“You want to do what?” said the stunned Sony Pictures exec to a crowded room full of studio analysts and three young men seated across the shimmering black table. Seth Rogen looked over to James Franco before speaking, then turned back with conviction and said, “yeah, we want to make a full fledged apocalyptic comedy set at a party at James Franco’s house.” The executive looked down at his paper, and whispered over to a colleague while James and Seth exchanged words with Jay Baruchel, Seth’s less-famous best friend, who was involved with the short film Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse that they made in 2007. The studio executives were perplexed at the notion of a film being made with actor’s playing characterized versions of themselves. They couldn’t miscount the success that Rogen had with Superbad in 2007 and then Pineapple Express with Franco in 2008, both with Sony. 

The duo met as unknowns on the set of Judd Apatow’s TV series Freaks and Geeks which began airing in 1999. Over the years each of their own individual projects and pursuits continued to mount with more and more success. So with that the studio sent Rogen on his way to direct this new concept movie with his long time collaborator Evan Goldberg. Of course this scenario isn’t entirely 100% reality, but I’m sure there were conversations along the way where people had to be convinced that this was going to be a good idea. The gamble will have played off for all involved as, “This is the End” is a truly unique comedy idea mixing several genres, while both providing comedy, some good scares, gore, and even a few thought provoking ideas about life, eternity and how we all may fit in to that equation. 

Rogen has assembled most of his entertainment industry buddies to lend their appearances, names and perceived personalities to the screen as celebrity friends having a good ole party at James Franco’s house on a random evening. Seth has just picked up Jay from a flight in from Canada where they both grew up, and the pair haven’t seen each other in awhile. Seth has had more success than Jayl over the past few years and the two have drifted since Jay isn’t a fan of the Los Angeles scene anymore. The duo quickly arrive at Franco’s house and run into friends: a very kind Jonah Hill, a drugged out, hyper sexed Michael Cera, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, David Krumholtz, and The Office’s Craig Robinson having a drink with Emma Watson herself. The party gets going with a good ole retro Backstreet Boys tune and eventually Jay wants to escape to buy some cigarettes. Shortly thereafter the rapture happens, yes - the rapture - which swipes up much of the population into the heavens through beams of blue light. 

Upon arriving back at the party, no one is aware of what is happening until a huge sink hole opens up in front of James’ house sucking many of the partygoers to their doom. The surviving group of friends are pent up in the house having to fight for the remaining water, candy bars and booze while trying to figure out what to do next. Much of the rest of the plot relies on the comedic talents of the cast and the witty script crafted by Goldberg and Rogen, along with their direction and all the elements make this a very funny comedy film. Much of the humor comes as the actors make fun of themselves, their industry, and ultimately the roles they play as storytellers in movies. The comedy also has plenty of jokes involving drugs, sex, bodily functions, as well as the role of perceived sexuality among actors. 

The film is definitely entertaining, yet about half way through there is a lull as the story seems to slow down by the limitations of what can happen in a home with six characters vying for resources as they disappear around them. Things eventually get going again and lead to an entertaining end ofthe second act, and a very nice conclusion that may be one of my most favorite endings to a movie in a very long time. I found the concept of the rapture interesting to be handled by Hollywood, especially through the eyes of Rogen and Goldberg. If this is the kind of rapture story these guys could come up with, maybe they should be hired to adapt the Left Behind books. They could possibly stand to use a comedic upgrade. It is no doubt that this film will be a success and further propel those responsible to bigger and greater endeavors, in the here and now and quite possibly on the other side of that big gleaming blue light that may one day appear and take us all to a better place. That is, if we aren’t a-hole actors, since they all got left behind. Maybe not being rich and famous has its eternal perks after all. 

