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Posted 1 Comment on Phoenix, Oregon Film Reviews

Phoenix, Oregon

You’re never too old to reinvent yourself. Bobby (James Le Gros), a middle-aged bartender, hasn’t quite figured this out yet. He’s spent too many years of his life just coasting by. After the sudden death of his mother and the dissolution of his marriage, Bobby has spent his time working the bar at a local restaurant and chipping away at his work-in-progress, a graphic novel memoir. When his old crush Tanya (Lisa Edelstein) pops back into his life, he’s too timid to whisk her away from her suitor, a debonair investor named Mario (Reynaldo Gallegos).

Bobby has become complacent, a bit too comfortable in his situation. He’s sitting on a nest egg of $50k but chooses to live in his airstream trailer and continues to work for the morale killing, tip stealing boss Kyle (Diedrich Bader). But his buddy Carlos (Jesse Borrego), a talented chef who works at the restaurant, has an idea. They should invest their money into a new concept: a local bowling alley/pizzeria that offers more than just cheap entertainment and greasy fare. Bobby suddenly finds a new purpose in life. Will he realize his dream and get the girl? Or will he just go back to his usual humdrum life?

“Are we all just a bunch of ones and zeros?”

Written and directed by Gary Lundgren, Phoenix, Oregon is a heartfelt exploration of self-reinvention, friendship and love. It’s for anyone who felt that age was a roadblock to forging a new path in life. It also champions the notion that you don’t have to accept your situation as it is, that you can always take steps, no matter how big or small, to live a happier and more fulfilling life. Phoenix, Oregon is a small city in the southern part of the state but within the context of the film, Phoenix, which is also referenced in the name of the bowling alley-pizzeria, Rising Phoenix, is symbolic of rebirth. Of shedding the old and starting anew.

This film really checked off a lot of boxes for me. The focus on middle-aged characters looking to reinvent themselves really resonated with me. I’m getting very close to middle age and am growing tired of watching films about young people starting their lives. Also, there are so many films now with diverse casts, which is fantastic, but the Latinx community is still largely missing from that equation. I was grateful to see so many Latinx actors/characters in this film including the main character of Carlos, played by Jesse Borrego, who is a supremely talented chef and is tired of wasting his talents on a soul crushing job. He’s more than just a buddy character who serves to support the protagonist. I really enjoyed the performances overall. Le Gros and Edelstein have great chemistry. Bader is hilarious as the evil restaurant manager Kyle. Another win for me was the graphic novel conceit. Throughout the film, Bobby’s hand drawn illustrations flashback to his old life, giving the viewer a sense of who he is and where he’s come from through the lens of some terrific graphic novel art.

“It’s a bizarre day when you realize you’re middle-aged, especially when you were just in your prime with your whole life in front of you. Somehow we fool ourselves into thinking we have more time than we do.”

Director Gary Lundgren

Phoenix, Oregon will lift your spirits. Seek this one out. You won’t be sorry you did.

This film is available to watch online through a theatre at home platform which allows viewers to choose which independent theatre to support with their ticket purchase. Visit the official website for more information.

Posted Film Reviews

The Wolf House/La casa lobo

After escaping from a commune of German religious fanatics, Maria has escaped into the Chilean countryside and stumbles upon a house where two pigs live. Maria moves in and imagines the pigs to be children,naming them Pedro and Ana. The house is an ever-changing structure and Maria, Pedro and Ana take on many forms and appearances. As Maria finds herself stuck in this evolving nightmarish reality, the wolf, who lives in the nearby forest, threatens to keep them all trapped inside. 

“The Wolf House is a feature film where beauty, fear, disorder and the narrative itself are born from the precarious and permanent states of change. It is the story of a beautiful young woman who is held captive, but it is also the story of a physical and mental world that falls apart, destroys itself and renews itself time and again.”

Director’s statement – Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña

Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña’s The Wolf House/La casa lobo features mesmerizing stop animation and constantly shifting imagery to illustrate the pain of extreme isolation. The story is based on the sordid history of Colonia Dignidad, a secretive sect of German emigres in Chile who became particularly notorious for child molestation and the torture and murder of prisoners during Augusto Pinochet’s military regime. The main character Maria has escaped from the sect and the house symbolizes a sort of in-between space where she sheds her old life and prepares to re-enter society. The wolf is that society, which is perceived as a threat but in reality is not. Much like the actual wolf which has been hurt over the centuries by unshakable falsehoods. The film is narrated by a male voice from the sect that haunts Maria’s existence. The story also draws from the classic children’s fable The Three Little Pigs. 

Chilean filmmakers León and Cociña’s feature film debut is an impressive feat. Produced over several years, it incorporates stop animation with papier mâché puppets made of cardboard, tape and other materials, and paint on the house’s walls and floors. The characters inhabit the house both in three dimensional form and within the walls themselves. It’s quite a marvel to behold. Viewers who enjoy innovative stop animation films and unique storytelling will want to seek out The Wolf House/La casa lobo.

The Wolf House/La casa lobo releases in virtual theaters today. Visit the official website for more information.

Posted Female Filmmakers

CRSHD

“You make things hard for yourself, don’t you?”

