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: ‘Hey Boo: Harper Lee and “To Kill a Mockingbird”‘

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: “Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird'” goes beyond the famed novel into the soul of its mysterious Alabama author.

Harper Lee, center, receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom
in 2007, in a scene from “Hey Boo.” Other recipients
are Brian Lamb, head of C-SPAN, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
president of Liberia.

To know Harper Lee is to know Alabama.

The Monroeville native is a mysterious and quiet woman that only wrote one book in her lifetime. This year, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” turned 50. An important documentary takes a look between the lines of the novel and Lee’s life.

“Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird'” screens Sept. 26 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

The movie explores many facets of the literary phenomenon, from the author herself to the civil rights movement entwined in the book’s DNA. Writer and director Mary Murphy possesses a passion for Lee that drives this doc. [Note: Murphy says that the festival version is a “work in progress.”]

We see an enlightening look into Lee’s childhood with neighbor and friend Truman Capote, her personal journey and her process as she writes the book. We also see her quiet retreat from the public eye after “Mockingbird’s” huge success. Insightful and rare interviews with her sister Alice Lee take us deep into the soul of the author.

Anna Quindlen, Tom Brokaw, James McBride, James Patterson, Wally Lamb and Oprah Winfrey offer informative and moving commentary. It is fascinating to see how many powerful people Lee’s novel has deeply touched.

This film is especially important to see for Alabamians touched by racism and the civil rights movement. State history is discussed in-depth in relation to the novel, which helped spark a new movement of freedom and state of mind in the Deep South.

In that sense, “Hey Boo” is required reading, ahem … required viewing.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird'” will screen at 11 a.m. Sept. 26 at the Harambe Room.

Video: “Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird'” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Sidewalk page

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

“America’s Next Top Model” special report

By Nadria Tucker

Week 2, Cycle 15, “America’s Next Top Model.” Wait …

Has this show has been on for 15 years? Has host Tyra Banks finally decided to shrug the conventions of man, including calendars, to create her own society of Tyraland, where long-necked models run free and flocks of wild hair extensions fill the air?

Kendal Brown of Northport is among the denizens, but will she stay another week? Find out, after the jump …

(more…)

Movie review: ‘Pelada’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: Soccer doc “Pelada” showcases pickup games around the world, but needs more local flavor at each stop.

A pickup soccer game in Marseille, France,  from “Pelada.”

As an on-again, off-again soccer player during the past 25 years, I was really looking forward to seeing “Pelada.” This documentary about pickup soccer games around the globe feels hollow and lacking, in spite of all that it does well.

The movie screens Sept. 25 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

The main problem is that the film feels watered down. For all the marketed focus on soccer across geographical, political and religious borders, the point in the end seems to be more of a life lesson for stars Gwendolyn Oxenham and Luke Boughen, who also serve as two of the four co-directors. That split in the framing makes the movie inspirational and fun, but also perhaps sets expectations a little off-base.

The filmmakers, who have some experience playing in college, wisely avoid going too deep into the intricacies of the sport, but they seem to gloss over a lot of seemingly important or interesting cultural information.  The narration reads glossy and flat, and its presentation doesn’t help at all.

However, the editing is skillful, the soundtrack is engaging without becoming distracting, and the pacing is strong. The result is a film that sags under the weight of its featured subjects but remains afloat until the end.

With all the reality TV shows out there, it’s surprising that no one has “Pelada” as weekly series. The film views much like a pickup soccer version of the Travel Channel show, “Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations,” with a hint of cultural background providing the backdrop for an area’s version of pickup soccer.

Spreading both that exploration as well as the narrators’ stories would have seemed much more natural, in an expanded version. As it is, “Pelada” is well worth seeing for fans of soccer and the international varations thereof, but for those looking for a film with heft or depth will likely be disappointed.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”). His song “Theme for an Imaginary Revenge” was used in the music video of the same title, screening at Sidewalk on Sept. 25.

He’s also a writer (Birmingham Weekly, Spin.com, mental_floss), a bassist for the Exhibit(s), an eight-time cat juggling champion for Malta and an ongoing experiment in sleep deprivation. He occasionally steals your best ideas to claim at his blog, Dairy of a Madman.

