Movie review: ‘Best Worst Movie’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: The documentary “Best Worst Movie” provides a good look at how an unintentionally bad movie gets made.

A scene from “Best Worst Movie.”

We’ve all seen bad movies. Once in a while, though, you’ll find a movie that takes bad to its logical conclusion, passes it, loops back on itself and becomes entertaining in its awfulness, like the horror flick “Troll 2.”

A documentary goes one step further. “Best Worst Movie” looks at the making of “Troll 2” and the camp celebrations and fandom that have sprung up around the unapologetically bad movie.

“Best Worst Movie” opens the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival tonight.

Director Michael Paul Stephenson, who played the lead role in “Troll 2,” focuses on the major players of the cast and crew, including director Claudio Fragasso, writer Rossella Drudi and Alexander City native George Hardy.

“Troll 2” — which, coincidentally, isn’t a sequel to “Troll” and doesn’t even feature any trolls — has spawned conventions, viewing parties and fan gatherings.

What emerges is a group of people best known for one of the worst movies ever made and their reactions to the growing fandom. (Novice filmmakers: Rejoice in the fact that you’ve probably made better movies for less money. There’s hope yet.)

Some of them have continued making movies or acting, while others have disappeared from the public eye altogether.

Most interesting, perhaps, is Hardy, the small-town dentist. Watching his earnest excitement grow and fall at being involved with “Troll 2” is somewhat charming, especially if you’ve ever known anyone who had a brief brush with fame.

Will he continue acting, or stick with his dental practice? Will fame go to his head, or can he remain an humble Alabama boy?

Watching “Best Worst Movie” is kind of meta. (I’m fairly certain that with some “Troll 2” cast and crew in attendance to watch themselves watching themselves, we will all fall through the rabbit hole that becomes an actual rip in the space-time continuum.)

Still, it’s a good look at what is becoming a cult classic, from the inside out, looking back.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”).

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.

“Best Worst Movie” will screen at 8 tonight at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: Trailer for “Best Worst Movie”

Video: “Troll 2” director Claudio Fragasso
discusses the audience’s reaction.

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from Blogcritics | CHUD | Cinematical | EFilmCritic | Eric D. Snider | SlashFilm | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘That Evening Sun’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The slow-paced but remarkable “That Evening Sun” portrays a love story in the guise of an old farmer’s battle for his house.

Hal Holbrook stars in “That Evening Sun.”

Old Abner Meecham fights an all too familiar battle at the end of his days, one for dignity.

A tragedy dealing with loss, aging and anger, “That Evening Sun” is a love story between a man and his house. It’s also a love story between a man and his wife, and a man and his life.

The movie screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Lonzo Choat (Ray McKinnon), a violent unemployed drunk, lives in the beloved old home of Abner (Hal Holbrook), a farmer in Tennessee. Lonzo, who shares the house with a wife and a daughter, collects disability pay, even though his injury has healed.

Meanwhile, Abner has set up in a shack on his property, refusing to leave until they move out.

This slow-paced film by writer-director Scott Teems features long beautiful shots and an eclectic old-school soundtrack. The remarkable “That Evening Sun” is worth the wait.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“That Evening Sun” will screen at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: Trailer for “That Evening Sun”

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from Ain’t It Cool News | Austin Chronicle | Creative Loafing | Examiner | Film School Rejects | Film Threat | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘You Might as Well Live’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The quirky comedy “You Might as Well Live,” about a suicidal nobody out to prove he’s somebody, is one of the best in Sidewalk’s lineup this year.

Greg Bryk, left, and Joshua Peace
star in “You Might as Well Live.”

Robert Mutt is a real somebody! Robert Mutt likes to talk about himself, or I should say, to himself, in the third person.

“You Might as Well Live” is a brilliantly wacky comedy that follows Mutt after time in a mental institution for repeated suicide attempts.

The film, directed and co-written by Simon Ennis, screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Upon his return home, he is accused of possession of child pornography. It’s up to Mutt to prove that he’s a “real somebody” and not a “douche bag.”

Trying to raise the $25 needed for an air hockey table, he dabbles in drugs, organ smuggling and Judaism.

“You Might as Well Live” will be one of the best films you will see at Sidewalk this year.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“You Might as Well Live” will screen at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Carver Theatre. Opening shorts are “Fuckin’ Old Bitch,” “Receive Bacon” and “Feeder.”

Video: Trailer for “You Might as Well Live”

Video: You need only three things to prove you’re somebody.

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from Canoe | EFilmCritic | (Montreal) Gazette | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Dead Snow’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: “Dead Snow” bills itself as “Nazi zombies!” but actually delivers on the right mix of laughs and scares in a frozen horror show.

