Film Review: Waking Sleeping Beauty

You know that age in Disney animation when it seemed they released one major hit after another? Now-classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King were everywhere, from your 6^th-grade classroom to your lunch at McDonald’s and your family trip to Broadway.

Well, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Fans of “A Whole New World” and “Hakuna Matata” will love this week’s Hipp movie, Waking Sleeping Beauty, which chronicles the good times and the bad at Disney animation studios, from Walt’s own reign (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) to the introduction of Pixar Studios and A Toy Story. Filmed in the style of home-video-turned documentary, the movie includes all that you never knew about the behind-the-scenes at this American powerhouse.

Revisit the classics by watching the fascinating Waking Sleeping Beauty on Wednesday (4/28) at 5:15 and 8pm, and on Thursday at 6:30 and 8:30pm.

*Win Tix! INsite's giving away a pair of tix to the Hipp Cinema. Follow us on Twitter to find out how to win.

—MM

The Messenger Delivers Real American Heroes

The Messenger, a contemporary war film debuting Friday, Jan. 15th at the Hippodrome, avoids the theatrics of war and politics to engage its characters on a more personal and less dogmatic level. The impressive directorial debut of scriptwriter Oren Moverman, The Messenger has already garnered international praise for its honest portrayal of soldiers on the home front and the families behind them.

Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, an injured war hero who returns stateside to assume his duties as a casualty notification officer for the Army. Partnered with callous and sleazy senior officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), Will must visit the families of the recently deceased to announce their loved one’s death. The frustration of discovering his ex-girlfriend (Jena Malone) already engaged and the pressures of his new job lead Will to seek the comfort of a soldier’s widow (Samantha Morton).

The film is hardly dedicated to dour contemplations on war and heroics, though. Using much of the same comic charisma he had in the recent Zombieland, Harrelson’s character in particular buoys the plot with his eccentric antics, maniacal gaze, and puerile humor. Gone are the stunts and splash of more testosterone-driven war films. Devoid of violence and bloodshed, the bare humanity of the soldiers in The Messenger alone is enough to make this film one of 2009’s best.

The Messenger is playing at the Hippodrome through Thursday, Jan. 21. You can check times and buy tickets online.

-- Allison Griner

We talked to lieutenant colonel Paul Sinor, who served as the film's army liaison. Check out why he loves the movie and how he changed Woody Harrelson's thoughts on war here.

"The Lovely Bones" book review

"My name is Salmon, like the fish, first name: Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6th, 1973.”

Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones has come from the bestseller list to the box office in a matter of seven years.

After being murdered a by a neighbor, Susie Salmon tells her story from a place between heaven and earth. But, childish and dimwitted are two terms Sebold strays away from as she makes Susie the narrator. Most notably, in the first chapter, Susie explains in full detail the grotesque actions of her murderer, Mr. Harvey, which might persuade readers to close the book. Nevertheless, the sassy and perseverant 14-year-old, who acts twice her age, eloquently exposes her heaven and hell in the in-between where she resides.

While Susie consistently describes the feelings of her distraught father and silence-in-suffering mother, Abigail, Susie also reveals what she experiences in her perfect world full of gazebos, animals, Kool-Aid and fashion magazines. However, this perfect world Susie lives in is also a slice of hell. Without the fire and gloom, Susie reveals how she keeps track of her murderers' whereabouts as he walks among the living.

But deep into the text of Sebold’s work can bring comfort to those who have lost a loved one. Not only does the novel portray how people grieve differently with the loss of a loved one, but also how the dead cope with watching their family and friends grow old.

Sebold’s excellent use of visual imagery and her strong character development, Abigail in particular, drives the story from one chapter to the next.

Tomorrow (Jan. 15th), The Lovely Bones, directed by Lord of the Rings' Peter Jackson, premieres nationwide. The cast is comprised of Stanley Tucci, from The Devil Wears Prada, as Susie’s killery. Mark Whalberg and Rachel Weisz play Susie’s parents. Saoirse Ronan, Oscar-nominated for her role in Atonement, plays lead Susie Salmon and Susan Sarandon is cast as Susie’s eccentric grandma, Lynn. However, with such a well-written book it will be interesting to see whether the CGI effects will take away from the magnificent and moving plot of this New York Times bestseller.

