Review: 'Dislecksia: The Movie'
What do Billy Bob Thornton, founder of Tae Bo Billy Banks and director Harvey Hubbell V all have in common? Based on their outward appearance… nothing, but their similarities lay beneath the surface. All three are dyslexic, and share their story about living with their "learning difference" in Hubbell's documentary, Dislecksia: The Movie.
Dislecksia: The Movie is a comedic documentary that's goal is to educate audiences on the truth about dyslexia, as well as a way for those struggling with the condition to realize they're not alone. The film begins as a throwback to the 1950's informative video; exaggerated voice-over with cartoonish effects make the statistics easy to comprehend. Most of the documentary has the aesthetic of a 1990's sitcom filming on location; I was instantly reminded of an episode of "Full House." It doesn't seem like a very "modern" documentary in terms of look, but it is possible that was an artistic decision.
Most of the documentary has the aesthetic of a 1990's sitcom filming on location; I was instantly reminded of an episode of "Full House."
Hubbell, who directs the film, is also the pseudo-star; his struggles with dyslexia are at the forefront of the film, even though I personally found it more interesting to hear the stories of famous celebrities who have the condition, like Thornton (Sling Blade), actor Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos), soap opera star Sarah Joy Brown ("General Hospital") and author Stephen J. Cannell. Thornton recalls the only way he memorizes lines in his scripts are when they are read aloud to him. Brown confessed she didn’t read a book until high school. The film does a good job of motivating those who may feel discouraged by dyslexia; all the while, not making it seem like a mandatory school film.
I walked away with some interesting knowledge, like the fact that Albert Einstein was dyslexic and didn't even talk until he was seven years old. However, because I personally am not affected with the condition, I had a hard time 100% connecting to the film. At times, Dislecksia: The Movie tends to feel a bit “exclusive,” which can translate as a bit off-putting. Overall, as an audience member, you'll be inundated with facts about dyslexia and how to manage a happy, healthy life despite the struggle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_EIk6ebDDc
Ken Marino & Gillian Jacobs talk 'Bad Milo!'
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If you're looking for a new cult "Halloween Horror" film, than look no further than "Bad Milo." Part comedy-part horror film, "Bad Milo" is the surreal story of Duncan [Ken Marino] who is living with a demon in his butt that comes out during stressful situations and wreaks havoc on Duncan's family, friends, and life. The Four Seasons Hotel is where I meet Ken and Gillian Jacobs, who plays Duncan's wife Sarah, and our interview is nothing short of amusing. We begin:
I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE FOR THIS STORY WHEN YOU WERE FIRST PITCHED, BECAUSE IT'S NOT YOUR EVERYDAY TALE...
GILLIAN JACOBS: Yeah, ‘I would like to work in the future, so let’s do this ass demon movie and call it a day.
KEN MARINO: As an actor in this town, you always wanna do the next big thing, you know? Like what’s the next big project that everybody’s going to relate to, and everybody relates to taking a crap.
[LAUGHTER]
KM: Mark Duplass called me up and asked if I wanted to do it, I said yes, absolutely, I read the script and said ‘oh, wow, this is outrageous.’ I thought it was a special kind of script. It was ridiculous and silly and horrific, but there was something special about it.
GJ: Yeah and it does come from a personal place from Jacob [Vaughn, Director]. When you talk to him you see that this is something he is really passionate about, and I really like the fact that he wanted to play a lot of it very straight and real… and Ken’s performance is very grounded and that allows for you to be in a movie about an ass demon and not just have it be a goofy, stupid movie.
ARE YOU SURPRISED AT THE KIND OF REACTION YOU'RE GETTING NOW?
GJ: People actually seem to like this movie! I was certainly nervous about it before we watched it at the SXSW premiere, because we didn’t get to see the whole thing edited... and it was so gratifying to watch it with an audience and hear their responses and you people don’t seem like you’re bullshitting us!
