Welcome to WeeklyWilson.com, where author/film critic Connie (Corcoran) Wilson avoids totally losing her marbles in semi-retirement by writing about film (see the Chicago Film Festival reviews and SXSW), politics and books----her own books and those of other people. You'll also find her diverging frequently to share humorous (or not-so-humorous) anecdotes and concerns. Try it! You'll like it!
John David Washington on the Red Carpet in Chicago on Opening Night of the Chicago International Film Festival (October 16, 2024).
Opening night of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival kicked off at the Music Box Theater in Chicago on Wednesday, October 16th, with the appearance of John David Washington (“Tenet,” “Black Klansman”) and his brother Malcolm, who directed and co-wrote (with Virgil Williams) the screenplay for “The Piano Lesson,” based on an August Wilson play. Both sons of Denzel Washington (who produced) showed up in Chicago to promote the 125 minute film, which was released on August 31st and will screen on Netflix after a November 22nd theatrical release.
The synopsis for the film says that the film (based on the August Wilson stage play) follows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more, in deciding what to do with an heirloom, the family piano. Present this night to moderate the Q&A following the film was Ron O’Day Parsons, who has directed this particular play 4 times and was very familiar with the works of August Wilson and knew the playwright, himself.
THE GOOD
Writer/Director Malcolm Washington in Chicago at the Music Box Theater on October 16, 2024, at the Opening of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.
The cast was terrific, with John David Washington playing the male lead of Boy Willie. Samuel L Jackson is Uncle Doaker and Danielle Deadwyler (“Station 11,” “Till”) ably commanding the screen as Berniece, Boy Willie’s sister. Others supporting the two leads are Ray Fisher as Lyman, Boy Willie’s simple-minded friend, Corey Hawkins as Avery, the preacher-to-be who would like to marry Berniece, and Skylar Aleece Smith as Maretha, the young daughter of Berniece. Erykah Badu appears as Lucille. The films in which Samuel L. Jackson has appeared, including “Pulp Fiction,” have collectively grossed over 25 billion worldwide, making him, by some reckonings, the highest grossing actor of all time. Watching him work is always a pleasure.
In addition to the acting—which is good, (especially in the climactic scene depicting the blessing of Uncle Doaker’s house)—the music by Alexandre Desplat (“The King’s Speech,” “Argo”) is outstanding and the cinematography by Michael Gioulakis (“It Follows,” “Us”) is also top-notch.
FROM THE PODIUM
John David Washington and his brother Malcolm seemed genuinely grateful to be present this night to answer questions from the moderator and to show their film to an audience before it goes to theaters. While accepting an award from co-chairmen of the festival Mimi Plauche and Vivian Teng John David Washington seemed very genuine when he exclaimed, “I really love what I do, so thank you, Chicago, because this is a really big deal for me.”
(*Stay tuned for a transcription of the Q&A tomorrow. I’ll throw in my experience with August Wilson’s stage play “Fences,” before it became a big Denzel Washington film with Viola Davis.)
John David Washington and screenwriter Virgil Williams (a Chicago native) in foreground at the screening of their film “The Piano Lesson” on October 16, 2024, in Chicago at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.
Chicago, Illinois (October 15, 2024) –Governor JB Pritzker has proclaimed tomorrow, October 16, 2024 as “Chicago International Film Festival Day” in the state of Illinois, in honor of the Opening Night of this year’s Festival, the 60th edition of the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Opening Night will take place at the iconic Music Box Theater, with a 6:30 p.m. showing of John David Washington’s and Maicolm Washington’s new film, “The Piano Lesson.” (John David and Malcolm are the sons of Denzel Washington.)
The Chicago International Film Festival made its debut November 9, 1965 at the original Carnegie Theatre at Rush and Oak Streets in Chicago, Illinois; The Festival runs from October 16 – 27, 2024 at venues throughout the city.This year, its 60th, the Chicago International Film Festival presents 122 feature films and 71 short films, and welcomes more than 200 filmmakers, actors, artists, and industry professionals to Chicago over the course of the Festival. It is my 21st Chicago International Film Festival, many of them as Press, all as Cinema Chicago member and film enthusiast.
I’ve been trying to get ahead of the rush (especially on documentaries) of films being shown this year.
“Memoir of a Snail”
Today, I finally got to see “Memoir of a Snail,” an Australian animated film that I’ve been just missing at various film festivals, most recently in Nashville. The New York Times gave it a glowing review and it has been racking up nominations and wins for Best Animated Film in places like London, Ottawa and Catalonia. Writer/Director Adam Elliot is coming to Chicago with the film and it is definitely one of the more unusual animated films I’ve seen (Disney it isn’t.)
The film’s release date was June 12, 2024. It is an R-rated animated story of the lives of twins Grace and Gilbert Pudel. Told Primarily by Grace, her largely unhappy life left me feeling fairly gloomy by the end of the 94-minute biographical tale. It did have a take-away message for all of us: “The worst cages are the ones we create for ourselves.” And there was a bit of a “surprise” happy ending that helped alleviate the sadness of this melancholy piece.
Original it is. It’s not every animated film that has a pyromaniac, a kleptomaniac, and an alcoholic with sleep apnea folded into a family tale of loss and heartache, with some adult humor thrown in to leaven the mix. One of the things that makes this film so unusual (besides the tear-filled eyes of the animated figures in nearly every scene) are the voice actors who represent them. It’s not often that you see a voice cast any more talented or well-known than this one, which has Sarah Snook, Eric Bana, Jackie Weaver and Kodi Smit-McPhee participating.
DOCUMENTARIES: SNEAK PEAK
But my purpose in posting tonight, one day before the film festival gets underway, was to rank order four documentaries that I have seen, in case you venture out. These are not complete reviews, but small sneak peaks, as some are not yet released and embargoed until those dates.
Marius the giraffe at the Copenhagen zo
“Life and Other Problems:” I absolutely loved this documentary. It is filled with age-old questions like “What is the meaning of life?” and they arise because the head of the Copenhagen zoo in Denmark plans to euthanize a perfectly healthy 2-year-old giraffe at the zoo. This sets off a firestorm of controversy. My complete review of the documentary will appear on October 20th (Sunday), the date of its official release.
Adam Kinzinger.
“The Last Republican” – Adam Kinzinger was a rising star in the Republican party until he stood up for what he believes in and called out Donald J. Trump on his instigation of January 6th. I read Kinzinger’s book (“Renegade: Defending Liberty and Democracy in Our Divided Country”) and he represented an area in Illinois quite near where I live. Plus, his successor (Darrin LaHood) grew up practically next door. I also found the fact that Director Steve Pink previously directed “Hot Tub Time Machine” interesting. It’s a well-done look at the price that those who stand up for their principles may have to pay in the face of the cult-like following of a Donald J. Trump. It was 88 minutes of a repetition of history that all voters should see before November 5th. Most interesting little-known fact: when Kinzinger was 12 years old, he was so “in” to politics (even then) that he dressed up as Jim Edgar (Illinois Governor) for Halloween. (I wonder if anyone knew who he was supposed tobe?) See this one if you want a reminder of what went down on January 6th and how truth has fallen victim to the cult of personality.
‘Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts.” North American Premiere at 60th Chicago International Film Festival (Oct. 16-27,
“Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts” (83 minutes) – This one gives us the history of the founding of Pizza Hut in 1958, with one of the actual founders onscreen (Dan Carney). It is a North American Premiere. It is also a look at the rise and fall of the Pizza Hut franchise, which was sold to PepsiCo for $319 million. Since then, former Pizza Hut buildings have been converted into churches, BBQ joints, taco restaurants, karaoke bars and everything in between. It’s interesting and informative. (My husband and I wondered what happened to all the Pizza Hut restaurants we used to frequent.) My favorite anecdote from the documentary was how the founding Carney brothers (Dan and Frank), trying to save money, accepted the offer of a free oven being discarded by another restaurant, which had thrown it out. They took the oven and installed it for the opening of their new business, but somebody forgot to clean it out. The bird’s nest inside caught fire on the Big Opening Night, filling the room with smoke, so they had to cancel the festivities. Anecdotes like that will keep you watching.
