Random Lunacy: Videos from the Road Less Traveled (2007) is a great documentary following the life of William David Pearlman (more commonly know as Poppa Neutrino) and his family. Seamlessly splicing many interviews with home videos draws you into his life and teachings in an amazing way.
Poppa Neutrino chose a life of freedom by bucking the traditional lifestyle and goals of most. People with little knowledge of him could consider him a failure until they watch this film. You will learn how his life, however difficult (by choice), is extremely rich and fulfilling. The adventures he and his family have been on, places he has seen, people met, things learned, and that he even taught will make any wealthy person jealous.
8 out of 10 - I really enjoyed the unique adventure that the filmmakers Stephanie Silber and Victor Zimet created. Their style made the documentary very engrossing; even with the interesting subject it could have been like watching a boring home movie, but their vision and storytelling abilities shine and make Random Lunacy a real treat! The DVD is available from Amazon - be sure to check out the extras.
A Passion for Giving (2009) is a unique look at why people give. Director, producer, and cinematographer Robin Melanie Leacock heads out with her camera to answer the question through enlightening and fun interviews. Intertwining joyful music, thought provoking quotes, attentive narration, and additional footage with the interviews ties everything together into an excellent film.
Alexandre de Lesseps discusses the reasons for his humanitarian work in Burma while representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama offer their wisdom. Millennium Promise CEO, Jeff Flug, talks of how many people live on a dollar a day; we also hear from Doctors Without Borders that offer immunizations and other services in those regions. Other notable interviewees are Fran Lebowitz, Richard Branson, Darryl McDaniels (DMC), and John Sykes. In addition, with more importance in my opinion, are talks with everyday people about the acts of kindness they perform along with the benefactors of their giving. An emotional talk with a man on the streets of New York shows his loss of hope that no one is willing to help. Animals are also in need of help and there are wonderful segments on the subject.
Did you know an entire village of 160 dwellings can be built in Burma for $15,000 USD? Thinking about that is truly astounding; although a lot of money for most, it isn't much when many people donate small amounts. Equally important is donating time to programs such as Meals on Wheels and Habitat for Humanity (both organizations I have had the pleasure to work with and highly recommend spending a day with them).
9 out of 10 - This is a very well done documentary that brings you into the minds of those that give and introduces us to the amount of organizations and people trying to make a difference. It is not a call to action or solicitation, just a pure look at the passion for giving; although, it has made me want to give more. You can watch the premier on PBS in November in the NY area on 11/7 and again on 11/21 on stations WLIW and WNET, respectfully.
Perfect Imperfection: The Making and Saving of I'll Believe You (2009) is a must see documentary for any filmmaker, especially up and coming ones; even movie fans will find it interesting. It not only shows you the making of I'll Believe You, it also gives you a look at what it takes to make a film.
From idea generation to the final cut you will see how many people are involved in the process to make it work and be believable. The insights into casting and location choice are very interesting along with the unexpected; such as weather, set issues, sound, and of course...coffee!
What do you do once all the shooting is done, cast is gone, and you have poured your hearts and souls into a film that is not working and you can't re-shoot it? You get creative and never give up! It took six years for this film to become a reality and we can all learn from their experience. You can watch it as an extra on the DVD.
For My Father/Shabat Shalom Maradona (2008) is an absorbing and complex quest of unyielding emotion, choice, and discovery. Given the choice of regaining your father's honor and cementing your legacy or alienating your family for a person you just met that rekindles your spirit, which would you choose? What if the action for your father would hurt this other person, but not hurting the other person would result in your father's death? All the while your life is on the line! This is Terek (Shredi Jabarin), a young handsome caring man that has found himself in an impossible situation.
Terek arrives in Tel Aviv, Israel and goes to a crowded market where he closes his eyes and prays as he slightly pulls up his sleeve to expose a trigger. He is a Palestinian suicide bomber. Click, click, click - the trigger is broken. He briskly walks away and around a corner to call the mission planner who wants to activate the vest of explosives via a cell phone link but is convinced to wait for him to fix the device and properly use it.
Under the cover of a construction worker needing a new trigger for a nearby work site he visits an electrician named Katz (Shlomo Vishinsky). Katz does not have the part and orders it for delivery in two days. With reports of a terrorist crossing into Israel coming over the radio and police cars driving by, he offers to fix Katz' leaky roof in exchange for the part to keep himself hidden.
Across the street is Keren (Hili Yalon) who runs a small shop after being disowned from her family. They immediately hit it off when he goes over for coffee and we see his human side for the first time as his face lights up when talking to her. Terek has diner with Katz where he feels compassion and sorrow for him after hearing of his son's death. Later that night Terek comes to Karen's aid when she is being harassed by some men for how her life doesn't conform to societies expectations. Tarek is more alive than ever as their feelings continue flourish.
He is being shown life by the people he came to kill - he must decide what he is going to do.
9.5 out of 10 - This independent film dares to reveal the human side of both sides. There is no political message, no taking sides, and little history of the conflict in the region - it is a story of people. I was kept engaged as the characters interacted and the story unfolded all the way to the ending credits. Perceptually riveting! For My Father was directed by Dror Zahavi and written by Ido Dror and Jonatan Dror; Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles; DVD available on June 1, 2010.
