Lance Around Orlando

Edward James Olmos Knows How To Grab The Attention Of His Audience

The elderly gentleman walks with an air of confidence as he enters the lobby of the Enzian Theatre. He spots me from across the room and, glancing down at the PRESS badge around my neck, walks directly to me, holds out his hand with a warm smile and says, “Hi, I’m Edward James Olmos.” “I’m LanceAround from LanceAroundOrlando,” I reply, “it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He continues down the line, greeting press and patrons alike, until he is ushered into the theatre for the presentation of his hit 1988 film Stand and Deliver. My first impression of him was positive and, as the evening wears on it’s only going to get better.

One would think a theatre lover like myself would know Edward from his groundbreaking TV work in such shows as Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, or the recent Battlestar Galactica. But I’ve never seen him on any of those shows. Then surely I would know him from movies such as Blade Runner, Stand and Deliver, Selena or Zoot Suit. Nope, don’t know him from those either.

The only way I know Edward is from the two episodes where he played Supreme Court Justice nominee Mendoza on the fabulous TV series, The West Wing. That performance, alone, is enough for me to respect this man’s extraordinary acting ability.

His performance in Stand and Deliver, which I see for the first time tonight, is downright magnificent.

Olmos Enjoys An Enzian Meal While Watching "Stand and Deliver" with the Audience

Stand and Deliver tells the true story of charismatic high school math teacher Jaime Escalante, who brough calculus AP to a run down, inter-city LA school. His students performed so well on their AP placement tests, they were accused of cheating!

Edward’s performance is a joy to watch. From the moment he first enters the classroom, he perfectly captures the zany, theatrical Escalante–becoming a teacher so lovable, yet so authoritarian, it’s easy to see how he could effectively motivate a classroom of unruly teenagers.

At the end of the film, Edward comes onstage for an extended Q&A. He speaks about how his performance in this film is routinely ranked as one of the top three performances to have been nominated for, but not won, the Oscar. The award that year went to Dustin Hoffman for Rainman.

Yet I didn’t get the impression that Edward was bragging. He carries himself with a lot of confidence and gives the impression that he’s the kind of person who tells it like it is. He speaks about his confrontations with union leaders–admonishing them that they have to forego greedy politics and better represent the needs of the rank and file. He speaks passionately about the need for quality education in a society.

“I don’t know one pope, I don’t know one president of the United States, I don’t know one king or queen who didn’t get there without the help of a teacher. If it were up to me, I’d start every teacher at one million dollars salary. I’d pay high school teachers more than college professors, I’d pay middle school teachers more than high school teachers. But I’d pay the most to those who teach our youngest. If you don’t get them by the time they’re six, then the battle is almost over,” he proclaims with an air of dignity as the audience erupts into thunderous applause.

Olmos Signing Autographs

Like all great actors, Edward knows how to deliver a line and put on a show. But it’s obvious he has the convictions behind the rhetoric. And he has some great stories to tell.

He speaks about his insistence that he be given full creative control over his characters and that he signs a non-exclusive contract. He’s willing to turn down huge sums of money unless these two conditions are met.

The first day on the set of Miami Vice, he got into a huge tiff with Don Johnson when he insisted that his character’s office door be closed prior to Don’s character’s entrance. Don walked off the set, but Edward demanded he be allowed to exercise his character’s creative control. In the end, Don came back and Edward said he established the precedent of almost never looking directly at Don during a scene. Something must have worked because Miami Vice became one of the most popular TV shows of all time.

When he accepted the role on Battlestar Galactica, he warned the producers that the first time anyone wrote a four eyed, two lipped monster into the script he would immediately pass out in front of the camera and leave the show. Instead of creatures from the black lagoon, he said, the show focuses on planetary (Not American he was careful to point out) but planetary issues. It does not shy away from weighty issues such as reproductive rights, suicide bombing, religion and politics. He believes it is the finest show ever to come on TV.

Olmos Has A Lot Of Fans

When the handsome, elderly gentleman walked into the Enzian, held out his hand to me and said, “Hi, I’m Edward…” I had no idea that I was meeting such a remarkable man.

I hope you have been to the FFF and had a similar experience. If not, what more do I need to say to convince you to come?

There’s only two days left in the Florida Film Festival. I hope to see you there!

Did You Perform Chekhov In Sixth Grade?

Today was personal.

Number One Son and I head to Winter Park to watch Chekhov For Children. It’s a documentary about a group of sixth graders attending PS75 in Manhattan’s upper west side in the late 70’s. Their enlightened teacher decides they are capable of doing a two and a half hour performance of Chekhov’s dark and realistic masterpiece, Uncle Vanya. 

I’m drawn to this documentary because I suspect I will identify with the teachers and the students. I was the actor in middle school (which, in my day, was referred to as junior high school.) I always had the lead in the plays. I have no doubt I could have done Vanya when I was in sixth grade. Indeed, I won my sixth grade oratory contest by doing Marc Anthony’s famous soliloquy from Julius Caesar.

Then, as an adult, I used to teach theatre classes to youngsters. I recall the shocked expressions on my colleagues’ faces as I somehow got incredible, insightful and mature original scenes from youngsters.

I highly suspect I will be able to identify with both the teachers and the students in this film.

The documentary was well done and enjoyable. While it was not the masterpiece I was hoping for, it made for a reflective hour and a half of film watching. The documentarian was the lighting designer for the play. She had located and interviewed most of the principal actors and the teacher who staged the production.

