PHIL'S FILM ADVENTURES

Happy New Years everybody!! While the majority of the world was hungover, I stepped out to the Camera 7 in the Pruneyard Shopping Center over in Campbell to see the newest film from the American auteur director Martin Scorsese. Now Mr. Scorsese has directed some of the greatest films of the last part of the 20th Century: MEAN STREETS, TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL, THE LAST WALTZ, THE COLOR OF MONEY, GOODFELLAS, and CASINO. In this millennium, he continued his amazing streak with GANGS OF NEW YORK, THE DEPARTED (the film that finally won him his first Oscar), SHUTTER ISLAND, and the amazing and wonderful family film HUGO. Now he returns to the silver screen with many have said to be his best film ever. And THE WOLF OF WALL STREET truly lives up to all the hype and the acclaim!

The film's synopsis: Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, a Long Island penny stockbroker who served 36 months in prison for defrauding investors in a massive 1990s securities scam that involved widespread corruption on Wall Street and in the corporate banking world; from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

First off, all I can say is WOW!! This was one funny, insane, crazy, sexy, provocative, dramatic films that I have ever seen!! But then again, this is a Scorsese film, so what did I expect? You know you're gonna see something different and unique. But this...this is an entirely different beast!

Now as you know, the movie is based on the real life exploits of Belfort, and the movie captures all of the good, the bad, and the ugly as well at the wild, the crazy, and the overindulgence! It's a miracle that this man not only survived it all, but that he remembers it all!! I mean all the events that we see in the film took place in the 80's and early 90's. That was more than twenty years ago people! I barely remember what I had for breakfast this morning!! I mean, keep this in mind when you're watching this film: this man can handle a lot of drugs!!

Bringing Belfort to life is none other then Leonardo DiCaprio, who once again shows us just how insanely talented he is. And let's face it; than man was outstanding in the movie! He just turn it on and he cracks it all the way up to 11. And he has to because to portray Belfort, he had to really go for it. Leaving the comfort zone way behind, DiCaprio depicts him as an egotistical, greedy, misogynistic, drug addict that you love to hate. But here's the catch: you don't really hate him! Rather, you are in awe of this crazy man! Look at him and one sees the American dream come to life. In real life Belfort went from having nothing to having everything then having nothing again. It's almost like a Greek tragedy, expect nobody dies and he gets to have lots of money and power, do massive amounts of cocaine and Quaaludes, live in a humongous mansion, have an hot trophy wife (Margot Robbie as his wife Naomi Lapaglia), and have control over Wall Street!

Oh, and i just want to say that I would do anything if I could have Margot Robbie as my wife! Good lawd she is so damn hot and sexy and gorgeous and sexy and sassy and sexy and beautiful sexy in the film! Did I mention she was sexy? Ok good, I was trying to make a point there.

Also, just a friendly FYI, if you are offended of the word "Fuck" then this isn't the movie for you. In fact, I recently read somewhere that the movie has the word "Fuck" more times than any other movie in film history! It has more cursing in its three hours running time than the entire series of The Sopranos!! Seriously, that is a lot of swearing!!

Now the film has received its fair share of backlash, mostly from critics and select groups that say it's very misogynistic towards women and showcases them as just sex objects and glorifies drug use. OK, let me just state the obvious: THE FILM IS TOLD FROM JORDON BELFORT'S POINT OF VIEW! THIS WAS HIS LIFE AND THIS IS WHAT HE DID AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED!! Period! Now if it was based on a story that was a collabration with those who were there, then this would be an entirely different movie. But alas, it is not. So therefore, it is all based on Belfort's experiences and his alone. This is how he lived. This is what happened. And this is how it's shown here.

Overall THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is an all-out, balls-to-the-wall, funny, sexy, and entertaining movie!! And it's one my picks for Best Film at the Oscars!! Martin Scorsese knows how to make movies and you should go out and see this right now!! I'm planning on see this film again! But first I need to pop a few Quaaludes and snort a couple of lines of Coke! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Greetings from Hollywood!! Yup, I'm back in Tinseltown to attend an entirely different film event! It's called THE HOLLYWOOD SHOW and it is "the best known autograph show in the Hollywood area. It is held four times a year at The Westin LAX, with actors, writers, performers, collectors and celebrities coming together to meet fans and autograph pictures and merchandise."

I attended its first show of the year, which was held at the beautiful Loews Hollywood Hotel, which is located in the Hollywood & Highland Center, smacked dabbed in the middle of Hollywood! Just in case you didn't noticed, I was knee deep in Hollywood!

The convention itself was incredible! In the main room, there were excellent merchandise from all over Hollywood's past: posters, lobby cards, 8x10 glossies, rare collectibles, and so forth. Plus it was where the all the famous celebrities were. I got to meet the cast of THE KARATE KID and the cast of PORKY'S, Clint Howard, Joey Lauren Adams from CHASING AMY and DAZED AND CONFUSED, Tim Conway, Playmate of the Year Sara Underwood, John Schneider from The Dukes of Hazard, Ed Asner & Gavin Macleod from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins from THE PIRATE MOVIE, video vixen Bobbie Brown from Warrant's "Chery Pie" video (check out her new book Dirty Rocker Boys), just to name a few!

But the main reason I wanted to attend this show was that for the first time the producers were holding a Legends of Erotica section. Here they gathered some of the most famous actors and actresses from the golden age of adult cinema! Here I got to meet Kay Parker, Amber Lynn, Nina Hartley, Seka, Richard Pacheco, Veronica Hart, my old friend Ginger Lynn, and of course Ron Jeremy! I also got to meet two of the biggest icons in the adult industry: Jenna Jameson and Tera Patrick!!

Also appearing the Legends room was Robert "Cropsy" Rhine, editor and founder of the excellent magazine Girls and Corpses! I also had the pleasure of meeting up and coming author Wendy Richards, whose debut book Swing N2 My World is a real joy to read!

The Loews Hollywood Hotel.

The amazing view from my hotel room.

The Hollywood & Highland Center.

The Hollywood Show opens the doors to the public.

Legendary actor Ed Asner from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the Pixar film UP!

Me and Joey Lauren Adams from DAZED AND CONFUSED and Kevin Smith's films MALLRATS and CHASING AMY. She's also appeared in BIG DADDY, THE BREAK-UP, and SHE LOVES ME NOT.

Myself and Clint Howard, who's appeared in films like EAT MY DUST, GRAND THEFT AUTO, ROCK'N'ROLL HIGH SCHOOL, TICKS, THE ICE CREAM MAN, and Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN remake. And in case you were wondering, yes he is the younger brother of Ron Howard.

The sexy Bobbie Brown and I. She is best remembered for being in Warrant's "Cherry Pie" video. She just released her first book "Dirty Rocker Boys" and is on the reality show Ex Wives of Rock.

Me and the amazing Wendy Richards, who's first book Swing N2 My World is out now. Go Check it out!

Me and the incredible Veronica Hart. She's appeared in such adult classics like AMANDA BY NIGHT, WANDA WHIPS WALL STREET, and ROOMMATES. She's also a multiple AVN award winning director as well.

It doesn't get any classier than Nina Hartley. She's a legend in the adult film world. She's appeared in numerous adult films like EDUCATING NINA, TABOO IV:THE OBSESSION, and DOLL FACE as well as mainstream films like BOOGIE NIGHTS. She's also an AVN Hall of Famer, a sex educator, feminist, and author. And she's also drop dead sexy!

While at the event I ran into another adult legend who was just an attendee. Eric Edwards was the first man to do scenes with the lovely Linda Lovelace. He went on to star in such classics as THE PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN, JOY, BABYLON PINK, and DEBBIE DOES DALLAS. He is also in the AVN Hall of Fame.

Me and Ron Jeremy. 'Nuff said.

Me with the statuesque Tera Patrick. Her adult credits include CROSSROADS, FORBIDDEN TALES, ISLAND FEVER 2, and COLLISION COURSE. She has also written a biography entitled Sinner Takes All.

Me and the sexy Alana Evans. Her adult film credits include CONFESSIONS OF A CALL GIRL, RAVISHED, THE HOUSE SITTER, and the recent porn parodies like the NOT THE BRADYS XXX series and ET XXX. Along with doing adult films, she is an avid gamer and has a cool website called pwnedbygirls.com.

Me with my good friend Ginger Lynn. I had the privilage of meeting her at last years' Monsterpalooza. Her adult credits include classics like TRASHY LADY, NEW WAVE HOOKERS, TABOO IV: THE YOUNGER GENERATION, GINGER ON THE ROCKS, and her late 90's films TORN, WHITE LIGHTENING, NEW WAVE HOOKERS 6, and SUNSET STRIPPED. She's also appeared in mainstream films like VICE ACADEMY 1-3, YOUNG GUNS 2, EVIL BREED, and Rob Zombie's THE DEVIL'S REJECTS. She is also about to launch her new radio show so keep your ears out for that soon!

Here I am with another adult legend Kelly Nichols. Her films include ROOMMATES, CORRUPTION, NASTY GIRLS, SLIP INTO SILK, and my personal favorite GREAT SEXPECTATIONS. These days she is now a sought after make-up artist.

Amber Lynn is long, tall, and sexy! Find her in these adult classics: TALK DIRTY TO ME III, THE GIRL WITH THE HUNGRY EYES,A TASTE OF PINK, THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES 3: A NEW BEGINNING, and TABOO V. She also has her own radio show called Rock 'N' Sexxxy Uncencored! Make sure you tune in to her show!

Ginger Lynn embracing her old friend Kay Parker, the original MILF in the adult industry. She's stared in adult features like TABOO 1-3, THE DANCERS, SEX WORLD, and HOT BLOODED. She is currently a Metaphysical Counselor and Lecturer.

Kitten Natividad won the Miss Nude Universe twice in a row in 1970 and 1971. She went on to appear in Russ Myer's films UP! and BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENS. She appeared in dozens of adult films and had bit parts in mainstream films like the AIRPLANE films and low budget films like THE DOUBLE-D AVENGER and SUGAR BOXX.

