Several HYBRID film staffers recently attended the South by Southwest Film Festival, held in Austin, Texas, March 9–17. This year’s festival programming was particularly theme-driven (notably music and porno), with something to satisfy each of us.

THE TROUBLE WITH LOU

Trapped in a ’50s-sex-ed-video-like world, Lou Romano gets caught in a “sticky” situation. The trouble with Lou is that he likes to play with himself a little too much. Lou, a typical high school senior with an atypical masturbation fetish, becomes the star of the caber (a big, long log—how appropriate) tossing team to nab his crush and forget his masturbatory impulses. After getting the girl, his compulsion to spank his monkey drives him into masturbation detox at the local asylum. The climax comes when Lou breaks out of the asylum to be with his love.

The trouble with LOU was that the pacing slowed way down midway through a film that could have been abridged from its lengthy 90 minutes. Created by Teddy and Gregor Newton, LOU was based on their friend Lou Romano and their own masturbatory experiences. The Newton boys financed this film and hope to re-edit and blow it up from 16mm to 35 mm.

PEDAL

Shot using a skateboard as a dolly, PEDAL explores the subculture of New York bicycle messengers. This career of high pace and danger is reveled in by those on the bikes and cursed by those who must share the streets. Carrying packages swiftly to their destinations, these bikers break the rules of the road many times as well as fighting cars and pedestrians for the right-of-way.

Innovative camera techniques drove this documentary. Unfortunately, the bubble-like picture grated on the nerves after a while. This documentary taught me something but did not excite me to learn more.

GINGERSNAPS

This horror film clamped its jaws around me and wouldn’t let go until the ride was over. Smart, stylish, and satisfying, this Canadian film was a surprise hit at SXSW. Focusing on the fatalistic Fitzgerald sisters, this tale unfolds as Ginger begins menstruating. Because werewolves are attracted to blood, Ginger becomes the first human victim. Growing hair, fangs, and a tail, Ginger soon is unable to curb her bestial cravings , leaving her sister to find a cure for Ginger’s predicament.

If you like werewolves and gore, then you’re in for a treat with this film , which constantly made me jump in my chair. I don’t think you’ll have to howl at the moon to get this flick to come to America; I have a feeling GINGERSNAPS, with the right distribution, will show up on American screens soon.

THE JOURNEY

After Eric Saperston graduated from college he was in a bit of a quandary as what to do with his life. He wanted to take some time off to work a ski season in Aspen and follow the Grateful Dead. After his mentor Tony advised him to make his time off meaningful to others as well as himself, Eric thought of THE JOURNEY. Eric wanted to bridge the gap between o lder and younger generations by promoting a dialogue between them. For a year Eric traveled around the United States in his ’71 VW van , meeting with the most successful people in the country to ask how they got where they are today.

This documentary showed extreme thoughtfulness and inspiration. As well as showing the many people interviewed, from Billy Crystal to President Carter, THE JOURNEY also showed the many bumps in the road. Eric had several problems with his crew, culminating in the exit of one of the crewmembers, Eric’s best friend, Dave. Currently on a college speaking tour, writing the first of several books, and scheduling the next round of interviews, Eric Saperston is living his dream.

PORN FEATURETTE

Ever notice the increasing amount of skin and sex showed in Hollywood movies? The indie industry is no different in its drive to broaden the boundaries of sex on screen. Throughout SXSW I noticed an overwhelming trend of porn-flavored movies and documentaries. Since sex is one my favorite topics, this inspired me to see them all and report back to you, the eager audience. I see you shiver with antici. . . . . . . .pation.

As a tribute to her 26 sexploitation films , which range from simple nudies to hardcore porn, SXSW presented a Doris Wishman Double Feature. The double feature consisted of SATAN WAS A LADY, Wishman’s newest flick and remake of ’75 hardcore film she creatively disowned, and DEADLY WEAPONS (1973). Although as intriguing as a film about a woman with a 73" bust avenging the death of her boyfriend sounds ( DEADLY WEAPONS), I only saw SATAN WAS A LADY. The fact of the matter is, the acting was so horrible in SATAN, I couldn’t stomach the double dose. In SATAN, Cleo Irane, a nightclub waitress, decides to bribe a wealthy businessman and date his son. Yes, an interesting combo in theory, but when put to the screen under the direction of Wishman, this plot painfully sputtered and died. I couldn’t keep myself from laughing at the horridly acted displays of affection and surprise by the businessman’s son. I promise some day I will watch an earlier Wishman film and pray that it will be better than this lifeless flick.