You saw enough of the sixth graders’ performance of Uncle Vanya to appreciate the scope of the project and just how incredible these young actors were. And even if you aren’t into theatre, watching the interplay between the sixth graders then and hearing their adult versions now commenting on themselves is sure to evoke comparisons to your own school situations of long ago.

At the end of the movie, I found that my eyes had teared up, unexpectedly. Perhaps this film will sit with me long after I have finished watching.

Exiting the theatre, I discover three middle aged ladies discussing the film. They agree to an interview. “I liked it because it was a kid’s view and it took you back to your childhood, says someone who identifies herself as “a theatre goer” but whose friend outs her as “Mary.”

Mary then gives me permission to use her real name.  I ask her what she “goes back to.” “I was born and raised in Washington DC, in the city,” she explains, “and the homes we had were all close, the neighbors were close.” “Row houses,” chimes in her other friend, Laurie, attempting to be helpful.  “Row houses,” repeats Mary, “We used to go out and play ball in the park. The movie made me think about friends I hadn’t thought about in years.” Her voice trails off as she goes into a thoughtful reverie.

I ask Laurie for her thoughts. “I liked how the children were talking like adults. It made me feel like when I was 12. I still have the same feelings and I’m 55 now. It made me feel like the movie. It made me a little sad how some of the characters were like Chekhov characters. Life is sad sometimes,” She concludes with a note of deep sadness in her voice.

Teresa offers her viewpoint “I feel like all children should go through some kind of theatrical  presentation like that to show that there are other sides of the world beside their own family life. I grew up in suburbs so I didn’t have the city life. The fact that they were encouraged to perform this play that put them into a whole different world, an adult world, and in the future they could all look back into their 12 year old selves.  They all separated in life, just like Uncle Vanya, just like the play showed,” she concludes. 

It’s obvious that the documentary has created many moments of remembrance, contemplation and insight.

And isn’t that what great filmmaking is really all about?

Several Filmmakers Describe Their Short During The Q&A

One thing that was consistent at the FFF this year was the shorts programs. All of them have been fabulous.

It’s not uncommon for shorts to be a very mixed bag; often excellent films followed or preceded by mediocre films. But not this year. It seems like every short film and every short film program is actually better than the one before. Such is the case with Shorts Program # 3: “Best Foot Forward.”  It’s unusual for me to laugh out loud at a movie. Yet this program had several shorts that caught me rolling in the aisle.

West Of The Moon – Alas, a busy work schedule meant that Number One Son and I missed this short. Too bad. One movie patron identified it as the best one of the lot–and that’s saying something!

The Thief – Likeable short that turns the table on a house robber. Well paced and engaging.

The Interview –  Hilarious futuristic, apocalyptic short about a job interview with what could be the last two people on earth. Great visuals, good dialogue, laugh out loud funny. Great sense of timing and script development.

Victims Of Gravity – Quirky little short. That’s really all I have to say about it. Some interesting filming techniques, but no story to speak of.

Time Freak – Another hilarious futuristic short. I haven’t laughed this much at a film in years.

Mercy, Grace And Crab Meat – If Quentin Tarantino were a mormon, he would have directed this short instead of Reservoir Dogs.

Crazy Beats Strong Every Time – Beautifully filmed, well acted, nicely paced, great technical work all wasted on a story involving characters that I cared nothing for. Good talent gone to waste. Pity.

As she was leaving the theatre, Linda said to me, “I thought they were all really good. I thought the actors were good in Crazy Beats Strong Every Time. But I don’t understand the black culture so I didn’t understand some of the dialogue.”

I’m with Linda, not too much about that movie made sense to me. But aside from that, I really enjoyed this shorts program.

Meanwhile, Number One Son and I head to the Enzian for the last film of the evening–MindFLUX. Stay tuned, that review to follow shortly.

Eben Signs While Joseph Answers A Question About Hamill

Matt Hamill was a long shot.

Born deaf, he was raised by a mother and grandfather who taught him to believe in himself; to never give up. After learning to wrestle in a small, rural Ohio town where he was the only deaf person, he succeeded in placing 5th and 3rd in the state and earned a free ride to Purdue. After a disastrous Freshman year, he almost gave up before his grandfather convinced him to transfer to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York where he would go on to win three national collegiate championships.

Not surprisingly, this story of determination and never say die attitude was very attractive to Eben Kostbar and Joeseph McKelheer. They decided to make a movie about Matt’s life. In an ironic twist of fate, their story of making this film parallels Matt’s as they struggle to write the script, come up with the funding and produce a wonderful work of art.

SunnyStefani, LanceAround’s newest correspondent, joins Number One Son and I in the theatre to watch this movie–Hamill. She writes this excellent post about the film. In the meantime, I catch up to some audience members.

“I need time to reflect. It was a great movie. It had great meaning. I like how powerful the message was,” says Tyler Simpson as his date, Heather, nods in agreement. “It was really good,” she adds emphatically.

“Excellent,” raves Kay McKelheer, who is Joseph’s stepmother. (In addition to co-writing and co-producing the movie, Joseph plays Matt’s college wrestling coach.) As I write this, Kay continually looks over my shoulder to ensure I spell everyone’s name correctly. She’s a mom! She then introduces me to Joseph.

