Brisbane International Film Festival: Launch

Brisbane film fans rejoice! After a longer than usual fourteen month wait between outings, it is again time to gather in masses, watch movies and be merry during the city’s annual celebration of all things film, the Brisbane International Film Festival 2010. Moving from its traditional July to August home to a summery November slot on the events calendar (November 4 – 14 to be exact) in its nineteenth year, the 2010 festival marks the first under incoming director Richard Moore (taking on the role after overseeing the 2010 Melbourne offering, and the three prior), as well as the first away from the now sadly defunct and greatly missed Regent cinemas. So what lies in store for Queensland cinephiles throughout ten glorious days of the best that international cinema has to offer? Fresh from the fantastic launch event (featuring a pitch perfect presentation by Moore), we bring you the highlights of the 2010 program, as well as a promise to keep the BIFF news and reviews coming throughout the duration of the festival.

As always, there is truly something for everyone in the extensive and eclectic BIFF 2010 program. From 3D cane toads on opening night (Cane Toads: The Conquest) to John Woo kung fu to close the program (Reign Of Assassins), possibly the world’s first ‘womantic’ feature (the Brisbane-based comedy Jucy) to the utterly indescribable (Tommy Wiseau cult phenomenon The Room), the new look festival – in a new timeslot and new venues (Palace Centro and Barracks cinemas, and Tribal Theatre) – has assembled an amazing line-up, with films for young (well, 18 and over for the most part, given the severing of links between BIFF and Cine Sparks) and old.

For fans of big-name cinema, look no further than the Australian premiere of Sophia Coppola’s Venice Golden Lion-winning Somewhere (a coup so recent that it is not even listed in the official printed program), or the George Clooney-starring, Anton Corbijn-directed The American. Add Naomi Watts and Sean Penn in Doug Liman’s Fair Game, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in Sundance Grand Jury entrant Blue Valentine, Gotham award nominee Winter’s Bone and the animated adventure Megamind for the kids, and the more commercial-leaning contingent of entries is well and truly covered, with Welcome To The Rileys (starring James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo and Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart) and Brit caper comedy Wild Target rounding out the mix.

Award winners also feature prominently in 2010, with the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or recipient Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives likely to attract significant interest. Juliette Binoche’s acclaimed turn in Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy continues the Cannes flavour, whilst 2009 Golden Lion winner Lebanon joins the above-mentioned Somewhere in representing the best of Venice. The recipient of the highest accolade at the recent Sydney Film Festival also makes the list, with Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats joining his debut piece I Killed My Mother alongside other Sydney and Melbourne screeners (I Love You Phillip Morris, Howl, Brotherhood, Life During Wartime, Little Sparrows, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, and The Illusionist) as content familiar from other festivals.

In the Australian corner, the “Local Heroes” crop includes Guy Pearce and Miranda Otto in first-time filmmaker Simone North’s thriller I Am You, Bill Bennett’s Uninhabited, Jaws (also screening in a dive-in cinema special event alongside Deep Blue Sea) meets Open Water in The Reef, and True Blood‘s Ryan Kwanten in Red Hill. North, Bennett and Kwanten have also been announced as guests of the festival, with the latter certain to draw a crowd. Red Hill also forms part of the “Shock Corridor” section, with Gregg Araki’s Kaboom (described as Twin Peaks, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Donnie Darko combined), absurdist road movie Rubber and Mexican cannibal flick We Are What We Are also on the bill.

Finally, the documentary section has received a boost, with Bill Cunningham New York, Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work and the Adrian Grenier-helmed Teenage Paparazzo among the best known pieces. Topical HBO production and Sundance Special Jury prize winner Gasland ranks among the highlights the section (with director Josh Fox slated to be in attendance), whilst other offerings such as Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors (part of the “Beatbox” music program), William S. Burroughs: A Man Within, Machete Maidens Unleashed! and Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story also noteworthy alongside fellow Sundance winner Restrepo, Last Train Home, Google Baby, Freakonomics and more.