“My Stolen Planet” – This documentary from Iran reminded me of one I saw at another CIFF that had been shot entirely on a cell phone. That one was documenting how Palestinians had to go to great lengths to enter Israel to work and the technical quality, of course, was raw. That didn’t affect the important information that seeing the documentary conveyed, which has added immensely to my understanding of the current Gaza Strip hostilities and how they arose. Likewise, this documentary contains important insight into the life of a woman in Iran, but much of it is gleaned from abandoned Super 8 film left behind by those who have fled the country because of its repression of women. No singing. No music No dancing and rules about dress and deportment that have famously cost innocent victims their lives. The problem I had with the film is that the old Super 8 clips jumped so badly that I have not yet finished it, because I began to get a terrible headache from the jumpy frames. Or perhaps it was just the sheer desperation and gloom of seeing entire classes of young Iranians being taught to shout (in unison) “Death to America!” (or that slogan on buildings as a car passes by.) Director Farahnaz Sharifi, who is a much honored Iranian filmmaker and was forced into exile in 2022, is to be applauded for her bravery in sharing her story. I will finish the 82-minute film because it is an important glimpse of a people crying out for help in the fact of an oppressive regime. However, it comes in at #4 because it was the last of the ones I have seen, to date, and my eyes need to recover. My soul will still be tearing up for the women depicted in this film, but my eyes will be fine after a brief respite.
(*Photos are nearly all mine, taken at the respective film festivals. Installment #2 describing festivals of the past 21 years I’ve attended.)
Peter Bogdanovich.
2016:Damien Chazelle showed up to promote “La La Land.” He was very gracious and friendly. I anticipated “La La Land” winning for Best Picture (and so did most of the Academy when the team of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway somehow announced the wrong film as Best Oscar winner that year), but it did not. Peter Bogdanovich was given a Lifetime Achievement Award . Also present were Geraldine Chaplin as the head of the jury, a Tribute to Director Steve McQueen, and Danny Glover appearing with the Nigerian film “93 Days” about the spread of the Ebola virus epidemic in Africa. It was bloody disappointing. Both adjectives apply. Glover was presented a Visionary Award.
Geraldine Chaplin.
Chadwick Boseman of “Black Panther”
Sterling K. Brown
Damien Chazelle, Writer/Director of “La La Land” and “Whiplash.”
Playwright/actor (“August: Osage County”) Tracy Letts, at the showing of “Lady Bird” in Chicago in 2017.
2017: The film “Marshall” was a big one this year, with Chadwick Boseman and Sterling K. Brown in attendance. I had the opportunity to speak with Vanessa Redgrave about her direction of the film “Sea Sorrow,” concerning the immigrants washing up on the shores of countries like Greece. Redgrave was there with her son and quoted former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, saying that the plan was to take countries like England to court to force them to deal with the immigrants flocking to their shores. The films that impressed me this year were “Lady Bird” (Tracy Letts in attendance), Ruben Ostland’s Swedish film “The Square,” and Michael Shannon appearing on behalf of “The Shape of Water,” as was Michael Stuhlbarg (“Call Me By Your Name”). I remember chatting with Michael Stuhlbarg in the lobby area. As I spoke with Michael Shannon on the Red Carpet, he asked me, “How did you like me in ‘Hud?;” I attribute this to Shannon’s puckish sense of humor, as “Hud” was a 1963 Paul Newman vehicle, which I well knew. I also asked him what his favorite role was, and he said, without hesitation, “Take Shelter,” which also happens to be my favorite of his many fine films. I was surprised that he would answer the question at all, as it’s a little like asking someone which child is their favorite.
Director Steve Gukas and star of “93 Days” Danny Glover.
Michael Stuhlbarg: Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (aka, Dmitri) in “The Shape of Water.”
Sir Patrick Stewart give Lifetime Tribute Award at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival on October 25, 2017.
Ron Perlman in the background and Guillermo del Toro on the Red Carpet at the Chicago Film Festival. (2010).
2018: This year the U.K.’s Steve McQueen’s film “Widows” screened and he was given an award. Among those who appeared on behalf of the film were Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, and Brian Tyree Henry. (Seen more recently co-starring in the 2022 Jennifer Lawrence film “Causeway.”) William Friedkin—the GREAT William Friedkin—appeared and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. I had just heard him in Austin at the Alamo Drafthouse on Lamar talking about his film project, “The Devil and Father Amorph,” where he went in, solo, with a GoPro Camera and filmed a demonic possession and an exorcism. It was a far cry from “The French Connection” (1971), “The Exorcist” (1973) and “To Live and Die in L.A.” (1985), but it was a “local boy makes good” moment, as Friedkin began his career working for WGN and making documentaries. Carey Mulligan also received an Artistic Achievement Award and appeared to promote Paul Dano’s film “Wildlife.”
Helen Hunt at the screening of “The Sessions” on October 20th in Chicago.
Jason Reitman was on hand with “The Front Runner” about the ill-fated Gary Hart campaign for the Senate. When I spoke with Reitman in Nashville last month, where he was promoting his latest film “Saturday Night,” he made the humorous comment that I might be the only one in the theater during the Q&A who had seen “The Front Runner” and said, “I guess audiences are more enthused about SNL than about Gary Hart.” “The Hate U Give” showed this year as did Joel Edgerton’s “Boy Erased.” And—-most notably for me—Robert Forster was present with “What They Had,” a wonderful film that co-starred Michael Shannon and dealt with the effects of Alzheimer’s on the family unit. I took the opportunity to tell Robert Forster how much I had enjoyed his 1969 appearance in “Medium Cool” for Haskell Wexler and he was very gracious in saying I was too young to have seen it when it was new (wrong.) I will always remember this exchange with Robert Forster, because he died exactly one year later to the day on October 11, 2019, a fact which has stuck with me.
Interviewing Vanessa Redgrave on the Red Carpet in Chicago.
Michael Kutza (CIFF founder) points out that the Black Perspectives Artistic Achievement award is one inch taller than the Oscar while awarding it in presenting it to Director Steve McQueen.
Robert Forster, taken exactly one year to the day before his death.
Gael Garcia Bernal in Chicago to receive a Tribute and screen his second film on October 26th, 2019. (Photo by Connie Wilson).
2019: The thing I remember the most about the 55th CIFF, besides the screening of “Clemency,” was the appearance of Gael Garcia Bernal with his directorial effort, “Chicuarotes.” This was the largest crowd I remember seeing crowded in to a theater, all to see Bernal. I had a seat, but others were sitting on the steps to the theater. I left before the film ended; I felt bad that so many didn’t have a real seat.
2020: This was the year of the pandemic. I watched “One Night in Miami” (Regina King) via streamer and others by streaming, like most of America.
Rebecca Hall, director of “Passing,” in Chicago in 2021.
Kenneth Branaugh on October 21, 2021, with his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago International Film Festival.(Photo by Connie Wilson.)
2021: This was the year that Sir Kenneth Branagh showed up with “Belfast,” which seemed to have a good shot at winning an Oscar. Rebecca Hall also appeared, promoting her film “Passing,” about a Black woman passing for white. For that one, I actually bought the book and read it, as it was short. Todd Haynes “The Velvet Underground” also screened and the documentary “Punch 9 for Harold Washington,” which was a local success story about the election for Mayor.
