Clash Film Digest – April 2009

The latest news and reviews from the film world...

Another month, another column of film highs and lows to call ClashMusic’s own.

Over to film editor Ben Hopkins for all the vital statistics and unnecessary guff filling theatres now, and soon.

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Plane Terrible

The film selection on almost every airline is woeful.

I’m on an Icelandair plane trying to find a film to pass an hour or two. Romantic comedy flop, antiquated superhero film, bland family comedy… there’s just nothing worth watching (although in the name of balance, there are some decent mini Icelandic documentaries and Sigur Rós’ ‘Heima’). And then it hits me: Fever Pitch… American remake… The Farrelly Brothers. Huh?

Soon enough it makes sense. Toilet comedy kings The Farrelly Brothers have adapted Nick Hornby’s tale of the tribulations (not that there were many, even then) of supporting Arsenal into a daft, slightly slapstick dilemma of deciding whether to love Drew Barrymore or baseball team the Boston Red Sox. In terms of film concepts it’s as welcome as Renée Zellweger being cast in anything, but it’s surprisingly endearing; the Farrellys favour spiky humour over cheese, lead actor Jimmy Fallon is well cast as a likeable sports nerd, and the devotion to the sport appears to be genuine rather than a lame sub-plot to the romance.

As is nearly always the way, the return journey features the exact same films making a limited choice even more so. I opt for Notes On A Scandal. To my left, my girlfriend alternates between dozing and clips of the scenery of Iceland. To my right, a posh teenager half watches an anonymous Cameron Diaz rom-com while revising for her driving theory test. Those in front include an older gentleman repeatedly rewinding a clip from the same film that features Diaz slinking around in her underwear.

Almost an hour later, the inevitable request for drinks from the stewardesses arrives. Always in a panic about getting missed, I yank my headphones out and wait diligently, leaving the film rolling.

“A drink, sir?”

Why I’m being addressed as sir is my first thought. As I’m debating this age old question, I hear a chuckle from my left. The previously neutral expression of the stewardess turns to one of discomfort. Posh girl gazes at me with a slightly horrified expression. And then I notice my screen. Cate Blanchett’s character is getting enthusiastically ploughed on the screen in front of me. Two very respectable strangers now think I like explicit tales of illicit and illegal fornication. Great.

My drink is poured and the moment seems to have passed. Except that the older gentleman who had been repeatedly staring at a near naked Diaz has seen the whole sorry affair while waiting to return to his seat. “Some people are just disgusting,” he tuts.

Thanks, Icelandair.

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In This Month’s Magazine

Five years, lots of films, but which was best? It’s film lists galore.

Our reviews tackle the satirical genius of The Thick of It spin-off In The Loop (pictured above), the stoned near genius of Super High Me, the continued genius of Wilco, and precisely no genius from Bruce Campbell. Plus a whole bunch of others.

Plus Noah and the Whale perform at a special Future Shorts event and word on the first-ever authorised Andy Warhol DVD compilation.

And a quick amusing story of a drug dealing feline which may give you the urge to check out excellent new Brit drama Shifty

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And a wee review that fell off the page…

FAQ ABOUT TIME TRAVEL
(Lionsgate Films / Cert 12A)

A wet-dream mash up of Doctor Who, Spaced and… oooh, let’s say Two Pints because most of the action takes place in a boozer, FAQ About Time Travel takes a half-hour science-fiction (note: not sci-fi) sitcom plot and plonks it into an 86-minute feature film. Perhaps said show could stretch to a two-parter, but still: on the telly this’d work, but on the big screen, nah. Chris O’Dowd stars as Ray – essentially the same character he plays in The IT Crowd – who, with mates Toby and Pete, accidentally stumbles across a rift in time, craftily hidden in the gents of his local. Soon enough, time-travelling Anna Faris, a.k.a. the American talent, appears on the scene to fix the problem only, of course, she doesn’t. Cue: running, screaming, so-so special effects and plotline déjà vu. Jokes? Presumably they got left on the cutting room floor. 5/10
(Words: Mike Diver)

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A Fresh Batch Of Trailer Goodness

Inglourious Basterds: 9/10 cats believe this will be Tarantino back to form after Death Proof:

Antichrist: Lars von Trier doesn’t do generic films, nor does he do clichéd horror. His new film looks like both. It’ll be the mutt’s nuts or the cat’s vomit:

How To Be: Robert Pattinson has become one of the year’s hottest teen pin-ups following his role in hit film Twilight. See him in a very different light as an angst ridden musician in How To Be:

Telstar: The great Joe Meek biopic features guest appearances from Carl Barat as Gene Vincent and Justin Hawkins as Screaming Lord Sutch:

Sounds Like Teen Spirit: No Seattle, plenty of Rotterdam. Confused? Check the below:

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Lost Film Obscurity Of The Month: The Nine Lives of Fritz The Cat

If Pedro (see the mention of Shifty above) sparked your interest in our furry friends getting up to adult mischief, then The Nine Lives of Fritz The Cat will be right up your alley. With twice the attitude of Top Cat, all the dark shenanigans that Garfield avoids and more violence than Thundercats, Fritz is your nightmare pet but perfect dumb fun.

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Short Film Digest – Moustaches, Self Harm and Bad Music

Words: Colm Field

Let’s open with a pompous (but true) point: the disparity between films highlighted this month is a perfect indication of the dazzling array of talent out there, not to mention the notable contrast between short film and the monotony of mainstream features on release.

Continuing the pomposity, The Shooting (Emma Lightfoot) contains a pseudo-philosophical mantra that should by rights be awful, yet through sharp direction and astounding production values becomes very likeable indeed. Even more likeable are moustaches, and Tashtastic is a brilliant (if all too brief) celebration of that facial edifice love by men and hated by women. Here’s hoping Tessa Morgan can expand on the story of Keith AKA Gandhi Jones in a feature.

For more loveable heroes, shoot over to Rockin Chair (Paolo Sedazzari), a genuinely funny tale about a teenage band’s first gig. It’s almost a decade old and looking a bit Grange Hill nowadays, yet still packs a punch with razor dialogue and cracking actors.

Leaping from social realism to All The Colours Of You (Paul Synott). Some shorts are used merely to present a single moment, a beautiful expression of the countless emotions, manipulating our unique perspective of the world. This is either that, or some muppet hurting herself in the toilet. More touching than any this month is Abbie Brandon’s Love And Haight-Ashbury, an unashamedly rose-tinted description of the hippy movement that still provides more depth than anything out this year.

Links:
The Shooting
Tashtastic
Rockin Chair
All The Colours Of You
Love And Haight-Ashbury

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Finally… In The Magazine Next Month

Director Ceri Levy made a “guy on the wall” doc about virtual reality band Gorillaz. The concept is bananaz, as is the name of the film.

Stefan Aust was wanted dead by German terrorist group the Red Army Faction but survived to tell their whole story in The Baader-Meinhof Complex.

Reviews include Brit horror Tormented, Charlie Kaufman making his directorial debut in Synedoche, New York, The Zombies live DVD and the legendary Frost / Nixon face-off.

What do you do after breaking both your legs? In Jamie Jay Johnson’s case, you end up chasing around Europe looking at the contestants of the Eurovision song contest. And finally, Roger Daltrey stars in surreal relic Lisztomania.

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