Movie review: ‘The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls’

By Chance Shirley

Review at a glance: “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” introduces New Zealand’s established folk music humorous activist duo.

Sisters Jools, left, and Lynda Topp are the heart of
the documentary, “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.”

“Yodeling lesbian twins … on paper, they should not work. On paper, they should be commercial death. But they totally deliver to the audience, time and time again.”

That’s how New Zealand comedy writer Paul Horan explains the appeal of singing duo Jools and Lynda Topp, subjects of the documentary, “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.”

It screens on Sunday as the Birmingham Shout closing night film.

English musician and political activist Billy Bragg calls the sisters “a sort of anarchist variety act.”

As you might gather from the above descriptions, the Topp Twins are not your ordinary folk music act. But that hasn’t kept them from finding commercial success around the world, especially in their home country of New Zealand.

The two got their start singing on the street for tips in the early 1980s. They were starring in their own variety show on New Zealand television by 1996, which ran until 2000.

Using a combination of interviews, concert footage and archival photos and video, director Leanne Pooley creates an impressively complete portrait of the Topps over the course of 85 minutes.

Pooley’s job is made somewhat easier by the fact that the Topp Twins are so candid. They explain how they came to terms with their sexuality in a great bit of onstage banter:

“We realized that there was this whole bunch of women, there was a big group of them, they were called ‘lesbians.’ And Jools and I looked at each other one day, and we just said, ‘You know, we’re a lot like them. We must be lesbians, too.'”

The Topps’ matter-of-fact attitude about their sexuality is credited with encouraging acceptance of gays and lesbians in New Zealand. The duo has been involved in several other social and political causes over the years, including the anti-nuclear and anti-apartheid movements.

“The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” broke opening weekend documentary box office records in New Zealand. If you’re a fan of Jools and Lynda Topp, this movie is obviously a must-see. For everyone else, it’s an interesting look at Kiwi pop culture and politics.

Chance Shirley, co-founder of Birmingham-based Crewless Productions, will participate as a panelist at the “Changing Forms of Distribution” Sidetalk at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. He served as producer and writer on “Monster Hunt with James and Kevin,” premiering at Sidewalk on Saturday.

His sci-fi horror/comedy film, “Interplanetary,” should finally arrive on DVD in early 2011 from Camp Motion Pictures.

“The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” will screen at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Hill Arts Center.

Video: A look at the Topp Twins at home on the farm,
in a scene from “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.”

Video: Interview with director Leanne Pooley and the Topp Twins

Video: “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Shout page
• Reviews from the Austin Chronicle | Film.com | AfterEllen

• • •

Action! Complete Shout festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Howl’

By Chance Shirley

Review at a glance: “Howl” ably gives life to poet Allen Ginsberg and his epic work through strong acting and fluid editing.

David Strathairn stars in “Howl.”

Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” is an epic poem consisting of three parts (and an additional footnote). Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s “Howl” is a movie consisting of three parts. Interwoven are re-enactments of interviews with Ginsberg, a re-enactment of the obscenity trial of “Howl and Other Poems” publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti and an animated interpretation of the poem.

The movie opened Birmingham Shout earlier tonight and opens in select theaters Friday.

The dramatic arc is mostly relegated to the obscenity trial. These courtroom scenes really sing, thanks to the subject matter — what is obscenity? what is art? — and especially, the casting. Bob Balaban plays the judge, Jon Hamm and David Strathairn the attorneys and Mary-Louise Parker and Jeff Daniels the witnesses.

James Franco plays Ginsberg in the interview re-enactments and narrates the “Howl” animation segments. I’ve been a fan of Franco since his comedic turn in “Pineapple Express” and his excellent work on the short-lived “Freaks and Geeks” TV series. “Howl” is another stellar accomplishment for him.

Franco spends much of the movie portraying Ginsberg in living room interviews, discussing his creative process, specifically the writing of “Howl.” This might seem to provide limited opportunities for expression, but Franco’s Ginsberg feels like a real person, not just an actor reciting quotes from 50-year-old interviews.

My one minor gripe with the film is the animated segment. During a courtroom scene, an expert witness explains to the prosecuting attorney, “Sir, you can’t translate poetry into prose. That’s why it is poetry.”

Creating animation to accompany a poem isn’t exactly translating it into prose, but it does interfere with allowing each reader to interpret the poem in his own way.

