Chad Liffmann – Page 17 – Spinning Platters

Film Review: Mad Max: Fury Road

It’s a mad, mad, mad, Mad Max world!

It’s been 30 years since we last saw Max Rockatansky AKA Mad Max roam the dystopian post-apocalyptic landscape created by the great visionary filmmaker George Miller. During that time, Miller directed only a handful of films, primarily talking animal family films such as Babe 2: Pig in the City and the Oscar winning Happy Feet. Despite it being a work-in progress for many years, Mad Max: Fury Road seems to be Miller’s way of delivering a strict how-to lesson to all the action director wannabes who are flooding cineplexes these days with CG-filled shlock. Fury Road has its fair share of CG, but only when necessary…or when super cool. The practical effects (you know… actual people and actual cars and actual explosions) are unparalleled. Fury Road will set the precedent for what all forthcoming action films will be compared against, and not only for its action. Mad Max: Fury Road manages to showcase some of the greatest frenetic visuals in at least a decade while still delivering a worthy story and characters. It’s style AND substance — a rare treat. ‘What a lovely day!’ indeed.

Continue reading “Film Review: Mad Max: Fury Road”

SFIFF58 Final Spotlight: The End of the Tour/Golden Gate Awards

20150507_213428

This post must begin with a huge thank you to the entire SFIFF58 staff. Thank you! From the awesome crew that ran the press lounge, those manning the box office, the publicists, and programmers, to the volunteers and event coordinators, your tremendous effort was not overlooked or taken for granted by us covering the festival for Spinning Platters. We can’t thank you enough. We can’t wait for next year! Here’s a last look at one final film (appropriately titled) and the festival winners at this year’s SFIFF Golden Gate Awards:

The End of the Tour
(USA, 2015, 106 min., Big Nights)

Based on Rolling Stone journalist David Lipsky’s Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, The End of the Tour depicts Lipsky’s conversations with author David Foster Wallace during the home stretch of his Infinite Jest book tour. Breaking out of his Apatow-produced shell, Segal proves he is ready for more dramatic roles with his honest and understated portrayal of the late author, who committed suicide in 2008. Comprised mostly of dialogue amidst some gorgeously shot muted midwest colors, The End of the Tour never loses our attention as the two central figures discuss universal topics that we are sometimes too afraid to face, or too afraid to hear.

Info available here.

Continue reading “SFIFF58 Final Spotlight: The End of the Tour/Golden Gate Awards”

SFIFF58 Interview: ‘Vincent’ director/writer/actor Thomas Salvador

For me, one of the many highlights of SFIFF58 was seeing Vincent, the new French “superhero” film from dir. Thomas Salvador. Having previously made only a handful of short films, Mr. Salvador took the plunge into feature films with this new wonderfully understated audience charmer, which he directed, wrote, and stars in. I sat down with the funny, polite, and reserved filmmaker to discuss Vincent, which has one more screening this Thursday, 5/7 at 6:15 (info here):

The trailer for Vincent says ‘the first film of French superhero”. Are superheroes just not as popular in France?

Not really <<laughing>>. The superhero movies have a lot of success everywhere. But as there are many, people are a little bit bored. It’s a real US kind of movies. Like westerns. You can’t imagine a superhero outside of United States. It’s a marketing way to present the film. If we think deeply, it’s not a real superhero movie but it was the marketing way to bring people into the theater. <<laughing>>

Well it’s you now. You’re the first! You’re the first European superhero!

I’m not sure that, maybe there have been other people in French films with something special, special gifts. Maybe I’m the first. I didn’t do this movie for that. I did it because I feel it.

How did you decide on water as the source of power?

