November 16, 2006 Film » Cinefiles

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click to enlarge - C.S.A.: Confederate States of - America - - Directed by Kevin Willmott - IFC Films - - My favorite type of sci-fi is the exploration of alternate - histories. It's intriguing to imagine what the world today - would look like if one turning point in our history was - skewed left just a little; what would the outstanding - ramifications be? What would life be like? That idea is - what fuels C.S.A. , a Spike Lee-produced - "mockumentary" think a fake History Channel program - about what America would be like had Confederates - won the Civil War. The concept, when captured on film, - is frighteningly comical, but at the same time, horrifically - true to life today. In the world of C.S.A. , slavery - still exists, creating an America that hasn't progressed - since the 1800s culturally. Yet it's still a war-mongering - superpower intent on pushing a racist, Christian belief - system on the whole world. Wow ... maybe things haven't - changed that much. Louis Fowler

  • C.S.A.: Confederate States of America

    Directed by Kevin Willmott

    IFC Films

    My favorite type of sci-fi is the exploration of alternate histories. It's intriguing to imagine what the world today would look like if one turning point in our history was skewed left just a little; what would the outstanding ramifications be? What would life be like? That idea is what fuels C.S.A. , a Spike Lee-produced "mockumentary" think a fake History Channel program about what America would be like had Confederates won the Civil War. The concept, when captured on film, is frighteningly comical, but at the same time, horrifically true to life today. In the world of C.S.A. , slavery still exists, creating an America that hasn't progressed since the 1800s culturally. Yet it's still a war-mongering superpower intent on pushing a racist, Christian belief system on the whole world. Wow ... maybe things haven't changed that much. Louis Fowler

click to enlarge - The Wild Blue Yonder - - - Directed by Werner Herzog - Subversive Cinema - - Werner Herzog is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers - of all time, directing such classics as Aguirre: The - Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo and, most - recently, the documentary Grizzly Man. His - latest, the category-defying The Wild Blue Yonder - , is billed as a "science fiction fantasy," but that's - way - too much of an oversimplification. It's like saying The - Godfather is about "some Italians." Herzog worked - with NASA to create the story of an alien, stranded on - Earth, describing how civilization here ended. Instead of - using multi-million dollar special effects, he uses images - from NASA's space travels, and even underwater footage - of the Arctic Ocean, to describe the surface of an alien - planet. Beautifully filmed in digital and filled with a - glorious soundtrack by cellist Ernst Reijsiger, The - Wild Blue Yonder is a mesmerizing masterpiece. - Louis Fowler

  • The Wild Blue Yonder

    Directed by Werner Herzog

    Subversive Cinema

    Werner Herzog is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of all time, directing such classics as Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo and, most recently, the documentary Grizzly Man. His latest, the category-defying The Wild Blue Yonder , is billed as a "science fiction fantasy," but that's way too much of an oversimplification. It's like saying The Godfather is about "some Italians." Herzog worked with NASA to create the story of an alien, stranded on Earth, describing how civilization here ended. Instead of using multi-million dollar special effects, he uses images from NASA's space travels, and even underwater footage of the Arctic Ocean, to describe the surface of an alien planet. Beautifully filmed in digital and filled with a glorious soundtrack by cellist Ernst Reijsiger, The Wild Blue Yonder is a mesmerizing masterpiece. Louis Fowler

click to enlarge Head Trauma - - Directed by Lance Weiler - Heretic - - What's scarier: a real, tangible horror that can reach out - and grab you, or one that's inside your head, terrorizing - but never hurting? Head Trauma, a moody, - atmospheric sojourn into the horrors of the mind - bleeding into our reality, seeks to answer this, with - entertaining results. Drifter George Walker returns to his - deceased grandmother's condemned house to fix it up - and fix himself up. He's quiet and a tad creepy, but after - a knock on the skull by a well-meaning next-door - neighbor, he starts to have distorted images of a figure - following him. As he tries to unravel the mystery of the - figure, he delves deeper into himself, uncovering a - shocking secret in a wonderfully original twist ending. - Head Trauma is a spooky gem worth a late- - night viewing. Louis Fowler
  • Head Trauma

    Directed by Lance Weiler

    Heretic

    What's scarier: a real, tangible horror that can reach out and grab you, or one that's inside your head, terrorizing but never hurting? Head Trauma, a moody, atmospheric sojourn into the horrors of the mind bleeding into our reality, seeks to answer this, with entertaining results. Drifter George Walker returns to his deceased grandmother's condemned house to fix it up and fix himself up. He's quiet and a tad creepy, but after a knock on the skull by a well-meaning next-door neighbor, he starts to have distorted images of a figure following him. As he tries to unravel the mystery of the figure, he delves deeper into himself, uncovering a shocking secret in a wonderfully original twist ending. Head Trauma is a spooky gem worth a late- night viewing. Louis Fowler

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