Out in front of the H&H Center on Hollywood Blvd was a rock duo called Love Like Suicide, which BTW is an awesome band name! These ladies were simply amazing and had a huge crowd watching them. I was so impressed with them, I bought their CD and I've been listening to it ever since!

The Hollywood & Highland Center at night.

And folks, there you have it! My very first Hollywood trip of 2014! And what a way to kick off the New Year!! I'm planning to attend many more Hollywood adventures this year and I can't wait to share them all with you! In the meantime if you'd like to attend the next Hollywood Show, you're in luck! The next one will be held on April 13-15, 2014 at The Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel. If you'd like to know more about the show, which celebrities are attending, and to book your room, visit their official website at www.hollywoodshow.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

On January 2, 2014, while I was attending The Hollywood Show, I read a very shocking headline. Mike Vraney, the founder of Seattle's Something Weird Video, the very best of exploitation cinema, had passed away at the age of 56 due to his long battle with lung cancer. To fans like myself, this was such a heavy blow to take. Fans of exploitation love SWS and Mike's passion to unearth these "sinematic" treasures for all of humanity to enjoy.

I was just completely shocked by this news. Still am actually. I owe an enormous debt to Mike and his company for exposing me to these great films for these past two decades. Nothing I can say can express just how terrible I feel about this. However, his wife, artist Lisa Petrucci, released the following statement on the day of Mike's passing. It is repeated here in its entirely:

In Memorium
MIKE VRANEY
Founder of Something Weird
December 29, 1957 to January 2, 2014

We regret to tell you that Something Weird’s founder, Mike Vraney, passed away on January 2, 2014 after a long heroic battle with lung cancer. He was 56 years old, way too young to leave this planet. There was still so much Mike wanted to do in his life, so many films to be found, and adventures to be embarked upon.

This sad news may come as a shock to most of you. Mike was a very private person and didn’t want anyone, except his closest friends, family and colleagues, to know about his illness. He went through aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments for over a year, but sadly the cancer spread and cruelly took him from us.

Mike had a larger-than-life personality and a genuine enthusiasm for movies. Something Weird was his heart and soul, he was obsessive in his pursuit of tracking down the weirdest, wildest movies out there. And it wasn’t enough to find a few forgotten films, he was always in search of the movie motherload. (Making 370 two-hour volumes of Nudie Cuties loops is a good example of this. Who does that?! Mike Vraney!) Even as a child, Mike loved movies. During his teenage years, he worked at the Bel-Kirk Drive-In, and then later as a projectionist at the Green Parrot and Apple Theaters in Seattle. Then around 1990, Mike went in search of as many old, unusual, obscure, and lost low budget exploitation movies as he could, and preserved them for prosperity. Mike amassed thousands of these rare movies and had them transferred to video so that people could relive the good old days of going to the drive-in or grindhouse theater, in their very own home. We have him to thank for introducing fandom to the wonderful world of sexploitation sinema, rescuing it from the dark recesses of forgotten film vaults and defunct movie theatres.

Some of you may know that prior to Something Weird, Mike was involved in the early Seattle punk rock music scene. He was a partner in Modern Productions, the group who started Seattle’s seminal rock venue, The Showbox, in 1979. Mike then went on to manage such well-known bands as The Dead Kennedys, TSOL, and Seattle’s own The Accused. Mike always seemed to be at the forefront of whatever was happening and cool.

Mike’s second greatest passion in life was collecting old comics, vintage toys, movie memorabilia, and pop cultural ephemera. He enjoyed going to the swap meet and always had a magical ability for finding great stuff. But when he wasn’t working, collecting, or telling great stories, Mike spent quality time with his beloved family. Mike adored his wife and business partner, Lisa, and two (now young adult) children, Mark and Danielle. These three were the center of his universe, and his reason for getting up each and every morning.

The folks at Something Weird fully intend to honor Mike’s incredible legacy. Mike may be gone, but his remarkable achievements will live on. One of the happiest days of Mike’s life was when legendary David F. Friedman and Dan Sonney called him “the forty-first thief,” which to him was the ultimate compliment and recognition for his work. We’d like to think that Mike’s now hanging out with his old pals Dave and Dan, reminiscing and talking shop with Dwain Esper, Kroger Babb, Barry Mahon, Joe Sarno, Doris Wishman, Bob Cresse, Dale Berry, Michael Findlay and all the other exploiteers and smut peddlers who’ve gone to the great grindhouse in the sky.

We will miss Mike with all our hearts. Goodbye dear friend, husband, father, and fearless leader…
– Lisa Petrucci, Tim Lewis, Kendall Bechtel, Mark Vraney, Danielle Vraney of Something Weird Video

Fans of Mike and of Something Weird Video are encouraged to visit the official Mike Vraney Memorial Tribute page on Facebook as well as to help make a donation to the Lung Cancer Alliance on his behalf. To Lisa Petrucci, Mark and Danielle Vraney, Kendall Bechtel, the Something Weird Video staff, and to the rest of his family and friends my deepest sympathies.

If your a hardcore fan of horror, exploitation, sexploitation, underground films, cult classics, nudie cuties, roadshow flims, burlesque features, loops, crazy cartoons, etc, please visit the Something Weird Video website at www.somethingweird.com.

Thanks for reading, and rest in peace Mike!

I recently had the pleasure of finally going out and seeing some movies in the theaters, which has been long overdue! Yes, I've been spending a lot of time down in Hollywood, but as the old saying goes, "There's no place like home." So I headed back to the Camera 7 in the Pruneyard Campbell to see the indie film drama NEBRASKA.

The film stars acting legend Bruce Dern as Woody Grant; an old, cantankerous alcoholic father who thinks he's a millionaire after receiving a sweepstakes letter in the mail. Instead of mailing the letter back and risk losing his fortune, he swindles his youngest son David (Will Forte) in driving him from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska. Along the way they stop in Woody's hometown for a family reunion, where both father and son learn a little more about each other.

Directed by Alexander Payne (ELECTION, ABOUT SCHMIDT, SIDEWAYS, THE DESCENDANTS) and written by newcomer Bob Nelson, the film takes the traditional road trip scenario and turns it completely on its own head. While most road trip films are comedic, predictable, and somewhat juvenile, this takes it to a whole different level; it's sincere, honest, funny, and showcases a father/son bonding that is touching and real.

Bruce Dern gives what has been called his best performance ever on film! His Woody reminded me a lot of my grandfather when he was still alive, and it hit really close to home for me. He brings a lot of stubbornness (which brings in the comedy factor) and as the film unfolds, we get to know more about Woody, his life, his choices, and his mistakes. His vulnerability anchors the film and brings it

It's about time that Dern finally get his recognition he deserves. Here is an actor who has appeared in movies sine the 1960s. Acting in a couple of Roger Corman cult classics like THE WILD ANGELS and THE TRIP, we went on to act in films such as SILENT RUNNING, THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS, THE 'BURBS, MONSTER, and DJANGO UNCHAINED. Dern has payed his dues for years, and it's so gratifying to see him finally get his spotlight.

Another amazing aspect of the film comes from Will Forte, who is more famous for his comedy sketches from his time on Saturday Night Live. His role as David shows that Forte can also to more than just comedic roles. He has the acting chops to be in dramatic roles and I hope to see him stretch more as an actor.

The movie was shot in black and white, mush to the dismay from distributor Paramount Vantage's wishes. It gives the film a beautiful and poetic look; creating a bleak landscape that captures the bleak of nothingness of Middle America. At times it's almost hard to watch because there is nothing. Nothing to do but getting drunk at the local bar. Local businesses are closed, farms are dried out, the townsfolk walk around town almost aimlessly. Truly a bleak existence that is captured in glorious black and white.

NEBRASKA is one of my favorite films that I have seen thus far this year! It is one of the best indie dramatic films that I have the pleasure of viewing! This is Americana at its finest! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

NEBRASKA is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Independent films take a lot more chances than their Hollywood counterparts. It is these chances that can make or break a film, but I applaud the filmmakers for taking that chance anyway. Originality is something that we are sorely missing in modern day cinemas. Thankfully, we have auteur Spike Jonez, who has cleverly combines several genres to create the science fiction, romantic comedy drama entitled HER, an interesting examination of what happens when loneliness and technology meet.

The film's official synopsis: Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) composes heartfelt missives for lovers, family members and others with whom his clients have a soulful connection, but his own emotions have remained a mystery to him since breaking up with his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara). Then he develops an unlikely new virtual relationship with Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), an artificially-intelligent computer operating system that has a curiosity about the world and the joy over quotidian details that have been missing for so long in his life.

Here is a very interesting take on what the meaning of love and relationships in the 21st century where technology rules our lives. Have we become so disenchanted with other people that we would rather communicate with one another via email? Have we as a society have forgotten how to communicate and so we rely on technologies or apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr? To show love or some kind of emotions are we now forced to call 1-800- FLOWERS and send roses to express ourselves? To try to make plans with family or friends as become cumbersome, so we now just use Skype to converse.

Here we have Theodore having difficulty with being among people, especially after his bitter divorce from his wife. Joaquin Phoenix demonstrates that pain, as well as anxiety and how uncomfortable it is for him to be among people. Suddenly, even the near future, we will still suffer from being withdrawn and apathetic. But what is it with the human race being unable to express ourselves with words? Are we that scared of what other people will say or think? Nowadays people use dating websites to meet and maybe find their "special someone." In the film, Theodore finds love in the last place he was expecting.

We do not see Scarlett Johansson at all in the film. We only hear her voice: her soft, sexy, sweet, curious, happy, loving voice. It really surprised me that she has so much acting range in just her voice. Here the audience become sympathetic with Samantha, even though she's just a computer program. Be we witness her grow more and more, and with each passing day, we see something magical happen: we witness the miracle of falling in love.

