"Billy Baxter and The Mystery of Dr. Amazo" Review

The term MTV generation has come to imply quick cuts and flashy shots meant to appeal to today’s attention-bereft media consumers, people typically seen as over-connected adrenaline junkies. They crave thrill after thrill, so we’re told, in order to sustain their spongy minds, which due to modern living now more closely resemble black holes than gray matter. A lot goes in and nothing comes out, or so the people who make our movies seem to believe of us.

But that is simply not the case, as writer/director Patrick Flaherty proves. No matter the generation people are people, and there is always a place in our hearts for a really good story, as in the film “Billy Baxter and The Mystery of Dr. Amazo.”

Set in the times before honesty in advertising was under governmental regulation, back when a quarter and stamp could get you x-ray glasses, this film asks a simple question: What if the glasses worked? What if every wild promise in the comic book ads was true? Welcome to the world of Billy Baxter!

Few films now a days really spend time developing setting, acquainting the audience with the film’s unique world, but that is not so in the world of Dr. Amazo. Set around the 1950’s, a time when science seemed able to dissolve any boundary, we meet an intrepid young boy with a garage full of send away science toys. All by himself in his garage one rainy night, we get to know Billy Baxter (Jackie Olson), and watch as he discovers all the wonders of Dr. Amazo’s products for kids. Tension builds simply in this piece as one invention at a time, the audience beings to get the sneaking feeling that with so much power in the hands of one little boy, something is bound to go terribly wrong.

"The Gospel According to Matthew" Review

Out of a hunter orange car covered in question marks steps a man in a white suit, also covered in question marks. Mysterious? Not at all. You already know this guy. It’s Matthew Lesko, the man we’ve all seen on TV selling books about government grants. Ever wonder about the man behind the question marks? Most of us probably haven’t, but “The Gospel According to Matthew” is a fascinating case study in entrepreneurial innovation.

It’s a simple equation: We pay taxes. The government uses that money for things we all need and want, like roads and important social programs. No one agrees with every way government money is spent, but Matthew Lesko shows us that there is probably at least one program out there we will like, programs that encourage American citizens to make their lives better, more productive.

Matthew Lesko has made this knowledge mainstream, but not without difficulty. Of the over 100 books he’s written, only 10 have been great sellers. People often judge him for his flamboyant clothing. He’s even been called an f***ing communist bastard (to his face… by strangers… on the street). But nothing can dampen his enthusiasm for one thing, the power of dreams.

This short film a study in business, in social psychology, and in uncompromising individualism. With a collection of lovely interviews, old photos, TV spots, and a behind the scenes footage, director Sofian Khan paints a portrait of a very unique, very American dreamer.

"UnderCover" Review

Nada Assad wants to be an effective detective, but the dudes on the police force don’t understand what’s it’s like for her working with them. No, not because she’s a woman in a man’s world. She’s a Muslim in a world where people work on Fridays, don’t pray at work, eat pork, and don’t wear clothes that could get caught in heavy machinery. A world that’s not always sensitive to her beliefs and, in fact, barely understands them.

When Nada (Aline Elasmar) and her bungling partner (Mark Odlum) get assigned to the case of the missing pig, she gets the chance to prove she doesn’t have to compromise what she believes to be a good cop. Her religion even turns out to be an asset, the key to helping her solve the case. Maybe she’ll finally make detective!

“UnderCover” is a ridiculous and heart-felt film. The quality of the shots is warm, the soundtrack quirky, and the cast well chosen. Director Iman K. Zawahry delicately blends the sacred with the irreverent so that the film’s message of tolerance is never preachy. A family friendly tale about accepting people for who they are on the inside rather than what they wear on the outside.

"William Carlos Williams: Poet and Gyno" Review

In 1950, poet William Carlos Williams gave a reading at UCLA. 60 years later, Director Adrian Garcia adapted a chunk of that reading into a one-minute animated short about gynecology. Charming drawings and spot on comedic timing highlight the hidden poetry, so to speak, of this ill-fated audio clip.

This seems to be an interesting case of found film, almost akin to the poetic concept of found poetry, and hearkens back to the Saturday Night Live, TV Funhouse: Fun with Real Audio. Though the topic is a bit blue, this short is not. There is an odd dignity to the plot, an older doctor teaching a younger one about the practice of feminine medicine in the voice of William Carlos Williams.

