Tuesday, August 23, 2005

It struck me in the Filmhouse on Monday night that many of the titles on our viewing schedule don’t seem to come with posters let alone a website but I’m sure if you “google ‘em” you’ll find more. Time is kinda of the essence and I don’t have the time to do much digging. I will come back and provide links where possible when the opporchancity arises.

The documentary is a strange prospect these days. You’re never entirely sure if Christopher Guest is masterminding the direction. In these times of fake reality, it seems odd to observe people on screen who can’t possibly be real but actually are.

Pucker Up (The Fine Art Of Whistling) would perhaps be better viewed in the comfort of your own armchair. It was preceded by a short on gurning, Not Just An Ugly Face which in many ways worked better on the large screen. However, PU is a decent enough hour plus which centres around the World Whistling Championships. It features some great characters and some real creeps. The ending is great and kind of unexpected. One of the girls is pure Catherine O’ Hara.

Werner Hertzog’s Grizzly Man plays even more like a spoof. It follows a guy Called Timmy Treadwell that lived among bears in Alaska and ended up being eaten by one. His video footage punctuates the piece. Treadwell is like Crispin Glover channelling Robin Williams. A troubled soul not entirely devoid of entertainment value. It’s a pretty wild story and you couldn’t make this stuff up.

Contrary to popular belief there are still characters out there and thankfully people are making films about them. Tonight it’s “The Aristocrats”, let’s hope it lives up to its rep.

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