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I Am Woman – Raising Her Voice

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♫ “I am strong. I am invincible. I am woman.” ♫

Those words were part of what became the anthem of the Second Wave Women’s Movement in the 1970s. Unjoo Moon makes it the cornerstone of her Helen Reddy biopic, I Am Woman. The film is in part a celebration of her music set within her story amidst the background of the Women’s Movement.

Helen Reddy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) arrives with her daughter in New York in 1966 thinking she has won a record contract. It turns out the label has no plans for her. She sings in a lounge trying to make ends meet, but it is a struggle. She is befriended by fellow Aussie Lilian Roxon (Danielle Macdonald). At a party, she also meets Jeff Wald (Evan Peters) who is seeking a way into the management business. Jeff and Helen hit it off romantically. They move to Los Angeles where Jeff gets his foot in the door of the industry, but Helen is languishing in the role of housewife. She nags him into doing for her what he does for other clients, eventually getting her a chance to record some covers. That gets her started on her career.

Throughout the first half of the film, the demeaning nature of the male dominated entertainment industry (and culture as a whole) is obvious. She is pigeon-holed in a certain genre of music. Her husband is in many ways just as bad as everyone else in his view of the place of women, but he knows how to help Helen find success. It becomes obvious when she writes “I Am Woman” and wants to include it on her album. The men react to it, thinking it sounds “angry” and “man-hating”. But Jeff convinces them to bury it in the last half of the album because no one listens to that part anyway. But Jeff promotes that song in ways that make it a hit. Helen is one her way.

This is a by-the-numbers biopic. Intro. Struggle. Love interest. Success. Marital problems. Finding a new personal fulfillment. That motif is frequently used to tell stories that are designed to inspire. I Am Woman is a story of a woman who has to overcome both the struggle to find success, and the effects of attaining it.

Playing in the background is the society-wide struggle that women faced during that period. We see bits of the Women’s Movement and the battle for the Equal Rights Amendment. In some ways, Helen Reddy’s story reflects that period. She faces being talked down to because she is a woman. But she also becomes a symbol of a successful woman, with her own TV show, and worldwide fame. But there is also a downside to the life she has tried so hard at achieve. And in the end, like the ERA, perhaps all the success is just for show and there needs to be more done.

I Am Woman is playing in theaters and on VOD.

The Tax Collector: Dealing Righteous Justice

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Say what you will about David Ayer but he knows how to get your attention.

While he has dabbled in recent years in more ‘studio fare’ such as DC’s widely panned Suicide Squad and Netflix’s Bright, Ayers success as a storyteller has always depended on his ability to push boundaries and build intensity. With The Tax Collector, the writer/director brings back the bullets and blood with a story that is both intense and gripping.

The Tax Collector returns writer/director Ayer to the streets with a dark and gritty look at the Los Angeles drug wars. Working as muscle for a local criminal kingpin, ‘The Wizard’, David (Bobby Soto) and Creeper (Shia LeBoeuf) are charged with collecting the protection ‘taxes’ from local drug dealers. Off duty, David is a loving husband and father who tries to keep the criminal world separate from his home life. However, when new drug lord Conejo (Jose Conejo Martin) tries to force his way into Wizard’s territory, the rivalry takes a dark turn and David is forced to decide where his allegiance truly lies.

With The Tax Collector, Ayer looks more comfortable behind the camera than he has in years. When he’s free from the expectations of studio franchises, Ayer is often at his best. While subtly isn’t word that’s associated with his work, his signature style of brutality can create intense and truly fascinating worlds that are worth exploring. (In fact, this need to express himself graphically may also be why his work on PG-13 franchises such as Squad and Bright have been met with lukewarm to negative responses.)

As such, just like much of his earlier work, Tax Collector is not for the faint of heart. With a tone that’s closer to End of Watch than Suicide Squad, Ayer unleashes his violent visuals with both barrels. Although many directors use gun-play and blood splatters to thrill the audience, he uses it here to disturb, showcasing the all-devouring evil of the opposing gangs. Leads Soto and LeBoeuf (who also worked with Ayer in 2016’s Fury) work well together as loyal but lethal partners, David and Creeper. Though both men appear menacing at ‘work’, their characters never fully lose their humanity and appear genuine in more intimate scenes.

With this in mind, the most fascinating aspect of Ayer’s film is the clear religious lines drawn within the gang wars themselves. Charged with extracting what is owed to ‘the Wizard’ by any means necessary, David and Creeper are feared by those they visit. Yet, despite the brutal nature of their jobs, David remains devoutly religious, praying for his family’s safety and trying to honour his faith. (Admittedly, there’s a certain sense of irony that David is willing to threaten people for money yet he struggles with the ‘demonic’ use of yoga.) Whereas Creeper may be the one who performs most of the actual violence, David seems to view his character as an agent of righteous justice against those who have broken the code of ‘the way things are done’. 