“Pelada” will screen at 4:45 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Carver Theatre.

Video: “Pelada” trailer

Video: Interview with “Pelada” filmmakers Luke Boughen,
Rebekah Fergusson, Gwendolyn Oxenham and Ryan White.

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Twitter @PeladaMovie | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from Film School Rejects | eFilmCritic | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Ready, Set, Bag!’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The winning doc “Ready, Set, Bag!” shows the speedy agility of champion baggers, while moving at an unnecessarily slower pace.

James Hunter takes home the California bagging
trophy in a scene from “Ready, Set, Bag!”

Sometimes, our whole grocery store experience is based on how quickly we can get through the checkout line. Other times, our experience is based on whether or not our bread gets smushed. A good bagger’s got your back.

“Ready, Set, Bag!” gives the audience a glimpse of big ambition from small towns across the United States in the form of bagging groceries.

The documentary screens Sept. 26 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

These workers train for months, even years, to perfect their bagging skills and qualify for the annual Best Bagger Competition. The film follows several goal-oriented state champions, who are funny and charming.

A few competitors really stand out, like Jacob Richardson from Virginia. This chatty 17-year-old bagger will win your heart from the very first scenes. Utah’s Brian Bay makes you silently root for him as he demands a rematch in Las Vegas for the national title. And don’t forget Roger Chen of Huntsville, who competes to help fund his college education.

While directors Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva nail the tone and the story in many ways, the film begs to be about 30 minutes shorter. Nonetheless, “Ready, Set, Bag!” is a great family film, one that will leave you smiling.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Ready, Set, Bag!” will screen at 4:15 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: Georgia champion Michael Henghi enjoys the support
of co-workers and customers, in a scene from “Ready, Set, Bag!”

Video: “Ready, Set, Bag!” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Twitter @readysetbag | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from the Seattle Times | Cinematical | IFC | Austinist

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Until the Light Takes Us’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: “Until the Light Takes Us” shines the spotlight on a dark corner of music history, Norwegian black metal.

A scene from the documentary, “Until the Light Takes Us.”

For those of us who listened to the fringes of music in the 1980s and ’90s, black metal was the outer limit: fast, bone-crushingly heavy, raw. VH1’s “Behind the Music” may have overlooked the Norwegian black metal scene, but a documentary from filmmakers Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell makes up for that gap.

“Until the Light Takes Us” screens Sept. 25 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

I was excited to watch this film because metal doesn’t usually get the big-screen treatment.

Black metal is the antithesis of slickly produced pop radio crap. It has also had a history of controversy, with its creators involved in vandalism, arson and murder, all in the name of Satanism.

“Until the Light Takes Us” is, to my knowledge, the first time to hear the stories told by those involved, going beyond the news reports of the time. And these fascinating stories — true or false, biased or unbiased — range from the origins of the style to the violent and arguably tragic happenings in the community.

The film is beautifully shot: It’s fascinating that some of the ugliest music comes from one of the most beautiful and tranquil parts of the world. The soundtrack is equally haunting, disturbing and engaging, wisely eschewing for the most part the noise of the genre, exploring more ambient beds instead.

At times, the narrative seems disjointed, bouncing from topic to topic and back again with no real flow.

Still, for any fans of music, metal or otherwise, or culture, “Until the Light Takes Us” is highly recommended for its rare and insightful look into a unique branch of rock history.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”). His song “Theme for an Imaginary Revenge” was used in the music video of the same title, screening at Sidewalk on Sept. 25.

He’s also a writer (Birmingham Weekly, Spin.com, mental_floss), a bassist for the Exhibit(s), an eight-time cat juggling champion for Malta and an ongoing experiment in sleep deprivation. He occasionally steals your best ideas to claim at his blog, Dairy of a Madman.

“Until the Light Takes Us” will screen at 5:40 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Harambe Room. Opening short is “Delmer Builds a Machine.”

