Authors: Jeanette D. Moses
Sub Pop/Hardly Art Showcase @ The Mercury Lounge 10.20
When I arrived at The Mercury Lounge at 7 p.m., I was greeted with the words “SOLD OUT.” I figured it meant that this showcase was probably going to be a killer one. I liked two of the seven bands on the bill, had been told that a third would be right up my alley, and figured that since the showcase was Sub Pop and Hardly Art branded, the bands that I was unfamiliar with would probably still be entertaining. … read more
CMJ: The Final Nights
The final nights of CMJ had a strange way of mashing into each other. It’s always easy to party until the sun comes up in NYC, but when you throw in a music festival that comes with occasional free drinks and bars that stay open until 4 a.m. it becomes exponentially easier. … read more
The House I Live In
Inspired by director Eugene Jarecki’s relationship with his childhood caretaker, The House I Live In serves as a great introduction and overview of America’s 40-year-long war on drugs. Through a series of interviews with law enforcement officers, scientists, drug users, drug dealers, incarcerated individuals and the families of the incarcerated, Jarecki paints a vivid picture explaining that the violation of drug laws has become a multi-generational problem for poor Americans. … read more
We’re Not Broke
United States tax law is purposely complicated. This is why people hire accountants. Unfortunately, the complexity of the U.S. tax code is exactly what has allowed the majority of multi-billion dollar U.S. companies to evade paying taxes through the use of offshore tax havens. Turns out U.S. companies hire accountants too, often times ones who helped write portions of the tax code, or have spent time working for the I.R.S. … read more
The Law in These Parts
The Law in These Parts looks at the same issue as another World Cinema Documentary Competition film, 5 Broken Camera: Israel’s control over the West Bank. After seeing both films, it feels impossible to review one without referencing the other. Although both films cover essentially the same topic, the manner in which they are told and the perspective differ. … read more
Kid-Thing
Ten-year-old Annie is an aimless child with an emotionally absent father who lives outside of Austin. Her dad is a goat farmer who spends his time scratching lotto cards, shooting fireworks with his dim-witted friends and competing in demolition derbys. He doesn’t do much parenting. Annie fills her time with a variety of destructive activities such as smashing birthday cakes, hucking dough at cars, paint-balling dead cows and wandering the woods near her home … read more
Shut Up and Play the Hits
Directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace were interested in making a film about the calculated and controlled demise of LCD Soundsystem because they wondered why. “Why would Murphy, at the height of LCD’s career, decide to disband?” … read more
Compliance
Based on a true event, Compliance takes place in an Ohio fast food joint called Chickwich. In the midst of a rush, manager Sandra receives a call from a police officer informing her that one of her employees has stolen money out of a customer’s purse. The officer instructs Sandra that she needs to hold the employee in the back room until they can arrive, but then decides it will be easier for everyone if Sandra starts the investigation herself. … read more
Declaration of War
Romeo and Juliette meet at a party and quickly fall in love. In no time, they move in together and find themselves pregnant. Early on, they fear that something is wrong with their son Adam—he cries incessantly, he keeps vomiting up his milk and doesn’t seem to be learning things as fast as his peers. A series of tests confirm the young parent’s fears: their son has a brain tumor. … read more
Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
Sundance-vet Stacy Peralta returned to the festival this year with his fourth documentary, Bones Brigade. Opening with a completely black screen and the sounds of polyurethane wheels again cement, Bones Brigade tells the story of the team by the same name, managed by Stacy Peralta, who eventually churned out some of the biggest and most influential names in skating. … read more