Izzy Alden (Isabelle Barbier) needs to get laid. She promised herself that she’d lose her virginity by the end of her freshman year in college. And with finals just around the corner, she’s running out of time. The problem with Izzy is that she’s hopelessly awkward. She doesn’t have the same natural confidence and social intelligence that her two best friends Fiona (Sadie Scott) and Anuka (Deeksha Ketkar) do. Fiona works at the local bowling alley and is lusting after the popular lesbian on campus. Anuka is Izzy’s closest ally but is dealing with her own drama of her complicated feelings for her long-distance boyfriend Juju (Dylan Rogers) and the hot blonde guy she spotted in the cafeteria. Izzy is determined to get an invite to a Crush party, where only people who are submitted as a crush can attend. But Izzy keeps sabotaging herself by putting her friendships at risk and ignoring the one guy, Oliver (Raph Fineberg), who is genuinely interested in her.

CRSHD is a quirky and authentic coming-of-age story that speaks directly to social media savvy youth. Director Emily Cohn wrote the script at age 21, produced it at 22 and wrapped up post-production by 24. She incorporates social media, texting and dating app technology into her film by having the characters act out the communications on screen. Having a young cast and crew working on the film makes the end result more relevant to its intended audience. Cohn and her team have assembled a fine cast of players. Barbier, Ketkar and Scott have natural chemistry with each other. Viewers will feel like they’re watching three friends rather than watching three actors playing friends.

“As a filmmaker, I’ve been interested in finding ways to make a computer or tablet or phone act not only as a prop, but also as a scene partner, since these devices often carry the weight of human emotion but lack the cinematic nuance to convey it.”

Director Emily Cohn

The cast is diverse with different races, ethnicities and sexual orientations represented. There has been a lot of discussion about diversity in film and TV as being forced to meet certain criteria. I appreciate films like CRSHD that demonstrate that this is a natural way of things. It also deconstructs beauty standards and highlights how beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and should not to be mandated by some artificial cultural norms.

CRSHD is available via virtual cinemas May 8th. Visit the official website for more information.

Posted Film Reviews

Vanilla

Elliot (Will Dennis), is an entrepreneur who is strictly by-the-book. His days are scheduled by the minute. He took a chance and gave up a career as a consultant to develop an ice cream delivery app in which users literally scream their orders into their phones. Needless to say, it’s not going well.

Kimmie (Kelsea Bauman) is a wannabe stand-up comedian who is nothing if not a free spirit. By day she works at a bakery and by night as a cam girl. Kimmie meets Elliot when she buys his van. While they say opposites attract, perhaps Kimmie and Elliot are too far apart on the spectrum and when Elliot makes a move on Kimmie, she turns him down. 

But that changes soon when Kimmie’s boss has to close down the shop due to a rat infestation, she tries to sell the van back to Elliot. However, Elliot desperately needs the money for his app. What ensues is one long first date in the form of the road trip to New Orleans to sell the van. 

Filmmaker Will Dennis’ Vanilla is a sweet and quirky comedy about being true to yourself. Elliot and Kimmie are well-defined characters. Kimmie is stand-offish, always trying to protect herself from being too vulnerable. Elliot is just too nice for his own good. Dennis, who directed, wrote and starred in the film, finds many ways to work ice cream into the plot. There are some quirks I found to be a bit too ridiculous including the storyline with Elliot’s mom and the I Scream for Ice Cream app. With that said, Vanilla has a lot of charm and is a tasty treat for summer.

Vanilla is available today on VOD from Gravitas Ventures.

Posted Film Reviews

She’s Allergic to Cats

Mike Pinkney (himself) is a wannabe filmmaker living in a rat-infested apartment in Hollywood. By day he works at a dog grooming salon run by a groomer who is a bit too into his job. By night he works on his craft, developing an idea for an all-cat remake of Carrie. He meets Cora (Sonja Kinski) Mickey Rourke’s daughter’s assistant and the two hit it off. They go on a first date that seems to be building momentum. But little does he know that she’s allergic to cats. Between the rats and the cats, Mike’s world is spiraling out of control. 

“I live in Hollywood. I moved here to make movies. But instead I groom dogs.”

She’s Allergic to Cats is a lo-fi, out of its gourd, tragicomedy. Written and directed by Michael Reich, this film is semi-autobiographical, self-funded and Reich’s feature film debut. Reich has directed several short films as well as music videos for bands such as My Chemical Romance, The Shins and Ryan Adams. According to the official press release, the film was “shot in 4K on Red Cameras and run through DVD players, MiniDV, and VHS tapes” giving it a unique, lo-fi visual style.

Audiences who love weird and wacky films will want to check this one out. You really have to have a bit of patience with this one and just go with the flow. Pinkney is a perfect fit for playing the oddball hero. The scenes with Kinski (daughter of Nastassja Kinski) add a horror movie element to the film. She’s quite mesmerizing in her portrayal of Cora. I was hypnotized by that one extended shot of Kinski holding an old DVD copy of Congo (1995). I love that this film, which is awful but a pivotal film of my youth, gets its own small storyline.

She’s Allergic to Cats originally premiered in 2016. It is now available on VOD from Amazon Prime and iTunes.

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