Continue reading “SFIFF58 Interview: ‘Vincent’ director/writer/actor Thomas Salvador”

SFIFF58 Spotlights #6: Eden/Results/Democrats/Far From Men/Hill of Freedom/Goodnight Mother

Less than a week left and sadly there are many great titles that have finished screening at SFIFF58. But we here like to keep you in the loop nonetheless, so here’s six more titles to add to your cinema radar (including Democrats, which still has some screenings left!):

Eden
(France, 2014, 131 min, Marquee Presentations)

Whether you’re familiar with the “French touch” influence of the 90s or not, it’s hard to deny the sensory power of this semi-biographical story about a French DJ rising to prominence in the Parisian electronic music scene, paralleling the origins of Daft Punk (who appear as characters throughout). Director Mia Hansen-Løve co-wrote with her brother Sven Hansen-Løve, of whom the story is loosely based. Eden juxtaposes a futile DJ lifestyle with house music’s high energy atmosphere and evolving media formats, set against the pulsating vibrant backdrop of some gorgeously shot clubs and raves.

There are no more upcoming screenings for Eden at the festival.
Info for Eden is available here. *Interview with actor Felix de Givry and Sven Hansen-Løve coming soon*

Continue reading “SFIFF58 Spotlights #6: Eden/Results/Democrats/Far From Men/Hill of Freedom/Goodnight Mother”

Film Review: Adult Beginners

No more and no less than a solid middling comedy.

Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, and Nick Kroll are 'Adult Beginners' — Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, and Nick Kroll are ‘Adult Beginners’

In the age of the coming-of-age comedy, nothing is more prevalent than indie music montages and sad sap protagonists with remarkably expensive looking hipster clothing. Thankfully, Adult Beginners really has neither of these characteristics. The characters in Adult Beginners are past the point of coming-of-age, and therein lies the point. It may be formulaic and glossy in its ultra quick stereotypical depictions of IPOs, swim classes, successful entrepreneurs, awkward home town reunions, etc., but judging the film on these miscues is to miss the (aforementioned) point. What Adult Beginners does well is allow its very talented cast to execute a cute story featuring very familiar circumstances and themes.

Continue reading “Film Review: Adult Beginners”

SFIFF58 Spotlights #4: Mr. Holmes/Luna/The Editor/The Taking of Tiger Mountain

The 58th San Francisco International Film Festival has just about reached the halfway point, and there are still so many films to discuss. Be sure to take a look at the program and ticket info here. Here are a few more titles (some that have unfortunately already had their final festival screening) to put on your radar:

Mr. Holmes
(UK, 2015, 105 min, Marquee Presentations)

In director Bill Condon’s new drama, Mr. Holmes, Sir Ian McKellen plays an old, retired Sherlock Holmes, who is trying to battle memory loss while attempting to add some facts and closure to his otherwise inventive, fantastical legacy curated by the writings of Dr. Watson, in particular the unsolved details of the former’s final case. McKellen is extraordinary, displaying the weathered wit and fragility of a dying icon who has been locked into a secluded lifestyle as a result of his investigatory prowess. Even a fire alarm at the Kabuki resulting in the evacuation of the theater 20 minutes in couldn’t steal away the emotional impact of Mr. Holmes’ rumination on fact vs. fiction.

Screenings:

May 5 – 2:00pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas

Tickets for Mr. Holmes available here.

Continue reading “SFIFF58 Spotlights #4: Mr. Holmes/Luna/The Editor/The Taking of Tiger Mountain”

SFIFF58 Interview: ‘Aria for a Cow’ writer/director Dan Lund & Crew

Amos, (Me), Siddhartha, Elizabeth, and Dan of 'Aria for a Cow' — Amos, Me, Siddhartha, Stephanie, and Dan talking ‘Aria for a Cow’

The shorts programs at SFIFF58 have been increasing in popularity the last few years, and Shorts 5: Family Films is no exception. One film from the group, the colorful and magnificent musical Aria for a Cow, is appropriately quite the showstopper. I sat down with Disney animator and Aria for a Cow writer/director Dan Lund, art director and co-producer Amos Sussigan, background designer and painter Stephanie Dominguez, and production manager Siddhartha Maganti at the Hotel Majestic, a few blocks from where their short would premiere the next day and a few hours before their premiere party. The camaraderie within the group is infectious, and they had no trouble jumping right into the nitty gritty of their film:

Where did the idea for Aria for a Cow originate?