58th Chicago International Film Festival logo
2022: The opening film was the documentary “A Compassionate Spy” by local director Steve James. His documentaries are great, but this one was a bit of a slog. Kathryn Hahn received a Career Achievement Award and the film “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was highlighted. The Al Sharpton documentary “Loudmouth” gave us a look at the activist’s life, while “For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign” was promoted by Katie Couric and detailed the harrowing journey of Chicago attorney and Obama supporter Brian Wallach as he is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and fights for himself and other patients in the same boat.
Connie Wilson with John C. Reilly at the 2011 Chicago Film Festival.
“We Need to Talk About Kevin” (2011) brought John C. Reilly to the CIFF AMC screening. He sat one seat from me (empty seat in-between) watching the Tilda Swinton co-starring film about a psychopathic school shooter. Watching him watch this intense hard-hitting film reminded me of sitting across from Nelson Algren at the Englert Theater in Iowa City, Iowa, watching him viewing the adaptation of his book “Walk on the Wild Side” (1962) for the first time. (Later that night, Nelson had a small brush with the law when he was caught smoking what we used to call “ditch weed” on a country road, but nevermind about that.) Watching someone see their creative effort onscreen for the first time is unique. I’ve never seen any of my screenplays put on the screen, but I’ve been present when they were given table reads at the Windy City Film Festival and the San Antonio Film Festival, and it’s an experience I can’t convey or describe well enough.
2023: It was my 20th anniversary. I was back where I started, which, was pretty much me buying my own tickets and attending and writing up my thoughts on the films (with memories of having done so for the past 50 years). In 20 years of attendance, I had only ever asked for one “free” ticket. I saw Michael Berg’s “We Grown Now,” which was fantastic in its recreation of the Cabrini-Green Housing Projects and Michael Shannon was present with his directorial debut, “Eric Larue.” Emerald Fennell appeared in support of “Saltburn,” which I liked very much. “The Bikeriders” brought Director Jeff Nichols to town, who directed Michael Shannon in “Take Shelter,” which he had told me many years before was his favorite role. Since Michael Shannon and Jeff Nichols are close, it was a good year for the festival, especially in terms of the top-notch films secured, including “The Killer” (Michael Fassbender) and Clare Cooney’s full-length film “Departing Seniors.” My favorite film of the festival was “Dream Scenario” with Nicolas Cage, directed by newcomer Kristoffer Borgli. It was razor sharp and hilariously funny, while being a very smart satire on what sells in America. Cage deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance.
May December. (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in May December. (Cr. Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix). My least favorite 2023 film.
Carey Mulligan, appearing in support of “Wildfire” in 2018.
Emerald Fennell at the Music Box Theater in Chicago at the 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 20, 2023. (Photo by Connie Wilson).
Director of “Dream Scenario,” Kristoffer Borglii at CIFF 2023.
Jeff Nichols in Chicago at the closing night of the 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 22, 2023.
Jason Reitman in Chicago with “The Front Runner,” closing film of the 54th Chicago International Film Festival. (Photo by Connie Wilson in 2018.
(L to R) Casting Director John Papsidera, Connie Wilson, and Writer/Director Jason Reitman in Nashville at the Nashville Film Festival showing of “Saturday Night” on September 21, 2024,
My first memory of attending a Chicago International Film Festival was 2003’s “The Human Stain” at the Chicago Theater. The film was miscast from the get-go, featuring Anthony Hopkins as a (secretly) Black man and Nicole Kidman as a washer woman. I went to school with Nicholas Meyer (“Time After Time,”“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”) at the University of Iowa, who wrote the screenplay based on the Philip Roth book. [In fact, he dated my roommate.] Robert Benton directed. The film had problems, not the least of which was being badly miscast. The fun part of the night was watching Harold Ramis come down the aisle and take his seat. Leonard Maltin said it was “An exceptional film.” I agree with that. It was exceptional for all the wrong reasons. It reminds me of the couple whose wife sent her spouse a bouquet of balloons with a card that read “Thank you for 20 Interesting Years.” You can take adjectives like “exceptional” and “interesting” and interpret then any way you want. Remember that trick (from a wordsmith with over 6 decades of published writing).
“The Human Stain” was 21 years ago.
“It Came from the 70s: From The Godfather to Apocalypse Now”
I began writing print reviews in the Quad City Times in 1976 with “Lipstick,” a film featuring the Hemingway sisters, Margaux and Marielle. A book emerged: “It Came from the 70s: From The Godfather to ApocalypseNow.” The book contained my reviews of some of the best films of the decade, with interactive trivia and answers on the following page, upside down. It was published by a small Rhode Island press in 2016, long after my reviews went from real newspapers to digital, initially for Associated Content, for which I also covered politics during the Iowa primaries of 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2016. (Yahoo Content Producer ofthe Year for Politics in 2008). After my first CIFF in 2003, I attended and wrote reviews that appeared on Associated Content and other defunct digital outlets. I remember reviewing 2008’s “Synecdoche” and Steve McQueen’s “Hunger.” I started blogging (www.WeeklyWilson.com) at my own blog in 2007 and began writing for www.TheMovieBlog.com soon after that.
2010: I met Alan Cumming, Guillermo del Toro and Forest Whitaker on the Red Carpet. Guillermo was also accompanied by his long-time friend Ron Perlman and were very kind and friendly at the after-party. Alan Cumming was not interested in speaking with those of us on the Red Carpet, but Guillermo could not have been nicer or more charming. I gifted Guillermo del Toro with a copy of “It Came from the 70’s.” He did not want to move on down the Red Carpet and began leafing through the book. At that point, he noticed that his shoe was untied and said, “Oh, no! Fat man with untied shoe,” and laughed. His handlers came and hurried him down the runway. Forest Whitaker was delayed for a very long time when his suit had to be pressed. He was much trimmer and smaller than he appeared onscreen.
At the former AMC Theater headquarters.
2011: Claude LeLouch (“A Man and A Woman”, 1966) attended. He was accompanied by Valerie Perrine, to whom he has been married since June 13, 2023. Perrine is LeLouch’s fourth wife (He was divorced from wife #3 in 2009). LeLouch was 74 in 2011 and is 86 today. In 1975, Perrine was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress[4] and the Golden Globe[5] for Best Motion Picture Actress (Drama) and won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role as comedian Lenny Bruce‘s wife, stripperHoney Bruce, in Bob Fosse‘s Lenny (1974). I recognized Valerie Perrine instantly. She was then 68 years old and as beautiful as ever. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2015. Another interesting Perrine fact is that she was the first to show her nipples on television (and did a fair amount of nudity on film) and that she was to have been hairdresser Jay Sebring’s date at Roman Polanski’s home (which belonged to Terry Melcher, son of Doris Day) the night that the Manson family attacked and killed the residents, including the then-pregnant wife Sharon Tate on August 9, 1969. (She couldn’t go at the last minute). “The Last Rites of Joe May” featuring Dennis Farina was the Opening Night film. Farina brushed past anyone with a still camera to head directly towards the television cameras present, but Gary Cole (a co-star) was very gracious and spoke with us all.
Gary Cole (Photo by Connie Wilson).
2012: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin showed up for the premiere of “Stand Up Guys.” Lana and Lily Wachowski showed up for “Cloud Atlas.” Helen Hunt was present and was terrific in “The Sessions.” “Holy Motors” came to us from Cannes with talking cars, which was not my favorite. Cannes’ films have a different sensibility, and this one certainly did.
Michael Shannon.
