STRANGE POWERS: Staff review by Dave Paiz

Those with a willingness to defy convention and elevate substance over style are rarely rewarded in American society. This is especially true as it pertains to music. How Stephin Merritt has managed to find success in the face of such depressingly bleak realities is the subject of Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields - a new documentary from Kerthy Fix and Gail O'Hara.

The Magnetic Fields first emerged in the late '80's, during the seismic shift that marked the end of the hair metal era, and the musical renaissance that produced bands like Jane's Addiction, Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Unlike the distortion-drenched, guitar-heavy grunge that dominated the airwaves at the time, The Magnetic Fields' minimalist synth-pop failed to garner much attention outside the realm of college radio. Despite such daunting odds, Merritt and The Magnetic Fields have quietly persevered, and, over the past two decades, become something of a minor cult phenomenon who now include the likes of Peter Gabriel, Neil Gaiman and Sarah Silverman among their biggest fans.

The film focuses on Merritt, longtime collaborator/bandmate/manager Claudia Gonson, and the symbiotic, if not codependent dynamic that lies at the heart of The Magnetic Fields' distinctive sound. Together with cellist Sam Davos and guitarist John Woo, Merritt and Gonson weave a meticulously crafted and constantly evolving web of sound around Merritt's deeply poetic and often cynical odes to love, heartbreak, and loss.

Unlike most music documentaries that reveal their subjects in great detail, and perhaps due to Merritt's guarded, reclusive nature, Strange Powers takes a more scattered, indirect approach in delineating what makes Merritt tick. Through scenes ranging from his cramped apartment in New York City where the Magnetic Fields have recorded much of their music, to the neighborhood gay bar where Merritt channels his lyrical muse, it's quite clear that he is a very private man who prefers to let his music do the talking, rather than engage in cheerfully pithy discussions about his creative process.

In an age increasingly defined by an endless array of plastic pop stars devoid of much substance or depth, Stephin Merritt is one of the few who has chosen the narrow path less traveled by. Strange Powers should appeal not only to longtime fans of The Magnetic Fields, but to music fans in general, and creative spirits everywhere who dream of marching to the beat of their own inner drum.



Review by Dave Paiz, Loft Cinema Facilities Manager and host of "Bat Country Radio" Saturdays from 2-4 a.m. on 91.3 FM KXCI.

STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS plays Friday, February 11th and Saturday, February 12th at 10:00PM at The Loft Cinema.

MESRINE: PUBLIC ENEMY #1 (PART TWO) / Staff review by Evan Salazar

A recent trend in foreign films is to allow those who are historically usually considered “the bad guys” to tell their side of the story. THE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEX, CARLOS, and CHE have all been critically-acclaimed films about revolutionaries, terrorists, and depending on who you ask, just plain ol’ thugs. The films sometimes walk the fence between giving any definite opinion on their subjects, but the films do not deny that these people had strong ideas and statements. Maybe the idea got away from them, or maybe it was fully realized. Regardless, it’s hard to deny that the groups or people these films focus on stood for something.

Enter Jacques Mesrine (played by the fiery Vincent Cassel), the titular subject of PUBLIC ENEMY #1, a continuation of the MESRINE saga from KILLER INSTINCT. Jacques Mesrine was not a revolutionary, but he certainly wanted to be one. His crimes were not backed by any sort of ideology and the film suggests this was his one insecurity. Mesrine kidnaps a French billionaire and claims that the Palestinian Liberation Front is holding him hostage. “I’m not even Jewish!” the hostage yells back. Frustrated, Mesrine barks ransom orders at the man and storms out. His bluff has been called. Yes, Mesrine was a master of escaping prison and robbing banks, but an intellectual and a radical he was not.

Mesrine was not an anarchist nor a nihilist, but his actions were anarchic and nihilistic. Coming off the high from escaping back to France, Mesrine trolls its streets, firing haphazardly and making up the plan as he goes. The film explores Mesrine’s insatiable need for destruction and respect; “Who is this Pinochet?” Mesrine, reading a newspaper, yells at a prison guard. “Why is he on the front page and I’m not?” So angered by this, Mesrine decides to write a book about his criminal life -- whatever he can do to be relevant and acknowledged.