Documenting the strange rise to fame of Ron Jeremy (affectionately know as “the hedgehog” for his short, fat, hairy stature), PORNSTAR had its regional premiere at SXSW. This interesting documentary showed the soft underbelly of the hardened pornstar Jeremy (actually his middle name, as Ron’s father wouldn’t allow him to use the family name of Hyatt). Much of Jeremy’s success is attributed to his link to the common man. In his porn films he shows that even the ordinary man with excess hair and flab can get the girls. Furthermore, the doc highlighted Jeremy’s wish for a mainstream Hollywood career. My only fault with PORNSTAR was its one-sidedness . Yeah, sure Ron Jeremy is a nice guy, but is he really that great?

Earlier that day I attended a “Porn & Indies” panel with none other than Ron Jeremy and the filmmaker of PORNSTAR, Scott Gill. Gill decided to make PORNSTAR because he was intrigued by how successful Ron Jeremy was and what a contradiction he became to all of society’s beauty standards. Jeremy also illuminated the fact that women make more than men in the porn industry. “Men are just props in heterosexual porn films,” said Jeremy. Women bank it more so than men in the porn industry because they are what sells the films, being the main characters displayed on the cover. Noting his cock size to be 9 " , Jeremy has sucked his own phallus in his films before, but since the weight gain he can now only kiss the tip. Jeremy noted that mainstream Hollywood was warming up to porn with films like THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT and BOOGIE NIGHTS.

Wrapping up the porn portion of SXSW was LADYPORN, a refreshing look at what really turns girls on. Two female University of Texas students, Maggie Carey and Elena Carr, took it upon themselves to make a porn film directed at satisfying heterosexual females. The short documentary part of LADYPORN precedes the 15-minute actual porn they made. The documentary showed the difficulties the two directors faced with casting people who would actually have sex on camera and figuring out what women really want in porn. The resulting porn showed the female on top in a more dominant position and also showed cuddling afterwards. Banned from being shown at the University of Texas , LADYPORN made its splash at SXSW.

FREUD’S 2ND LAW

Definitely one of the bombs of the festival, FREUD’S fizzled toward film purgatory. Trying to be artsy, this film achieved little but a yawn. After Nicole’s implied rape, she moves to the inner city. Upon befriending a neighbor and discovering that she was date-raped, Nicole seeks to rid the world of one particular rapist. Looking in the paper, Nicole finds the identity of an alleged rapist and kidnaps him. In a seedy motel room, Nicole proceeds to don a strap-on and anally rape the “rapist.” Becoming the penetrator in the situation gives Nicole the power that was taken away from her before. The only problem is, Nicole fucks the wrong guy. Acquitted for the rapes, Nicole seeks to right the wrong she has done to the “rapist.” After repeatedly following the man and trying to apologize, he finally allows her to ask for forgiveness. In the next scene you see this unlikely couple kissing. Now where did that come from?

—Jennifer Prestigiacomo

ATOMIC ED AND THE BLACK HOLE

ATOMIC ED AND THE BLACK HOLE is a humorous look at “Atomic Ed,” the ultimate packrat… of nuclear waste.

This film may make you think twice the next time you see an old man in purple camouflage pants and matching hat. “Atomic Ed” is proof that everyone is unique. Sure, people hold on to old letters, yearbooks, maybe even childhood toys, but the energetic Ed takes the term packrat to a new extreme. This is a great film for anyone looking for a story with a twist filled with good, clean laughs.

NO EARLY BIRDS

NO EARLY BIRDS dares to go where few have gone before—the (ridiculously humorous) underworld of the great American tradition of the yard sale.

You may think that people who go to yard sales are just everyday folks looking for bargains. Some are, but then there are the professionals: Roxanne, for example, will run red lights, use foul language, and peer into houses with her trusty flashlight before the sun comes up to ensure she gets to the good stuff first. Set to the music of Drums and Tuba, NO EARLY BIRDS is laugh-out-loud funny and well worth watching.

CLIMAX

CLIMAX tells the story of a group of friends and acquaintances from high school who are reunited after their sophomore year in college at a house party.