“We wanted to make a film where deaf people and hearing people could go to the theatre at the same time and experience it.  This was the first time I experienced the deaf community,” relates Joseph. He’s eager to push the website. He’s eager for distribution. This film means a lot to him and he does not want to see it die.

I read those last few sentences to him and he reacts, “I’m on my fifth year of this film. I won’t be surprised if, in five years, I’m still actively involved. I think this film has certain relevance. It’s going to take time, but it’s going to get out there. It’s not going to happen overnight. We’re not going to quit. It would be a shame if it doesn’t get out there. We know there’s an audience.”

I ask Joseph to tell me something that no other journalist has written about him or this movie. I’m looking for an angle–something personal. I use several other interviewing techniques to try to draw him out. They don’t work. He’s focused and he’s nervous. He wants so badly for this film to succeed.

I tell Joseph about the time I won a national wrestling championship when I was in college. I remember it clearly–the grim determination, the laser like focus–I only succeeded because nothing was going to stand in my way.

That’s how Joseph is now. He’s focused on this movie. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he succeeds.

It’s a good film and well worth a look.

The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Mrs. LanceAround joins Number One Son and I for an evening of shorts. Tonight we’re going to the Winter Park Theatre to watch Shorts Program #1: “Down and Out” which ends at 6:25, then race over to the Enzian for the 6:30 showing of Animated Shorts.

This was a good night. We really enjoyed all the shorts we saw. That’s pretty unusual. Here’s a brief review of the first set of shorts:

Sexting – Clever concept, but the execution didn’t work for me. Don’t understand why they chose to shoot in B&w, for example.

The Good Neighbor – Humorous yarn about an overly helpful neighbor and a precocious pet. I don’t think the pet–or the neighborly relationship–stands a chance.

Pillow – The filmmakers enjoyed using excellent, creative filming techniques in support of this weak, non-sensical story.

This One Was a Lot of Fun

GaySharkTank.com – Creative film technique with strong, snappy, witty story. This one was a lot of fun. Good flick and just a little too long.

Hello Caller – Loads of fun–great script, well acted. This was a joy to watch from beginning to end.

The Hunter And The Swan Discuss Their First Meeting – Well scripted and well acted fantasy. Quite enjoyable.

Filmmakers Q&A

After The Denim – Thoughtful, well acted drama about being young and getting old. Just slightly too long, but very touching.

After the movies, the filmmakers for Pillow and After The Denim came up for some Q & A. Gregory D. Goyins directed After The Denim. During the Q&A, he mentioned that this was his first film. I raised my hand and pointed out that most first time directors of shorts are obviously young students, often completing a film project for school. I asked him about the path that brought him here, since he obviously did not fit that criteria.

He spoke about being a stock broker for 10 years before returning to his passion–theatre. He applied at many film schools, but despite have a 3.9GPA and having won awards for his work, only Columbia and Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in Orange CA accepted him. Columbia was not offering enough money, so Gregory went to Chapman.

Afterwards, I pulled him aside and asked him point blank if he felt he was discriminated against because of his age. He was gracious and simply pointed out that with his GPA and awards, he couldn’t understand why he was not accepted.

I asked the two filmmakers for Pillow about the vagueness of their script. Was I missing something or was there a lot that was simply left unexplained? They said that they did not have any explanations for various plot points–confirming my suspicions about the weaknesses in their movie. As I’ve said before, filmmaking is, first and foremost, a medium for telling stories. The technical aspects are important–and a lot of fun–but if you don’t have a compelling story, technique alone won’t get you very far.

We rush out of the theatre and get to The Enzian just as they’re closing the doors for the animated shorts. The place is packed!  The three of us have to sit away from each other at three different tables. For the first time in history, we actually get bad food service at the Enzian as no waitstaff comes to take our food order at any of the tables we’re at. Since we rushed from work to the movies and haven’t had any dinner, this was quite an annoyance.

Fortunately, these films are even better than the last group of shorts. This is a great year for shorts. Every short program we’ve seen has been better than the one before. Here’s a very brief synopsis:

Guard Dog Global Jam – What a concept! A popular, Oscar winning short film animator calls on animators across the world to recreate scenes from one of his most popular works–in their style. He then puts it all together to create a new Guard Dog movie. It’s like a play within a play.

The Deep – Already saw and reviewed this short which played before the Opening night movie, Project Nim.

Something Left, Something Taken – Death and mayhem with a potential serial killer in San Francisco. Well paced, well acted, superb directing. This one was really good. It was Number One Son’s favorite short of the night.

The Birds Upstairs – Skeleton birds conceive an unexpected child. What’s a respectable skeleton to do?

Accumulonimbus – A kaleidoscope of a claymation cloud with fascinating shapes and sounds.
 

A Real Tearjerker

Danny & Annie – Very sad, true tale of a terminal illness and the redemption of love. Actual interview from a PBS radio broadcast. This one had many people in the theatre crying their eyes out–including Mrs. LanceAround who identified this as her favorite short tonight.

Always, Only, Ever – Sad tale of lonely heart creatures of some kind.

The Wonder Hospital – You know those mirrors they have in fun houses that distort your body shape–what if your whole world were like living in one of those?

Tales Of Mere Existence –  Lev Yilmaz brings a couple of these dittys to every FFF and they never disappoint. This year was no exception.

Fred – Great voice characterizations backstage at a seedy theatre.

Nosy Bear – Short, maybe kind of cute and uneventful.