In The Tax Collector, honour and righteousness are one and the same.

What’s more, David’s strength of spiritual character is held in direct juxtaposition to the villainous Conejo. For example, although David with a sense of righteous honour to ensure that people obey, Conejo plays by his own rules. As he rises in power, Conejo is portrayed as the fullest depiction of demonic evil, complete with ritual sacrifice. At the expense of everyone who stands in his way, power and control remain his only goals. 

However, held in contrast to the darkness of Conejo, David is shown an angel of light, maintaining the purity of his soul yet empowered to inflict God’s wrath when needed. Caught between two worlds, David’s heart yearns for love and yet his hands are prepared to dish out Old Testament vengeance. As things begin to escalate between the two men, the lines begin to blur and David must decide what it means to be a man of honour. (In fact, he and his crew even suggest that their revenge is a way for them to ‘cleanse themselves of sin’.)

Despite being visceral and brutal, The Tax Collector is a return to form for Ayer and showcases what an intense storyteller he can be when given the opportunity. Collector may operate within a world without law but Ayer gives it a moral code and spiritual heart that are compelling to watch.

The Tax Collector is available on VOD on September 8th, 2020. 

Gather – More than Something to Eat

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“The Red Nation shall rise again and it shall be a blessing or a sick world, a world filled with broken promises, selfishness and separation, a world longing for light again.” (Crazy Horse)

Food is more than just physical sustenance; it is often an important part of a community’s identity and life. Gather, from director Sanjay Rawal, enters into the relationship between Native American’s and their traditional food sources. We learn not only about the food, but also what those foods meant—and still mean—in those cultures.

The film notes early on that seventy percent of all foods consumed around the world were developed by the indigenous peoples of the Americas. These include tomatoes, potatoes, corn, zucchini, and chocolate. There was a great diversity among the various nations that populated North America before European colonization. The film focuses on three very different sets of Native Americans as they seek to reconnect with the food sources of their ancestors.

Among those we meet are Chef Nephi Craig of the White Mountain Apache Nation and Twila Cassadore of the San Carlos Apache Nation. Craig is working to build a restaurant that will serve the traditional foods. Cassadore is a forager who knows the kinds of foods that the people lived off of through the years. We also meet Samuel Gensaw of the Yurok Nation. He and others have fought for native fishing rights in Northern California. Elsie Dubray of the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation comes from a family that raises bison. She has done science fair projects dealing with bison meat and with the high levels of diabetes in Native Americans.

Each of these very different perspectives create a mosaic how food continues to be an important part of the Native American culture. However, often that connection to traditional foods has been lost. Gensaw describes the area he lives in as a “food desert”. There are no stores for miles around. For many it means shopping at the gas station. But by seeking to restore the people’s connection to the river, with its salmon and eels, there can be better food available.

Throughout the film, we see ways that food is different from just meeting our physical needs. There is a certain spirituality about food and the way we relate to the environment and to one another. These people all find connection between who they are in their communities and the foods they work with and share with others.

The film also makes the point that often food was a part of the genocide against Native Americans. One of the ways Europeans sought to destroy the indigenous peoples was through cutting off their food sources. It led to starvation, dependency, and ultimately being separated from the land that had sustained them. This history leads people in the film to talk about food sovereignty. Their rights to traditional foods are not just about connecting to the past, it is a sign of their independence and separateness form the broader culture.

We often overlook the many ways food is part of our lives. Even when we offer a prayer of thanksgiving over our meals, it may be more of a routine than an actual acknowledgement of meals as part of our spiritual lives. By seeing the many ways food has import in the lives of these Native Americans, we may also want to consider the many ways our body, minds, and spirit are fed by our own eating habits.

Gather is available on iTunes and Amazon.

Photos courtesy of Illumine.

Fragile Dreams: 1on1 with Jack Mulhern (ODD MAN RUSH)

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While all sports have their passionate diehards, Jack Mulhern knows there’s something special about hockey fans.

Whether their home team has just won the Stanley Cup or if they’ve gone over 50 years without winning it all (sigh, sorry Leafs), hockey seems to connect deeply with the soul of its fans in ways that other sports don’t. As the star of the new hockey rom-com Odd Man Rush, Mulhern believes that what continues to draw people to the sport is the combative nature of the game and the offbeat personalities of the players.

