“America’s Next Top Model” has been calm … so far. The little bit of “she doesn’t want to be here” drama that erupted in Episode 1 fizzled quickly as the girl who “doesn’t want to be here” was eliminated.
Episode 2 found the models moving into mansions and walking sky-high runways with no time for any extracurricular shenanigans. If that was the calm before the storm, then tonight’s episode is gonna be a blizzard, y’all.
It’s makeover week.
See Kendal Brown of Northport and the other girls as they magically transform into butterflies, crazy crying butterflies, after the jump …
Review at a glance: Fame has a dark side, even for a 14-year-old celebrity photographer, as seen in the documentary “Teenage Paparazzo.”
Austin Visschedyk, left, and Adrian Grenier,
in a scene from “Teenage Paparazzo.”
Austin Visschedyk appears to be a normal kid. His voice hasn’t cracked, and his face makes him look 10, even though he’s really 14. His whole life is still ahead of him.
But how many 14-year-old boys do you know who have a promising career in progress? And whose working hours seem like those of a bartender? Who travels the streets of Los Angeles by skateboard at 2 a.m. to chase celebrities in hopes of getting that perfect picture?
Austin is a prodigy at photography, and life. Constantly on the phone with other Hollywood paparazzi, he always seeks out the next big celebrity sighting. His work has appeared in the biggest entertainment magazines and websites.
All was going as planned, until he met “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier, who points the camera at him in a reversal of roles.
Austin feels conflicted in his new relationship. Sometimes, he loves the attention and newfound fame. Other times, it becomes an annoyance and a hazard to his career. Grenier, both co-star and director of this film, becomes emotionally entangled with Austin while trying to open his eyes to other more fulfilling opportunities in life.
Is fame really all it’s cracked up to be? You be the judge. With cameos by Matt Damon, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, Alec Baldwin and Whoopi Goldberg, the movie presents a different perspective of Hollywood in a compelling way.
“Teenage Paparazzo” is a fabulous film because it offers Hollywood glitz and glamor, along with resulting delusions. The appeal of fame should carry a warning: Be careful what you wish for.
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.
“Teenage Paparazzo” will open the festival at 8 p.m. Friday at the Alabama Theatre.
Video: Interview with Adrian Grenier, director of “Teenage Paparazzo”
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).
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.
Review at a glance: “Not My Son” shows Birmingham mothers determined to move beyond tragedy to healing and improving their community.
A mothers’ support group, seen in “Not My Son.”
“Man, the world ain’t supposed to work like this. I’m supposed to be able to do my job without having to ask you if I can. That dude is supposed to be able to wait with his car without you ripping him off. Everything is supposed to be different than it is.”
— Simon (Danny Glover), “Grand Canyon”
This bit of dialogue kept echoing through my head as I watched the film, “Not My Son.”
The movie focuses on Birmingham-area mothers left behind after the murder of their children, though not on the reasons behind these killings. Whether the victims were innocent bystanders or gang members is ultimately unrelated and unimportant to the parents, who bury their offspring before they reach adulthood.
The public-television quality is a bit off-putting, sadly, more akin to a PBS documentary special than a feature film for a theater setting. Regardless, an important message emerges from Dwight Cammeron’s film, and not just for the black community or for families in underprivileged neighborhoods. Problems like this shouldn’t exist, and solutions to them are possible only with a true community effort, whether you’re black or white, rich or poor, single or married, childless or the head of a huge clan.
Films like “Boyz n the Hood” show the nihilistic perspective of the young men and women growing up in today’s mean streets. “Not My Son” shows the hope and determination of mothers to help others carry on, even when their future feels like it’s been taken away.
Perhaps everything is supposed to be different than it is, but these women do a commendable job not only in dealing with the way things aren’t supposed to be, but trying to make them better.
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.
“Not My Son” will screen at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Alabama Theatre Studio Loft.
Review at a glance: The actors in “Gabi on the Roof in July” used improvisation to define their tiresome, self-centered characters.
A scene from “Gabi on the Roof in July.”
Cheering for the hamster in a movie about underdogs trying to make it in the big city might be all the warning you need.
“Gabi on the Roof in July” focuses on young artists living in New York struggling to discover themselves. Gabi leaves college for the summer to spend time with her brother Sam and escape from the emotional fallout of her parents’ divorce.
I appreciate the unique tack that writer and director Lawrence Levine took letting the actors develop their characters through improvisation, then developing the storyline of the script itself. The acting is truly great, but I found it extremely hard to identify in any way with the characters themselves.
The main character, Gabi (Sophia Takal), comes across as a spoiled and annoying child. It’s really difficult to listen to her talk even for brief moments. You just want to yell “Grow up!” at the screen each time she speaks (or strips in an attempt to be an “artist”).
Her brother Sam (Levine) is no better. At first, he seems like the only character about whom you might actually care, but he quickly blows that by adopting his sister’s self-indulgent behaviors. Neither seem to care about anyone else but themselves, which in turn makes it hard to care about them.
I lost all interest about halfway through the 99-minute runtime, making for an endless second half. Only one word comes to mind when considering the entire movie: pretentious.
I did really like one character, the hamster. He didn’t say a damn word the whole time. And just in time for the credits, the hamster finally gets put out of his misery, just like us.
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.
“Gabi on the Roof in July” will screen at 11:20 a.m. Saturday at the Alabama Theatre Studio Loft. The short “Hipster Job” precedes it.
Video: Gabi and Garrett make a bet, in a scene
from “Gabi on the Roof in July.”
Video: An art dealer checks out Sam’s work,
in a scene from “Gabi on the Roof in July.”
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.
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.
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.
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
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 …
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 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.
So far, Northport’s Kendal Brown has dodged the Drama with a capital D that her fellow competitors have stirred up. Tonight, the challenge will be to work the catwalk, one raised four stories into the air.
Who will fall? Who will soar? Check out the show tonight, and come back for Nadria Tucker’s recap without a net.
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.
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!”
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.
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”
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.
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”
The 9th annual downtown art festival takes place Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. The free event includes children’s activities, music and hundreds of artists.
Map of Artwalk site. Click image to see
larger version (or check out the PDF).
So, Birmingham, who should we see this weekend? Leave a comment with your favorite artist, and a location, too! (You can see the full lineup of artists on the Artwalk site.)
The Mérida Report1Last week, I went on a Mexican vacation. It included seeing my married friends Jen Barnett and Brett Andrews, who moved there in 2023. They run a company called Expatsi, which helps Americans move abr …
The death of Twitter logs1I share a lot on Twitter, as I have documented in my weekly Twitter logs for 14 years on this site. But that ends today.
Episode 2 found the models moving into mansions and walking sky-high runways with no time for any extracurricular shenanigans. If that was the calm before the storm, then tonight’s episode is gonna be a blizzard, y’all.
Jennifer West (@
Aaron Hillis (@
Claudia Puig (@
Kenn McCracken (@
Chance Shirley, co-founder of Birmingham-based 
