Maryland Film Fest Picks, Part 1

by Eric Allen Hatch

Each year, the MobTown Shank is fortunate to get picks from the Maryland Film Fest programmers - a list of personal favorites - to help guide our way through all there is to see over the several days that are chock full o' cinematic goodness.

5.1 - 5.4 10TH ANNUAL MARYLAND FILM FESTIVAL
Baltimore. The Charles Theater.

This year we'll present these picks in 2 installments. Part 1 is a list of picks from Eric Allen Hatch.

Eric Hatch of Maryland Film Festival here. Skizz Cyzyk and I co-program Maryland Film Festival. As festival programmers, our position on "what's good at Maryland Film Festival this year?" is: "Everything." And for sure, I think we have a very strong and very consistent line-up this year.

That said, as citizens of the world who've seen a lot of these movies before the festival, we do, of course have favorites. Here are some of mine.

Schedule and advance tickets can be had at www.mdfilmfest.com.

CHOP SHOP

Affecting, neo-neo-realist fictional story of Queens street kids from an Iranian-trained, Iranian-American filmmaker. Top notch indie art-house! For fans of Raising Victor Vargas and/or Killer of Sheep.

GOLIATH

Very odd deadpan comedy about a downtrodden dude (his coworkers call him "Bitch-tits") who loses his cat, pushing him over the edge. I laughed a lot. Showing with local mover/shaker Josh Slates' new work [a movie produced by The MobTown Shank]!

I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW

Squirm-inducing doc about two delusional stalkers of former teen-idol Tiffany. If you enjoy the cruel sting that comes with laughing AT highly disturbed people, check out this doc; if you prefer laughing WITH people, see We Are Wizards (below).

INTIMIDAD

Verite-style doc about Mexican border-town couple trying to make ends meet. Politics hang in the background; their touching real-life story is fully in the forefront.

MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY

Excellent African-American narrative set in San Francisco about the morning after a one-night stand. Inspired by the French New Wave and the anti-gentrification movement, one of the freshest debut films I've seen in a while!

MISS SADIE THOMPSON in 3-D

I haven't seen it -- but hey, it's Rita Hayworth in 3-D!

NOT YOUR TYPICAL BIGFOOT MOVIE

PROFIT MOTIVE AND THE WHISPERING WIND
Not for everyone, but this Howard Zinn-inspired experimental documentary (comprised primarily of tombstones and related landmarks of leftist actists) is unlike anything I've seen before.

TULIA, TEXAS

Engaging, enraging doc about the drug war, and a Texas cop who stars arresting all the black people in a small town on trumped-up drug charges.

UNDERWORLD
1927 silent gangster film with live score by Alloy Orchestra (which includes a member of Mission of Burma!).

THE UPSETTER
Documentary about reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. What crazy string of words won't come out of his mouth next? This guy's a maniac, in the best possible way!

WATER FRONT

Doc rivaling Tulia, Texas for the righteous rage factor; a small Michigan town outside Detroit has almost all its public services shut off. $250,000/year consultants come in and try to privatize their water supply! Fuck those guys! The people organize and fight back.

WOODPECKER
Fact/fiction hybrid film about a small town transformed by an alleged sighting of a rare woodpecker -- and a Don Quixote-esque character who wants to confirm the bird's reappearance. Probably the "quirkiest" feature in the fest.

WE ARE WIZARDS

Empowering doc about the Harry Potter fan world, particularly the "Wizard Rock" music genre. Lots of energy, creativity, free-thinking, and anti-corporate energy in this one! And as mentioned above, its many laughs are of the "laughing with" variety.

WR: MYSTERIES OF THE ORGANISM

Legendary psychedelic-era freak-out about the connections between socialism and sex, and Wilhelm Reich's belief in sexual "orgonne" energy. Presented by Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney.

YEAST
A challenging, warts-and-all film about a controlling 20-something woman and the also-imperfect friends in her life who have finally decided to tell her to fuck off. From much of the team that brought us last year's Frownland; within minutes last year I had one person tell me Frownland was the best film they'd ever seen, and another threaten me physically while asking for their $$$ back. Feeling brave? Yeast just might be the film for you!