A scene from “Dead Snow.”

Any horror/comedy fan knows that it’s a tough existence: For every success — “Evil Dead II,” “Shaun of the Dead” — a hundred clones fail to deliver on one or both genres.

You’re in for a treat with “Dead Snow” (“Død snø”), a Norwegian import with English subtitles that successfully combines the jumps and gore of zombie movies with a dead-on wry wit.

The movie screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

As with many horror/comedies, the laughs are provided by the human victims, while the scares are doled out at the hands and teeth of zombies. Director Tommy Wirkola’s film is closer in tone to the Sam Raimi films than “Shaun of the Dead.”

And yet it’s a near-perfect mix of tones for the story approach: a very linear recipe of all the tropes you’d expect from a zombie film, but less slick and predictable (in some ways) than your average Hollywood pic.

It’s surprising that there aren’t too many horror films shot against snowy locales. Not only does the blood show up much more spectacularly against the bleak white, but also a haunting beauty to the endless fields of snow and leafless trees emerges.

And seriously, why did it take someone so long to use the idea of Nazi zombies?

The most noticeable problems will jump out, so to speak, to non-horror fans: a lack of character development in some spots, and a total disregard for the realities of human biology. The squeamish should probably avoid this film, as the effects are convincing enough, and the fake blood is used quite liberally.

We zombie-movie buffs are OK with bodies as fodder. When it occasionally lends to the humor, as it does in some scenes, all the better.

Make 2 hours in your schedule available for “Dead Snow,” an excellent example of a slightly left-of-center indie film made with talent and skill. It’s a damned good cross between laughs and scares, in a niche I wrongly thought would have run its course by now.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”).

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.

“Dead Snow” will screen at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Alabama Theatre. Opening shorts are “Karaoke Show” and “A Healthy Smile.”

Video: Trailer for “Dead Snow”

Video: A scene from “Dead Snow”

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert) | Entertainment Weekly | New York Post | New York Times

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Official Rejection’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The documentary “Official Rejection” tells the funny meta-tale of getting a movie into a festival.

A publicity still for “Official Rejection.”

You made your first film. And it is pretty amazing, if you say so yourself. Now you’re ready for the big time, Sundance, where your film will obviously be accepted.

Big fat rejection! What?!

You then move on to a slew of smaller festivals, and you get into a handful … if you are lucky.

Does this officially mean your movie is bad?

The documentary “Official Rejection,” directed by Paul Osborne, is an intimate look at another film’s journey (“Ten ’Til Noon”) through the complicated and expensive film festival circuit.

The film screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Not all good films are created equal, and not all good films get the attention they deserve in the film festival circuit. However, lots of bad movies circulate out there (and lots of filmmakers in serious denial of that fact).

If learning the ins and outs of the film festival circuit is interesting to you, then you will find “Official Rejection” very educational, funny and entertaining.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“Official Rejection” will screen at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Carver Theatre.

Video: Trailer for “Official Rejection”

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from The 213 | FilmJerk | IndyFilmFest

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘45365’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The documentary “45365” shows small town Ohio life, warts and all, in entertaining and provocative fashion.

A scene from the documentary, “45365.”

Sidney, Ohio, gives us a fascinating glimpse into rural American life. Can’t visit? Try “45365,” a documentary that on first glance doesn’t seem to have much of a plot. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The film screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

The focus is on several people and storylines in Sidney. Like most small towns, it boasts a wide array of interesting characters all living within one community. Smoky bars, high school football, police officers, trailer parks, teenage drama, county fair … it’s all there in director Bill Ross’ vision.

True to life, “45365” doesn’t sugarcoat anything. This must-see documentary is raw, sometimes hard to swallow, real small town USA living. But it’s guaranteed to make you laugh, and think.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“45365” will screen at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Carver Theatre.

Video: Trailer for “45365”

Video: Bickering in the car.

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from All These Wonderful Things | The Documentary Blog | Flavorwire | GreenCine Daily | Hammer to Nail | Paste Magazine | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘They Came to Play’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: One of the most inspiring documentaries in Sidewalk history, “They Came to Play” puts on a virtuoso show of amateur pianists battling and bewitching at the Van Cliburn competition.

Birmingham ophthalmologist Drew Mays practices his
piano pieces at home in a scene from “They Came to Play.”

Not every gifted player makes more than a hobby of their playing.

You meet such amateur artists in “They Came to Play,” a documentary about participants in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. An inspirational film that showcases amazing talent and a variety of characters, it does an excellent job of showing that not every classical pianist is the same.