Video: Fenriz, in a scene from “Until the Light Takes Us”

Video: “Until the Light Takes Us” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | MySpace | Twitter @blackmetalmovie | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from the Boston Globe | FilmShaft | Future Movies | /Film | MTV | New York Post | NPR

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Phillip the Fossil’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: “Phillip the Fossil” offers a well-worn tale of a slacker’s attempt to, you know, like grow up and stuff.

Behold the Phillip (Brian Hassenfus), protagonist
of “Phillip the Fossil.”

A sub-genre of indie films can be found at almost every festival: the pseudo-reality film that revels in its angst. “Phillip the Fossil” is definitely a film that fits into that category, and whether it’s worth your time can be decided almost entirely on that knowledge alone.

It screens on Sept. 25 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

The film tells the story of Phillip (Brian Hassenfus), an overgrown slacker finally taking steps to turn his dead-end life around. To move on to the next phase of his life, he must get out of his slump, unfortunately trickier than he hoped. The eventual climax is apparent from the beginning, as set forth in fairly exaggerated characters.

While the acting and even the story and dialogue are all fine, the characters make no real progress in the 70-minute runtime. Tighter editing, cutting just 5 minutes of meandering footage, would have made for a stronger movie from director and writer Garth Donovan.

“Phillip the Fossil” is like the popcorn movie of the festival scene. It’s predictable and only cursorily satisfying, much like summer blockbusters. What you hope you see is pretty much what you’ll get, even if it is OK in execution.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”). His song “Theme for an Imaginary Revenge” was used in the music video of the same title, screening at Sidewalk on Sept. 25.

He’s also a writer (Birmingham Weekly, Spin.com, mental_floss), a bassist for the Exhibit(s), an eight-time cat juggling champion for Malta and an ongoing experiment in sleep deprivation. He occasionally steals your best ideas to claim at his blog, Dairy of a Madman.

“Phillip the Fossil” will screen at 9:40 p.m.. Sept. 25 at the Harambe Room.

Video: Interview with Garth Donovan, director and writer of “Phillip the Fossil”

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Twitter @PhilTheFossil | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from Film Threat | Austin (Texas) Chronicle

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Dogtooth’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: When parents keep children trapped at home for decades, we become sucked into the intriguing yet disturbing world of “Dogtooth.”

Older Daughter (Aggeliki Papoulia), left, and Younger Daughter
(Mary Tsoni) are ready to party in a scene from “Dogtooth.”

Imagine an upbringing where parents purposefully isolate their children from the outside world … for their entire lives. “Dogtooth” is a dark, twisted film that explores this concept, with creepy results.

The movie screens Sept. 25 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

This Greek import (originally called “Kynodontas”) with English subtitles is funny and incredibly interesting, despite the nervous, uneasy tension permeating it. A brother and and his two sisters, left nameless in the movie, reach their late 20s, having never left their parents’ seemingly idyllic home. The couple built a wall around the entire property to protect their children from the evils of the outside world.

Director Giorgos Lanthimos layers his work with subtext about the suppression of free will, but the most engaging part was how these adult children deal with their sexuality. No brother-sister boundaries exist, just basic human needs that must be met.

The universe created by these siblings is disturbing on many levels, but you will not want to look away. This is a reality where airplanes fall from the sky and cats are the enemy, a home where the absurd is borne out of boredom.

“Dogtooth” leaves so many questions unanswered. Why are the parents doing this? Were there really other children? Do any of them escape? But like the best mysteries, sometimes it’s better left to the imagination.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Dogtooth” will screen at 9:20 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: It’s time to dance, in a scene from “Dogtooth.”

Video: “Dogtooth” trailer

Video: Interview with Giorgos Lanthimos, director of “Dogtooth”

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from the New York Times | Chicago Sun-Times | Slant Magazine | MTV | San Francisco Chronicle | Boston Globe

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

“America’s Next Top Model” special report

By Nadria Tucker

Welcome to Cycle 15 of “America’s Next Top Model.” Let the drama fly.

Dozens of contestants fly to Los Angeles to stand in judgment before host Tyra Banks, but only 14 will make the cut. Will Kendal Brown of Northport survive the first set of challenges?

