Film: “Shortbus”, “The Science of Sleep”, and DVDs

Hi there hello there. This weekend didn’t amount to much on my part due to the fact that I missed a few shows I had planned on going to, sorry… but I did see a new movie and saw a trailer for one coming out that I’ve been hearing a lot about, “Short Bus”.

“Short Bus”, From the NY Times:

John Cameron Mitchell, the creator and star of the drag hit “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” would like your money to make a sex film, please. No, it’s not pornography, Mr. Mitchell says. It’s a comedy with real live sex taking place on camera. There’ll be none of those fake encounters found in films like “Monster’s Ball” or “In the Cut.”

Come on, Mr. Mitchell. You’ve got to be kidding. What’s the difference, really, between this and pornography? He’s got an answer: The purpose of pornography is to arouse, whereas here, he said, “the priority is the emotional life of the characters.”

Can’t wait! It’s been way to long since Hedwig. John Cameron Mitchell is amazing. Enough said. If you’ve never seen “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, PLEASE by all means go and buy the DvD. Yes buy, and the sound tracks too. You’ll see. I can’t believe he’s 41.

John says, “It’s everything you need to get through the next two years of George Bush.”

Make sure you visit the offical website and register to see the uncensored trailer.

Hollywood Reporter Story
NY Times Story
Official Shortbus The movie Website
Shortbus Cannes Panel Discussion
Video from Shortbus NYC Premiere Party Concert, Sept-26-06
Video from Cannes 2006 of JCM
Advance Screenings of Shortbus in Your City, MUST RSVP

The Premiere party concert gives me goose bumps. John performs in shorts… Hedwig nubmers too… wow.

It opens October 6 at Laemmie’s Sunset 5.

The other film I saw was “The Science of Sleep” by Gondry. (click link for trailer)

The film will in a way be the penultimate Gondry production: all of the ideas and techniques we’ve seen in Gondry’s canon will collide in what is a 100% Gondry film. Partizan and Gaumont are producing. The film is part French and part English, filmed entirely in France (mainly in Paris in a house where Michel lived 15 years ago), and scripted by Michel.

Michel revealed some of the plot in early 2004, this time in the New York Times: “It’s about conquering your dreams,” he said of the story, in which the hero “can’t wake up any more because the people in the dream don’t want him to leave the dream, and they hold him as a hostage. There’s a guy who commits murder in his dream but with an electric shaver. An electric shaver becomes huge and shaves everything in sight.” Gaumont.com, May 2005: “It’s (about) a guy trying to take control of his dreams, because his life is slipping away. In fact, he ends up controlled by them. In the meantime, he has a relationship with his neighbor, but it doesn’t work out because he’s too distracted by his dreams.”

Michel says the plot is basically a rough interpolation of the Everlong concept.

I personally did not like this film. While I respect it and can appreciate it, I had trouble sitting through it all. I think it has been portrayed for more than what it is. Although I do think the lead actors Stephane, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Stephanie – Charlotte Gainsbourg were excellent.

Soon after The Science of Sleep premiered at Sundance, it was bought by Warner Independent Pictures for $6 million. For their cash they get distribution rights in North America and the U.K. Apparently they’ll release it in the second half of 2006. indieWIRE spoke with Warner Independent president Mark Gill, who says it “breathtakingly original,” adding that the film is both “clever and has a heart — which is really hard to do. Its just about as distinctive a movie as I have seen in a few years. Gill added that he is eyeing a release either this summer or fall.” Also: “There were six of us who saw it. We never agree on anything, but we all loved this film.”

TimeOut London critic Dave Calhoun writes that it was “the most exciting offering so far in the quite lacklustre ‘Premieres’ section of the 11-day-long event.” Also: “There was an after-party for the film on Park City’s Main Street following the screening of the film, and it proved to be one of the best parties that this critic has experienced over three years of coming to Sundance.”

The writing is kind of scattered and never really ever comes close to following a plot. Nor does the movie really give you a chance to really get into these complex characters. They always seem to just be rather than allowing the audience to connect. There are a few exceptions to that though towards the end of the film, but by that point, you’re just ready for it to be over.

There are some really amazing visual elements of this film through. The art department and stop motion animation was great and really added a lot of character to the overall movie. It really portrayed the dream like atmosphere excellently.

I wanted to love this film but it didn’t come close to that.

It’s currently playing at various Laemmie theaters around LA.

Variety’s Review by By TODD MCCARTHY”

A few good DVDs I’ve rented recently: “WTC View”: After placing an ad on September 10th, a young man living in SoHo struggles to find a new roommate and keep his emotional balance in the weeks following 9/11. Director, Brian Sloan.

Also, “Summer Storm” is well wroth the rental. It’s a gay coming of age movie that’s actually good. Great overall story, cast, direction, cinematography… it’s a all around good film. Not grand but great.