Hey everyone! This is my third and final article about the movies I saw this year at the Boston Independent Film Festival. There were a whole lot of great indie movies there this year, and I could only see a small fraction of them, but they're all really good. So do yourself a favor and make sure to see some of them, whether at the festival or when they are released in theatres or online. The final film I saw was an anthology film titled Collective: Unconscious. 

Collective: Unconscious begins with a fourth wall-breaking monologue concerning the nature of hypnosis and trances. Specifically about how, in many ways, watching a film is a type of self-induced hypnosis, how we let the shapes and colors and sounds emanating from the screen block out everything else from our sense until all that’s left in our world is the story being told on the screen. This is an incredibly appropriate way to start one of the most surreal films I’ve seen in quite some time.

Collective: Unconscious is an anthology made up of five short films, each by a different director. In order to create them, each of the quintet of filmmakers was asked to adapt one of the others’ dreams. And I don’t mean that as a figure of speech- the anthology’s producer gave each of them a prompt describing a dream one of the others had had. Beyond that, they were given complete creative freedom to make whatever they want. The results are, as you would probably expect, both incredibly varied and stunningly bizarre.

​For example, First Day Out (directed by Josephine Decker) consists of a series of enchanting dance performances with dubbed-over audio of former prisoners describing their first day after being released from prison. Swallowed, directed by Lily Baldwin, is about the anxieties that accompany a new mother and has a lot of classical body horror, since it was adapted from a dream about parasites. Possibly most bizarre of all is Frances Bodomos’ short, which parodies those low-budget ‘edutainment’ shows which were popular on public television in the 80s. This particular show, however, is called Everybody Dies!, is hosted by the Grim Reaper, and consists of a whole lot of dark comedy about how likely African-American kids are to die violent deaths in our society.

Whether or not any particular short appeals to you will largely be a matter of personal taste considering the wide variety of genres, formats, and tones on display. Plus, I feel that incredibly surreal movies such as this are something that you either have a taste for or don’t. But between the five shorts, there’s probably at least one that appeals to your sensibilities. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, partly because they appeal to my love of surrealism, but also because it made me think about the nature of film and dreams, and the intersection between the two.
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Grade: A

Hey everyone! I'm back for another day of coverage of the Boston Independent Film Festival 2016! Today, I bring you coverage of two films I saw last night: Transpecos and The Alchemist Cookbook!

In the far west of Texas is a region known as Trans-Pecos. Out there, there’s nothing but sand and dust and the occasional dust devil. Which, of course, makes it the perfect place for Mexican drug cartels to smuggle contraband over the border. Somewhere in this desolation, there’s a small outpost manned by three border patrol officers: expert tracker Lance Flores (Gabriel Luna), inexperienced rookie Benjamin Davis (Johnny Simmons), and veteran enforcer Lou Hobbs (Clifton Collins, Jr.). But what they think is going to be just another day quickly goes awry because of the contents of a single car, and the betrayal of one of their own.

Directed by rookie filmmaker Greg Kwedar, Transpecos is a classic crime thriller grappling with a subject increasingly common in film: the war on drugs. And despite recent fare concerning the same topic, such as Cartel Land and Sicario, Transpecos manages to find its own niche. At its core, this is a film about the relationships between three colleagues and friends, and how they react when those bonds are shattered by violence and treachery. This is greatly enhanced by the incredibly strong performances given by the three starring actors, which gives the movie an intensely personal feel. In fact, they gave the strongest performances out of all the films I’ve seen at BIFF so far. Plus, the landscapes of the Southwest are gorgeous and the film has excellent cinematography, reminding me of the sweeping vistas of Days of Heaven and other early Terrence Malick films.

Although it’s certainly not the only film dealings with its chosen subject, Transpecos is an expertly crafted and superbly acted film. It’s well-written, directed, acted, and shot. You really can’t go wrong with this one, so make sure to check it out once it gets to theatres later this year.
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Grade: A

Somewhere deep in the forests of Michigan, there is a little trailer miles away from any other dwelling. In that trailer lives a young man named Sean (Ty Hickson). He is an outcast and a loner, and possibly on the run from the law. He has sworn off all human contact, delighting in his solitude, excepting only his beloved cat Kaspar. While in his isolation, he has begun to experiment with chemistry, cooking up all sorts of unusual and possibly hazardous cocktails. But this experimentation soon proves too mundane for Sean, and he begins to dabble in the forbidden arts of black magic. 