See who can pass for a weeping willow, who needs development and who makes the Top 14, after the jump …

(more…)

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.

Birmingham-based promoter and musician Brian Scott Teasley wrote a two-part essay about the city’s music scene. It is reprinted in full below with permission.

• • •

By Brian Scott Teasley

People often view Birmingham’s music scene as though the city were an island. They think about what supporters can do to make Birmingham have a better music scene in and of itself. The problem is that narrow focus, because the only real way to make a great music scene is for people with bands, labels and media to get recognition on a national or international level.

That recognition can be anything really, as long as it’s significant on some scale: respect from other bands, record sales, critical acclaim or something else. But it can’t simply have any sort of the stereotypical weight of how most people view or consume music, if it exists solely in the microcosm of Birmingham’s music scene.

Athens, Ga., still resonates from the success of R.E.M. and the B-52s, with people continuing to move there to play music. You probably know that the B-52s quickly moved to New York after having its very first dash of success, or that R.E.M. in its present state may have rendered itself as the most obsolete band on the planet. But because of that recognition garnered by those bands, Athens has maintained an often-impressive music scene for 30 years.

I truly love and care about many local bands, far beyond what my personal taste dictates. More than anything, I love Birmingham musicians. They are very talented, astoundingly unrecognized and underappreciated.

Yet, if you are an artist, and you truly want to make the music scene happen here, I have some unsolicited advice: Get in a van for 2 years straight and play everywhere you can to anyone who will listen. Make quality music, and be clinically blind to the odds of having any sort of success in music. Don’t let anyone tell you shouldn’t do it.

Sleep on floors, and eat peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches on the $6 you were paid at a dive bar in Kalamazoo the night before. I’m absolutely not joking to any degree.

If what you’re doing is good in any of an infinite amount of ways and you work as hard as possible, you will get somewhere. That somewhere may not be what you expect, but you’ll gain fans, and your band will get something out of it.

Nothing will happen for your band if over 20 percent of your shows are in Birmingham. What we need you to do is go out of town like fucking pirates and bring back the gold to share with the rest of us. Once you’re on a good label or land some decent tours, you can take your friends’ bands on tour with you, the groups back home having a tough time getting started.

It may sound like some stupid “pay it forward” crap, but that’s how it works. That’s absolutely how it works.

‘If you want to improve the
Birmingham music scene as an artist,
get the hell out of here and go for it.’

A local band who can draw 500 people in Birmingham, but can’t draw 20 people anywhere out of Alabama, is just not going to have any real impact anywhere. And that 500-person draw in Birmingham will eventually dwindle after playing the same set 20 times a year within Jefferson County.

You might say, “Well, I’ve got a husband or a wife and two kids and a dog and two cats and a mortgage and can’t be in a van for 2 years.” You’re probably not going to make it in a rock band, and you need to deal with that. Just enjoy making great music with your friends to the fullest.

I see so many 30-and-up musicians with pipe dream aspirations who need to accept that they won’t make a lot of money or be profoundly recognized and appreciated. Your chances of breaking into the music industry if you’re over age 30, and without prior notoriety, is astronomically low.

Revolution is not an old person’s game. As scary as it is, the greater world — including the fate of the Birmingham music scene — is in the hands of teenagers and twentysomethings.

So if you want to improve the scene in Birmingham and have no huge commitments, get the hell out of here and go for it. We’ll welcome you back with open arms and hearts, even if you fail. But if you have been at it for a while and can’t tour or invest an infinite amount of time into getting your thing going, you can still help.

Instead of buying a $3,000 vintage guitar, you could …

• Invest in local bands.
• Help put out their records.
• Open a good record store.
• Start a respectable music paper.
• Build a home studio, and use your knowledge and equipment to record a young band for free.
• Buy a van, and let young bands use it for out-of-town gigs.
• Give some good advice, possibly even from lessons you’ve learned from making your own mistakes.

Stay open to the concept of standing on other people’s shoulders. Maybe you could even come out to a few shows to hear good local bands. Many of you already do some and all of these things, and for those who have rocked, I salute you. We can work together to make the Birmingham music scene into a national scene. Pay it forward, bitches!

