread – or several.
Before I get into the meat of all of this, I’d highly recommend you watch these amazing documentaries. They’re all linked in their respective sections to make it easy. You’ll learn something and feel a lot of things. And, I’m going to spoil a lot of what happens in them!
‘LA Foodways’ was created for KCET, a PBS affiliate using some funds that Raphael Sbarge’s non-profit, Green Wish, had received. The meticulously researched documentary explores Los Angeles’ history as a food production center – while examining its current status as the site of a massive food desert. The documentary can be watched in its entirety here.
‘Foodways’ is a word used by social scientists to describe the social, cultural, and economic practices around food – its production, processing, and consumption. ‘LA Foodways’ reminds viewers that until around 1950, Los Angeles was an extremely prolific center for food production. Using interviews with Angelinos and interesting historic footage and images, the documentary explores not just the farms and the realities of the past – but how Los Angeles’ history as a food center helped shape its present dominance.
LA Foodways features interviews with a multi-generational business, SGS Produce (Shapiro, Gilman, Shandler), a company that dates back to 1907. The educational mission of LA Foodways, however, isn’t just to make its audience realize that Los Angeles was once a major center of food production, or that there’s a multi-generational food wholesaler located there. The interviews it contains don’t just cover the history of the land, or the businesses – but instead examine the present realities of the food logistic situation in Los Angeles. It also delves into people who are taking action while also educating viewers on the link between food waste and hunger.
LA Foodways. Image Source: Wishing Well Entertainment.
The documentary’s focus on FoodForward is a great organization to do just that. FoodForward’s operations couple those in need with food that might otherwise have gone to waste. Rick Nahmias founded FoodForward after the heartbreaking election cycle of 2008 when Prop 8 was voted in. Feeling overwhelmed by the nullification of his marriage by Prop 8, he decided to channel that energy in a positive way by working to improve his community. He recognized the issues within his community, which at the time included long lines at the food pantries due to the economic crisis of 2008. He noted that fresh produce, which often isn’t available to those at food pantries, was just a few steps away at food wholesalers. He found it hard to believe, and wondered if he could change it.
Spoiler alert: He could, and he did.
Beyond just seeing the success of FoodForward in their mission, It’s heartening to hear those from the wholesale side express their gratitude that the food can go on and be of use. As Rick Nahmias put it – ‘It’s not a supply problem – it’s a distribution problem.’ He points out that the food waste doesn’t just represent the wasted food – it represents so much more waste than we initially realize. It represents fertilizer, fuel, and dare I add – time.
The food doesn’t just represent what we’re about to eat – but the investment of thousands of valuable resources to bring it to the table.
The power of LA Foodways is that it isn’t just focused on the intriguing history of LA as farmland or the myriad of implications of today’s food waste – the documentary is anchored by those working to change it. We follow some of the volunteers as they redistribute the food, and get to hear from people who have helped distribute it for decades, bringing us closer narratively to those making positive changes – and giving us the stories of what inspired them to start, and what inspires them to keep going. Watching inspired people is inspiring.
The documentary also spends time showing the work and community engagement and dedication of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), which hosts a bi-monthly food distribution event. The bi-monthly event is hugely helpful, and supports the mission of WLCAC to improve the quality of life of those who live in Watts and those in the surrounding areas. We learn about the mission of WLCAC through seeing its events, and the words of Tim Watkins, the current President – and son of WLCAC’s founder, Ted Watkins, Sr. LA Foodways discusses the Watts riots, the community engagement of Watts, and how instrumental WLCAC’s mission and work was to helping the members of the community, especially through the creation of a garden.
Fresh food, fresh produce – a vital part of human survival – often isn’t available in food deserts. Instead, impoverished communities are forced to shop at discount food retailers who specialize in multiple colors of sugar water, and not wholesome food. When looking at the dire situations that LA Foodways examines they could feel overwhelming and even grim. Since those histories and stories are served alongside the narratives of those who are trying to change things for the better, the overall tone is, instead, hopeful.