CLIMAX is a “had to be there.” You know, like when someone tells you a story that they think is so funny, but you just cannot find the humor in it—you had to be there. Director Baker compiles an assortment of such stories in this film. The situations would probably be funny if you were involved, but they just don’t play out well on screen. There is no climax in CLIMAX and no point in seeing this movie.

HOW’S YOUR NEWS?

HOW’S YOUR NEWS is a touching and inspiring story of five mentally disabled adults who travel across the country conducting person-on-the-street interviews.

After a week of SXSW movie screenings—some good, some not so good—I was refreshed by this gem of a film. I simply cannot say enough good things about this movie. Director Arthur Bradford does an excellent job of depicting the vibrant personalities of these five adults on screen and showing the audience the amazing things they can do and say, despite their disabilities. The 82-minute comedy not only makes you laugh, but pulls at your heartstrings and makes you think about what’s really important in life. In a post-screening Q&A, Bradford announced that the film has been picked up by HBO to be aired in a year. Set your VCRs now.

BLOW

BLOW chronicles the true story of the rise and fall of drug smuggler George Jung (played by Johnny Depp).

After watching BLOW, I thought something that I never have before—poor little drug smuggler. It’s easy to think of those involved in the traffic and sale of drugs as awful human beings who are aiding in the deterioration of society. What’s not so easy is to realize that a man who built a virtual empire off the import of marijuana and cocaine was once just a boy playing football in the yard with his dad. This is director Ted Demme’s best work yet. His combination of the comedy of Pulp Fiction with the rawness of Traffic produces wonderful results.

—K. Theis

THE SWEETEST SOUND

American filmmaker Alan Berliner, not to be confused with Belgian filmmaker Alain Berliner, is tired of being mistaken for one of the other 12 Alan Berliners in the world. So he does what any rational person would do—invite them all to his home for dinner. Surprisingly, they all show up, the meeting is videotaped, and turned into THE SWEETEST SOUND.

When I first heard about THE SWEETEST SOUND, I thought it was a unique premise, but could not possibly end up anything but a piece of documentary-style fluff. I was mistaken however and pleasantly surprised by the film I saw, which was more deep soul-searching than amusing drivel. Berliner managed to turn the simple subject of names into a touching query of how our personalities are formed and why we feel so strongly attached to our monikers. With THE SWEETEST SOUND and his previous NOBODY’S BUSINESS in tow, Berliner is on his way to becoming the film world’s leading documentarian on the intricacies of ordinary life and family.

FREESTYLE

For those of us who aren’t wise to the underground hip-hop scene, freestylin’ or flowin’ is completely original and spontaneous rap. To be an apt freestyler, you must be intelligent, possess an extensive vocabulary, and be able to think on your feet. Call it the high art of the rap world. FREESTYLE, a seven-year work-in-progress, attempts to document an insider’s view of hip-hop music and culture. Director Kevin Fitzgerald combines his own footage, shot in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with rare archived film to create an ode to freestyle everywhere.

For the first 15 minutes or so of FREESTYLE, I was glued to the screen. I didn’t know anything about the subject and found Fitzgerald’s treatment fascinating. Unfortunately, the fascination only lasted for that first 15 minutes. The film quickly grew monotonous and repetitive. The intelligence of freestylers and the differences between pre-written rhymes and “true” freestyle can only be extolled so many times before it makes you want to shoot yourself in the foot rather than listen any longer. Thankfully, the film is still “in progress,” so hopefully Fitzgerald will heed his SXSW audience’s feedback and spice his film up a bit.

PENELOPE SPHEERIS RETROSPECTIVE

(DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION I, II, and III; WE SOLD OUR SOULS FOR ROCK ‘N’ ROLL)

Bold statement it may be, but I’ll say it and stick by it anyway. Director Penelope Spheeris is the world’s leading music documentarian. With her four best films, THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PARTS I, II, & III and WE SOLD OUR SOULS FOR ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, Spheeris has four times proven herself to be not only a damn good filmmaker, but the kind of woman you wish your best friend had for a mom. (Not to mention that she took time to talk to a starstruck cub reporter like myself.)

Spheeris’ DECLINE series reveals an insider’s view into the “alternative” music scene in the late 1970s (punk), late 1980s (hair metal) and the late 1990s (gutterpunk). All provide interesting slices of life, with both intensely funny moments (the problem Darby Crash has with singing into the mic in DECLINE I) juxtaposed with strikingly disconcerting and sad moments (Chris Holmes’ very intoxicated interview in DECLINE II and all of DECLINE III).