Now I want to put my stamp on this subject, which has been in huge debate since the release of the film. I want to say, on record, that Theodore and Samantha's relationship was indeed very real! Yes I know what you're thinking: What the hell are you talking about? He's real! She's a computer program! They relationship can't be real because she isn't real!!

Now who are we to judge what is real or not? Or better yet, if their love was real? Their love is real because it was real to them! Period! He is a frail, lonely man who cannot connect with people. She is a program who is capable of growing into something more than just original design. Together, these two misfits discover something about themselves that transcends into something the is very real to them. Because they feel it, and they are able to express it, that makes their love and relationship real!

HER is one of the most original love stories ever told in the world of cinema!! This is a different kind of date film you will ever see! Take my advise and go see this enchanting love story on the big screen as it was meant to be seen! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

HER is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Last year I had the privileged of seeing the world premiere of SOMEWHERE SLOW, an amazing indie drama at the 2013 Cinequest Film Festival. Now the film had returned back home to San Jose, as the film was booked for one week only at the Camera 3. To make this event even more special, writer/director Jeremy O'Keefe and actor Graham Patrick Martin would be in attendance for the 5pm screening on Saturday, and yours truly was there to witness this event!

In case you missed it, here is my original review of the film when I saw it during Cinequest 23:

Written and directed by Jeremy O'Keefe, the movie's about Anna Thompson (Jessalyn Gilsig), a Forty-something, bulimic, chain smoking woman who suffers from very low self-esteem. When she gets mixed-up in a convenience store robbery, she makes a decision to walk out of her life, not knowing where she's going. Along the way she meets teen runaway named Travis (Graham Patrick Martin), who's also on his own journey of self-discovery. The two form an unlikely bond which develops into something much more, but eventually Anna realizes that she can't runaway from her old life.

All I can say is wow! What a powerful and amazing film that tackles the topic of a female mid-life crisis, which we don't see too often. But a closer examination of the film tells us that we cannot run away from our problems. However, sometimes you need to step out of your life and see what's wrong with it and how you can fix it. Anna steps out of her normal routine and begins a journey to which she doesn't set out intentionally, but along the way, she learns about herself and discovers that you need to go back home to remind yourself of who you are. After the screening, most of the cast and crew (including Jeremy, Jessalyn, and Graham) participated in an informative Q&A. Highly recommended!

It has been a year since I've seen the film and it was incredible to see it on the big screen once again! It still hasn't lost any of its power to make the audience laugh, cry, and enchant! After the screening, O'Keefe and Martin participated in a Q&A with the audience. O'Keefe informed the audience that the film has gone one to win rave reviews from other film festivals, including the 2013 Brooklyn Film Festival where it won Best Narrative Feature. It has garnered positive reviews from publications such as the LA Times, The Village Voice, The NY Times, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. But the big news that O'Keefe shared was that the film is now available to watch as a VOD via Amazon!!

SOMEWHERE SLOW was one of my favorite films from Cinequest 2013!! This is what I love about independent films! They don't follow the trends or tired out conventions that Hollywood relies on! Here is s film that makes you think while falling in love with it! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

SOMEWHERE SLOW is currently playing in select theaters nationwide. To see if it's playing in a theater near you, make sure you check out the film's official Facebook page. The film is now available to download to rent or to buy on the Amazon website.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

You know, when someone says the word Lego, my mind becomes filled with all the cool things I built with them: buildings, airplanes, cars, trains, lightsabers, etc. I loved my Legos, and so did my brother. Years later when my sister was born, she became a hug Lego fanatic! She had more Legos than my brother and I had combined! Then the Legos morphed and changed; now you can make official Star Wars vehicles, or comic book action heroes and the Star Trek starship out of them. Soon after, there were awesome video games that had outstanding computer graphics! All this leads to the release of THE LEGO MOVIE, which I saw in 2D over at the Camera 12 in Downtown San Jose.

The film's official synopsis: Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt), an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure, is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop the evil tyrant Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell), a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared.

Also contributing their vocal talents to the film are Will Arnett (Batman), Elizabeth Banks (Wyldstyle), Alison Brie (Unikitty), Nick Offerman (Metal Beard), Liam Neeson(Bad Cop / Good Cop / Pa Cop), Morgan Freeman (Vitruvius), Cobie Smulders (Wonder Woman), Channing Tatum (Superman), Will Forte (Abraham Lincoln) and Jonah Hill (Green Lantern).

Directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord (CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, 21 JUMP STREET, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2) keep the film moving fast and furious, never letting up or slowing down. Right from the get-go, the film will leave you in stitches from the first joke till the last joke. But not only that, the film is action packed and captures every child's imagination at it full throttle! I remember playing with my Legos and THIS is how I imagined what I was playing with! Truly inspiring and captures the wonders of a child's mind!

Miller and Lord also wrote co-wrote the film's script along with siblings Dan and Kevin Hagema, who have experience in writing family films such as HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA and its upcoming sequel and several episodes for the children's television series Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu.

As I stated earlier, I saw the 2D version of the film and I thought it was outstanding! I am very interested in viewing the film in all its 3D glory! So look for me seeing this film again in the very near future!

Overall THE LEGO MOVIE is a smart, funny, action packed children's thrill ride of the year! The movie totally blew me away! I have never witnessed a more clever family film in all my life! Hopefully this movie will be a first in a new series of films that I would love to see. So if you're looking for something to do with the family this weekend, take them to see this movie!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

THE LEGO MOVIE is currently playing in both 2D and 3D in theaters nationwide, including the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Hello again everybody and welcome to the 2014 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. This past Thursday night was Opening Night and once again yours truly was back as the host! The series was kicked off into high gear with the screening of the 1998 Coen Brother's film THE BIG LEBOWSKI! Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

The film's official synopsis: When "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, two thugs urinate on his rug to coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. While attempting to gain recompense for the ruined rug from his wealthy counterpart, he accepts a one-time job with high pay-off. He enlists the help of his bowling buddy, Walter (John Goodman), a gun-toting Jewish-convert with anger issues. Deception leads to more trouble, and it soon seems that everyone from porn empire tycoons to nihilists want something from The Dude.

Also appearing in the film are Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Tara Reid, Flea, John Turturro, and the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman.

When the film was released to theaters by Universal Pictures on March 6, 1998, it made a loud thud at the boxoffice. The film's budget was $15 million but it only grossed only a little over $5 million. However, it achieved its cult status when it was released on DVD. Then a couple of years later is was booked for the midnight slot at the New Beverly in Los Angeles. Then it played over in Santa Cruz at midnight screenings for the six months. Now it's hailed as a true cult classic and a beloved Coen Brothers film!

Tonight we had over 40 people in attendance!What a great way to kick off the 2014 season! Now like I said, the Camera 3 will be showing one cult classic film twice a month from now till November. Next month we'll be screening the 1995 cult classic SHOWGIRLS on Thursday, March 13th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, March 15th at midnight! So make plans to attend this screening folks! It's gonna be wild, crazy and sexy!! To view the full 2014 Cult Movie schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Last Sunday night I had the opportunity of attending a live stage production of a play that sounded very interesting to me. Every now and then I like to take a break for seeing movies and watching some terrific plays. However, the subject of this particular production has its roots in the San Francisco porno scene and, more specifically, to the most infamous filmmaking duos of all time. The show I saw was THE PORNOGRAPHER'S DAUGHTER: THE TRUE TALE OF GROWING UP WITH THE MITCHELL BROTHERS, which was playing over at the Z Spot up in San Francisco. At to make the event even more special, the Sunday night show was the last show here before moving on to Los Angeles!

The show was written and performed by Liberty Bradford Mitchell, the daughter of the late pornographer Artie Mitchell. Along with his older brother Jim Mitchell, they became known as the Mitchell Brothers, who first became popular with their pornographic loops they use to make. But the made history (and changed history) with their full length feature film BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR, the film that put the west coast on the XXX map.

Liberty's show consisted of her father's and Jim's childhood days growing up, how Artie met her mom, the breakthrough smash of BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR, and all the drama that was having Artie Mitchell as your father, but also having Jim Mitchell as your uncle.

Liberty's performance was exquisite, heartfelt, funny, sad, and tragic. Dealing with these accounts first hand, I sat their knowing only the history of the Mitchel Brothers from what I read in books and in films. But Liberty had the distinct advantage of growing up a Mitchell, and to have her tell us, in her own words, the good, the bad, and the ugly that transpired was nothing short of amazing! I can't imagine how difficult it must have been growing up in this environment, especially since at the time that the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre was being raided on a weekly basis and Artie and Jim were constantly being hauled away to jail. But the true travesty of them all has to be the events that transpired on February 27, 1991, when Jim shot and killed Artie. To see Liberty tell us about what happened that day sent shivers up and down my spine. Loss, grief, and anger filled her eyes, her voice, her body.

Liberty Bradford Mitchell & Myself.

Helping Liberty to bring her story to life was director Michael T. Weis, who's famous for portraying the character Jared on NBC’s television The Pretender. Also contributing to the show was Liberty's house band The Fluffers, which is one of the best band names of all time! And the Z Space was the perfect venue to hold this production. It was small and quaint, but intimate and wonderful.

THE PORNOGRAPHER'S DAUGHTER is a slice of local history that we were only told half of it. Thanks to Liberty Bradford Mitchell, she comes forward and tells us the complete story about San Francisco's Mitchell Brothers, the sexual revolution, and how it has changed her life. This was a fantastic play that I encourage you all to see, whether or not you are a fan of the Mitchell Brothers or not, Liberty's story is an inspiring one. 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

THE PORNOGRAPHER'S DAUGHTER: THE TRUE TALE OF GROWING UP WITH THE MITCHELL BROTHERS just wrapped up its run in San Francisco, but it will be heading down to the LA area. To learn more about the show, Liberty Bradford Mitchell, and where it will be playing at, visit the official website at http://pdtheplay.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come! Tonight was the opening night of the Cinequest Film Festival here in Downtown San Jose! Once again yours truly is covering this momentous event, and like last year, I am expecting to see some of the very best in independent, foreign, and documentaries here for the next thirteen days! Once again I got to see some old friends like my good friend and fellow blogger Jason Wiener from Jason Watches Movies as well as Alison Murray, Christopher Garcia, Terra Wood-Taylor, Michael Rabehl, and a few others. At this year's festival I hope to once again make new friends and as well as new memories. And this year I am hoping to break my record attend 60 screenings in the next thirteen days, so let's see if i can pull this off!