When I was first perusing the guide for the Seattle International Film Festival, I was immediately interested in a movie with Anna Kendrick and Jake Johnson. I have a bias I need to confess before I discuss this film any further. I immediately noted Johnson’s charm in his turn as Ashton Kutcher’s best friend in “No Strings Attached”. He would continue on to be a charming roommate to Zooey Deschanel in the FOX hit sitcom New Girl. Kendrick on the other hand wowed audiences in “Up In The Air” and proved her triple threat status with her turn as DJ enthusiast turned acapella genius in last year’s run away freight train success “Pitch Perfect.” Both Johnson and Kendrick are gifted with sensibilities to connect with audiences as well as proper comedic timing to send home some smiles. Documentation about their new film “Drinking Buddies”, hinted at it being a comedy and I was looking forward to experiencing a good comedy, fueled by their talents. 

Luke (Johnson) works in a Chicago based brewery, charged with the tasks of mixing ingredients and doing required cleaning of the tanks and surrounding spaces. Kate (Olivia Wilde) does mostly office and promotions work for the brewery, but spends ample amount of time having drinks with Luke and enjoying each other’s company. It is obvious that an attraction is present for both, yet both Luke and Kate are dating other people. Luke has been dating Jill (Kendrick) for several years and she really wants to get married. Luke says that it isn’t the right time, and says it with such conviction that you can tell he hopes this topic won’t come up for another few months. Kate is dating Chris (Ron Livingston), and it seems that their relationship is going well, until the group takes a weekend getaway to a cabin in the woods to drink beer, socialize, and test the limits of their relationships. 

Director Joe Swanberg has a healthy resume on the Internet Movie Database, and seems to be making the jump to bigger projects with bigger names attached. He was present at the screening this last week at the Seattle International Film Festival and divulged that the story for Drinking Buddies was adequately fleshed out, but that the screenplay didn’t have precise dialogue or directions for each scene, but rather a general outline of how each scene needed to begin and end to achieve the final goal of his detailed outline. Fundraising for such a project took a long time, but in the end he was able to assemble his team and shoot the required material to get the film ultimately edited and near release. 

After hearing him divulge this information it became more clear why most of the movie was shot handheld, with the camera following improvised action as it happened on set. The sound mix of the this particular version was very distracting as the dialogue seemed dramatically over modulated and its hard to say if it was a projection issue or mix issue, but I’m hoping that for a final release it doesn’t have the same flair ups. The improvised nature of some of the scenes isn’t obvious to the viewer, yet it makes me wonder if there could have been more comedy had the film taken a more traditional approach to the content of the dialogue. There are laughs to be had here and there, but since the film takes a look at the lines we draw in relationships and ultimately approach and sometimes cross, the content of the relationships is more dramatic than funny. It took a little too much time to establish the nature of the conflict of the film, and by the resolution in the third act, I wondered if these characters were cognizant of the choices they were making, as if these people were real. It is no doubt that relationships among co-workers can sometimes be stressed with unexpected chemistry with others, yet the film seems to be more about creating performances for the talented actors, than a memorable film with re-play value. 

I don’t think I’d ever sit down and watch this again, and it isn’t because its terrible, it just isn’t spectacular, or overreaching to a point that there might be something I missed on the first viewing. I am excited to see more of the films stars as they continue to grow and dominate their roles in future films. In the meantime I may just have to try a few beers and find a few drinking buddies of my own. We may be more apt to have more laughs buzzed in local hot spot than this film was able to provide, but the good looking scenery may be less appealing than that of my favorites of Johnson and Kendrick. 

Drinking Buddies will be released via streaming outlets and limited release this summer. 

Dev (Bret Roberts), a young, handsome and talented musician seeking a career in audio recording drives as a chauffeur through the gritty streets of Los Angeles to make a living. Frankie (Amy Seimetz), an alcoholic hotmess blend of Lindsey Lohan and Amanda Bynes makes the rounds of the bars and hipster scenes late at night, drinking her way to a stupor and ending up who knows where when its all over. We don’t really know if she has a job, but she does steal from Goodwill drop off locations and sells the stuff at yard sales.

On the night she makes eyes with Dev at a local club, she takes a ride home from an acquaintance and passes out wasted in his front seat. Upon arrival at her house, he takes advantage of her unconscious state and rapes her in the front seat. She barely awakens and can’t fight back. She makes it into her cluttered and messy apartment and sleeps on a mattress in the living room. Within a few days she meets up with Dev again, and he ends up in bed with her. He asks her about the other night, and she casually responds with the details. When he can’t quite believe the tone in which she spills her turmoil, she turns around and asks him if he has ever raped anyone? It’s an absurd question to pose in normal conversation and yet Dev doesn’t bat an eye, he’s expecting it from her.

