It's Annette Kellerman, back again with yet another round of short reviews from South By Southwest 2009.

Just when the film portion of the fest begins to simmer down, the music part of fest kicks off and the energy in this town is tangible! Though, my focus is always on the movies, its hard to resist the thousands (literally) of free day shows all around town that don't require any kind of SXSW wristband or badge, and in between screening I try to take full advantage of these events. Movie, music, movie, music...the days are just completely jam packed with this tiring, yet entirely satisfying schedule. This is my favorite week of the year by far, and I encourage anyone who is interested to get their asses to Austin for this annual jamboree of all things entertainment...now back to the movies.


THE HORSEMAN

This film screened as part of the Fantastic Film Festival's midnight screenings at this year's SXSW, and when friend and Alamo founder Tim League introduced it as belonging to the "kick in the balls" category, I knew I was in for a treat. This is how a revenge flick is done my friends.

Australian director Steven Kastrissios tells the story of a doting father, Christian, who loses his beloved daughter to drugs and amateur porn. Following a particularly seedy foray into the latter fueled by an involuntary dose of the former, the girl dies of an overdose and is dumped at the hospital by someone to also calls ahead anonymously. In the midst of his mourning, the details of his daughter's horrific death become evident when Christian mysteriously receives a copy of the video that was produced that fateful night and subsequently distributed. In a fit of rage, he decides to track down each fellow who took their turn in the production and exact his own personal form of revenge. His mission takes him further into the evil underworld of drugs and porn than he could have ever imagined- though the consequences of his own actions seem to play no role in his decision to see his task to completion.

Kastrissios does an amazing job of giving motivation for the brutal violence he captures on screen. So many films these days feature an onslaught of violence for violence's sake. Now, I'm all for some good gore and unrelenting brutality in my movies...but to me, in order for those actions to be truly satisfying, the film must pair the shock with a story that merits such a strong reaction. Kastrissios deftly builds that momentum to the point that the audience actually cheers with each excruciating turn.

Though I'm not sure about the U.S. release for the film, I know this kick ass revenge story will eventually be available on DVD, and if you are a fan of the genre, please seek out THE HORSEMAN.

RiP: A REMIX MANIFESTO

Yet another fantastic documentary at this year's SXSW Film Festival, RiP is an informative look at the ever-growing popularity of musical mash ups and the various legal- or illegal- aspects of the burgeoning new art form.

Director Brett Gaylor aptly argues the side of the artist while also systematically explaining how the laws pertaining to intellectual property came into being in the first place. As with any copyright discussion, Gaylor also illustrates how ultimately the power over pop culture lies within only a handful of mega business entities which are in turn lobbied for by only two groups- the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America. Kinda scary, I know. Throughout the film Gaylor cites a bevy of past copyright infringement cases- litigious and not. From Walt Disney's blatant "homage" to Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill and his subsequent re-inventions of classic fairy tales like Snow White, Cinderella, etc, etc, all the way up to The Rolling Stones victorious case against The Verve for the rights to Bittersweet Symphony, Gaylor does his homework and the result is a most comprehensive argument for free reign of existing material for all artists to use as they wish.

The film also questions the fundamental of art and music by pointing out that no art is created in a vacuum and is therefore never without outside influence. Even the head registrar at the U.S. Copyright office admits that while mash up artists like Girl Talk are seemingly making thing completely new from existing material, she also adds that the severity of any future penalty that may be incurred is totally reliant on how upset the original artist gets.

Oh, and did I mention that all of this info and pontificating is paired with thumping music throughout from Girl Talk himself as well as various other up and comers of the sampling world? In fact, Girl Talk serves as the protagonist of the film, defending and demonstrating his craft at home and on stage in front of thousands. If you doubt the entertainment value of someone playing from their hard drive up on a stage, then you have to witness the sheer pandemonium of a gleefully gestating Girl Talk on stage with his laptop at the helm of a throng of triumphant party goers completely surrounding him. This vision leaves no doubt in my mind that artist like Girl Talk are not merely "DJing", but are creating an entirely different form of music for which no rules yet exist.

RiP: A REMIX MANIFESTO is a highly entertaining and informative film- check it out!

Well, I'm off for another glorious day of movies and music! Until next time,


Annette Kellerman