—Alisha Kinman

Vintage Christmas Special at the Hipp

What better way to spend the holiday season than by watching a free Christmas movie marathon at the Hippodrome Theatre? On Saturday, Dec, 19th, at 12pm, the Hippodrome is having a repeat showing of its Christmas Triple Feature. An entire afternoon devoted to Christmas nostalgia, the triple feature will showcase the original Babes in Toyland, the camp classic Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, and the heart-warming It Happened on Fifth Avenue. While the screening is free, the Hippodrome is asking for a small donation of five to ten dollars.

The Hippodrome hosted one screening of the Christmas Triple Feature last Saturday. Shown in the main cinema, the triple feature presented an opportunity for the Hippodrome to show off some impressive new equipment. “All these films are digital that are being shown on our brand new digital projector,” says cinema manager Robert Matrone. “It’s very, very beautiful. It’s worth it so you can see these films in essentially the highest quality you can find.”

The Christmas Triple Feature offers something for every taste. Kicking off the movie marathon at noon is the original 1934 version of Babes in Toyland, starring the famous comedy team Laurel and Hardy. “A lot of people know this film from the later version, which stars Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves,” Robert says.

Known as one of the worst films ever made, the 1964 science fiction film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians blasts its way on screen at 1:30pm. In the film, the Martian children become so enthralled by the Santa-themed television that the Martian king launches an expedition to Earth to kidnap Santa Claus and bring him back to the Red Planet. “Sometimes we show movies because they’re really good,” Robert says. “In this case, we’re showing it because it’s really, really bad. But it’s as entertaining as any good film.”

Finally, at 3:30pm, the Academy Award winning comedy It Happened on Fifth Avenue tells the story of a New York City homeless man who squats in the empty mansion of a vacationing millionaire during the winter. “This is a feel-good film, more in the classical tradition of It’s a Wonderful Life,” Robert says.

For those looking for a little nostalgia, classic news reels and old-fashioned holiday cartoons from the forties and fifties will be shown in between the features.

—Allison Griner

The Weekend Roundup: Stuff to Do

Whether you are staying in town or going to Atlanta for the SEC game, there will be nothing dull about this pre-finals weekend. Just to make sure you don't miss out on your much-deserved kicks, we've compiled of a list of the thunderstorm of entertainment taking over Gainesville this weekend.

First thing is first: have you checked out our Kid Cudi and Common show. Popular among the hip-hop and indie communities you can expect a wild, widely ranged crowd and lots of superstar hype. Did we mention it's free?

We hear Rue Bar is proceeding the show with a Winter Wonderland party complete with a sno-cone machine. Yum. Before Rue Bar and after Common, make your way over to Common Grounds to continue on your live music high. With the Shoddy Beatles and Morningbell rocking CGs its sure to be a good old kickback-to-the-60s time.

Make your rounds around the Gator Stompin' venues for some free/super cheap drinks, and a chance to help Toys for Tots. If you don't have your Gator Stompin' pass, make like Santa and lug around a bag of gifts tonight, many of the venues will offer free cover with the donation of a free unwrapped gift.

Ok, now drink lots of water, take a power nap and prepare for Saturday. Wake up early for the Craft Festival 2009 starting at 10am at the O'Connell Center. With over 300 vendors, it's a great chance to get your holiday shopping out of the way.

The game's at 4pm, so you know your friends are going to start gearing up early. Many of the bars around town will be offering drink specials for the game. We recommend Stubbies and Steins for its dense menu of specialty beers.

If you can pull yourself together after an afternoon of game-cheering and beer drinking, check out the Thomas Center for the annual tree lighting ceremony at 7pm. Before and after the tree lighting, Duckpond will be offering up horse-and-wagon tours of the area's luminaries, a super sweet way to precede a romantic date.