Tomer Almagor wrote and directed 9 Full Moons and has written a movie about two people I really didn’t give a damn about. Thankfully the two leads do have acting talent to make the performances believable, yet the material he has put before them to perform might offer a new version of on screen romance that isn’t quite a genre bender. The pacing feels like watching a snail race and I was tempted to try and bail out early, yet I was curious to see why a seemingly normal guy would put up with such a roller coaster of a girlfriend. Complications ensue with Dev’s new job working as an audio engineer for a famous country music singer Charlie King Nash (Donal Logue). He tries to be frank and honest with his new boss about the quality of his music, without jeopardizing his job.

The cinematic aesthetics of the film appear to be top notch. Only one driving scene early on had vastly different daytime lightings on the reverse angles between passenger and driver. The cinematography and editing are top notch and even the low lit night time scenes don’t suffer from typical low budget night time pixilation. If 9 Full Moons isn’t a commercial success, and I don’t think it will be; the film will serve as a great tool for possibly landing future work for its talented cast and crew. The story lingers way too long with not much of a pay off at all to make the ninety minute journey worth it on any level. I really only ended up in the audience since the ticket I received was free, but I lost a more valuable resource: my time. With all things in life there have to be positives: the handsome appeal of Roberts, chemistry between the two leads, and the cinematography. If you must, the eventual streaming release may be the viewing platform for you; or a condensed version entitled 9 Full Minutes, one can hope, right?

The halls of high school are becoming less and less daunting for gay and lesbian students as we forge ahead in a new era of history. As more and more people stand up to unfair treatment and hypocrisy from the religious right, the landscape of true equality is changing. Director Darren Stein was paired to George Northy’s script for G.B.F, which stands for Gay Best Friend, at an Out Fest screenwriting event. G.B.F attempts to epitomize and also satirize the now infamous Mean Girls (2004) penned by comedy legend Tina Fey. Stein may be most famous for Jawbreaker (1999), another over the top high school comedy, and so he is in familiar waters with his new film that may ultimately continue to challenge and inspire progress as we move forward with trying to come to a place, where gay and lesbian students don’t kill themselves in utter hopelessness for their future.

Tanner (Michael J. Willet) is a senior in high school and has been pretty happy keeping his homosexuality a secret. His best friend Brent is in the same situation and they talk about the possibility of being more open about it. Tanner’s average size New Jersey high school is buzzing around with the new trend hitting schools everywhere: the Gay Best Friend. The three rival popular queens: Fawcett, ‘Shlee and Caprice, are on the prowl for a new gay to help bolster their own popularity and image to guarantee Prom Queen status. Social cast off Soledad is desperately trying to create a Gay Straight Alliance, as to guarantee a friendship with the first out kid at school. She receives pushback from the principal (an unrecognizable Horatio Sanz post weight loss) since there is no actual gay student in the group.

As the gay hunting tensions mount among the students Brent puts Tanner up to installing a gay-social GPS based app on his phone to try to help them find any closeted gays at school. The plan backfires when a gay-hunting straight student uses the same technology, thus outing Tanner to his peers against his will. Tanner then finds himself on a journey of self-discovery, pitted against the trio Queen Bees and now against the ultra Christian zealot McKenzie Price (Harry Potter’s own Luna Lovegood: Evanna Lynch sans British accent). Price is out to ensure that the popularity spread of the gays on campus ceases and that Prom remain for straight couples only. Motivations are tested as Tanner realizes that not everyone wants him in their lives for the right reasons.