I’m not sure exactly what genre to classify The Alchemist Cookbook as. It has elements of a horror film, but it’s not quite a horror film. At times it seems to be a subtle homage to the exploitation films of the 70s, but in general it seems too subdued to be in that category either. In fact, the main problem with The Alchemist Cookbook is that it doesn’t seem sure of exactly what it wants to be. It has a little horror, some character development of Sean, and a smattering of subtle social commentary, but none of it is enough to add up to a completely coherent film. It’s not that the movie is confusing, per se, as much as it feels incomplete, in a way.

If the movie had been a bit longer, delved deeper into character development (there is only one other actor in the film beside Hickson), or embraced the conventions of the horror genre further, than The Alchemist Cookbook would have been a very interesting film. But as of now it stands incomplete, neither one thing nor another, and is worse off for it.

Grade: C-

Hey everyone! It's that time of year again- that's right, It's the Boston Independent Film Festival! It is going on this weekend at the Somerville and Brattle Theatres, and I will be posting reviews of all the movies I see the day after I see them. Of course, there are far more movies playing than I could ever cover, and many of them are fantastic films. So if you get a chance, go out and see some of the awesome stuff that's playing. This first article cover the psychological thriller Always Shine and the Iranian horror film Under the Shadow (زیر سایه‎‎).

Anna (Mackenzie Davis) is an aspiring actress living in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, her career hasn’t gone anywhere yet, and she’s desperately looking for her big break. Beth (Caitlin FitzGerald) is also a Los Angeles actress, although her career is starting to take off after starring in several horror movies and art films. The two women used to be good friends, but the years have taken their toll on their relationship; Anna is jealous of Beth’s success, while Beth has grown frustrated with Anna’s increasingly hostile personality while simultaneously feeling guilty of her own success because she perceives Anna as the better actress. The two of them decide to repair their friendship with a weekend getaway to Big Sur, but once there they realize that the chasms between them may be too wide to bridge, and things only get worse from there…

Always Shine is a psychological thriller by director Sophia Takal. In many ways it is an homage to the classics of the genre, such as works by Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch. However, it’s also an interesting commentary upon the perception of women in modern society. Sophia Takal conducted a Q&A session after the screening via Skype, and she talked about how much of the film was inspired by her own difficulty with not living up to what she perceives that society expects of her as a women, of not living up to the feminine ideal. Fittingly, both lead actresses give incredibly strong performances, with Beth and Anna respectively embodying a feminine ideal and a more aggressive female personality. 

Although I can’t say that it is an amazing thriller movie, Always Shine is an excellent commentary on gender roles and expectations. You may be disappointed if you go into hoping for Hitchcock or Lynch, but if you want an intelligent social commentary than you’re in the right place.

Grade: B-

Shideh (Narges Rashidi) and her family are living in Tehran during the height of the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. She studied as a doctor before the Iranian Revolution, but due to being a member of a now-banned political group while at university, she was unable to complete her medical studies. Instead, she now focuses on raising her daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi). After a turning point in the war, her husband is drafter by the army and missiles begin raining down on Tehran, though Shideh stubbornly refuses to leave. Soon though, Shideh realizes it’s not just bombs that she has to worry about…
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Under the Shadow is a horror movie created by Iranian director Babak Anvari. In many ways, my thought about this film are quite similar to that of Always Shine; Under the Shadow is not a great horror movie. Most of its frights come from cheap (albeit effective) jump scares, nothing you haven’t seen in every other horror movie. But it is very interesting in the social and political issues it examines, including the role of women in Iranian society, criticisms of the Iranian government, and the subtle, creeping terror of war which goes beyond soldiers and bombs.

If you’re looking for an awesome horror movie, than maybe look for something else. But if you want an interesting social commentary featuring a nation which we so rarely see films from here in the United States, than Under the Shadow is the film for you.

Grade: B-

Below is a full roundup of our IFF Boston coverage from 2015, which includes 28 reviews of 20 feature-length films and 8 short films from 5 writers. Two additional film reviews are upcoming.

Your Editor-in-Chief, Mary Tobin, covered IFFBoston as NUFEC press. Her parents so happened to be in town from Iowa during the IFFB weekend, so thankfully many of the NUFEC Blog writing staff stepped up. NUFEC writer and editor, Carter Sigl, contributed several articles, and one article was contributed each by NUFEC member Andy Robinson; Patrick Roos, former Treasurer of NUFEC; and incoming NUFEC Treasurer, Arzu Martinez.