Brian Scott Teasley, who has played in more than 10 bands, most notably Man or Astro-Man? and the Polyphonic Spree, is a music promoter for Birmingham’s Bottletree Cafe and will even admit to working off and on in music journalism. He has played more than 2,600 shows in 36 countries.

• • •

Part 1: Why we need festivals

Can Birmingham’s music scene grow? If so, how? Fire off a comment below.

Also:

• “What’s wrong with Birmingham’s music scene?” by musician Donnie Garvich

Photo credits: mugshot by Wes Frazer; concert by Curtis Palmer, CC 2.0.

Movie review: ‘American Jihadist’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: “American Jihadist” is the must-see documentary at Sidewalk, an objective look at American-born Muslim Isa Abdullah Ali.

Isa Abdullah Ali is the subject of the
documentary, “American Jihadist.”

What drives a person to kill? In the case of jihadists, the answer seems fairly straightforward: religious fervor. As the movie “American Jihadist” shows, though, the answer is rarely that simple or black-and-white.

The documentary screens Sept. 25 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

“American Jihadist” is a traditional documentary on some levels, made fascinating by a very unique subject: American-born Muslim Isa Abdullah Ali, born Clevin Raphael Holt. Director Mark Claywell does a phenomenal job of exploring Ali’s story through archival and current footage and extensive interviews with him, his family and religious and government experts and officials.

The result is a penetrating and compelling look into the mind and the heart of a man who has fought for his native country, as well as causes on the other side of the world.

One of the best examples of a feature-length documentary, “American Jihadist” exhibits expert shooting and production, with a strong and fluid narrative thread. Most importantly, though, it presents evidence to answer questions raised, but allows audience members to decide for themselves without an predetermined agenda. A well-produced, truly objective documentary about such an intriguing subject is a welcome addition.

Though the film contains descriptions and depictions of graphic violence, they never feel gratuitous. Instead, the story explores and emphasizes the world that shaped Ali.

I would recommend “American Jihadist” as a must-see among the docs at Sidewalk, particularly in this day and age.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”). His song “Theme for an Imaginary Revenge” was used in the music video of the same title, screening at Sidewalk on Sept. 25.

He’s also a writer (Birmingham Weekly, Spin.com, mental_floss), a bassist for the Exhibit(s), an eight-time cat juggling champion for Malta and an ongoing experiment in sleep deprivation. He occasionally steals your best ideas to claim at his blog, Dairy of a Madman.

“American Jihadist” will screen at 2:45 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Alabama Theatre Studio Loft.

Video: Isa Abdullah Ali gives a glimpse into his soul,
in a scene from “American Jihadist.”

Video: Director Mark Claywell talks about
the message of “American Jihadist.”

Video: “American Jihadist” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Twitter @AmericanJihad | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from Variety | Tracking Shots | Box Office Magazine

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Birmingham-based promoter and musician Brian Scott Teasley wrote a two-part essay about the city’s music scene. It is reprinted in full below with permission.

• • •

By Brian Scott Teasley

I just read the Birmingham Weekly piece by Jon Poor about the Birmingham News piece by Mary Colurso about the Birmingham Arts and Music festival. This is my piece about the Birmingham Weekly piece by Jon Poor about the Birmingham News piece by Mary Colurso about the BAAM festival.

For three days in August, the first BAAM festival featured bands in a dozen venues across the city.

I just read the original article by Colurso, and it’s actually pretty mild and diplomatic. I think Mary is a nice, very well-meaning person who has to cover horrendous, breakfast-regurgitatingly bad records and concerts due to the conservative nature of the newspaper, and I empathize with her position to some small degree. I’m not necessarily giving her a pass, but as dumb as it is to say, it is what it is.

As far as Poor’s response column, though, I think Colurso was a real easy target, and the bravado was a little unnecessary. He’s probably a super-great guy who really believes in the Birmingham scene, so please don’t view this as a personal attack on him.

