Buck (PG)
The only non-digital film presentation of the festival is about a real-life horse whisperer named Buck Brannaman. Buck was a trick roper as a kid, pressured and beaten into perfection by his abusive alcoholic father. With a deeper understanding of hurt, Buck chose a path of good by deciding to help horses with their troubles. The film received acclaim after winning the Audience Award- Best Documentary this year at Sundance Film Festival. I was skeptical when I first read the premise but if you watch the trailer you’ll get a sense of how heartfelt this story is. Look for my review of this film this Saturday.
Page One: Inside the New York Times (R)
Wait, it’s a R-rated documentary about a newspaper? Okay, it’s about THE newspaper, so there must be some good stuff in store. This film takes an inside look at the country’s most famous daily and looks at the bleak future of print. Could the New York Times crumble? Is journalism still alive and well? Get an inside look at a year at the Times during a time of financial crisis and war. The trailer might give you chills–if you’re an aspiring journalist and/or a dork like me.
The Interrupters (NR)
Steve James (Hoop Dreams) and author and producer Alex Kotlowitz (There Are No Children Here) bring a story about ex-cons who function as their own version of crime fighters, serving as “Violence Interrupters” on the streets of Chicago. As a former teacher who taught the novel by Kotlowitz to freshman students, I know that this one hits close to home for those from Chicago or with family members still there. Some powerful stuff here.
Tabloid (NR)
This one is filmmaker Errol Morris’s story about Joyce McKinney who “kidnaps” a Mormon missionary and proceeds to chain him up and “make love” to him to exercise the Mormon out of him. She has her story and he has his. This film looks downright crazy and either really annoying or completely enthralling.
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (R)
I can’t stop thinking about how excited I am to see this film about the funniest late-night host around. It was filmed post NBC debacle and includes footage from tour performances. The man is a machine – an ever-burning ball of energy that won’t let up and is sure to make you forget about your day. And Jay Leno. Thankfully we have a place like the Art to bring us this film that I know I’ve been waiting to see for months.
El Bulli: Cooking in Progress (PG)
It’s Illinois Restaurant Week and if you catch this film you’ll get an inside look at the planning of menus and all the interworkings of renowned restaurant, El Bulli, consistently ranked the best in the world. Yeah, the entire planet. The food looks beautiful on screen and the trailer seems as carefully crafted as the food itself. Be sure to eat something before this one because this one is going to make your mouth water at times.
Rejoice and Shout (PG)
It’s all about the soul and the history of African-American gospel. Prepare yourself to move in your seats.
Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone (NR)
Laurence Fishburne narrates this story about Fishbone (okay, I’ll admit I wasn’t familiar with them and now I just feel stupid) and their impact on some big name artists. Ice-T said, that it “wasn’t hip-hop and it wasn’t funk. It was just some different shit.” Everyone from Gogol Bordello to Flea to Les Claypool to No Doubt has something to say about Fishbone.
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (R)
A Tribe Called Quest has influenced a whole host of people in the hip-hop world over the past 20 plus years. This film, by actor Michael Rapaport, treks the band’s 2008 reunion and their social dynamics. Appearances by Pharrell Williams, Beastie Boys, De La Soul, The Roots, Common and others speak to the magnitude of this hip-hop group that got its start back in 1985.
My Perestroika (NR)
Perestroika refers to the restructuring that took place in the 1980s in the Soviet Union. Follow five children that came of age during the end of the Soviet Union and see what changed for them and how they adapted to a new life outside of the Iron Curtain. Director Robin Hessman will be on hand at the Art for a live discussion of the film.
Bag It (PG-13)
If you’re like me you’re probably annoyed at the insane amount of plastic bags you can accrue in just one trip to Meijer or Target or wherever. Everyone wants to bag everything in small plastic bags these days and oftentimes you end up with just a couple of things per bag. Sure, they’re good for picking up after your dog or for the bathroom trash, but is it all that necessary? Here’s a film that asks that question and examines at how all those damned plastic bags affect our lives. See it and raise money for the Prairie Rivers Network.
Magic Trip (R)
If you’re a literary dork like myself you might be excited about this documentary that contains raw footage from Ken Kesey and The Merry Pranksters. If you’re not a dork and unfamiliar with the whole concept, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test was a series of experiments performed by Kesey, the Pranksters and others. Basically they tripped on acid and then tried to find their way around in the strobe lights, black lights and fluorescent paint that were abound, all the while listening to loud music-sometimes performed by The Grateful Dead. The documentary follows Kesey, The Merry Pranksters, Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg on an acid trip journey. “You’re either on the bus or you’re off the bus.”
Be sure to check the Art Theater website for full schedule and any last minute updates.