Meatier than the one before it, PUBLIC ENEMY #1 shines the light more intensely on Mesrine the person as opposed to Mesrine the criminal. He doesn’t have the smarts of fellow thug Francois (played by French cinema mainstay Mathieu Amalric, who has been popping up in practically every French film brought over to America, from THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY to A CHRISTMAS TALE), or the radical idealism of friend Charlie (played by Gerard Lanvin). Mesrine is a criminal in a rapidly progressing world, where idealism is winning out over gratuitous cruelty.

But don’t mistake these philosophical musings for being all the film is about. At 133 minutes, the film spends just as much time in the midst of car chases, gunshots, and jailbreaks. One would most likely call this an action film before they’d call it a drama. Mesrine, now a bit plumper and sporting a mullet, is still a menace; the film opens with a spectacular botched robbery that sets the bar high for the action sequences to come. Action junkies will not be disappointed. The photography is also immaculate: the camera swoops cleanly and coherently through the madness, capturing it all in bloody detail. The film is visually rich, playing with multiple styles and locations that all cohere to create a visceral, gritty mise-en-scene. It is razor sharp and exact.

Looked at as a four-and-a-half-hour epic, MESRINE is a story of dreams that are, inevitably, bigger than the man – no matter how big the man is. Mesrine’s shadow loomed large: he had beautiful women, charisma, and the fear of France in the palm of his hand. But as man is wont to do, he squandered it. The filmmakers, however, did not squander the rich material mined from Jacques Mesrine’s life. They have created a pair of films that are assured, tenacious, and exciting as all hell. Mesrine would have been happy to be paid the honor.

By Evan Salazar, full-time student, part-time Floor Staffer, all-around cineaste extraordinaire.

MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT (PART ONE) / Staff review by Evan Salazar

Paced like a freight train, MESRINE PART 1: KILLER INSTINCT (based on the book by the eponymous criminal) is proof that not all French films are existential navel-gazing or romantic strolls down the Champs-Elysees. From its Brian De Palma-esque split-screen opening credits to its sex-and-guns fixation to its boorish, arrogant lead in famed French criminal Jacques Mesrine (played by Vincent Cassel), KILLER INSTINCT is ostensibly the most “American” French movie you are likely to see this year – and that is no way a bad thing. Director Jean-Francois Richet has crafted a rich, engrossing, and exceptionally well-constructed gangster film, and he has made it better than any American has in a long, long time. He hasn’t done this through some sort of subversion of the genre, however: it’s just that KILLER INSTINCT soaks the screen with blood with such ferocity, paints its title character so lovingly, and relishes in its wonderful source material so giddily that calling it a “gangster film” almost feels like one is delegitimizing it. And while the argument of “art vs. genre” films is one that opens up too many cans of worms, KILLER INSTINCT finds itself nestled just fine between both worlds.

KILLER INSTINCT tells the story of infamous French criminal Jacques Mesrine, a former French soldier who didn’t know where to put the aggression he learned in the armed forces after the Algerian War. So, after meeting up with an old friend, Mesrine starts to live a life of crime – prostitutes, gambling, bank robbery, and even murder. He falls in and out of love, goes in and out of prison, and his reign of crime spans continents. KILLER INSTINCT follows our anti-hero along the first half of his odyssey through crime, and the film is quick, sharp, and doesn’t waste a second telling the story. So much happens in the almost two hour running time that the film is kinetically hypnotic.

And despite being spread over two movies, it is expected that some details are skipped over or completely dismissed. This does not hurt the film, however: the story we are presented with is fleshed out and has a bite sharper than most 90 minute films. That is saying a lot considering even a few minutes of un-needed material can bog a movie down. KILLER INSTRICT, on the other hand, is bursting at the seams – but it doesn’t completely break the seal. There’s just enough there.