And I really don’t care about people criticizing other people within what goes down in Birmingham (it’s predominantly a healthy thing). But taking the side of the “local music scene” for people who are in bands who feel they should be covered in the Birmingham News, and don’t understand the editorial process she deals with, is misplaced criticism.

The vitriol isn’t about Colurso’s article that only ever so slightly pans the festival, because most of the responses I’ve read have been about how she doesn’t support the scene and not how BAAM really “brought it” when compared to other festivals, even embryonic ones.

I am so proud of BAAM’s efforts, because festival organizers displayed a level of care and love that I rarely see. Everyone I dealt with was incredibly cool and helpful, and I am so happy it was a success on many levels. If the festival was measured on heart, effort and a general desire to make something positive happen in Birmingham, then indeed it was a top-shelf showing. A-pluses and gold stars all around.

That said, the idea of any other similar-size city doing a festival of predominantly local and regional bands who already play locally often — I’m talking about double-digit often — is indeed somewhat amusing. And I don’t totally mean that negatively; it just seems like an odd concept to me.

It definitely got some over-the-mountain residents out to support music for a night or two. I guess bands won over some new fans in Birmingham that way, though I wonder if those people will really see Through the Sparks, or any other great local bands from BAAM, on a Tuesday night at a small club downtown outside of a special circumstance like the festival.

Maybe I’m wrong. I often am.

‘Birmingham may need a festival that
combines vital national acts with
a showcase for our best locals.’

City Stages finally did blow itself into oblivion in 2009, and it absolutely had been a tragic farce for many years, but all the comparisons of BAAM to City Stages is baffling to me. I’m starting to believe that Birmingham may actually really need a festival that combines vital, pertinent national acts with a showcase of our best locals.

A new festival should to be far more streamlined than what City Stages had become during its 20-year history, but it still would be a great thing for Birmingham for a myriad of reasons. This recent revelation of mine counters my previous opinions that Birmingham is best served without the headache of a festival.

BAAM is an absolutely excellent new idea, but it’s not going to be a national force on the festival circuit if it does not evolve into something almost entirely different than this year’s version. I think Colurso was trying to express that, and it just didn’t get stated very well in the space allocated to the article.

(One thing stated in Poor’s column is that only six bands are mentioned when more than 100 played. However, it fails itself to mention that Colurso had a 300-word piece to cover everything and to mention a large number of the bands would have taken up a third or more of her column.)

Maybe it doesn’t matter that BAAM isn’t, and won’t be, the next Coachella. Maybe we need a fun, rewarding local music festival in the vein of Artwalk for local visual. Maybe we do just need a simple antidote to City Stages, and not an actual cure.

As much as an all-around triumph as the festival was, I think it somewhat irrelevant, as stated by Poor, that BAAM was “in the black,” which obviously contrasts with City Stages. While it’s great that anyone can balance a checkbook for any sort of festival, BAAM didn’t have to pay $40,000 to the Flaming Lips.

(To compare the two festivals is so lucidly erroneous that it pains me to see other people do it, which basically means I’m in tremendous pain, as I do it here to address other people doing it. Damn you, Birmingham festival comparisons! No one wins in this crazy, serpentine game.)

You’re simply not going to have a Birmingham favorite like My Morning Jacket play for less than $35,000, and that’s definitely on the low side, in a festival situation. And where does that money come from? It’s not easy to keep a festival profitable, even with mid-scale national acts.

A festival with larger acts may lose money for years, or it may even need correctly allocated, honestly recorded subsidies. Heaven forbid a city government provide money for arts or even entertainment; that’d be like them red Commies in Europe!

Maybe a “locals only” festival is what we need right now, but BAAM has partially succeeded because it sidestepped a lot of the major logistical issues. To not call it out for having a limited scope, as Colurso sort of did, would be fawning at best and disingenuous at worst.

Brian Scott Teasley, who has played in more than 10 bands, most notably Man or Astro-Man? and the Polyphonic Spree, is a music promoter for Birmingham’s Bottletree Cafe and will even admit to working off and on in music journalism. He has played more than 2,600 shows in 36 countries.