“It’s gladiatorial [and] a very physical sport,” he considers. “We’re very clannish kind of a species. We like to duke it out with the neighbors, you know? I think there’s that. I think also [people are passionate about the sport] because, from my limited experience, hockey players are nuts, but in the best way. They’re like a bunch of loons, but they’re like really good guys. I guess it’s like this a lot of the time with a lot of really serious athletes. They’re really good, wholesome people that are just insane because they’ve pursued it so far that they’re just kind of caught in all these rituals and all these quirks of being. They’re fun, little character studies being around, specifically, hockey players.” 

Odd Man Rush, tells the story of Bobby Sanders (Mulhern), a young hockey player who dreams of playing in the NHL. When his young career ends with more surgeries than goals, Bobby finds himself playing in the European minor leagues. Moving from team to team (and traded for a washer/dryer combo), Bobby lives his life in a constant state of change. Things begin to turn around for him when he finally lands in Sweden and meets Elin (Elektra Jansson Kilby), a check out girl who helps him to confront the reality of his childhood dreams. 

Though he had some experience in the world of hockey in his youth, star Jack Mulhern found the most relatable aspect of his character was his journey slugging it out in the trenches in order to achieve success.

“I played in middle school and followed the Rangers a little bit because I’m from New York, but I’m not [a] crazy [fan],” he explains. “Luckily again, there was a lot of people that are the real deal. Dylan [Playfair] is the real deal. Bill [Keenan], obviously, and a bunch of the other guys. I could lean on them whenever I had any questions. Other than that though, there were a lot of parallels in terms of being sort of a young, ambitious guy jumping around in the minor leagues, chasing this dream to being a young actor, jumping around from gig to gig to gig. So, I found a lot of parallels there, you know?”

When Odd Man Rush provided the opportunity to revisit the hockey world, Mulhern became excited to hit the ice once again. Training with co-star Dylan Playfair, he took every opportunity that he had in the brief preparation time to reacquaint himself with the sport.

“I think I had maybe two weeks after I jumped off of this to go back,” he recalls. “Luckily, I had some equipment downstairs. Weirdly enough (or serendipitously), the previous year I was in a pilot that was close to going and one of the themes is that the character played hockey. So, I started going out to Chelsea Piers and playing pick up again, breaking in some skates and stuff like that. So, weirdly, I started that process a year before and, when this happened, I kind of was ready to go. I showed up a week in advance [to get] as much time as I could get together and Dylan was out there. He stayed with me every single day leading up to the beginning of production. So, shout out to Dylan. He’s the best.”

While Odd Man Rush may be a romantic comedy, it still takes its hockey responsibilities seriously. Giving the film an added sense of pedigree, the cast features numerous former players/coaches, including members of hockey’s royal families in Trevor Gretzky and Alexa Lemieux. As a relative newcomer to the hockey scene, Mulhern feels that the opportunity to work with people who have lived in that world reminded him what a rabid fan-base the sport carries with it.

“Trevor [Gretzky]’s a great guy. I really like him,” Mulhern begins. “I think what I took away was the reactions to those kids of those legends is how much [people care], which makes perfect sense because it’s Gretzky and Lemieux that we’re talking about. People really care. There’s a cult of personality around it. Same thing with Dylan. Dylan’s on this great show called Letterkenny. We’d be practicing a lot or shooting in a lot of rinks and, off the rink, crowds would form slowly of these other guys practicing and rotating in and out on different rinks in whatever facility we were at. So, every single time we’d get out, we’d be mobbed by people. So, hockey fans are the real deal. You don’t want to piss off hockey fans.”

Whether in sports or the arts, films that showcase dreamers who yearn to make it in the big leagues often highlight the joy of ultimately reaching their goal.  However, while Odd Man Rush does mimic some of these tropes, it also looks at the fragility of those dreams in the face of injuries and the simple realities of playing professional hockey. 

“The downside is ostracizing the people in your life by becoming a kind of a shell of a person because you’re so consumed with satisfying this sort of abstract ambition that you have for yourself,” Mulhern reflects. “It puts a lot of strains on the relationships, not just because of travel and because you’re busy all the time, but because you’re so consumed that you kind of can’t see the forest for the trees. It’s the same thing in acting, I’m sure (or at least the connection that I made into the character). You sort of forsake life in the pursuit of life. That’s the ambition trap, and it’s something I’ve been trying to navigate for these past four or five years that I’ve been doing this for a living too. I haven’t quite gotten it dialed yet but I’m getting better though.”

“Ultimately, none of it matters if you don’t have peace of mind [or] if you’re a miserable person,” he continues. “You could be the most successful person in the world and it’s all for not. When you will have paid such a hefty price to get somewhere, and all this stuff that really matters is gone by the time you get there. [That’s] not to say that everybody that ever satisfies the full extent of their dream and makes it to the NHL is a hollow shell of a person. But I find that those people that last, are [the ones that mind] their P’s and their Q’s. They know what matters, and they’re able to juggle things in a mature way.”

