SXSW 2010: 'Reel Injun' review. I don’t know what the bigger travesty is, that I was taught relatively nothing about Native American history in high school, or that I was taught nothing at all about Native American film history in film school. After 9/11 patriotism came back in a big way. But what does it really mean to be an American? I’m American because I was born in this land, but my ancestors come from Europe so am I really American? The story of the real Americans is a tragedy and a shame that this nation should never live down. But on the other hand, I wouldn’t exist here if not for the suffering of the indigenous peoples. My white guilt runs deep. The least European American’s could have done was not add insult to injury. But unfortunately not only was what happened to the Native American’s a terrible genocide, the film industry effectively erased their history and culture as well in the collective subconscious of the world.

The film “Reel Injun,” is about the legacy of Native American’s in Hollywood films, from the beginning of film until now. There is so much about Native American’s in film that I did not know. Somehow in all the film history classes I took this information was omitted. I found this film to be fascinating and incredible. This is one of the best films I saw at the entire SXSW 2010 festival.

SXSW 2010:  'World's Largest' review. I’m sure at some point many of us have wondered what is the deal with all those tourist traps that tout they are the “worlds largest” fill in the blank. Oddly enough I visited one on the way to SXSW 2010. It’s the world’s biggest peanut in Ashburn GA, and believe it or not it makes an appearance in this film. I took many a picture in front of it, stopped to eat some chicken and went on my merry way, not giving it a second thought. The minds behind this film however did all the grunt work that none of us really ever thought we would care about. They illuminated a world that nobody ever thinks of. And they made a really fascinating documentary.

“Worlds Largest,” is about the all of those roadside things, from the world’s biggest apple, to the world’s biggest cow, and even shows us one town’s struggle to build the world’s largest lava lamp. I really enjoyed this film. It’s full of that charm that is purely American. And it really delves deeply into why all these things exist. It’s a sad story really, of a shifting American landscape. Small towns that fall on hard times risk losing their way of life forever. The only way they can really think of reinvigorating their local economy is to build something that will bring in tourist dollars, often in vain. Most people it turns out do what I did; stop, take a picture, eat, and leave.

SXSW 2010: 'Centurion' review. I have a very rare opportunity before me. I don’t think I have ever had this much power in my life, as little power as it may be. I feel the way I felt on Election Day. I have the potential to keep a terrible movie from being released, and that is what I hope to do. I was privileged enough to have my brains insulted at a secret screening of “Centurion,” at SXSW 2010. I should have known what I was getting myself into. I remember when I saw “The Descent,” just how bad I thought it was. There must be something to that movie because I remember everyone I was with liked it, but to me it was one of the worst things I had ever seen. It’s rare that I actually hate something, because hatred takes effort. But I can safely say that I really hate this movie. And if I can somehow voice these feelings and stop people from wasting their hard earned money, or possibly stop more movies like this from being made, then I have done my good deed for the day.

“Centurion,” is about a Roman soldier who is trapped behind enemy lines fighting the Picts in England. One odd thing about this film is that you’re supposed to be on the Roman’s side, even though they are the invaders. What makes it even weirder is that the the actors playing Roman’s are British, so it’s like they are desecrating their own history or something.

SXSW 2010: 'Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission' review. When you are a kid, one of the biggest dreams you might have is to be an astronaut. But for most of us that dream dies when we grow up. Most of us are not Richard Garriott. As a boy he grew up with an astronaut for a father. When he was still in his teens he created one of the first computer games, and became an unlikely billionaire. Now with the means and the opportunity he was able to accomplish his dream of traveling into space. Luckily for us, he brought a camera with him to document his trip.

“Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission,” is a documentary chronicling Garriott’s training and eventual launch into space. And while this film is an interesting portrait of a man determined to live his dream, he is rarest of men who have the ability to actually realize it. The film is not really about any kind of struggle. All the obstacles facing Garriott are quickly solved by his fabulous wealth. There is no problem too big to throw money at. He is extremely lucky in this way. But what saves the film is the fact that he actually captured footage that none of us would ever have seen otherwise. All the footage of the actual launch and of the international space station is incredible. Just as a pure document of space life, it is remarkable. Every second of footage in space is mesmerizing.