Now it's back to Common Grounds for Umoja Orchestra's first show since April, the latin-infused band of unity is reuniting for a widely awaited and much-appreciated show.

Sunday's the day for rest, so go ahead and sleep in. Try to be up by 3pm for the Bela Fleck and the Flecktones show though. The award-winning "blu-pop" band will bring its Holiday Tour special to the Phillips Center.

The day of cultural reckoning continues with the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre's hosting of "An Evening with William Shakespeare: Or I'm in the Mood for Love," a performance of some of Shakespeare's greatest love scenes at 8pm.

To take the energy back up again, the 90s Omaha, Neb., indie-rock band Cursive is making a stop in Gainesville as part of its tour. With its progressive, instrumental arrangements Common Grounds is in for great show Sunday.

Feel like a Sunday showing? Go the the Reitz Cinema for a free screening of "500 Days of Summer," at 8 and 10:30pm. This quirky romance comedy is much better than Zoey Dechanel's earlier attempt this year at a quirky romance comedy with Jim Carrey in "Yes Man." At least in "500 Days of Summer," her character is not asked to ignore the fact she's having a carefree tryst with a man old enough to be her grandfather.

-Stephanie Granada

New Moon Review

The New Moon midnight premier opened to cloudy skies, and a surprisingly uncrowded theater in Gainesville. The number of movie-goers sharply increased following a more saga-appropriate turnout for the 3am screening, as people lined throughout and outside of the Regal Cinemas in Butler Plaza. Walking out of the movie, found a mixed-bag of reviews, with avid book fans disappointed at the movie translation and others enthralled by the magic that is the Edward-Bella love story.

The second installment of Stephanie Meyer’s vampire book series continues the fantasy love story between a vampire, Edward Cullen, and a human teenage girl, Bella Swan. We see as Bella’s world falls apart after being abandoned by Edward, and she eventually finds comfort in Jacob Black, an old-friend, and mid-way into the movie, a werewolf. The story leads up to the final choice of Bella having to choose between Edward and Jacob (as if there was ever really a question).

If you go into New Moon with high expectations, you will leave disappointed. The below par acting, overdramatized, unsound special effects and the beyond corny scenes will leave you feeling a bit cheap and undersold. On the other hand, if you approach New Moon for what it is- a silly adventure romance – the movie doesn’t fail to amuse.

The true and undeniable flop of the movie goes to Taylor Lautner, who plays Jacob. Not even his Greek-god physique or Hollywood-watt smile can make up for his complete lack of acting skills. The cast is saved by the obvious chemistry between Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattison as Bella and Edward, which is all that really matters as the true catalyst behind the Twilight-mania. Dakota Fanning also impressed in the role of underworld princess Jane. The small role might just be what she needed to make the transition from creepy child actor to more grown-up roles. We still can't imagine a better Bella than Kristen, whose naturally awkward disposition make her perfect for playing the insecure and clumsy teenage role.

If you’re in for some mindless fun this weekend put aside your snobbery – no, the movie will never be as good as the book, and a beefed-up budget does not an Oscar-worthy make - and get lost in some New Moon fun. If anything, check it out for the soundtrack. With tracks by Bon Iver and Thom Yorke, New Moon might serve the higher purpose of introducing mainstream-loving teens to some good artists.

-Stephanie Granada

French Invasion at the Hipp

Prepare for some French flair this week at the Hippodrome Theatre. Tonight (Nov. 17) at 8pm, the Hippo, in conjunction with the FLEX Film Fest, presents a free, special 16-millimeter print of Masculin-Feminin, an iconic French New Wave film by director Jean-Luc Godard, along with several surprise short films. While Masculine-Feminine will be showing in the new Cinema Lounge downstairs, upstairs Francophiles can enjoy Paris, an ode to the city of lights.