The opening night was held once again at the beautiful California Theatre on South First Street. There was the traditional red carpet with numerous filmmakers talking about their films to the press and posing for the cameras. Soon I found my way to the front row where Jason and our good friend Roy from the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum was saving me a seat. Around 7 o'clock the lights slowly dimmed and the show began!

The night began with a really funny and cute short film entitled RPG OKC, which is about finding true love in a 8-bit Nintendo game world! After the short, Cinequest screened this year's festival trailer that will be shown before each screening, which was made by the talented folks over at Guerilla Wanderers.

Then Cinequest director and co-founder and Halfdan Hussey came out and greeted everyone and thanked all out sponsors. He then introduced Eric Kohn, Chief Film Critic and Senior Editor for Indiewire, to receive the first ever Cinequest Media Legacy Award. Kohn then made a very quick speech about championing small independent films and how we all should support these fine little films! He mentioned some examples and Jason and I applauded after each one since we knew them, which made Kohn acknowledge us, which I thought was pretty damn cool!

Afterwards Halfdan then introduced Cinequest President and co-founder Kathleen Powell to introduce the recipient of the Maverick Innovator Award, the legendary Martin Cooper, the inventor of the cell phone, which took him 30 years to get off the ground! Afterwards, Halfdan once again welcomed back NBC Bay Area News Meteorologist Christina Loren to introduce the festival's opening film THE GRAND SEDUCTION.

Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch& Gordon Pinsent in THE GRAND SEDUCTION.

The film is set in the quaint and quiet fishing harbor called Tickle Cove where its townsfolk have been collecting unemployment checks because all the fish are gone, forcing some to look for work in the big city. However, things start looking bright when a plastics manufacturer wants to build a factory in their town, but there's on catch: the town needs to have a local doctor. Frantic that they might lose their one chance of rebuilding their town, newly elected mayor Murray French (Brendan Gleeson) with the help of his best friend Simon (Gordon Pinsent) find Dr. Lewis (Taylor Kitsch), who has been recently "banished" to this seaside town. With the help from the rest of the townsfolk, Murray must convince Lewis to stay with them or else lose out on their factory contract.

Based on the French film La Grande Séductionby Jean-Francois Pouliot, this new version was directed by Don McKellar (LAST NIGHT, CHILDSTAR) and written by screenwriter Michael Dowse (TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, GOON, THE F WORD). Both of these talented individuals really make the film very funny and charming to watch! McKellar does a great job of letting the camera capture the beauty and tranquility of Tickle Cove while simultaneously getting up close and personal with its residents. The laughs come calmly and with precise timing as to have the audience laugh at one joke at a time while not missing the next one being set up. Dowse does an excellent job of creating three dimensional characters that sweet, funny, and at times mischievous.

The cast itself is fantastic! Gleeson's Murray is tough as nails kinda guy that will do whatever he can to bring work to his town, even if it means lying to poor old Dr. Travis. Kitsch, who plays Travis, starts off as the arrogant, douchebag doctor who really deserves to have a "wake-up call" that runs his life around. But when he does fall in love with Tickle Cove, Murray and Simon begin to feel guilty because of their lies and deceit. And the townsfolk themselves all carry funny attributes that border on absurdity to the down right wacky! Overall, the film has some terrific acting here, folks!

The film comes to us from the Great White North, better known as Canada. Now at last years festival, I mentioned it looked like Canada invaded San Jose because there were so many Canadian films that it was unbelievable! But the reason there were so many last year was because they were all damn good! For a long time Canada was known for making some excellent and landmark horror films like RABID, MY BLOODY VALENTINE and PROM NIGHT, but now it looks like they'll be now know for their hilarious and heart warming comedies! And it looks like THE GRAND SEDUCTION will be keeping in good company now!

After the screening, we all headed over to the lavish after party, which was held over at the South First Billiards, where they was plenty to eat, drink, and music to dance to as well as pool tables galore! Food was catered by the fine people at Justin's and snacks were once again provided by Jen's Cakes located here in Willow Glen! Drinks were provided by Tito's Vodka and Stella Artois!! The party was completely off the chart!!

THE GRAND SEDUCTION was the perfect film to kick off Cinequest 24! Now you can partake in this very important film festival event. To view film schedules, information about the festival, and to purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Hello again everyone and welcome to Day Two of my trip to the Cinequest 24 Film Festival! Today I had the pleasure of seeing four diverse films so let's get on with the show!

The first film I saw today was the poetic MAPA over at the Camera 12. This documentary tells the story of a young Spanish filmmaker who is making a "video diary" of his journey to India to heal from his devastating break-up with his ex-girlfriend. After being fired from his directing job as a children's television show, he begins his quest of finding life and love while searching for himself.

Before the film, the festival screened a short film entitled SHOTGUN CYANIDE, which is part of their Picture The Possibilities (PTP). The short is about three friends who all seem to be your happy-go-lucky teenagers. However one is carrying a dark secret that could cost him his life, if his friends don't get to him first.

The documentary proves once and for all that no matter what dialogue you speak, we all can speak and understand the language of love. This hits all too close to home for myself, having been on the receiving end of a break-up, the trials of self healing and self discovery are all too familiar areas that we must all travel through in order to heal. Director Leon Siminiani gives us an inside look at his heart break and his rites of passage of self healing. 3 out of 5 stars! The film will be screened again on Monday, March 10th at 6:45pm and on Tuesday, March 11th at 6:15, both at the Camera 12.

The second film I saw over at the Camera 12 was the animated film CHEATIN'. Now this was a real treat for me to see! The plot is very simple: Girl meets Boy. They both fall in love. After some miscommunication, Boy cheats on Girl. Girl finds out and plots her revenge. But all isn't as it appears to be.

The film was created by the one and only Bill Plymton, who's animation is the stuff of legends! What sets him apart from other animators is that he still draws his films ONE FRAME AT A TIME!! Because of this, his films take on this surreal look that borders on the beautiful and the nightmarish. It's a little rough around the edges, it's in-your-face, it's the look of a genius at work! This being his seventh film, it proves that Plymton is still carrying the torch for traditional animation! And I applaud him for this! This film is another example of history that filmgoers don't get to see too often! 4 out of 5 stars!! The film will be screened again on Friday, March 14th at 9:30pm at the Camera 12 and again on Saturday, March 15th at 9:15pm at the California Theatre.

For film number three for me I headed over to the California Theatre to see LIFE IS LOVE. The documentary tells the story of a group of young Cambodian women who were sold into human trafficking (some by their own family because of the the Khmer Rouge, so they sell one child so that the other can live), which has become a major issue in select countries. The women interviewed are, without question, some of the bravest women in the entire world. To overcome such abuse and devastation, these women find salvation and hope in Somaly Mam, a survivor herself, who has helped these women transform their lives. Mam is a leader in fighting against human trafficking and for human rights, and she continues to become a beacon of hope.

This powerful documentary was produced and directed by Cinequest co-founders Halfdan Hussey and Kathleen Powell. Originally intended to be a Picture the Possibilities short, the project continued to grow and grow until it became the full length feature is has now become. Watching this film is the equivalent of getting hit in the gut by a Mac Truck! It made me an emotional wreck, just hearing these stories of these women being locked in their rooms, serving clients at the age of 10, and then to hear from the clients themselves, who suggest that they need more "romance" but in reality, these men (and I use that term very, very loosely) are nothing more than sick, rich, perverted child molesters who should be sent to jail and raped themselves! Thanks goodness that there is Somaly Mam, who is providing hope and love to these abused young women. One of the most powerful documentaries I've seen so far! Try not to cry during this film! 4 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be shown again on Sunday, March 9th at 2pm at the Camera 12.

For the forth and final film of the day I stayed at the California Theatre to see the foreign film CLASS ENEMY. In this intense drama, a strict, emotionless teacher arrives to teach a German class midway through the year and shows no contempt towards his students. But when a female student who he has last seen with commits suicide, the students direct their anger towards their new teacher, who carries on like nothing happened, which only adds more gasoline to this already out of control fire.

This is a prime example of what I love about watching foreign films: excellent acting, compelling story, great cinematography, astounding directing, and interesting subject matter. Here we have teenagers that are three dimensional that look and sound like real teenagers, not the generic Hollywood stereotypes that we are used to seeing. The subject of teenage suicide is handled with the utmost care and respect; showcasing the dramatic effects it has on teenagers and how they handle it, but because we are in a different country, it treated in a more adult way. It thoughtful, intense, dramatic, and absolutely reviting!! I loved this film! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again on Thursday, March 6th at 2pm at the Camera 12 and on Saturday, March 15th at 12pm at the California Theatre.

After all the movies were over, I made my way over to the Maverick Meet-Up, which was at The Farmer's Union, where I just hung out with friends and filmmakers. However I found myself mostly hanging out with Harry Knowles, the man behind the website Ain't It Cool News. We talked about everything; from movies, Elijah Wood, and shroom brownies. It was the best conversation I have had in a long time.

And folks, there you have Day Two of Cinequest 24! All together I've seen 5 films in 2 days. So far I'm right on track to reaching 60 films! Remember the festival ends on Sunday, March 16th so make sure you come out here to San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Welcome to Day Three of my trip to the 24th Cinequest Film Festival! Already this year's fest is shaping up to be a fantastic one! Today I saw five films, so let's get show on the road!