With the film’s emphasis on dreaming big, Odd Man Rush features a brief but important subplot where a very young Bobby writes a letter to his future adult self. Asked what he would say if he were given the chance to speak to his childhood self, Mulhern believes that he would likely encourage young Jack to make the most of every moment early in order to pursue his ultimate goal.

“Everything that I did or was involved in kind of got me to where I’m at now and it’s necessary,” he says. “I think I do regret [that] I didn’t want to be much of anything until I was in my twenties and I was forced to, because I was so down. If I could go back, things like education and all of these things are really just a consolidated group of resources. So, what I would advise myself or to any young person going through it is that, as much as you might think it sucks, try to be about the business now of finding those things that you’re really passionate about. Pursue it while you have the youth and the time to really kind of make the most out of everything around you and go to school for it too. That would be my advice.” 

Since his experience on Odd Man Rush gave Mulhern the chance to rekindle an interest in a sport that has eluded him since his childhood, it’s fun for him to envision who he would like to play alongside. Were he given the opportunity to pick a fictional three-man roster of his own, Mulhern offered some surprising and unique choices.

“I liked [Brian] Gionta on the [New Jersey] Devil’s, back when I was playing. I liked him because I was short and he was smaller, really scrappy and a good player. So Gionta and [Henrik] Lunquist ‘tending. And Gretzky. Shout out to Trevor’s dad.”

For complete audio of our conversation with Jack Mulhern, click here.

Odd Man Rush is available on VOD now.

Feels Good Man: Redeeming the Frog

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It’s always tough when your cartoon frog becomes the symbol of white supremacy.

Wait, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.

The new documentary Feels Good Man chronicles the rise and fall of Pepe the Frog, an internet meme that became associated with alt-right extremism and hatred. Originally created by Matt Furie, Pepe was originated in Boy’s Club, an online comic that focused on four slacker friends who share the same apartment. In one particularly memorable story, Pepe is caught urinating with his pants around his ankles. When he’s confronted by his roommate about it, he simply replies, ‘Feels good, man.’. When this image became an internet meme, it eventually became co-opted as a symbol of the alt-right movement. Long after the craziness first launched, Furie attempts to gain back control and find redemption for his creation in the face of overwhelming odds.

Directed by Arthur Jones, Feels Good Man is a searing indictment of internet culture that demonstrates the damage that can be done when internet trolls unleash their rage. Though Furie’s famed cartoon amphibian was originally intended for humour as a representation of young adult slacking, it gradually became a strange symbol of an angry internet subculture that was looking to vent their fury. To them, Pepe’s knowing smirk and innocent face became an opportunity to speak angrily about the state of culture and write it off as humour. (They would argue that it doesn’t really matter if you use hate symbols when it’s all a joke, right?)

Having no way to speak for himself, Pepe became the voice of others’ hate.

As a result, Feels Good uncovers an even greater conversation about who owns content. Despite the intended innocence of Pepe the Frog, the added subtext of white supremacy and hate completely changes the meaning in the larger world of the underground internet. For Furie, Pepe the Frog represented youthful innocence and nonsense. In the hands of others, he became an excuse to attack others. Somehow, along the way, it was decided by a large portion of people that the original purpose behind this cartoon amphibian was irrelevant because their vision for the character fed their angst. In this way, Feels Good points to the danger of the online world where images remain open for interpretation and the origins of content lose their meaning.

At the same time though, Feels Good is also a quest for redemption for the bizarre cartoon, if such a thing exists. Though his meme became a symbol for evil, Furie himself passionately seeks justice for his creation. While it seems bizarre that an internet frog would require a campaign for redemption due to the angry mob, this is absolutely true in the case of Pepe. Passionate and personal, Furie’s quest to speak up on behalf of his beloved creation is endearing and, frankly, an uphill battle. Once the damage has been done, how do you convince people to change their minds? At a time when ‘cancel culture’ is a terrifying reality, the notion of grace and understanding are often lost amidst the noise of accusation. 

For Furie, redemption for Pepe lies not in making money but rather in reclaiming the lost soul of his creation. (Personally, I found myself particularly angered on Furie’s behalf when, despite his innocence in the matter, he’s asked if there’s anything he could have done differently to prevent what took place.) As Furie works endlessly to restore his fallen frog, Feels Good Man serves as a reminder that people have value and deserve justice, even when under fire by the cyber mob. 

Feels Good Man is available on VOD on September 4th, 2020.

Measure for Measure: Rising Sin, Falling Virtue

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Over 500 years later, we still rely on William Shakespeare to tell us who we are.

