New York Stories (Martin Scorsese, Francis Coppola, Woody Allen)
New York? Scorsese? Coppola? and Allen? Oh my…
A middle-aged artist obsessed with his young assistant, a precocious 12 year old, and a neurotic lawyer with a possessive mother make up three separate, but great New York City tales…
Read more off the New York Times and watch off Amazon!
Slumber Party Massacre (Amy Jones)
No one is too good for some 80’s horror. Just the right amount of cheesy and the only female directed slasher of its time, Slumber Party Massacre will add a little jump to your hump day…
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Someone with a power drill shows up uninvited to a young girl’s high-school pajama party…
Watch this flick off Amazon or catch it at Nitehawk this weekend!
Small Time Crooks (Woody Allen)
Cookies, crime, and chaos. With just the right amount of shady, some classic Woody Allen can never hurt.
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“The Woodman has recovered his common touch. On him, it looks good.”
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Written and directed by Woody Allen, Small Time Crooks follows the misadventures of an ex-con dishwasher and his manicurist wife. A plan to rob a bank turns into something much sweeter…leaving them rich, but not how they expected.
Watch this movie off Amazon or read more off Rolling Stone!
2015 Official Selection: AFI Docs Festival/Brooklyn Film Festival/Montclair Film Festival, +
“Technology is what makes a film like this possible and more importantly, makes it accessible to people who wouldn’t otherwise see it.”
“Comic Book Heaven” director, E.J. McLeavey Fisher sat down with us to discuss this short documentary, telling the story of long time comic book store owner Joe Leisner…
Honey Wagon Confidential: How did you first come across Comic Book Heaven? What inspired you to make the film?
E.J. Mcleavy Fisher: Since I had moved to Sunnyside a few years before, I had seen quite a few businesses open and close and was interested in documenting that process, particularly in a smaller independent business that has seen the neighborhood change over the years. I saw an article about Comic Book Heaven announcing it’s closing in the local blog, The Sunnyside Post so I went over to speak to Joe, figuring it might be a 3 minute piece since the store was supposed to close that month. But it became apparent that he wasn’t quite ready to close yet, and there was a bit more to the story.
HWC: Was Joe Leisner hesitant at first about you shooting a documentary about him and the store?
E.J: He’s a talkative guy as you can see, so the proposition of capturing some of that banter on film definitely interested him. He was comfortable on-camera from the first day and really seemed to enjoy the process.
So often I’m shooting in situations where I have limited time with a subject and this was the complete opposite-I could come by whenever I wanted to shoot which was amazing. It was almost this meditative exercise for me, just setting the camera up and rolling for hours-hours when not a single person would even walk into the store. At times I think Joe felt pressure to make it more interesting because business was so slow-he’d say “What do you want me to do now?” But in those quiet moments when he wasn’t concerned with what I was doing, we got some amazing stuff.
The One and Only, Joe Leisner
HWC: What stylistic choices did you make to bring out or emphasize Joe’s character?
E.J: To bring out Joe’s character on-camera, I had to go against my normal instincts in filming, which is to create a more cinematic and stylized image. A lot of the other work I shoot is more energetic-filming with musicians or athletes. This was the complete opposite-an 82 year old man sitting in an empty store with little to do. So I tried to embrace that atmosphere with long, locked-off takes, shooting on wider lenses to show the empty space that becomes its own character for Joe to play off of. We also experimented a bit with the color grade and gave it its own little arc.
It’s not super obvious, but as the story shifts from summer to winter we gradually cooled the footage off. At first it’s all burnt-out browns and yellows, accentuating the cardboard and paper in the store. But as the seasons shift and the store empties out, we pushed it in a cooler direction that picked up the desolate white walls and inevitably more depressing feeling that crept in as the days of the store were numbered. Then we brought it all back once we see Joe at home in Brooklyn, where he’s a bit happier and energized.
HWC: A lot of the scenes are of Joe’s day to day life. Were these scenes planned or did you simply observe?