The first film I saw was over at the Camera 12. HEART OF A LION is a Finland export that tells the story of Teppo, the leader of a racist skinhead gang who just got released from jail and flirts with a beautiful blonde waitress named Sari. The two fall madly in love with one another, but there's a problem: Sari has a bi-racial son named Rhamu from a previous relationship. Teppo's racial beliefs will be put to the test as he's challenged with accepting a son that is of a different race. And too make things even more complicated, what will his gang do if they ever find out about this?

It's always a surprise when I see a foreign film that displays racism right in the open for everyone to see. Here in America, we don't see that a lot, since this country is super sensitive about the topic of slavery still. Over in Europe, racism is displayed in all of its ugliness, and the film captures all of this and more. It raw, it's very in your face, it's violent, it's just one hell of a amazing film to watch! Not for the weak of heart or if your super sensitive, especially when you see the film's ending. 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again on Tuesday, March 11th at 9:15pm at the California Theatre and again on Saturday, March 15th at 11:30am at the Camera 12.

The second film I saw was again at the Camera 12. The documentary THE ARRIETA METHOD is about Mentxu and Lourdes Arrieta, two sisters that are born with a congenital disorder which makes them unable to speak or control their own muscles. Because of their handicap, the sisters create their own unique way of communicating with one another, and thus opened up a whole new world for them and for their family!

This was a very inspiring documentary, one that everyone should definitely see. What begins as a tragedy becomes a testament of the human will. In this case, two young girls who grown up to become women who helped make a difference. The only real negative criticism I had was that it went on a bit too long and I found myself getting out of the film. If the narrative was a little more streamlined then it would be better, but still go see this film. 3 out of 5 stars! The film plays again on Saturday, March 8th at 11:30am and again on Wednesday, March 12th at 4:30pm. Both screenings will be at the Camera 12.

Next up was another excellent documentary entitled THE HUMAN EXPERIMENT. Produced and directed by Emmy Award-winning journalists Dana Nachman and Don Hardy (and narrated by Executive Producer Sean Penn) the film explores the critical dangers of toxic chemicals that can be found in everyday consumer products: baby plastic bottles, tin food cans, bathroom soaps, etc. These common buys have been linked with the increase rise of unexplained health issues, the actual committees and bureaus that are supposed to be looking out for our own well being (the EPA and USFDA for example) have been bought out by the same corporations that are putting these toxic product on the shelves.

I was at a loss for words when I saw this documentary! While I do love my country, it has been bought out by all these corporations so now this is no longer the United States of America, it is just called the Corporate Sates of America. Now is the time for Americans to become political activists and take to the streets in protest, to email their Representative, to fight for our rights as to what are in our products that we buy in the store: our foods, our furniture, our clothes, everything! After the screening, Dana Nachman, Don Hardy and two other women from the film participated in a Q&A session. One of the most astounding and informative documentaries thus far at the festival! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again on Saturday. March 15th at 2:45pm at the California Theatre. Also check out their official website at http://thehumanexperimentmovie.com. Also check out their Facebook page as well.

Film number four took place at the San Jose Rep Theatre, where my new friend (OK drinking buddy) Harry Knowles was to receive the Media Legacy Award for his contribution to the world of online media. His website Ain't-It-Cool News was the very first website online that talked about films, reviews, and news long before anybody else was! Knowles was a pioneer, and for that he truly deserved this award! Congrats Harry!!

So for this special occasion, Harry brought to Cinequest his favorite film that he had at his film festival down in Austin, Texas. THE GRAND PIANO stars everyone's favorite Hobbit Elijah Wood as Tom Selznic, a renowned concert pianist, who is married to a famous actress Emma (Kerry Bishé). She arranges him to hit the concert stage for one last performance when he becomes engulfed in a deadly cat and mouse game with an unknown sniper (John Cusack).

Wow! I absolutely loved this movie! The acting was superb, the story was intense and dramatic, the directing was awesome, and the score was outstanding! Director Eugenio Mira channels the Master of Suspense himself as his directing employs both simple set ups and shot while simultaneously has extravagant camera pans and unique camera compositions. And what really makes the film work is Elijah Wood's acting, which was incredible! He was very believable in his role! John Cusack as the insane but brilliant sniper? What a great idea! And if you've been reading my reviews for a long time, you know that I'm a huge fan of Kerry Bishé. I believe that she is one very talented actress and I'm very happy to see her in these types of films which gets to show off her acting chops. Overall this was an amazing movie to see!

Now according to Mr. Knowles, the film is to have a limited release to theaters starting this Friday, but unfortunately not around here in the Bay Area just yet. However, it is available on iTunes if you want to download it now on VOD. To learn more about the film and when it will be playing in a theater near you, visit the film's page on its distributor Magnolia Picture's website.

The fifth and final film I saw today was also at the San Jose Rep. PARALLEL MAZE is the debut feature film from Chinese director Hua Ya. So the film is part Hitchcock and part experimental. Actually I had a hard time understanding the film due to the fact that there is a lot going on. The basic plot is this: a pregnant bank teller steals a suitcase full of money and hides out in a hotel room waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. But that still isn't the plot. Remember, there a parallel worlds that have parallel hotels with parallel bank teller in the almost same situation. So we see one such universe, then we are taken to the next universe, and so on and so.

It's clear to me that director Hua Ya is working on another film level (and the film proves that he is way more intelligent than me). This is a film that I would have to see another two or three times to digest the fundamentals of the film and to make sense of the parallel universes. But there is a mad genius at work here. A lot of people were leaving the screening, probably because it is such an experimental film. The one thing I would change though was the eight different endings, but then again, we are dealing with multiple universes, so we had to see them all. The film will be playing again on Saturday, March 8th at 2:30pm at the California Theatre and again on Wednesday, March 5th at 2:45pm over at the Camera 12.

After the screening, we all headed over the Maverick Meet-Up which was at The Blackbird Tavern. I didn't have anything to drink because I was too tired (and not because they stopped serving booze at midnight), but I did get to hang out with all my cinematic friends and that was totally fun!

And that was Day Three of my cinematic trip to Cinequest. So far I'm at 10 films in 3 days! Not too shabby!! Remember the festival will be running till March 16th so there's plenty of time for you to join in on the fun here in Downtown San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Greetings and Salutations folks! Welcome to Day Four of my trip to Cinequest 24! Today is the day that the festival kicks off into high gear. And today I saw SIX films today!! So let us begin the reviews, shall we?

The first film I saw was ABOVE DARK WATERS(TUMMAN VEDEN PÄÄLLÄ)over at the Camera 12. Set in 1970s, the film centers around seven-year-old Pete, who's life in the course of a year will be dramatically and drastically changed. From happy beginnings with celebrating Christmas and having birthday parties to his step-fathers drinking and domestic violence, the film captures what the world looks like through the years of a child, and doesn't hold back any punches.

This was a powerful and amazing film. Coming once again from Finland, the beauty of the country is juxtaposed against the violence that Pete is witnessing. The love and tragedy is all there set in the tranquility of ice and snow. Based off the novel of the same name, director Peter Franzen does a great job of bringing the book to life! This is a film that I really enjoyed! 4 out of 5 stars!! The film will be screened again on Tuesday, March 11th at 9:30pm at the San Jose Rep and again on Thursday, March 13th at 9:30pm at the California Theatre.

Film number two was the Hungarian export HEAVENLY SHIFT. In this bizarre dark comedy, a young Croat transplant named Milan has a chance encounter with the night shift ambulance drivers on night in Budapest. Seeking greener pastures, Milan becomes the newest member, thus making this team a Trifecta when it comes to saving lives, losing lives, and everything else in between.

What I loved about this film is just how dark the comedy is! It's so politically incorrect, so over the top, so bloody outrageous, I was laughing my ass off from the start of the film to the very last frame! But what made the film that much more fun to watch was listening to the audience's reaction! I mean, when you have a scenes that involve a dead hooker impaled on a samurai sword, or a topless women's hair salon that gives me blowjobs, or when a body is about to die and all the do is just punch on the chest to save it, you know you are going to offend a lot of people. And believe it or not, there were quit ea few people at the screening that were offended. But that just goes to show you the the filmmakers got the job done right! My favorite film thus far at the festival!! 5 out of 5 stars!! The film will be playing again on Wednesday, Mar 12th at 9:30pm at the California Theatre and on Friday, March 14th at 9:15pm at the San Jose Rep Theatre.

The third film I saw today was also at the Camera 12, but before that there was a short. PRISONS TO PARADISE is about the organization Hour Children offers women the possibility to transform their lives and make the transition from prison life to family life.

The love drama INERCIA takes place in a Mexico City hospital, where Lucia visits her friend there. But then, at the same hospital, she runs into her ex-boyfriend Felipe, who is in serious ill health. Even though they haven't seen each other in over 12 years, they pick up where they left off. Lucia takes some time off from work to spend some time with him, but will the old flame become rekindled before it's too late?

This film is the equivalent to a love poem of story. It's just a wonderful and beautiful movie. Both lead actors have great on-screen chemistry and first time director Isabel Muñoz Cota Callejas captures all the romance. The one complaint that I have is that the film moves too slow, but that's just me. But what do I know, I'm just a film critic. Tee-hee! Still it's worth seeing. 3 out of 5 stars! The film will be screened again on Thursday, March 13th at 9:3pm and on Sat, March 15 4:15pm. Both screenings will be at the Camera 12.

I made my way to the California Theatre movie palace for the fourth film of the day for me. Based on the Patricia McCormick’s National Book Award nominee of the same name, SOLD is about a 12-year-old girl named Lakshmi who lives in a Nepal village with her family. After a devastating monsoon that completely wiped out her family's rice paddy crops, her father sells her to a lady in the city to work as a domestic servant. However, to Lakshmi shock, she is working in a brothel and must take on clients to help pay off the debt that she owes to them. In the end she must find a way out of her nightmare before she succumbs to this life.