• • •

Part 2: How to build the scene, for real

What kind of music festival does Birmingham need, if any? Sound off in the comments.

Photo credits: mugshot by Wes Frazer; club scene by Science_Jerk, CC 2.0.

Roast Pork Loin Stuffed with Rosemary, Bacon, and Onions,
from a recipe in “Frank Stitt’s Southern Table.”
Photos by Jason Horn.

By Jason Horn

I make a dish a week (or so) from “Ad Hoc at Home,” by Thomas Keller, arguably America’s greatest chef. Everything’s made from scratch, using time- and labor-intensive methods.

It is my summertime personal quest, The Thomas Keller Challenge, documented on the Messy Epicure.

But how would Keller fare against Birmingham’s indisputably best chef, Frank Stitt?

The plan

1. Choose similar recipes from “Ad Hoc at Home” and “Frank Stitt’s Southern Table” [aff. links]: stuffed pork roast and coconut cake.
2. Spend a day-and-a-half in an orgy of cooking.
3. Have foodie friends over to judge the fracas.

The results

I’m sad to report that our hometown contender put up a valiant effort, but came up short.

Both roasts were delicious, but Keller’s version was legendary, while Stitt’s recipe merely great. I think the brining in Keller’s instructions left the pork perfectly moist. The fig and balsamic jam stuffing was sublime as well.

Stitt won the cake battle, though only by a nose. Both versions had some issues: Keller’s cake is a bit dry, while Stitt’s cake collapsed after baking (this seven-layer cake had just five layers). Of the near-identical meringue frostings, Keller’s recipe is much easier to make. My ultimate coconut cake would pair Stitt’s pastry-cream filling and rich cake with Keller’s meringue.

Recipes, after the jump …

(more…)

By Brian Heptinstall

In creating a recipe that best represents Alabama, I couldn’t help but think of the shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico. The quality of the shrimp hasn’t suffered one bit despite the recent BP oil spill disaster.

I came up with Greek Salad with Gulf Shrimp, a simple, yet perfectly matched summer salad that takes a cue from Birmingham’s rich Greek culture.

The salad alone isn’t necessarily special, but the sweetness coming from the grilled shrimp adds another layer of flavor you can get only from the Gulf. For another great taste, try grilling these shrimp with Old Bay or Creole seasoning.

• • •

Photo by Brian Heptinstall.

Greek Salad with Gulf Shrimp

• Preparation time: 30-45 minutes
• Cooking time: 10 minutes
• Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup olive oil

Salad:

• 1 package spring salad mix
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 1 jar kalamata olives, pitted, sliced
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, diced
• 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
• 3-5 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Dressing: In a bowl, add all ingredients together except the olive oil. Mix well, and slowly add in oil while constantly stirring. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, be sure to stir again as the dressing might separate.

Salad: Place the spring/romaine mix in a bowl big enough to toss the salad. Add feta, tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts. Refrigerate.

(Use your judgment in ingredient quantities for the salad. We suggest making the salad in layers.)

Place shrimp on skewers. Right before placing the shrimp on hot grill, drizzle with olive oil and lightly dust with salt and pepper (Old Bay or Creole seasoning would also be good). Grill shrimp until done, and remove from heat. (Be careful not to burn yourself when taking shrimp off the skewers.)

Add shrimp to the salad. Pour dressing, toss and serve.

• • •

Also:

• Is Gulf seafood safe? Reports from the Associated Press | Mother Jones Magazine | New York Times
• Sugar and Spice by Celeste’s recipe for Roasted Shrimp and Orzo.
• Stay Hungry’s recipe for Chile Shrimp.
• The Messy Epicure’s recipe for locally sourced gumbo.

• • •

Gadsden native Brian Heptinstall (@bheptin) writes the AL.com blog Food and Farce and produces how-to videos featuring his favorite foods from Walt Disney World on A Taste of Disney. A classically trained chef, he has worked in several top kitchens including Mar-A-Lago, the Four Seasons, Il Cioppino Italian Restaurant and the PGA Resort and Spa.

• • •

Hungry for more? Check out the menu of Birmingham’s Best Eats!