The film is clearly working in broad strokes; this is not a character study. That’s not to say that Cassel’s performance as Mesrine isn’t bombastic or charismatic or whatever other word you’d like to use to say how simply fantastic he is, though. Cassel makes Mesrine into a larger-than-life character: he explodes with rage, whether he is sticking a gun into his wife’s mouth or crippling a man who talked to a bartender with the wrong tone. With these sorts of films, as well, one has to be careful when portraying a real-life character as nefarious as Mesrine. Does the film condone his actions? Condemn them? Does it matter? I believe KILLER INSTINCT finds a nice grey for it, portraying Mesrine as a troubled man, uncouth and vile… and yet also appearing decidedly human. His charisma is undeniable; his anger is ugly and childlike. Cassel didn’t win Best Actor at the Cesar Awards (The French equivalent of the Oscars) for nothing.

With his moustache, greased back hair, and penchant for wanton violence, Mesrine owns the screen in every frame of this high-octane, full-fledged crime epic. Let it be known, though: KILLER INSTINCT only works okay as a stand-alone film. The story’s conclusion, found in the film PUBLIC ENEMY #1, is needed to give KILLER INSTINCT its proper weight. Sure, KILLER INSTINCT works fine as a stand-alone action film, but the depth the material so deserves is truly found in PUBLIC ENEMY #1. This is not to say that PUBLIC ENEMY #1 is a more nuanced film, but rather that the first film is only half the story. PUBLIC ENEMY #1 is not a sequel: it is a continuation. All that aside, KILLER INSTINCT is a punch in the gut that is so self-assured, it knows you’ll be sticking around for part two, anyhow.

And you thought French films were all just Audrey Tautou and je t’aime this and je t’aime that.

By Evan Salazar, full-time student, part-time Floor Staffer, all-around cineaste extraordinaire.

LEMMY / Staff review by Dave Paiz

You know I'm born to lose
And gambling's for fools
But that's the way I like it baby
I don't wanna live forever
- Motorhead, "Ace Of Spades"

If Charles Darwin were alive today, it's a safe bet that he'd be wracking his brain over how to fit iconic British rocker Lemmy Kilmister into his theory of evolution. For if you threw Johnny Cash, Hunter S. Thompson, Keith Richards and Sonny Barger into one of Seth Brundle's nifty teleporters from The Fly along with a thimbleful of dinosaur DNA, the end result would still be a pale shade of a man who casts a very long shadow indeed.

Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski's new documentary Lemmy explores the life and legacy of the 65-year old legend, who has survived nearly 4 decades of rock 'n' roll excess on a diet of little more than speed, cigarettes, Jack Daniels and sheer, take-no-prisoners reptilian attitude.

From his less-than-humble beginnings as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix, through his tenure with '60's Kinks contemporaries The Rockin' Vickers, the '70's space-rock outfit Hawkwind, and the formation of the hugely influential 36-year-old metal juggernaut that is Motorhead, the film is an affectionate and unflinchingly honest portrait of a man who staunchly refuses to go calmly or quietly into that endless winter night.

Having been a Motorhead fan since the early '80's, I was immediately struck by Lemmy's casual, soft-spoken demeanor and seeming absence of ego. Authenticity and humility have always been rare commodities in the music industry, but the grizzled veteran genuinely seems to possess immense reserves of both. In an increasingly hollow, plastic age that seems to fall away faster with each passing day, Lemmy is a walking anachronism and a testament to the power of sticking to your guns no matter what.

While some will likely be put off by his embrace of certain vices, he makes it clear that his choices are his alone, and that he doesn't want to advocate a lifestyle that has claimed the lives of many of his contemporaries. More troubling perhaps is his penchant for Nazi war memorabilia, which some have taken as evidence that he is some sort of a closet Nazi. Lemmy dismisses such concerns with an unapologetic shrug, and leaves the question for the viewer to decide.