Bottle – Sandman, Snowwoman send messages in a bottle. Could this be true love? Destiny? Almost…

The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore – The title really captures the essence of what this fabulous short film is about. Don’t get it? Neither did I until I saw the film. And I’m glad I did!

I would love to have stuck around the theatre and interviewed some patrons to get their perspectives, but the lack of service means that the LanceAround family is feeling hungry. So we stop by Whole Foods Market on the way home and buy some prepared food to share with Number One Daughter, who had to stay home and get some homework completed.

All in all, a wonderful night of film at the Florida Film Festival 2011!

Robert Scott Wildes Reporting For Duty And Ready To Do Battle!

Unable to peel myself away from the office on time, Number One Son and I arrive to the International Documentary Shorts late and completely miss Tussilago, the first film.  After settling in, however, we find these to be the best set of shorts we’ve seen yet. Here’s a brief review:

Some Folks Wouldn't Let Them Go!

Bye Bye Now! – When you lose someone or something how much will you miss it? What if you live in Ireland and the something you’re losing is your local, public Telefone box? A great short that thoroughly explores this unexpected issue. It even includes a poignant love story!

Grandpa’s Wet Dream – If your 76 year old Japanese grandpa wanted to become the lead in porn movies, would you want to portray his cinematic legacy during his funeral? Watch this short and think about that.

Bathing Micky – A daily dip in the sometimes frigid Swedish water helps an old woman find meaning in her declining years.

Face – Did the subjects of this Australian documentary belong here or in the restaurant where Harry met Sally? Sorry, but if you don’t understand that reference, I’m not going to explain it to you.

On the way out of the theatre, I encounter Eve Benson and ask her what she thinks of the films. “I liked them all, I gave them all a five,” she replies, “I don’t always do that.”

Robert Directing A Scene

As soon as the International Shorts program is finished, Matt from the FFF walks into the theatre with Robert Scott Wildes. After the Phase Cancellation debacle of Day Two, they’re not taking any chances. They’re doing a tech check for Thule. Upon hearing his film, Robert gives Matt the thumbs up.  The sound is working this time.

Robert wants to know if it’s a one flat control or are there sub controls. “Don’t go there,” chides Matt.  They don’t want to press their luck.  By the time Matt walks down the theatre aisleway, he is already busy on the phone attacking the next issue.

Meanwhile, I interview the patrons waiting in line to see Shorts Program 2. “I see them all, all the time,” says Grey Squires-Binford who is here with Michael, her husband. They both have platinum passes. They heard about the issues with Thule’s sound the first time it played. “It’s very disappointing. Something like that seems to happen with filmmakers every year,” laments Grey.

“I think it’s a format issue,” chimes in Michael, “so many things are shot in different formats. To be able to reproduce them all, that can result in bad sound. They do try, as best they can, to fix it,” he acknowledges. “My wife has been going to the FFF for 17 years, I’ve been going for 9.” Michael says he particularly likes the Enzian Theatre and enjoys good independent films. He especially likes the shorts programs.

I catch up with Robert Scott Wildes outside the theatre and ask him what he’s anticipating with today’s showing of his film, Thule. “I’m anticipating the audience hearing the narrative, which will be nice,” he says in a semi-joking, semi-serious tone.  “I ran into a woman who saw the film the first time. She, like a lot of people, thought it was a choice to not have dialogue.”

“Actually, It was a polarizing experience.  On the one end, you want to stop the film. On the other end, it was an exercise in seeing a film without the dialogue.”  He goes on to talk about David Mamet’s book where Mamet recommends that you screen the movie, once it’s completed, without the dialogue. Robert goes on to explain how this applies to his film, “People learned a lot—sonically, it felt like you were on a different planet. It was interesting. People saw nuances in the actor’s performance.” While talking with me, he wrings his hands and his foot thumps constantly. He’s clearly nervous, but does not want to admit it.  He pauses for a moment to check his phone for text messages.

While I’m speaking to Robert, an older man walks by and mistakes me for the ticket taker. He attempts to hand me his ticket. After jokingly thanking him for the free tickets, I ask him if he’s seen Thule and does he know the filmmaker? He says he does, so with Robert sitting right beside me I tell the older man if he sees the filmmaker, could he kindly ask him to sit down with me for an interview. Later, I discover that the gentleman I met is Robert’s father.

Setting Up A Crane Shot For Thule

I ask Robert if he’s seen his movie with an audience before tonight. He says only two or three times. “It was shot for a movie theatre, it wasn’t shot for a laptop,” he points out. “I’m really excited to see it with dialogue and sound. So many people make movies for YouTube,” he concludes, noting that his movie was made for the big screen. At this point he excuses himself so he can go get a seat inside the theatre.

Since Thule doesn’t run until an hour into a shorts program we’ve already seen, Number One Son and I decide to pop over to Austin’s Coffeeshop for a quick bite to eat during the first part of the shorts program.  We rush the meal because I want to be back in time to see how the audience responds to Thule.

As we re-enter the theatre, we run into Robert standing in the aisleway entrance. He’s pacing like a animal trapped in a cage. He’s strung very tight and it feels like he’s about to burst. As we watch the remaining shorts, he’s continually making editorial comments in my ear—“You know what’s wrong with this scene? The kid’s backpack is too new. There’s no dirt on it…The director holds this shot too long…Notice how the piece of paper crinkles here, they should have reshot that scene…” It’s clear Robert’s a perfectionist. I have no doubt he’s even harder on himself and his own films then he is on others.