[LAUGHTER]
HOW EXCITING WAS IT FOR YOU TO HAVE THE ACTUAL PUPPET [MILO] THERE AS OPPOSED TO A GREEN SCREEN?
KM: It was great, the first day I met Milo was actually the day I wasn’t working and Milo was beating the crap out of you…
[Turns & points to Gillian]
GJ: Umm Hmm…
KM: I was so excited to meet him. There’s no substitute for a monster who’s actually there as opposed to a green screen or CGI thing. When you’re performing with the puppet you can actually play back and forth.
GJ: I’m really bad at imagining things, which is sucky cause I’m an actor, so for me yes, having a physical thing there to interact with was so much easier than looking at a golf ball or whatever you look at… I’ve never done a large budget film so I wouldn’t know…
[LAUGHTER]
GJ: So yeah, it was hugely helpful.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE AUDIENCE GETS OUT OF SEEING THIS MOVIE?
GJ: I hope that they laugh, that they are touched by the story and the characters, and that they want to buy a Milo figurine.
KM: For me, this movie is kind of like… a throwback in tone and feel and texture. That was one of the appealing things to me when I read the script; it was kind of like [an 80’s movie]. There are some really funny people in it, a really talented group of people, and I just hope people enjoy it.
Adam Scott & Clark Duke Talk 'A.C.O.D.'
Adam Scott and Clark Duke walk into the interview room smiling, two of Hollywood’s funniest comedians have been doing interviews nonstop for their film A.C.O.D. and if they were tired, they certainly fooled us. Adam (Parks & Rec) and Clark (The Office) play brothers Carter and Trey who are both A.C.O.D.s, or Adult Children of Divorce. The chemistry these two actors have in the film is spot on, and that same dynamic is seen here at the press day, cracking jokes and having us laughing the entire time. We begin:
THE CHARACTER THAT YOU PLAYED WENT THROUGH HELL, WHAT WAS IN YOUR MIND WHEN YOU READ THE SCRIPT?
ADAM SCOTT: I think a lot of the movie is very painful, but I think that’s where a lot of really good comedy comes from… I thought it looked like a lot of fun and luckily it was.
CARTER HAS SUCH A MESSED UP RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS PARENTS, HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT YOU DO A GOOD JOB AS A DAD?
AS: I had a great example from my parents who split up when I was very young, but did it in a way where it didn’t really affect [me].
CLARK DUKE: They just put you up for adoption, right?
AS: Yeah they put me up for adoption, left me out on the front doorstep, which was really positive!
[LAUGHTER]
CLARK, DID YOUR ROLE FEEL LIKE THE COMIC RELIEF OF THE FILM?
CD: A little bit, I hate to say that though because everybody in the movie is so much funnier than me, when you have Catherine O’Hara and Richard Jenkins… but yeah, just because [my character, Trey] is naïve and a loveable simpleton.
AS: I think one of my favorite parts in the movie is when I say to Clark, ‘You guys are getting married? You just met, like, three months ago’ and, it wasn’t necessarily written this way, but he said the line like, ‘yeah… it has been three months!’
[LAUGHTER]
AMY [POEHLER] IS YOUR WIFE ON PARKS AND REC, DID YOU GUYS HAVE ANY LAUGHS ABOUT THE FACT THAT SHE'S YOUR STEPMOM IN THIS MOVIE?
AS: Yeah, it was really fun to just hate each other’s guts. And it’s not like we have some sort of redemptive ending… we just still hate each other at the end of the movie.
ADAM, I ACTUALLY SAW YOU AT THE UPRIGHT CITIZEN'S BRIGADE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND YOU HAVE A GREAT IMPROV STYLE...
CD: [To Adam] Hey dude, do you wanna borrow some money? Is everything OK?
[LAUGHTER]
AS: Yeah, that would be great.
CD: OK, we will talk after.
WERE THERE ANY SCENES IN THE FILM THAT WERE IMPROVISED? ANY ONE-LINERS?
AS: You know, there are little, tiny things here and there but not really…
CD: Just small bits like the thing he said about my line.