It is through the action of those working to change their communities and their relentless hope for a better world that LA Foodways tells its story. In using the past to inform an understanding of the present, it also presents hope for the future.
Raphael Sbarge started filming the Laemmle family for his documentary Only In Theaters starting in 2019, when Greg Laemmle started to consider options to sell the family business. That wouldn’t be the only set of challenges to befall the business before the documentary’s end. (You can stream Only In Theaters here.)
Only In Theaters opens with that lovely overture we examined earlier, and then starts with Raphael talking about what the Laemmle theaters meant to him, and how screening his film for an audience was everything. Perusing the family wall in the theater led him to learn more about the Laemmles, a family that has been in the movie business since the movie business grew from the nickelodeon theaters. While he wasn’t sure what the story would be, he wanted to try and capture some of it while there was still time.
We then spend time with the Laemmle family during Shabbat and Greg relates the importance of the family business to his life, even though it wasn’t originally his intent to work for the theaters. From there the story blooms as others add their voices to the story of the Laemmle Theaters and the family that runs them. Ava Duvernay relates how important Laemmle was to creating her artistic sensibilities, and the importance of seeing a movie in a place like Laemmle. She reminds us that independent and arthouse cinema experiences are important not only to filmmakers, but to those who love film as well.
It is Greg Laemmle himself who tells us the story of the Laemmle family’s move from Stuttgart, Germany into the Nickelodeon business in the US, and his ancestor’s fight against Edison (who held a patent that required all Nickelodeons to pay him for use of his technology). Eventually, the Supreme Court would side with Laemmle, and the movie business then flourished.
One of the parts that stays with me from Only in Theaters is the interview with Alyse, who was married to Kurt Laemmle, one of the founders of Laemmle Theater. She is a delight to listen to, and her love for Kurt is obvious when she talks about him.
It is directly after that that the story Raphael was looking for begins to develop. As streaming impacted the Laemmle theaters, Greg Laemmle began considering the idea of selling the chain. While similar challenges had been presented to theaters with the introduction of television, streaming seemed to be taking more of a hold – and expenses were mounting. Instead of just having Greg talk about the business issues in his office, he’s captured talking about them as he prepares food for the family. He chats about the quality of the arugula while talking about the possible demise of his family’s business. It’s his vulnerability in this family space, while sharing his fears with his wife, Tish, that brings us as viewers even closer.
It feels like this is the story. Because it’s obvious that the Laemmle theaters, while important to the community, are causing a huge toll to Greg’s health. The sale seems imminent. The blow of this fact is cushioned by the realization that Greg’s life is suspended in stressful animation – and that perhaps the sale has the potential to bring peace to his life. Part of this stress is because Greg Laemmle is dedicated to operating the screens for the city – and not for the bottom line. Instead of building out their books, the Laemmle’s dedication has been creating a space for independent movies, and to give unknown directors a venue to have their movie screened. His mission, and ultimately that of his theater, is in showing work that should be seen – not just grabbing for dollars.
When Greg Laemmle makes the announcement at the end of 2019 that they would be retaining ownership, it feels like a slam-dunk victory. But the celebrations would be short-lived.
Because 2020 happened, and the rest of the documentary deals with the impacts of the pandemic on the Laemmle theaters, and Greg’s concerns and fears following COVID-19’s toll on his business. As he steers his business through the fraught waters of the ever-changing world, we get a full portrait of the burdens and joys of his legacy.
And while he jokes that his legacy is in allowing Tommy Wiseau to screen ‘The Room,’ it’s much larger than that. The movie has been dedicated to ensuring that we know the exact scope and importance of the Laemmle Theater’s legacy – and ultimately, Greg’s. Only In Theaters is an effective reminder that the importance of local theaters to the community in general, and to the artistic community in particular, can’t be understated.
While streaming can offer a place to see a movie, it can’t offer the movie-going experience. The movie-going experience is Only In Theaters. By the time the credits roll, you’ll crave nothing but an indie movie in an arthouse cinema. (Or more!)