Masculin-Feminin was chosen for the opening night from a collection of over a thousand 16mm films collected by Roger Beebe, a professor at the UF and artistic director of the FLEX film festival. 16 mm film offers a rare cinema experience that is hardly ever available in a regular movie theatre. This special presentation of Masculin-Feminin will have greater clarity and truer colors. Based on two stories by Guy de Maupassant, Masculin-Feminin is a cynical portrait of sixties culture, colored by the pop sensibility of the director. It co-stars French pop singer Chantal Goya and Jean-Pierre Léaud.

This special event marks the grand opening of the Hippodrome’s newly renovated basement, now known as the Cinema Lounge. A project almost a decade in the making, the Cinema Lounge will feature a new marble bar and cabaret-style seating. Tables and chairs will be set up in front of the screen, so that audience members interact as much with each other as with the film. “The benefit of this is that you are going to be sitting across from people in a way that represents the sort of dialogue we’re hoping to have about these classic films,” says Robert Matrone, cinema manager for the Hipp. “Plus, you can get up and go get a drink and popcorn without missing anything.”

If this first screening is a success, the Hippodrome hopes to feature other films from Beebe’s extensive collection in future Cinema Lounge screenings. “We could do this for quite a long time and never repeat a film. It’s an exciting prospect,” Robert says. To fund future screenings of free films, the Hippodrome will be asking spectators for donations of $3-$5.

The French extravaganza does not end with the Godard film. The Tuesday screening is followed by the showing of Cédric Klapisch’s film Paris on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 18 and 19, in the main cinema room upstairs. “Part of the reason we ended up going with the Godard film is because we’re also showing Paris in our main cinema this week, and so Masculin-Feminin ties into that,” Robert says. Tickets for the general public to this event are $7.

—Allison Griner

RISK Cinema Shows Audiences the “Reel” Middle East

Even after all the exhibits closed Tuesday night, the Harn Museum of Art was still abuzz with visitors. A small but varied group was there for the RISK Cinema showing of two documentaries focused on the Middle East, We Will Live to See These Things and X-Mission.

Housed in the Eloise R. and William H. Chandler Auditorium, RISK Cinema has been regularly showing off-beat, independent films during fall and spring semesters since 1990. For half the price of a regular movie ticket, spectators were treated this week to two short documentaries about the politics of the Middle East. Students were charged only $3 for admission, while the general public paid $4 per ticket. Admission for Harn members was free.

As a UF professor of Film and Media Studies and one of the original founders of RISK Cinema, Scott Nygren made a short speech preceding the screenings to introduce the night’s films, adding cultural notes and pointing out details that the audience might otherwise overlook. For Nygren, different genres converge in these films in an effort to force the audience to rethink Middle East politics. Films about such intractable problems, he says, are almost like science fiction: They lead us to imagine different futures.

The first film, We Will Live To See These Things, or Five Pictures of What May Come to Pass, is a five-part portrait of Damascus, Syria, directed by Julia Meltzer and David Thorne. Shot on location in 2006 and 2007, this documentary won the “Best New International Video” award at the 2007 Images Festival in Toronto and the “Dialogue Award” at the 2008 European Media Arts Festival. Each segment of the film concentrated on a particular cultural aspect of the city. Various perspectives are portrayed, as the film profiles an Islamic school for girls, an equestrian competition, a self-professed “dissident” journalist and an architect. The focus though is on the average person, as the film captures scenes of everyday life and sets them against messages of hope, in spite of pressures from Syria’s authoritarian regime and Western states.

The second film, Ursula Biemann’s X-Mission, presented a youthful and insightful look into the state of Palestinian refugee camps. Using an urban aesthetic and referencing online YouTube clips as well as other online sources, Biemann presents a modern look at Palestinian refugees. Biemann adopts the perspective that refugees, as people caught between the definition and security of nation-states, often find their interests to be underrepresented in international bodies like the UN. In a post September 11th environment, the Palestinian camps often host the war against terrorism, causing the Palestinians to be again displaced. They are portrayed as a people without a homeland and without a choice in their own future. But Biemann does not merely depict the Palestinian as a victim, she, like the directors of We Will Live To See These Things, holds hope that in the future these people will be given their choice, their voice in world politics.

