BEDROOMS at the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles or How Sylvester Stallone’s JUDGE DREDD is Responsible for My New Coffee Cup Collection

posted by Jett Loe

[Moon Bloodgood in BEDROOMS]

Good Day Dear Readers – hope you’re all having an interesting and productive Weekend.  Let’s get started shall we?

BEDROOMS, the new semi-portmanteau film that I screened at the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles last night is well worth a look.  The DFFLA has been rated as one of ‘The Top Five Film Festivals in Los Angeles’ which is reason No. 62 why I have fallen in love with this town.

How many film festivals are on in this place?  Enough to brag that you’re in the Top Five apparently.  Though to be fair it seems in this town any double feature can be declared a film festival as long as you rope in a corporate sponsor and get someone, anyone to show up.

This is not a bad thing – this is a great thing.  Heck, I’ve just decided while typing this that tonight’s going to be the first annual ‘Jett Loe Has Moved to LA Film Festival’.  And why not?  There’s Netflix Watch Instantly running on the Plasma – I’m thinking it’s going to be ZARDOZ and THE PROFESSIONALS – I’ve got to see them anyway for this week’s Show.

Anyway – had a great time at the Fest as the photo below demonstrates – is that excitement in the eyes of the young lady promoting Nescafe?

Or slightly veiled terror?

You decide Dear Reader, (I will point out in my defense that if she is, in fact terrified, it must be noted that I appear to have have three and a half times her body mass).

The Fest has a great partner in Nescafe, (note to any corporations out there – tonight’s the Opening Gala of the ‘First Annual Jett Loe Has Moved to LA Film Festival’ – so there’s still time for you to get in on the ground floor – email me here for details);  anyhew, Nescafe is a partner at the Fest – which means that anyone who asked for a cup of coffee before the screenings got a boxed set of Four Nescafe Themed Coffee Mugs.

But wait you say.

Aren’t there eight mugs in that photo?

Yep, that’s a Bingo Dear Reader – there are eight mugs indeed – thanks to a pair of lovely ladies, recording artist Sandra Piller and producer Susan Nicoletti, who let me know quite clearly that they had more than enough coffee cups at their respective homes, hence their gifting of said cups to me, (and I feel this largess must in some small part be due to Sylvester Stallone – for you see Susan was a producer on JUDGE DREDD – and am guessing that all that Comic Book Money must allow her to have as many caffeine delivery systems as she could possibly want – that or maybe she’s got a piece of the upcoming remake of JUDGE DREDD – titled….wait for it………DREDD.

Hmmm….perhaps focus groups dictated that the title JUDGE DREDD was just too complicated.  Who can forget after all, the testing done on the last Timothy Dalton James Bond Film LICENSE REVOKED – in which US audiences indicated that they didn’t know what the word ‘revoked’ actually meant – hence the title change to LICENSE TO KILL.   Apparently kill is a word we know well.

So yes I’m all mugged up.  And ready for cinema!  So let’s discuss the films I saw shall we?

First off was OUR VOWS – a short meditation on love and drug abuse that seems to have been created specifically for the multi-media entry of the word HARROWING in some sort of iPad Dictionary of the Future.  I was concerned when it started – thinking ‘oh no not another stylish short about drug abuse’ – but the film powers through any notion of cliche due to the fantastic performances of Isabella Cascarano and actor/writer David Bianchi.

That’s David in the photo below – looking far more stable than the ‘light-bulbs screw into ears don’t they?” Kevin he plays in VOWS.

[a note on the photography in this post - as long time readers and listeners to the show will know I'm also a professional photographer amongst other things - see some of my work here - yet did not have a 'proper' camera with me last night - so resorted to shooting with my new iPhone - many apologies for the crappy quality of the images - though I will admit that the quality of the camera is the best I've seen in a phone, (or mobile computer which is what the iPhone really is); the device's new 4.1 operating system includes an HDR feature - taking three photos at nearly the same time - one over exposed - one properly exposed - and one under exposed; then 'stitching them together' in near real time to give you greater dynamic range.  It doesn't always work but when it does it's great - see the test image below - snapped while I was watching HOMBRE...which is not the best Western you'll see from 66/67 - screen DJANGO instead]:

So, back to the films – OUR VOWS – see it if you get the chance and keep an eye our for David Bianchi and Isabella Cascarano - very, very, solid work.

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Now on to the main event – BEDROOMS – four stories, each taking place solely in a bedroom – issues of love, betrayal, class conflict, childhood – boom!  All in one film.

