Who Are You People?

I want to put another film recommendation out there -- this one for the new Anthony Hopkins picture, The World's Fastest Indian. Hopkins plays a real-life figure named Burt Munro, a New Zealander who sets out to take his highly modified, 40-year-old Indian motorcycle halfway around the world, to the Bonneville salt flats, to have a go at the land speed record.

I went for the motorcycle, but stayed for the story.

This is a really neat film, and I think it's one of Hopkins' best performances since Remains of the Day. It's a rich character study of a truly entertaining figure -- funny and heart-wrenching all at once. And it's a story based on a philosophy that I can get behind: don't let fear keep you from living your life.

Roger Donaldson is a respectable filmmaker (Thirteen Days is a compelling ride, and I'll take Dante's Inferno over Volcano every time), but this is top shelf work from him. Indian was a labor of love, and it shows. It hasn't gotten very much press, but I urge everyone to give it a shot. I think you'll be surprised.

Posted by Michael Gilvary at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If you're in southern California, and you fancy yerself a filmmaker, consider entering the Lost Weekend Competition, a 48-hour film contest that's part of the Silverlake Film Festival. The contest, which is being hosted by The SoCal Film Group (of which I am a member), is being held the weekend of March 24-26.

The idea is this. Friday night, you'll be given the parameters of your film. Then you write, shoot and edit your short film in time to premiere it that Sunday night.

Can't be done, you say? Yeah, you're probably right. You'd better stay home that weekend. You can watch your Return of the King DVD again and dream about finally getting off your ass to make your own movie.

(That's right, bitch. I just threw down the gauntlet.)

Posted by Michael Gilvary at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)