E.J: I had the luxury of rolling for hours and not needing anything necessarily momentous to happen. With Joe being the character that he is, he would provide great moments without any direction. But if there was a specific topic that I wanted to cover, I would try and bring it up while he was occupied with a task-checking prices of a book, arranging the shelves- which I found provided for some more poetic rants and would lead to places that I hadn’t initially envisioned.
HWC: What is the hardest part about shooting a documentary in this style?
E.J: The hardest part of shooting this way then, is that we had an insane amount of footage to sort through to whittle it down to a short piece. Joe keeps asking me if I can make him a longer version of the story because we shot so much footage and he wants to see it all. My editor Ethan Simmons did an amazing job (with such patience) in sorting through everything and putting together a cohesive story to follow. Joe repeats himself often too, which worked in our favor because I basically had him telling the same story on-camera in multiple locations and could choose which one to use based on what we wanted to see onscreen.
HWC: Was your process in shooting “Comic Book Heaven” the same as when you shot your previous documentary, “Stacked?”
E.J: “Stacked” was completely different than “Comic Book Heaven.” We shot Stacked during the two weeks that the Quiksilver surf tournament was happening in Long Beach, so we had a pretty strict schedule knowing we had to get it all done in that period of time: getting up at 5 am every day in case the waves were good and the contest was happening, and then being out on the beach most of the day. We were chasing surfers for 10 minute interviews and hoping to capture the best surf footage we could, never knowing which set was going to be a great one. The inconsistencies in surf conditions do not make for favorable production scheduling, but we got really lucky in the end.
With “Comic Book Heaven” though, I pretty much knew what I’d be walking into every time I went to film, and I had control of when I shot. I shot 2 or 3 times a month with Joe from August until January, slowly chipping away at what I felt I needed to tell the story properly. A much more relaxed pace-almost too relaxed. I never thought we’d finish it!
An average day at Comic Book Heaven
HWC: There is a moment towards the end of the film in which Leisner remarks, “I’d like to be content with my life if I can”. He discusses the difficulties of reaching contentment and expresses the belief that technology makes it difficult for people to be content with their own lives. How do you feel about this sentiment?
E.J: It’s definitely something to consider-the fact that we now have so many options for everything, there’s always something new and better out there, etc. But that technology is what makes a film like this possible and more importantly, makes it accessible to people who wouldn’t otherwise see it. It’s not going to play at a theater or on TV, so I can’t support the idea that we’re worse-off because of technology.
Do I see how it can be problematic? Of course. But in terms of Joe’s contentment with his life…I know him well enough now to say that regardless of his situation, he’s going to find something to complain about. The most important part of that closing line is, “That’s just the way life is…” He isn’t necessarily depressed about having that mindset, that’s just the way he talks. He still enjoys himself and I hope that balance comes through in the film.
HWC: We hear Joe is interested in acting now…any comments?
E.J: Joe needs to keep himself busy now that the store is closed and being on-camera in our film has gotten him interested in doing some dramatic work. I made him some headshots and have gotten them in front of casting agents, so hopefully it could work out for him. As he says, he doesn’t care about the money he just wants to land a role! You won’t find a more authentic old-school Brooklyn accent, I’ll tell you that much.
Head over to Vimeo to watch the full film!
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Nicholas Roeg)
We’re all missing a little Bowie this week…
An alien comes to Earth in search of water to save his home planet. While developing a way in which to transport water, said alien meets a quiet hotel clerk, beginning to fall in love with her. But, just as he is ready to leave Earth, Thomas is intercepted by the U.S. government, and his entire plan is threatened.
Catch this flick at the House of Yes in Brooklyn tonight at 7:30! Or watch at home off Amazon.
In the mood for some animation? Check out Ottawa Animation Film Festival winner Steve Harding Hill’s new short, Ray’s Big Idea.
Check out some more of Steve Harding Hill’s work here!