The other day I had the honor of seeing the documentary LIFE IS LOVE about human trafficking. Here, we have the bookend to that. This film's ability to capture the ugliness of being sold to a brothel, the unsettling images of this poor girl being mistreated and raped, the tortures that Lakshmi had to live with will make you absolutely sick to your stomach! Niyar (who played the lead role) was outstanding! Hard to believe that this was her first film role! Also appearing in the film were Hollywood actors Gillian Anderson and David Arquette in small but pivital roles. Overall this was one of the most heart wrenching film I've seen so far at the festival. If this film doesn't make you cry, then you have no soul! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be playing again on Sunday, March 9th at 6:45pm at the Camera 12. Also make sure to visit the film's official website to help create global awareness about this topic. Visit soldthemovie.com and make a donation today!

For film number five I headed back over to the Camera 12, but prior to the screening there was a short film to watch. IN CONFIDENCE is about a beautiful woman who confesses to her friend (breaking the fourth wall to make us the audience her friend) about a life changing decision she made that she both accepts and regrets as part of her past.

Usually most short films I review only take a couple of sentences or two, but this one was different. It was cleverly written, very well acted, and directed and edited with precise precision. Shot entirely in one day and in one location, actress Beege Barkette was riveting in her role as the women, who through the length of the short goes from emotional state to the other, and she nails each emotion perfectly. Overall this was one of the most impressive shorts I've seen so far here. Later on Beege along with producer Mary-Lyn Chambers and the writer participated in an informative Q&A session.

The main feature TEMPO GIRL is about a young Berlin hipster girl/wannabe novelist named Dominique, who's publisher told her that her work "sucks shit." Mostly due to the fact that she hasn't really done anything with her life and basically tells her to go out and live life and find your story. So she and her Turkish boyfriend set off on a roadtrip that leads them to renting a gas station in a small Swiss Valley where she must push herself into crossing over her "borders" again and again until she finds herself, her limits, and her story.

While it is a romantic dark comedy, leave it up to the Germans to find a way to make something like this look and feel totally fucked up! First there's a shit load of cursing, there's a freaking abortion scene shot in grainy black and white!! And we see the whole damn thing!! And then there's a dog that gets shot in the fucking head!! Add some women slapping, gun shots, and hot sex and there's the movie for ya! Yet despite all this crazy shit, I found myself just glued to the screen. So I have to say that I really enjoyed it, but I had to take a shower after watching it! 4 out of 5 stars!! Shower recommended after viewing!! Both the film and short will be screened again on Monday, March 10th at 9:15pm at the California Theatre and again on Thursday, March 13th at 3:00pm at the Camera 12.

The sixth and final film of the day was the excellent midnight screening of BLOOD PUNCH. Meet Milton (Milo Cawthorne). When we first meet him, he wakes up hung over, runs to the bathroom and pukes his head off and finds a video screen with a recording of him detailing on what's been going on. And boy there's a lot of crazy shit going on in this here movie! Milton is a genius college dropout who is recruited by the lovely, chain smoking, bad ass bitch Skyler (Olivia Tennet) and her gun-loving, psychotic ex-boyfriend cop Russell (Ari Boyland) to help make them a shitload of crystal meth over at an old hunter's cabin out in the woods. However, things go slightly awry, and soon, blood has been spilled, which invokes an ancient Indian curse which causes these three to repeat the same day over and over again! Soon guns are blazin', blood is a spillin', and love takes flight in this outrageous midnight cult classic!

What I loved about this film is that they take it to the next level and make no apologies for going there. It's a dark comedy that has an awesome love triangle and gory violence. Now what more do you want in a movie people? How's the acting? Incredible! How's the directing? Fantastic! How's the story? Excellent? How's the bloodshed? Outrageously gory! How's the film overall? You'll have a bloody good time when watching this movie! So if you like GROUNDHOG DAY and EVIL DEAD 2, then you're gonna love BLOOD PUNCH!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screening again at the San Jose Rep Theatre on Sunday, March 9th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, March 15th 11:45pm.

And that was Day Four of my cinematic trip to Cinequest. So far I'm at 16 films in 4 days! Getting closer to my 60 films for this year goal!! Remember the festival will be running till March 16th so there's plenty of time for you to join in on the fun here in Downtown San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Welcome everybody to Day Five of my trip to Cinequest 24! So I was originally going to attend seven screening but because one film went on a lot longer than I anticipated, I ended up seeing only six films today. But having that little break made me get caught up on some rest, so I can't complain. OK folks, let's talk all about the films I did see today!

I started off over at the Camera 12 to the drama film entitled NEVER. Set in Seattle, the film follows two twenty-somethings as they forged an unlikely friendship. Denim (Zachary Booth) is the new guy in town who falls in love with his new best friend Nikki (Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams) a struggling lesbian singer-songwriter who is still trying to make it in music. Together they learn how to open up their minds and hearts and learn to love life and themselves.

This was the screen debut of Miss Zelda Williams, and I thought she did a marvelous job in her role as Nikki. She was sweet, vulnerable, and an incredible singer! If she ever releases an album, I'll be all over it! Zachary Booth brings that lovable new guy to life with a hint of naivete and sensitivity. Together these two have great on-screen chemistry and bring that turmoil period called your "early 20's" to life. Boasting a strong script and solid directing, the film is very impressive and I look forward to seeing it again soon! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The film will be screening on more time on Monday, March 10th at 3:00pm at the Camera 12.

For my second film of the day I made a dash over to the California Theatre to see the locally made documentary called THE RUGBY PLAYER. This doc focuses on the life of Mark Bingham, one of the heroes aboard the United Flight 93 on 9/11. The film talks about his early life, his time as a rugby player for Cal Berkley (Go Bears!!), his coming out as a gay man, and his act of heroism that inspired a nation. Told through candid interviews by those who knew him and personal video footage shot by Bingham himself, the documentary tells the real story of a local man who became a hero.

What a fantastic documentary! It's local history that I knew a little about, but now thanks to the film, many more people will come to know of the courage of Mark Bingham, who has now become a local hero and an inspiration to many. For coming out gay, he broke the common stereotypes that are acquainted with being a gay man. He was a successful business man, a rugby player, a son, a friend, and now a national treasure. After the screening, director Scott Gracheff, producer Chris Million, and Mark's mother came out to participate in a Q&A session. This is my favorite documentary at this year's festival!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened one more time on Saturday, March 15th at 4:45pm at the California Theatre.

Film number three for me today was the oddball comedy A IS FOR ALEX. The film features real-life couple Katie and Alex Orr (BLOOD CAR from Cinequest 2007) portray cinematic versions of themselves as they are about to welcome their first child into the world. Problem is this causes Alex to suffer from high stress and anxiety issues, causing him to cry a lot. Like face first in their bed. Or crying in the bathtub. Oh, and there's this problem regarding these robotic killer bees that he created, which are taking over the town. Oh, and his mom is arrested on charges of possessing and downloading child pornography onto the Internet.

Prior to the movie, there was a short film screened entitled THE SHOEMAKER, a funny and informative documentary about a 91-year-old New York shoemaker who's been in the same shop for over 50 years.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Alex and Katie since 2007 with their first film BLOOD CAR, and it was awesome to see them again last year's festival with CONGRATULATIONS, which Alex produced. You can always on these two for coming up with some truly unique and original cinematic features. After the screening, Alex and Katie along with shorts director Dustin Cohen participated in a fun-filled Q&A session. This crazy comedy will leave you with a big smile on your face! 4 out of stars! Recommended! The film will be screened again on Sunday, March 9th at 6:30 PM and again on Friday, March 14th at 4:45pm. Both screenings will be held at the Camera 12.

I stayed at the Camera 12 for my next feature entitled SEX(ED): THE MOVIE which was having its world premiere! This wild and crazy documentary tells the true history of everybody's favorite school subject matter: sex education! The film documents all the weird, sexist, bizarre, and bewildering sex ed films that we used to see back when we were in school! Using clips these old relics, combined with new interviews with modern day sexperts, as well as high school and college students, the film reveals some of the most hilarious moments ever captured on film, but at the same time exposes the gross incompetence on the subject matter.

I remember being taught sex ed back in the 5th grade. In fact, the films I had to watch were in this film!! Damn I feel old!! Anyway, this was a great documentary that really brought home the truth about sex ed. At times it was very sexist and misleading. At times the information that was given were sometimes incorrect. Plus it also gave the notion that sex was a bad thing and something you shouldn't even think about. The sheer stupidity and ignorance stems from the fact that there wasn't enough information or education back then. Nowadays, even though we have the Internet to look at all the sex we want, kids today are not being taught sex ed. And that is a shame! Director Brenda Goodman did a marvelous job of creating a very funny yet very educational documentary! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The film will be screened again on Sunday, March 9th at 4:45pm and once more on Tuesday, March 11th at 5:00pm. Both screenings will be held at the Camera 12.

Film numero five was the world premiere of the greatest 80's tribute films of all time ETERNITY: THE MOVIE! The film tells the story of Todd and BJ (Barrett Crake and Myko Olivier repectively), two inspiring R&B singers who want to make the best music ever created. Soon this dynamic duo is known as Eternity, the greatest 80's R&B band ever! But their friendship is put to the test as they both fall in love with the same woman (the beautiful Nikki Leonti). Can the guys survive this or will Eternity will be nevermore?