Wednesday

Mary Tobin on The End of the Tour - "In exploring ascension to fame, it explores so much more about the relationship of the interviewer and the interviewee; how both are always assessing one another while potentially drowning in their own self-doubt."


Thursday

Patrick Roos on Being Evel - "If you’re a long-time fan of extreme sports, calculated showmanship, or Hot Rod, you shouldn’t need more than the title to sell you on this movie.  For others, you’ll still want to see a man who, when told by the federal government that he wasn’t allowed to jump the Grand Canyon, went out and bought a canyon of his own to jump."

Mary Tobin on Slow West - "There were a lot of deaths and there was some commentary on outlaws and children, but really nothing that I felt was phenomenal. I feel very indifferent towards the film, unfortunately. "

Mary Tobin on T(error) – “...it appears no one is watching the organizations that have systematically gained vast amounts of power and influence especially in the criminal justice system… which feels anything but just, especially in this context. While I’ve seen many fantastic films at this festival, this is the breakout; this is the film I want to watch again and again. "


Friday

Mary Tobin on Do I Sound Gay? - "... the film was a fascinating take on the impact of the voice, from scientific examinations of intonation to the use of the “gay” voice in film. The cultural impact and assessment was the most intriguing..."

Coming Soon: Mary Tobin on The Surrender 

Carter Sigl on The Overnight – “If you and a few friends want to see an awful American sex comedy, by all means see this movie. Otherwise, I would say this one is a pass… Unless of course you want to see Jason Schwartzman’s dick, in which case this movie will happily oblige.”

Carter Sigl on They Look Like People – “A chilling psychological horror, They Look Like People is a terrifying picture of what it feels like to struggle with schizophrenia.”


Saturday

Mary Tobin on Prom Night - "With a light, airy soundtrack, this comedy short about the sexual expectations accompanying prom night delves into the insecurities of an inexperienced young man with a fresh feel."

Mary Tobin on Hasta La Vista - "This quirky, hilarious short with a quick-witted premise could easily be too sad or too overdone, but manages to walk a comedic line throughout."

Mary Tobin on Help Point - "Two strangers looking for their cars in an airport parking lot cross paths and lament over their common woes."

Mary Tobin on Ticky Tacky - "I’m all for a film set exclusively in an office-library featuring a precocious child who shares a murderous streak with his enigmatic boss, so it was pretty exciting all around."

Mary Tobin on Desk Job - "The film managed to feel familiar without feeling overindulgent for the most part. It felt like the person who made this maybe had to convince their parents that they should be able to work in film rather than have a stable job at a large corporation..."

Mary Tobin Actor Seeks Role - "Alex Karpovsky’s portrayal of a man going off the rails for his craft feels natural, albeit disturbing. Dylan Baker may have stolen the show, though, as his medical instructor excitement flew off the screen."

Carter Sigl on H. - "...the thing about this movie is that it’s a tease.  All these strange things happen, and even if they are interesting or occasionally frightening in the moment, nothing is ever explained..."

Mary Tobin on Lost Conquest – “The most exciting part of this film is, thankfully, the meatiest part: interviews with puzzlingly genuine, thoughtful, and warm people that respectfully held differing beliefs."

Carter Sigl on Wildlike - "Combining a well-written plot with a cast of experienced actors, Wildlike is a touching drama film about two people who start as strangers and slowly come to care for one another...Wildlike is a beautiful film, on both a visual and emotional level..."

Coming Soon: Mary Tobin on Stray Dog

Mary Tobin on Crooked Candy - "It feels rare that a voiceover short film shot largely in the same room and with limited visual engagement of the single subject could so quickly and delightfully engage, but engage it did."

Carter Sigl on DEATHGASM - "DEATHGASM is ridiculous, hilarious, extremely gory, and downright awesome. It’s a horror movie and splatter comedy based entirely around Heavy Metal music which does not take itself seriously in the slightest and runs entirely on sheer mayhem and absurd comedy...All in all, DEATHGASM is one of the funniest and most fun movies I’ve seen in quite a long time."