About a Boy (Chris Weitz/Paul Weitz)
Entertain your Wednesday with a tale of two boys-a friendship that’s far from ordinary…
Will (Hugh Grant) a rich, child-free and irresponsible thirty-year old begins attending single parent meetings in the hopes of meeting women. In the process of pursuing one of his liaisons, Will meets Marcus, an odd 12-year-old boy who’s bullied at school. Will begins teaching Marcus how to be cool, and in turn, Marcus helps Will grow up…
Read more off the New York Times or watch this flick off Amazon.
Air Guitar Nation (Amy Lipsitz)
Got the end of summer blues? Our suggestion: 81 minutes of air guitar…
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Hundreds of hopeful air guitarists converge in New York to compete for the honor of representing the U.S. at the world championships in Finland.
Read more on this flick at the New York Times and grab it off Amazon!
Rififi (Jules Dassin)
A jewel heist, gangsters, and some unrequited love. Add some adrenaline to your week with this French classic!
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After five years in prison, jewel thief Tony (Jean Servais) gets involved in a quick job that has more implications than anyone intended…
Read more on Rififi off Criterion and catch this flick at Film Forum through this weekend!
“I considered myself a failure and was going to give up on the whole thing. The next day I thought, ‘I have this much film left, and I know what’s really on my mind.'”
Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell talks with us about her recent film ‘This is Not the End’, an incredibly honest portrait of family and everything that comes with it.
Why did you choose to shoot in B&W as opposed to color? How do you think this affected the aesthetic of the film?
This was not only the first film I’ve made, it was my first time dealing with 16mm and I don’t think I was ready to take on any color theory. And now that I’ve seen the film a million times, I cannot imagine it any other way. I think the black and white stock defines the film. It’s nostalgic.
The film follows the format of a personal essay. Did you have this in mind before you shot it or did you just shoot? Was the intention always to make this film a short documentary?
I had a Bolex and some 16mm film stock and I knew I was going to make a movie. I tried to make a narrative short for about a week and I broke the Bolex, twice. I considered myself a failure and was going to give up on the whole thing. The next day I thought, I have this much film left, and I know what’s really on my mind. That day I drove the 6 hours back to Sonoma, CA and I shot the film over 2 days. I’m very lucky that my family allowed me to do so, and that the shots were even in focus.
Hilary at Slamdance Film Festival
What was your family’s reaction to the film? What was it like working with your family?
It took me a year to show the film to them. I was terrified as to how they would react. The reason I finally got the courage to share it was that I had gotten the title of the film tattoed on my foot. I knew there was no hiding it (college graduation was approaching), so I sent the film over, waited until they watched, then said, ‘hey I got a tattoo about it, hope you think it’s cool.’ We all cried a lot. It has been a very cathartic experience for all of us.
You went to film school at UCSB. What was something you learned there that really stuck with you?
A million things! UCSB is an absolutely amazing community and I am forever indebted to them. Honestly, I wouldn’t be anywhere without the support, guidance, and direction they provided me. Also I probably wouldn’t have any friends. If I had to say something specific it would be…. “TIME!” – Professor Edward Branigan.
Why did you decide to put yourself in the film?
I wanted to keep myself out of the film as much as possible — which is why you don’t see my face until the title ending. My mom shot that scene.
Your next project is “Pattie’s Patio,” do you want to talk a little about that?
The last shot in ‘This Is Not The End’ are my neighbors that I grew up with. An absolutely amazing group of people, who, for as long as I’ve known them, have gotten together every day at 5pm to drink on Pattie’s Patio. This will be a documentary about them. I started filming in April but unfortunately I just had a set back with damaged film, so the project has been elongated, but I hope to finish it in the next year. If anyone wants to support the project, please dear god, let me know!
Sneak Peak into ‘Pattie’s Patio’
You recently moved to NY. How is that? Have you noticed a difference between the ‘film culture’ in LA compared to NY?
LA does seem more “businessy” if there was such a word. I think what I’ve really noticed so far is more artists are just around, supporting each other, working together, getting stuff out there. But I don’t want to suggest that LA doesn’t have all of those things — it does! I was just sick of driving and the monotonous sun.
Okay, you can only watch one film for the rest of your life…what is it?
I mean honestly, Sleepless in Seattle.
Honey Wagon Confidential 