The movie screens Sunday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

What makes this so spectacular is director Alex Rotaru’s framing of the competition and construction of the narrative. Ninety minutes pass quickly, and the competitors he focuses on are introduced in a natural progression. Among them is Drew Mays, an ophthalmologist at Birmingham’s Veterans Administration Medical Center and the director of the UAB School of Medicine residency program.

The film shows more than just the performance and practice sides of its subjects, but never strays so far that you feel it has lost focus. The competitors are so varied — in age, playing background, professional lives and especially personalities — that it’s hard even as a music fan to decide which is more entertaining, the pieces or the people.

The components are equally strong: gorgeous cinematography, seamless editing, and an absolutely astonishing sound mix, perhaps the most important part of a music documentary. The pianos, whether onstage or at home, sound clear and enveloping.

As a musician and a sometime filmmaker, I find “They Came to Play” is a documentary I’ve been waiting to see without realizing it. While many music documentaries focus on one band or genre, this one is about music, performance and the passion that runs underneath it all.

Musicians, fans and arts patrons would be remiss in not seeing one of the best, most inspiring and uplifting documentaries in the 11-year history of Sidewalk.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”).

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.

“They Came to Play” will screen at 6:45 p.m. Sunday at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Video: Defining “amateur” vs. “professional”

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Features from Birmingham News | UAB Reporter

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘The Vicious Kind’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: “The Vicious Kind” serves up a standard indie love triangle, but what a soundtrack.

Brittany Snow stars in “The Vicious Kind.”

Are you in need of a real indie film fix? “The Vicious Kind” will almost satisfy, filled with sweet and somber moments, strange people and awkward situations.

The film screens Sunday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Familiar faces abound onscreen, including stars Adam Scott (“Party Down”), Brittany Snow (“Hairspray”), Alex Frost and J.K. Simmons (“The Closer”).

After a terrible breakup, Caleb Sinclaire (Scott) falls for his younger brother’s emotionally mature girlfriend. “The Vicious Kind” follows them plus Caleb’s father through the twists and turns of strange normalcy.

The story is predictable, the characters a little contrived. But director Lee Toland Krieger still creates an emotionally rewarding film with an amazing soundtrack and great performance. It probably won’t be your favorite film at the festival, but one still worth seeing.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“The Vicious Kind” will screen at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: Caleb and Emma’s argument ends with a surprise.

Also:

• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from EI Insiders | New York Magazine | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘The Dungeon Masters’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: “The Dungeon Masters” has no agenda as a documentary, other than to show three role-playing gamers and their hobby up close.

A scene from “The Dungeon Masters.”

When I watched “The Dungeon Masters,” I wondered if it would present a fair portrayal of people commonly regarded as socially inept geeks. The documentary follows three participants in role-playing games, especially Dungeons and Dragons (the title refers to the person who organizes and runs the games).

The film screens Saturday at the  Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

I was pleasantly surprised. While most documentaries that receive attention seem to have an overt message, “The Dungeon Masters” does a commendable job in presenting a likely prejudged topic in a very “without-comment” manner.

The film, directed by Keven McAlester, was too long by 30 minutes, delving into areas that seem completely tangential to the focus. While the storyline follows the three subjects, too many scenes come across as either minutiae or unrelated to their hobby.

As a people watcher and a (cough) former D&D player in elementary school, I would’ve also liked to know more about why they became interested in gaming, how it influences their everyday lives, what they think about being stereotyped. The three touch upon these points briefly, but I wanted more substance.

The film is beautifully shot, as cinematographer Lee Daniel seems to have a natural for presenting a mostly unbiased view while still delivering some extraordinary scenes.

Make no mistake: “The Dungeon Masters” is not going to change your mind. If you’re a gamer, you’ll recognize your friends or yourself.

If you’re the guy who beat up my high school friends, you’ll still be a small-minded jock destined to die alone and miserable, secretly wishing you’d had a good hobby, too. (Kidding. Mostly. Sort of. OK, not really.)

The film will, however, demonstrate a well-made and well-considered documentary.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”).

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.

“The Dungeon Masters” will screen at 6:15 p.m. Saturday at Alabama Power.

Video: Interview with “The Dungeon Masters”
director, Keven McAlester

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from Austin Chronicle | Games Information Blog | The Independent Critic | Movie Moxie | SpoutBlog

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Courting Condi’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: A “love story” in the guise of a documentary, “Courting Condi” would’ve better been served by ditching the faux-mance and focusing on its true object of desire, Condoleezza Rice.

A scene from the documentary “Courting Condi.”

It’s a love story, about a simple nobody and the Secretary of State originally from Birmingham. The quirky documentary “Courting Condi”  traces the journey of a man in his 20s to meet the woman of his dreams, Condoleezza Rice.

Or so the trailer would have you believe.

