ROCK THE PAINT -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 7/2/08

 

Described as a "racially-charged fish-out-of-water basketball movie", director Phil Bertelsen's ROCK THE PAINT is about a couple of Jewish white boys from rural Indiana who endure the usual culture shock when their widowed father gets a teaching job in Newark, New Jersey. The older teen, Josh (Douglas Smith) wants to play basketball, while his nine-year-old brother Tim (Sam Stone) suffers from the delusion that he's an aspiring rapper. As you might guess, both come into conflict with various urban black teens in their new 'hood, while Dad struggles to convince the black students in his class that he's qualified to teach about the civil rights movement in the 60s.

Less than five minutes into the movie, I was already starting to hate these kids. Josh and Tim steal a tractor from the farmer who allows them to live on his land and destroy much of his cornfield just for laughs. This gets the whole family evicted, yet the rebellious Josh is not only unrepentant, but also indignant that they're moving just so Dad can find gainful employment. When the script calls for it, Douglas Smith starts jerking around wildly and bellowing his head off to express intense emotions, but the rest of the time he's barely there.

As Tim, Sam Stone struts around like a pint-sized gangsta, grabbing his crotch and saying stuff like "F--- off, beeyotch!" in what I assume is intended to be comedy relief. In short, he's one of those obnoxious child actors who, instead of really acting, broadly mimics adult performances he's seen. Meanwhile, Christopher Innvar as Dad is about as charismatic as Stephen Lack in SCANNERS.

The black characters consist of the usual types you'd expect. There's Antwon (Kevin Phillips), who's initially hostile toward Josh but warms up to him when they end up on the same Catholic school basketball team. Jas Anderson plays T-Bone, the vile-o-lent tough guy who hates Josh and resents Antwon for betraying their friendship, eventually switching schools and joining the bad guy basketball team. Antwon's deaf sister Keisha (Joanna Hartshorne) provides a momentary bright spot in the story as she and Josh tentatively begin a romantic relationship, but this doesn't really go anywhere.

Most of the story is visually hustled along using montages full of hyperactive editing, spaz-cam, and a nonstop cacophony of songs to clue us in on how to feel each time the scene changes. We know Dad is falling in love with one of his students, a nice Asian lady named Sunny (Karen Tsen Lee), because every once in a while we're shown a few seconds of them holding hands in a cafe or cuddling next to some Chinese dragons. Abrupt transitions lead to scenes with woozy, streaky camera effects to reflect the characters' innermost feelings when they aren't barking awkward dialogue at each other.

Even the big climactic basketball game, presented as a slapdash music-based montage, is drained of any suspense the moment Josh takes the court and his annoying "go white boy" theme starts to play on an endless loop for the rest of the sequence. As expected, the dejected good guy team goes into the locker room down by a huge margin at the halfway point, only to make a miraculous comeback once Josh shows up. The fact that we never see the players and the cheering onlookers in the same shot gives it all a strangely dislocated feeling.

I have to hand it to writer Dallas Brennan for one thing, though--I certainly didn't expect him to end this sequence, and the movie, the way he did. Something totally out of left field happens, and then a couple of brief wrap-up scenes usher us to an unresolved fadeout before we have time to say "Huh?"

The DVD is 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, two trailers, and scenes from several festivals, including Tribeca, where the film appears to have been warmly received.

These film festival attendees and various online reviews that I've read express widely-differing reactions to ROCK THE PAINT than mine, so your mileage may vary. For me, though, it was less like rocking the paint and more like watching it dry.

 

ROCK THE PAINT -- DVD Review by Porfle

World Trade Center Blooper In "The Valachi Papers" (1972) (video)

Much of "The Valachi Papers" takes place in 1930s-era New York...

...where we can spot a 1960s-era car or two.

In one scene, Charles Bronson is pulling a robbery...

...with some modern-looking buildings in the background.

And although it wouldn't exist for another 40 years or so...

...there's the World Trade Center.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

World Trade Center Blooper In "The Valachi Papers" (1972) (video)

"Warriors, Come Out To Play-Yay" On Speed!!! ("The Warriors", 1979) (video)

We all know that scene at the end of "The Warriors" (1979)...

