Philly Film Fest Picks: Cowboys, Honky Killers And Siamese Rock Twins
SPOTLIGHT ON: The Last Western Director: Chris Deaux
ìPioneertown basically died in 1959,î says a resident early on in Philly native Chris Deauxís doc about this small Cali hole whose entire existence is something of a flight of fancy anyway. Originally conceived as a living movie set for the Westerns of the 1940s and ë50s, the teeny tiny town has, in death, become a wildy eccentric hideaway, and the very kind of place youíd like to move to, you know, after your nervous breakdown/disbarrment/intervention. But what makes Pioneertown something more than that ó and what makes Deauxís picture so compelling ó is the townís never-quite-severed relationship with the movies. Itís still a movie set, only thereís no movies being made there. And the townspeople, man, forget about it: Characters all the way.
ó Joey Sweeney
Playing: International House, 2:30pm; director will be in attendance.
ALSO RECOMMENDED:
A Boy Called Twist: A South African take on wist, also plopped right into the middle of the African AIDS pandemic. But it looks weirdly uplifting ó either that, or just the Dickens classic put through a City Of God blender. Either way, right on.
Pound: Festival honoree Robert Downey, Sr.ís lost weirdo countercultural protest film jamboree, in which the city is terrorized by a HONKY KILLER! Also: Humans in the roles of puppies.
Brothers Of The Head: This year, the Festival seems to be alll about the rock ëní roll movies, and along with Stoned, this feature debut by Temple alums Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe seems to have the most last Velvet Goldmine-phantasmogoric-sexy-time value. Why? Because itís about this fictional Troggs-esque band called Bang Bang fronted by ó here it comes ó conjoined twins. Exploitation! Drugs! Awkward situations! Weíre so there.
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