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Draußen am See (Felix Fuchssteiner)
November 19th, 2009
Known to us as “Losing Balance”, Felix Fuchssteiner’s “Draußen am See” translates literally as “out on the lake”. Although the story focusses on Jessika (portrayed by young newcomer and Scarlett Johanssen lookalike Elisa Schlott), her mother and father (Petra Kleinert and Michael Lott) are the heart and soul of the film. Blame the parents! “Losing Balance” is their story. This is an examination of self harm – not just in the context of angsty adolescence. The leading actors all share a background in popular German television, and writer and director Fuchssteiner’s latest foray showcases some seriously impressive, raw and versatile talent. Powerful themes of familial trauma, of a type that soap operas gleefully exploit, are handled by Fuchssteiner with remarkable integrity, wit, realism and restraint. “Draußen am See” defies expectation. The story is profoundly affecting but never melodramatic; moving but never mawkish; clever but never cliched.
The charming, quirky family slowly drifts apart at their lakeside retreat, and the catalyst is simply (and topically) financial. The dissolution of the four comes about not for want of love, but for want of understanding. With the possible exception of Jessika’s strong-willed sister Caro, each family member is caught up in their own personal turmoil – and they are all striving to protect one another by concealing their respective crises and keeping up appearances. This is only Fuchssteiner’s second film, following his intriguing “Die Kurve”; this fresh and hungry talent has set himself a high standard which he will no doubt sustain and develop.
Cambridge Film Festival 2009
November 19th, 2009
George Kuchar
Interview with my hero, George Kuchar
Mike and George Kuchar Programme
Forefathers to the vastly inferior Lynch and Waters
Danny Lyon – American Life
Home movies and Death Row
Hierro (Gabe Ibanez)
Lush, languid lost kid thriller
Pontypool (Bruce McDonald)
Ace zombie sketchpad
vertigomagazine.co.uk
November 19th, 2009
For Vertigo Magazine
| Good fun | ||
| If you like cat suits, you’ll like this | ||
| And you thought you invented cheap wine and depression in the nineties | ||
| I love Jim Jarmusch, but he’s boring | ||
| I think this is for girls who don’t shave | ||
| Brilliant pre-war stop-motion | ||
| Tarantino/Tom Green mashup | ||
| Hollywood risks a real Chinese girl instead of drawing slitty eyes on Mary Pickford | ||
| Very Italian | ||
| Inspired Kuchar and Waters melodrama | ||
| Julie Christie being punchably cute | ||
| The final title is hilarious | ||
| Is “Babearama” a word? | ||
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My first porn review
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Crazy lady
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Russia, peroxide, no dinner etc
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the statement of randolph carter
August 12th, 2007
Trailer for H P Lovecraft’s “The Statement of Randolph Carter”.
I had to edit this, because Randolph Carter has his own Myspace page and I got confused. My dad is playing Harley Warren but I still maintain that he’s the star, because if your dad’s in a film then the rest of the cast pales into the background. It’s like “Peepo” for adults.
July 30th, 2007
When I was four, I used to commission fact sheets from my dad requesting details such as hair colour, favourite food &c. My predilections and vital statistics were exciting, squeaky-new discoveries – and in later years, new bands and hair colours are wan substitutes. But it’s still fun for ages 9-99. If you’re important enough, the Guardian supplements may one day ask you 20 questions, and you will answer them all with “Waking up next to my wife”. However, us lesser mortals must sate our lust for immortality with online networking profiles.
Why?
surprise
July 15th, 2007
My last review was for a film nobody had seen yet and nobody knew what it would be. On account of it’s a Surprise Film. Here it is.
deliver us from evil
July 15th, 2007
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This is my review for “Deliver Us From Evil”. I only really watched one section – it overlapped a shot of the Peedo smiling off-camera and licking his lips, a separately recorded voiceover of the peedo describing exactly what he did with little boys willies once he got his hands on one, and weedy wet flute music in the style of Ray McCooney. So I decided to judge the whole docko based on that, attempted to write a subtly pejorative review, and ended up writing a load of waffle. Don’t read this – watch this clip from the Brass Eye paedophile special instead.
south
July 15th, 2007
This is my review for Frank Hurley’s “South”. If you want to read about the Trans-Antarctic Expotition (please note that I did not say “ill-fated”) please read Alfred Lansing or navigator Worsley’s book. Shackleton’s is ghost written and includes a bit where he pretends to believe gentle Jesus turned up for the last leg of the trip. And if you want to see a proper pipe champing, unaffected hero, watch the fillum.