Holy crap this movie was so much fun to watch!! The big hair, the god awful 80's music, the clothes, the cars, the styles, everything screamed the 1980's! The production values were top notch! The directing looked amazing! The story was perfect! Both Crake and Olivier were awesome in their roles and had perfect on-screen chemistry. The gay innuendos were too much for me to handle! I was laughing so hard I thought my guts were going to explode! After the screening several members of the cast and crew participated in a fun-filled rousing Q&A session. ETERNITY: THE MOVIE is the greatest 80's film never to have been made in the 80's! And it's also my FAVORITE film of the festival! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again on Sunday, March 9th at 9:15pm and once more on Friday, March 14th at 4:45pm. Both screenings will be held at the Camera 12. Also make sure to like their Facebook page, follow the film on Twitter, and check out their official website at www.eternitythewebsite.com

The sixth and final film I saw on Saturday was the midnight film LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS! Sisters Carla (Marissa Skell) and Marla (Gena Shaw) are on their way to the cheesy tourist trap “Uncle Slavko’s All-American Family Lodge” to surprise Carla’s fiancé, Johnny. But when he and his co-workers fall into a toxic chemical waste spill over in a nearby creek, these guys transform into hideous monsters dressed up in Big Foot costumes a.k.a PsychoMonkeys!! Soon the lodge is overrun by these PsychoMonkeys, and Carla, Marla, and the rest of the staff and guests must find a way to defeat them and save Johnny.

Wow what a fucking awesome movie this was! It had it all, blood, boobs, Kan Hodder, boobs, mutated killer squirrels, boobs, hot chicks cover in blood, boobs, a mutated moose....did I mention the boobs yet? OK just making sure. Director Matt Jackson did one helluva job of making this film funny, fast paced, and bloody as hell! The entire cast did a stupendous job! The production value was off the charts! After the screening several members of the cast and crew participated in a hilarious and informative Q&A session. Overall, this film has something for everyone! If you like THE TOXIC AVENGER and NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION, then LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS is right up your alley!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be playing again at the Camera 12 on Monday, March 10th at 9:30pm and once more on Saturday, March 15th at 9:15pm. Visit the film's official website and follow the film on Facebook too.

And that was Day Five of my cinematic trip to Cinequest 24. My new total now is 22 films in 5 days! So far so good!! Remember the festival will be running till March 16th so there's plenty of time for you to join in on the fun here in Downtown San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Howdy folks and welcome back to my trip to the 24th Annual Cinequest Film Festival! For Day Nine, I saw another five films! Yup, I'm hardcore like that. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the reviews!

First film up was the documentary THE FRONT MAN. This little whimsical doc tells the story of Jim Wood (the front man for excellent The Loaded Poets) and his dreams of becoming a rock star. However, while on his dreamquest he almost misses out on the most important things in his life, mainly is sweet and lovely wife Christie. who wishes for them to have a baby soon. Can Jim have it all or does he have to make a sacrifice of one or the other?

Director Paul Devlin had the advantage of being Jim's best friend for the last 30 plus years and what we have is more than just a simply documentary. What we get is a personal story of a man who we get to know inside and out. We see him play with his band, being around his family, his love for his wife Christie, we see it all. Paul is able to really capture those special moments in Jim's life and it feels more like a home movie than a doc. But we sympathize with Jim and we cheer for him, because he's us. Jim is your average Joe who somehow got to have a family and make music at the same time without compromise. How can you not root for this guy? THE FRONT MAN is a celebration of being able to live out all your dreams while being able to walk in the real world! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The film will be screened again on Thursday, March 13th at 5:00pm at the Camera 12.

The second film I saw was being shown over at the San Jose Rep Theatre. EAST SIDE SUSHI is about a young Latina named Juana (Diana Elizabeth Torres), who's been working in food industry for years, finds financial stability in the high paced, male dominated world of a local Japanese restaurant. Finding her passion for food once more, Juana sets her sights on a local reality sushi competition show to prove to herself that she has what it takes to become a sushi line chef at the restaurant she works act, despite what her boss thinks.

Actress Diana Elizabeth Torres shines in this, her first feature film role and she knocks it out of the park. One can see Diana as a positive female role model, who has big dreams for herself and will not let others stand in her way. Director Anthony Lucero keeps the fun and laughs flow fluently and I walked away feeling so happy that I got to see this funny and heart warming comedy! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The film will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Thursday, March 13th at 4:00pm.

Film number three of the day was the dramatic comedy ACTING LIKE ADULTS. While on a scavenger hunt throughout the LA area, couple Brett and Shannon (Mark Famigletti and Leslie Murphy respectively) begin to see each other as who they really are. With the grand prize of an diamond engagement ring, the competition brings out the worse in Brett, which causes Shannon to have doubts about marrying him. By the end of the day, no one knows for sure if they will remain together as a couple or go their separate ways.

I walked into the theatre having no expectations and by the end of it I was completely blown away! I absolutely loved this movie! Both Mark Famigletti and Leslie Murphy have magnificent on-screen chemistry that I became emotionally invested in them. It was hard to see them fight and I loved it when they made up. However, this isn't your typical dramatic comedy. It feels very real, and what I also enjoyed was that the film's directors Kyle Laursen and Eric F. Martin also made the city of LA it's own character, with its rolling hills and congested freeways and scenic parks. The film is a perfect example of what an indie film should be! One of the best films I've seen at the festival!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The movie will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Friday, March 14th at 4:15pm.

Movie number four was the very funny and interesting documentary TEENAGE. Based on author Jon Savage’s book of the same name, director Matt Wolf answers that age-old question: When did the teenager come into existence? Using a collection of archival news footage, old time movies, and diary excerpts read by four teenage voice overs, the documentary traces the evolution of the teenagers: from their humble beginnings in the 1930's to their emergence and dominance in the 1950's.

Before the main feature, there was another Ciniequest Picture The Possibilities (PTP) short. Entitled REAL FRIENDS, the film is about two young girls who are best friend and they spend their afternoon texting to each other rather than actually talk to each other. A very funny short with an interesting social commentary.

This fun little documentary caught me off guard. It was informative, it was funny, it was historical, and it was a very well made film that took me to school again. This is one of the reasons why I love watching documentaries. Here we get an inside look at the pre-history of the teenager and the end results of their discovered presence in society and in America. 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! Today was the last screening but be sure to visit the film's official website at www.teenagefilm.com.

The fifth and final film of the day was the insanely hysterical HUNTING ELEPHANTS. Poor Yonotan. He's twelve-years-old shy boy who gets bullied at school and his bank security father died while on the job. However, according the bank's president, there's a loophole stating that they don't have to pay him or his mother any sort of financial compensation. To make matters even worse, the bank president is courting Yonotan's mom! To get back what they deserve, he comes up with a plan to rob the bank. Enlisting the help of his grandfather, his uncle (the magnificent Patrick Stewart), and his grandfather's best friend, they will attempt to right the wrong that their family has suffered.

Now this is was one of the funniest film that I've seen! Stewart steals all his scenes, which isn't easy because the entire cast does the impossible and create a modern day comedy classic. What's even more impressive is that this is in Hebrew and was shot over in Israel! Who knew they made comedies? This is a comedy that transcends language and culture. It proves that everybody laughs the same! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! Today was the last screening for the film.

And that was Day Four of my cinematic trip to Cinequest. So far I've seen 27 films in the past 5 days! Getting closer to my 60 films goal for this year!! Remember the festival will be running till March 16th so there's plenty of time for you to join in on the fun here in Downtown San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Hello everybody and welcome to Day Seven of my trip to Cinequest 24! I once again saw five films today so let's get this show on the road, shall we?

Movie number one was the Canadian dark comedy LAWRENCE & HOLLOMAN. Here is a classic textbook example of polar opposites based on their individual outlooks on life. Lawrence (Ben Cotton) is the every so lucky, optimistic salesman who life works out perfectly for him and is working on a promotion. On the flipside is Holloman (Daniel Arnold), one of the most cynical, unattractive, and suicidal credit collector who's life had given him a shitty attitude and a shitty outlook on life. When these two meet, life begins to get crazy, especially when bad things start happening to Lawrence!

Once again leave it up to those wacky Canadians for creating yet another hilariously funny and uniquely original feature! Both Cotton and Arnold are awesome in their respective roles and bring a lot of emotional depth to their characters. The film can also be seen as a cautionary tale: be sure your friends are your friends because they might be your enemy. With its smart script, witty humor, and marvelous acting, the film is pure comedic gold! Definitely worth checking out! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! Today was the last screening but visit the film's official website at lawrenceandholloman.com.

Up next I decided to see the SHORTS 7 PROGRAM: WAIT FOR IT...and here we go!

ADRIFT: A beautiful and poetic montage tribute to the fog of the San Francisco Bay that passes along the coast and through the Golden Gate Bridge. Really beautiful short to see! Very tranquil!

THE BRUNCHERS: A thirty-something London couple go out to the new hip place called Toast for brunch, only to have it totally booked. The reason they wanted to go out for brunch: they wanted to look cool and hip even though they're getting older. I really liked this film and it's something I can relate to a bit. Plus lead actress Natalie Dormer is smoking hot!!

GOLDFIELD: Finding gold means you might be inviting death. Pretty cool short.

HALF SHAVED: What happens when, by pure chance, and barber meets his former torturer who just happens to walk in for a shave? The end results may surprise you.

ME + HER: A wonderful stop motion animation short about a cardboard couple Jack and Jill living in Cardboard City. When Jill dies, Jack goes to great lengths to preserve their love. Very touching!

MY FATHER'S TRUCK: A little Vietnamese girls plays hokey from school and rides along in her father's truck while he's working. He picks up good people, bad people, and does jobs that are complicated. A wonderful coming of age short film!

TRYOUTS: A teenage American Muslim girl who tries out for the cheerleader squad but when her head garb is called out, she solves this problem by thinking outside of the box and with some very creative teenage ingenuity.

SHORTS 7 PROGRAM: WAIT FOR IT... will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Friday, March 14th at 6:45pm and again on Saturday, March 15th at 1:45pm.

Up next was the SHORTS 3 PROGRAM: HUMOR ME which boasted some very funny and original comedic shorts!

#TWITTERKILLS: Chain smoking woman Zoehas gets her Twitter account hacked into (or is it an evil presence) and all her dirty laundry it being twittered to all her 6,669 friends, including her sister! Oops!

BOWLING KILLERS: Two bowling champions who are also professional hitmen lose sight of carry out a contract before their big game later that night. Pretty funny stuff here folks!