10 Days in Watts premiered earlier this year on PBS. The series is separated into four episodes: one called “Legacy,” the second called “We Are Taught to Survive,” a third named “Watts Pride,” and the final installment is “A Garden Grows in Watts.” You can watch all four episodes here.
10 Days in Watts is about the preparations that the WLCAC (remember them?) is undertaking in order to throw a grand opening for Mudtown Farms. While the event may be the goal, its larger interest is in the exceptional work of WLCAC. Mudtown Farms was originally acquired by the WLCAC in 2005, and they intended to create an urban farm / park that would allow people to find peace, in addition to growing the sort of food and produce that people need in the middle of a food desert.
The Mudtown Farms project was important to Tim Watkins in particular as it presented a possible way for him to extend the legacy of his father, WLCAC founder Ted Watkins, Sr. We are treated to interview footage of Ted Watkins Sr. talking about his experiences in creating the WLCAC, in addition to information about his impact in the community. Tim is adamant that he’s not looking to fill his father’s shoes – in fact he’s sure he can’t. Instead, he wants to honor his father’s memory by setting an example for people.
10 Days in Watts also doesn’t shy away from the hard realities that those working to lift Watts have faced. A conversation between Tim Watkins and Donny Joubert (President of the Watts Gang Task Force) revealed that after the Watts truce was realized by four gangs in 1992, authorities and organizations that had promised help disappeared. This left community organizers to their own devices to ensure the success of the treaty by supporting their community. Their conversation makes it clear they want to ensure that the next generation doesn’t feel discouraged, and instead sees the power of the community and its elders behind them.
‘We are Taught to Survive’ focuses on the Watts survival mentality. The last episode closed on the idea that survival in Watts was activism, and this installment explores that idea. Darryl Everett Jones, Sr. talks about this mentality, and also stresses the importance of the work. He expresses the importance of how we start our day: that each minute contains possibilities and potential – and that the wasted time on snoozing our alarms could be the very moments we need the most.
Enrique Vasquez (aka Kiki Smooth), a Latino rapper who was born and raised in Compton, spent a lot of time of his youth at Watts with his grandmother. He and his partner Brandon Jackson (known as “Main Event”) do a weekly podcast from Watts as a way to encourage people to not be afraid to come to Watts, and to increase the understanding that Watts is a neighborhood about caring for each other and lifting each other up.
That’s a commonality in all of the interviews – the passion, the dedication, and the value of service. In one of them, Janine Watkins expressed that at Watts as a child, she was loved – and by loving that community and the people in it, it was a way of reaching back into her past with love.
Throughout the episodes, it becomes clear that everyone recognizes the importance of passing an understanding of nature to the next generation. How else will someone raised in the urban landscape learn to be an effective steward of the Earth – and what will our fate be if it’s not taught?
‘Watts Pride” focuses on the deep feeling of pride that the residents of Watts and those who care for it feel for it. It spends most of its time introducing people who are working their way to positions where they can help Watts, the place they love.
It opens with sober information: Watts is in the 95th percentile of the most polluted communities, and there are census tracts labeled in the 100th percentile. Many homes are still serviced by lead pipes, and even airplanes dump fuel over Watts. A nearby lead smelting plant pushed Watts’ lead exposure issues far above safe levels. Around 20% of Watts homes have water that contains actionable levels of lead.
I had to pause the documentary just to sit with that and process it.
PhD candidates Malcolm Jones and Danielle Hoague mention how Tim Watkins helped inspire them to fight for Watts – and to help hand the fight over to the next generation. As Malcolm worked on the Watts lead information, he found that there were reporting issues that blended Watts information with information from more affluent communities, effectively burying the issues with Watts’ lead exposure. Danielle explained that while many people had heard of Flint Michigan, America was full of them needing attention: and Watts is one.
