Tampa Film Fan

back in a few days

Four weeks after surgery and *now* I’ve developed a sinus infection (my allergist blames the hospital) and *now* my surgeon thinks that the problems I’ve been complaining about since the surgery have been there all along, pre-surgery, and I’ve just “never noticed.”  (WTF?)  (Note to my doctor: it’s ok to use the phrase “I don’t know” instead of making up crap.)

So I’m off for another round of tests and bloodwork — fun, fun — so I’ll see you sometime next week.

All things being equal, I’d rather be blogging.

go see the movie sharkwater this weekend

I caught a screening of the new documentary Sharkwater earlier this week and have been thinking and reading about sharks ever since. In the movie, filmmaker/photographer Rob Stewart presents “the softer side of sharks” — did you know that soda machines kill more people per year than sharks do? — and teaches the viewer about how vital sharks are to the ecosystem and to us.

Stewart also exposes the horrors of the shark finning industry.  Sharks are caught, their fins are cut off while they’re still alive and they’re thrown back in the ocean to bleed to death, drown or be attacked by other sharks.

I met Stewart at the screening and had a chance to talk to him again this afternoon.  Well-spoken and knowledgeable, Stewart is passionate about spreading awareness of sharks and the need to protect them.  In addition to being educational and moving, his film Sharkwater is absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful underwater scenes.

I’m 3/4 of the way through my review of Sharkwater and 1/2 of the way through transcribing today’s interview, but some personal medical stuff has popped up and I’ve got to take a brief break from blogging.  I’ll post the review and the interview first thing after I get back.

In the meantime, go see Sharkwater when it opens tomorrow!  Visit www.sharkwater.com to learn more.

(Don’t just take my word for it…ABC Action News’ Brendan McLaughlin liked it too.)

next tampa film network meeting set for october 2

Received via email from local filmmaker Joe Davison:

Hey film makers of Tampa!

The next Tampa Film Network meeting is set for October 2 at Chili’s. Chili’s is located on at the corner of Columbus and Dale Mabry, across from Bennigans. The meeting is set for 8 p.m.

Come in enjoy some food and spirits and have some fun. We’ll discuss the film movement in Tampa and we can find out who needs what for their next film.

If you have any film news, need help on a film, or know a great location contact us through either www.tampafilmnetwork.com or www.popgunpictures.com.

Seating is limited so get there early.

Hope to see there.

Visit www.tampafilmnetwork.com for more info.

in memoriam:ruiz del rio, somers, ghostly, marceau

• Spanish film set director and special effects guru Emilio Ruiz del Rio (Pan’s Labyrinth, Dr. Zhivago) has died at age 84 of respiratory failure.
• Actress and 70s TV game show mainstay Brett Somers (The Odd Couple) has died of cancer at age 83.
• Actress Alice Ghostly (Bewitched, Designing Women) has died at age 81.
• Legendary mim Marcel Marceau has died at age 84.

king of kong:a fistful of quarters posters to give away

Thanks to publicist extraordinaire Linda, I have some King of Kong:A Fistful of Quarters posters to give away. If you want one, send your mailing address to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com and I’ll mail you one. First come, first served; while supplies last.

What is the film about, you ask? Read on:
 
A middle-school science teacher and a hot sauce mogul vie for the Guinness World Record on the arcade classic Donkey Kong.
 
In 1982, Billy Mitchell became the Guinness World Record high-score holder for the video game Donkey Kong, with 874,300 points. In 2003, after months of practice, Steve Wiebe completely decimated Billy’s record with an unimaginable 1,000,000 points. But Billy wasn’t going to take the defeat sitting down, and the two men took on an ultimate championship to determine who would be the king of Kong, all of which was captured in this fun documentary.

Film critic Bob Ross gave King of Kong:A Fistful of Quarters a B+.

film fan finding:harry potter and the order of the phoenix

I’m glad I’m not a professional film critic.  While that would be a dream job, I would get fired once I turned in a review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  I’m not a Harry Potter fan…there, I said it.  So I was dragged to this movie against my will.  I saw Order of the Phoenix and still have no idea what it’s about. 