Sunday

Carter Sigl on Made in Japan - "Directed by John Bishop, Made in Japan is probably one of the most unlikely stories of either Japan or country music I’ve ever seen. The documentary charts both Tomi’s history in the music industry and her contemporary quest: to play on the Grand Ole Opry one last time."

Mary Tobin on The Look of Silence - "This companion piece to The Act of Killing is just as difficult to watch as the original installment, if not more so. That’s not to say the film isn’t fantastic in it’s ability to confront human emotion and what we expect of humanity in a striking tone; it is."

Carter Sigl on The Keeping Room - "All in all, The Keeping Room is a beautiful and terrifying film about women and war, a topic that sorely needs more attention and examination in our culture."


Monday

Mary Tobin on Lost Colony - "I really wanted to like this film, but the combination of frustrating camera choices and a wandering plot with many touched on but underdeveloped subplots was too much for this 84-min film to handle."

Arzu Martinez on Posthumous - "In their conversations, there are brief mentions of questions that could have made the story deliver, like the definition of art and its value, the difference between a real artist and a sell-out, or whether an artist should strive for greatness or happiness."

Mary Tobin on The Hermit - "Unfortunately, The Hermit felt too disorganized to pack much of a punch. For such a ripe and unique story, the exploration felt conventional and surface-level."

Carter Sigl on Future Shock! The Story of 2000 AD - "Overall, Future Shock! is a fascinating and entertaining story about a realm of geek culture I knew next to nothing about."


Tuesday 

Andy Robinson on The Wolfpack - "Moselle positions herself as a fly on the wall in the claustrophobic apartment, but is shy about addressing her influence on the family dynamic. As the first and only guest in their apartment, it’s hard to believe that Moselle was merely an observer throughout several years of filming."


Wednesday

Mary Tobin on Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - "You can read this review in its entirety, but I’ll save you some time if you’re a busy person on a train or something and you’re reading this in a hurry: go see this movie."

This article is part of NUFEC's ongoing coverage of the Independent Film Festival Boston 2015.


Before I dive into these films, I just want to say: damn were they good. I only attended one short film session, which was Shorts B = Bravo, a narratives collection, but I wish I could've attended more short film series. These were truly fantastic films, and getting back into the practice of watching short films is quite easy. They're pithy, because they need to be, and they're often quite funny, which is impressive given the small amount of time we have to connect with the characters or the situation. Bravo, indeed, to these six films: Prom Night, Hasta La Vista, Help Point, Ticky Tacky, Desk Job, and Actor Seeks Role.

*image sadly not available*

A young, slightly awkward man living in New York City attends a party thrown by a friend. What could go wrong? This quirky, hilarious short with a quick-witted premise could easily be too sad or too overdone, but manages to walk a comedic line throughout. You’ll learn about relationships, the impact of subway singers, what true awkward behavior looks like, and maybe even a few fun facts about hippos.

Grade: A

Two strangers looking for their cars in an airport parking lot cross paths and lament over their common woes. The bus stand hosts a “Help Point” where they can speak to someone to help locate their cars, but in the meantime there’s plenty of time for a story or two. This short felt a little overdone at times but was largely enjoyable. Thank goodness I don’t have a car to lose in an airport parking lot.

Grade: B

Initially, this short caught my attention with Wes Anderson-esque symmetry and angles, as well as the inclusion of an all-knowing lawyer who appeared to be about eight years old. But the star of the show, Oscar Isaac, stole the moment with a tale of love, betrayal, and loss. I’m all for a film set exclusively in an office-library featuring a precocious child who shares a murderous streak with his enigmatic boss, so it was pretty exciting all around.

Grade: B+

In Desk Job, we accompany a man through his frustrating day as an insurance claim adjuster working from home. Largely, we only see the one man and the sound editing of the voices he speaks with on the phone is quite impressive. Having working for a large corporation, albeit without the clients breathing down my neck, I completely identify with the feelings of worthless time and meaningless emails. The film managed to feel familiar without feeling overindulgent for the most part. It felt like the person who made this maybe had to convince their parents that they should be able to work in film rather than have a stable job at a large corporation; I don’t know about their parents, but that person convinced me.

Grade: B+

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Short Films at IFFBoston this year.

An aspiring actor (Alex Karpovsky of GIRLS) in New York City pays his rent with a part-time medical acting gig, which involves performing the symptoms of various illnesses to help train student doctors. Although his acting coach doesn’t think he has what it takes, he truly subscribes to the Meisner technique through which the focus is for the actor to "get out of his head," such that he or she is behaving instinctively. His medical instructor (Dylan Baker) loves his flair for the theatrical and is especially excited to see him perform a series of complicated illnesses for the students’ final exam.