Stein has assembled a top group of talent for his picture which is an ultimate homage and parody to Mean Girls. Yet midway through the picture the plot takes a slight turn down mediocre lane building up to a satisfactory conclusion and the ultimate positive message to the film: labels aren’t always wanted or necessary. Newcomer Willet fits nicely into his role and brings an innocence and super cuteness to Tanner that would easily make anyone empathize and fall in love with him. We are rooting for him from beginning to end, and ultimately want his coming out experience to not be as traumatic as some of the real world scenarios we hear about from time to time. Megan Mullally lends her charm as Brent’s mother and has a few great scenes of comedic timing: in one she does a queer movie night with her son, and in other she mistakes her son’s female friend for being a drag queen. Another comedic character makes the screen more enjoyable is closeted Mormon boyfriend to ‘Shlee, ‘Topher. One memorably line he says to a love interest: “For a face like yours I’d come out to the whole Mormon Tabernacle.”

This movie paints a portrait of possibly what is to come. High Schools may be a place one day where Gay kids can easily be who they are and possibly celebrated among their peers. Just this week a high school made national news because a gay couple was named the cutest couple in their senior superlatives - a feat that was only achieved because students wouldn’t accept that only straight couples were eligible. In Tanner’s montage scene of his turn from the drab to the fab, I couldn’t help but hope that ultimately that is essentially what coming out does for a person, it allows them to take ahold of their own existence and allow them to be new, and possibly more whole individual, living a life of outward honesty with everyone. I also found myself really wanting his outfit, I may need to go shopping soon. Until then, I may have to give this a second viewing some day, but until then I hope some of the new core cast have more opportunities in the future, as they are one talented, fabulous, bunch.

Spring fades away and summer approaches. Students scramble with yearbooks to collect signatures and sentiments from friends before they separate for the season. Some kids endeavor on family vacations, others may do extra curricular activities, or look after younger siblings. Joe, played by dashing newcomer Nick Robinson, has other ideas in mind. He is thinking about hiding out in the local wilderness for the summer. His widower father Frank, played by Parks and Recreation genius Nick Offerman, is dating a new woman, and her presence bothers Joe. His older sister is out of the house and has her boyfriend in tow, yet she can’t fully support him in the ways he would like.

Joe enlists the help of his best friend Patrick (Gabriel Basso) in the undertaking of executing an adventure. Joe has injured his foot and his mother (Megan Mullally) will make sure that he does everything correct in taking care of it. His parents seem like modern day Cleavers, and its no wonder he gets annoyed. Ultra school nerd Biaggo (Moises Arias) gets into the mix,and soon the boys are referencing books on building, stealing materials, and constructing a multi-level structure out in the forest. They have banded together to abandon their lives and live only on wilderness for the summer. All three boys have home lives they are happy to leave behind, and in one funny moment Biaggo has drafted up letters from their kidnappers who have names similarly formed with a “Denzel Washington” format. The boys bring machetes, swords, and anything typical that young adolescent testosterone junkies may need for time away from home.

Everything goes just fine until Joe’s school crush Kelly (Erin Moriarty) makes it into the small Lord of the Flies amusement park the boys set up. Things don’t go as planned and they boys find themselves pitted against each other and must decide if hiding out for the summer is ultimately worth it. Now someone on the outside knows the location of their hideout and their secret. The parents of course are worried and illicit the help of the local Police Department to help with locating the boys. It becomes sensationalized news and Captain Davis, played by Mary Lynn Rajskub: made famous as computer programmer Chloe in the FOX hit TV show 24, leads the investigation. Her comedic timing, and on camera chemistry is palpable in her creative efforts.

Kings of Summer shot for less than a month in a suburb just outside of Cleveland. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts brings to life his first feature film after dabbling in writing for television. His direction of the young and accomplished talent brings together a final film that assembles all the elements to make us laugh, reminisce, and empathize with the youthful spirit seeking adventure and first romance. The scene even used in the trailer of the boys goofing around on a huge pipe was improvised when the Director liked the location and took the boys out for a quick shot. My summers weren’t particularly exciting or adventuresome, and who knows as summer falls upon Seattle, maybe I can change that. After all the wilderness is at my back door, and I did get a machete in Panama over a decade ago. I just don’t think I would trust any structure I tried to built in the wilderness. I encourage you to take the kid in you to the movies and see The Kings of Summer. It’s a small movie that very much deserves some box office love. It expands to more cities this weekend and is playing at the Harvard Exit in Seattle. Rated R for Language and Teen Drinking.

