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Cinematical Indie Chat

Cinematical Indie Chat: 'Choking Man' Director Steve Barron

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: Drama, Independent, Interviews, Cinematical Indie, Cinematical Indie Chat

You might not think that you know Steve Barron -- but I bet that you do. Before becoming an indie filmmaker, he directed both the 1990 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Coneheads, but that's not what I'm referring to. Before that, he brought us some of the most memorable, ground-breaking music videos out there. Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. Dire Straights' Money For Nothing (you know, the "I want my MTV" song). A-ha's Take on Me. The '80s wouldn't have been the same without him.

These days, he's making indie films, and his latest, Choking Man, was just released. Starring newcomers Octavio Gómez and Eugenia Yuan (and boasting supporting talent Mandy Patinkin), the film follows a shy Ecuadorian dishwasher who works in a Queens diner. In the shadow of a poster featuring the Heimlich Maneuver, he tries to bond with waitress Amy, and deal with life in the most culturally diverse neighborhood in the world.

Barron was able to spare a few moments to answer some questions about his new film, as well as his opinions on indie film for Cinematical Indie Chats. Be sure to also check out the first two installments -- a chat with Deliver From Evil filmmaker Amy Berg, and another with Billy the Kid filmmaker Jennifer Venditti.

Most of your work is light, funny fare. What inspired you to switch to drama, and what inspired you to write this story?

My tastes have changed. I've grown up. (I think!) I used to be first in line to Indiana Jones, now I'll search out the New York indies or obscure foreign films. I'm more captivated by innovation.

Continue reading Cinematical Indie Chat: 'Choking Man' Director Steve Barron

Cinematical Indie Chat: Randy Walker and Jennifer Shainin, Directors of 'Apart from That'

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:08:00 EST

Filed under: Critical Thought, Interviews, Cinematical Indie, Cinematical Indie Chat

Cinematical Indie Chat: Randy Walker and Jennifer Shainin, Directors of 'Apart from That'

One of the least-publicized success stories on the film fest circuit in the past year was Apart from That, directed by Jennifer Shainin and Randy Walker. This quirky, experimental little indie premiered at South by Southwest last year, before going on to play a total of 24 film fests and winning three awards. And yet, I bet you haven't heard of it, which is one reason that indieWIRE chose Apart from That as one of ten films in its Undiscovered Gems series for 2007. The film is finally available on DVD, too -- check out the official website for details on that.

It's been a whirlwind year for the Apart from That filmmakers, but, Walker, in the midst of taking a well-deserved breather from his many travels with partner Shainin this year on their film's behalf, very kindly sat down and jotted down his and Shainin's thoughts for our readers in this Cinematical Indie Chat.

Cinematical Indie: What indie films out in theaters or DVDs have you been watching lately?

RW: We were fortunate enough to see Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep recently. What an exquisite film. As far as DVD goes, we finally watched Barbara Loden's Wanda. I don't know why there aren't more films like these out there.

Cinematical Indie: What's the one indie film from the last year you'd recommend to friends?

We found it almost impossible to narrow it down to just one. Here's the list:

Dena Decola and Karin Wandner's Five More Minutes:
http://www.fivemoreminutes-movie.com/

Matija Klukovic's Slow Days:
http://www.focusmedia.hr/adp/

Mike Gibisser's Finally, Lillian and Dan:
http://www.inmanfilms.com/

Tara Wray's Manhattan, Kansas:
http://lbthunderponyproductions.com/

Ulrich Koehler's Windows on Monday:
http://www.451.eu/montag/

Matthew Porterfield's Hamilton:
http://www.hamiltonfilmgroup.org/

Yorgos Lanthimos' Kinetta

Ronnie Bronstein's Frownland:
http://www.frownlandinc.com/index.html

Alexander Voulgaris' Roz:
http://www.2-1-0.gr/?title=tt0976212

Frank V. Ross' Hohokam:
http://molehillindependent.com/

And I'm positive we're forgetting some.

