Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Wow, that was quick. Monki’s already got another full day’s worth of SXSW coverage for you, and it’s a nice assortment of stuff this time:
Hey there folks, Monki here with coverage from day 2 here at the SXSW film festival in beautiful Austin, Texas.
MAXED OUT
I started my second day of the festival with a really great documentary entitled Maxed Out. In my SXSW goodie bag was a fake credit card with the film’s info on it and I really thought it to be a clever marketing tool. Well, it turns out the same technique was used to draw attention to the film much earlier and caught the eye of Matt Dentler, the SXSW producer. Thank god it did, because this doc is amazing.
Maxed Out is a study of the credit card industry and credit culture that America has been living on for the past twenty years. It explores different ways that credit card companies actually make their money by supplying low-income ‘targets’ with easy credit and raking in the interest.
This documentary comes in at a tie as my all time favorite SXSW documentary. It’s right up there with my favorite SXSW doc, A League of Ordinary Gentlemen, the bowling documentary. Both films are about topics that normally would be considered ‘boring’ but are presented in such a way that they are entertaining throughout. Also, both of those docs are incredibly well shot. Would you really believe me if I told you the most beautiful movie I’ve seen so far at SXSW was a film about credit card debt? Believe it.
This is an important film and makes you reconsider applying for those easy credit cards you get twice a week in the mail. Go see it if you can.
Oh, and I’ve found my SXSW crush this year. Past crushes include Zoe Bell, the New Zealand stuntwoman, and the kickboxing director of Hooligans. This year’s crush goes to the editor of Maxed Out. Drool. If you ever do read this, feel free to say ‘hi’ if you see a furry guy awkwardly staring at you. I’m not too creepy, promise.
DARKON
From the Paramount, I sped-walked over to the convention center to check out a film called Darkon. Darkon is a mystical land comprised of various realms each with their own rulers and kingdom assets. Darkon is a place where the dark elves can be bought, and then paid to betray those who paid for their services. Darkon is in Baltimore.
This documentary follows a growing trend called LARPing. LARPing is Live-Action Role Playing; Dungeons and Dragons in real life without a board between you and your Cheeto eating pals. It includes aspects of role-playing, war games and straight-up beating the hell out of each other with padded sticks.
The movie follows a few different Darkon members, but mostly stays with a new hero of mine by the name of Skip Lipman, who is really Bannor of Laconia. Bannor is determined to bring the various lands of Darkon together to take down the larger oppressing force that currently rules over Darkon. This guy rules.
The entire film made me smile. From the very opening moments of the film where we see the dark elves sacrificing a woman to the tense moment a Dennys where an allegiance is broken between friends. These people care for what they do. As painful as it is to hear a younger members story about being ridiculed in high school, to see him truly shine on the imagined battlefields of Darkon is wonderful. This movie is for those of you who always wanted to be the hero but were never good enough to be on the football team, or sink the game-winning shot at the buzzer. In the fantasy world of Darkon, anyone can be what they want to be. This documentary explores that idea in depth. If you were never that kid who got to shine in the spotlight, but had dreams of being something more than you ever were, this film is for you.
DANNY ROANE: FIRST TIME DIRECTOR
To close the night out, I caught the directorial debut of Andy Dick. Good lord, talk about a strange screening.
Danny Roane (played by Dick) is a former child-star now attempting to make his first feature film. Plagued by alcoholism, he feels making a movie would be his big comeback into the spotlight. Danny Roane: First Time Director acts as a documentary of this film Ded Drem (pronounced Dead Dream) being made.
We follow Ded Drem’s production from the pitch (to a spectacular Bob Odenkirk), to production to the ultimate finale of a screening at a Jewish Women’s film festival. Oh, and as the movie progresses, so does Roane’s fall back into alcoholism.
What comes of all this is a crazy ride through a film that could stand to use some tightening up. Albeit, this was a first screening of the movie, so I’m sure it will go through some pacing edits. Highlights of the film include James Van Der Beek playing himself acting in Roane’s movie. (He is cool with anal bleeding, by the way.) Another major cameo in Jack Black makes for the most memorable scene in the movie. Let me paraphrase, Anthony Rapp talking to God (played by Black), which breaks down into a song about drug use, a Rent-like parody.
The movie was pretty funny overall if you have an evil sick sense of humor like me. I’m sure it will go through some changes before it gets a release.
What followed the movie was by far the most amazing Q&A I’ve ever been to in my life. I can’t even put into words the train-wreck that a drunk Andy Dick was, but I will say there is nothing like seeing Mo Collins (from Mad TV) getting humped by Andy Dick in front of Anthony Rapp and five hundred something film viewers.
Wow.
On that note, I’m going to take a nap before heading out tomorrow and trying to load up on some more great films here at SXSW. Back to the tree I go.
-Monki