Have you ever posted something on Facebook you regretted? Maybe something that someone saw, and you didn’t realize that they would see it? Over the years Facebook has changed settings without notice and then users automatically agree to new terms and conditions by simply using the service. Instagram and Facebook are now linked - it is possible that some people are not aware that every photo they “like” on Instagram may possibly show up in their news feed, and even a simple like of a photo somewhere in the world of Facebook may be broadcasted to your friends. If you have no idea what I am talking about, than odds are you are the super minority of the modern world who don’t use social networking, that doesn’t mean you haven’t signed away your privacy on other services, because no one reads the fine print, those pesky terms and conditions that users must agree to before using any online or software platform. The rapid loss and degradation of privacy is the topic of a must see new documentary entitled “Terms and Conditions May Apply.” 

Filmmaker Cullen Hoback scoured the technological world for information, interviews, and evidence that privacy in the United States and the world around us is quickly evaporating. Even before Facebook boomed onto the scene people had begun to create online lives for themselves. Quickly it became the norm to share photos, interests and personal information with the masses, but also in the beginning you had great control of how your information was used, and most importantly if you could actually delete it once you created it. Over time companies like Google and Facebook have changed their terms and conditions to allow themselves more freedom and flexibility with the very information you provide when using their services - a service that is free. Yet instead of paying for it with money you earn at a job, you are paying for it with your data, that they turn around and monazite for lots of money. Before I saw this film, I knew there was a problem with how privacy is going extinct - yet this film has made the problem more clear and present. 

As I began to watch documentaries in my late twenties, most social awareness films tended to be one sided about polarizing issues. Michael Moore is famous for making compelling documentaries, yet we know he is biased, and might be skewing information to his viewpoint. That doesn’t make him a bad filmmaker or person, as he is creating an argument and using evidence he sees fit to argue his case. Yet,  after seeing this film, I can’t really see how one would want to side with these ginormous companies who spend millions of dollars to lobby against any legislation that would give the American people protections and rights to us and our inherently personal information. The government may have difficulty in getting information directly from us - the American people - because of rights granted to us under the constitution. Yet - they don’t have the same barriers to get information about you - the user - from sites like Facebook or Google. 

We are living in a time and place where a lot has eroded away, but things aren’t lost forever - just yet. A film like this is important on so many levels, but at its core it brings a simple awareness of the glaring issue that many people aren’t aware exists. “If I am not doing anything wrong, then I don’t have anything to hide!” Yes - its true for a lot of people, myself included. I use Facebook like the average guy, yet it is painfully obvious that I really have lost control over my own online identity and information - heck my cover photos MUST be public now - I don’t even have a choice. Instagram was found to be changing their terms and conditions to state that the service could use images provided by users, in commercial endeavors - with no compensation to be provided. Word leaked virally about the upcoming change and there was an equally viral outcry. Instagram backpedaled - at least for the time being, but there is no guarantee they won’t try it again. If our elected officials are able to beat out technology lobbying, then quite possibly - the average joe can win against Mark Zuckerberg and Google. I particularly like the ending scene to the film - that essentially shows a very famous figure reacting differently on camera once he thinks the ensuing video captured is private, and that he had a say in the matter. One could argue the tactic was semi-underhanded, but I think it just proves that people, even famous, big name creators of technology, want the same basic privacy we all do. It is just different since they are profiting from our lack of privacy. If terms and conditions are going to apply, then we may need some help ensuring that the writers of those terms have a few rules they must abide by. That is something I think I’m willing to fight for, and this film helped me realize that every click of ” I accept” for all those terms and conditions I never read, has maybe cost me something more than I realize. I’m hopeful now for change, and if you see any documentary this year - Terms and Conditions May Apply - should be it. The biggest heist in history has already happened, and you are one of the victims. 