DATE OF THE DEAD: Struggling actress Jessica goes out on a date with a fellow actor named Jim. The problem: he's a zombie! Oops!!

THE GHOST PEPPER EATING CONTEST OF JEFFERSON COUNTY: A hilarious documentary about a bunch of locals eating all kinds of chilli peppers to wind a major prize. My mouth was on fire just by watching it! Ouchie that's hot!!

OLYMPIC AND WESTERN: A PRIMER ON THE TYPOGRAPHIC ORDER AND AND ARGUMENT FOR ITS PROPER USAGE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: A really unique and interesting short film about typography.

REEL LIFE: A man who knows he's in a movie goes out on a date with a woman from the "real world" and lunacy insures: lovely montages, cut away sex scenes, discovering he's only PG-13 so he can't do or show much. Hilarious!!

SUMI: A young girl who does variant jobs over the phone. Some of them are really kinky! And it also turns on her male roommate!

TEXAS: A family discussion takes place at the Texas and Oklahoma borderline. My second favorite short film in the program!

THANK YOU, CABBAGE: My favorite short of the program! An acclaimed female writer, who reinvents herself after discovering what an asshole her husband is....all thanks to a cabbage. Yup, this was some funny shit here!

SHORTS 3 PROGRAM: HUMOR ME will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Saturday, March 15th at 4:15pm.

Film number four was the drama/comedy THE DIVORCE PARTY. Happy partying couple Kip (Colin Owens) and Leena (Ashlynn Yennie) are getting a divorce, and you know what that means? Yup, it's time to throw a Divorce Party before they move out of the Bohemian apartment. Yet among the booze, live music, wacky best friends, and cupcakes, Kip decides to do whatever it takes to save his marriage with Leena, no matter the cost.

A true indie gem of a film! Director Edy Soto (making this his world premiere) keeps the laughs and drama close together that you find yourself laughing and crying simultaneously. Soto fills the screen up with three dimensional and fleshed out characters that make the movie so enjoyable to watch. The whole cast is phenomenal in the film which raises it to a higher level. A triumphant debut of a film!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! Today was the last screening, but make sure you "Like" the film on its official Facebook page!

My fifth and final film of the day had a short before it. Another Ciniequest Picture The Possibilities (PTP) short, JASON AND ROY is about two best friends: one coming out as a gay man and the other coming out as a homophobic man.

The documentary feature BITE SIZE talks about one of the most critical epidemics facing American youths today: obesity. Shot over the span of a year, the film focuses of four kids who try to change their eating habits so they can not only look and feel better, but also not be picked on or bullied. With the dangers of temptations of snack foods lurking at the corner grocery store, at every fast food place, and in the cafeteria lunch line, these children must face their personal demons head on to not only shed their weight, but to also become a better person.

Like the doc film BULLY that played at Cinequest back in 2012, this film is a continuation of the trials and tribulations of what these overweight children must face day in and day out. Unfortunately, some of their parents aren't much help or support. One of the kids Emily, her parents send her off to fat camps and spend a lot of money on it, hoping the problem will be fixed when she returns. Moy's trying to lose his weight but his dad is not a positive role model because he's eating McDonald's while his son is eating healthy. Davion's problem is that whenever calls him fat, he looses his cool and gets into series of fights that could get him kicked off the football team. And KeAnna gets a little help from her principle. Director Corbin Billings captures it all in this powerful and riveting wake-up call to stop and end childhood obesity!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! The film will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Friday, March 14th at 4:30pm.

And folks, there you have Day Seven of Cinequest 24! All together I've seen 32 films in 7 days. So far I'm right on track to reaching 60 films! Remember the festival ends on Sunday, March 16th so make sure you come out here to San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Welcome everybody to Day Eight of my trip to Cinequest 24! I saw another five films today; two documentaries and three feature films. So I think we should skip the introduction and start talking about all the cool movies I saw today!

The first documentary I saw today was the awesome MASTERPIECE: FRANK MILLER'S THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. This bad boy tells the complete behind the scenes story of one of the greatest graphic novels to be published by DC Comics back in the 1980's. Combining interviews with industry legends like Miller, inker of the book Klaus Janson, Dennis O'Neil, Bruce Timm, Grant Morrison, Jenette Kahn, and narrated by the one and only Malcolm McDowell, Miller talks candidly about he's early days of doing Daredevil at Marvel, then giving the free reigns to create The Dark Knight Returns, and by doing this, brought the Batman character into a whole new world.

I was there when Fran's masterpiece was released to comic book stores and it had a major impact on me. It was dark, edgy, nihilistic, and captures 80's Regan era with such accuracy that it made me paranoid. Frank Miller became a legend after the release of The Dark Knight Returns. creating other amazing series like 300 and Sin City, both which were made into Hollywood blockbusters! This was a great doc and very informative to those who never read the graphic novel (and if you haven't what the hell is wrong with you? Go buy the damn book now!) and a nice look back at one of my childhood's most amazing period. 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! Today was the last screening of the film, however, it is available as an all-new bonus feature in the newly released BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS DELUXE EDITION Blu-ray!! To purchase a copy, visit your local retailer or visit the Amazon website.

The second documentary I saw earlier was called THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK, which focused on the world famous Lucha Libre wrestler El Hijo del Santo, the son of the legendary El Santo. By using a combination of archival wrestling and interview footage, new interviews with family and friends, posters, movie clips and such, the story of Santo is told in all its glory for the first time ever! This is what Lucha Libre fans have been waiting for!

I grew up watching the old El Santo monster movies and yes, there were pretty bad, but always entertaining! Later on I was able to see El Santo along with his son wrestle on my local television station. What drew me to the film originally was being a Santo fan. But then when El Hijo del Santo talks about his father, the honor and legacy of theSanto name, and carrying on his father's name, the film became more about family, heritage and tradition. These three are very strong in the Mexican culture. THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK an poignant, inspiring and high flying film about one of the most important names ever in the history of Lucha Libre! If you're an El Santo fan or a fan of wrestling period, then you need to see this documentary! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The flm will be screened again at the Camera 12 on Saturday, March 15th at 2pm.

Film number three of the day was the very intense dark comedy/drama IT WAS YOU CHARLIE. Meet Abner Roth. He used to be a world famous sculptor and a former college art teacher. Now all he is just a sad, pathetic little man who works as a doorman on the graveyard shift. He can't handle his family, is awkward in public places and doesn't have a lot of friends. Enter Zoe; a happy-go-lucky, free spirited taxi driver who becomes Abner's new best friend. But with all this pint up anger and guilt he's been caring around for the past three years, can Zoe change Abner's look on life or will it get worse for him?

This was a very layered film and quite dense. It does play with continuity as the film takes place over a series of three years, or more specific three birthdays for Abner. Director Emmanuel Shirinian kept me glued to my seat as I was trying to deduce the film's origin and see what was going to happen to our sad sack friend. Great acting performance by all the cast. An undiscovered gem of a film! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! Unfortunately, today was the last screening of the movie.

The fourth film I saw was the drama BREATH IN, about a family who take in a foreign exchange student named Sophie. Her timing couldn't have been more worse. Family man and music teacher Keith fantasizes about his days as a starving artist in Manhattan and secretly wishes to move back so he can be musically inspired again. His wife doesn't share her husband's dreams. To make things worse, he secretly falls for the beautiful Sophie and both plan to leave their respective mundane worlds and start a new in the city.

Talk about your mid-life crisis film! Poor Keith! All he wants to do is life his life as he wishes! But his conformed wife doesn't encourage him. In fact, she doesn't really believe in him at all! All he wants to do is make music is life passion, not just be a music teacher. As the old saying goes, those who can't do teach, and Keith doesn't want to fall into that category. And Sophia is so young and innocent and sees so much more in him than his own wife. So to all you mid-life crisis men out there: go get crazy! Go live the life you want! Buy that corvette! Run off with your secretary! And oh yeah, the movie was really good and you should check it out! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! Unfortunately, today was the last screening of the movie.

The fifth and final film I saw was the comedy A THIEF, AND KID, AND A KILLER. A young boy comes home to his apartment that he shares with his mother and finds a stranger in his bedroom doing heroin. Then things get really bizarre!

And folks, there you have Day Eight in a nutshell! All together I've seen 37 films so far! Remember the festival ends on Sunday, March 16th so make sure you come out here to San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees THE WOLF OF WALL STREET at the Camera 7 Pruneyard-January 1, 2014

Phil attends The Hollywood Show at the Loews Hollywood Hotel-January 3-5, 2014

Phil remembers Mike Vraney, Founder of Something Weird Video-January 30, 2014

Phil Goes Hollywood: Phil sees I, FRANKENSTEIN at the TCL Chinese Theatre- January 18, 2014

Phil Goes Hollywood: Phil attends the 1st Annual Day of the Scream Queens at Dark Delicacies-January 19, 2014

Phil sees NEBRASKA at the Camera 7 Pruneyard Campbell-February 1, 2014

Phil sees HER at the Camera 7 Pruneyard Campbell-February 2, 2014

Phil attends a special screening of SOMEWHERE SLOW with writer/director Jeremy O'Keefe and actor Graham Patrick Martin live in-person at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-Febuary 8, 2014

Phil sees THE LEGO MOVIE at the Cmaera 12 Downtown San Jose-February 9, 2014

Phil hosts the Camera Cinema's Cult Movie Screening of THE BIG LEBOWSKI at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose-Feb. 13, 2014

Phil sees THE PORNOGRAPHER'S DAUGHTER at the Z Space-February 16, 2014

Phil attends the public memorial gathering for Gloria Leonard at the Center of Sex and Culture in Sa Francisco-February 27, 2014

Phil attends the CINEQUEST 24 Opening Night Extravaganza-March 4, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day Two-March 5, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day Three-March 6, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 4-March 7, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 5-March 8, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 6-March 9, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 7-March 10, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 8-March 11, 2014