People like Johanna Rodriquez, who grew up in Watts and now works for the Mayor Los Angeles, are working to ensure that Watts gets the attention it so badly needs. Johanna talked about the sort of work her father did to help the community, and she, like many in this documentary, continues his work by assisting her community via her work and her advocacy in attempting to erase the stereotypes of Watts.
Michael Krikorian, a writer whose work has been featured in LA Weekly, relates how he was ‘assigned’ the Watts beat – and how he worked to gain the trust of the community so he could learn more about the people there. Watts is a place bursting with stories to be told – and they are far more rich and meaningful than many would give them credit for.
The episode ‘A Garden Grows in Watts’ emphasizes the importance of the WLCAC in general and Watts in particular. By exploring the stories of those who love and work for the betterment of Watts, we’re treated to an even more complete view of the neighborhood and how it helps those who work for it purpose, passion, and drive.
The people we meet and the stories we hear emphasize the importance of a good community to support children and the next generation. Part of this importance comes down to Watt’s power to transform, and people who were able to come back to Watts and build a life after prison talk about the transformative experiences they had, and how the Watts community allowed them to use their experiences to help heal the next generation.
LoneAllen Hall, the Nutritional Director for WLCAC talks about his many years working for WLCAC, beginning in the 1970’s for Ted Watkins, Sr. himself. He relates how important it is for him to pass on the sorts of lessons he got in the kitchen for those who work for him. He also discusses how Watkins would always have work to be done for those looking to work, and how that created opportunities for young people to have experience in work that ultimately went back into their community. It’s through his interview that we learn the nutritional programs at WLCAC serve over 400,000 seniors a year (around 2200 a day).
A large portion of the episode is dedicated to the preparations for MudTown Farms’ big day. It’s a huge event celebrating the past and the future of Watts – and includes everything from delicious food to pony rides. During the celebrations, there are reminders that the purpose of MudTown Farms is to pass the knowledge of the Earth on to the next generation, and to celebrate the work and mission of the WLCAC.
The story ends on a note of hope by showing the passion and courage of those fighting for Watts, and how well-positioned the diligent and loving organization is to create a green space where there once was a food desert.
Overall Observations: Themes
At first, it might feel like there are two documentaries about food and one about theaters, but that’s not what I see happening here. I find that there are five major themes that Raphael Sbarge’s documentary work focuses on: familial connection, community, sustainability, the power of collective experiences, and the importance of service.
Familial Connection
All three of these documentaries are anchored by familial connections. In “LA Foodways” we are first introduced to Tim Watkins, the current President of WLCAC and the son of Ted Watkins, Sr., its founder. In this piece, Tim talks about the importance of extending his father’s work.. It also features the multi-generational SGS Produce Only in Theaters has the Laemmle family as the center of its focus, and the legacy that Greg carries for his family (and the family of filmmakers everywhere rooting for him). The documentary not only spends time with Greg and his immediate family, but his delightful great aunt Alyse, who helps bring the family’s legacy into sharp focus. 10 Days in Watts continues to examine how Tim Watkins carries his father’s legacy by growing the WLCAC’s reach while staying ever true to its mission, and though he doesn’t feel he’s capable of filling his father’s shoes, he’s shown to be more than capable of extending and expanding his father’s vision. In many instances it’s obvious that Watts itself, as a place, is seen as a type of family to those who love it.
Community
In all three of the documentaries examined, community plays a vital role. In all three, the focus is on people serving their community. For LA Foodways, the focus is on groups like WLCAC and FoodForward as they deal with mobilizing around food waste in one of the country’s largest food deserts. Only In Theaters is focused on Greg Laemmle in particular and the Laemmle theaters in general. It explores how art house cinemas not only support filmmakers and their craft, but are important gathering places for the community and places of collective experience. 10 Days in Watts spotlights the exceptional work of WLCAC as they prepare for a large venture: the opening of MudTown Farms.
All three of these documentaries examine how those interviewed are working in service to their community, and are mindful of its needs and challenges. In all three, Interviews with members of the community are mixed in with those working to help them: whether they are a community built of members of a neighborhood like Watts, or a community of cinema-lovers and filmmakers.