2013: Bruce Dern showed up with “Nebraska.” He told a very funny story about working with Alfred Hitchcock, who got stuck in his chair when he attempted to rise. Dern was then 78 (he’s now 88) and was not as mobile as in his prime, but he is still working today. Oscar Isaacs had his breakthrough role in “Inside Llewyn Davis: that year and was one of the nicest celebrities I’ve met, especially at the after party, where he chatted very sociably. Dario Argento was also in town for the festival and “The Immigrant” screened. Michael Shannon was there, and often is, which is a wonderful addition, always.
Haskell Wexler gave a presentation about his directing of films beyond 1969’s “Medium Cool.” He was instrumental in George Lucas going to film school. Wexler, a Chicago resident, is one of the 10 most influential cinematographers in Hollywood history. I’ll never forget seeing him covering the 2012 NATO demonstrations (with his granddaughter handling the camera work) in Grant Park when he was 90. Wexler won Oscars for his cinematography on Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Bound for Glory (1976) and over the course of his 60 years behind the camera and worked with directors as diverse as Mike Nichols, John Cassavetes, Hal Ashby, John Sayles, Elia Kazan, Norman Jewison, Tony Richardson and many more. He was a well-known liberal activist and did documentaries that supported his views, which I admired. He also has the distinction of having been fired by Milos Forman and Francis Ford Coppola.
Famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler in Grant Park during the NATO demonstrations in May, 2012.
When I saw him in Grant Park covering the NATO demonstrations, I quit, mid-interview, to streak across the park and get a picture of us together. Among his films that I admire greatly (besides “Medium Cool,” 1969) are “The Best Man” (1964), “In the Heat of the Night” (1967), “The Conversation” (1974), “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) and “Coming Home” (1978). Haskell Wexler died in Santa Monica on December 27, 2015. He was a true visionary and his film “Medium Cool” (1969) featuring a young Robert Forster was set in the streets of Chicago in 1968 against the backdrop of the 1968 Democratic Convention.
2014: This was a banner year, the 50th anniversary of CIFF. Liv Ullman came with “Miss Julia,” which she directed, and Colin Farrell and Jessica Chastain, the stars of the film, were here as well. I was sent over to Liv Ullman’s hotel suite to interview her. That morning, Rahm Emmanuel’s brother (the doctor) had written an editorial in the Chicago Tribune that advocated for everyone dying at 75. I took a copy to the interview and Liv and her elderly cinematographer and I had a spirited discussion of the piece. Also present that year were Kathleen Turner and Oliver Stone. Director Taylor Hackford came and reported to a headquarters temporarily rented for the 50th. Hackford was the star of a round table interview and later told me he was glad I was there, because the young journalists present were mainly interested in hearing about “Ray” (2004), whereas I go all the way back to “The Idolmaker”(1980)and “An Officer and a Gentleman.” (1982).
Liv Ullman and me.
2015: The famous guests who stick in my mind this year are Michael Moore with “Where to Invade Next?” (his first foray back to film in 6 years), Charlie Kaufman, and Howard Shore, the composer.
Two documentaries at the Nashville Film Festival caught my eye on Sunday and Monday, September 22 and 23. The first was “They All Came Out to Montreux,” followed by “The Black Sea.”“They All Came Out to Montreux” was a love letter to the man responsible for creating, founding and sustaining the Montreux Jazz Festival, Claude Nobbs. Oliver Murray created this documentary as a tribute to Claude Nobbs. Nobbs dedicated his entire life to making Montreaux, Switzerland, his home town, a premier destination for the very best musicians in the world. Claude and his partner showcased the Shakespeares and Picassos of Jazz and, over time, branched out to include other forms of music.
Nobbs was so devoted to musicians and helping preserve their work that he and his partner since 1987, Thierry Ansalm, digitally preserved every concert ever given there from 1970 on. (There are even a few from 1968 and 1969). They created a huge archive collection of the premier performers of the past 60 years. On this documentary there were many famous musicians either performing or talking about Claude—a wealth of talent from jazz, rock, blues, and beyond.
CLAUDE’S INFLUENCE
Claude was universally loved by all the musicians whom he encountered, although some of the locals in Montreux (Switzerland) on Lake Geneva (the Swiss Riviera) were not keen on having a bunch of hippies pitch tents on their well-manicured lawns. There was even an arrest of Claude based on his homosexuality that represented a trumped-up charge designed to stop his quest to make Montreux into a must-stop destination for World Class musicians.
Quincy Jones produced the festival for at least 3 years, with Miles Davis appointed as an honorary greeter. The voices we hear talking about the legendary Claude Andre Nobbs include Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, who lived nearby for some time and considered Claude’s archived music collection an oasis in the desert. Here is a (partial) list of the renowned names who either testify to Claude’s supremely enthusiastic vision or actually perform onscreen in short vignettes: Jack White; Wyclef Jean, George Clinton, Lizzo, Questlove, Carlos Santana, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, Sting, Carol King, Queen, AC/DC, Deep Purple, Muddy Waters, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Joan Baez, Shania Twain, Z.Z. Topp, Elvis Costello, Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Zappa. And many, many more.
CATASTROPHE
During Frank Zappa’s show, an audience member fired a flare gun towards the ceiling of the casino. The casino caught fire and burned to the ground. Claude personally rescued some teenagers from the burning structure. The song “Smoke on the Water” was composed to describe the incident. The fire didn’t stop Claude. He directed his irresistible enthusiasm and passion to the project of rebuilding. Three years later, there was a new casino for performers to utilize.
Nesuhi Ertegan, head of Capital Records, offered Claude a full-time job during the period that represented the manufactured gay charges, but Claude did not want to leave his home town. He was enthusiastic to the point that one admirer said, “Claude was too much.” He cared deeply about the music and the musicians. One voice on the film says, “When I started in the Music Business 35 years ago, the emphasis was on the 2 words The Music. Now it’s on the 2 words The Business.” Many said that Claude was fighting for the human factor of the music business and would be very unhappy with the trend today toward monetizing music. “His passion was deep. His whole life resolved around the festival.”
Claude was killed in a skiing accident on Dec. 24, 2012. He fell into a coma and died on January 10th, 2013 at age 76. But Claude’s friends and supporters like Quincy Jones (a producer of the film) collated this film to honor him and his irrepressible enthusiasm and passion for music and life.
“The Black Sea”
“The Black Sea”
The second documentary that we saw on Monday, September 23, chronicled a charming man who could also bring others together, even if he didn’t speak their language. That was the film “The Black Sea” which told the story of a Black guy from Brooklyn who ends up in Bulgaria with no money and no passport.
The synopsis reads: “Khalid, a charismatic big dreamer from Brooklyn gets stuck in a small Bulgarian resort town on the Black Sea after chasing a fast cash opportunity that goes awry. As the only Black guy around, he becomes the center of the town’s curiosity. His New York City street hip-hop rap is all he has to survive and figure out how to get home. But in his pursuit he finds connections in a way he never expected.”
The film showcased Derrick B. Harden as Khaled (who also did the rap music) and Ina, played by Irmena Chichikova . Crystal Moselle and Derrick B. Harden are the movers and shakers on this one, which has been picked up by Metrograph Pictures for distribution,. It had no real script and was shot during the pandemic, apparently in Bulgaria with cinematography by
The film was promising when Derrick arrives in Bulgaria only to learn that he has no passport, no money and no ability to communicate with the locals. It’s an absolutely terrifying feeling, which I have experienced. Derrick reminds of a younger version of J.B. Smoove and he uses his charismatic personality to figure it out (much like Claude Nobbs did in the Montreux documentary).
The lack of a plan for what happens next begins to pull the story down after that; the end of the film is not entirely satisfactory, but congratulations to the makers of this small film. The setting was beautiful in both films and there is a common thread beyond the beautiful geography and that is but one of their similarities. Both Claude Nobbs and Derrick B. Harden were positive people who had the charisma to organize others and that means a lot.