That said, “Howl” is a very long poem, and I can’t blame the filmmakers for looking for a cinematic way to convey it. And the animation itself, a mixture of computer and hand-drawn techniques, is excellent.

Like the poem, the movie has a footnote, a lovely bit of footage of the real Ginsberg in his later years, performing a simple song accompanied by accordion.

“Howl” is eminently watchable. The live-action cinematography is as striking as the animation, mixing black-and-white and color film stocks. And the editing is fluid, kinetic, even surprising sometimes, as it moves from animation to courtroom to living room.

Chance Shirley, co-founder of Birmingham-based Crewless Productions, will participate as a panelist at the “Changing Forms of Distribution” Sidetalk at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. He served as producer and writer on “Monster Hunt with James and Kevin,” premiering at Sidewalk on Saturday.

His sci-fi horror/comedy film, “Interplanetary,” should finally arrive on DVD in early 2011 from Camp Motion Pictures.

Also:

• More “Howl” reviews

• • •

Action! Complete Shout festival coverage.

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com

For those looking to get away from the excitement of movies and live music at this weekend’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, we have a special announcement. This year’s lineup of Sidetalk panels will include “Media Criticism: Is It Dead?” with me, Wade Kwon, Birmingham’s best blogger (if not most humble).

Joining me on the panel are …

Aaron Hillis (@cobblehillis), movie blogger in Brooklyn, editor of GreenCine Daily, contributor to the Village Voice and vice president and co-founder of Benten Films, a boutique distribution label.

Claudia Puig (@claudiapuig), Los Angeles-based movie writer for USA Today. Prior to joining the newspaper in 1997, she worked as a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times for 11 years.

What to expect:

In a world in which everyone can critique concerts, albums and films via blogging and other forms of online writing, do the opinions of professional critics in the industry still matter? What is the state of media criticism, and what is its future?

The hourlong panel takes place at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Birmingham International Center, 1728 Fifth Ave. N. [map].

Also of note: Our Shout movie critic Chance Shirley will be on the panel “Changing Forms of Distribution,” taking place at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in the same location. And one of our Sidewalk movie critics, Jennifer West, will be managing all the Sidetalk panels on Saturday and Sunday.

Sidetalk panels are free and open to the public. For more information on this and other panels, visit the Sidewalk website.

• • •

The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival takes place Friday through Sunday in downtown Birmingham. Tickets: three-day pass, $50, $40 for members and students; one-day pass, $20, $15 for members and students.

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘A Marine Story’

By Chance Shirley

Review at a glance: “A Marine Story” stumbles in tackling too many issues with a broken screenplay.

Dreya Weber stars as Alexandra Everett in “A Marine Story.”

A former Marine returns to her hometown after four tours of duty in Iraq. She’s barely off the train when she tackles a shoplifter at a convenience store.

Early in “A Marine Story,” I’m thinking I’m in for something like the 2004 “Walking Tall” remake: Military vet cleans up troubled town, but with a female lead. That’s a movie I wouldn’t mind seeing.

Instead, it’s a “message movie.” Several messages, actually.

The film screens on Sept. 25 at Birmingham Shout.

One message focuses on the American military’s shameful treatment of gay and lesbian soldiers. Other issues include the government’s questionable handling of Middle East conflicts and the economy, the role of women in the military and meth’s effects on small towns.

The plot deals with Alexandra Everett (Dreya Weber) coming to terms with her discharge, forced but “honorable,” from the Marine Corps. Her friends and neighbors must also come to terms with her sexuality. Her outing as a lesbian seems contrived, forced by the terribly unlikely machinations of the screenplay.

None of the main characters are believable. They either work as talking heads debating one of the issues or act in arbitrary ways to drive the plot.

Writer and director Ned Farr serves up some clunky dialogue. Camp, while fine in B movies, does no favors for serious social commentary. An example:

“Well, I’m a meth-head now, so …”

Has any methamphetamine addict, anywhere, ever uttered those words?

Despite those severe limitations, the movie features top-notch production; cinematography, sound and editing are all solid. The cast is capable, with many of them putting in extra work behind the scenes. Weber even performs one of the songs playing over the end credits.

Unfortunately, all that talent and dedication can’t fix a broken screenplay. “A Marine Story” is ambushed by its own multiple-message mess.

