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The Motorcycle in Batman Movie

 
I want this motorcycle (larger photo)! If you have not seen the new Batman movie, go check it out, awesome to see all of the Chicago spots in the movie. The story was great, the acting superb. If I had one criticism it would be that it was about 30 minutes longer than it needed to be. See Batman news below;

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Gen Art Chicago Presents Another Gem, August

Last night Gen Art Chicago showed an advanced screening (sponsored by Acura) of the new movie, August, an independent filmed that depicts the fast lane tribulations of an aspiring Internet mogul during the bust of the Internet bubble in the 90s.

Starring Josh Hartnett (Tom Sterling) as a cocky e-mogul (strategically contrasted to his co-starring shy brother character, Joshua Sterling), this film captures an inside view of the reality of the plummeting market value during the end of the “Net” boom, and how two polar-opposite brothers deal with the inevitable demise of their business, Land Shark.

The movie immediately sets the tone, taking the audience back to the late 90s when almost of the dot com businesses where failing. But, there was one rising star, Tom Sterling, an abrasive non-conforming asshole with a brilliant business savvy and a genius for a brother. Sterling’s Land Shark company was somehow rising to the top while all other businesses were failing. But, the rise of Land Shark was heading towards a downward spiral, and soon, a moment-of-truth would confront the seemingly indestructible Tom Sterling.

How Was this Movie Smart?
The characters showed great contrast and the cinematography depicted a dark undertone to the whole story, making it edgy, much like the dot com business itself. Another intelligent nugget in the movie was the man versus himself theme. Hartnett’s character was consistently portrayed as this selfish prick that cared about no one but himself and his image, but in the end Tom Sterling, when faced with the ultimate challenge, proved that there was still a moral thread in his character.

Not Smart?
Personally, the ending did not do it for me. Although, it was unexpected, which is nice change from a lot films today, I would have liked to get a little more conclusion. Beyond that, this was a tight film with some slight acting issues here and there, but overall a good pick.

Go see it! And, check out what Gen Art Chicago has up their sleeve next.

Gen Art Film Festival in Chicago

Last night I was at the final night of the Gen Art Film Festival in Chicago and got see the premiere of Explicit Ills, a home-hitting drama by actor, director, writer, and producer, Mark Webber. Gen Art Film Fest Photos

Being my first movie premiere, I was excited to participate in the function of it all, getting to meet the directors, actors, producers, etc. As well, I got to check out the after party and hang with the all of the above. It was a cool experience to be apart of the process of the distribution of a filmmakers creation to an audience. I can imagine the anxiety of delivering your hard work into a room filled with critics who may, or may not be aware of what goes into the production of film. I have been lucky enough to be involved in two small film projects as producer and as an actor (Women Unscripted and Chasing Erica), so, I understand the venerability of the filmmakers opening up their work to criticism. It was a cool experience being at the Gen Art Film Festival here in Chicago, and I am lucky to have been able to sit on some cool movies, Explicit Ills being on of them.

Explicit Ills was brilliant, through its function, message, style, and cinematography. You could tell that a lot of technical and creative process was put into this movie and everything was very intentional with meticulous detail. This film was a slice of life of the urban poor culture set in Philly, but could be skinned anywhere. The message was delivered through a variety of characters from different lives, but brought together to fight for a movement of change, the human movement.

If I got nothing else from this movie it was that despite our sociological backgrounds, we are all affected by our environment whether we experience it directly, or through degrees of separation. My hope is that this movie will make it into mass distribution, as the message is one that should be heard across the globe. So, if you get the chance and this film is showing near you, catch it, trust me.