Ben Lynch and Brad Beesley editor Lousiana Kreutz’s eleven minute The Bicycle Cowboy doesn’t just hark back to the feeling of early 20^th century American cinema, but provides for an interesting metaphor about the clash of today’s progressive movement. We’re first introduced to a cowboy riding along an unseen pathway, but only revealed from waist up. Traditional cowboy iconography calls to mind concepts of American honor and duty, yet what the camera reveals is this cowboy rides upon a bicycle. This addendum to traditional cowboy iconography implies activism, energy conservation, and anti-capitalism/globalism. These concepts are usually in constant battle, and what’s so interesting about this imagery, suggests that our concept of mythic history should contend with an updated concept of “the West,” one in which activism is just as dominant a mode of conduct in America as that of any codes of the “western.”  As two cowboys fight over the control of bikes for the heart of a young woman what results is a narrative that questions the conventions of aggressive and competitive resolution. The film ends with a “winner,” as both cowboys come to realize the young woman has played them against each other. While the reconfiguration of the American cowboy myth is progressive, what remains a problem is the inactive female, upon whom the blame remains at the end of the film (the implied indecisiveness is quite misogynistic). Perhaps any follow up cycle, as is the nature of American myth/cinema, will address such problems. Read on…

Although the dominance of ESPN over the concept of this documentary is so powerful, Jackass director Jeff Tremaine and editor Seth Casriel found ways to both defy and utilize the network’s clean format and structure while also presenting some incredible historical footage that places Matt Hoffman’s BMX footage into new light, and perhaps brings us the closest to the mortality of Hoffman’s unique biking style.

One of the most unique kinds of video work is hardcore bike and skate videos, one of my favorite genre of filmmaking. Such works impart a true love of a craft (in this case, biking) and often become overlooked by those who don’t share the same interest, nor know exactly at what it is they’re looking when such footage is presented to them without context. Yet, there is little that rivals such work in its ability to capture the harsh truths and intense passion of any particular, and fleeting, “moment”. While Tremaine and Casriel are able to incorporate such amazing footage, it is the way in which they are able to craft the reasons for such footage’s appeal that makes this documentary shine beyond a possibly rigid talking-head format. Read on…

Hold onto your hats folks, it’s time for the first ever candler giveaway. Readers, you have been very good to me this month, so it’s time to give something back. After last month’s Starting Out In Film post gained some traction thanks to some linkage from the excellent blog Self Reliant Film, you came back for more in June. Many of you were intrigued by my Google Wave for Filmmakers post, but there is no question that above all else you showed up for my coverage of the deadCENTER Film Festival. In fact, Oklahoma can now lay claim to the candler blog’s second highest readership in the U.S. Thanks!

Now to the contest. While I was in Oklahoma City, I popped into the Full Circle Book Store, an incredible local find, for a signing of a new collection of essays, Sooner Cinema: Oklahoma Goes to the Movies. I’ve only just started to read it and it is fascinating. The authors of this book take an interesting look at the cinematic history of the Sooner State. Trust me, this is the only book of its kind. If you are fascinated by local cinema, American history, or just a new take on American filmmaking, this will be a nice book for your collection.

I have one copy to give away and it is autographed by five of the authors. The rules are simple, leave a comment on this post with a legitimate e-mail address. That’s it! I don’t care if you use an alias and I will not be making a mailing list out of this data, I simply need your e-mail to contact you if you win. Please leave only one comment on any topic. Feel free to share your favorite film or director, suggestion for the candler, whatever you want to write. Keep it clean, dirty comments won’t get posted and are ineligible. You may enter up until 12:00am Thursday July 9^th, as in midnight on Wednesday July 8^th, two weeks from today. Best of luck to all!

Now that the dust has settled, here’s the complete compendium of candler blog coverage from Oklahoma City’s deadCENTER Film Festival. Read on…

The internet has been touch and go the past two days, and I’m on a friend’s computer instead of my own, so I can’t add the usual flair you have come to know and love to this post. Even with the fest completed, this continues to be an intensely film-related vacation. After a buffet breakfast at a place called Ingrid’s Kitchen, I headed over to the best bookstore in Oklahoma City, Full Circle. Designed with all kinds of nooks and crannies and rolling ladders, it is a store whose selection is not only Okie specific, but wide ranging. It’s design encourages discovery and their staff are super friendly. No one paid me to say that, seriously.

I went to Full Circle because my friend, Sunrise Tippeconnie, was signing a book in which an essay of his is featured. The book is Sooner Cinema: Oklahoma Goes to the Movies and I’m in the process of reading it. Quite interesting. This state has a long history of making movies and being portrayed in them. Which brings me to my next point.

The talk of the town right now is Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me, which is shooting here right now. The film has brought stars Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, and Ned Beatty. During the final day of deadCENTER they had blocked off streets downtown and filled them with 1950s cars. Last night I headed to Cookie’s, a tiny bar with a lot of heart, for the Cast and Crew more-than-halfway-through-production party. It was a nice time with some wonderful karaōke singers. The only celeb to show up was Mr. Beatty, and he was a gentleman.