Finally, Thule is the next film. Robert takes his seat near the front of the theatre, right beside his father. I notice his father giving him a gentle rub on the shoulder with a closed fist. It’s a tender moment. Silence descends.

As the opening credits roll, Robert jumps out of his seat and over to an FFF staffer. He asks her to increase the sound volume. He will do that two more times during the course of the movie.

As the movie continues to play, I notice the vast improvement of watching the film on the big screen instead of on my TV at home. Like the iconic director David Lean’s films, Thule needs to play on the big screen.

The audience is entranced. No one is moving, coughing or looking at their watch during the entire movie—particularly Robert. Among all the theatre patrons, he stands alone in watching the film with stark intensity; absorbing every moment. If this were my movie, my attention would be with the audience. Do they like it? Are they engaged? Not Robert. He doesn’t take his eyes off the screen during the entire movie, except to ask the staff to raise the volume level again.

The final scene plays out and the credits begin to roll. Nobody in the theatre moves. It’s a good sign. There’s a generous amount of applause as the credits end.

A few patrons walk out before the Q&A. I pointedly ask them if they liked Thule. It gets overwhelmingly positive praise. One young lady admits that the movie had her in tears (and she looks like it.)

Robert is the only filmmaker for the Q&A session. There are the typical questions about costs, scripting, production details and so forth. As the questions continue, the praise becomes more emphatic and undeniable. The film is compared to a feature. Two times the audience breaks into spontaneous applause during the Q&A.

I’ve lost all journalistic objectivity. I’m so happy for Robert. What happened to him three days ago was nothing short of a tragedy. While the remaining patrons leave the theatre, several people congregate around him. One young woman casually flirts with him as she asks him if she can send him her resume. A Disney employee gives him his detailed schedule for the week–offering him free access to the theme parks. Most just give him justifiable praise.

Finally the room is clear and the paparazzi have all dispersed. All except for Number One Son and I. Robert breathes a sigh of relief and comes over to speak with us.

Ever the perfectionist, he is ragging about the sound quality. “It could have gone up five decibels,” he laments. Number One Son asks him if the sound was muffled. “The problem is that the dialogue is supposed to be coming from the front of the room and the rest of the sound from the sides,” he says, gesticulating widely with his arms to make his point nonverbally as well. He also complains about several other production elements. It’s no wonder he’s so good—he’s a meticulous and driven filmmaker. I can identify. I wince as I note that the film takes place in Greenland, but on my previous post I referred to it as occurring in Iceland.

As he grows a little calmer, Robert kids Number One Son about describing him in the other day’s blog post as looking like Ron Livingston. He gives a hearty laugh as I make fun of the way he mercilessly ragged on the movies previous to his. His nervous tension is beginning to abate and he’s just beginning to let this FFF experience sink in.

After all, this is what the film festival is really all about.  And it’s fun.  And it’s magical.

But don’t take my word for it. Robert promised he would read this blog and make a comment. So I will end here and await for Robert to continue the conversation below. After all, the conversation is really what this blog is all about…

Robert?

Agree...Disagree...This Film Doesn't Allow You To Sit On The Fence!

I’m so pleased that Number One Son joins me today to see two very different films…

A fundamentalist Christian sits face to face with a fundamentalist Muslim. That’s the premise of the feature documentary Holy Wars. I’m curious why people have chosen to see this specific film.

“It looked interesting, the contrast between Christianity and Muslim,” says one theatre goer who dragged a husband and two friends to see it. The husband identifies her as Francine Schwartz.  (However, one friend points out that this is not the correct name of the woman who dragged these two now-former friends and soon to be ex-husband to this movie.)

“This is our third movie,” says the Non-Francine Schwartz. She remarks that they have seven more to go including The Narrow Place, some shorts and others she can’t remember. I offer to identify her with a real name, but she brushes me off. I give her the LanceAroundOrlando business card so she can check out the blog. Who knows, maybe she’ll read it and leave a note in the comments telling us who she really is and what she thought of this film!

A Moving Tribute To The Filmmaker's Brother's Last Spoken Words

Prayers for Peace

This animated short tells the story of a man who sees a church with yellow ribbons hanging from its fence. He looks at the ribbons and discovers the names of soldiers killed in Iraq. Soon, he finds his younger brother’s name. He then tells us about his brother. At the end of the film, he plays the last recording of his brother’s voice made shortly before his vehicle’s encounter with the IED that ended his life. The flags at the church were labeled “Prayers For Peace.” A short and very moving film.

Holy Wars

A powerful documentary that spends three years following a Christian fundamentalist and an Islamic fundamentalist to their one on one encounter and how that encounter had a profound impact on each of them. Well filmed and edited, this film can’t help but stir up strong viewpoints.

“Very insightful and interesting to see different perspectives clashing,” says Steven Kosanovich as he exits the theatre.

“Fantastic,” says Kristen Mateer, “because it shows two examples of fundamentalists and it shows one path that sticks to fundamentalism and one path where they divert from it. It makes you question where you are on that line. Are you listening or are you just spouting?”

“It gave me hope for the fundamentalist in our own country,” chimes in Jeff Johnson

Kristen rephrases, “It holds up a mirror to our country’s religious views..”