Let’s see…it was dark and ominous.  Harry and his friends discover a secret, fight against evil and try to protect Dumbledore.  Strange things are happening at Hogwarts.  Weird characters…spells…attempted spells…thwarted spells…some Hogwarts characters were barely in the movie. Dark…and a little boring.

On the plus side, Hermione has finally discovered conditioner and the red-haired kid doesn’t yell “Hair-ree” in that annoying way anymore.

Film Fan Finding: B-

film fan finding:the great pretenders

Back in the spring, I saw the short film The Great Pretenders at the Sunscreen Film Festival. In a very brief review at the time, I said “Wickedly keen with solid acting. One of my favorites of the festival.” Since then, I’ve tracked the film’s successful progression through the film festival circuit. Because I enjoyed the film so much, I volunteered to write a longer review for the filmmakers. Here is that very belated review:

Did you know that there’s a funny side to job layoffs? I didn’t, until I watched the short film The Great Pretenders. Writer/director Jeremy Cohen tells the story of middle manager Scott Matter, who gets laid off from his corporate job and sent to an outplacement service for job-seeking assistance. Run by Hope Withers (the name says it all), the outplacement service offers job hunters an office environment in which to conduct their job searches. At first, Matter is positive, energetic and doesn’t worry too much. Soon, however, the stress of corporate life starts to wear him down…until he remembers that he doesn’t have a job. He’s in a man-made “corporate purgatory” that has sucked him into the rat race in a most hilarious way.

In addition to Cohen’s brilliantly snarky social commentary, this movie features superb acting talent. Kelly Miller is great as the earnest Everyman Scott Miller, while Bruce Sabath is perfect as the lonely, sad-eyed, permanent job seeker Cliff. Part Glengarry Glen Ross and part Office Space, The Great Pretenders is an absolute delight.

Visit www.greatpretendersmovie.com to learn more about this film.

Film Fan Finding: A

last chance to save the education channel

Received via email:

Please call the Board of County Commissioners one more time!

District 7 — Mark Sharpe, 272-5735, sharpem@hillsboroughcounty.org

*fingers crossed*

film fan finding:eye of the dolphin

Eye of the Dolphin has a sweet premise: troubled teen Alyssa (Carly Schroeder) has been living with her grandmother (Katharine Ross) since her mother’s death. Unable to control Alyssa, her grandmother thinks it will be beneficial for them to go to the Bahamas to meet Alyssa’s father Hawk (Adrian Dunbar). Hawk is a dolphin researcher battling local politicians to maintain his research center, unaware that he has a daughter. Although he’s an expert at dolphin communication, Hawk is unable to communicate with his newly-discovered teenage daughter. Alyssa, however, discovers an ability to communicate with dolphins and befriends a wild dolphin. Her newfound gift helps Alyssa and her family get along, leading them to band together to fight for Hawk’s research center.

The film’s sweet premise is somewhat marred by weak spots in the plot. What kind of grandmother would think that the best thing for a troubled teen-age girl is to move to another country to live with the father she’s never known? Why does the grandmother disappear after arriving in the Bahamas? Why is Adrian Dunbar so unconvincing as an American and as a scientist? I had other questions about the movie, but won’t reveal them here to avoid giving anything away.

The cinematography is beautiful, especially the underwater scenes. Carly Schroeder (Gracie) is earnestly convincing as Alyssa and the always-wonderful Jane Lynch is deliciously cutthroat as the local politician who cares more about profit than science.

Film Fan Finding: C

list of films screening at halloweenapalooza

Here’s the list of feature films screening at the upcoming Halloweenapalooza (October 19-20), received via email:

100 Tears
99 Pieces
Blood Car
The Blood Shed
The Bunker
Death on Demand
Gimme Skelter
Ghost Month
Hoodoo for Voodoo
Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!

1040
All Because of You
Cannibal Flesh Riot
Cerritosis
Gruesome
Listen
Mental Distortion
The Projection Booth
W.O.R.M.

Visit www.halloweenapalooza.net for more info.