Of course, the above is a mere taste of what is on offer amongst the twenty-three Australian premieres, three world firsts, and more films than you can poke a stick at, with South Korean effort The Actresses, French comedy Copacabana, the five and a half hour Carlos the Jackal epic Carlos, the beautifully named Mother Teresa Of Cats and even Jim Henson’s first non-Muppet film The Dark Crystal all screening. With Gaspar Noe’s Enter The Void, Michael Rowe’s Camera d’Or winner Leap Year, UK indie apocalypse film Monsters, Aussie rom-com The Wedding Party and a four feature tribute to cinematographer Jack Cardiff (including Hitchcock goes Down Under in Under Capricorn), BIFF 2010 has, as Moore so eloquently put it, “snap, crackle, pop, kick, bite and relevance”. What more could one want from a film festival?

Tickets for the 19th St. George Bank Brisbane International Film Festival are on sale today, with the festival running from November 4 – 14, 2010.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

KOFFIA winners announced

We are very pleased to be able to announce the winners of our three giveaways courtesy of KOFFIA, the inaugural Korean Film Festival in Australia. DVD Bits is proud to be a Festival Partner for the newest festival on the Sydney scene.

We have been overwhelmed with the number of entries we received to this competition, and rest assured that if you missed out this time around you will soon have another chance to win big as we launch several new competitions and giveaways over the coming months. In fact, we are announcing a brand new giveaway in the very near future. Enough about that, you want to know who won this one, right?

So without any further ado, the winners are:

• Chan Meng
• Jenny Morgan
• Samson Kwok

Congratulations to you folks, and thank you to everybody who entered. We’d also like to thank KOFFIA for generously providing us with material to give away on our new blog. Look for some new giveaways in the very near future.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits and of course, DVD Bits.com.

COMPETITION: KOFFIA tickets

DVD Bits is proud to be a festival partner of KOFFIA, the first Korean Film Festival in Australia. Thanks to the good folks at KOFFIA, we have some double-passes to give away to THREE of our lucky readers.

Hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, KOFFIA will mark the arrival of the Korean wave on Australian shores. After years without an outlet on the Australian circuit, Korean film is finally here and KOFFIA invites you to experience it.

Featuring some of the best Korean films from the last couple of years, KOFFIA will truly be a festival for everyone. From Drama to Comedy, Action to Romance, K-POP to Ssireum, KOFFIA is the perfect meal for anybody ‘Hungry for Drama’.

KOFFIA will take place at Dendy Opera Quays from October 1st-5th, 2010. 5 days of fun and festivities are planned in an aim to entertain and inform about Korean culture.

It’s less than three weeks till the launch of the festival so start planning your October long weekend! Come on down to KOFFIA and say Annyeong (Hello!) to Korean culture.

The festival kicks off with Bong Joon-ho’s Mother with a panel discussion and closes with the unique Lee Hae-jun’s Castaway on the Moon, which will also feature a Q & A with the director. Other films include Rough Cut, the recommended Secret Sunshine, Old Partner, 200 Pounds of Beauty, the classic Housemaid and the quirky Like a Virgin.

To win one of three double passes all you have to do email us and let us know what is the name of one of the films screening at KOFFIA 2010? (Hint: The answer is in this post).

Important: You must answer all the questions to be eligible. To ensure people do not have an unfair advantage by entering multiple times, only 1 entry per person will be accepted. Every entry is looked at and if duplicate/suspicious entries are found you will automatically be disqualified. This competition is only open to residents of Australia. Please note, the the festival is being held in Sydney and winners will have to make their own way to the screenings.

We will be drawing the competition on Monday 27 September 2010, so make sure you get your entry in! THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR ENTERING!

Privacy Note: The DVD Bits takes the privacy of its readers very seriously. Your email address will be not be used for any other purpose other than to enter the competition. Upon completion all email addresses will be deleted.