...where David Patrick Kelly is clanking the beer bottles together...

...and shrieking "Warriors...come out to play-yay!"

Well, here it is speeded up. Faster...then faster...then faster still!

Why? We're not really sure, but it does sound funny.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

"Warriors, Come Out To Play-Yay" On Speed!!! ("The Warriors", 1979) (video)

"DREAMKATCHER" -- Lin Shaye, Radha Mitchell and Henry Thomas Star in Supernatural Horror Thriller Currently In Production

Lin Shaye, Radha Mitchell and Henry Thomas star in 

"DREAMKATCHER"

Supernatural Horror Thriller Currently Shooting in Upstate NY
 

NEW YORK (July 11, 2019) -- Marking the feature debut of director Kerry Harris with a script written by Dan V. Shea and based on a story by Harris and Shea, DREAMKATCHER follows a Manhattan therapist (RADHA MITCHELL) who travels upstate with her boyfriend (HENRY THOMAS) and his orphaned son (FINLAY WOJTAK-HISSONG) who is tormented by nightmares of his dead mother.  When the husband is forced to return to the city, the therapist remains with the boy and they encounter a mysterious neighbor (LIN SHAYE) in the woods.

Jules Wilcox (Under The Silver Lake, Bloodline) and Joseph Bishara (Insidious, The Conjuring) round out the cast in supporting roles.

The combined gross box office earnings of the cast exceed the $1 Billion mark. The filmmakers are eyeing a series of films based on the premise.

DREAMKATCHER is produced by Christian Taylor of Taylor Lane Productions (MEASURE OF A MAN, HICK), Orian Williams (CONTROL, ENGLAND IS MINE), Annie Stewart (LEAVING LAS VEGAS, TIMECODE) and Kerry Harris.  Executive Producers are Film Mode Entertainment’s Clay Epstein, Radha Mitchell, Lin Shaye, and Gina Rugolo.

Christian Taylor says, “Dreamkatcher is a grounded horror thriller that explores themes of science vs the supernatural and I’m thrilled to be working with Kerry and this incredible cast”.

The film is being sold internationally by Screen Media in partnership with Film Mode Entertainment.

Lin Shaye recently starred in Insidious: The Last Keyand Room for Rent. She next stars in the feature Grudge and the Showtime series Penny Dreadful:City of Angels. She is handled by Rugolo Entertainment and Buchwald.

Radha Mitchell recently starred in Celeste and The Romanoffs. She is repped by ICM Partners and attorney Doug Stone.

Henry Thomas recently starred in The Haunting of Hill House. He is repped by GERSH and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Finlay Wojtak-Hissong recently appeared in Lone Scherfig’s The Kindness of Strangers and The Banana Splits. He is handled by Coast to Coast and Attorney Carolyn Conrad.

Jules Wilcox is represented by Abrams Artists Agency and Authentic Talent & Literary Management.

Kerry Harris is repped by Elina Levina at Toronto based Harrison Artist Management.

Dan V. Shea is represented by Woolf Lapin.  Eyde Belasco cast the feature.

About Screen Media Ventures, LLC                                                                                 
Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films for the US and Canada. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality tv series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net

AboutFilm Mode Entertainment
Film Mode Entertainment is a leading worldwide sales agent, production entity and distribution company, focusing on commercially driven feature films of all genres and budget sizes. Film Mode represents projects at all stages of the filmmaking process, often as Executive Producer, with the aim of helping producers and distributors achieve maximum exposure for their films. Film Mode’s recent titles include CRYPTO starring Kurt Russell, Luke Hemsworth and Alexis Bledel, BAILEY AND DARLA starring Brittany Snow, Sam Richardson and Vivica A. Fox, STAGE MOTHER starring Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver, Lucy Liu and Adrian Grenier, BURN starring Josh Hutcherson and Suki Waterhouse, and RABID, a reimagining of David Cronenberg’s 1977 Cult Horror Classic, directed by the Soska Sisters. Previous releases include SUGAR MOUNTAIN starring Jason Momoa, and THE GOOD NEIGHBOR starring Academy Award nominee James Caan. Film Mode accelerated their growth and expanded their capabilities by entering into a partnership with SCREEN MEDIA, representing their catalogue of over 600 titles, including WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his performance, and MONSTER, starring Charlize Theron who won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress for the film. The company also has its own distribution arm, as well as a documentary label, DocMode. Film Mode is based in Beverly Hills, CA.

