Butt-Numb-A-Thon 12

Butt-Numb-A-Thon 12 (the Dirty Dozenth) took place this past weekend, and it was extremely enjoyable. A movie geek’s delight. It’s always awesome, but this year it was nothing but fun from start to finish. For those of you who don’t know about Butt-Numb-A-Thon (aka BNAT), it is an annual 24-hour film festival thrown by Harry Knowles, others from the Ain’t It Cool News crowd, and the crew of the incomparable Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, TX (best theater ever). It takes place on or near Harry’s birthday, and the proceeds go to fund the Free Alamo Kid’s Club screenings throughout the year. It always takes place at an Alamo Drafthouse location (the past three years at the South Lamar venue).

BNAT itself is an indescribable movie-going experience that I’m going to attempt to describe anyway. You must apply to get in, answering various crazy/fun themed questions and submitting a photo also in keeping with the annual theme, which generally has something to do with the number (for BNAT 10 it was The Ten Commandments, for BNAT11 it was THX-1138, and this year, the twelfth BNAT, it was The Dirty Dozen). This year also included optional submission of a video of you singing the Mandom song (the theme song for some 1970s Japanese cologne commercials featuring Charles Bronson). Those lucky enough to get in are shut into a theater for 24 hours with like-minded movie geeks for continuous showings of a combination of vintage films and unreleased premiers. Often actors, directors, producers or other such interested parties will introduce their films, either in person or via pre-recorded video. In between movies there are also lots of vintage trailers, long exclusive clips of upcoming films, and other interstitial antics. This year we were treated to Gravy the Stuttering Insult Comic, who roasted several members of the crowd.

With this bare bones description of BNAT (which really doesn’t do it justice) out of the way, here is a chronological list of the line up with mini-reviews. There were actually two we were admonished not to divulge details about besides how we felt about the films (which I’ll note below), and one we’re not even allowed to talk about (which I’ve omitted entirely). Enjoy.

(THIS AWESOME REVIEW CONTINUES AFTER THE JUMP!)

True Grit (Release date 12/22/2010) – This was my favorite film of the festival. I’m already a huge Coen brothers fan, but this is now very near the top of my list of favorite films by them. It is absolutely brilliant. And while I truly enjoyed the 1969 John Wayne/Kim Darby version, I can see why so many people are saying this one is better. Jeff Bridges gives his own wonderfully gruff flavor to Marshal Rooster Cogburn, Matt Damon is a pleasant surprise as tag-along Texas Ranger Le Beouf, and Hailee Steinfeld is delightfully acerbic as Mattie Ross, who hires Cogburn in her quest to avenge her father’s death. Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper also give notably wonderful performances as baddies. But everyone else is great, too. No line is wasted. The cinematography is wonderful. And the soundtrack, which seemed to solely consist of variations of the hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” (perhaps a nod to Night of the Hunter), fit perfectly. After a few minutes of getting used to my new gritty western surroundings, I was transfixed until the end of the film. This movie is the Coen brothers in top form, and I recommend everyone see it.

Le Samourai (1967) – This is a very stylish French film noir that purportedly influenced the likes of John Woo and Quentin Tarantino. The protagonist is a hit man who spends the film trying to shore up his alibi and elude the police after a job. It is minimalist in that there is little dialogue, but there is a lot present in terms of scene design, small character details, knowing glances, etc. Check it out if you ever get the chance.

On the Town (1949) – Wonderfully fun musical with Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, and Ann Miller, among others. I have had the opening song caught in my head ever since seeing it, but that’s not a bad thing. It is cute, funny, and Kelly’s acrobatic dance skills are always something to see.

40 minutes of Cowboys & Aliens (Release date 7/29/2011) – To our delight (a word I’m using over and over to describe the event), Ron Howard, Jon Favreau, and Roberto Orci came out to introduce this early edit of the film. I am not allowed to give details on this one, but I can say that I really liked what I saw. The cast is impressive to say the least (how can you beat Daniel Craig, Clancy Brown, Keith Carradine, Sam Rockwell, and Harrison Ford all in the same movie?), the bit we saw was very entertaining, and it looks like it will be a great popcorn movie. I cannot wait to see the finished product.

8 minute clip of Rango (Release date 3/4/2011) – After a video intro by Gore Verbinski, we saw an entire contiguous scene. It was quite amusing, and the animation and the textures were just amazing. One friend commented that he thought it would be too scary for his four year old, but this one should be good for older kids and adults. If the rest of the film is anything like the clip, this will be worth seeing on opening night.

Santa Fe Trail (1940) – This Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havilland vehicle was pretty offensive due to its stance on slavery (meandering somewhere along the states’ rights, “the south will work it out in its own time” vein), but like many an older film whose mores do not match our own, it is still worth watching. It also stars Alan Hale (as any good Errol Flynn movie should), Ronald Reagan as a misplaced-in-time George Custer, and Raymond Massey in a memorable role as the “bad guy,” abolitionist John Brown. It plays fast and loose with history and the southerners don’t always retain their accents, but aside from the discomfort level and some jaw dropping (and again, discomfort causing) lines, it’s entertaining.

