Film HITLIST THE BEST FILM & DVD RELEASES
list.co.uk/film
Kaboom Cult filmmaker Gregg Araki goes back to basics with this chaotic and surreal pseudo thriller. See review, page 86 and profile at list. couk. GFT, Glasgow and selected release from Fri 24 Jun.
Life, Above All Moving South African drama about a 12-year-old girl’s attempt to keep her family together when her mother becomes ill. See Also Released, page 86, and read full review at list.co.uk Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Fri 10-Wed 15 Jun; GFT, Glasgow from Mon 20-Wed 22 Jun. Point Blank Pulse-racing follow-up to Anything For Her from French filmmaker Fred Cavaye. See review, page 85. GFT, Glasgow and selected release from Fri 10 Jun.
Potiche Another subversive class comedy from writer/director François Ozon starring Catherine Deneuve as a 1970s trophy wife. See review, page 85. GFT, Glasgow and selected release from Fri 17 Jun. Stake Land Boldly realised post- apocalyptic vampire horror with a strong sense of political and social awareness. See profile, left and review at list.co.uk. General release from Fri 17 Jun.
Incendies Unashamedly didactic French Canadian drama about the endless cycle of violence and retribution in the Middle East. See review, page 85. Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Mon 27 Jun.
Mother’s Day Very respectable reboot of 1980 Troma home invasion thriller starring Rebecca De Mornay in fine scenery-chewing form. See review, page 85. General release from Fri 10 Jun.
Edinburgh International Film Festival The festival has undergone a radical makeover. See list.co.uk for full event listings and our EIFF coverage, from page 42. Various venues, Edinburgh.
Bridesmaids Comedian and writer Kristen Wiig brings some female guile to Judd Apatow’s comedy factory with marital farce and a stellar cast. See review, page 84. General release from Fri 24 Jun.
The Pipe Very powerful documentary about how the small community of Rossport in the west of Ireland took on Shell UK and won. See review, page 83. Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Fri 27-Mon 30 May.
82 THE LIST 26 May–23 Jun 2011
Profile
JIM MICKLE Born Pottstown, Pennsylvania, 1977
Background After graduating from New York University’s filmmaking programme, Mickle worked in the camera department for features Transamerica, Shortbus and Pride and Glory. The experience gave him the platform to make his own feature, low budget horror Mulberry Street. He then returned to his hometown of Pottstown for vampire thriller Stake Land, which he co-wrote with actor Nick Damici, who also plays the enigmatic character of Mister. On making a vampire movie post Twilight ‘I wanted to make a different kind of vampire movie to the ones I’d seen, not like Twilight at all. I was thinking more of Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven or the struggles of the characters in John Ford’s The
Grapes of Wrath. I wanted a dustbowl depression look, not some futuristic, apocalyptic look, but more little kids running around in potato sacks. I wanted to think outside of the box in terms of horror, and to focus more tightly on the characters for a traditional coming of age story.’
On critics who read a political meaning into his film ‘People have seen the film as a critique of capitalism, greed or extremism, and I’d agree that it’s meant to be a cautionary tale. And I think that there’s a different kind of religious element to it, dealing with fanaticism. But people are welcome to take their own meaning from it; I saw it more as a classic western, with a universal theme.’
What’s next? Mickle is re-teaming with Damici for Cold in July, a violent drama set in 1980’s West Texas. ‘There’ll be no monsters this time around,’ says Mickle. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Stake Land is on selected release from Fri 17 Jun.