Sustainability
For LA Foodways and 10 Days in Watts, the documentaries that center on food, it’s a bit easier to see how they directly relate to sustainability. LA Foodways emphasizes the importance of minimizing food waste, and working with organizations that seek to do the same. 10 Days in Watts shows how neighborhoods and communities can be served and transformed by green space – that creating such spaces allows for communities to gather, care for each other, and take pride. Both of these documentaries clearly deal with the need to create more sustainable systems for food.
But Only In Theaters is about sustainability, too – it’s about the sustainability of our culture. While streaming a movie can show us some pieces of the experience, the whole of the movie-going experience can only be experienced in a theater. Losing the voice of independent filmmakers would leave us at the mercy of the big studios, drowning out marginalized and new voices. While our news feeds are clogged with bad news and collective traumas, movie theaters allow us a space in which we can share collective events and more joyful experiences with our community.
Power of Collective Experiences
Raphael Sbarge’s documentary work also examines the power of those collective experiences. It’s the easiest to prove with Only in Theaters, as it is directly concerned with the preservation of spaces where collective experiences can happen. Several interviews mention the importance of seeing a movie, live, with an audience. Anyone who has been to a movie event, such as Wiseau’s The Room or the classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show” can also attest to the power that a collective movie-going experience can have.
But it’s there in the other two as well. In 10 Days in Watts, the power of collective experience is examined throughout – we see the importance for this community to come together, assert their identity, and cultivate pride. LA Foodways shows the power of collective experience by examining what happens when people come together to solve problems, and how collective action across many organizations can bring positive change.
Importance of Service
The biggest and most important theme of Raphael Sbarge’s work is the importance of service. All three of these documentaries show the power and importance of service in a community. In LA Foodways, several organizations come together to serve the underserved. They seek to ensure that as many people as possible have access to fresh produce, especially in a land of such abundance that we throw away edible food.
In Only in Theaters, Greg Laemmle’s service to filmmakers as a bastion of the art house world is shown to often tear him apart mentally, and take a toll on him physically. While many businesses exist only to serve their bottom line, Greg strives to ensure that filmmakers get the support they need to make their art: even when it might cost him a few night’s sleep.
10 Days in Watts examines the service of many members of the Watts community that interact with WLCAC’s exceptional work. Ted Watkins Sr.’s work not only transformed Watts, but inspired his son to take up the cause and continue and extend that work. The impact of their service on the Watts community can’t be understated.
What’s it All Mean?
When I was younger and I read the book ‘Dune’ I was extremely struck by the phrase ‘I exist to serve.’ I remember saying that to a friend and being laughed at. What a strange thing, I thought, to want to make fun of someone for that. Doesn’t everyone need service at some point of their lives? Or is it part of the American psyche that we’ve lost touch with our needs – that we subsume them to instead chase the impossible rugged individualism we’re sold along with the American Dream.
I am one of the sorts of people to whom Carnegie’s libraries meant more than his steel or business acumen, and I know I can’t be alone.
That’s why I found it joyful to find a documentarian that is less obsessed with our seedy side, and more entranced by bringing our best attributes to the light. Instead of focusing on the dire situation of food waste or the destruction of an industry via the dominance of streaming, or the constant fight it takes to support and bring Watts into the limelight – Raphael Sbarge focuses on those who are trying to bring positive change to their world. Is it any wonder that two of his organizations include the word “Wish?”
It’s a beautiful thing, to see someone shining a light on the work of those trying to transform our world for the better. It’s inspiring, and the attention that his work has brought to some of these organizations has been extraordinary for them. I am so heartened to see stories like this told, and I’m grateful to Raphael for telling them so well.
If you’re looking for something that will not only uplift you but inspire you, I highly recommend you check his work out!
On its official website,Mother of All Shows is described as a Mother / Daughter Traumedy, and that’s a wonderful description for Melissa D’Agostino’s first feature.