Though adaptations of Shakespeare’s works have been hit (Baz Luhrman’s Romeo and Juliet) and miss (Michael Almareda’s Hamlet) over the years, the lasting influence of his works continues to endure and challenge our understanding of human nature. With the release of Paul Ireland’s Measure for Measure, we once again find ourselves face with another attempt to bring the Bard’s work into our modern society. Thankfully, though first published in 1604, the heart of Measure translates well into the 21st Century by speaking to the battle for man’s soul when pressured by the evils that surround him.

Set in Melbourne, Australia, Measure for Measure tells the story of Claudio (Harrison Gilbertson), a local musician who lives in Melbourne’s most notorious housing estate. Controlled by the drug kingpin Duke (Hugo Weaving), the area is filled with substance abuse and violence yet Claudio has no interest in such drama. When he falls in love with Jaiwara (Megan Smart), a modern Muslim girl, he finds himself embroiled in a gang conflict with deep racial ties that threatens to tear his life—and his love—asunder.

Directed by Ireland (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Damian Hill, Measure adapts well into today’s context and, as a result, proves to be one of the more memorable recent reimagining’s of Shakespeare’s works. While the chemistry between Gilbertson and Smart is enjoyable, it’s Weaving’s performance that carries the film. Weaving is simply wonderful to watch as drug kingpin Duke, carrying every scene that he’s in with gravitas and humility. 

While Measure for Measure may not be as well-known as another pair of star-crossed pair of lovers from Shakespeare’s canon, the story somehow seems more effective in a modern context. Though the ‘star-crossed lovers’ theme is common amongst the Bard’s works, Ireland’s emphasis on modern racial divides adds another layer to the story that speaks to the moment. At a time when conversations about ethnicity dominate the headlines, Measure’s conversation around the flawed perceptions and stereotypes that we cling to seems especially appropriate.

As with the original work, Measure tells a story of what it means to keep your virtue in a world where darkness rises all around you. Despite his innocence, Claudio’s imprisonment takes a toll on his soul as he faces increasing pressure to succumb to the evil that surrounds him. Facing both mental and physical abuse, Claudio is pushed to deny his love for Jaiwara and give up that which he holds closest to his heart. Even so, while he walks gingerly along the line of virtue and vice, he refuses to let go of the love that drives him.

In many ways, Measure holds Claudio in juxtaposition with Angelo (Mark Leonard Winter) who also is also pulled toward his more base instincts after he’s left in power. Having grown up with Duke as his mentor, Angelo also maintains a certain sense of innocence (despite his involvement in the drug industry). Young and impetuous, Angelo still seeks to honour Duke when he receives the opportunity to lead. However, whereas Claudio fights to cling to his purity, Angelo is more willing to compromise in the face of temptation, gradually allowing darkness to infect his character. As such, Angelo’s fall demonstrates the destruction that can happen to a soul who values power over love for others.

Engaging and passionate, the latest incarnation of Measure for Measure thankfully falls on the positive side of the ledger of modern Shakespearean tales. Featuring an effective adaptation of the story for today’s culture and an engaging cast, the film proves that Shakespeare’s works still resonate thematically with audiences today and have much to teach us still about the brokenness of the human soul.

Measure for Measure premieres on VOD on Friday, September 4th, 2020.

The Argument – Elusive Truth

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“I don’t want to argue either, Honey, as long as you can admit that I’m right.”

Couples argue. Maybe about little things, maybe important things. But it’s just natural that two people each think they’re right, and expect the other to admit defeat.

Yeah, right.

The Argument, from Robert Schwartzman, revolves around (and around) such a conflict. Jack (Dan Folger) has planned a little cocktail party to celebrate the end of his girlfriend Lisa’s (Emma Bell) first professional acting job. He has invited his agent, Brett (Danny Pudi) and his wife Sarah (Maggie Q) to come by after the show. Lisa has also invited her co-star Paul (Tyler James Williams), who brings his girlfriend Trina (Cleopatra Coleman), although Jack is unaware that they are coming. Jack has an agenda for the night, which will culminate in asking Lisa to marry him. Instead, little things go wrong, feelings get hurt, things get said, and Jack and Lisa end up in a terrible argument that brings the party to a close.

That night, as they go to bed, both are still convinced that the other is a fault. One after the other they say, “I just wish we could redo this whole night so we could see how wrong you are.” Then the idea strikes them. They will invite everyone back again and relive the party to see just what went wrong. But the other couples are less enthused about this process. As the night goes on, new and different conflicts crop up. So they try again the next night. This time Jack is writing a script to get everything down verbatim. And again. And again.

As the events replay over and over, each person’s mistakes and flaws become magnified, letting each see themselves as others are seeing them. Eventually it culminates in an evening when instead of them reliving it all again, Jack has brought in actors for a script reading. The script obviously reflects his slant on everyone involved, and the actors add new dynamics to the situation. By this point, no one knows what any of the original conflicts were about.