I love hanging out with film crews. They are so much more tolerable than filmmakers because they rarely want to talk about movies. After the bar I went straight to a Sonic for the second time today. For those of you who don’t know about Sonic, well, you just have to drive until you find one. I got an Ocean Water Slushie and some onion rings. They tasted delicious after drinking a Pacifico cerveza.

We are off to the Wichita Mountains now, probably no more film to deal with today. I still owe you all some reiews and you’ll get them, but probably not until I’m back in New York. Poke around the site in the meantime, there’s a lot going on here.

Hot off the presses! Here are the winnered of the 9^th Annual deadCENTER Film Festival. I was only able to review two of these films here, but hopefully I will get to see/review the rest at a later date.

• Screenplay:  Laura Looks Up by Keri Schreiner, Los Angeles, CA
• Narrative Feature: Weather Girl directed by Blayne Weaver, Los Angeles, CA
• Documentary Feature: Official Rejection directed by Paul Osborne, Los Angeles, CA
• Narrative Short: Gaining Ground directed by Marc Brummen, Germany
• Documentary Short: Forced into ‘Comfort’, Fighting for Apology directed by Theo Lipfert, Bozeman, MT
• Animation: I’m So Proud Of You directed by Don Herzfeld, Santa Barbara, CA
• Student Film: Science Fair directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp, Brooklyn, NY
• Oklahoma Feature: Barking Water directed by Sterlin Harjo, Tulsa, OK
• Oklahoma Short: Starvation Doctrine directed by Zac Davis, OKC, OK
• Grand Jury Narrative Feature: Yvette, directed by Rogelio Almeida, Duncan, OK
• Grand Jury Narrative Documentary:  The Day After Peace directed by Jeremy Gilley, London, UK

The 2009 deadCENTER Film Festival has come to an end. It’s been a fun ride indeed. I saw some good films, I made some good friends, and I discovered a town that I had never been to before. Oklahoma City is an interesting place for film. There are many many makers out here and an increasing slate of productions for people to find work on. The biggest gap to a thriving film community here seems to be the availability of art house, fringe and repertory film screening spaces. Once a year, when this festival rolls into town, the citizens of Oklahoma City get a nice helping of the films that don’t get out here. They need more, but the fest represents a nice start.

To be honest, I only went to 2 screenings yesterday which I will post about either later today or tomorrow. It has been a whirlwind few days here and there is finally a nice reprieve. I’ll be here a few more days touring around. I will keep you all up to date, especially on film news. Interestingly, I’m currently at a book signing at a local book store. The book, Sooner Cinema: Oklahoma Goes to the Movies, features an essay fro my good friend (and future candler contributor, watch for it) Sunrise Tippeconnie. The book just came out, otherwise I would have read it in advance to help understand this state a little better. No matter, as more film related info comes to me, you’ll get it. Here are some pics from closing night, enjoy.

From here on out, when I hear the term “local film”, I will think of King Hollis’s Pearl, a sweeping biopic that follows the aviation career of Pearl Scott Carter, the youngest licensed pilot in U.S. History. The film was financed in large part by the Chickasaw Nation and featured a crew that was around 60% Oklahoman, which is fitting for a local hero. Last night, when the film showed here in Oklahoma City at the deadCENTER Film Festival, the house was packed with at least fifty people stranded outside, unable to secure tickets for the show. Those who did make it inside were roused to standing ovation as the credits began to roll. So what is this movie that has such an allure here?

The story is very basic. Pearl is a daredevil who drives her blind father around at the age of 11. When an unexpected visitor, pilot Wiley Post, lands his new plane in Pearl’s backyard, she is given the chance of a lifetime to go up in the air with him. Enchanted by this little girl’s tenacity, Wiley suggests she learn to fly. In due time, Pearl’s father buys her a plane and builds her a landing strip. The young prodigy begins flying in airshows and carting businessmen across the state. However, the excitement of flying comes at a price, and she is forced to choose between her love for aviation and need to have a family, a life.

The truth is that there are many weak parts in the story. In general, the film runs too long, bustling about from plot point to plot point without always drawing a direct relationship between everything that is happening. Shot on video, the movie is quite gorgeous. As a period piece, it can be difficult to get an audience behind the harshness of the video image, but in time this falls away, mostly due to the wonderful performances in the film. Elijah DeJesus is great as Pearl. It is difficult to buy her aging over the years, which is accomplished by giving her longer hair, but her stage presence more than makes up for it. Also of note is Andrew Sensenig who plays Pearl’s father, George Sr. Playing a blind man can be difficult, there is often an emotional disconnect when someone is focused on not looking at anyone, but Mr. Sensenig steps up to the plate and delivers. He almost reminds me of Tom Hanks, but only almost. There are a number of great performances to see, but we must move the review along. Read on…