No, I'm not talking about laundry!
I'm chronicling the past two days of Faustina's Film Festival.
All of these have been free and ON DEMAND, so I recommend viewing them sooner rather than later, as that line-up is in continual flux.
The two I saw yesterday were both ones I had seen before, in the cinema years ago.
I hadn't realized that I had seen "Hit and Run", honestly, until Bradley Cooper's dreadlocked bank robber was lamenting his jail-time sexual encounter with a Filipino guy, with Cooper being on the wrong end of the stick, if you catch my drift.
(wink, wink, nod, nod)
That scene was rather late in the 2012 movie.
The best parts were when the former getaway-driver-cum-Witness-Protection-testifier is using gentle meditation techniques with his easily-stressed, over-educated girlfriend. "You are exactly where you should be." Neat stuff like that.
The worst parts were the constant bleeps for language and the onslaught of television commercials throughout.
(Ugh. Yuck. No, thank you.)
Later, I decided on a reviewing of "Into The Woods", a 2014 musical I dearly love. Hey, it had Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp, so why wouldn't I? Plus, so much singing and dancing!!!
My favorite parts were all of those with songs, of course!
My least favorite? The commercials, commercials, commercials! At least I could fast-forward through them, but that was still a distraction from the action.
No more TBS movies for me.
Today, I resolved to do something different.
Inspired by the musical, I decided to do some interweaving of my own.
Instead of combining familiar tales - like "Cinderella", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Rapunzel", and "Jack and the Beanstalk" - I would search out other myths to highlight. What better way to showcase some of the many shorts now available ON DEMAND?
the 2015 short based on Navajo folklore
about the Hero Twins.
Part of its appeal was in its title,
but I also like the way the short tells its story.
This film takes the time to develop the relationship between the narrating teen girl, her technlogy-whiz twin brother, their medicine man grandfather, and their mellow uncle. Then the fun starts, as the twins take on Yhe Path of the Warrior (Slayer of Monsters) and the Path of Harmony (Born of Water) to unite and save their community.
Admittedly, I had seen this one about two months ago, but really wanted to include it in my FFF - so I have!
However, the other six shorts were all new to me and specifically chosen as they explore modern myths.
When the girl decides to enter the "Battle of the Voices" contest, she mistakenly believes she has to have flowing hair to win...
and when her wig flies off, she realizes the truth behind the words of the song she is singing.
"You can't sing my song/ you can't be like me/
you can't reach my level/ I just can't not be me."
Fabulous!
was only seven minutes and was an animated film,
but had a very serious message.
Young black African women bleach their skin, chasing the dream of "yellow" instead of embracing their natural "ebony," "chocolate", or "toffee."
The myth of "bleached is beautiful" espoused by cream-lightening commercials had even affected a pre-school-aged girl, who wanted "to be white" and was "uncomfortable" with her image in the mirror.
Quite powerful.
Watch it here and you will see.
Very nice tale of two young men with good heads on their shoulders!
And guess what? It's going to be a full-length film!
(I hope it'll be coming to Savannah!)
and then his wife enters. Yikes!
Meanwhile, the other woman had thought they were going to be celebrating their "six-month anniversary" of dating. What a myth she was living, that he might leave his wife for her.
Sad, but this happens far too often.
Remember, folks: "separated" does not mean "single."
I did find the use of subtitled texting quite interesting.
Nice touch.
"Jamaica T. Jones & The End Of The World"
to my rescue!
(smile!)
First, she had a nightmare about the End of the World coming after her. Then she loses her job for sassing her boss. A trip to a psychic, who uses a game of dominoes to divine truth, confirms that the End of the World is coming for her. Yikes! The only way to prevent catastrophe, she is told, if to be nice to folks even if she doesn't want to and to apologize t her former boss.
(smile)
Of course, that's not something Jamaica wants to hear... but she does try...
to her philandering boyfriend who has just told her he's impregnated three other women...
to her thieving landlord who has stolen her favorite red panties from the laundry...
to her stalker who has to tell her that he's her stalker (as if she didn't know)...
and to her ex-boss, who sold one of her framed photographs after she left.
And she finds out that losing her job was NOT the End of the World...
that's actually a dance party that she goes to and meets her new boyfriend!
LOL!
After that laugh-break, I wanted just one more...
Brandy has one week to find a new apartment.
Her current roommate is moving out and the place she had thought was all lined up falls through when its tenant changes her mind.
What to do?
She doesn't want to move to East Flatbush... does she?
None of her friends think it's the right place to go, but what else can she afford?
Watch for yourself and see what she does.
And don't buy into the hype that realtors talk about "location, location, location."
Myths... fables... urban legends... hype.
Perhaps I will compare these in the future... we'll see!
Meanwhile, stay tuned for another block of shorts in the future for Faustina's Film Festival...
I sure will!
(smile!)
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