"DREAMKATCHER" -- Lin Shaye, Radha Mitchell and Henry Thomas Star in Supernatural Horror Thriller Currently In Production

ReelAbilities Film Festival Announces Special Guests & Events

REELABILITIES FILM FESTIVAL: NEW YORK 2019

ANNOUNCES SPECIAL EVENTS & SPEAKERS

INCLUDING ACADEMY AWARD WINNER CHRIS COOPER, “SEINFELD” ACTOR DANNY WOODBURN, AND MORE!

Also Reveals Rachel Handler and Crystal Arnette as Winners of the “What's My ReelAbility?” Film Competition, with their film “Authentically Me”

In Partnership with the Mayor’s Office for Media and Entertainment And the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities


New York, NY (March 25, 2019) – The 11th  Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan is proud to take the audience beyond its outstanding selection of films with an array of special events and speakers that enhance the weeklong festival. Highlights will include a disability comedy night at Gotham Comedy Club, led by “Seinfeld” actor Danny Woodburn and many esteemed comedians, and a fashion and design event at Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.

The festival will also feature industry-related panels such as Writing Disability with Nancy Silberkleit, CEO of Archie Comics, Alexandra Cassel, a writer for the children’s television program “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” and award-winning director Jason DaSilva. Additionally, the festival will open its doors for free daytime screenings for schools and educators. All schools are welcome to take advantage of this special initiative; contact reelabilities@jccmanhattan.org for more details. To learn more about screenings and special events or to purchase tickets, visit reelabilities.org/newyork or call 646.505.5708 or TTY 877.505.6708.

Other standout events include the annual Friday night Shabbat dinner, where ReelAbilities will spotlight activism and honor Lawrence Carter-Long, a founding visionary of the festival and curator/co-host of “The Projected Image: A History of Disability on Film” on Turner Classic Movies, and quality conversations with an incredible slate of filmmakers, experts, actors, and other talent, including Chris Cooper (actor “Intelligent Lives”), Dr. Harold Kaplowitz, The Child Mind Institute, and Kevin Hines (subject and writer, “Suicide: The Ripple Effect”). A full list of speakers and special guests can be found at reelabilities.org/newyork/guests.

ReelAbilities, in partnership with the Mayor's Office for Media and Entertainment and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, is pleased to announce  “Authentically Me” by Rachel Handler and Crystal Arnette as the winner of the “What’s Your ReelAbility?” 27-second film competition for films relating to life with disabilities. Handler, an actress and an amputee, shares the authentic parts of her life that make her who she is. The film will screen on Taxi TV and at the festival throughout the week as part of the prize.

“We are thrilled to partner with the ReelAbilities New York Film Festival and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities on ‘What’s Your ReelAbility?’” said Anne del Castillo, acting commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “This festival offers the most diverse showcase of films made for, by, and about people with disabilities, and our office is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the media and entertainment industry.”

“Every one of our films is captioned and audio described, and all of our conversations are made accessible,” said Isaac Zablocki, director and co-founder of ReelAbilities. “We are setting a new standard of inclusion for people of all abilities and challenge other festivals to do the same.”



SPECIAL EVENTS


LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACCESS! 2.0

Lights! Camera! Access! 2.0 is proud to collaborate with ReelAbilities to present résumé review, speed interviews, workshops, flash mentoring, and networking designed for aspiring filmmakers and media professionals with disabilities. LCA2.0 addresses underrepresentation of disabilities in media to increase employment, improve authentic disability-inclusive diversity portrayals, and expand accessible media.

