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Keeping film in the family

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The truth will set you free… or land you in jail

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UNLV’s search for stars

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Cinevegas: Day #3 – The best so far

I don’t know if it was an unconscious choice or purely coincidence, but today I wound up attending three comedies. Perhaps I got my fix of dramas and thrillers after watching “The Square” yesterday. Or maybe “Black Dynamite” left such a good taste in my mouth I was hungry for more laughs. Have I mentioned how much I loved that movie?

For whatever reason, the trilogy of comedies began with the world premiere of the new Justin Long film, “Patriotville.” Which also happened to be the weakest of the three.

“Patriotville” was introduced by one of the festival directors as a “smart” comedy, claiming they’re the hardest type of comedy to find. Normally I would agree with that statement.

But “Patriotville” didn’t feel that “smart” to me. Sure, its plot revolves around American history and patriotism, but most of the laughs came from the most likely improvised banter between Justin Long and his best friend in the film.  And by the way, is it just me or has Justin Long become one the most solid funnymen working today? Even in a film like “Drag Me to Hell” he was still spittin’ out snide zingers as if he were starring opposite Will Ferrell. But I digress.

Despite Long’s usual funny dialogue, “Patriotville” still manages to be an overall not-so-funny movie. Even the hilarious Rob Cordry, playing the town’s sinister mayor, fails to deliver his normal share of laughs – though I will say, his scenes were probably the only that saved it from being a complete clunker.

Overall, “Patriotville” fails to be as hilarious as it could have been. It gets a solid “meh” rating.

Next was “Stingray Sam,” a western/space/musical/comedy/several-more-genres-I’m-probably-forgetting epic. A movie just as hilarious as it was innovative.

Utilizing a serial narrative format (a la “Buck Rogers”) “Stingray Sam” is told in six different chapters, each one ending in a cliffhanger leading up to “next week’s” episode.

Director Cory McAbee plays the title role of Stingray Sam, a former outlaw turned lounge singer. The film’s theme sums up his character perfectly – “He does the things that folks don’t do that need to be done.”

David Hyde Pierce lends some credibility to the garage band feel of the project as the film’s hilarious narrator. The narration serves as delivery for most of the film’s exposition, which visually presented through comically animated still images, each one a beautiful piece of art in itself.

The highlight of the film is its ingenious musical numbers – my personal favorite being the lullaby song. Hopefully a soundtrack is also in the near future. (A free song from the film is available for download at StingRaySam.com)

After the screening, Cory McAbee hobbled to the front of the theater, with the aid of a cane, to answer questions from the audience, citing his injury to a “skateboarding accident.”

During his Q&A, it became quite obvious that McAbee is a very funny man who truly loves making off-beat films. I have not seen any of his previous work, but if it’s anything like “Stingray Sam,” it’s sure to be pure gold.

“Stingray Sam” gets a solid ‘A.’

The night ended with a late showing of “Winnebago Man.” A documentary about Jack Rebney – a man you may not know by name, but I’m sure you’re familiar with his famous viral internet video.

Rebney was deemed the angriest man alive after a compilation of outrageous, R-rated outtakes from a Winnebago sales video began circulating on VHS and eventually onto Youtube, featuring Rebney blowing take after take and shouting out some of the most colorful profanity ever spoken by man.

Documentary filmmaker Ben Steinbauer became fascinated with the clips years back when he got a VHS bootleg and began sharing it with friends. After years of being a fan, he began to wonder, “Where is Jack today?”

“Winnebago Man” follows Ben on his journey to track down Rebney, now living a secluded life in the woods, to find out whether or not he is, in fact, the angriest man alive. Throughout the course of the film we find out the answer is both yes and no.

Though Rebney is very opinionated (especially when it comes to politics, or more specifically, Dick Cheney) and not afraid to use profanity, the film shows a pleasant, even lovable, side to the man. And though he still doesn’t quite understand why his clip has grown to such popularity, it seems he has come to embrace it, realizing we’re not laughing at him, but along with him.

Hilarious and heartwarming, “Winnebago Man” is an absolutely remarkable documentary, and definitely one of the most quotable films in recent history.

Following the film, Steinbauer fielded a few questions. It wasn’t long before an audience member asked what Jack thought of the movie, to which he replied, “We could call him.”

With his cell phone held to a microphone, Rebney answered the audience’s questions from his home in California with Steinbauer moderating.

The audience laughed along with Rebney as he pleasantly answered their questions. Of course, someone had to bring up Dick Cheney, to which Rebney replied, “You can’t open that door without letting me have just a minute.” He then gave a brief and pleasant diatribe about our nation’s current political state.

“Winnebago Man” gets an ‘A+.’

And on a final, totally un-related note, I coincidentally wound up sitting right behind Bobcat Goldthwait (who directed the festival’s closing film “World’s Greatest Dad”) during the last two screenings I attended. So now I can cross “Sit next to Bobcat Goldthwait during a movie” off my list of things to do before I die.

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