AS: Yeah, but with a script that’s as good as this one you don’t necessarily need to [improvise].
I LOVED THE CASTING- YOU GUYS WERE BRILLIANT AS BROTHERS. WHEN YOU CAME TOGETHER FOR THE TABLE READ, DID YOU FEEL THAT [CHEMISTRY]?
AS: We had worked together before and were friends and had briefly dated…
[LAUGHTER]
AS: I think once the cast was assembled it was like, you can’t really go wrong with all these people. They were so good.
Adult Children of Divorce Unite in 'A.C.O.D.'
For some, watching A.C.O.D. may be like realizing there’s a club out there that you didn’t know you belonged to; a group of adults who have successfully, or unsuccessfully, integrated into mainstream society despite their unconventional childhood (blame placed on the divorced parents). These people are called “A.C.O.D.s,” or “Adult Children of Divorce”. Carter, played by Adam Scott, is one of these people.
Carter is seemingly a well-adjusted guy, running a successful restaurant, in a long-term relationship with his supportive girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and has a great dynamic with his divorced parents, but only when visiting them one at a time. His parents (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O’Hara) are ridiculously childish, with their banter making up a good portion of the film’s comedy, and their awful behavior towards each other presents a problem for Carter, as news of his little brother Trey’s (Clark Duke) wedding day approaches.
Carter wants nothing more than for his parents to be able to enjoy Trey’s wedding together, so he stages an “intervention” to bring the two back to speaking terms. What Carter doesn’t plan on, however, is their re-sparked chemistry, which leads to an affair, and now Carter’s problem isn’t how to bring them together, but rather, how to peel them off of each other.
In a room full of movie critics, I even heard several laugh out loud… which is a good sign for any comedy.
The characters in the film are what make it such a solid comedy; first off there’s Adam Scott, the quintessential sarcastic anti-hero. Then there’s Jane Lynch, the wacky pseudo-psychologist who tries to help Carter deal with being an “A.C.O.D.” Amy Poehler is a genius as Carter’s stepmom, Sondra, although a bit of a strange dynamic since us “Parks & Rec” fans are used to seeing Poehler as Scott’s lover. Richard Jenkins and Catherine O’Hara round out the comedic roster. If any actor were missing from this film, it wouldn’t be half the success I project it to be.
A.C.O.D. is a genuinely funny film with an all-star cast, an obvious success for first-time director Stu Zicherman. Although it's not flawless, Jessica Alba's character is seemingly pointless and the script does tend to drag on at times, but overall, it's a very enjoyable film. In a room full of movie critics, I even heard several people laugh out loud… which is a good sign for any comedy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hRpWVw6fEU
Director Stu Zicherman on 'A.C.O.D.'
Even though this is Stu Zicherman’s directorial debut, you’d never guess it. With A-list comedic talent and his show-runner background, Zicherman knew exactly how to prep and shoot his indie comedy A.C.O.D., (he claims being a show-runner is harder than being a director). He is very enthusiastic and energetic as we sit down for his interview. Behind his left shoulder is a poster for A.C.O.D and I immediately ask him about what it’s like to see his name amongst some of Hollywood’s finest actors, like Adam Scott, Catherine O’Hara, Amy Poehler, Jessica Alba, Jane Lynch, and Richard Jenkins. We begin:
THIS BEING YOUR FIRST FEATURE FILM, YOU LOOK AT THE POSTER AND SEE ALL THE NAMES… IS THAT SURREAL TO YOU?
Oh yeah, the whole thing’s surreal. The other night Adam [Scott] was on Jay Leno and they showed a clip of the movie and Jay Leno was saying ‘ACOD’ and I was like, this is just crazy!
WHEN DID YOU HAVE THIS IDEA?
I think when you’re a kid you don’t really have any perspective, you’re just kind of in it. It feels scary and weird at times, but for me, it also felt funny and irreverent. Then you get to a point where you grow up and you start fucking up your own relationships and you’re like, ‘What is wrong with me?’ Then you realize, oh I had no role models. My parents made a mess of it and I have no idea what I’m doing. And that was the inspiration for the movie.