SXSW 2010: 'All My Friends Are Funeral Singers' review. Ugh… I don’t even want to write this review but I guess it’s my job. This one will be personal; I’ll give you the whole story. I went to see this film with two friends who are big fans of the band Califone. The interesting thing about the screening at SXSW is that the band performed the soundtrack to the film live in front of us. And while that was an interesting experience, someone like me, who is not familiar with this particular band, has no place being in that movie theater.

“All My Friends are Funeral Singers,” is a film about a medium and the spirits that inhabit her home. Those spirits include the band Califone. The movie was also directed by a member of the band. I had never heard of this band but I went in with an open mind. Having been a musician, I try to understand music even if it’s not to my particular taste.

SXSW 2010: 'A Serbian Film' review. If you are reading this please understand that it is a warning. You are not going to enjoy this film. If you do enjoy this film then you did not understand it. Never in my life have I seen such unspeakable things recreated in a movie. It’s rare that I have a visceral reaction to something so strong that I am physically ill or queasy. I’ve seen a lot of movies and I have never seen anything quite as disturbing as this. If you are a gore fan you may be thinking to yourself “Awesome, I’m gonna love this movie.” And if somehow you are not rocked to your core by this film then you my friend are a sociopath. So now that you’ve been warned let me tell you about this film.

“A Serbian Film,” is remarkable. It is the story of a retired porn star who is desperate for money for his family. He takes a job that promises him millions but he soon finds out it will cost him more than he bargained for as he is forced to perform terrible acts. To further warn you I will give away one of the tamer scenes in the film. Please keep in mind that what I am about to describe is the tip of the iceberg, that is, it gets soooooo much worse than this!! In one scene a woman has all her teeth pulled out and is forced to perform fellatio on a man with her blood spewing gums until she chokes to death. How can it be any more disturbing than that you wonder?

SXSW 2010: 'The People vs George Lucas' review. Having gone to film school I know all too well the impact that George Lucas has had on a generation. Many people were inspired by him to pursue careers in the world of film. I personally love "Star Wars,” but to be honest I love his movie “THX 1138,” even more. “Star Wars,’ is not the be all and end all of film that fans make it out to be. There are people out there who take his movies way too seriously. It’s because they associate his films so strongly with feelings of childhood. And so he has a very uneasy relationship with these people. On the one hand they made him a billionaire, on the other… well… would you want fans like his if you thought of yourself as a serious artist?

This and other debates are at the heart of the film “The People vs George Lucas.” It’s a movie about the “Star Wars” fans and how conflicted they have become over the years. You might think this film harkens back to another film about obsessive fans, “Trekkies,” but I assure you this film is not quite as good. The film is full of interviews with experts on popular culture and fans alike. And while the information from the experts is the most interesting, as a fan none of the information in this film is new to me. I feel almost like I might have enjoyed it more had I known absolutely nothing about “Star Wars.”

SXSW 2010: 'Trash Humpers' film review. So I had no particular feeling one way or another toward Harmony Korine. I like the movie “Kids,” and “Julien Donkey-Boy,” which is a film that is oddly unique and surprisingly funny and sad and disturbing. But I wouldn’t say I was a huge fan. That is until I saw the new film “Trash Humpers.” I don’t even know where to begin with this film. And it’s quite inexplicable. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And I have no idea what it means or what it’s even about. And also, it was awesome and I wish I could watch it again. It's easily my new favorite movie of SXSW 2010. This might be a really short review because I don't want to give it away and I also don't really know what to say.

So “Trash Humpers” should give you an idea of what you are going to see in the film; people humping trash. It’s fucking strange but amazing. It’s about people who are perhaps elderly and surely deranged and a series of weird events and encounters that happens over the course of a few days and nights. It is shot (or made to look like it was shot) entirely on VHS, which makes the film that much more interesting.