Portmanteau films are always problematic.  I think many of us would have a problem coming up with more than a handful that really work at all, (FOUR ROOMS I’m not looking at you).  There’s always a problem juggling the stronger and weaker stories and there’s usually no narrative through line that builds investment in the characters on screen.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the directors and writers of BEDROOMS, (Youssef Delara, Michael D. Olmos, Victor Teran and Rebecca Woolf), felt the same way – for though originally conceived and shot as separate stories to be shown in a linear fashion, the version of BEDROOMS I saw intercuts the four stories throughout.

This turns out to be a winning formula – it ups the films pace and inserts suspense throughout as the interwoven films build to a conclusion – without that there’s a high probability the pic would drag.

I think kudos are justified for the folks behind the picture – imagine yourself in their place Dear Reader – you’ve got to completely change the structure of the film and the stories have not been designed to be intercut – meaning it’s not built into the script that a line in one story would act as a counterpoint to a cut in another story etc.  I have a mental image of the editors and directors padlocked in a room with the clock ticking surviving only on Nescafe and stale muffins from some gift basket, (re: the muffins – yes, I’m still scarred by the incident).

Some BEDROOMS highlights:

Child actors Ellery and Dylan Sprayberry.  One of BEDROOMS’ narratives relies on the performances of Ellery and Dylan – and let’s be honest here – that’s a scary thought – resting a picture on the shoulders of child actors.  It’s not their fault if kids can’t act – they’re kids. You wouldn’t except them to be able to drive a car or design a building – so why act?, (and yes, I’m still angry at myself for ‘flashing the camera’ in that short film I made when I was nine.  I was nine – alright, my work is better now and it must be pointed out the real star of the film was the model town I doused with gasoline and set on fire; filmed in slow-motion of course to capture the pathos of the Monster’s foot crashing down on the City’s bell-tower.    Ah….Drama!).

So the Sprayberry’s  are great.  So too is Barry Bostwick.

It’s fabulous the way Bostwick’s aging – his face is beginning to resemble a treasured, beat-up old suitcase you’ve taken ’round the world with you – I mean this in a good way, (Barry, if you’re reading this please don’t be offended – I’m counting on you to be the guest of honor tonight at a little event I call the ‘First Annual Jett Loe Has Moved to LA Film Festival’).

I’ve loved Bostwick ever since I saw him in the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW – he has a wonderful air about him – as if life is a lark…yes some things are important and he’ll be there when the going gets tough…but really it’s all just sound and fury signifying nothing, isn’t it?

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Jordan Belfi and Moon Bloodgood are real standouts in their story, (aka the one that reminds everyone in the audience of every crappy relationship they’ve ever had and thank God they’re out of). Bloodgood was my favorite part of TERMINATOR…what was it called?  TERMINATOR REDEMPTION ….TERMINATOR ANNIHILATION?

It’ll come to me.

She’s great in BEDROOMS – completely believable as a person who’s not bad – just deeply flawed when it comes to the qualities of personal honesty and maturity.

And Belfi knocks it out of the park as…well, let’s just call him Everyman shall we?  I understand from others at the Fest that he’s well known for his comedy work on shows like ENTOURAGE, but this was the first time I’d seen him and was impressed – when he’s about ten years older I’d love to see him in his own series playing a washed up cop who has to take low-down, dangerous moonlighting jobs to pay for his cheating ex-wife’s mortgage.

His office?  A bar owned by his old boss – retired Police Sergeant Clancy Brown.

The finale of Season One where he rescues a drunken client who turns out to be his dad, (Mickey Rourke), getting him to AA before he kills himself has Emmy written all over it.

But I get ahead of myself.

- – -

That’s Jordan above with BEDROOMS composer The Angel.

Yeah, that’s right The Angel.

It’s hard to carry-off a The in front of your name but TA does it.  I mean c’mon.  Imagine the Zimmer.  Doesn’t work does it?

But it works for The Angel – not least of course but she’s got the best dreads I’ve seen in ages but also because there’s a lot of talent there, (she did the fantastic score for GAIA – you know, the film in which a quote from my co-host Gareth Higgins finally made it on to the poster – he didn’t say “big thumbs up”, I understand that’s trademarked by someone, but he was effusive in his praise – and rightly so – what a beautiful, quiet and moving film – and a great advertisement for the Red line of cameras – you can listen to our interview with GAIA director Jason Lehel here.)

Speaking parenthetically as I do -  regarding the Red Camera let’s talk without parenthesis shall we?