Alex Karpovsky’s portrayal of a man going off the rails for his craft feels natural, albeit disturbing. Dylan Baker may have stolen the show, though, as his medical instructor excitement flew off the screen. Both actors worked for the minimum amount they’re required to make accordingly to guild rules, yet their performances indicate they were paid much more. Hats off to the special effects or makeup crew for the film as well – I thought I was looking at real rashes.

Grade: B+

When American kids learn about the Civil War (or the War of Northern Aggression for you Southerners out there) in history class, a couple of themes tend to pop up over and over again: state sovereignty, the Southerners’ disgust at having a ‘black’ Republican President, and of course the glorious quest to liberate the slaves. We learn the famous names like Lincoln, Lee, and Grant. We learn the famous battles, like Sumter and Gettysburg. We learn about all the big, dramatic things because they’re easy to talk about. But there are many aspects of war that get glossed over in class because they aren’t easy to talk about, things like ordinary life during war, and especially the lives of women. The history of mankind is, after all, the history of men. British director Daniel Barber is trying to change that with The Keeping Room.

The Keeping Room is the story of two sisters and their family’s slave, played by Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld, and Muna Otaru. They are struggling to get by in a land absolutely decimated by the war; food and medicine is all but exhausted and all the men have gone off to fight and die. The Union Army hasn’t reached their town yet, but two forward scouts have, played by Kyle Soller and Sam Worthington. After persuading the barkeeper at gunpoint and to hand over any alcohol he has left and abusing his wife, they follow Marling’s character home.

What follows is a dark and brutal examination of both the plight and strength of women in war time. I enjoyed this film first and foremost because we so rarely see historical dramas from a female perspective in cinema, or any media for that matter. It is an unrelentingly bleak picture of the horror of conflict from the perspective of those who are most vulnerable to it. Although I certainly appreciated the sheer cynicism of the film, it sometimes takes it a little too far, to the point where you start to think “Oh come, give these people a break”. The movie is beautifully shot, even though much of it is beautifully awful and disturbing. And all of the actresses and actors do a terrific job, although I think Brit Marling in particular stood out. That has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I have a little crush on her.

All in all, The Keeping Room is a beautiful and terrifying film about women and war, a topic that sorely needs more attention and examination in our culture. I hope that someday films such as this are shown in our history classes so we can get an idea of what the Civil War was really like.

Grade: A-

This article is part of NUFEC's ongoing coverage of the Independent Film Festival Boston 2015.

This follow up, companion piece to The Act of Killing is just as difficult to watch as the original installment, if not more so. That’s not to say the film isn’t fantastic in it’s ability to confront human emotion and what we expect of humanity in a striking tone; it is. But watching people discuss in detail how they murdered people, often involving reenactments of where they would stab them, and laugh about it… well, it hasn’t gotten easier since we saw The Act of Killing. 

This article is part of NUFEC's ongoing coverage of the Independent Film Festival Boston 2015.

In a wolfpack, there is a leader: the Alpha male. They command respect, keep order, and enjoy first dibs on dinner. In The Wolfpack, Crystal Moselle’s debut documentary, there is no leader; there is only the shadow of a father.

The Angulo family lives on the Lower East Side. Six brothers and one sister are kept in seclusion from the outside world, whose windows are really only the small television set they have and a library of films numbering in the thousands. Images from Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and Quentin Tarantino fuel their eagerness to create – in the form of meticulous re-enactment. They recreate the scripts from scratch by transcribing the movies in real time, make costumes out of yoga mats and cereal boxes, and get into character using music from tape decks.

For roughly twenty years, this was the way things were in the Angulo household. Homeschool during the day, then movies. Dad, a Salinger-esque hermit, would stay in his room. The father’s obsession with his children’s safety verges on abuse; by trying to protect them from unspecified forces outside, he turned them into shut-ins. For all that, home video shows a warm upbringing. The children bond, polite and well-spoken. They celebrate birthdays and have parties. Throughout the documentary, there is no sign of child abuse by the father. There's a brief discussion of him slapping their mother several times during their upbringing, but largely he only drifts in and out of the frame.

