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Position Among The Stars
“Position Among The Stars” provides a glimpse into the lives of three generations: grandmother Rumidjah, her son Bakti, and her deceased daughter’s daughter, Tari. This documentary was masterfully filmed. The director and cinematographer Leonard Retel Helmrich did a fine job of accurately displaying Indonesia in an artful way. … read more
Superheroes
“Superheroes” adds to Slamdance’s expanding archive of some of the best non-fiction films we’ve seen at festivals. The cogent work follows the travails and (mis)adventures of real-life superheroes (RLSH) in major cities throughout the US—including the SLC. Characters as silly sounding as Master Legend and Mr. Extreme fight for justice alongside the more seriously dubbed likes of Omen, Conundrum, and a nice Jewish boy named Chaim (life in Hebrew). … read more
The Oregonian
“The Oregonian” might be the creepiest film I have ever seen. This is probably because Reeder doesn’t employ any of the usual techniques director’s use when attempting to create a disturbing film. … read more
Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
Clearly inspired by the campy late night monster movies of the ‘50s, Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same initially seemed to have potential. The film opened with scenes of an alien space ship that appeared to be two bedazzled pie tins glued together. … read more
Snow On Tha Bluff
Forget Omar and Stringer Bell – there’s a new gangsta in town. … read more
Hot Coffee
We’ve all heard the tale about the elderly woman, Stella Liebeck, who spilt McDonald’s coffee in her lap while driving and was awarded over $2 million in compensation from the subsequent lawsuit. It was immortalized on “Seinfeld” with the character Kramer enduring a similar accident, which is exactly how “Hot Coffee” opens. … read more
Homework
This may be Gavin Wiesen’s feature debut as a director, but it’s blatantly clear he’s been watching and studying Sundance entries for the past 20 years, because nothing contained in his teenage love drama is remotely innovative. George (Freddie Highmore) is your typical independent film protagonist who attends a private school, is provided with an affluent lifestyle and calls his parents and teachers by their first name (how hip of him). … read more
Crime After Crime
It’s sickening to think of a world where battered women who fight back against their abusers can be locked up for simply defending themselves. Yes, nowadays victims can seek shelters, but such was not the case in the late 1970s and that fact is exactly why Deborah Peagler was incarcerated and sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder of her boyfriend, Oliver Wilson. … read more
Miss Representation
The debate regarding the objectification of women in the media has been an ongoing issue for decades. In fact, it was the same topic discussed in Jean Kilbourne’s 1979 documentary short, “Killing Us Softly”. In an effort to reexamine and expand the research, director Jennifer Siebel Newsom has reopened the dialogue to investigate how far America has progressed in the past 32 years. Sadly, the result is still disheartening. … read more
Say My Name
In an age of male dominated sports, especially in Salt Lake City where the ski scene suffers from a raging case of testosterone poisoning, it is nice to see a film that highlights the feminine side of snow sliding. In Stan Evans and Jeremy Miller’s film “Say My Name”, the unlikely pair of directors follows around local hero, and accomplished young woman, Grete Eliassen as she makes her mark on the world. … read more