WE SOLD OUR SOULS FOR ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, Spheeris’ new film premiering at South by Southwest, follows the American tour Ozzfest, the most profitable music festival of the ’90s. Heavy metal god Ozzy Osborne and his wife Sharon, both intelligent, witty, and business-savvy people, founded Ozzfest. Even those who completely dislike metal will come away from this film with a deep appreciation of the Osbornes and their ability to cope with the madness that surrounds them. Spheeris uses her medium to make even the rock idol most frightening to parents seem like a normal, everyday guy next door, who just happens to be in a band.

Spheeris’ four “rockumentaries” all use the same formula—concert footage intercut with candid, revealing interviews. As simple as it sounds, it’s a highly effective method to show the music on and behind the stage. It’s also extremely compelling to watch, even to someone who’d rather listen to blues and jazz than punk and metal any day.

—Renae Bolen

CAESAR’S PARK

How often, after some horrific ritual sex slaying/cannabalism crime comes to light, have we heard perplexed neighbors say, “He seemed like such a nice man. Quiet, kept to himself.”? These may not have been director Sarah Price’s thoughts as she turned her camera to her Milwaukee neighborhood, but CAESAR’S PARK examines the everyday lives of the folks on her block. Her interview subjects, followed over several weeks, include a Polish war bride with the vocabulary of the South Park kids, a retired couple who met while working at the water department, cheerful spinsters who live in the house they were born in and care for their bedridden mother, a fast-talking musician who rescues discarded guitars, and a neighborhood photographer/historian whose mental limitations appear to leave him with a more generous spirit of kindness and basic human decency than some of his neighbors.

A good reminder that interesting people are all around us, CAESAR’S PARK nevertheless shows that it’s impossible to walk the line between the affectionate display of human foibles and having your interviewees become the butt of jokes. Then again, as Mr. Bennett says, “What are we here for but to provide amusement for our neighbors?”

JERRY WEXLER: IMMACULATE FUNK

IMMACULATE FUNK is your basic career bio documentary, in this case of legendary record producer Jerry Wexler, who worked with such music luminaries as Aretha Franklin, the late Doug Sahm, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Wilson Pickett, Willie Nelson, and Etta James. The difference here is that Wexler really is The Guy Behind The Guy Behind The Guy.

Interspersing performance footage and interviews from the bad old days with contemporary commentary by artists as well as Wexler himself, IMMACULATE FUNK is a must-see, a primer for those who would learn about the origins of the best of sweaty American rock and soul, as well as a welcome trip down nostalgia lane for those who grew up on this stuff.

LOS TRABAJADORES/THE WORKERS

Across the overpass and down the street from my house sits a day labor site. Each morning, job-seeking men, mostly from Mexico or Central America, wait for construction foremen to show up looking for workers. Each morning, the trabajadores climb in someone’s truck and head off to spend another day with their backs to the sun, building yet more sprawling Austin. The site’s placement was controversial; neighborhood residents feared it would lead to an increase in crime. It did. Crime against the day laborers, who, being mostly undocumented, had no recourse when unscrupulous contractors skipped out on paying them.

Heather Courtney’s 48-minute documentary shows, for any who still need to be told, why these men are here; what their absence means for their families, both financially and emotionally; what it’s like for them in Austin, as “invisible men”; and how much our economy depends on their toil. It’s not business, it’s personal, and Courtney has made a powerful, wonderful film about the men who may well have built the air-conditioned offices many of us head to when we go to “work.”

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW: INSIDE THE MIND OF TODD MCFARLANE

Here’s the story of a guy who’s living a dream (yeah, my dream): Be a comic book geek and turn it into a phenomenally successful marketing and financial empire. I bet Bill Gates is jealous. Todd McFarlane, the Canadian who resuscitated Spiderman and created Spawn, has lots to show, lots to tell, and director Kenton Vaughan has brought it all to the screen. Throughout the film we see the many moods of McFarlane: at home with family, on the road pursuing business ventures, as a hardass on a conference call, as the deranged baseball fan who bought Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball at auction, as a good guy who remembers what it’s like to be a fanboy at a comics and SF convention.

McFarlane is like so many folks we know, as Vaughan shows by also following the collecting mania of two stone fans who could be McFarlane 10 years younger. Fascinating? Well, no. But entertaining? You betcha. A nicely paced biodoc of a guy who gets to spend his life doing the cool stuff.

DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN

My runaway favorite film of SXSW was D.A. Pennebaker’s concert film, showcasing the musical talents (Emmylou Harris, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Gillian Welch, Allison Krauss and Union Station, Chris Thomas King, The Whites, The Cox Family, The Peasall Sisters, and charming emcee John Hartford) behind the soundtrack to O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? performing at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium. This is one of the best concert films I’ve ever seen, running neck and neck with YEAR OF THE HORSE.

DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN is highly amusing for its pre-concert interviews with the performers, where we learn charming details like Hartford would actually like to be a librarian, Harris is such a major-freak baseball fan that she rarely goes more than two steps away from her tiny Motorola sports display, and Welch has to work herself up to putting on her fancy clothes. Shooting on DV for the first time, according to his post-screening comments, Pennebaker puts you right there once the concert starts. Not only does the lovely music raise goosebumps, Pennebaker has a knack for letting his lens light on audience members who are clearly having a magical, unforgettable night of music. I was transfixed by an image of a guy just staring, happy-eyed and open-mouthed, at the stage. Then I realized that I was staring, happy-eyed and open-mouthed, at the screen. This film is pure magic.

PAVAROTTI OF THE PLAINS: DON WALSER’S STORY

Yodeler, original country music preservationist, family man, and crier-at-the-drop-of-a-hat, Don Walser became a National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellow in 2000. This fourth tenor, who matches Pavarotti in both purity of tone and girth, knew early that his calling was country music—the good, old-timey stuff before the proliferation of “hat” bands. But he suppressed those desires, supporting his family by working for the National Guard, and restricting performances to occasional weekends, until he retired. Now a popular performer all across Texas, the film is both the story of a dedicated, true musician who could, and the story of a grownup, who did what he had to do when he had to do it, and what he wanted to do when the time was right.

Contains performance footage from Austin-area clubs as well as The Grande Ole Opry; interviews with Walser, his wife, Pat, and his daughter, and musicians who’ve played alongside him. PAVAROTTI OF THE PLAINS is a fairly straightahead biodoc, breaking no new ground stylistically, but bringing a deserving subject to a wider audience.

REVOLUTION OS

This film about the history of the Open Source movement in software managed to offend even those who were predisposed to sympathy, that being Linux users, Mac users, and just about anyone else who doesn’t have a vested interest in the financial wellbeing of Microsoft. JTS Moore wasn’t required to take a journalistic approach, with its pretense of objectivity, to this topic, but it might have served him better. Though Moore presents the big names in Open Source—Eric Raymond, Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds—he wastes most of his powder on a promotional film for VA Linux Systems and its CEO, Larry Augustin. Worse, Moore resorts to some juvenile filmmaking decisions, like searching out and using truly goofy photos of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer (Honestly, it could only have been worse if he’d dug up photos of these guys attempting auto-fellatio.) and having an actress give a shrill reading of a 25-year-old letter from Gates to a users group, expounding on the proprietary model of software development. The basic facts of the Open Source movement are here, but you know what? You’d be better off checking out one of the many websites devoted to this topic than sitting through this film.

SHORTS PROGRAM I

Ah yes, now I’m in my element: films that match my attention span. I’m going to give you the highlights.

DELUSIONS IN MODERN PRIMITIVISM is a hilarious take on body modification, going beyond piercing, tattooing, and branding, to scarification by deliberate gunshot wound.

Pat Healy’s MULLITT riffed on ’70s crime shows, comic book fanboys (there it is again!), and collectors, yet wasn’t quite as funny as it must have seemed on paper. Basically, our hero has to score some cash fast, to feed his roommate’s nasty crack habit, decides to steal and sell a piece of Streisand memorabilia from a kindly neighbor, played by Henry Gibson.

THE ART PIECE, a 4-minute experimental film with a twist by Nick Gibbons, deserves your attention. I don’t care what you think of experimental films, see this one. To describe it would be a real spoiler and a real crime. See it.

Wanna know who watched CABIN BOY and “Get a Life”? I did. That’s why I was predictably amused by THE SWINGER, Mark Feldstein’s profile of the world’s greatest miniature golf athlete, Chris Elliott. With interviews with Bob Costas and Maury Povich, as well as tournament footage, THE SWINGER rocks.