SXSW 2010: Review for 'Dirty Pictures'. I don’t even know where to begin with this film because it was so good. This is the first film I’ve seen at SXSW 2010 that really blow me away. Not only is it a fascinating subject for a documentary, but the film itself is quite incredible to watch. It’s rare that I am at a loss, or I don’t quite know how to express myself, but I feel like that now. This film to me was an example of how documentaries should be made. It really exceeded my expectations and constantly surprised me. The sheer filmmaking technique in this one film is like taking a college course on documentaries. Let’s get to the specifics.

“Dirty Pictures,” is about chemist Alexander Shulgin, who it’s clear from this film is one of the most brilliant minds of his time. He has dedicated his life to creating new synthetic compounds and testing their psychedelic effects on his own brain. He is also responsible for the popularization of MDMA, or Ecstasy. The film begins with a lot of back story shown through different clips from television that have been reconstituted. But at the heart of the film is the life of this one brilliant chemist and his wife, and their impact on the world of chemistry and the fields of neuroscience and pharmacology.

SXSW 2010: Review for 'Myth of the American Sleepover'. These are the movies that break my heart. It’s not bad but it’s not good either, which is hard to say to someone if they just spent all their money fulfilling a lifelong dream. How can I, some guy whose opinions are no more valid than anyone else’s, attempt to criticize something like this? All I did was pay to go somewhere where I watched movies and read books on movies all day, anyone could do that. So what I think really doesn't amount to anything. The other thing is I've worked on films just like this. I know just how hard the people on this film worked, how much money they had to spend and how impossible it is to get any movie made at all. Should I really judge the merit of the film when I wish I could give it and A for effort? It's not very fair.

Here it goes. “The Myth of the American Sleepover” is about a group of teens who have one last night of fun before school starts. Let me say right off the bat that at the beginning I was expecting to totally hate this movie, but by the end I was entertained enough that I was surprised. The film is about those transitionary years when you aren’t a kid anymore but you aren’t yet an adult. It’s often vaguely sexual, but ends up being quite tame.

SXSW 2010: Review for 'Thorn in the Heart'. Michel Gondry is a video artist. He does things with video that I often don’t fully understand how they could be possible. There is no question of his talent as a film maker. He has had a lot of success in the last decade. No matter which form he attempts he always manages to make something interesting. Now he has decided to make a notably more personal documentary entitled “The Thorn in the Heart.”

The film opens with a scene that most families can relate to, sitting around a table eating dinner listening to old stories. The film is foremost about Gondry’s aunt, Suzette. It seems at first to be a chronicling of her life as a school teacher, in France in the 50s and 60s. The first half of the film is quite slow, which makes it hard to get into. But soon the film finds another focus and we come to understand that the film is about a woman who was able to influence the lives of many generations, but was unable to properly understand or influence her own son. This is also a film about the making of itself. Gondry breaks the fourth wall by presumably happy accidents, which adds realism to the film. The film is also peppered with archival footage from his family’s old home movies.

SXSW 2010: Review for 'Marwencol'. “Marwencol” is probably not a movie you will be able to see when I post this review. I saw it today at SXSW. And while I wouldn't classify it as a great documentary per se, its subject is fascinating. It revolves around the life of artist Mark Hogancamp as he struggles to recover from an attack that left him brain damaged, by creating a miniature world in his yard. This is one of those things that's stranger than fiction; if you made it up no one would buy it, but it is in fact real.

Before the attack Hogancamp was an alcoholic, with a great artistic talent. After he was brain damaged he not only lost all his memories but also his motor skills and his identity. He no longer had any desire to drink but he also lost his ability to draw. When he ran out of money to pay for therapy, necessity drove him to escape into a 1/6th scale World War II town of his own construction named Marwencol. He created doppelgangers of himself and those in his life and created stories within this small world as a way of regaining his mental faculties. His talent for composition and artistic attention to detail could not be undone by the brutal assault he suffered. These are in fact the most stunning images in the whole film.