The real question in The Argument is not what is the truth, but can we ever really know the truth, even when we are a part of what happened? Here are six people who are not just witnesses to what happened, but participants. Yet, the events can never be accurately recreated because everyone now has new perspectives and opinions that keep affecting their own ideas and those of others.

It’s not unimportant that the play Lisa and Paul were in was called Wolfgang (and seems to parallel Amadeus). The play was about the mixture of love and jealousy the defined the relationship of Mozart and Antonio Salieri. These are all people who yearn for greatness, but have not shown the world (or themselves) anything other than mediocrity.

While the story deals with the dynamics of relationships, it is really a look at how our self-centeredness undermines the foundations of relationships. Our own desires—including our desire to be right in an argument—often get in the way of the fulfillment we can find with people we love. Perhaps winning an argument isn’t as important as recognizing the joy we share.

The Argument is playing in theaters and is available on VOD.

Photos courtesy of Gravitas Ventures.

Parallel Minds: The Power of Painful Memories

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We all suffer from past experiences but what happens when the past controls our present?

Such is the concept behind Parallel Minds, a new sci-fi thriller from the mind of Benjamin Ross Hayden (The Northlander). Minds takes place in the near future when technology firm Red Eye is on the verge of a revolutionary contact lens that has the power to record data and resurrect the memories you wish you could forget. Before the tech is able to launch, Metis researcher Margo Elson (Tommie Amber-Pirie) is devastated to learn that her friend—and Red Eye’s head programmer—has been murdered. Determined to uncover the truth, Margo teams up with Thomas (Greg Bryk), a burned out detective who struggles with his past, in order to explore the complex web that Red Eye is attemping to weave.

Written and directed by Hayden, Parallel Minds is an incredibly ambitious film that unfortunately tends to lose its way. Though the film blends solid ingredients of sci-fi and fantasy, Minds simply wants to explore too many avenues for the mix to fully gel together cohesively. While themes of the pain of Indiginous peoples at the hands of residential schools are presented but never fully explored. Ideas of connecting with the spiritual realm create drama within Margo’s character yet somehow feel out of place. As a result, while the cast are up for the challenge, the film regrettably feels like several great movies that lose their power when brought together.

Having said this, the film does contain an interesting conversation about the effect of our memories on our present. As Margo and Thomas fight desperately to find the truth behind the death of her friend, both suffer from repressed memories that provide mental stumbling blocks to their lives. Suffering from a traumatic loss, Thomas struggles with feelings of guilt and shame. At the same time, Margo is hindered by the pain of her grandmother’s tragic death. For both characters, their lives remain frozen by the power of their memories which haunt them. 

Similar to how villainous supercomputer U.R.M. continues to grow in power as it feeds off of the minds of others, these repressed memories continue to push down on Margo and Thomas in ways that crush their spirits. For them, the only way to truly move forward is to go back and deal directly with the demons that plague them. In this way, hope for these characters lies on the other side of a powerful darkness that they must first pass through. As they gain new perspectives on their past, Margo and Thomas begin to understand the meaning of their stories in new light and thus, begin to break free from its power.

Ultimately, Parallel Minds demonstrates a desire to explore the control that the shadows of our memories can hold over us. However, with too many pieces in the package, Minds may simply outthink itself in the end.

Parallel Minds is on VOD now.

One Man and His Shoes: The Air Jordan Revelation

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Comprised of interviews with former Nike executives, Michael Jordan hobbyists and collectors, basketball historians, and even cultural activists, One Man and His Shoes chronicles how a relatively unknown basketball player not only revolutionized the game itself, but both the marketing industry and the culture as we know it today.

Now, I admit that I’m not a basketball fan. I’m not really into sports in general. But even a less-than-enthused sports fan who grew up in the 80s and 90s knows the name Michael Jordan. Kids in my school wore the jerseys, the colors, and spent the hallway time in between classes talking about the Chicago Bulls and whatever crazy dunk Jordan had recently demonstrated. Fast forward 25 years, and while I am still not crazy about basketball, I have spent the past 10 years in marketing, which is what drew me into this documentary of the Air Jordan launch and subsequent phenomenon. Little did I know that it would all hit much deeper.

There’s so much to take away from this film that it’s difficult to pinpoint where to start. When Nike first landed Michael Jordan as an endorsement deal in 1984, the athletic marketing status quo for basketball equipment was team-oriented. The shoes were worn by the team, so when something was advertised, it showed multiple teammates. Jordan, a third round pick from UNC by the Chicago Bulls, wasn’t even interested in Nike. But they pitched something special.

This deal would be his deal.