THE CONFESSION was 23 minutes of the comedy and tragedy of real life, as a dying man rediscovers his religious faith and requests the offices of a priest, over the objections of his lover. Although the return to piety puts a temporary block between the couple, eventually the guys’ love surpasses all. Highly recommended.

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

HOTEL HIDAJET is an accidental, found movie. Kelly Nathe converts some of the footage from her Sarajevo vacation to a film festival entry and makes good, following a local who gives her a tour of the bombed-out city, including the hovel where he cheerfully conducts what’s left of his life. An ode to make-do spirit, without fanfare.

Easily my favorite documentary short was BLOODHAG: THE FASTER YOU GO DEAF THE MORE TIME YOU HAVE TO READ, which followed a death-metal band on tour in the Puget Sound libraries. During sets of screaming odes to Marion Zimmer Bradley and Tanith Lee, the frontman hurls books (!) to the rapt young fans in the audience. Having come to a love of reading from his librarian parents, the frontman explains how Bloodhag set about its peculiar mission. You gotta love it.

THE MAN ON LINCOLN’S NOSE is a look back at the career of Robert F. Boyle, Academy Award-winning production designer for many renowned films, including NORTH BY NORTHWEST and THE BIRDS. THE MAN... shows storyboards, filmed footage, and interviews with Boyle and other designers, and is nominated for the Academy Award itself, for best doc. Interesting to see how these scenes were accomplished, yet for a film about fooling the eye, THE MAN... seemed so pedestrian.

ANIMATED SHORTS

RON’S DREAM is notable not so much for its appearance—it looks like money—as for screenwriter Ron Howard’s dream of directing a nude scene that goes comically, nightmarishly wrong. Fun for those who want to see the bawdy side of Opie.

Aaron Augenblick’s RAMBLIN’ MAN is a visual delight, a Hank Williams music video of a cowboy-bot and his trusty steed as they roam the plains and then the universe.

In METROPOPULAR, cities across the United States are animated and display distinct attitudes and personalities as they compete in the Most Popular City contest that has an unexpected conclusion. Pretty funny stuff, that plays off the stereotypes of the denizens of each of these cities.

Clearly the best in show was FANSOM THE LIZARD, by Evan Mather, whose neato animation fit perfectly with this tale of a lizard who leaves Smallsville for the bright lights of Vegas. See it, damn it!

SUB! brings together Russians, a gourmand dog, soccer-playing nuns, cymbals, and genital falsies in a wild fairy tale that makes perfect sense while you’re watching it, but later sounds like a bad joke: “ Didja see the one about the Russians, a gourmand dog, and soccer-playing nuns...?”

Jeremy Solterbeck’s MOVING ILLUSTRATIONS OF MACHINES is just that, as well as being dreamy and beautiful.

—Roxanne Bogucka, an Action Grrl!

AMATO: A LOVE AFFAIR WITH OPERA

In a seemingly ordinary brownstone just a few feet from the famous music club CBGB’s in New York City, is the extraordinary Amato Opera, where full-scale operas have been performed for decades on a stage the size of one’s living room. This is also the home of founders Tony and Sally Amato, who have shared a 50-year love affair with opera and each other. Director Stephen Ives captures their evident passion as we watch this amazing couple take part in every aspect of production, from moving sets and conducting rehearsals to cooking spaghetti and meatballs for the cast and crew who are their extended family. AMATO is a treasure of a movie, both moving and inspiring. See it if you get the chance.

SUPER TROOPERS

Located in a small town on the Canadian border, our unlikely heros are a team of underworked Vermont State Troopers who fight boredom by gleefully pulling outrageous pranks on motorists and on each other. When they find out their station is going to be the victim of a state budget cut, they try to buckle down and become Super Troopers in order to prove their worth and get a stay of execution. However, the local police department is working just as hard to ensure their competition gets shut down, and the Super Troopers’ efforts all seem to backfire and tighten the noose further. But then the Troopers uncover a pot smuggling operation, and the race is on to crack the ring while fending off their rivals and possibly saving their jobs. Written by the Broken Lizard comedy group, this was the first movie to get picked up for distribution at Sundance, and understandably so. It is a fast-paced comedy, full of sight gags and drug humor for those who like their comedy with a pint of brew, and obscure film references and quick one-liners that you have to be sober to catch. Jay Chandrasekhar’s SUPER TROOPERS is a movie that is fun for all.

—Sandhya Shardanand