“Were youre looking into your own religious views?” Jeff asks Kristen. “Because I’m a Buddhist so there’s nothing in that movie for me…”

At this point they dive into a deeper conversation then I could possibly capture on my laptop. Religion, politics, and personal beliefs are bantered back and forth. To me, This is the essence of film festivals–to bring out various viewpoints, hold them up, explore and examine them. It’s both fun and enlightening–even as the topic is deep and dark.

Jeff’s final words cut through my reverie, “One can experience true personal growth,” he says in summary.

Outside the theatre I notice several groups of movie watchers deep in conversation. It’s clear that this film has sparked some intense debate. That’s good. That’s very good.

Number One Son and I enjoy our own introspective discussion as we drive to the Enzian to end our evening with Fellini’s masterpiece–Amarcord. Tomorrow, I’ll share Number One Son’s review of that movie with you.

Mrs. LanceAround & # 1 Daughter Loved Journey From Zanskar

The theme from Day 3 of the FFF seems to have centered around complex personal relationships.

It began with the documentary short The Rabbi And Cesar Chavez and the full length documentary, Stuff.

After watching the two movies, Bri reported that Stuff was charming and witty, a great film.  As another patron walks past me out of the theatre, she remarks that she liked the movie.

As the theatre clears, an older woman and a younger man sit chatting in their seats. I can tell from the conversation that they’re not mother and son–they barely know each other. Overhearing their conversation, it’s clear the film has evoked a lot of emotion for both of them. They’re both FFF volunteers.

Jackie Johnson stops me as I walk out of the theatre. She wants me to give a shout out to Steve Schneider (sp?) of the Orlando Sentinel because he recommended Stuff.  Jackie is clearly touched by the film. With a sad and far away look she tells me that the movie she just saw “touched every base.” She’s thoughtful as she says this film will stick with a lot of people.

As I consider both films I notice that they are eerily similar in that they talk about an elder son coming to grips with their relationship to an even older and dying father. Both films were fairly well crafted.  But I also feel that in both instances, the filmmaker was too close to the subject to be able to make appropriate editing and scripting choices. The end result was two films that combined with moments of tender, heartfelt and compelling story lines along with moments that were confusing and diffuse.

At the end of Stuff, a large portion of the audience stood up and left the theatre in the middle of the closing credits—something you rarely see during the FFF—and usually it’s not a good sign. On the other hand, once the credits ended and I could do audience interviews, it was obvious that many filmgoers were quite touched by this film; many wore expressions similar to Jackie’s.

For myself, I felt a wide range of emotion.  At times I was looking at my watch thinking the film was far longer than the 82 minutes advertised. At other times I found tears streaming down my face as the movie bought remembrances of my own relationship with my father and his, uh, stuff. To be moved to tears by any work of art is, in my opinion, high praise.

We file back into the theatre for the mixed media documentary short Grandpa Looked Like William Powell followed by the full length documentary Journey From Zanskar.

I take a moment to interview some of the theatre goers as they usher into the theatre. Susan says she’s here because this film looks good. Her escort, Chris, says it looks like an interesting movie about a group of people having a journey through some hard times and difficult places.

Grandpa Looked Like William Powell was an amusing and well paced little short. The filmmaker found a 1924 signed school yearbook in his grandfather’s belongings. He used it as a backdrop and added some photos and animation to tell about his remembrances of his grandfather. One particularly touching moment was when he recalled that he once got onto a bus with his grandfather and other family members and the only place to sit was grandpa’s lap. He was only six, but he distinctly recalls that he did not feel comfortable, warm or close to his grandpa while sitting on his lap. Similar themes echoed throughout this short as the filmmaker explored his relationship with grandpa, including the fact that photos of grandpa looked like William Powell.

Journey From Zanskar was wonderful. Narrated by Richard Gere, it told the store of buddhist monks who would take 4 to 12 year old children from their families in Zanskar to raise them in a monastery where they would get a good education and have the opportunity to break free from their incredible poverty. Parents are delighted to give this opportunity to their children even though they know they might not see them again for ten to fifteen years!  Just traveling to the monastery is a treacherous journey over mountain passes 17,000 feet high.

“It was excellent, I was really impressed with the selflessness of the monks. It was really encouraging,” says Kathryn Konigsberger. “I wish there was more selflessness like that in this country. I support a Christian School in India. It made me want to give more money to that school.”  For several moments Kathryn goes on to talk about her passion for education. She laments the ethnocentrism of her American culture. She believes that compassion should extend to all humanity. She is passionate in her views. She even speaks about thoughts of leaving this country because of her frustration with what she perceives as the selfish views that are prevalent in our society.

This is Kathryn’s fourth year volunteering at the FFF. She tells people all the time about how wonderful the films are. Despite extending many invitations, she has a hard time convincing her acquaintances to come.

I agree, Kathryn!  Hopefully as the word continues to spread with blog posts like these, the FFF will become a Must See/Must Do element for a large majority of locals as well as anyone travelling to Central Florida during April!

Our final film for the evening was Potiche. A French comedy starring Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu & Fabrice Luchini. This popular movie was sold out and there was a standby line. The movie was a typical French Farce–nothing too deep but filled with enjoyable moments. Deneuve was excellent in the role of the “trophy” housewife who takes over her husband’s business during a time of great labor unrest when her husband suffers an attack.