The World Premiere of “Catch A Killer” took place at the Nashville Film Festival on Saturday, September 21st. The idea of a serial killer basing his (or her) kills on famous slasher movies was somewhat original, but the entire film needed work. There are low-budget horror movies out there that show signs of originality (“Cuckoo” comes to mind), but this isn’t one of them. Written and directed by Teddy Grennan, the film starred Sam Brooks (“Fear Street, Part 2: 1978,” “Stargirl,” and “Long, Slow, Exhale”). Grennan is known for “Ravage” (2019) and “Wicked Games” (2021).
The film should have been a natural fit for me, since I was as an active voting member of the Horror Writers’ Association for years (and the author of “The Color of Evil” trilogy”). It wasn’t. I thought the plot, which leaned heavily on familiarity with the horror movie genre would be a natural and that Writer/Director Teddy Grennan had an intriguing concept, but it just didn’t work, for me. What were the weak points? The sound, the cinematography, the story and the over-use of herky-jerky shots of previous gory murders from famous films.
SOUND
For one thing, the screener had sound problems. I actually changed computers three times to watch it. You could not hear the dialogue well on any of three computers, especially at the very beginning of the film. I’d blame my computers, but this was on a desktop and two laptops. Beyond the volume issues, the sounds that were used to accompany the action of the film never seemed to “fit.” At one point, a sound like a drain backing up was used, which had nothing at all to do with what was onscreen.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Flashes of murders in a herky-jerky fashion opened the film. It was disorienting. Did not encourage me to keep going, but I did. (Once more into the breach!)
PLOT
Leading man Sam Brooks as Otto in “Catch A Killer.”
I found it unlikely in the extreme that the handsome leading man, Otto (Sam Brooks), had joined the police force at 17 by forging his GED and lying about his age. We may need more police officers, but no 17-year-old has been hired to be a policeman by pretending to be 18. Unbelievable. I also wasn’t buying the hot 26-year-old blonde getting Otto fired from the force.
Why a pregnant love interest? Although “Rosemary’s Baby” is mentioned at one point, the connection was tenuous. It was just something thrown into the plot that added nothing, ultimately.
THE SCREENPLAY
The dialogue was unrealistic. At one point the line is “I know this sounds pretty strong.” The term “Yo” was heard just prior to that. Nothing about the screenplay sounded “normal” or “natural.” (“Kojak is back, Baby.” “Kojak” ran from 1973-1978. Nothing like a timely allusion.)
Then there’s the factual content, like the statement that “9 out of 10 murders have forced entry.” Really? We’ve all been watching marathon doses of the Forensic Files for years, so that is not gonna’ fly. 55.7% of burglaries involve forced entry, while 37.8% are unlawful entries and 6.5% of would-be burglars attempt forcible entry. The most common time for break-ins is between 10 AM and 3 PM Those statistics are from a site called Statistica.com. True, it does not mention break-ins that lead to murder, but I think we all know that the cops will be focusing on people who knew the victim(s)—often the spouse, unfortunately. Yes, this is supposed to be a serial killer, but even serial killers have what are known as M.O.’s and the Orion map tie-in was really reaching.
CONCLUSION:
World Premiere of “Catch A Killer” at the Nashville Film Festival on September 21st.
The acting by the principals was adequate. Sam Brooks was photogenic and the supporting female leads were fine.
As I’ve said in other reviews, the actors (or actresses) are only as good as the material they are given. I will be surprised if this film rises above the 4.0 to 4.5 ratings that previous efforts by this writer/director/producer have garnered. I was also irked by the obvious attempt to “coast” on the much bigger movie “To Catch A Killer.” I have had this happen to me many times with my novel trilogy “The Color of Evil.” Somebody pops up with just “Color of Evil” and takes ads on your Amazon page, etc.
It is really annoying to have a different creator attempt to “coast” on the good reviews you may have built up with a similarly named film or book. Yes, it is legal, but maybe create your own title. Having said that, I learned only years later that there was a short story (Stephen King) with the same title, so perhaps that is what happened here and there really was no attempt to “use” the much better-known film. I hope that’s the explanation, except that “To Catch A Killer” seems much more widely disseminated as a title.
This one just didn’t work for me. Good luck to all on future ventures. After all, even Matthew McConaughy started out with “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and look at him now.
Jason Reitman brought his newest film, “Saturday Night,” a re-enactment of the opening night (October 11, 1975) when “Saturday Night Live” went on the air “live” for the first time to the Nashville Film Festival on September 21, 2024. When “Saturday Night” played to a packed house at the Nashville Film Festival, Writer/Director Reitman brought casting director John Papsidera with him. That was a master stroke, because this re-enactment of the opening night of “Saturday Night Live,” boasts a star-studded cast. There are so many up-and-coming young talents (and established talents, like Willem Dafoe and J.K. Simmons) involved, that it is almost impossible to list them all. But it’s worth trying, so you can keep an eye out for the identities of the over 80 speaking parts, figure out who that individual was (in historical terms), and marvel at the job that casting them all must have represented.
THE CAST
The plot is told through the eyes of the creator of “Saturday Night Live,” Lorne Michaels. Michaels is played by Gabriel LaBelle, who was cast as young Steven Spielberg in “The Fabelmans” (2022). Jon Batiste plays Billy Preston; Kaia Gerber (daughter of Cindy Crawford) is Jacqueline Carlin; Finn Wolfhard (“Stranger Things”) portrays an unnamed NBC page; Lamorne Morris (recent Emmy winner for “Fargo”) is Garrett Morris; Tommy Dewey (“Casual”) is head writer Michael O’Donoghue; Nicolas Braun (“Succession”) handles two roles, as Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman; Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”) is George Carlin; Cooper Hoffman (“Licorice Pizza”) plays Dick Ebersol; Andrew Barth Feldman (“No Hard Feelings”) is Neil Levy; Taylor Gray (“Star Wars: Rebels”) is Al Franken; Rachel Sennott (“Bottoms”) is Lorne Michaels’ first wife, Rosie Shuster, and Dylan O’Brien (“The Maze Runner,” 2014) is Dan Aykroyd. I’m certain I’ve failed to properly mention all of the up-and-coming stars of tomorrow in the film about 1975’s up-and-coming stars of tomorrow, but you’ll want to see how close the actors come, appearance-wise, to the real stars of “SNL.”
(L to R) Casting Director John Papsidera, Connie Wilson, and Writer/Director Jason Reitman in Nashville at the Nashville Film Festival showing of “Saturday Night” on September 21, 2024.
There are over 80 speaking parts in the film. John Papsidera (a sometimes Nashville resident), who also worked on “Oppenheimer,” described that as a huge number. The most difficult cast member to decide upon turned out to be Dan Aykroyd,(said the duo in the Q&A after the screening). Finding the right actor to play Aykroyd took the longest and turned out to be the most difficult. With the others, they said, they “tried to find the essence of the person. The movie is about who they are.” The key was to find one main characteristic per character, so Chevy Chase was primarily portrayed as egotistical. Garrick Morris was trying to identify how he fit in amongst the cast. O’Donaghue displayed the ability to say the nastiest things but have them come from a place of humor. Gilda Radner was always taking care of others.
THE PERFECT DIRECTOR FOR THE FILM
Back in 2007, right after “Juno” had made waves for Reitman, garnering Best Director and Best Picture Oscar nominations, Jason was asked what he wanted to do next. He mentioned his desire to write for SNL (as well as continuing to direct.) Jason was given a one-night stand opportunity to participate in the behind-the-scenes goings on writing for one SNL episode. He shared that Ashton Kutcher was the host (and starred in the skit Reitman wrote, entitled “Death by Chocolate”) and Gnarls Barkley was the musical guest “which gives you an idea what decade it was,” laughed Reitman. The cast members were discouraged from interacting with their real-life counterparts during shooting—(assuming the original was still alive.)