Chance Shirley, co-founder of Birmingham-based Crewless Productions, will participate as a panelist at the “Changing Forms of Distribution” Sidetalk at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. He served as producer and writer on “Monster Hunt with James and Kevin,” premiering at Sidewalk on Sept. 25.

His sci-fi horror/comedy film, “Interplanetary,” should finally arrive on DVD in early 2011 from Camp Motion Pictures.

“A Marine Story” will screen at 7 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Hill Arts Center.

Video: On the set of “A Marine Story”

Video: “A Marine Story” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Shout page
• Reviews from the San Francisco Chronicle | LA Weekly | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Shout festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘An Ordinary Couple’

By Chance Shirley

Review at a glance: “An Ordinary Couple” builds a case for same-sex marriage in the guise of a documentary about a long-term relationship.

Bernardo Puccio, of Birmingham, left, and Orin Kennedy
star in the documentary, “An Ordinary Couple.”

Orin Kennedy and Birmingham native Bernardo Puccio made headlines when they attended their own “funeral.” The couple had started work on their memorial monument at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in 2003. After completing it in 2006, they couldn’t wait to unveil it to their friends and family.

Like many other Hollywood Forever clients, Kennedy and Puccio commissioned a short “Life Story Documentary,” to be put together for screening at their … well, let’s just call it a memorial service. Jay Gianukos, a filmmaker on the Hollywood Forever staff, became so interested in the pair while shooting that “Life Story” that he convinced them to be the subjects of a feature-length documentary.

“An Ordinary Couple” screens Sept. 26 at Birmingham Shout.

That documentary takes a while to get going. And the title is appropriate, as Kennedy and Puccio don’t seem like obvious documentary subjects.

Each moved to Hollywood as a young man, and each found success but not in a wild “rags-to-riches-this-should-be-a-movie” way. Puccio works in interior design, Kennedy in television.

The two have been romantically involved for more than 30 years, a very good run but not completely unusual.

About halfway through the movie, Kennedy says the memorial service, a big hit with attendees, was a wonderful experience. Puccio adds that the service was probably the closest thing to a wedding he would ever get.

Cut to a news story from 2008 about the legalization of gay marriage in California, later nullified by Proposition 8. Only then did I realize that “An Ordinary Couple” is a movie about … the gay marriage debate.

I would call that a “soft sell.”

It’s a smart approach to the topic. After learning about these totally ordinary guys for 40 minutes, the gay marriage debate seems awfully silly. Of course these men should have the right to get married — it’s not like they’re rushing into anything, what with their 30-plus years of “courting.”

I’m concerned that “An Ordinary Couple” is a case of preaching to the choir by having its Birmingham premiere at Shout.

Don’t get me wrong: The movie is well shot and edited, and Kennedy and Puccio seem like smart, friendly fellows. But a gay-friendly crowd isn’t going to learn much from this movie, with a bit of discussion about gay rights issues from the 1960s and ’70s and the AIDS epidemic of the ’80s, but mostly just everyday couple stuff.

Perhaps opponents of same-sex marriage would find it more enlightening, even if on the surface it appears to be about these wacky dudes who attend their own funeral, a real-life “Get Low.”

The reasoned tone and charming subjects of “An Ordinary Couple” could quietly change some minds, even in a time where debate over social issues degenerates into shrill shouting matches.

Chance Shirley, co-founder of Birmingham-based Crewless Productions, will participate as a panelist at the “Changing Forms of Distribution” Sidetalk at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. He served as producer and writer on “Monster Hunt with James and Kevin,” premiering at Sidewalk on Sept. 25.

His sci-fi horror/comedy film, “Interplanetary,” should finally arrive on DVD in early 2011 from Camp Motion Pictures.

“An Ordinary Couple” will screen at 5 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Hill Arts Center.

Video: Orin Kennedy and Bernardo Puccio disucss their monument
with a reporter in a scene from “An Ordinary Couple.”

Video: “An Ordinary Couple” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Shout page
• Reviews from WeHoNews | Greg in Hollywood

• • •

Action! Complete Shout festival coverage.

‘Interplanetary’ making North American debut Sunday

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com

Ten reasons to see “Interplanetary” at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival on Sunday …

10. “‘Interplanetary’ is what all B-movies should want to be: audacious, intelligent and start-to-finish entertaining, a slice of genius standing in bold defiance of the budget.” So says reviewer David Cornelius of efilmcritic.com.