He would be the sole star (see what I did there). The shoe would boast his name in tandem with Nike. No one predicted the trajectory and speed with which these would take off. When the NBA banned Jordan’s shoe from the court because it didn’t conform to the dress code, they propelled Nike and Air Jordan into legendary status within months of entering the market without even trying. The demand for the Air Jordan became relentless as stores sold out faster than they could restock, and Jordan’s personal brand began to shape how athletic endorsements would look in the coming decades. 

It was marketing genius, even if accidental in some ways. By creating a demand that couldn’t be met, Nike had crafted a strategy that kept people wanting more. And they did so in a way that attracted a market that had previously been overlooked – the Black teenager. And this is where the film goes beyond shoes.

Honestly, the archival footage of the 80s didn’t look much different than the most recent videos on social media today. Black neighborhoods struggling in the shadows of their white neighbors, the fear that the hard-earned gains for Civil Rights were slipping away, and the incessant, pleading cry for visibility and equality. So, when an underserved community sees their own face on a cereal box or sporting a specific pair of shoes, that community looks up and says “Hey, that’s me. I see me.” Suddenly, there is a relationship now between that individual and the item being promoted by the person who reflects him/her. And when Nike partnered with budding filmmaker Spike Lee for a series of Air Jordan commercials, this community heard their voice and saw themselves on every tv and billboard. 

This is hugely important, because it is necessary that people feel represented across the board – something we are very much striving to accomplish in these very moments of our lives. The danger comes when it is hijacked and twisted in order to make money. Which, from my interpretation of this film, is part of the legacy of Nike and Air Jordans. 

With scarcity comes status. So, if you could get your hands on a new pair of Jordans, you were somebody. But in order for you to get them, someone else didn’t. What happens when that someone else wants what you have? What happens when someone else is willing to kill for what you have? Because even as of last year, people are still killing to get their hands on these shoes.

And it seems so trivial, doesn’t it? After all, they are just shoes. And a lot of people don’t even wear them and instead the shoes sit in a box. So, why did Joshua Woods lose his life in late 2012 after being followed and shot in his car after his purchase? What is it about a logo that drives people to murder?

It’s obviously not about the shoes. 

I am a middle class white woman. I’ve dealt with my share of sexism and dismissal, of feeling devalued and less-than. But I have never been made to feel that my life doesn’t matter. As such, there is a piece of this I cannot understand. But it doesn’t mean I won’t try. 

Jemele Hill of Sports Center, who brings insight throughout the entire film, gives a glimpse into the deeper psyche of such incidents:

“Things like Jordans become very big status symbols in communities of color, communities that are historically and presently underserved, and the value of life is just not as appreciated when you’re hearing from every corner of society how much you’re not worth. It’s hard for you to look at yourself as worthy and certainly see that worth in somebody else.”

Wrecking, isn’t it? It’s a vicious cycle, one that feeds itself on the very mindset it fights against. Do I think Nike has a level of necessary corporate social responsibility as they tap into a reservoir of desire and use it for financial gain, even when it snowballs into loss of life, yes. But is it solely on them? No. That is a burden we all must bear. We have to walk a mile in our neighbor’s shoes…even if they’re covered in blood. 

One Man and His Shoes is available on VOD now.

Laughing All the Way Home: 1on1 with Jemaine Clement (I USED TO GO HERE)

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As a comedy veteran himself, Clement knows what’s funny.

Having worked on such hilarious projects as What We Do in the Shadows, MIB:3 and, of course, Flight of the Concords, Clement argues that the best comedies of today are those that commit to their worldviews.

“At the moment, I feel like [great comedy is] believing what you say,” he begins. “Even if I don’t agree with a comedian still, if I can see that [they] believe it or the movie believes that, it’s committing, I think.”

Starring with Gillian Jacobs in the new comedy, I Used to Go Here, Clement was excited to dive into the role of David, a college professor looking for a fresh start. Though he was excited for the opportunity to work with Jacobs, he found this project particularly appealing because it felt like the type of stories that he enjoyed watching in his youth.

“[I Used to Go Here] reminded me of films [that] I used to go and see when I was a student,” he explains. “It’s like having a window into someone’s life and maybe [at a] trying time for them in a personal way where other people can’t relate to it… It’s an awful time for you, but it doesn’t sound bad for anyone else so people don’t generally talk about them. [laughs]. Then, in some ways, I found the story of the Gillian’s character story quite relatable. It was funny and Gillian’s really funny. I knew she was going to do it so I was excited to meet with her as well.” 