Terms & Conditions

1. DVD Bits and KOFFIA take no responsibility for any delay, loss or damage to prizes sent to winners.
2. While all attempts are made to supply prizes at the completion of a competition, no responsibility will be held by DVD Bits to supply prizes if for unseen circumstances they are not available.
3. Staff of this site and other DVD/film websites and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in the competition.
4. No responsibility will be taken for any entries that may have been lost. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered upon.
5. The double is able to be used for any film during the festival with the exception of the Opening and Closing night events (i.e. Mother and Castaway on the Moon).

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits and of course, DVD Bits.com.

American: The Bill Hicks Story

“Good evening, my name is Bill Hicks. I’ve been on the road now doing comedy 12 years, so, uh, bear with me while I plaster on a fake smile and plow through this shit one more time. … I’m kinda tired of traveling, kinda tired of doing comedy, kinda tired of staring out at your blank faces looking back at me, wanting me to fill your empty lives with humor you couldn’t possibly think of yourselves”.

Bill Hicks may not be the most recognisable name on the stand-up comedy circuit, but when the Texas-born comedian died of pancreatic cancer the age of 32 in 1994, he left behind him an unfinished career and a string of baffled rednecks in the Deep South. Decrying everything from modern music, to religion and the conservative elements of politics –  while simultaneously praising the joys of smoking and taking drugs – Hicks usually held nothing back. It wasn’t until late in his career that he was ‘discovered’, particularly in the UK, and it is only since his untimely death that legions of fans have sprung up all over the world as they discover his comedy for the first time. Compared with the earlier Lenny Bruce, and sometimes described as “Chomsky with dick jokes”, his prematurely-shortened career continues to be influential to this day.

Hicks’ life was previously chronicled in It’s Just a Ride: A Tribute to Bill Hicks (available on DVD as part of the Totally Bill Hicks compilation), but British debut filmmaker Matt Harlock and documentarian Paul Thomas attempt something a little bit different with American: The Bill Hicks Story. Speaking with the ’10 people who knew Bill best’, the film uses still photographs and animation (in a similar way to the recent Allen Ginsberg docu-drama HOWL), along with interviews of Hicks’ family, friends and peers, and of course, vintage footage of his stand-up performances. While this animated technique may be off-putting at first, especially for those expecting a more traditional ‘talking heads’ documentary, it achieves a level of intimacy not seen in previous filmed portraits.

Of course, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Being told by the people who knew Bill best has the drawback of not covering every dark aspect of his life, although none of them pull punches when it comes to his failings. The audience is never fully introduced to Goat Boy, the uninhibited alter-ego that fascinated Hicks in his later years and was a creature of pure id (“Tie me to your headboard. Throw your legs over my shoulders, let me roll you like a feed bag.”). His pieces on abortion are strangely glossed over, and we get only the slightest hint about his outrage on the first Gulf War. Yet to truly understand Hicks, one must see his stand-up performances. Although Hicks is not around to speak for himself, we are lucky to have so many of his performances committed to CD and video. From the amazing early archival footage, through his first big break of Sane Man and the mighty Revelations (where he reached rock god status), we get a sense of what made Hicks special. His material still resonates today, partly because the issues he dealt with – flag burning, government lies, war in the Gulf, the collective apathy of the masses – could easily be ripped from the headlines and sadly still apply today. Up until recently, we didn’t even have to change the name of the President he was ranting about.

To go deeper, fans will need to look to Cynthia True’s heartbreaking American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story or Bill Hicks: Agent of Evolution, the tome by his lifelong friend Kevin Booth (and director of American Drug War: The Last White Hope). However, it does serve as an excellent and timely gateway into the world of Hicks. Sixteen years after his death, Hicks remains as angry and as relevant to modern audiences as he did back in his prime. As the representative of the filmmakers reminded us at the Sydney premiere as part of the Sydney Underground Film Festival, Hicks was always more popular in Australia and the UK than he was in his home territory. Fans will find that American: The Bill Hicks Story covers most of the main reasons we love Hicks, and new fans will find this a great primer before dipping their toes into the waters of Dangerous or the essential Arizona Bay. Weeks, perhaps years, of indecision in various parliaments around the world have left most citizens apathetic to government deception and actions that are not in the best interests of the people that elected them. This film reminds us why we should always maintain the rage.