The Fighter (Release date 12/17/2010) – This is a great fight film directed by David O. Russell and starring Mark Wahlberg as welterweight boxer Micky Ward who is trying to rise above being a “stepping stone.” It also stars Amy Adams as his strong willed main squeeze and Christian Bale as his crack addicted brother and trainer who is constantly regaling everyone with stories of his former boxing glory. I can see why there is Oscar buzz for Bale, who was pretty amazing. You don’t see him or Wahlberg, but the two characters and their somewhat dysfunctional relationship. The rest of the cast is also wonderful, and a couple of the most memorable scenes involve altercations between Adams and the other females in the main character’s life. The overall tone somehow reminded me of Casino, Good Fellas and the like. Boxing fan or no, this is one to catch.

Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) – Wonderful classic film starring Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara. I was very happy to see this one since I’ve never seen it all the way through, and certainly haven’t seen it on the big screen. Great makeup on Laughton, who manages to affect you emotionally despite the fact that you only see one of his real eyes and that he doesn’t speak at all until nearly halfway through the film. Plus Maureen O’Hara generally rocks.

Falstaff (Chimes at Midnight) (1965) – This one is great, especially if you are into Shakespeare and/or Orson Welles. It is based on a play that at least in part consists of dialogue and plot from Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Orson Welles (as Falstaff himself), John Gielgud, and Margaret Rutherford (of Miss Marple fame) are among the stars. Orson Welles not only starred, but directed, and it is especially notable for being the film Welles himself cites as the best of his works. I have to admit that this was the time of night when my brain was involuntarily shutting down repeatedly. I saw large chunks of it, but occasionally I would zonk out, wake up, hear some really clever line of dialogue, and then zonk out again for a while, much to my chagrin. But what I saw was most enjoyable. The really pitiable thing about missing even a minute of it is that it is out of print on DVD and very hard to find. There are few film prints in existence (maybe just one!), so it is not likely to pop up on the big screen again. I sincerely hope that this film will come out on DVD once again, and that some effort will be made to create new film prints. It would be a shame if this movie were lost. I will be hunting down an old copy, on VHS if necessary.

“Time Piece” short (1965) – Fun, quirky, and potentially depressing pre-muppet short film by genius Jim Henson. It made me want to quit my job. It also features Frank Oz (credited as Frank Oznowicz).

Richard Pryor Live in Concert (1979) – Hilarious stand up act shot in Long Beach, CA. At this point I had been up so long that I should have passed out, but the constant laughter kept me awake. Pryor at his best. Find a copy (thankfully, this one is not out of print)..

The Green Hornet (Release date 1/14/2011) – This is another for which I cannot give a full review, but I will say that I really enjoyed it and look forward to seeing it again. Very funny with some good action scenes and likable main characters (played by Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, and Cameron Diaz). And the bad guy is phenomenal. Gotta love Cristoph Waltz.

Drive Angry 3D (Release date 2/25/2011) – From the creators of My Bloody Valentine3D (who introduced it in person), this Nicholas Cage vehicle is silly, over the top fun. The main character breaks out of hell to save a child and William Fichtner’s character is sent to retrieve him. Hilarity, car chases, and gun fights ensue. Cage is good, as are Amber Heard as a sort of side kick and Billy Burke as the bad guy, and there are small parts played by a couple of my favorite actors (Pruitt Taylor Vince and David Morse), but William Fichtner really steals the show and makes it all worthwhile. It’s one where you can’t go in expecting anything serious or even plausible. I would recommend seeing this one for sheer entertainment value.

Tron: Legacy (Release date 12/17/2010) – Near the end of the festival we were ordered from our seats and into three large buses that shuttled us to the local IMAX theater, where we were practically frisked before entry (no handbags or recording devices allowed). There was some joking about us being there to see the new Yogi Bear movie, and then it was revealed to our delight that we were going to see the new Tron. So the festival was book-ended by Jeff Bridges (come to think of it, True Grit was prefaced by an original Tron trailer). Tron: Legacy has its problems, but I was far from disappointed. It is a visual and auditory feast that I will end up seeing again. The Daft Punk soundtrack is spectacular. I had heard a lot of it online over the past couple of weeks and liked it a lot, but in the context of the film it is perfection. As expected, the special effects are amazing and the visual design is just beautiful. This is one movie that is probably enhanced by 3D (I’m not a total 3D hater, but I find it pointless most of the time). The IMAX experience was so immersive that I’m curious to see how it looks on a smaller screen from a few rows back (although I see another IMAX viewing in my future, as well). As to the story, it is fine for what it is. A little spartan, maybe, while still somehow raising as many questions as it answers. I guess my major qualm with the movie is that it didn’t evoke much of an emotional response from me. The story itself had some moving elements, but they weren’t moving me as much as I would expect. Perhaps it is a flaw, or perhaps it was exhaustion on my part. But the visceral enjoyment more than made up for it. I’m also not sure what was up with how they used the Tron character, or how that ending would work in the real world, but that’s a silly question for such a movie (which is certainly made to be both seen and heard, but maybe not dissected). Jeff Bridges, who plays the creator and one of his creations (the bad guy), gives not one but two solid performances, and he even has a Dude moment or two in his creator guise. Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde do well as the young leads. Bruce Boxleitner is thankfully present and accounted for. Cillian Murphy has a tiny part with a couple of good lines (sequel, perhaps?). And Michael Sheen plays an uncharacteristically over the top but fun role (the Daft Punk guys are also present in at least one of his scenes). I was hoping to rewatch the original Tron and compare, but it is apparently out of print! There are hideously expensive copies available on Amazon. Oh, well. We will have to make do with the visually stunning sequel for now.