WAS A.C.O.D. ALWAYS SET OUT TO BE A COMEDY?
Yeah, it was. I always had this idea for an opening of a movie that started with ‘Fuck you.’
[LAUGHTER]
I wanted to make something you could call a comedy but it’s also about a subject that you can’t completely make fun of… At the end of the day, the intention of the movie was not to be solely about divorce. The message of the movie at the end is that whether you’re from married parents or divorced parents, you’re not destined to repeat the patterns of your parents.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CASTING PROCESS?
Well, it started with Adam… Adam to me was the classic anti-hero, he’s got a very cynical, funny point of view on things and I love that. And once I got Adam, I started looking at other people I really loved, like Richard Jenkins. We got him, and once you start to get those kinds of people, it starts to roll. I went after Jane [Lynch] and Amy [Poehler] to play parts that were not straightforward and funny.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER A SEQUEL IF THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL?
Haha, I don’t think there’s a sequel, although at one of the screenings in New York, Christie Brinkley came up to me and said ‘I think you should do a sequel, I have lots of stories for you about divorce.’
[LAUGHTER]
That’s been fun for me; since Sundance, it’s been really fun having people come up to me saying, ‘I didn’t realize I was part of this ‘thing’,’ or ‘My parents got divorced when I was blah, blah blah,’ and it’s kind of funny. I’m not a shrink by any means, I have no answers for anybody, but it’s been fun.
Catherine O'Hara & Jane Lynch on 'A.C.O.D.'
Catherine O'Hara and Jane Lynch have been friends for years, they're part of the original "Brat Pack," starring in classic Christopher Guest films such as Best in Show and For Your Consideration, and they're reunited once again for "A.C.O.D." O’Hara plays Carter’s selfish (and slightly horny) mother Melissa, and Lynch plays Dr. Judith, Carter’s wacky therapist. As to be expected, they fit the roles perfectly. Catherine and Jane walk into the interview with the biggest smiles on their faces; they command the room so much so that the men stand up to shake their hands, a nice gesture that both ladies appreciate. We begin:
YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER, JANE?
JANE LYNCH: Tell me…
[LAUGHTER]
JL: Again and again, please.
YOU'RE THE TYPE OF CHARACTER THAT CAN GET AN EMOTION, WHETHER IT'S ANGER OR LAUGHTER, AND YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS...
JL: Oh that’s great, I’ll have to watch myself next time.
WHERE DO YOU GO TO GET SOMEONE LIKE THAT?
JL: I think it’s the oblivious, blind ambition that people have sometimes and it doesn’t even really matter how you may hurt somebody else, and [my character] just saw an opportunity and jumped on it. Basically, [my character] said, ‘I’m gonna use you to resurrect my career.’
CATHERINE, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER, HOW'D YOU GET OFF ON [PLAYING MELISSA]?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Oh, I got off all right….
[LAUGHTER]
JL: Yeah, she and Richard Jenkins got off…
CO: Haha, well the last thing a parent should be is selfish, but we’re only human and this mother is just so selfish. The fact that Carter’s parents have bad-mouthed each other for all these years and tried to turn their children against each other is just so beyond immature. But you know, people behaving badly is kinda fun, especially when they so don’t think they’re behaving badly.
HOW DID YOU REACT IN THE SCRIPT WHEN YOU [AND RICHARD JENKIN'S CHARACTER HUGH] FINALLY GOT BACK TOGETHER? AND THEN CARTER'S LIKE, 'WE'VE GOT TO STOP THIS!'?
CO: It was kind of sad that [Carter] was so repulsed by us, that’s not very flattering…
[LAUGHTER]
JL: Yeah, they’re awful people
CO: Aww, come on!
WELL THERE IS THIS SAYING, 'THE GREATER THE ANGER, THE MORE POWERFUL THE LOVE.'