Gerard Depardieu has always been one of my favorite actors. I haven’t seen one of his movies in many years. I can’t tell you how disappointing it was to watch him in this role. He wasn’t bad; he just wasn’t the brilliant, charismatic actor I recall from such classic films as Jean de Florette and Cyrano de Bergerac. If you have a choice, skip Potiche and find a copy of Jean de Florette and the sequel Manon of the Spring; two great films that should be on every movie lover’s list!

Totally Unfair To The Filmmaker, Thule Gets Mangled At This Year's FFF

I have no idea what phase cancellation is, but somehow Day 2 at this year’s FFF was full of phase cancellation–both literally and figuratively.

Robert Scott Wildes is an intense, up and coming filmmaker who reminds Number One Son of Ron Livingston. Imagine his excitement as he is selected as one of the 24 students of the prestigious AFI film school in California to make a short film. With his team of filmmakers he spends over a year helping to write the script, direct and edit the movie. The production is valued at over $60,000 worth of time and effort. He spends four months just mixing the sound. The title of the film is Thule. It’s his masterpiece–and it’s good. So good the movie gets accepted to screen at the prestigious Florida Film Festival. Robert flies 3000 to watch the audience react to, what is at this point in life, his crowning achievement.

Then something goes horribly wrong–phase cancellation.

Robert Is Pained By The Error

Robert can’t believe it. At first, it’s a trickle. He knows there are violins playing during the opening credits. But as the movie begins, he can’t hear them. Then, it becomes a stream. The opening dialogue is missing. The audience can hear some of the sound–and it’s an impressive sound mix–but spoken words cannot be heard. Finally, it’s a deluge. Something is very, very wrong. The film the audience is watching is not the same film Robert shot.

I’m sitting in the theatre, exhausted. Last night’s final post was at 2am and today Number One Son and I are watching the first films of the day-Shorts Program #2. So far the films have been mediocre at best and I’m struggling to stay awake. SunnyStefani has not arrived yet.

The last film in the first shorts program we watch is Thule. The story revolves around an isolated Icelandic Air Base in 1962. The production elements are excellent and the sound effects are particularly striking–the howling wind, large clanking metal doors and shadowy blue lighting accurately convey the lonely, depressed isolation of this air base.

But I’m zoning out because there is limited dialogue and I can’t follow the story line. I assume it’s some novice director who seems to have mastered some technical elements but can’t put it all together into a cohesive story.

I scribble my short review of the film: Life on an isolated frigid Icelandic air base can be lonely and boring…and so can a movie about it.

I’m not an experienced enough film watcher to understand that something is wrong with the sound and I’m missing half the story–phase cancellation has occurred.

Meanwhile, SunnyStefani texts me. Shes lost on 527 and can’t find the theatre. She is new to town and I’m concerned. Between movies I try to discreetly text her directions but we are miscommunicating–phase cancellation of a different sort is occurring with LanceAround’s newest correspondent. She tries asking some locals for directions to the theatre but no one seems to know where it is. In frustration, she gives up and returns home.

Like the snow bound members of Air Base Thule, I’m on my own–phase cancellation seems to be the theme for today’s FFF experience.

As the film ends, Robert Scott Wildes comes up for Q&A. As he’s introduced, the FFF Staff member apologizes to the audience for the sound issues that occurred during the screening. It’s the first inkling I have that I did not see the movie that Robert made. Robert is gracious and tense. He offers to give everyone in the theatre a free copy of his movie.

Wow, what a generous offer. What’s going on here?

As a few more audience members ask questions and Robert explains, it slowly dawns on me how seriously this film got mangled. Then I think about Robert. He flew 3000 miles to come to this festival to watch a live audience appreciate his crowning achievement. It was his 15 minutes of fame. How must it have felt for things to have gone so terribly wrong? I can’t believe how polite and understanding he is. I would have been seething.

He is irritated, of course, but he has the good graces to not let it show. I introduce myself at the end of Q&A and ask him to get me a copy of his film. He promises to mail me one, but I tell him I’m posting later tonight and would like to screen his film.  He says he’ll see what he can do. I doubt I’ll see him again tonight.

After the Q&A I run into Matt from the FFF. I ask about the sound issues and he tells me there was a phase cancellation. At this point, Bruce appears. He has done technical work for the FFF for many years. Like a patient school teacher, he tries to teach me about sound waves and the causes of phase cancellation. He explains that, in the end, he only had to turn one dial by about 10 degrees to solve the entire problem. But he does not discover this until after the shorts program.

His explanation is complex. I wish I understood it. He uses an example of being in a car and experiencing the subwoofer from the car beside you. To you, the thumping beat is disconcerting and the only thing you hear. This is what phase cancellation is like–you can only hear part of the sound. Inside the interior of the car beside you, all the sounds can be heard and the music plays as intended.

Similarly, the sound we heard in the theatre while watching Thule was like only hearing the subwoofer–in this case, we only heard a portion of the soundtrack, including some dialogue, which was mangled or missing.

Audience Consoles Robert

I feel for Matt and Bruce. They work extremely hard during the FFF. For most of the shorts program, the sound was great. Once the problem was discovered, they worked tirelessly to solve it. It only took a few minutes, but by that time the damage was done. The rigorous schedule of the FFF and the disappearing audience made it impossible to go back and fix it for Robert.

It was like a Shakespearian tragedy playing out before us. Matt Bruce and Robert all fell victim to phase cancellation.

