AFI Fest: A to W - Film+TV - LA Weeklypage 3 - LA Weekly Film+TV Film print | email | write comment LA Weekly Insiders Be Social ● The All-About-Me Mayor: Antonio Villaraigosa's ● Local food, music and Frenetic Self-Promotion AFI Fest: A to W news blasts Continued from page 2 ● Free Stuff Hours of travel, fund-raising and PR leave little time Published on October 29, 2008 at 8:19pm Subscribe for his job GO GOGOL BORDELLO NON-STOP (USA) At one point in this giddily entertaining ● You'll Never Be Vice President: A Letter to My documentary on New York–based “Gypsy-punk” band Gogol Bordello, a talking head Daughter, the Community Organizer Now Click This remarks, “You have to invent freedom.” Director Margarita Jimeno spends five years ● Digital Jukebox following the sprawling band and its charismatic front man, Eugene Hutz (who’s acted in Why didn't I nip all this in the bud and buy you a Everything Is Illuminated and Filth and Wisdom), while they do just that. As the camera ● Detour well-oiled Remington 12-gauge? traverses the globe, tilting from Hutz’ biography (including home movies from his native ● Education Guide Kiev) to rehearsal footage, raucous live performances and interviews with various ● Living Quarters members of the Gogol collective, the film becomes a heady, inspiring discussion of art, ● Storm Over Palin Blows McCain on the Bridge ● Virtual Career Fair politics and personal identity, and the points at which they all intersect. (ArcLight to Nowhere Hollywood, Sat., Nov. 1, 7:10 p.m.; Wed., Nov. 5, 12:30 p.m.) (Ernest Hardy) Hurricane Sarah CRITIC’S PICK GOMORRAH (Italy) Matteo ● How Mayor Villaraigosa Spends His 16-Hour Garrone’s dramatic portrait of the notorious ● Days buy, sell, trade (5,741) Italian Mafia organization Neapolitan Camorra ● musician (1,593) focuses on the ancillary figures who, willingly or ● rentals (5,949) ● not, prop up the mob’s activities. The five Confessions of a Promo-CD Junkie: Who Will ● jobs (4,740) interwoven narratives in this visceral but Stop the Music Industry Gravy Train? ● adult entertainment (6,154) disciplined and beautifully acted movie show to devastating effect how ordinary men and With so much music available at the click of a Free Classifieds Los Angeles, CA women — and especially vulnerable boys mouse, do tastemakers really need hard copies desperate for masculine role models — get anymore? Is it worth the waste? caught up in the seductive violence and are ruthlessly destroyed by the network’s hardened henchmen. It’s hard to tell whether the movie exaggerates the Mafia’s reach deep into and pollution of the infrastructure of everyday life, laying the groundwork for guerrilla-style civil war. Given Gomorrah’s arch referencing of the brutality in Coppola’s Godfather trilogy, I could http://www.laweekly.com/2008-10-30/film-tv/afi-fest-a-to-w/3 (1 of 4)11/3/2008 10:44:07 AM Page 12 • October 30 2008 - November 5 2008 Culver City Observer SPECIAL TO THE OBSERVER: AFI FESTIVAL 2008 MUST SEE FESTIVAL FILMS by debbie lynn elias Movies. They have 2008 MUST SEE FESTIVAL house at the Bulgarian Bar Ryabtsev on violin, Oren Kaplan weaves an intricate tale of intrigue served many a purpose over the FILMS. Mehanata in Chinatown, New on guitar, and Eliot Ferguson on in this fictionalized tale of Tom past century, affecting each of us One of the early fron- York. An eclectic blend of concert drums, as well as dancer-percus- Flynn, a left-leaning bookstore in a different way; drawing us to trunners to make its mark is NOT footage, rare home movies of sionists Pamela Racine and owner who just happened to the celluloid images with individu- QUITE HOLLYWOOD: THE teenage Hutz in Kiev and inter- Elizabeth Sun. The interviews have published an expose on alized magic. During WWI and WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF views with band members, with these individuals showcase 9/11. Enter the sultry and myste- WWII, movies promoted the sale ‘OZPLOITATION.” A blast from friends, fans and Hutz himself, the true love and admiration each rious femme fatale, Kasia, herself of bonds, gave a glimpse to those the past with uproarious and are interwoven into a high octane has for Hutz and his frentic, kineti- on the run from a 9/11 cover-up at home of their loved ones and irreverent thunder from down tapestried and textured presenta- cism and creativity. as she allegedly has ties to the news abroad. Movies served under - thunderous laughter that tion that will have you dancing in Known for his outra- Mohamed Atta thanks to Able and still do serve as a tether is - NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD the aisles! geous storming of the stage, indi- Danger, a hard drive that contains between families, friends and celebrates the genesis of Poignant and heartfelt, vidualized hand sewn costumes the identities and plots of the real strangers, instant "Crazy Glue" if Australian from the 50"s and 60"s we are privy to a 1988 family New that reflect the lyrics of each song, architects of 9/11. Crossing you will, bringing people together right up to the 90's but with heavy Year’s Eve gathering where his through the band’s performances paths in true film noir stylings that wouldn't normally gravitate concentration the Australian film uncle’s fondest wish for Eugene and thanks to superlative editing reminescent of “The Maltese towards each other. During the genre of the 70's and 80's com- is that he leave Kiev and join the by Jenny Golden and Jimeno that Falcon”, it doesn’t take long after Great Depression, at the direction plete with nudity, free love, lots of U.S. Army. Little did his uncle pulsates to the beat of Gogol meeting this Eastern European of the President of the United sex and slasher-hacker blood know, the Army was the furthest Bordello , the gypsy punk experi- beauty for Flynn to become impli- States, movies were to be upbeat soaked terror. And that’s AFTER thing from Eugene’s mind. One ence is captured in its most glori- cated in the murder of a friend, be and happy, serving as a respite the introduction of the R-certifi- of the last 100 people left in ous as we see Hutz’ go full throt- on the run from every govern- for the American people during cate, Australia’s brand of censor- Russia with refugee status, tle with his “possibly perverse” ment agency known to mankind harsh economic times. It was dur- ship in 1971. “Narrated” by Eugene and his family ultimately non-stop on stage dynamic pres- and be forced to look beneath the ing that time period that a little girl Quentin Tarantino (who let’s face made it out of Kiev. Allowed only ence (often performing in clubs surface at who and what Kasia named Shirley sang and danced it, is an annoying but knowledge- $400.00 dollars per family and for 6 hours at a stretch). As much really is. her way into the hearts of millions, able distraction to the film), direc- limited personal items, Eugene as the clubbers and concert- Krik goes for the jugular bringing smiles to the faces of tor Mark Hartley has put together brought 20 records with him, 2 goers come to be a part of the live and pushes the panic button in everyone's heart she touched. one of the most entertaining his- guitars and bag a Russian watch- show and embrace an atmos- each of us with this too-close-for- They say history has a way of torical chronologies I 've ever es as he thought tourists would phere of enjoyment that “throws comfort telling of a tragedy that repeating itself. Take a look at the seen and exposes the world to want to buy them. Unequipped away the hierarchy of society” so changed the world as we know it world today. Many believe we are such classics as “Picnic At for life outside Russia, the family will you with this kaleidoscopic, forever. The title itself, ABLE in as dire a strait as we were in Hanging Rock”, “My Brilliant was stripped of all documents, heart-pounding, introspective into DANGER, is derived from the 1929. But what's interesting, is Career”, “The Man From Hong having to give up citizenship in one of the hottest groups on the actual top-secret classified intelli- that no matter how tough the Kong” and of course, the quintes- order to get refugee status. international music scene. gence project allegedly initiated times, how tight the wallet, we all sential film of this era that gave Initially taken to Austria, life was GOGOL BORDELLO: NON- by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff in still manage to scrape together the world a man named Mel, tough for Hutz and his family. STOP is non-stop entertainment 1999 as a means to combat ter- that $10.00 to escape to the “Mad Max.” With no holds barred honesty, he and one of my top two MUST rorism in general and particularly, movies, just like that nickel in the Outrageous and riotous- talks about facing one disappoint- SEE FESTIVAL FILMS of the al-Qaeda. The project was 20's and 30's. Just look at today's ly funny, Hartley infuses interest ment after another “until there are entire Festival. (And the fact that allegedly disbanded in 2005 after box office. and education through anecdotal no more expectations.” Yet, Hutz stars in and the band is fea- the public learned of its existence.