Tag: Independent Film
Phoenix Film Festival 2022 Copper Wing Award Winners
April 20, 2022
(updated April 20, 2022)
Published by Shari K. Green
The Phoenix Film Festival awarded the 2022 Copper Wing Awards as part of the closing night events for this yearâs film festival.
Awards were given out in thirty different categories for both the Phoenix Film Festival and the International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival.
Lez Bomb Movie Review
Coming out films are often stories filled with struggle and pain. The writers and directors generally fill the hearts and minds of their audiences with some of the trauma that a person whoâs in love with the same sex oftentimes goes through. This isnât the case with âLez Bomb.â This is a comedic take on how Lauren, played by the writer/director herself, Jenna Laurenzo, marches up that hill with a family who simply wonât listen. Sheâs nervous. Sheâs scared. However, she also feels confident enough in their acceptance that she chooses Thanksgiving to tell them the big news. Maybe she figures the tryptophan will relax them enough. If that doesnât work, thereâs plenty of wine.
On Thanksgiving morning, before other arrivals, Lauren finds a moment alone with her mother, Rose (OâConnell), to tell her who she really is. Rose, playing a caring mother with naĂŻve tendencies, doesnât really give Rose any reason to fear telling her but sheâs simply too busy to give her daughter any of her attention. Sheâs running around the kitchen like a chicken with its head cut off. Very much like a television sitcom, this scene along with many others following, felt contrived. Lauren finds out that her parents have been looking at her social media accounts and have short-sightedly mistaken a friendship with her male roommate, Austin (Brandon Micheal Hall), as the relationship sheâs trying to hide. They also believe sheâs pregnant. Even though Lauren is an adult and they like Austin, this suddenly becomes a problem, one of which her father, George (Pollak), threatens Austinâs life unless he officially brings the relationship to light. As the movie continues, what is revealed isnât what poor Lauren is trying so desperately to shed light on, but instead how insane her family is. They stumble over one another, refusing to hear the other and throughout the film, and sabotage what Lauren wants to accomplish.
There are funny moments; youâll laugh and you can thank Bruce Dern, who plays Laurenâs grandpa, and Cloris Leachman, who plays Josephine, for a lot of that. However, for the most part, the comedy feels less instinctive than forced and strained rather than composed. In âLez Bomb,â we have a comedy but often a comedy of errors. A woman is desperately trying to come out to her parents and is stopped at every turn. She tries over and over to inform them that the friend she has with her means much more to her than they realize and as she quietly takes it, you want to be her voice. Itâs frustrating to watch. I wanted to like it more but I thought the characters were weak and some of the situations they were put in too sophomoric to accept.
*Opens Friday, November 9 In Theatres and on VOD
In Phoenix at AMC Arizona Center 24
Measure of a Man Movie Review
May 11, 2018
(updated November 16, 2018)
Published by Shari K. Green
The film âMeasure of a Manâ is an adaptation of the book âOne Fat Summerâ by Robert Lipsyte. Itâs directed by Jim Loach, whose father Ken Loach has been working in the film business for over fifty years. Seeing this movie makes me certain Jim will have the same kind of staying power. Jim had writer David Scearce write the screenplay and make some changes to it to create a more relatable world for him to work with. Doing this has made his twenty-second directing achievement a triumph. His casting choices also helped. Topping off a fabulous cast of young actors whom you may not know quite yet is Judy Greer, Luke Wilson and the crème de la crème, Donald Sutherland.
âMeasure of a Manâ is set in the 1970âs and is a story about an awkward teenager, Bobby Marks (Cooper), trying to fight bullies and his own lack of confidence to grow up and become a man. Depending on how one interprets that, what he wants to do is be helpful to those around him and be a good person but has so much anxiety, he can barely help himself. Heâs overweight, uncomfortable in his own skin and outside of his mother (Greer) and sister Michelle (Liberato), is too nervous to talk to girls, save one, Joanie (Danielle Rose Russell), who he grew up knowing. He knows Joanie because his family gets together every year with hers after upstate travel for summer vacation brings them together for picnics, swimming and county fairs. The chubby kid certain that one day her acceptance of him over summer break will blossom into love.
