Day 9: September 16

Much of the day spent in docs, with three in a row occupying my time. Slipped out of the panel Q&A for Midnight Movies (with such participants as Eli Roth) to catch the Dylan doc, and I'm so glad I did.

Midnight found the bounding Sammo Hung on stage at the Ryerson. I'd love him to do a major dramatic role, some sort of Hong Kong Godfather type pulp masterpiece that'll show his dramatic chops and get him the acting esteem that he probably deserves. The highlight of the night was certainly the absolute joy on the face of Colin as he introduced Hung to the crowd.

Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Directed by: Nick Park and Steve Box

Grade: A-

Claymation at its best, this is a far more "English" tale than even the brit-centric Chicken Run. In the end it's simply quite fun to watch the lads bandy about on their adventures. While lacking the wall-to-wall action that characterize the much lauded shorts, Curse does translate quite well into a feature length pic.

51 Birch Street
Directed by: Doug Block

Grade: B

A strange, hyper-personal doc about the filmmaker's own confrontation with his family history. After compiling interviews of his parents after their 50th wedding anniversary, his mother suddenly dies. His father marries reasonably quickly after her death to a secretary from several decades back. Meanwhile, while packing up the home Block finds a manuscript of his mother's detailing her own affair during the marriage.

Reflecting upon the complications of post-war marriage in the pre-divorce age, Block's film does presenting an interesting and intensely intimate tale about his own parents. It certainly could have descended into masturbatory reflection of his own life, but Block manages to tell the story in a crafted, well presented way.

Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream
Directed by: Stuart Samuels

Grade: B-/C+

A decent flick from the maker of the extraordinary Visions of Light doc, this one traces the history of five of the main Midnight films of 70s American cinema. Detailing the successes of El Topo, Pink Flamingoes, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Eraserhead, Samuels does provide a decent overview of the times that produced such cult successes. To the film's credit he does manage to get the major participants together, with each film having a representative key creative person talking about the project. Scattered interviews with the likes of Ebert and the New Line boys provides some additional context to the tale.

Unfortunately, the film does little to talk about the really cult films that could be considered financial failures, or the international market for Midnight films (in places like the UK, Hong Kong and Japan) where these genre pics really found a home. Still, getting reticent people like Lynch to give their thoughts, coupled with the always engaging Waters dryly discussing the consumption of dog shit, makes for at least a generally interesting flick.

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Grade: A+

Simply astounding, an absolute masterpiece, and certainly the best Dylan (if not music) doc ever made.

It is remarkable that the time has finally come for Dylan to be reflective upon his transition from folk troubadour to electric innovator. Tracing the time from his youth in Minnesota to his bike accident that cause him to stop touring for months, this is an intimate yet epic history of that period of "message" music. You see footage never assembled before, often with the audience booing the shift in musical cultures.

Many musical touchstones are addressed, from the Pete Segar reaction at Newport to Dylan's namesake (or lack thereof). There is no need for a voiceover to direct the flow of the story, as interviews and performances are seamlessly woven together to tell the tale with absolute precision. Of the many interview subject, Joan Baez comes across as the most honest and engaging of the bunch, completely open and frank about her own issues, and the strangeness of the times. Her impromptu performance shows she still has the range that made her famous, but her stridency has been replaced by a philosophical self-reflectivity that's truly engaging.

Dylan himself is about as outgoing and engaging as he's ever been on film, talking frankly about his own rise to fame and fortune. His own comments about his political stances, his confrontation with the old guard, and his musical path are a joy to listen to. Historical footage of press conferences shows his absolute mastery of the press who seem completely befuddled by this supposed voice of a generation. What comes across in the entirety of this production is a musical innovator completely committed to his musical muse, unafraid to be assailed by audiences and critics alike while innovating all the time.

With its bravado and scope the film shames lesser docs. No Direction Home is quite simply a wonderful gift to the history of musical expression, and should not be missed. Here's to the second volume tracing his chaotic and musically diverse period through to contemporary recordings.

SPL
Directed by: W. Yip

Grade: C-

Sammo Hung plays a bad guy, and that's about the extent of the interest in this film. While there's quite a good fight in the end, the buildup is far too long for midnight fare, and the forced moodiness a bit too banal. There's about 10 minutes of goodness here, and worth seeing if only for those moments.