Whereas many bands and artists are punch-drunk on ego and image, Lemmy comes across as one who talks the talk and walks the walk without a single shred of pretension. Whether on stage or off, with Lemmy, what you see is what you get. No fakery. No phoniness. Just pure Lemmy. Take it or leave it. Rather than a lavish country estate, Lemmy chooses to live in a tiny, cluttered apartment just off the Sunset Strip that's probably smaller than Mick Jagger's laundry room. And while most in his position choose to wall themselves off from their fans, when he's not on the road, Lemmy can often be found sipping a Jack and Coke, playing video trivia and signing autographs at the Rainbow Bar & Grill.

The film blends current and archival video footage with interviews from a veritable who's who of rock royalty including Alice Cooper, Slash, Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne. Watching these music giants gush over Lemmy's influence really underscores the fact that, rather than just another rock star, Lemmy is the missing link that bridges the gap between early rockers like Buddy Holly, Elvis and Little Richard, and bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax.

To those who might roll their eyes at the thought of yet another decadent rock star baring all for the camera, this isn't the story of just another rock 'n' roll badass, it is the story of THE original rock 'n' roll badass - a lurching Tyrannosaurus Rex of a man who has chunks of guys like Slash and Keith Richards in his stool, and who will likely be gnawing on all our skulls long after the human race is swept into the dustbin of history.

Review by Dave Paiz, Loft Cinema Facilities Manager and host of "Bat Country Radio" Saturdays from 2-4 a.m. on 91.3 FM KXCI.

LEMMY plays Wednesday, February 2nd at 7:30PM at The Loft Cinema.

FELA! / A brief staff review by a non-believer

As someone who by rule does not enjoy musicals, I was blown away by the fierce, frenetic power of FELA! That title pretty much says it all; it’s in all caps, with an exclamation point afterward, and it’s the first name of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the revolutionary Nigerian originator of Afrobeat, so the production has some work to do to live up to its name. It’s a great testament to the power of Fela’s music that the show has moved from off-Broadway to Broadway to London, and from there transmitted to movie theaters across the country.

The music behind the show is powered by Anitibalas, Brooklyn’s answer to The Africa ‘70. And the music holds it all together, acting as the connective tissue and taking us on a journey through Fela’s discovery of the power of music, then the radical wisdom of Black Power in 1969 Los Angeles, and finally the fusion of both, as he returns to Nigeria a conquering, 27 wife-taking, pot-smoking, freedom-inspiring hero.

But through all of that traveling, we never leave the Shrine, Fela’s home base for his epic shows in Lagos, Nigeria. Sahr Ngaujah as Fela flies with the audience through his past, future, and demons, as a cast of incredible, multi-talented performers swirls around him. The costumes, choreography, and set design during all of this transition almost give the music a run for its money.

Although the story takes us to some incredibly unpleasant places (things were not all roses after Nigeria threw off the bonds of British colonialism, as much of Fela’s music and life attest to), it’s impossible to not be uplifted at the end of it all. Like the man himself, FELA! is nearly a force of nature, and although it did not convince me to seek out more musicals, I cannot now say I hate them all.

Review by Zach Breneman, Loft Cinema Business Manager and amateur musical hater.

FELA! plays Sunday, January 30th at Noon and Tuesday, February 1st at 7:00PM at The Loft Cinema.

The Loft's Favorite Films of 2010

Combined List:

1. Dogtooth
2. A Prophet
3. Tie Exit Through the Gift Shop AND Black Swan
4. Inception
5. Mother
6. A Serious Man
7. Tie Winter's Bone AND The Social Network
8. The Maid
9. Monsters
10. House

Individual Lists:

J.J. Giddings, Operations Director:

1. Enter the Void
2. Dogtooth
3. A Prophet
4. Big River Man
5. Alamar
6. Trash Humpers
7. Exit Through the Gift Shop
8. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
9. Black Swan
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Honorable Mention: Fish Tank, Animal Kingdom, Bad Lieutenant, Winter's Bone, The Oath, Mother, Samson & Delilah, Please Give, Marwencol, The Maid, A Town Called Panic, Love Exposure


Steven Soloway, Office Manager

1. Dogtooth
2. Double Take
3. House
4. Trash Humpers
5. Exit Through the Gift Shop
6. Revolucion
7. Cairo Time
8. House of the Devil
9. A Serious Man
10. The Human Centipede