The hook may be the reenactments: silly, heartfelt renderings of Batman and Tarantino characters. But the real intrigue comes from the father’s cultish impact on the family. The patriarch is the most interesting character, but unfortunately he has the least screen time.

Moselle positions herself as a fly on the wall in the claustrophobic apartment, but is shy about addressing her influence on the family dynamic. As the first and only guest in their apartment, it’s hard to believe that Moselle was merely an observer throughout several years of filming.

We only get a few brief encounters with the father and mother. I was left with more questions after the credits rolled. Moselle teases us with these enigmatic people, but leaves us shy of any real closure. The brothers eagerness to leave the family makes you eager with them, grinding your teeth in frustration that one little lock can keep such bright young people away for so long. The story is captivating enough to keep you going, but what it really needs is a better director–or maybe a leader.

Grade: C+

This article is part of NUFEC's ongoing coverage of the Independent Film Festival Boston 2015.

Being the story of how an artist’s presumed death launches his work from obscurity to belated celebrity, I thought that Posthumous offered an interesting premise and some solid ground to explore important questions about success in the art world. However, it turned out to be slightly disappointing.  

When most people think of country music, they generally don’t associate it with Japan. Although Japan has absorbed and assimilated many forms of Western music, from rock to metal and the infamous J-pop, country music never gained much of a foothold in the land of samurai and anime. But there’s always an exception that makes the rule, and in this case it’s a woman named Tomi Fujiyama. While growing up in post-war Japan, Tomi gained a taste for country music after hearing it on American army bases. Quickly becoming one of the stars of the (admittedly small) Japanese country circuit, she eventually moved to the United States in search of a bigger audience and more opportunities for her music. Her dream came true on the night of November 9, 1964, when she played for a national audience on the Grand Ole Opry, the most prestigious venue in country music. She received a twenty minute standing ovation, something that even Johnny Cash (who also performed that night) could not claim.

Directed by John Bishop, Made in Japan is probably one of the most unlikely stories of either Japan or country music I’ve ever seen. The documentary charts both Tomi’s history in the music industry and her contemporary quest: to play on the Grand Ole Opry one last time. The documentary manages to be charming, humorous, and occasionally touching all at once; Tomi Fujiyama is a fascinating person, with the drive of youth and the warmth of a grandmother at the same time. She is a great musician, with a well-honed skill at the guitar and a beautiful voice, whether singing in English or Japanese. The film features numerous performances by Fujiyama, both original recordings from her youth and more contemporary fare; even though she’s 75 years old she still performs frequently. Between the fascinating and unique story and the magnetism of Tomi herself, Made in Japan is a must-see for anyone interested in country music, Japan, or a totally unexpected story. 


Grade: B+

I very openly consider myself a geek. I love videogames, anime, and movies (obviously). However, I do not consider myself a comic book geek. I didn’t grow up reading about the heroic tales Superman or The Avengers. I didn’t read any comic books until I was in high school, and even today my experience with comics is limited and decisively non-standard: Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta and Watchmen and Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. However, both of those writers worked somewhere else before they wrote the stories that are so near and dear to my heart: a British anthology comic called 2000 AD. Featuring tales of the near and the far future, the title’s mix of classic science-fiction, brutally graphic violence and biting social commentary, 2000 AD was an instant hit among British comics fans when it was first published in 1977. Over its long history it has featured stories from nearly every famous British comics author, from the aforementioned Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman to Garth Ennis (Preacher), Grant Morrison (Doom Patrol), and Mark Millar (Kick-Ass). It was the home of some of the most well-known stories of science-fiction comics, from Moore’s abortive Halo Jones, to the phenomenally popular Judge Dredd.

Created by Paul Goodwin, Future Shock! charts the history of 2000 AD from its inception on the heels of the post-Star Wars science craze to its stagnation in the 1990s following the departure of many of their best writers to their recent revival. It features interviews with a huge number of the writers and artists who have worked for the title over the decades, but the film as a whole is anchored by the original creator of 2000 AD, Pat Mills. Many of these creators, particularly Mills himself, have very strong personalities, refuse to censure themselves, and don’t like each other very much. Goodwin does a very good job of showing a balanced view of 2000 AD, of both its good parts such as the camaraderie between the founding members, and the less-proud aspects of its history, such as many of the stories that were run in the 1990s. Overall, Future Shock! is a fascinating and entertaining story about a realm of geek culture I knew next to nothing about. 


Grade: B+