--Allison Griner

Upcoming RISK Cinema films

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m., $3-$4
Roger Beebe, “Films for One to Eight Projectors”

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m., Free
UF Film and Media Studies Student Film Screening

European Film Series Tells Migrant Struggles

While the European film scene tends to evoke the colorful, quirky Amélie and stunning Life is Beautiful in the minds of Americans, a new free film series aims to shed light on some powerful but lesser-told stories.

Last Monday night (9/21) marked the first of the two-part “Migration in Europe” film series at the Hippodrome with screenings of Spare Parts (Slovenia) and Das Fräulein (Germany/Switzerland), two recent internationally acclaimed works brought to Gainesville by UF’s Center for European Studies as part of their year-long “Engaging Migration in Europe” series of events, presented with support from the Commission of the European Union.

The festival continues at the Hippodrome today (9/28) highlighting ethnic and racial tensions in Europe with free screenings of Inch’Allah Dimanche (France) and Hop (Belgium) at 7 and 9pm.

INCH'ALLAH DIMANCHE
Set in the 1970s, Inch'Allah Dimanche is the story of an Algerian woman, Zouina (Fejria Deliba) who emigrates to France to live with her husband, three children and mother-in-law. It was made in 2001 by French-Algerian director Yamina Benguigui.

Though she suffers physical abuse from her husband and verbal abuse of her mother-in-law, she makes friendships in France that carry her through the abuse and the culture shock and leave her more confident.

HOP
An African teenager named Justin must run from the law and struggle against racism in his white surroundings in this Belgian film directed by Dominique Standaert. Shot in black and white, the film follows Justin as he tries to rescue his father from deportation by aligning with Frans, an anarchist who builds bombs in his home.

For more info, visit thehipp.org. For a full list of “Engaging Migration in Europe” films, lectures and workshops, visit the Center for European Studies' Web site.

—Ashley Spencer, Amelia Marty

"Food, Inc." Review: A Beef With The Food Industry

*Win free tix! See below.*

Private investigators, hired by huge multi-national corporations, prowl the perimeter of each plot of land. Dark windowless sheds dot a once pastoral landscape. And from inside the feces-encrusted walls of those sheds comes much of the nation’s food. Sound like a horror movie? According to the documentary film Food, Inc., this is merely the state of food production today.

Food, Inc. confronts the cherished delusion that the family farm is at the heart of Americana. Documentary filmmaker Robert Kenner exposes the reality that our food is actually coming from factory-like farms owned by a handful of corporate giants, to the detriment of all Americans. Featuring the commentary of best-selling authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma), this film reveals how a few large food corporations lobby for lower health standards and less oversight while continuing to make the process of food production more dangerous and more unhealthy.

Like many calls to activism, Food, Inc. may initially come across as radical or liberal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Food, Inc. is an appeal to all Americans, regardless of political party or beliefs. For instance, in the film, a Democratic Congresswoman unites with a Republican mother who lost her son to an E. coli infection. A local farmer against big business is as prominently featured as the founder of the Stonyfield Farm Organic Yogurts, the third largest yogurt producer in the US. The documentary Food, Inc. attempts to be nothing if not balanced in its search for a solution to our looming food crisis.

Food, Inc. documents every stage food passes through, from its agricultural origins to the mouths of consumers. As the movie shows, many of today’s hot-button issues are affected by food politics, from illegal immigration to obesity and healthcare. The film’s implications are horrifying, but Food, Inc., for all its shock value, refuses to accept the status-quo. Instead, it appeals to America’s deep democratic ideals, calling for consumers to “vote” for healthy products with each purchase. As such, Food, Inc. frames the battle for higher food standards as the battle for the American spirit. The reality of the food industry may be less than appetizing, but Food, Inc. should leave all Americans hungry for change.

--Allison Griner

Food, Inc. premieres tonight at the Hippodrome at 6 and 8:30 p.m. It runs tonight, Saturday (9/26), Sunday (9/27), Wednesday(9/30) and Thursday (10/1) at 6 and 8:30.