BEDROOMS was shot on a Red by Ben Kufrin – he does a pitch-perfect job of establishing a look for each story within the constraints of what I imagine was a small budget – we instantly know which story we’re in with a well-thought-out color scheme for each.  The children’s story is bright and the colors pop; in the segments where an ‘escape to the beach’ is used metaphorically the highlights seem almost blown out – skin is sun-drenched;  in another bedroom Barry Bostwick faces mortality – in the grays and blues you can feel the cold.

Now you might argue that with digital color correction anybody can do it – it’s  easy .  My thoughts?  It’s easy to do badly, (see below – I’m getting melanoma just looking at Megan Fox’s skin tone).

One final word on BEDROOMS.  One of the stories features what I can only describe as ‘multiple cameos’ by my favorite, (along of course with Ray McKinnon and Walton Goggins), character actors Xander Berkeley.

The man has the uncanny ability to convey a huge amount of ‘seediness that’s unsettling in the bright light of day’ information in one simple line reading.

You know that famous scene in CITIZEN KANE where Everett Sloane says not a month’s gone by where he doesn’t think about a woman in white he saw on a Ferry?  Well not a month has gone by Dear Reader since I saw LEAVING LAS VEGAS in which I don’t think about Xander Berkeley as a cab driver asking Elizabeth Shue if she:

“Got a backdoor delivery she wasn’t expecting.”

This man was born for Chekov.  I’m serious.

In BEDROOMS the trademark line, (or ‘Xander’ as I will now call it on the Show),  is:

“Are you warming up the oven for Papa Bear?”

Think of the ways you could deliver that line – whatever you come up with Xander’s probably gonna do it better – and how great it was to see him play a mythical ‘king’ in that oldest of stories and boffo world-wide hit:

‘TAKEN aka “We used to outsource these things”

BEDROOOMS has been sold to Showtime – keep an eye out for it.

- – -

After the Screenings it was out for a meal.  At the table were The Angel, screenwriter Marvin Willson, (who has a fantastic super-hero series concept which I’m not allowed to reveal here – what I can say is the hero’s powers are probably the ability to conjure up a huge special effects budget), and writer/producer Zoanne Clack.

My advice about eating in Downtown LA?:

Never order Korean at a Chinese.

I also enjoyed the company of buddy, (and The Angel companion), Kevin Herlihy.  Kevin’s one of those guys who either has an intricate series of interlocked media companies spanning record producing, script development and new media….

….or just a good website.

Does is  matter?  I mean if this town is devoted to telling stories than surely the first step is to tell stores about yourself.

Look at this guy for instance.  Was he ever in the military?  Or did he just play a soldier on a screen?

Speaking of play acting I wish Raphael, the French brother I never knew I had till he showed up at my flat in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a black eye and bruised knuckles, could have come to the Fest last night.  He very graciously loaned me the ’240,000 miles and ticking’ Red Dynamite to drive to the screening, (you can read more about the adventures of Red Dynamite here).

Wait you ask.  If you’re driving his car then what’s he driving?

Oh.

I’ve dubbed that ride ‘Cream Soda’.

Anyway I say speaking of acting because my brother’s good looking in a Rudolf Valentino kind of way, has great presence and can’t be a waiter for ever.  And since Zoanne is one of the folks on GREY’S ANATOMY I’m sure that if my brother was there I would have been pitching him as the next Dr. McDreamy.  Maybe he could be the sexy French intern with a shy nature that hides hidden depths.  That or he could be extra No. 7 in a Hallway Birth scene, (I mean look at Michael K. Williams – who’s in THE INCREDIBLE HULK…as ‘Harlem Bystander’!.  Our Greatest American Actor as Harlem Bystander!  In THE INCREDIBLE HULK!

At least that role wasn’t as bad as the ‘Pimp’ in SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, (actual script excerpt):

[Clark changes into Superman in a revolving door]

Pimp: Say, Jim! Whoo!

Superman: Excuse me.

Pimp: That’s a bad outfit! [Superman flies off] Whoo!

Sigh.

- – -

Ending on a slightly maudlin note I’d like to thank everybody I spoke to last night for their warm fellowship – as someone who’s been in Los Angeles a month and is, quite frankly, desperately missing his wife who must remain in Nashville till April for her Doctorate, the welcome spirit in the town has indeed been welcome.

- – -

Ok, that’s it for now Dear Reader.  I’ve got to get to nailing down tonight’s sponsorship for the ‘First Annual Jett Loe Has Moved to LA Film Festival’

Free Mugs to the first 8 Patrons.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, September 11th, 2010 at 10:15 pm. It is filed under Blog, Favorite Posts, Film Festivals, Jett Loe, Jett Loe Reviews, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Film Festivals and tagged with film review podcast, movie review podcast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.