Overall rating: ★★★★

American: The Bill Hicks Story is released in the UK on DVD 27 October 2010, boasting over 5 hours of bonus features. Madman Entertainment will be distributing this in Australia, with a local release date TBA.

Portions of this review originally appeared in our review for Bill Hicks – Sane Man back in 2006.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits and of course, DVD Bits.com.

ReelAnime: Summer Wars

Summer Wars debuted in Australia back in June at the Sydney Film Festival, but it makes a welcome return to our shores for a limited run as part of Madman’s ReelAnime 2010 festival. Back then we said that “Summer Wars blends the digital age with traditional Japanese family values. Full of comedy, action and surprisingly rousing moments, Summer Wars was a perfect way to end my festival program”. Very little has changed that initial review on the film, in which we rated it one of our Top 5 Films of SFF 2010. From Mamoru Hosada, the director of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, the former Digimon helmer delivers something that is close to anime perfection.

High school maths wiz Kenji Koiso spends most of his time in OZ, a computer network that is something of a cross between a mass-multiplayer game and a social network that connects all social and business functions in society. He is asked by Natsuki, the most popular girl in school, to accompany her to her family home for a ‘job’ during her grandmother’s ninetieth birthday. However, when they arrive Natsuki informs her family that Kenji is her boyfriend, and completely falsifies his background. Reluctantly going along with the plan, their collective worlds are soon turned upside-down when a long-lost relative returns and a mysterious artificial intelligence begins corrupting the virtual OZ with very dangerous real world consequences.

When reviewing The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, I commented that I was looking forward to seeing whatever Hosada had in store for us next. Little did I suspect that it would be one of the best films of the year, and possibly one of the best anime features to come out of Japan in the last ten years. Despite having a high-tech edge to it, with a battle raging inside a virtual world that threatens to spill over into reality, at its core it is a film about family. Indeed, viewers are unlikely to spend their time waiting for the next OZ battle as the scenes with the clan are just as compelling (if not more so) than the computer generated battles in the virtual world.  Like Spirited Away, this very Japanese of tales crosses cultural boundaries and will appeal to a broad range of audiences. Although many of the cultural aspects, including the traditional game Koi-Koi that is used as a motif throughout the film, will have more of an impact with Japanese audiences, the broader themes of finding connections and ‘home is where the heart is’ will ring true for all viewers. If there are elements that seems familiar in this tale, and certainly the awkward character of Kenji could have stepped out of just about any anime tale you’ve seen, this only adds to the feeling of being wrapped inside a warm blanket before being taken on wild ride.

The animation is magnificent as well, with art direction by Studio Ghibli veteran Youji Takeshige (Spirited Away, Ponyo). There has been a tension within Japanese animation between traditional 2D animation and the apparently cheaper computer generated kind, and Summer Wars manages to encompass both worlds beautifully. A startling amount of detail is on-screen during the scenes set in OZ, with a blink and you’ll miss it attitude that will demand repeat viewings. Likewise, the traditional animation is soaked in small touches that bring a warmth and reality to this tale of a small-town set in Nagano. This is a science-fiction tale that looks like it is set in Japan, from the hanafuda cards to the traditional houses of the city of Ueda. Likewise, anyone who has every spent a Christmas or special occasion with their partner’s extended family will know exactly how Kenji feels throughout this accurate depiction of family life.

Summer Wars represents the awakening of a magnificent talent, and deserves to be spoken of in the same terms as the wonderful Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki films and may just be an instant classic. Combining all the elements of the digital age with the wonderful traditions of Japan, Summer Wars is a unique film on the global anime front in that it manages to combine absolutely dazzling visuals with commentary on the generation gap in Japan while simultaneously making it accessible to audiences worldwide. Anybody not moved to a standing ovation, or at least a mental one, by the end of this film simply doesn’t have a pulse.