Written and directed by Kris Rey, I Used to Go Here tells the story of Kate Conklin (Jacobs), a young author about to release her debut novel. When her book receives less-than-stellar reviews, Kate is hurt and frustrated by the response. After she receives an invitation from her former professor and old crush, David (Clement), to speak at her alma mater, Kate jumps at the chance return to her old college as a published author. However, as she revisits her past haunts and relationships, she soon begins to slide back into her old life as a student with all its misadventures and misplaced feelings for her former professor.

Clement’s enthusiasm for working with his co-star Jacobs is palpable onscreen as the two have genuine chemistry together. As David and Kate, the two veteran actors work well together, creating a unique relationship that shows the push and pull between them. In an interesting way, the two characters also seem to be mirror images of one another, even if one has initially escaped their home town.

“David’s character was once a promising author and then he got into this other job that’s taken a lot of his time,” Clement recognizes. “He’s basically trying to draw Kate into the that life to take some pressure off of him. So, he’s a possible future for her. Then, she judges David [for having an inappropriate relationship] and basically falls into the same pattern.” 

Though Jacobs’ character may be the film’s central focus, Go Here also features some hilarious performances from young actors like Josh Wiggins and Hannah Marks. While his character may not have interacted with the young cast very much, Clement also notes that the enthusiasm that they brought to the set served as a reminder for him the privilege that is to work in film.

“It’s mostly Gillian in this story, but [director] Kris found some other great actors and actresses, a lot of them local,” he clarifies. “There’s a lot of them from Chicago where we filmed and where Kris lives so that was another fun part of the film. It was great to see people really excited about being in a movie. Sometimes, you have to remind yourself of that. I didn’t get to act with the kids–I’ll call them the kids, even though they were all adults–I didn’t hang out with the kids very much because my character is talking all the time. Literally lecturing. So, I didn’t get to bounce off those guys very often. It was fun doing the lecture thing with Hannah Marks.” 

Considering David’s flaws, Clement believes that his character ultimately just wants to move on in his career and personal life.

“I think he’s looking for some kind of a way out of there, you know?,” he states. “In academia, I think it’s sometimes seems a bit like that. When I see professors from the university where I went 26 years ago, they still look the same, say the same things, give the same lectures for years and answer the same questions. I think, sometimes, that’s rewarding and sometimes frustrating. I think you can see both of those.”

With this in mind, one of the key themes of Go Here is the (sometimes) overpowering nature of nostalgia. Asked what keeps drawing us back to our past seems to be, Clement argues that the appeal lies in our ability to reflect on the positive experiences at the expense of the negatives.

“Often, the way your brain works is you tend to forget the bad things,” he begins. “If you’ve ever been in a relationship, stopped that relationship and then go back to [it], you remember, ‘Oh, that’s right. We used to do this and she used to say that. I used to always reply to this’. I think it’s just that you forget the complexity of things and you remember the good things. I didn’t have the same experience with my college years. I wanted to learn about theater and film and I had a really bad time in my department. I can see my university from [my home] and I cringe at the idea of going there… I didn’t finish my degree and every time I think, ‘I should do those few papers’. Then, I look at the building and I go ‘No, no, no’. [laughs] I don’t want to be that old dude now either. That weird old dude in the class.” 

Though his background may be in comedy, Clement’s has been always excited to be a part of high-profile blockbusters when the opportunity arises. More specifically, his next role will take place on the famed CGI planet of Pandora in James Cameron’s sequel to Avatar. Drenched in secrecy, Clement notes that even he is surprised by the incredible security that the project carries with it.

“We’re filming after these interviews,” he beams. “I know I’m in [Avatar 2]. IMDB has me in up to [the fifth movie] or something like that. Even I was like, ‘am I?’ [laughs] I can’t tell you that much. It’s very secretive. We haven’t been filming over this how COVID pandemic, but they’ve started again because New Zealand’s back and working. I have a scene tomorrow and I go in today. My scripts in a vault and they’ll take my script out of the vault and then I’ll read it and try and learn it there. Then, it goes back in the vault and I go again tomorrow and then I’ll take it out of the vault again.”

Though he’s spent most of his career working on smaller films, working on major projects such as the Avatar sequel are always exciting opportunities for the actor. For example, Clement is always thrilled to work with high profile directors like James Cameron who have inspired his career.

“I’ve mostly done smaller films but, often with the biggest films, what’s made me interested as the director who maybe has done some films I’ve loved,” Clement grins. “Terminator 2 was one of my favorite film experiences I’ve ever had, when I was 15 or whatever I was. It’s hard for me to resist asking Jim, Terminator Two stories all the time. I only do about one a week. [laughs] I would ask after every time how they did certain special effects and The Abyss and things like that. He’s someone who’s quite an imaginative person and gets to make whatever he wants at this level. That’s what it feels like to me.” 

For full audio of our conversation with Jemaine Clement, click here.

I Used to Go Here is available on demand now.