**We’re giving away a set of tickets to Food, Inc. today!.
Follow us on Twitter to find out how to win! **

Humpday Review: More Than Just Brotherly Love

*WIN FREE TIX! SEE BELOW*

A film about two men having sex isn’t something you’d normally find on the marquis of your local movie theater. However, such a film is gracing the screen of the Hippodrome Theatre for a weeklong engagement starting on tomorrow (Fri., Sept. 18). Winner of a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, the comedy Humpday is an unexpectedly deep look at friendship tinged with homoeroticism.

Ben, played by Mark Duplass, lives an ordinary suburban life with his wife Anna (Alycia Delmore) that is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of his free-wheeling college buddy, Andrew (Joshua Leonard). When Andrew and Ben get drunk at a party, they challenge each other to make a film for the upcoming porn festival, Humpfest. The only catch is that these two straight men will be having sex with each other, in order to make an “art film” that is “beyond gay.”

Similar comedies like 2008’s Zach and Miri Make a Porno emphasize crudity, with splashy and shocking sexual sequences. Never to disappoint, Humpday does have its share of vulgar humor, but its sexually charged plot is almost an excuse for an unconventional analysis of Ben and Andrew’s relationship rather than graphic sex.

Under the direction of Lynn Shelton, winner of an Independent Spirit award for this film, Humpday creates an intimate and honest portrait of Middle America that captures the humor, heart and desire that lies behind every good friendship. In a time when gender politics are so controversial, this film is not afraid to bend boundaries and preconceptions to question the laws of attraction. In its soul-searching view of the interplay between love and sex, Humpday proves that a film about porn can truly be high art.

Humpday premieres at the Hippodrome tomorrow at 6:30 and 8:30pm. Additional shows Sat. 4:30, 6:30 and 8:30pm; Sun. 2:30, 4:30 and 7pm; Wed. 4:30, 6:30 and 8:30pm and Thurs. 6:30 and 8:30pm. Tickets are available at the Hipp's box office or online at thehipp.org.

*The first person to e-mail editor@insitegainesville.com gets two free tix to Humpday at The Hipp!

Opening Night: Latino Film Festival

Last night (Tuesday, Sept. 15), we joined students and professionals as they mingled in the lobby of the Harn Museum of Fine Arts night, sipping champagne and sampling hor d’ouevres before taking in the opening film of the Fifth Annual Latino Film Festival.

On show was the U.S. restored premiere of Araya, a 1959 Venezuelan documentary that tied for the International Critics Prize at that year’s Cannes Film Festival before falling into obscurity.

After four years of meticulous refurbishment, a full audience in the Harn’s Chandler Auditorium was able to rediscover this milestone work.

Victoria Condor-Williams, director of the Festival and president of the Latina Women’s League, started the project five years ago.

“My intent in creating this film festival was to find a resource that could reach the entire community. It’s something that can bring all of us together, and the result is a rich experience for the Latino community and for the community in general,” she says.

The evening also marked the return of RISK cinema, a program showcasing experimental and essay films at the Harn since 1990.

“These are the kind of films you won’t see somewhere else,” Kerry Anthony-Oliver, RISK program director and Harn curator, says. “This particular evening is very special, to be collaborating with the Latina Women’s League. It’s incidental that we both wanted to feature Latin American films, and it corresponds with the fact that the Harn’s galleries are featuring a lot of Latin American art at the moment.”

The Latino Film Festival will feature films every Saturday at 2pm from now through Oct. 24. Additionally, gallery talks, readings and other related events are being held throughout the period. A full schedule of films and events can be found at latinawomensleague.org

–Ashley Spencer

(Photos: Tim Carswell)

Visioneers Screening Review

Suffer from dreams? The characters of the dark comedy Visioneers do, and it has them literally blowing up. We got to watch this movie last night (Thurs., Sept. 10) in the smoky interiors of the Common Grounds. This quirky movie stars The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis, who plays George, a level 3 corporate drone who watches in fear as his colleagues explode around him out of frustration at their desolate, bleak lives. Visioneers follows George as he tries to hold it together in a loveless marriage and mindless job, seeking happiness hopelessly in materialism.