Overall rating: ★★★★★

Reel Anime runs from 2 to 15 September 2010. Other films playing at the Reel Anime Festival include Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, King of Thorn and Redline.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is athttp://www.dvdbits.com.

ReelAnime: Redline

Showcasing some of the best Japanese animation of the last few years, the Reel Anime Festival has managed to put together a fine selection of films this year. Indeed, Redline has not even been released in Japan yet, with only the Swiss Lorcano International Film Festival pipping Australia to the post on screening this first globally. Madhouse Studios are one of the rock star production companies on the anime scene in Japan, with their credits including Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Demon City Shinkjuku and the late Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress. The directoral debut of Takeshi Koike, who was a key animator on The Animatrix amongst other things, this is one of the most anticipated outings of 2010.

Redline is the biggest, most popular, illegal and most dangerous races in all of the galaxy. ‘Sweet’ JP has always wanted to be the winner of this event, but after being caught up with the wrong crowd for years, an accident at the qualifying Yellowline event lands him in hospital. However, when the secret location of the Redline event is revealed to be the incredibly hostile Roboworld, two of the qualifying racers pull out allowing JP to enter the race as a reserve. Together with partner Frisbee, JP tries to rebuild both his vehicle and his life with a newly impassioned soul sparked by the determination of his beautiful rival Sonoshi. With gangsters and the forces of Roboworld out to kill him, JP is going to win Redline or die trying.

Redline drops like a direct assault on the brain, latching onto the part that likes high-speed racing, breasts, sugar and bright colours. Overwhelming from the start, Redline is probably like nothing you have ever experienced. With the words ‘subtle’ and ‘quiet’ evidently not appearing in Koike’s dictionary, the film is a surprisingly tight one. While this is ostensibly an ‘underdog trying against the odds’ sporting film, little time is wasted on screen with unnecessary exposition or back-story, yet the film manages to draw you in an inch at a time to its fully realised world, all the time rocketing us towards the finish line for a knuckle-whitening conclusion.

Redline‘s world is one that is teeming with life. One wouldn’t be surprised if the creators had thought of a story for the hundreds (possibly thousands) of creatures that appear on screen. Despite being filled with dog-like creatures, aliens, humans with giant quiffs (a true Japanese hipster staple) and psychotic robotic beings, there is something incredibly grounded about the Redline universe. This allows the production design to plough straight through the rails and through to that happy place one goes filled with Skittles, pop music and talking puppies.

The unique animation definitely has its influences, in the same way that a mash-up can be said to be drawn from other people’s work. While there are definite artistic nods to French artist Moebius and Heavy Metal, with references to virtually any car race flick since at least Gone in 60 Seconds – and even video games such as Space Channel 5 – everything on screen (from racers to nipples) is so greatly exaggerated that one really has no option than to simply take the world at face value. In some ways, this has much in common with Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: it doesn’t give you time to stop and smell the references, and the plot rockets past you at a million miles an hour. However, unlike that film, it genuinely isn’t trying to be cool: it just is cool. Get used to it.

This will undoubtedly be a smash-hit when released in Japan next month, and if there is any justice it will get a wide release in the West as well. Koike has created one of the first genuinely original films to emerge from a studio that has been pushing boundaries for decades, and will leave most feeling like they have been slapped with a wet fish for 102 minutes. Fast, furious and full of fun, Redline is sure to have a dedicated fan base for years to come. If you are yet to experience the joys of Japanese animation, this is the perfect way to plunge in at the deep end. For anime fans, this is an absolute must see.

Overall rating: ★★★★★

Reel Anime runs from 2 to 15 September 2010. Other films playing at the Reel Anime Festival include Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, King of Thorn and the excellent Summer Wars.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is athttp://www.dvdbits.com.