SETS
Writer/Director Jason Reitman.
Reitman shared this, “We rebuilt the 8th and 9th floors of Rockefeller Center from the original floor plans. We lived on that set for 2 months.” Various catastrophes present themselves in the hour leading up to the first broadcast. As the press notes say: “The writers are stoned. The sound system is f*****. The actors are physically assaulting each other. The crew is in open revolt. They have 90 minutes to get their shit together or the network is pulling the plug.” It’s just a good thing that Lorne Michaels “believes in his vision and he doesn’t really bend.” Many wonder if the fabled creator of “SNL” will bend after this season and pass the torch to a new generation. After all, it’s been a good year for creative visionaries who believe in their visions to step back from power and hand off the baton to their subordinates.
THE SCORE
Jason Reitman and John Papsidera in Nashville on September 21, 2024.
Jason Reitman: “Jon Batiste is a genius unlike anyone I’ve ever met in my life. He has a photographic memory of sound. We decided we should try to do the sound track the way they did SNL: live. There is music in the movie that would never have been there if Jon hadn’t been giving it to me like that.” Batiste’s rendition of “Nothin’ from Nothin” that kicks off the first show is electric. Batiste’s interpretation of the Afro-haired musician Billy Preston (who actually wore wigs for his gigs) was spot-on. Steven Colbert had Batiste for a short time as his band leader; he seems destined for much more greatness. Another recommendation for those who love great documentaries would be the new one by Paris Barclay about Billy Preston’s life, entitled “That’s the Way God Planned It.” There’s an entire feature film in there, for sure.
SCRIPT
The writing shows Reitman’s award-winning touch (Gil Kenan is co-writer.) Reitman’s film “Juno” won a nomination for Best Screenplay based on Diablo Cody’s collaboration on the script in 2007. “Up in the Air” won the Golden Globe in 2010 for Best Screenplay (based on the Sheldon Turner book). The script was also Oscar-nominated for an Oscar (2009) while winning the BAFTA that year. The script for “Saturday Night” has more zingers and one-liners than any film released this year.
Here’s just one quick example: “Let me know when my expectations exceed your capabilities” (to the light crew, after lights nearly fall on the performers.) Another good one, aimed at a meddling middle-aged female censor (Catherine Curtin as Joan Carbunkle; no relation to Jane Curtin): “I’ve heard that love is blind, and now I know why.” A continuing joke involves the cast trying to sneak sexual references into their scripts by misleading Carbunkle, the censor, as to what the phrases actually mean.
AWARDS
Writer/Director Jason Reitman of “Saturday Night” in Nashville on 9/21/2024.
Jason Reitman (born in 1977) was on the set of “Animal House,” which his father directed, in 1978 He has been involved in making movies ever since, beginning with 6 short films submitted to Sundance” in 1998. Reitman actually won the BAFTA in 2009 for Best Screenplay and has continued turning out truly enjoyable films like “Tully” (2018) and “The Front Runner,”(also 2018) a story about the ill-fated Senatorial campaign of Gary Hart of Colorado which starred Hugh Jackman. If I see it is a Jason Reitman film, I’m in.
When I spoke with Reitman and mentioned meeting him previously in Chicago the year of “The Front Runner” he suggested (ruefully) that I might be one of the few at tonight’s screening who had seen the film. (While I’m not sure about that, I have been reviewing since 1970,and that is 7 years before Reitman was born.) When I mentioned “The Front Runner” (Hugh Jackman starred) Reitman said, “It turns out that people were less interested in Gary Hart’s Senate campaign than in Saturday Night Live.” It’s a shame, as “The Front Runner” and “Up In the Air,” “Tully,” “Thank You for Smoking” and “Jennifer’s Body” are among my favorite films by any director working today.
More recently, Reitman directed “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (released on November 11, 2021) and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), which co-writer and collaborator Gil Kenan went on to direct solo. Reitman also produced (but did not write or direct) the DuPlass Brothers comedy “Jeff, Who Lives At Home” with Susan Sarandon, Jason Seigel, and Ed Helms starring, an early film (2011) with a lesbian subplot (also remembered from the Chicago International Film Festival in 2011).
STYLE
John Papsidera and Jason Reitman during the Nashville Q&A following the screening of “Saturday Night” on 9/21/2024 at the Nashville Film Festival.
There were discussions of trying to shoot the film in one long scene (as Hitchcock attempted with “Rope”). It didn’t work for Hitchcock in 1948, either. Instead “Rope” is made up of several 8 minute continuous shots. This was the length of film that fit onto one reel then. That ambitious idea had to be shelved in 2024 as well.
“Saturday Night” is shot using 16 millimeter film. The pace of the film is the pace of the production that night, as the cast struggles to make the project gel before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night. That was a great idea to assist the pacing, which is frenetic. As we learn, Johnny Carson was NOT supportive of SNL (originally called just “Saturday Night”). It represented the network (NBC) manipulating him during contract negotiations. The great (and oft-nominated Willem Dafoe) portrays David Tebet, the Chief Suit who will decide if “Saturday Night” goes on the air live or if canned re-runs of Carson’s “Tonight” show, will bump it. Like “Apollo 13,” even though we know how that plays out, it adds pacing and tension to the plot’s story and the show’s dilemma. (*I don’t know if that is true or creative license; it was a great idea and helps build the sense of confrontation.) Referencing the frenetic and often chaotic pace of the show on that night (and any Saturday night), the comment was made, jokingly, that the Michael Ritchie style was like “Robert Altman on amphetamines.”
KUDOS
Jason Reitman and casting director John Papsidera.
This is such an ambitious project. Hats off to all involved. “Saturday Night” is documenting the passing of the torch from one comedic generation to another. With the current political situation in the United States, movies about passing the torch from one generation to another are a hot commodity. With Jean Smart (“Hacks”) set to hostess the opening program of the 50th year of “Saturday Night Live” on October 11th, this edge-of-your-seat attempt to show who the original “Saturday Night Live” not-ready-for-prime-time players were yields a great movie that makes you feel something. As Reitman said, “It requires so much control to pull off the chaos.” He also pointed out “the distinction between simply telling a story and feeling something.” Paying tribute to his profession, he marveled, “It (filmmaking) draws on the talents of people in so many different disciplines.”
The film is “the prism that captures the light of an emerging generation.” The 50th season of “SNL” is upon us; the release date of October 11th is an homage to the television show’s debut date. Let the comedy begin
Does “Saturday Night” work?
Yes, it does. “Saturday Night” is hugely entertaining and never flags. Check it out at the theater on October 11, 2024,
The Josh Greenbaum directed documentary “Will and Harper” is showing at select theaters now and will stream on Netflix beginning September 27th. It showed at the Nashville Film Festival on Friday, 9/20/2024 having premiered, originally, at the 40th Sundance Film Festival in January, 2024. The 114 minute documentary depicts Will Ferrell’s 17-day cross-country trip with his close friend of 30 years, Harper Steele, who has just come out as a transgender female. Over 250 hours of film was shot and then reduced to this 2-hour look at being transgender in America in 2024. Harper—who was head writer at “Saturday Night Live” and started the same week that Ferrell did in 1995—was born Andrew Steele in Iowa City, Iowa, one of five children of University of Iowa professors.
THE GOOD
The best thing about the unscripted 17-day trip from New York to Santa Monica, California was how authentic and genuine the emotional relationship between Ferrell and Steele is. Both of them are reduced to tears, and you will be, too. Viewers come away with the feeling that Will Ferrel in real life is very much like his character in “Elf:” one of the nicest guys you could know. I hope that is sincerely the real Will Ferrell because, as a stranger in an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma bar tells him, “I like your support for your friends. There’s not a lot of it out there now.” Many have commented on how brave Harper is to have come out. There should also be praise for Will Ferrell (and friends) for being so supportive of Harper in MAGA America.
