This first weekend of SXSW is always the toughest. Of course, like every festival, all the big films try to get all their press knocked out by Sunday so they can go back on Monday. Plus, we lose an hour in Daylight Savings so on top of midnight screenings and early mornings, everyone is even more sleep-deprived. The fact that these recaps of first weekend movies make any sense at all is a triumph.
Frank
I had another chance to catch another movie I missed at Sundance here at SXSW. Frank stars Michael Fassbender as the title character, a musician who wears a puppet head over his face and never takes it off. He headlines an obscure art band who gains popularity when Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) stars posting videos of them on social media and they actually get invited to play SXSW.
Frank answers all your questions about how Frank functions wearing this fake head, up to brushing his teeth. It also makes the point that you’re watching a movie about a guy wearing a puppet head, so just go with it. That fits my #1 criteria, because it’s awesome. Why does Frank wear this head? Because it’s awesome.
This is such a Magnolia movie. As much as nothing in the world is like Rubber, Frank is like Rubber. The humor is so delightfully weird, yet accepting of its own legitimacy. I almost wish it hadn’t bothered to explain Frank. It explains him with sensitivity, but that’s how it’s different from Rubber. Rubber wouldn’t give a damn. Frank is a great body language performance from Fassbender, and Maggie Gyllenhaal is ferocious as a crazy singer. It’s an interesting experiment in character, and they’re an experimental band so I’m surprised they weren’t even weirder.
Harmontown
A documentary about Dan Harmon’s podcast tour is pretty straightforward. The cameras follow Harmon and his crew performing Harmontown in various cities while he was fired from “Community.” Some funny performances are captured in the film, and some uncomfortable drama is captured backstage.
Harmon is game to let Neil Berkeley’s film be a warts and all expose, not that any of Harmon’s shortcomings are a secret. The podcast became famous because of his airing of dirty laundry. I can only compare it to the likes of Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop and Harmontown is neither as scathingly funny as Can’t Stop, nor does Harmon go as dark as O’Brien did. That’s just the reality of what happened while cameras were rolling.
He does have one fight with his girlfriend that seems insensitive, which is a relevant showbiz/personal dilemma. O’Brien was in the unique position of being loved and adored to an overwhelming degree so it drove him to anger. It was funny learning about Harmon’s T-shirt toilet paper and the shelf life of a Real Doll. Showbiz stories about “Heat Vision and Jack” and “Community” are good. It’s everything I expected to learn about Harmon. If I seem underwhelmed it’s just basic satisfaction as a fan, and I can’t say I’d recommend it to anyone who’s not already a fan of Harmon.
Sequoia
You know, I love movies about death and dying and grief and mourning. I have to say that because as soon as I mention a cancer movie people go, “Ugh, that’s so depressing.” I think a sad subject need not be depressing if it’s handled constructively. It can even be empowering. Hello, “The Big C?”
Reilly (Aly Michalka) has stage three mouth cancer and she has decided to end things on her own terms, but visiting Sequoia National Park and taking an overdose of her antidepressants that will kill her by the end of her day. Her plans get a little messed up when here sister (Sophi Bairley) lets her father (Todd Lowe) find out about the plan, and her mother (Joey Lauren Adams) and stepfather (Demetri Martin) join the caravan to stop Reilly. Reilly also spends her final days with Ogden Clark (Dustin Milligan), a Christian hitchhiker who picks her the day before.
Reilly’s attitude is empowered and witty. It’s going to be confronting, because some audiences will agree with Ogden and her family trying to convince her to live as long as possible. Both sides are represented fairly and entertainingly. The dysfunctional divorced family is scarier to me than mortality, even with a light touch as it has in this film. For my seemingly niche obsession with dealing with mortality and difficult subjects in drama, Sequoia gave me a lot to chew on and I liked the taste.
Stage Fright
The first real disappointment of SXSW. I saw Jerome Sable and Eli Batallion’s short The Legend of Beaver Dam at Sundance and it was amazing. By the end of 12 minutes, the audience was clapping along with the songs. There’s a lot of good stuff in their first feature length horror comedy musical, but nothing as memorable as the 12 minutes of Beaver Dam.
Camilla Swanson (Allie MacDonald)’s mother, Broadway superstar Kylie Swanson (Minnie Driver) was killed on opening night of The Haunting of the Opera. Now Cam works as a cook at a theater camp where they want to put on The Haunting of the Opera. She auditions against students for her mom’s lead role, but there is a killer stalking the production making sure it remains cursed.
It’s a fun premise and there’s some good stuff in it, including some inside theater geek jokes, intense kills that involve three or four parts and a theme about actresses being pressured sexually. The cast is a great group of mostly unknown kids, but there’s not enough rock music. It’s mostly show tuney, which is great in itself, but it only comes to life when the killer rocks out. Except for the opening number none of it is hummable. Stage Fright is really well directed by Sable. It does not look like a first feature, but it drags a bit when they’re not singing.
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon
Supermensch is all the epic stories of Hollywood in one. A documentary on celebrity manager Shep Gordon, Supermensch tells his story by way of his legendary clients. There are stories we’ve heard versions of like Alice Cooper and the chicken, and some at least I have not. Gordon and his talent tell us the stories.
The way Gordon worked the industry was brilliantly creative. I don’t think publicity today is that inspired. Now they just try viral/social media stunts. Gordon had provocative ideas that naturally generated attention, like wrapping a vinyl album in women’s panties or a concert for women only.
Mike Myers directs these anecdotes with furious energy, mixing authentic archival footage, photos and re-enactments that truly don’t feel like re-enactments. You would believe they are documentary footage from the ‘70s except there couldn’t have been a camera there.
Gordon did many good deeds with the same level of ingenuity as his business. Taking care of his ex’s grandchildren and orchestrating Teddy Pendergrass’s comeback are wonderful emotional stories. As a showbiz story, Supermensch is fascinating. As a human story it is a reassuring, uplifting tale.
Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Best Episode Ever and The Shelf Space Awards. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