We can learn a little something from this film. Sometimes it’s less about what’s being said and more about saying it with authority. That is what can truly set the tone for a situation.

"Heels to the Pavement" Review

It can be tempting, when you have a really great idea, to try to make it into a feature film. You’ll tack on extra characters and subplots and digressions until your idea is stretched so thin it’s not really a good idea any more. What a shame. “Heels to the Pavement” does not make that mistake. This mockumentary takes a good idea, quirky power walkers, and develops it into an entertaining short film.

Nerdy Peter wants to be a power walker. Hard-driving Deb is a power walker. Howard is a legendary power walker. People tell him all the time, he is definitely a legend in his own eyes. They’re all competing in the town power walk in the spring, but it’ll take a lot of training to be the champion. When Howard decides to take Peter under his wing, teach him the ways of the champion, it’s hard to tell who’s getting the better deal, terrified Peter or loud mouth Howard. All the while Deb, icy and focused, strives to take them both down. When the day of the walk comes, however, something unexpected happens.

Director Zachary Mattson catches moments of organic interaction between the characters to make the most of his script. Every scene is cute and adds something substantial to the story. Even Deb’s foray to The Big City for training doesn’t seem like a huge rabbit trail. It was quick, visual, and cracked a few good jokes. What could have been a time waster was actually fun. “Heels to the Pavement” is a textbook comedic mock with a lot to offer.

"Mondo Penguin" Review

There is a certain confidence about a film that gets in and out quickly. It conveys to the audience that a film has done its job and doesn't have to stick around to belabor the point or make up for flaws the filmmakers can only recognize as a vague paranoia lurking just below the film's surface.

"Mondo Penguin" comes in strong with attention grabbing penguins. It cites the recent popularity of the birds in film, then seeks to draw our attention to the deeper, more prevalent presence of penguins throughout the history of film, including many indie flicks of today. It seems that penguins have for some time been insightful, disturbed filmmakers who's stark vision was shaped by a world where one's cradle is a frozen wasteland.

Humorous and satirical, Vincent Gargiulo's "Monto Penguin" pokes fun at activists and filmmakers alike. Like any good mock, Gargiulo takes just enough from reality so as to get a person thinking, "Hey, that almost makes sense... Wait, no it doesn't. Penguins don't have thumbs." But in this very short short, a riveting narrator and an immaculate cornucopia of B-roll footage smack of professionalism and, dare I say, realism.

My only suggestion is this: It is hard to be interviewed. Let me rephrase. It's hard for good actors to be interviewed. There's something about sitting still and talking like a normal person that seems to confound actors that are otherwise very effective. Most of them invariably try too hard, as do the actors in "Mondo Penguin," though not to the point of great detriment.

Intricately done and surprising, this film is worth seeing, and, at less than five minutes in length, very well worth the time.

"With Anchovies, Without Mamma" Review

In the beginning, I didn't know if I was supposed to laugh at this film or if I was about to witness the disturbing coming apart of a human mind. "With Anchovies, Without Mamma" is a dark mockumentary short that boasts high quality and strong actors from start to finish. Clever use of B-roll and expert shot composition create a deeply sensory film experience. The well defined identity in the composition of the shots creates a strong sense of atmosphere.

The delivery boy, played by Adam Scarimbolo, gives a real and vulnerable performance. Joli Tribuzio, who portrayed counter girl, Danni Danunzio, was fresh faced and sweet. Much luck to her in her career, as I'd like to see her talent again. At times these seemingly simple pizzeria workers waxed a little more philosophical than one would expect, but the sincerity of their portrayals made it believable.

To say that a story unravels is a cliche, but one that definitely applies to "With Anchovies, Without Mamma." This story existed, it seems, before the film was made. The film simply picked the story apart, revealing it piece by piece, until the whole fabric of the story was revealed. Not many films can achieve this level of expertise in creating and maintaining the sense of an alternative reality.

Many indie filmmakers are hobbyists or, much worse, fans playing at film. Writer/director, Thomas Justino, on the other hand, is a filmmaker. Every piece of B-roll had an artistic tone. "With Anchovies, Without Mamma," is weird; it's well done, poetic, tragic.