Dan Lund: I’ve always had a pretty healthy ‘outside-of-Disney’ project type thing going. I was a PA in 1989 at Disney and was working with people who were working with Howard (Ashman). I had kept hearing about this passion project of his called ‘Fatty of the Opera’. Right before we started working on Frozen I had this period where I didn’t have an outside project to work on and it kinda freaked me out. I was in New York and I had mentioned to a friend, ‘I wonder what ever happened to Howard’s “Fatty of the Opera” project’ and my friend knew Sarah (Howard’s sister) peripherally and he said, ‘You should email her.’ So I did and she graciously agreed to give me all the information I needed on this passion project if I listened to her favorite song that no one has ever heard by him, called “Aria for a Cow.” I really just did it to get the other thing I wanted, but the other thing I wanted turned out to be a little odder than I thought. And I just fell in love with the cow song. She let me turn it into an animated thing. Originally she was thinking of it being a children’s book but I don’t know that world at all. The song was just lyrics on a page. I wrote the wraparound. I didn’t just want to make a music video. I wanted the song to have a home that was as story-driven as the song.

Continue reading “SFIFF58 Interview: ‘Aria for a Cow’ writer/director Dan Lund & Crew”

SFIFF58 Spotlights #3: Shorts — Youth Works / Family Films / Animation

'A Single Life' short from the Animated Shorts Program. — ‘A Single Life’ short from the Animated Shorts Program.

SFIFF58 is underway, and we’re here to bring you all the goodies! Here’s a quick look at a few selections from three of the MANY amazing shorts programs, all of which are worth checking out at this year’s San Francisco International Film Festival (April 23-May 7):

Shorts 6: Youth Works
April 25, 11:00am – Tickets & Info
Created by amazing young talent, this collection of narrative, documentary, and animated films is astounding and just a taste of the strong pool of future filmmakers we can expect to see more of down the line.

Kers
(Alexia Salingaros, USA 2014, 5 min)

Steadily shot and succinctly edited, Kers is a quick portrait of a female graffiti artist. Challenging the notions of gender roles and respected art forms, the subject reveals the struggles and lifestyle her passion has created for herself.

Continue reading “SFIFF58 Spotlights #3: Shorts — Youth Works / Family Films / Animation”

SFIFF58 Preview & Spotlights #1: Vincent / 7 Chinese Brothers / H. / Sunday Ball / A Few Cubic Meters of Love

The 58th San Francisco International Film Festival

Welcome film lovers and moviegoers to the Spinning Platters coverage of the 58th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF). Bookmark this site because we’ll be bringing you tons of SFIFF coverage: previews, film spotlights, interviews, and special events coverage. Per usual, our spotlights will cover the films that you’re already excited to see, as well as many titles that you haven’t heard of. SFIFF program notes and tickets are available here.

We’ll be continuing our coverage this week and throughout the Festival. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the special events in store and then five of the festival films:

Continue reading “SFIFF58 Preview & Spotlights #1: Vincent / 7 Chinese Brothers / H. / Sunday Ball / A Few Cubic Meters of Love”

Film Review: The Longest Ride

A Nicholas Sparks adaptation done right, with all the flaws and annoyances of a Nicholas Sparks adaptation.

A city girl. A cowboy. Country love ensues.

The newest adaptation of a sappy romantic Nicholas Sparks novel, The Longest Ride, is exactly that — sappy and romantic, and formulaic with a preposterous twist added in for preposterous effect. The story about a young beautiful art lover (Britt Robertson, Dan in Real Life) who falls in love with a young beautiful bull rider (Scott Eastwood, Fury) is the surface romance, featuring lines like “I can’t just quit. It’s all I know”, etc. The more dramatic underlying romance is the story told by an injured old man (Alan Alda, M.A.S.H.), about his courtship and marriage to the love of his life (Oona Chaplin, Game of Thrones) and the sacrifices they made for each other. Combine the two together in a layered emotional cheese fest and you have the makings of a classic Sparks story which the movie studio can use to excitedly make a film trailer that states “Two Stories Separated by Time / Connected by Fate.” (see trailer below)

Continue reading “Film Review: The Longest Ride”