Luanne Withee, Membership Director

In No Order:
The Good, The Bad, The Weird
Mother
Prodigal Sons
Valley of the Dolls
Winter’s Bone
Last Train Home
The Maid
House
Psycho
La Dolce Vita

Evan, Floor Staff

1. Dogtooth
2. Toy Story 3
3. Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
4. The American
5. Wild Grass
6. Inception
7. A Prophet
8. The Social Network
9. Exit Through the Gift Shop
10. Animal Kingdom

Honorable Mention: Greenberg, Shutter Island, Kick-Ass


Tim Keene, Floor Staff

1. Winter’s Bone
2. The Maid
3. Please Give
4. A Prophet
5. Inside Job
6. Exit Through the Gift Shop
7. I Am Love
8. Jackass 3-D

Amy Harclerode, Development Director

1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
2. The Last Station
3. The Messenger
4. An Education
5. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (The way only The Loft could do it.)
6. Coco Before Chanel
7. Bronson
8. A Single Man
9. Valley of the Dolls
10. My Dog Tulip

Peggy Johnson, Executive Director

Dogtooth
Animal Kingdom
Breathless (re-release)
Breathless (Korea)
Howl
Enter the Void
A Prophet
The Maid
I Am Love
The Messenger
Samson and Delilah
Boy
White Ribbon
My Dog Tulip
Heartbreaker

Alyson Hill, Projectionist

1. The White Ribbon
2. Black Swan
3. Dogtooth
4. An Education
5. A Serious Man
6. True Grit
7. Easy A
8. A Single Man
9. I Am Love

Pedro Robles, Assistant Manager

1. The Social Network
2. Black Swan
3. Inception
4. Dogtooth
5. The American
6. Lebanon
7. Shutter Island
8. True Grit
9. A Prophet
10. The White Ribbon

Jeff Yanc, Program Director

In no order, except for #1
1. Dogtooth
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Fish Tank
The Agony and Ecstasy of Phil Spector
I Am Love
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Lebanon
Monsters
The Maid
House
Winter’s Bone
Greenberg
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?
**Favorite trashy movie and best reason to pay extra for 3-D glasses: Piranha 3-D**

Dave Paiz, Facilities Manager

1. Inception
2. Valhalla Rising
3. Revolucion
4. Exit Through the Gift Shop
5. Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
6. A Serious Man
7. Big River Man
8. Splice
9. The House of the Devil
10. Life During Wartime

Anthony Cutrone, Floor Staff

1. A Prophet
2. Dogtooth
3. The Social Network
4. Mother
5. Best Worst Movie
6. Inception
7. Black Swan
8. True Grit
9. Animal Kingdom
10. The Good, The Bad, The Weird

Dale Meyers, Projectionist

In no order:
Inception
The Girl/Stieg Larsson Trilogy
Shutter Island
A Serious Man
A Single Man
House of the Devil
Un Prophete
Valhalla Rising
The Town
Black Swan

Christian Ramirez, Floor Staff

1. Black Swan
2. A Prophet
3. Dogtooth
4. The Social Network
5. Double Take
6. Toy Story 3
7. Inception
8. Exit Through the Gift Shop
9. The Kids Are Alright
10. Monsters

Daniel Terry, Assistant Manager

1. A Prophet
2. Dogtooth
3. Black Swan
4. True Grit
5. Monsters
6. Winter’s Bone
7. Inception
8. Easy A
9. Never Let Me Go
10. The Good, The Bad, The Weird

Zach Breneman, Business Manager

1. A Prophet
2. Mother
3. Dogtooth
4. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
5. Animal Kingdom
6. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
7. Black Swan
8. Big River Man
9. The Social Network
10. Exit Through the Gift Shop

Honorable Mention: Fish Tank, Samson & Delilah, Daddy Longlegs, Valhalla Rising, Marwencol, Everyone Else, Last Train Home, Love Exposure, I Am Love, Boy

Kyle Canfield, General Manager

1. A Serious Man
2. Mother
3. Exit Through the Gift Shop
4. Monsters
5. Black Swan
6. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
7. I Killed My Mother
8. A Prophet
9. $9.99
10. True Grit

First Friday Shorts, Oct 1, 2010 by Howard Salmon

Very enjoyable First Friday Shorts. Lots of creativity, originality, and humor: moustache rides, the return of the Wambolt brothers!