One Hour Fantasy Girl (2009) is an artistic yet raw look at real life; this is based on a true story. The film is a poignant view at the life of Brandi (Kelly-Ann Tursi), a fantasy girl. With dreams of a better life and more money she begins working as a fantasy girl to work towards her goal of real estate investing. She will create and participate in any man's fantasy as long as she does not have to kiss or be nude. Haunted by her childhood and unable to sleep she turns to meditation and chanting with little effect but wants no pity from anyone about her situation.
On the streets of Hollywood Becky Lewis appears to be just another girl with loosely tied back hair and oversized t-shirts, but in room 102 of The California Sunshine Motel she becomes Brandi and participates in a world she knows little about. Chi (Paul D. Nguyen), her business partner, arranges everything including her first client. Roger (Jon Morgan Woodward) is a large man that never lost his baby fat and fantasies about infancy. He knows what he wants and Brandi gives it to him; a bottle filled with vodka, and rub on his head, and baby games are all part of the sessions. Being experienced with these encounters he instructs her to do more profound things in later visits testing her strength.
Bobby (Joe Luckay) has just come to town from Montana and finds himself alone. After visiting her website he calls to find out more and is immediately drawn in. He is an odd young man looking to build his discipline by lying in bed with her. Innocent and sincere with knowledge of her beliefs bring them closer than she would like. She fights to control the situation and his consistent advances but really needs a good person in her life. Bobby and Roger along with other interesting people will shape her life forever. Dianthia (Kalena Knox) works at an all night diner offering solace to Brandi during her sleepless nights but is fighting for her own survival.
9 out of 10 - This eye popping glimpse into another lifestyle turns out to be very compelling; the choices made on the path for happiness as you come into adulthood can make or break you. Mesmerizing and ravenous electronic music by Nima Fakhrara accompanies the scenes and perfectly compliments the pace of the film. The writing, direction, production, and acting are all done with passion that shines on the screen - Kelly-Ann Tursi provides a deeply emotional performance. The subject matter could have made this uncomfortable to watch, but it is so well done and does not cross the line and there is no nudity. A few scenes do have or imply some very alternative sexual activities. Available for rent or purchase from Amazon.
I'll Believe You (2007; DVD 2009) is a lively out of this world comedy adventure revolving around an overnight radio show host and his circle of friends along with some charismatic fans. For two years Dale Sweeney (David Alan Basche) has been living his dream hosting a radio show about the unexplained, UFOs, Bigfoot, Nessie, and the like. His life begins to unravel when his freebie loving manager (Fred Willard) says he is going to cancel the show. There isn't much in Melbourne Florida other than a so-called promising career of selling hoses at his brother Kyle's (Thomas Gibson) company.
Dale must get more callers and sponsors to save his show. The previous night one of his crazed fans called in saying she saw a UFO crash into the ocean and after hanging out with his friends they decide the UFO must be found to keep the show alive. Senna (Patrick Gallo) and Paige (Cece Pleasants) are Dale’s longtime friends; Nick is a police officer and Paige is a science teacher. After the chat they come across hundreds of handwritten pages tacked on a wall of what looks like mathematical gibberish; while Dale is lit up like a kid in a candy store seeing something unexplained, Senna is all about the scotch tape. After getting a little more inspiration from the town nut and gator lover, Eugene (Chris Elliott), Dale is pumped and ready to find some aliens.
For the first time ever his phone call switch board is lit up but call after call is just loony and frantic people. Until, "the call that changed everything"! A male caller dials in speaking unidentifiable jargon that Dale insists is a real language. His hunch may prove correct when government agents arrive dressed in black asking about the report of the crash landing as well as the caller. For the second night in a row the mystery caller is at it again. When Dale cuts him off trying to figure out what is going on the mystery caller speaks English to explain he must let him talk at that specific time each night. He decides to have Paige come on the show to offer her scientific explanation for the meticulously timed calls; her primary theory is it is a prank call but if pushed she would say it is the time when the radio station is lined up with the mother ship.
While all this is going on Senna is investigating some odd robberies. The local grocery store in broken into and all that is taken is electronic toothbrushes. Then some hoses and nozzles are stolen from Hose World. Another robbery comes over the radio for the local trophy shop as Dale and Senna are having some morning coffee. When talking about the very weird events they realize they started at the same time as the mystery caller...go go go; they rush over to the trophy shop. They don’t find the perpetrator but find a plaque that was made in another language they can not understand. Alternate theories and skeptics try to explain all the events while Dale continues on his quest.
8 out of 10. Rated PG. This is a fun adventure that adults, kids, and everyone in between will enjoy. The story keeps you engaged throughout with many more amazing characters, great cinematography, and original music. Order this wonderfully paced and intriguing independent film with great life messages from Amazon or put it in your Netflix queue. It also stars Patrick Warburton, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Ed Helms, and others; written/directed by Paul Francis Sullivan. You will be a fan of green shirts and chicken! (Also reviewed: Perfect Imperfection - The Making and Saving of "I'll Believe You)
Random Lunacy: Videos from the Road Less Traveled (2007) is a great documentary following the life of William David Pearlman (more commonly know as Poppa Neutrino) and his family. Seamlessly splicing many interviews with home videos draws you into his life and teachings in an amazing way.