Wednesday, April 3, 12:30 p.m. | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan


REELABILITIES COMEDY NIGHT

Join us for the second annual ReelAbilities Comedy Night where comedians with disabilities share stories and inspiring experiences at the Gotham Comedy Club. Hosted by the one and only Danny Woodburn, and featuring Pamela Schuller, Tyler Fischer, Nic Novicki, Donnie Sengstack, Nina G, Ryan Haddad, and others to be announced.

Wednesday, April 3, 8 p.m. | Gotham Comedy Club


SHABBAT DINNER | MOVIE | CONVERSATION
CELEBRATING ADVOCACY

Honoring Lawrence Carter-Long

ReelAbilities celebrates advocacy and honors those individuals who lead the way toward greater inclusion and accessibility. Join us for a lively Shabbat dinner and a screening of several short films relating to activism as we honor the inspiring work of one of our founding collaborators, Lawrence Carter-Long.

Friday, April 5, 6:30 p.m. | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. Advance registration required.


REELABILITIES R&R COMMUNITY DAY

Bring the whole family to the JCC for hands-on exploration and activities inspired by the festival during its famous R&R Shabbat event. Programs will include Heidi Latsky Dance—On Display, NYC Kids Project Puppet Show, Action Play theater, panel discussions, partner activities and tables, and much more. A full schedule of events will be available online at jccmanhattan.org.

Saturday, April 6, 2-6 p.m. | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan


PANEL | WRITING DISABILITY

The visions presented in media help shape our society. From Archie Comics to children’s TV shows, we are witnessing exciting new examples of inclusion in media. Join us for a panel and presentations of creators furthering diversity in multiple forms of media.

In Partnership with WGA-East 

Saturday, April 6, 3 p.m. | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan


PANEL | FASHION BEYOND FUNCTION: IDEALS OF BEAUTY, DESIGN, AND DISABILITY

Brand ambassadors, designers, and industry pioneers will gather in conversation to explore the development of fashion for people with disabilities, representation, and the business case for engaging with inclusive design. The panel will also discuss the shift in focus from function to self-expression.

Saturday, April 6, 5 p.m. | Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum


DISABILITY ON THE SMALL SCREEN

TV and web series have opened up new platforms for accessible presentations of people with disabilities. Enjoy a screening featuring groundbreaking shows, including “On the Spectrum” and “Hot Flash,” which spotlight people with disabilities, followed by a discussion involving the filmmakers and industry experts.

In partnership with SAG-AFTRA.

Sunday, April 7, 2:30 p.m. | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan


“TEARLESS” ART EXHIBIT

Featuring five young adult artists who have Familial Dysautonomia (including Mara Clawson, subject of the film “Living Art”).

Sunday, April 7, 4-7 p.m. | Allouche Gallery


A complete list of special events, program updates, additional information, and ticketing details are available online at reelabilities.org/newyork or by calling 646.505.5708 or TTY 877.505.6708.


Ticket Information

Ticketing policies and prices vary by location. To purchase tickets or register by phone, please contact the appropriate screening venue directly. The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan offers group rates and discounted multi-ticket packs. Tickets can be purchased online at  reelabilities.org/newyork.

About ReelAbilities

Presented by the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, the 11th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York is dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with different abilities. The festival presents award-winning films in various locations throughout the NY metropolitan area. Discussions and other engaging programs bring the community together to explore, discuss, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience. Learn more at reelabilities.org/newyork.

About the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

Together with its community, the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan creates opportunities for people to connect, grow, and learn within an ever-changing Jewish landscape.
Located on 76th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, the JCC is a vibrant non-profit community center on the Upper West Side. The cornerstone of progressive programming in Manhattan, the JCC serves over 55,000 people annually through 1,200 programs each season that educate, inspire, and transform participants' minds, bodies, and spirits. Since its inception, the JCC has been committed to serving the community by offering programs, classes, and events that reach beyond neighborhood boundaries, reaching people at all stages of their lives. Learn more at jccmanhattan.org.

ReelAbilities Film Festival Announces Special Guests & Events