The trailer for the film shows Ferrell reading from the e-mail he received from Steele. It informed him that his old buddy was undergoing transgender surgery and would now be called Harper. Ferrell realized, somewhat belatedly, that he didn’t really know much about the transgender community. He proposed a 17-day cross-country road trip in Steele’s vintage Jeep Wagoneer (remember the wood?) to re-acquaint the new old friends. They were followed, discreetly, by a camera crew. As the film defines the goal of the documentary, “What are the new ground rules? How much has changed? How much is the same?” Apparently Steele had a reputation as someone who loved to take cross-country trips that stopped at dive bars, diners, and other such places—all of which sound dicey for a transgender woman traveling solo in the United States in 2024. Will would be able to run interference for his longtime friend as they criss-crossed America.
The music (Nathan Halpern) is very good, including the idea of having Kirsten Wiig write a “theme song” for their trip (She sings it at film’send). The cinematography—including a stop at the Grand Canyon—is also wonderful. Harper” is simply a real-life, honest comic gem amidst a sea of boring drek. Hopefully, it will do some good in the world in the ongoing fight against hate. We’ve had enough of divisive rhetoric and mean-spirited people who want to make themselves feel powerful and others feel fearful. Let’s hear it for inclusivity and the love and good will towards others we are urged to practice by all religions.
THE STOPS
The pair set out from New York and made stops in Washington, D.C., Indianapolis, Iowa City, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Las Vegas and various other cities, most of them in “red” states. They were received well everywhere but Texas, where rude tweets follow the duo’s appearance at a steakhouse (Ferrell dressed as Sherlock Holmes and attempting to eat a 72-ounce steak). One Texas tweet that commented on the stop the pair had just made at Harper’s sister Eleanor’s house in Iowa City, called Ferrell “a Satanic illuminati pedophile in Iowa.” But the general reception was the opposite, although one critic has asked the obvious question if that is because a celebrity was running interference for his old friend. (Others wondered about product placement, since Pringles and Duncan Donuts get a lot of conversational time,)
IOWA CITY & SORROW
Harper’s sister, Eleanor, when she received the same e-mail that Ferrell got, responded to him quickly, “Oh, good! I’ve always wanted a sister.” However, when the pair actually stops for the night at her home in my old college town, Ferrell asks her what her reaction was upon receiving the news. She admits that “I was totally surprised” and defines the emotion she felt as “sorrow.”
I felt that sorrow, too, when Harper shared journaling snippets of the pain experienced for decades: “It wasn’t about body parts. It was about how I am in my head. Fix me or kill me,” is one entry. “A lot of transitioning is learning to accept yourself” is another truth shared in Peoria, Illinois, in a meeting with a 65-year-old transgender woman. “I dream of a world where I can lay my vulnerabilities out there for anyone…I knew something was weird in me growing up in Iowa, but it was impossible to think of doing anything about it.”
In a world where gay men are being executed in certain countries, you just want to repeat Rodney King’s mantra. May 1, 1992, King called a press conference in hopes of stopping the death and destruction after the L.A. riots. “I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?”
CONCLUSION
This is a gem of a documentary, which contains so much pain and yet provokes so much laughter. One can’t help but smile when Ferrell, asked about his share of piloting the vintage automobile cross country responds, “I’m a narcoleptic and I’m not a good driver.”
As the theme song for the documentary goes, “a friend is a friend is a friend till the end.”
Catch this one when it streams on Netflix beginning September 27th.
Opening night of the 55thNashville Film Festival on September 19, 2024, highlighted a documentary, DEVO, directed by Chad Smith, which premiered originally on January 21, 2024 at Sundance. As it was introduced to the audience at the Belcourt Theater, the comment was: “So insightful in ways that I never thought it would be.” The “Whip It” creators formed DEVO in 1973 in Akron, Ohio. They still seem to be ready and willing to continue as a band, if not as able as they were in the 70s and 80s. The dedication at documentary’s end was to three members of the group who are dead. At film’s end three of the surviving members—Bob Mothersbaugh, Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerard Casale—answered questions from the audience via zoom screen.
At the Opening of the 55th Nashville Film Festival.
The band credits the impetus for their formation to the political unrest at Kent State, Ohio, that led to the May 4, 1970 deaths of 4 students (and thewounding of 30) who were demonstrating against the Vietnam War. As someone who took part in demonstrations of the era at Berkeley, I can remember and relate to the horror the members of the group experienced at this historic mis-use of power in the United States. Nixon had expanded the war in Vietnam without an act of Congress; my generation’s young men were being sent to Vietnam to die in a war that was ill-advised and unwinnable. The draft was in full swing; we were mad as hell and not going to take it any more. The students had set fire to the ROTC headquarters on campus and burned that building down. President Richard Nixon decided to send in the National Guard, who opened fire on the unarmed students.
AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
DEVO: photographed in Holland, 1978 by Barry Schulz.
Through the years, the band doggedly worked to satirize society and, as they admit, “We did some absurd things.” In explaining the famous “energy hats,” as well as the lacquered hair-dos that the band wore (based on JFK, not Reagan), the group admitted, “We like ironic humor.” They also said that the masks and hats and odd costumes were “a way to amuse ourselves—a very Meta idea.” DEVO was anti-punk rock, saying, “We’re the fluid in the punk enema bag.” Over the years, the group saw the future of film in music and began making music videos which were shown on MTV (MTV didn’t exist when the band first formed). Casale went on to helm music videos for current groups like Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters and Soundgarden.
Not only was the band way ahead of the curve in using music videos to promote themselves (most of which were directed by Gerard Casale), but they contributed to the birth of electronic music. Jim Mothersbaugh created circuit bending before there was a name for that process. Jim Mothersbaugh went to a muffler shop to build a guitar that was the precursor of the Moog synthesizer. In this respect, the film reminded me of the SXSW documentary “Resynator,” ,helmed by Alyson Tavel, which catalogued her father Don’s similar pioneering attempts to create the Moog synthesizer. (Highly recommended). DEVO has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, 2021 and 2022.
FAMOUS FANS
Audience members at DEVO at the Nashville Film Festival on 9/19/2024.
After a video that the band submitted won an award at the Ann Arbor Film Festival their fortunes took a turn upwards. Famous fans included David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger, Dennis Hopper, Leonard Cohen and Neil Young. Over the years, the band made appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” David Letterman’s “Tonight” show, daytime talk shows like Merv Griffin’s, “American Bandstand” and many others. Neil Young put them in a movie entitled “Human Highway” in 1977 (released in 1982) where the members of the group wrote their own parts and portrayed nuclear garbagemen.
However, the group said, “Being self-aware put us in a delicate position” and added, “How soon will you become the people you hated?”
Q&A
During the post-film conversation with three members of DEVO the trio shared some amusing details of what they term the “headache” solo. This episode is shown onscreen. The small audience of 12 people dwindled to 6 people when all the band played were electronic high-pitched sounds. As Mark said, “The guitar players backstage were having a horrible time trying to tune their guitars. The bit ran five times as long as we thought it would. It was Supreme Dada—like Andy Kaufman performance art.”
Bob Mothersbaugh, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Gerard Casale during the zoom interview after the documentary DEVO.
CONCLUSION
This documentary about a band best-known for their #14 Billboard Hit “Whip It” was quite interesting. It drives home the need for good marketing, good management, and good legal advice in areas like the music, publishing and entertainment businesses. While DEVO’s video marketing was good, it was ahead of its time as MTV did not yet exist. The management and the legal advice seem to have been spectacularly MIA.