Cinematical Indie: What filmmakers most influenced you in your own work?

Again, a long list:

John Cassavetes
Andrei Tarkovsky
Emir Kusturica
Michelangelo Antonioni
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Caire Denis
Hal Hartley
Mike Leigh
Luis Bunuel
Catherine Breillat
Aki Kaurismaki

Cinematical Indie: What mainstream films have you seen lately that didn't suck?

Are you kidding? Transformers, of course. Seriously. Rent it and go into it thinking you're going to see a
comedy.

Cinematical Indie: What's the most important future trend in indie film?

To be honest, we don't think much about patterns and trends. There does seem to be a slight movement away from the staid, 3-act Hollywood story structure, however. And we're very excited about this. When you come across films that refuse to force one-dimensional characters to service a plot, there is something very exciting in this. Character development becomes very honest and unpredictable, due to the fact that the narrative seems t be governed more by the choices of its characters (rather than those of the author or director). We love watching a film that prevents us from knowing what's going to happen next. These are also films that demand a certain level of patience and thought from the audience that you don't see in commercial films, which seem more concerned with short-hand emotions and fast cuts.

Cinematical Indie: What are you working on now? What's up next for you?

We are each working on two very different, very personal films right now. We don't know which one will come out first, and the process of digging through the layers of both stories hasn't been easy (but we don't think it should be, either). Like they say, "if you ain't bleeding, it ain't worth it."

Cinematical Indie: What's pushing your hot button lately?

Awards ceremonies.

Cinematical Indie Chat: 'Billy the Kid' Director Jennifer Venditti

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Documentary, Independent, Cinematical Indie, Cinematical Indie Chat

Cinematical Indie Chat: 'Billy the Kid' Director Jennifer Venditti

At HotDocs this year, I was lucky enough to see and review a great freshman documentary by casting director Jennifer Venditti called Billy the Kid. The film was both happy and poignant, respectfully showing the young life of a kid who should be recognized for how terribly cool he is -- by being quite different than what's considered "cool" today. As part of our new Cinematical Indie Chats, Venditti kindly took a moment to chat with us about her current cinematic likes and plans during her busy schedule with fests and Billy press.

If there is anyone else you'd love to see interviewed, or are an indie filmmaker who would like to chat with us, drop Kim Voynar a line at kim(at)cinematical(dot)com. And please, check out the first post of the series, a Q&A with Deliver Us from Evil director Amy Berg.

What indie films out in theaters, or on DVD, have you been watching lately?

Lately I've been obsessed with Ten by Abbas Kiarostami. It's amazing how the line between documentary and narrative has been blurred. I really love 10 on Ten with the director. I really relate to his vision. Also, I enjoyed Once by John Carney. I thought the performances excellent. I just re-watched one of my favorite films Fat Girl by Catherine Breillat, and I also just re-watched The Five Obstructions by Lars Von Trier.

What's the one indie film from the last year that you'd recommend to friends?

The Lives of Others by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.

What mainstream films have you seen lately that didn't suck?

I've been at film festivals every second or running my casting company, so I've barely seen anything mainstream, but I really want to see Knocked Up. I need to laugh and I heard it's great for that!

Which filmmakers most influenced you in your work?

This question is difficult for me because I am influenced by so many different things. I love John Cassavetes and Robert Altman and am just learning about Kiarostami. I enjoy a lot of films but am most influenced by real life and the characters I see around me every day.

What are you working on now/what's up next for you?

Running my casting company so I can pay for all the debt I'm in from my film. And there's an indie narrative project I'd love to work on but can't mention yet. And I'm working on developing another documentary involving all my casting tapes, auditions, interviews and street scoutings from over the years.

We'll be following Jennifer's new projects, like this mysterious indie narrative she wants to work on, so stay tuned to Cinematical Indie for the scoop.