9. Someone you know is probably in it. The credited cast:

Cary Borders, Alison Britt, David Brown, James H. Brown, Melissa Bush, Damon Carter, Nick Crawford, Willie DeVold, Jacquese Evans, David Forbes, Mia Frost, Jen Graham, Sanford Hardy, Chris Hartsell, Chuck Hartsell, Joshua Hester, Kyle Holman, Tim Houchens, Erik Jambor, Sylvester Little Jr., Lisa Mason, Eric McGinty, Kyle McKinnon, Gabrielle Metz, Amanda Myers, Jonathan Norris, Shelley Phelps, Rod Robinson, Scott Ross, William Michael Schuelly, Michael Shelton, Shane Traffanstedt, Taylor Traffanstedt and Kevin S. Van Hyning.

Mostly Birmingham actors, plus the obligatory Wade cameo …

[Full disclosure: Crewless Productions, maker of “Interplanetary,” is my client.]

8. It’s about a base on Mars under attack from a mysterious slasher. But what will kill our beloved office drones first: serial killer or paperwork? Director Chance Shirley (“Hide and Creep”) will help sort it out on Fox 6’s noon news Tuesday, so tune your Earth-based receivers to that station.

7. “Interplanetary” won the Audience Choice award at the WT International Film Festival in Norway. Norway! If there’s one thing the Norwegians know, it’s cinema, specifically sci-fi-horror-comedy.

6. Director Andrew Bellware calls it “beyond brilliant. … Yeah, it was like a religious experience. Yeah.”

5. Someone you know probably worked on it. The credited crew:

Steve Ashlee, Peyton Fanning, Sam Frazier Jr., Sanford Hardy, Chuck Hartsell, Chris Hilleke, Kyle Holman, Alex Justinger, Kenn McCracken, Eric McGinty, Jim Roberson, Carl Ross, Stacey Sessions, Linda Shirley, George Smyly, Arik Sokol, Ted Speaker, Jonathan Thornton, Ramona Thornton, Shane Traffanstedt, Joseph Walker and John White.

4. This snazzy trailer …

Look at that trailer again. Can you believe this movie was shot in Birmingham? That’s right, Birmingham. (Well, OK, except the desert part. That was shot on Mars.)

3. It wants you as a Facebook fan. Just you. (And be sure to RSVP for Sunday’s screening on Facebook and Sidewalk.)

2. It also has a blog, Everybody on Mars Is Dead, a great detailed look by Chance at the making of “Interplanetary” over the last 2 years.

1. “The movie has the right blend of sex, blood, greed and aliens to make for a classic. Watch out for this one.” So says Melanie Addington of Oxford Film Freak.

“Interplanetary” will screen at 4:15 p.m. Sunday at the Carver Theatre.

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Fangoria shout out

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Goliath’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Chance Shirley

Watching “Goliath” cold — I hadn’t even seen the trailer — I entertained the thought that it would be a sequel to “Colossus: The Forbin Project,” a movie from 1970 in which two supercomputers, Colossus and Goliath, take over the world. After the opening credits, I realized this would be a considerably more intimate flick.

The Goliath of the film’s title is not a supercomputer, nor a biblical giant. Goliath is a cat. More specifically, “the sweetest, most wonderful cat in the whole world.”

But it’s really about the cat’s owner, an unnamed guy (played by David Zellner) who lives in an initially unnamed town (eventually revealed to be Austin) working at an unnamed job.

The film screens Sept. 28 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

(more…)

You shivered in horror at the redneck zombies of “Hide and Creep.” Now, Crewless Productions prepares to launch your fears … into space.

Such is the setup for “Interplanetary,” which our pal Chance Shirley has been filming for more than a year around Birmingham. The sci-fi/horror comedy should be out eventually, but the good folks at Crewless put together a three-minute preview for last weekend’s OmegaCon.

Like “Hide and Creep,” yours truly has a cameo (as seen in the preview below). Despite that, it should be a good flick.

Click image for Quicktime trailer. NSFW!

This limited-edition trailer will be available only until April 1.

For more on the film’s progress and insights from the director, check out the official blog, Everybody on Mars Is Dead.

Also:

• When “Hide and Creep” went national