For more info on the flick, accept their terms and conditions at: http://www.tacma.net

A Palestinian  man lies on the ground bound and gagged. A gun is pointed at his head by a former friend or maybe even a family member, and at any moment his life could end. His crime may be as simple as being gay, but he may be accused of more heinous crimes like prostitution or being a spy for Israel, since that is where he has been hiding. Being gay and found out for it could easily be a death sentence for many Palestinians in a culture steeped in tradition and family honor being of paramount importance. A gay brother could end the prospects of arranged marriage for a sister. It is estimated that at any point in time several hundred gay Palestinian men are illegally hiding in Israel. They have no where to go and are literally in danger of losing their lives. This isn’t just the dramatic Romeo and Juliet type romance set up by filmmaker Michael Mayer in his film “Out in the Dark”, but it is a staunch reality for some. 

Nimr (Nicholas Jacob) lives in Palestine with his widowed mother, younger sister and older brother. He is going to school full time and has been granted access to one class at an Israeli university in Tel Aviv. Many times he has snuck across the border into Israel, but he has been now granted temporary and formal access into the state for educational purposes. One night he visits a friend at a gay club in Tel Aviv and ends up meeting Roy (Michael Aloni), a charismatic and handsome Israeli who is thrilled to meet Nimr and doesn’t want him to sneak off to take a ride back over the border that evening.  They exchange numbers and as the semester progresses, the two men see more and more of each other. 

While Nimr is home in Palestine, he must put up with his overbearing older brother and his questionable dealings with the local militia. Nimr speaks out against his brother’s behavior, thus calling into question his loyalties and casting aspersions on his intentions of being in Tel Aviv for school. The Israeli security forces take advantage of Palestinian students, sometimes blackmailing them for information about activities back at home, while holding their permits to be in Israel in the balance. When a friend goes missing and ends up dead for not following through with Isreali security demands, Roy taps into his families legal connections to try and expedite a permanent solution to keep Nimr in Israel. 

As the film progresses secrets on both sides threaten the safety of Nimr and Roy and tensions mount to suspenseful sequences that lead the film to its conclusion. This film makes life as a GLBT American look like a Jay Gatsby lavish Long Island party compared to what these men have to deal with. My life on the road has taken me to Tel Aviv a few times and during my time there, my thoughts were consumed with the images seen on television of the fighting, bombings and continued conflict. I was ignorant of how society between the two worlds actually functions, and of the laws and security measures in place to continue to separate the two worlds from co-existing. My passport allowed me entrance and an exit, and that is the very thing Nimr needs to stay alive. 

This film works on multiple levels. It works as a drama, and it isn’t just a GLBT movie, but a movie with real conflict, real characters, and real consequences that exist in our modern world. The Romeo and Juliet storyline feels like old news, and yet here we have a real world version of the Shakespearean tragedy that could very much happen today. It is really tough to remove oneself from ones own reality and envision a life under these circumstances. You don’t always choose who you fall for, but in this world you would think certain people would have huge red flags attached to their nationality. This is a tragedy in our current society, and if things don’t continue to progress in the middle east, the progress made over there could take more steps backwards than forwards in the coming years. 

It is essential for countries of more progressive homosexual acceptance and integration reach out to gay individuals whose lives are in the balance. Awareness of an issue is the first step towards being motivated to find solutions, and have the power and energy to fight uphill battles. “Out in the Dark” is a great first place for awareness. It still boggles my mind that people could advocate for the execution and death of homosexuals, such as with the Kill the Gays bill in Uganda. Some powerful Christian organizations were not explicitly in support of the bill, but their silence was enough evidence of apathy on the subject. If anything, this film can be a good conversation starter, as well as a well shot, acted and executed suspenseful drama of two lives from two very different communities trying to come together and co-exist against all odds. 

Official site: http://www.outinthedark.com

As time passes technology progresses. The written word has been around for many years and the use of the book is evolving. This is the subject of a new hour long documentary directed by Vivienne Roumani entitled Out of Print. Narrated by Meryl Streep, the documentary interviews a plethora of personalities from those invested in ebook technology to those who have deep knowledge in the publishing industry. From Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com, Ray Bradbury, acclaimed author of Fahrenheit 451, to  Fred Bass the owner of New York City’s Strand Bookstore. When I lived in New York I remember walking the aisles of the Strand looking at all the possible book selections, thinking to myself there is no way on earth one could consume all this content. I remember when Borders closed at the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. The super overpriced books and media didn’t help, as I only shopped there with coupons. Not too long after Barnes and Noble closed on Broadway on the upper west side, and that was when I knew things were bleak for book stores. We are living in a time and place where the power is shifting and self publishing is making some ripples. Author Darcie Chan gives some insight into her amazing debut on amazon.com with her kindle book that went viral entitled The Mill River Recluse. Yet the self-publishing market can have over 700,000 titles - so it can be a needle in a haystack type of search for consumers.