Here are today’s brief movie reviews from the first shorts programs I watched…

Shorts Program # 2: “Scales of Justice”

Inside Out-A screwball prison/therapist/family comedy. The audience seemed appreciative and laughed at all the right places. I thought the acting was so bad it almost made one miss the gaping holes in the script. It had a few moments, but not worth waiting for.

We’re Leaving-Pet alligator in a trailer park that’s closing down. What’s a pet lover to do?

La Aalle De Jeux (The Playroom)-Well crafted and well acted with an unexpected and delightful twist. Enjoyable cinematography.

Captain Fork-The very disturbing topic of killing one’s child puts a damper on what otherwise is an amusing and well made short.

After The Snow-Rough and gritty slice of life about rape and murder. Good production values compensate for a weak story.

Spider Fang-Two minutes reminiscent of an Ed Wood Film or a movie like The Tingler but, mercifully, it was two quick minutes that are worth seeing, but wouldn’t have been if it lasted any longer.

Thule-Life on an isolated, frigid Icelandic air base can be lonely and boring–and so can a movie about it…(Wait, that’s not the correct review of this film. For the correct review, please refer to what I wrote at the beginning and end of this post!)

Shorts Program #4: “Loves Me Not”

California Romanza-Well acted Christmas romance. Not very intricate, but enjoyable to watch.

Una Carrerita, Doctor! (A Doctor’s Job)-Engaging drama about an honest Doctor accidentally thrust into a dishonest world.

God of Love-Fun & entertaining. This one was a joy to watch. Competently filmed in black & white. Well constructed, funny & touching.

The Strange Ones-Disturbing tale of strangers with nefarious intentions. Well made, disturbingly so.

Ex-Sex-Tender, realistic & graphic exploration of sex with an ex, maybe not an ex, yea, ex.

The Candidate-Films like this one are what make the film festival so enjoyable. Great acting, well directed, tight script and good editing. Builds to a wonderful climax.

During the Q&A we meet director Julio Ramos and Art Director Andra Arce from A Doctor’s Job! They talk about the challenges of shooting a car scene in Julio’s native Peru and give insights into the story arc of the film.

David Karlak, director of The Candidate, also talks about his film. This is one of the best films we’ve seen so far at the festival. He says the film costs around $60,000.

I ask him how he was able to land such a well known actor as Robert Picardo. He says he called a talented casting agency who helped him secure the actors. He originally cast James Cromwell in the role, but James had to back out. Robert Picardo stepped in and was able to memorize all the dialogue in just two days! Robert gave a magnificent performance that really made the movie.

David & Robert Outside The Theatre

After watching the films, Number One Son and I are sitting outside the theatre enjoying a pizza. Suddenly, David Karlak comes by and we share some pizza together.

We discuss his film in depth, particularly the concept of Picardo’s character. I explain how, given the script, I would have nuanced Picardo’s character in a slightly less sinister, more angelic light. David impresses me by being open to the feedback, yet competently defends his crafting of the character. It’s a wonderful conversation that can only happen at a place like the Florida Film Festival.

But it gets better.

Along comes Robert Scott Wildes. He has rushed back to his hotel, burned several DVDs of Thule and goes out of his way to make sure I get a copy.  Impressive.

He and his companion  join Number One Son, David and myself and thus begins an hour long conversation about filmmaking. Shortly into the conversation, David excuses himself because he wants to go back into the theatre to watch the newly released The Lincoln Lawyer.

The remaining four of us begin bantering about actors and directors. Not surprisingly, we find we have a lot in common. We enjoy comparing notes. Robert says they want to go see the Bobby Fisher movie playing next at the Enzian. They were going to grab a cab, but we offer them a ride and continue the conversation all the way into the Enzian and the start of the next movie.

We talk about the sound mishap that happened during the screening of Thule. I advise Robert that if such a thing ever happens again, he needs to assert himself and stop the playing of his film. David is still with us during this part of the conversation and he agrees wholeheartedly. “You’re an artist and your artwork was mangled,” I point out. “You have the right for your art to be shown as intended.”

Later that night, despite being completely exhausted, I fulfill my promise to Robert and Number One Son and I watch his new cut DVD of Thule. I wish I could report on how much I love the movie. But I can’t. Not because I didn’t love it, but because now I have no objectivity left.

I find that I feel so badly about Robert’s experience that I can’t help but want for this movie to succeed. Instead, I decide to be honest in my blogpost–Robert has worked hard to complete his film and had a very disappointing night. I would like to see my readers reach out to him with encouragement.  Find the movie Thule. Order it, email Robert, tell him how much we need to support budding, young, energetic filmmakers like him!

The night ends with another delicious meal at the Enzian while I watch The Bowler short followed by Bobby Fisher Against the World.

The short was a charming enough documentary about a bowling hustler. The subject was actually in the audience. During the subsequent Q&A it was obvious that the filmgoers enjoyed his eccentricities in person as much as in the movie.

Bobby Fisher Against the World was a fine documentary chronicling the life of the most famous chess player in the world. Having risen to American champion at the unheard of age of 17, Bobby made history by defeating the Russian champion in 1972.

The movie explored the darker side of genius as Bobby’s erratic complaints about the lighting, cameras, etc. and his missing several matches as he simply disappeared gave some insight into his psychological struggles. In the end, he became quite reclusive and anti-Semitic. A powerful scene was a replay of his unprompted call to a radio station just after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center where he lauded the attacks as something that America deserved.

The film was informative, well scripted, well paced and very enlightening. I hope you get a chance to see it.