As the first feature film by director Jared Drake, Visioneers heralds the arrival of great talent. The film toes the line between edgy and mainstream, comedy and surrealism, such that it appeals to a wide audience. Being so well made, it seems hardly believable that the film was shot on location in and around the Drake family house and on an Indie-film budget no less.

While the film does sag in the middle due to its heavily melancholic tone, it stays consistently entertaining with its pop-culture parodies and its sarcastic depiction of dead-end jobs. Inventive editing and vivid imagery create searing scenes of dark offices and an equally dismal home life, but the film always has the allure of hope and humor. This movie is such an effective satire, you may come out of the movie too wondering if you’re just a “Tunt” waiting to break free or blow up. Visioneers is an explosively entertaining and relevant comedy that just might have you bursting ... with laughter.

Read our previous post with screenwriter Brandon Drake.

—Text and Photo by Allison Griner

The Visioneers at Common Grounds

Interview with Brandon Drake, Scriptwriter for The Visioneers

Does stress have you ready to explode? That is literally what happens in the dark comedy The Visioneers, the first film by writer Brandon Drake and his brother, director Jared Drake. Tonight (Thurs, Sept 10), Common Grounds will be hosting an exclusive showing at 9pm. We talked to Brandon about working with his brother and the challenges of making an indie film.

What motivated you to write a plot about people literally exploding out of unhappiness?
If people had to confront everything they were repressing, what would that mean for the world? The metaphor in the film is a play on the theme that “I feel like I’m going to explode.” In the movie, one of the symptoms that you’re about to explode is that you start having dreams. The main character George, played by Zach [Galifianakis], starts to dream about the way he wants to be, and he starts to pursue that way of life ... If there’s a theme, it’s about following your heart and listening to yourself.

How does your film appeal specifically to Gainesville’s college crowd?
This is a thinker’s movie. It’s fair to say it’s an intelligent comedy. It’s looking to ask [the audience] questions and think about things, and I always saw college as that kind of time ... This movie is really about my experiences coming out of college, being a human being in the real world.

Your brother Jared directed, while you wrote the script. Was translating your personal relationship into a professional relationship hard? Any sibling rivalry?
It can be complicated. Making movies is about the hardest thing I can imagine doing, especially as a creative person involved in the process ... Jared has one set of skills as a director, and I as a writer, so it works out well. I don’t get too excited to work with actors, and I don’t think Jared has read Fahrenheit 451.

What were some unforeseen challenges?
Running out of film, running out of money, working with crooks ... It’s a never-ending series of struggles. But it’s very rewarding when you get to sit down with an audience of 600 people laughing ... The indie is the Wild West. We don’t get to carry revolvers and kill each other in the street when we get mad, but it’s a wild world out there.

Comedian Zach Galifianakis of The Hangover plays the lead. How was the experience of working with him?
When we made the movie, it was a year and a half before The Hangover. I think he really responded to the material, because he didn’t get paid anything from The Visioneers. The humor in the film is not your typical Hollywood comedy ... Zach has been really supportive. He was on [The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien] this summer, pitching G-Force, and he did us a total favor by asking Conan to hold up our Visioneers DVD on national television. That’s the kind of guy Zach is, with the lengths he’d go to help out our little movie.

Any upcoming projects?
I have a script finished ... that we will be coming out with pretty soon, also a comedy. There’s also a character in The Visioneers called Mack Luster, and he’s a TV star in George’s world, so we’re developing his TV show ... The guy playing Mack Luster is our best friend so it’s going to be a lot of fun.

If you could work with any director or actor, who would it be and why?
I want to work with my brother Jared and Zach again. That is the God-honest truth. If we could do this again with more resources, I would be a pretty happy guy. That’s all I’m working for.



For more info on the show tonight, go to www.commongroundslive.com.

—Allison Griner