For those of us navigating the fraught waters of how to deal with narcissistic parents or negative body image, not only will this resonate, but there’s healing and redemption in there, too. Mother of All Shows was written by Melissa D’Agostino and David James Brock and directed by Melissa D’Agostino and Matthew Campagna.
Mother of All Shows, Courtesy of HighballTV
Liza’s (Melissa D’Agostino) mother, Rosa (Wendie Malick) is dying – and the only way that Liza has to deal with that impending fact is to take solace in her mind – where it’s all a 1970’s variety show that is hosted by her mother. People from her past and present – including her supportive and doting boyfriend Alan (Darryl Hinds), her father (Michael A. Miranda), her cousin (Tarah Consoli), and her high school boyfriend (Phil Luzi) – are all paraded through the segments in her mind, complete with period-appropriate commercials for products like “Shame Flakes.”
The film tells the story of their complicated relationship through the medium of the variety show, and the sparkling costumes and poppy scenery belie the emotional traumas Liza is working through. In one ‘Mating Game’ segment, Rosa castigates Liza for choosing Alan. In another cooking segment, Rosa mocks Liza’s appearance – from her choice of dress to her weight, even as Liza literally asks her for body kindness.
This funny musical brings some big feelings with it – people who have had to go no contact with narcissistic family members will find Liza’s conversation with her cousin during a ‘Christmas Shopping’ sketch all-too-familiar. Those who have had to deal with difficult parental relationships will be moved by an animated sketch.
But what is really happening is that Liza is trying to decide if she should reach out to her mother in the long-term care home where she resides, or if she can see her mother without losing herself in the process. Alan, her supportive and loving boyfriend, affirms that when Liza did interact with Rosa, it caused deep depressions that were painful to witness.
Mother of All Shows: Melissa D’Agostino as Liza and Wendie Malick as Rosa. Via moasfilm.com
I really enjoyed this movie, and was moved to tears by a couple of sections because of how much Liza’s story (and her emotional growth) moved me. Everyone seemed to remind me of someone I knew, and the situations very much resonated with me because of my own history with a narcissistic parent. But the beauty of Mother of All Shows is that though the film deals with heavy topics, it does so in such a light fashion it’s never weighed down. Part of this has to do with Melissa D’Agostino’s performance – Liza is witty and strong, and though she deals with self-doubt, it’s obvious that she has been working through the issues that we bear witness to throughout the film. She conveys the dichotomy of Liza’s growing confidence and her insecurities – all while tap dancing and singing.
Wendie Malick as Rosa is engaging, funny, cruel, and oh-so recognizable as a talented but narcissistic mother who can’t understand why her daughter won’t just do the things she wants. Her performance is both counterweight and foil to Liza, yet Malik brings sensitivity and depth to Rosa, and as she talks about the impact of generational trauma, we’re able to glimpse a bit of Rosa behind her barbed exterior.
Darryl Hinds is amazing as Liza’s supportive boyfriend, Alan, and as a member of #TeamLiza I’m very happy that she has someone like him at her side. Tarah Consoli creates the right mix of funny and abrasive as Liza’s cousin, Lisa, who has remained close to Rosa and feels slighted by Liza’s boundary-setting. Their relationship brings more heart-breaking context to the choice that Liza had to make to set boundaries and go no-contact with her mother. Michael A. Miranda’s performance as Liza’s dad helps us understand just how things got to this point.
Mother of All Shows is surreal, laugh-out-loud funny, emotional, complex, and bold. Its premise is clever and gives a catharsis to Liza and us as an audience, even when life doesn’t always give easy answers. If you enjoy comedies that speak to our deeper emotional experiences, have ever watched and enjoyed 1970’s variety shows, or enjoy heartfelt stories told in innovative ways – this is well worth your time.
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’ movie Poster. Image Source: Affirmative Youth Productions.
‘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?’
Saying I’ll be as spoiler-free as the trailer is actually a hilarious joke because not much from the trailer was in the pre-premiere we saw.
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,
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?