Since I travel for work I tend to bring a iPad mini with me tricked out with media I’d like to consume while I’m on the road. Movies are popular for a lazy night in a hotel room, but I do enjoy reading. I love a good ole fashioned book, yet I like to pack light so the ease of ebooks is rather amazing. I love using the Seattle Public library system to check out and instantly download books that I can read in a three week time frame. I’ve been able to find some great books instantly that in “old school land” would have required a trip to the library or book store and then a physical purchase or check out. Not all titles are available in digital form, yet there is a growing number. Out of Print spends some time talking about the problems of digitizing content, especially a big push from Google to scan and have digital copies of books available online. Google, a private company, was taking public domain content and then creating privatized versions of public work - thus essentially creating ownership of the public content. A long legal process shut down that portion of Google Books - which is ultimately probably in the best interest of consumers. 

Amazon is a big force in the ebook world with their kindle device. I still use an iPad and the screen is terrible in direct sunlight. I have friends who use the kindle paper white and swear by it. Yet kindle versions differ from ePub versions and the format difference alone makes you choose upon purchase what you want. The kinks of the ebook industry aren’t going to go away overnight since there are still so many formats, and hopefully books themselves don’t disappear - but Out of Print explores many different areas in such a short time that by the end I was wanting it to keep going. Amazon has recently started offering free digital downloads of certain music albums when the physical CD is purchased. It would be nice if the physical purchase of a book came with a digital version as well. I would be more apt to buy physical media, if I could essentially own a digital copy. Hollywood is doing great with this concept, and publishing would do well to catch up. It would certainly drive more incentive to buying physical books. Catch “Out of Print” on a DVD, and on such a release we may get some bonus features to add to the already well made documentary. If you get a chance to see it - don’t pass it up and maybe go by a physical book as a good faith gesture to keep books alive. 

Remember movie trailers of the nineties? Remember that iconic voice beginning a trailer with those iconic words “In A World?” That voice belonged to voice over artist and pretty much king of the voice over advertising world Don Lafontaine. He passed on in 2008 leaving room for new talent to rise up, and try and take the reigns left by his absence. What would that look like to have different voice over talent trying to compete with each other to be the next “voice” of the industry? Lake Bell, an actress featured in “What Happens in Vegas” and No Strings Attached, seized a prime time moment to envision her take on this scenario by writing, directing and ultimately starring in the comedy “In A World”, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. 

I first noticed Bell during the sex friends comedy No Strings Attached a few years ago as she played a very shy, clueless and coy co-worker to Ashton Kutcher’s character. This film was no cinematic gem, yet Bell’s performance stood out making her noticeable as a future talent. It was also in this film that I spied Jake Johnson for the first time, who also has a talent for playing charismatic and likable characters. Maybe Bell and Johnson can co-star in something soon. If she doesn’t write it, I may have to. 

Bell plays Carol, a struggling voice over coach who is currently working on a gig trying to help Eva Longoria sound more like a Cockney British ruffian for some dialogue replacement on her next project. Carol is obsessed with accents, to the point where she records strangers speaking in public to try and perfect their vowel sounds. She is passionate and yet clueless to public, and possibly legal etiquette. She lives with her father Sam (Fred Melamed) who has a very successful career as a voice over talent in the industry. Sam is dating someone his daughter’s age and on a whim he decides Carol needs to move out and make it or break it on her own. She takes refuge living with her sister in the meantime while she figures some things out. 