However, this summer, things are different. A lot has changed. Bobby hasnât changed but other things have and heâs even more uncomfortable. The people upstate have finally let the vacationers know what they think of their visitors, the locals are harsher and less tolerant of the mess they leave and find an easy target in Bobby to take it out on. Joanie frightens Bobby more than anything a thug could do to him. She has matured and is now taking off for a month and wonât explain to him why. Heartbroken, he gets a summer job helping Dr. Kahn (Sutherland) with his lawn and basic yard maintenance. Itâs this relationship that becomes the turning point of the film. Kahn is a rich elite who you think is being severe but you come to realize, through his own experience, heâs guiding him into manhood. Kahn also accidentally stumbles onto a sort of friendship he wasnât quite expecting.
The characters in the film are well thought out and the acting is convincing. Bobby and Michelleâs relationship as brother and sister is hateful yet compassionate and Cooper and Liberatoâs performances are spot on. Loach is largely to thank for pulling performances out of his young cast that keep you both amused and captivated. When feeling for the poor youngster, youâll also feel inflamed when heâs confronted with more than he can handle. I like the movie and believe you will, too. Jim Loach knows how to handle a story. This movie is potent and effective and one not to miss. Include âMeasure of a Manâ in YOUR summer vacation films.
Odd Brodsky Indie Film Movie Review
April 5, 2017
(updated April 7, 2017)
Published by Shari K. Green
Everyone knows independent film is where itâs at these days. You canât argue the facts.  Their creators arenât inhibited like filmmakers working on big budget films.  They have all creative control over their art.  If you want something unique, indie has the pickle for your palette.
Today, are you looking for an interesting indie film that can give you a good chuckle?  If âyesâ, then I have the perfect film for you to add to your list of must-sees.  Odd Brodsky. ItâsâŚÂ odd⌠and thatâs its charm.
Itâs not impossible to believe that every single one of us has found ourselves in a situation where we feel a little out of place; a bit uncomfortable where we stand or who we are surrounded by at a given moment. Oftentimes we are facing a position that doesnât give us the level of comfort weâd prefer to have and weâre troubled by that. Well, imagine this is the norm in your life; that this IS your life. Meet Audrey âOddâ Brodsky, the spirit for which filmmaker Cindy Baer introduces you to such an existence.
Odd Brodsky is a comedic story loosely inspired by some of Baerâs own journeys on this planet, and if youâre a filmmaker youâll especially appreciate the whimsical musings of these familiar attempts at making it in the business.â
Aud⌠Odd is a woman who has made it her lifeâs work not to fit in and has accepted her fate⌠or has she? In what feels like a one hour and thirty-three minute SNL skit, Odd and her gang of friends are trying their best to make something of themselves.
Working in Hollywood and being an actress seems to not only be Oddâs passion but also the only thing with which she excels, âActing makes me braver than I really am.â
Audreyâs friend Sammy is producing a play that gives writers Baer and Matthew Irving an opportunity to bring on the silly. For instance, when Sammy is looking for a particular actor to be on stage who is playing the part of God in her stage show Hell is Here, she shouts for him, and the way this whole scene plays out⌠I almost choked on my chips. Itâs hysterical.
Now thinking maybe behind the scenes is best for her, Odd decides to produce a reality show. Again with the laughs⌠of using scenes to their fullest; labeling people such as Photolab guy and Camera One. Itâs great! Odd moves from building to building and as she moves back and forth, painted on the wall, literally on the wall, are the paths sheâs choosing. The symbolism is great fun. Very clever.
Tegan Ashton Cohan is so wonderful as Audrey, and with her, Camera One, is perfectly cast. Matthew Kevin Anderson shows the perfect emotion for what heâs going through and the feelings heâs starting to have for Odd. Grand kudos goes to Baer for handling the role of Sammy and keeping her fellow actors in mind at the same time. She handled this set well and it is abundantly clear that she has the product to prove sheâŚÂ made it.
Warning to you, however.  Youâll want to find Cindy Baer and give her a big hug after watching this movie, because not only did she entertain you, but you canât help but wonder how much of this is reality and how much pressure had she truly felt deep down growing up? Did her family support her? Well, if they didnât, she proves them wrong with this winning film. Not only that, she makes fun of it so you know that if the pain was there⌠it certainly isnât now.
Impressive job, Cindy Baer!  Genuinely delightful film.  I cannot wait to see what you, even Audrey, has in store for us next⌠until then, may I borrow Camera One?
Here are VOD links for you to watch Odd Brodsky! Â
iTunes: https://itun.es/us/K7n1fb
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mUFOTu
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2mm34Xj