There really is a scene happening at the Loft with First Friday Shorts. There are a few familiar names that consistently submit films, and it seems that Max Cannon (the MC) is friendly with many of them. In fact, as I sat there, watching short films, watching the audience hoot and holler, and watching Max moderate the whole shebang, I suddenly felt like I was witnessing something significant, and I’ve come to a few conclusions: low-budget, hastily thrown together films are the “new punk rock”; for businesses to grow and thrive, they must create their own communities and subcultures; and that video (and film – same thing) is the preferred art form for today’s kids.  The movies are just about the same length as a pop song (i.e. about 3 minutes), and there’s a strong interactive experience: between the MC (Max), the audience, and the filmmaker.  The only other place you can get this type of audience participation is in a nightclub, watching a band. The Loft, with FFS, appears to have bridged the difference between watching movies and attending the live show. 

The winning film tonight was called “$40 Shy” by Grant Hunter. The story was about a guy who was telling his girlfriend what he did over the weekend—how he had a “Lost Weekend” with a friend of his, which included drugs and sex with a prostitute, all paid for with his girlfriend’s credit card.  The audience loved this movie, cheering as if the home team had just scored a touch down. This film started out with a couple in bed talking to each other, while the “flashback” part of the movie was composed of a series of still black & white photos that illustrated a voice over narration of the events in the story.  Simple but effective.

It seems as if some of the film makers are friends with each other, and joining forces to increase their chances of winning the prize. This became clear with three separate films that were shown one after the other, all which contained the same actors: Jesse Moore’s “Taco Stand”, Nick Wambolt’s “Inbred Auto Repair”, and Tim Wambolt’s “Moustache Ride”. The Wambolt brothers are local celebrities for their submission last month, which completely satirized Mike Sterner, Max Cannon, and First Friday Shorts—and ended up winning the $200 prize. This month, they each turned in weaker entries, but Tim Wambolt’s “Moustache Ride” turned out to be the running joke of the evening, with Max using every opportunity he could to taught each film maker with remarks such as “speak up, as if you had a moustache!”, or “how many of you here would give this guy a moustache ride?!” (or something to that effect)

One movie that I liked was called “GTFO”, which stands for “Get the F*ck Out!” The movie starts with one guy shouting at another “get the f*ck out of my house!”, only to find that “f*ck” is a substance that’s alive in his refrigerator, and needs to be removed. The movie is thus about the process of  getting the “f*ck” out of one’s house. Apparanantly, it requires a sponge mop.

Other movies screened tonight were: “I’ll Kill You And Your Whole Family” by Diana Stapleton (a warped and twisted version of the old “Mr. Bill Show” from Saturday Night Live, but without Mr. Bill); Grant Nelson’s “Vampires of Last Christmas”, which was about a spoof band giving a spoof interview (in the studio) about what it was like making their (spoof) album.; and a movie called “Shocking Shameless Shindig”, which juxtaposed shots of three sexily-dressed girls (with rifles) playing cards in the wash vis-à-vis scene from old black and white animated cartoons.

The last movie not gonged was a low-budget Kung-Fu action film called “Short Fists”. This featured some hastily-recorded footage of two brothers (one tall and chubby, the other short and small) fighting either with their Kung Fu moves. But the real star of that movie was the overdubbed sound track: all of the dialogue was added later as a voice-over, which didn’t quite synch up, just like those old Kung Fu movies! Brilliant touch.

After the audience voted for their fave movie, Grant Hunter marched to the stage to get his giant $200 check. While posing for photos, Max gave Grant a peck on the cheek. At First Fridays, you can feel the love, big time.

Howard Salmon is the author of “Al Perry Comix”, and is the publisher of “SLIT” music & art magazine. His website is www.howardsalmon.com