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

Viewers will quickly figure out this film is actually about Rice herself, a k a Condi. Our lovestruck hero turns out to be completely fictional, a framing device to move the documentary forward.

But it doesn’t work, serving to distract from the film’s true message. And the musical interludes? Really bad and frustrating to sit through.

[Editor’s note: Perhaps this column is the basis for the original idea.]

The movie takes us through the life of a controversial political figure from birth through the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to 2009. And it reminds us of Rice’s role in the George W. Bush administration, throwing in some lesser-known nuggets of intel.

This one is a hard call. If director Sebastian Doggart had cut a few of the silly bits woven throughout the “real” documentary, “Courting Condi” might have been a really great movie.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“Courting Condi” will screen at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Trailer: “Courting Condi”

How to woo a Secretary of State

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from Cinema Signals | Documentary Films.net | ReelTalk | Screen Junkies | Socially Superlative

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Forgetting Dad’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Kenn McCracken

Review at a glance: “Forgetting Dad” provides a chance to explore questions of identity and memory in a doc about a dad who loses his memory and moves on to another family.

“Old Richard” and Rick Minnich on graduation day
in 1990, in a still from “Forgetting Dad.”

“If your father no longer remembers you, does he stop being your father?”

The answer, of course, depends on who you ask. Director Rick Minnich asks the question in his documentary, “Forgetting Dad.” More interesting are the questions that such an exploration can — and in this case, does — uncover.

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

In 1990, a car accident caused Minnich’s father to lose his memory, or so it seems, since no physical damage was ever uncovered. The amnesia gradually caused the family to fall apart, creating a divide between what he terms as “Old Richard” and “New Richard.” Minnich spent years documenting his exploration of his own memories and connections to New Richard.

Trailer: “Forgetting Dad”

The narrative seems to move a bit slowly at times. But it is put together so new questions — wrinkles in the fabric of the story — introduce themselves gradually and naturally, creating a layered, thought-provoking examination of family, identity, memory and self that should be of interest to anyone.

Also, Minnich manages to avoid what I feared: playing the personal connection for cheap emotional reaction. Not to say that the family members are without emotion, but rather that the simple honesty and rawness in the presentation doesn’t feel manipulative.

Mom wonders if Richard’s amnesia could be fake
in this clip from “Forgetting Dad.”

From a production standpoint, the film itself is nothing terribly unique. The cinematography is mostly quite passable, current interview footage interspersed with old 8mm family films. The audio mix seems a bit uneven, making it difficult to focus on the interviewees at times.

Also, momentary blackouts of the picture occurred (the audio was clear throughout), hopefully a glitch limited to my screener copy. Those were very jarring, especially well into the film.

It’s certainly not the strongest documentary you’ll have the chance to see over the weekend, but those interested in the workings of the human brain and mind, or the dynamics of family memory, will find a provocative story.

Kenn McCracken (@insomniactive) is a director and an award-winning screenwriter (2005 Sidewalk Sidewrite grand prize, “Muckfuppet”).

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.

“Forgetting Dad” will screen at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at Branch Life Church.

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from 1More Film Blog | Exclaim.ca | CityNews

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Adventures of Power’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Stacy Vance

Mine worker by day, air drummer by night, he’s a man-boy with a dream. In “Adventures of Power,” our hero Power must overcome all to fulfill his musical destiny.

Ari Gold — the writer, director and lead actor — combines elements of “Rocky,” “Zoolander,” “Footloose,” “Rudy” and a heap of “Napoleon Dynamite,” not to mention most comedies and inspirational find-yourself movies.

I’m almost embarrassed to say that I enjoyed as much of this movie as I did. The plot’s not new, but it’s entertaining if you’re up for some silliness.

The movie opens the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival tonight.

(more…)

Movie review: ‘Crawford’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Stacy Vance

George and Laura Bush moved into Crawford, Texas, population 700, during his bid for the presidency in 1999. Soon after they settled in at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, the panoramas of open fields, endless skies, horses and haystacks of Crawford began to emerge in the national media.

When introduced to the people of “Crawford,” we learn about their lives before we learn about their politics, allowing us to view them as individuals first. The documentary isn’t without some bias, but it’s ultimately a story about everyday people thrown into extraordinary circumstances.

The film screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

(more…)

Movie review: ‘ ‘Bama Girl’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Erin Shaw Street

“At the University of Alabama, every girl wants to be homecoming queen.”

Every girl? Really?

Such is the assertion from documentary director Rachel Goslins, whose documentary “’Bama Girl” follows a black finalist for homecoming queen. Maybe not every student covets the crown, but the movie is sure to spark some interesting conversations.

The film closes the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival on Sunday.

(more…)

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…)