Film Festival Makes a Killing with Double Shots

by Mychele

Friday didn't start out with a bang, but it got there. The academy award nominated documentary, Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter, had a small showing for the 5:15pm screening. Complaints takes us on a daughter's journey of confusion, discovery, and acceptance of her mother's Alzheimer's. A touching and uplifting story, Deborah Hoffman constructs the time line from the early stages (The Dentist Period) to the more advanced (The Suitcase Period). Poignant yet humorous, I never once felt a need for a hankey. Hoffman presented the information in such a way as not to manipulate the audience and not, as the title might suggest, to gain sympathy for herself. Kudos to Hoffman and her partner Frances Reid.

The Brian Wilson documentary, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times was disappointing. I was hoping for more information on what makes Brian tick, or not tick as the case may be. Instead, I got chopped off, black and white close-ups of musical celebrities spewing praise for the crazed one. I slipped out early and moved next door to see the 9:30pm Who Killed the Baby Jesus . They actually had a line and I wondered if there would be room for me in the 200+ auditorium. As I watched the first half hour, I wondered Who Titled this Movie and what was the big deal? Jesus had sold out in Palm Springs. Why? The story wasn't creative and had nothing to do with religion. The acting was over-the-top melodramatic, and I could care less about any of the characters. They lost a handful of viewers, mostly during the violent scenes. After 45 minutes, I had had enough and decided to head to the other theatre.

Dan Bell is the writer/director/lead actor for the other Saguaro premiere, The Shot. After talking with him, I found out why his mug was so familiar; his stints in Wayne's World . He has also appeared in Sam Raimi's Darkman. Bell's connections explained how he got Michael Deluise and Ted Raimi (currently on TVs Seaquest) to star and nabbed Dana Carvey for a cameo.

The Friday reception at the Park Hotel lived up to my expectations and then some. Waxman, Moore, Bell, and Jude Horowitz(actress/producer) were present, along with the filmmakers of the Roger Moore-esque, 80% true documentary Rhinoskin: The Making of a Movie Star. Real life actor Tod DePree is followed by his director/producer Dina Marie Chapman as this naive knave struggles to land just one role. We see Tod dealing with agents, plastic surgeons, acting coaches, and even a doctor that believes in upper intestine colonics. Funny, cute and realistic, Rhinoskin has already met some success. They played in DePree's hometown of Holland, Michigan and grossed over $11, 000 in one weekend.

Over the weekend, many local and foreign celebrities appeared. The actresses for Who Killed the Baby Jesus and Billy Wirth were present. Wirth even signed T- shirts and shook the hands of the ladies from the Billy Wirth fan club who came over from California and Texas. Michael Deluise and Ted Raimi were on hand for The Shot. Later in the weekend, Don Ameche Jr was present with his father's Oscar and many stories of "The Man" during a well attended Don Ameche Tribute.

There were many gems at this festival. On the international side, The Silence of Neto, was the sleeper of the festival and my personal favorite next to Vegas. This film had it all. The intriguing political story about a young boy growing up in Guatemala during 1954 was not so much a coming of age tale as a loss of innocence. It was engaging, had great cinematography and a powerful cast.

There were two Canadian films as well. Whale Music , a Beauty and the Beast with pop and rock music is a tender drama. Max is about a family that discovers their son has a terminal illness and head for the Canadian hills looking for answers.

Consistent with my observations, Durrie Parks, President of the Arizona Film Society and chief organizer of the festival, was proud to report that not only did the number of films triple this year from the first, but so did her audience. The dates are already set for next year's fest, May 2- 5 1996, again at AMC Town and Country Theatres.

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