One day while at the studio to coach Longoria, it appears that industry newbie-on-the-rise Gustav (Ken Marino) has fallen sick and Carol is offered an opportunity to record his script as a rough draft demo for the client to meet a deadline. Audio engineer Louis (Demetri Martin) is just as shy and aloof as Carol, but he sees much more in her than her talents as a vocal  puppeteer; he really likes her. Carol records the demo, and much to everyone’s surprise the client likes it and wants her for the final project. Hilarity ensues when her father and Gustav are both threatened by this mystery new talent in the industry, who is poised to possibly start stealing gigs from them left and right. 

It is no doubt that Bell’s many years in the industry working from set to set have garnished upon her the experiences necessary to make this movie believable. The industry is a male dominated industry and women, no matter their role, have to fight tooth and nail for their work and place among the men. You would think that talent alone should drive job placement in an industry where millions of dollars are spent creating products to be sold to the masses. Yet of course reality sets in and there are always things at play behind the scenes no one outside the club can see, and you may never know who is going to win out for a given role on the team. I like the dynamic set up between Carol and her father. He is in a position to help his daughter, but is also egotistical enough that he doesn’t want to. What would that do to a grown up child? Inspire her to greatness, or hurt her in achieving her ambitions? Bell’s script has just the right balance of comedy, conflict and chemistry among the actors to make this film a success.    If you get a chance don’t miss it and for old time sakes - go listen to some Don Lafontaine clips for good measure, since he ultimately is the reason we have this film in the first place. 

“In A World” currently has no release date. You can follow filmmaker Lake Bell on twitter for possibly updates: https://twitter.com/lakebell

It must all start with a script. Then the script gets its way around town into the hands of all these players, and soon the best actors in town are all reading it and wanting to be a part of it. Some idiots with power have passed on it and yet someone has the gall to get it made and soon people like Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Maya Rudolph and Allison Janney are all signing up for it. I love sitting down to a story that is funny, engaging, and frankly a good time. I think the talent involved with this film enjoy the same ingredients, so they brought their a-game to this feature. 

This movie belongs to Duncan (Liam James), a precocious, mild-mannered, stubborn teenager who’s mother Pam (Collette) is dating Trent (Carell). Trent brings along his daughter for a little summer vacation to a beach house that is going to be filled with family bonding and mandatory fun. While en route Trent asks Duncan to rate himself on a scale of 1 - 10. Duncan casually responds with a six and Trent retorts back that he’s a three. And if he wants to move up towards a ten he needs to get out of his shell and man up to life. Pretty sure this isn’t the best way to reach a kid who is in need of guidance and role models. 

Upon arriving to their home they are greeted by long time neighbor Betty (Janney) who is famous for her cocktails, party and her comebacks. She has two children one of whom is played by the delightful and all grown up AnnaSophia Robb and she is fond of Duncan’s quirks and tries to spur him in some conversation, despite the social challenge and the small age difference between them. Soon the boating, parties, and dining in bores Duncan in to taking some risks. He ventures out on a girls bike and ends up sneaking into a water park where he meets the manager Owen (Sam Rockwell) and his assistant (Rudolph). They see something in Duncan that he doesn’t see in himself and they give him a staff t-shirt and put him to work. Newcomer James carries this picture and ultimately it succeeds because of the personality he brings to Duncan. Watching his growth is believable and his chemistry with Rockwell carries their scenes, of course with the help of Rudolph and a few other smaller roles within the water park. 

When I was fourteen years old I would steal away to a local independent video store and hang out with the staff there. I would put away VHS tapes and video games in exchange for free rentals and some new friends. I wasn’t able to work there legally, but I found a place away from home and school that gave me joy and brought me to life. With some drama brewing back at the house with Duncan’s mother, he almost misses it all since he has snuck off to another life and existence amongst some adults who challenge him, yet bring him into their fold. I experienced that at Videomax on a day to day basis and my mother certainly knew the phone number to call and fetch me when I stayed too long. Hollywood Video bought the place and when I finally turned sixteen I had a job I’d basically lobbied for several years. Duncan may not work at the water park, but it certainly gave him something that in my eyes possibly moved his score off the charts, even if Trent was too stupid to see it himself. 

The Way, Way Back releases via Fox Searchlight on July 5th, 2013.