CO: Oh yeah, well you have to care to get mad. So [our characters] really care about each other, because we’re still after 20 years…‘Ahhh!’
IN A ROOM FULL OF CRITICS, HEARING THEM LAUGH OUT LOUD IS A REALLY GOOD SIGN...
JL: Oh that’s great!
CO: Oh good!
DID YOU SENSE THAT AT THE FIRST ROUNDTABLE READING THIS WAS GOING TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FILM?
CO: Oh yeah, when I read it for the first time…
JL: Yeah, me too.
CO: Yeah, it’s got great stuff in it. It’s real because it comes from Stu Zicherman [director] and Ben Karlin’s [writer] real lives! It’s all based on real pain…
SO MANY PEOPLE ARE REACTING TO THIS FILM, ARE YOU GUYS PREPARED NOW TO HEAR PEOPLE'S STORIES [OF DIVORCE]? YOU'RE GOING TO BE REAL-LIFE SHRINKS NOW.
CO: I’ll just tell them to get out of my face.
[LAUGHTER]
JL: I think this is the first generation of adult children of divorce who are now adults. Now since divorce has become this viably acceptable option, we now have, as my character says, ‘the most un-parented generation in history.’ [Marriage is] a social meme that doesn’t work for everybody; It didn’t really work for my parents, although they were of a generation where that’s what you did, you stay together no matter what. Now, we have this option where you can come in and leave if it doesn’t work.
CO: You shouldn’t be made to feel like you have to get married. Really, you shouldn’t get married unless you’re ready to, and you love yourself already.
Controversy Surrounds Third-Trimester Abortions in 'After Tiller'
A good documentary is one that doesn't leave you as soon as the lights come up; you get in your car to go home with an unsettling feeling of what you just watched still lingering.
Expect to feel this way with After Tiller, the controversial documentary from directing duo, Martha Shane and Lana Wilson. After Tiller profiles the four remaining American doctors who perform third-trimester abortions, and their daily struggle with the public scrutiny they face.
The women Shane and Wilson profile who are seeking out these late-term abortions are not the “16 and pregnant,” careless girls you may expect. Most of them are women who desperately want to have a family, who are mentally ready to become parents, yet discover their unborn child has birth deformations that would severely affect their quality of life or ability to sustain life at all. Bones that won’t bend and lungs that will never work on their own are just some of the futures these unborn children would face, and while every child deserves a chance to live, what is life if you’re bound to machinery from a hospital bed from birth?
No matter what side of the fence you sit on, After Tiller does a great job of providing insight and compassion for the other side.
After Tiller paints an incredibly emotional picture of women struggling with the biggest and most painful decision of their lives, as well as how extremely difficult this job is for the doctors that perform the abortions. From their perspective, these doctors believe that if they are not able to safely help women perform abortions, some women may become desperate and try to do it on their own. In this sense, the filmmakers are very fair with their representation of abortion; there is no clear "left" or "right" views forced into the audience's mind.
What was most captivating to me was the day-to-day life the doctors lead; when they walk out of their office, they expect to be assassinated. They receive death threats in the middle of the night. They're constantly living in fear for their lives, yet they continue to go to work every morning, truly believing that they are helping women who need them.
No matter what side of the fence you sit on, After Tiller does a great job of providing insight and compassion for the other side. You may not leave the theater with a different view, but that's not the point. A good film is one that starts a conversation and provokes thought, and After Tiller is certainly one of those films.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf3rETOO62s
Catalina Film Festival: Kate Bosworth and 'Big Sur'
Day 2 of the Catalina Film Fest was all about the independent drama, Big Sur. We talked to director Michael Polish and actress Kate Bosworth, who recently got married after meeting on the set, about the adaptation from novel to film. Plus, Michael lets us in on a couple of "Michael Polish" surprises. We also chatted with Jean-Marc Barr, who plays Jack Kerouac, about his admiration for his character.
Big Sur opens in theaters on November 1st.