That, as much as anything else, led to the death of DEVO—(if they are really and truly dead.) As Mark Mothersbaugh said, “Somebody decided that DEVO should die. We succumbed to the same reality we were satirizing.” He added, “DEVO didn’t officially end” and said, perhaps prophetically, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.”
Just finished watching the Emmies and—although not a comprehensive run-down of who won what—here are some impressions of the evening. Eugene Levy and his son Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”) hosted and did an excellent job.
SHOGUN, ET. AL.
While I do realize that “Shogun” set a record for the number of nominations, I have not seen it and will now have to find the time to take it in.
For me, given my admittedly not-comprehensive viewing of the nominees, I most enjoyed seeing “Baby Reindeer,” “Hacks” and “Ripley” win multiple awards. The Writer/Director/Lead Actor of “Baby Reindeer,” Richard Gadd, had one of the most inspiring remarks of the night (for me), upon accepting one of the three awards (Lead Actor in a Limited Drama or Anthology Series), which was this: “If ‘Baby Reindeer’ has proven anything, it is that the only constant is good storytelling that speaks to our times.” As a failed writer who attempts to speak to our times, thanks for that, Mr. Gadd. Co-star Jessica Gunning, who was fabulous in her role, was also present and won (Best Supporting Actress for a Limited or Anthology Series). It was nice to see Gadd wearing a kilt.
HACKS
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in “Hacks”.
As for the “Hacks” win, I was present at the sneak peek of this year’s “Hacks” at SXSW. The love and sense of community in the room eclipsed even the time that “This Is Us” cast came to town; in all honesty, I was not as big a fan of “This Is Us,” but everyone else in the room was. You could feel the love, just like this year’s season preview of “Hacks.” Jean Smart had some serious health issues that delayed filming. I was fearful that the series might die if she did. I truly enjoy her comic timing. It’s so nice to see a woman over forty with the lead in a wonderfully written humorous show. [If you haven’t watched it, get on that!] Hannah Einbinder, daughter of “SNL’s” Laraine Newman, portraying her young assistant needs to win an Emmy soon, however, as she is just as good in this two-woman series. This one I applauded loudly with its 16 nominations (48 overall).
THE BEAR
I enjoyed the dig at “The Bear” as not really being a comedy series. As a sometimes Chicago resident, I really tried to get “in” to the series. I just could not. I’m not that interested in watching people cut up vegetables. To me, the potential plot trajectory was easy to figure out. We watched about five of them and stopped. I really like Jeremy Allen White (Lip in “Shameless”), however, so maybe we will try it again. Not sure I have it in me, but it’s worth a shot.
KATHY BATES
Kathy Bates is going to reprise “Matlock” and she has lost tons of weight since I met her at the Texas Filmmaking Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Austin a few years ago. I enjoyed her quip about how it was hard to get a date after “Misery.” There was also a jab at how the network is aiming the series at old people.
With that pedigree as a writer, I sat up and watched every episode of the series “Ripley” on Friday night and he won tonight. It is based on the book and film that starred Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow (1999). It took me until 4 a.m, to make it to the final installment, which was exceptionally clever.
I came away with this observation about Italy: I CAN’T CLIMB THAT MANY STAIRS!!! As I watched character after character (policemen, victims, suspects, etc.) struggling to carry luggage up huge staircases (the elevator was always broken) I quickly abandoned any thought of strolling through the storied streets of Rome or Venice. Of course, I have been there a few times in my life, but my left knee was in better shape then. I didn’t injure it in the bicycling accident until 1997.
Having devoted most of Friday night to finishing off “Ripley,” I was happy to see Zaillion win. The end of the series was masterful, and the series was much different from the book or the film based upon it. It was a much more successful new look at an old property than the recent revival of “Presumed Innocent” from David Kelley. But “Ripley” is shot in black-and-white so be warned.
CANDACE BERGEN
Candace Bergen.
It was nice to see Candace Bergen again. She got in a good dig at former VP Dan Quayle and how he had criticized her character of Murphy Brown on her hit TV show for giving birth without benefit of marriage. She commented that no current Vice President would criticize her for having a child. She ended her (veiled political) remarks with “Meow,”
OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION
This winner (“The Traitor”) won for Peacock and Allen Cummings, the host, picked up the award. He’s literally one of only two celebrities in my 20 years of covering the Chicago International Film Festival who came to Chicago years ago and was rude to we “little people” (press). I won’t bore you with the details, but I did not clap when he won, even though I enjoyed his work on “The Good Wife.” The only one who was worse all those many years ago has since died, so that makes Allen Cummings the worst, for me.
LAST WEEK TONIGHT
John Oliver in November 2016
John Oliver won for the Outstanding Scripted Variety Show, which had 6 nominations this year and has amassed 67 total nominations. It was a well-deserved win, but the bit about Lorne Greene of “Saturday Night Live” having been nominated 85 times without winning was a comic jewel. There was also a similar bit about being nomiated 17 times without a win for a woman I think was Padma Lakshi (although, without a scorecard and in this category, not sure.)
OUTSTANDING TALK SERIES
“The Daily Show,” with 4 nominations, saw Jon Stewart (who only appears on Mondays) take the podium. Jimmy Kimmel, who was also nominated in the category and lost, got in a good zinger when he said something to the effect of, “I thought you said you were retiring.”
WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
This one went to someone named Will Smith for “Slow Horses.” “Slow Horses” is British and stars Gary Oldman. We needed captioning to watch it and tried hard to do so, without success. I wondered if Will Smith was going to slap anybody. (Oh. Wait. Wrong Will Smith).
My failure to know much about “Slow Horses” (other than that it is supposed to be good, like “The Bear,” but we couldn’t get into it), leads me to admit that I don’t know who Lamore Morris is or what show by Noah Hawley he stars in, except that he beat out Robert Downey, Jr., for the statue and he almost could not be gotten offstage. Seriously, he did not appear to have prepared any kind of “thank you” and it showed. All I can say is, “So many shows; so little time.”
JODIE FOSTER
Jodie Foster in 2011.
It was nice to see Jodie Foster win for her spooky role on “True Detective: Night Country” (even though the plot eventually defied logic and collapsed under its own weight ) but I have to admit that the thing that struck me the most about seeing her again (besides the fact that she had bare arms that looked toned and muscly) was that she publicly kissed her female Significant Other as she rose to accept her award. That is after beaucoup years of being mum about her status as a lesbian raised by a lesbian mother. There was also an award (The Governor’s Award) given to a man nobody knew, Gary Berlanti, for his LGBTQ support and activities,
Berlanti came to the microphone and made a very heartfelt statement about being gay in America in the bad old days. It made me happy that we do not live in the Russia or Iran or Iraq that actually makes it a crime to be gay (and, in some cases, executes such individuals) and reminded me of a powerful documentary I saw years ago at CIFF entitled “Be Like Others.”
Berlanti’s win and trip to the stage led me to hope that he would put in a pitch about voting for the candidate who promoted acceptance of all races, colors, creeds and sexual orientations. He missed that opportunity, although John Leguizamo got in some very relevant remarks about how nice it was that Latino actors (et. al.) are now getting to play the roles that they were born for, i.e., people of whatever ethnic persuasion the script required. Rita Moreno’s documentary “Just A Girl Who Decided to Go For It” stressed this aspect of movies of yore, and Leguizamo mentioned Natalie Wood being cast as Maria in the original “West Side Story,” by name (as well as Marlon Brando and others being cast for roles that should have gone to the minority portrayed.)
Ask yourself which presidential candidate or ticket would be most likely to welcome minorities and promotes inclusivity and vote accordingly. It will be interesting to see and hear the reactions of networks like Fox to tonight’s Emmy ceremony.
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