Film Heaven On Earth By Art Byrd

One of the great things about going to a film festival is that you get to see films you normally would never see in your neighborhood theater or even on DVD. Some of the films are shown only at film festivals, and then they are gone forever.

In the past few months, my film going experience has been going to the theater to see one or two films back to back. Usually afterwards, I am tired. So going to a film festival is like running a marathon for me. A festival can go for a week or two in; films start playing early in the morning and continue until late night.

One such event is the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF). The CIFF featured over 290 films, including shorts from around the world.

One Saturday at the festival, I watched films from early afternoon to late evening. It was exhausting, but it was pure film heaven on earth (my training came in the form of some creative sitting -- I won’t go any further!). I came back the next day to run or sit through some amazing films.

Here is a quick rundown on the short films I saw and enjoyed: “Beast,” which was about a boy taken to the limit by an abusive father; “Boond” is a story about a boy and his mother who are protecting their water well in a town that has no water; and “The Stars Don’t Twinkle in Outer Space” tells the story of a young girl’s space experience, which has a very surprising and punch to the gut ending.

I believe that short films shown one right after another are more emotional that a feature film because each has a different level emotions with its theme. Those themes can take you on an emotional roller-coaster. I held on to my seat.

As for the features, my favorite film so far is a heartwarming story, “Dear Lemon Lima.” Thirteen- year-old Vanessa, played by newcomer Savannah Wiltfong, works at an ice cream stand and writes about love in a diary. She is trying to win back Phillip, her ex-boyfriend. She becomes a student at the same academy as Phillip.

Vanessa finds out she doesn’t fit in. Along the way, she meets others who don’t fit in, and they form a bond. Even though the film turns into same old formula of “the misfits” against “the have it alls,” “Dear Lemon Lima” tugs at all heart strings.

An honorable mention goes to a film called “Love Hurts.” The film has some familiar faces such, as Carrie Ann Moss (“The Matrix” films), Jenna Elfman (“Dharma & Greg”), and Camryn Manheim, (“The Practice”). There is a chance this film may make it to theaters, but for sure it’ll be out on DVD. It’s a must see.

At a film festival, there are some great films that may or may never come to a theater near you.

edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

"She's Out Of My League-Vlog

A Must-See Movie

Brooklyn's Finest Review-Vlog

TV’s ‘Undercover Boss’ Uncovers Real Life Fairy Tales, Villains By Art Byrd

I am not the biggest fan of reality shows. I even stopped watching “American Idol.” There is too much reality for me on the shows.

But there is one reality show that recently caught my interest, called “Undercover Boss.” The basic concept is that a CEO disguises himself and changes his name to work various jobs within his company.

The series is part fairy tale as each episode has the happy employee with a heart of gold, the employee who has a heart-gripping story, and of course, the villain, usually a company manager who makes the employees do something that is not company policy.

The first show follows Waste Management president and COO Larry O’Donnell, who goes underground with day-old face stubble. No one knows who he is except some of the managers of the facilities he goes to. As you’d expect, they are sworn to secrecy.

O’Donnell goes to different company facilities. He meets a man who is very happy going around cleaning port-a-potties. The COO gets a sense of what a great attitude can do for the company.  He meets a woman who is doing multiple jobs at once due to company cutbacks and doing them well, as she tries to keep a roof over the heads of herself, her husband, a daughter, a father, a sister and the sister’s husband. O’Donnell finds this out by being invited to dinner by the woman, who is just being nice.

Then there is a manager who docks time from employees if they are a minute or more over for lunch. O’ Donnell meets more employees, such as a female truck driver who has issues with the company’s treatment of women, and a man who has health issues but is still working like gangbusters.

There is the hotel room camera were the COO talks to about his experiences and the changes he plans to make as a result.

“Undercover Boss” has its big moment when the CEOs/COOs are revealed to employees. There is shock and relief that they aren’t fired for things they said about the company.

Then, the big wig adopts a “Glenda the Good Witch” role as he explains to employees how he’s going to help them and make the company a better place to work. 


Even the villain manager is given a chance to redeem himself.

For “Undercover Boss,” the shows usually wraps up in to a nice feel good package. My advice to big company employees: take a closer look at your CEO’s picture in the company handbook and Christmas card.

edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

“Brooklyn’s Finest” Takes Us to a World That’s Not the Finest By Art Byrd

In the movie “Brooklyn Finest,” there are three stories being told. Director Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day,” “King Arthur,” “Tears of the Sun”) does a good job weaving the sub-plots in and out of each other. Some of the characters cross each other’s path as they continue to walk in their own story. Always an interesting element in films.

Fuqua takes us into a world of bad people -- who are drug dealers, and their cronies -- corrupt cops and kidnappers and sprinkled with some loyalty and pride, all within a social system that no one can win and some may not live through.

The film has a strong cast with Don Cheadle as Tango, a.k.a. Clarence, a cop deep undercover who wants to get out. His boss, Lt. Bill Hobarts (played by Will Patton), keeps giving him weak assurances that he will be relieved of his duties with a promotion.

Of course, Hobarts wants one more job out of Tango, which includes getting a drug dealer just released from prison on appeal back behind bars. The rub comes that Caz saved Tango’s life while the latter was undercover in prison, and Tango feels it’s not fair to get the man he’s indebted to. In a case of amazing casting, Wesley Snipes (“New Jack City,” “Blade”) plays Caz. It’s good to see Snipes in a mainstream movie rather than a straight-to-DVD film.

In another storyline, Ethan Hawke, (“Training Day”) plays Sal, a Brooklyn cop who is in serious need of money. Feeling pressure to take care of his family and desperate to get money for another house, Sal starts to rob drug dealers when he busts them. 


In the third story. Richard Gere (“Internal Affairs”) is Eddie Dugan, a veteran who is seven days away from retirement. He wants a quiet week, but the brass forces him to take rookies out on patrol. The rookies are knuckleheads who don’t listen, and that makes the week not so quiet. What makes the Eddie character great is Gere, who has a quiet presence, yet he shows he is suffering from a less than stellar police career.

“Brooklyn’s Finest” has a lot of profanity with street slang you may need a dictionary to figure out. Yet it is an interesting film because you cannot predict what will happen next. You will be as surprised as the characters are as what happens to them.

edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lighting Thief’ Strikes Some Fun By Art Byrd edited by Michele Ristich Gatts

After a few weekends of seeing romantic comedies, revenge and shoot ’em up movies, I was in the mood for a light film with some fantasy. I saw the trailer for “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief” and thought this would be a good choice. 

The story is about, of course, Percy Jackson, who is a child of Poseidon, the god of the sea from Greek mythology. Percy is only a demigod since his father procreated with a human. I like the choice of actor Logan Lerman to play Percy. He has a heroic quality to him and he was likeable. Percy’s friend and protector is played appealingly by Brandon T. Jackson.

There is a great supporting cast of who’s who among Hollywood elite from Pierce Brosnan as a centaur to Rosario Dawson as sexy Persephone and Uma Thurman as Medusa.

I enjoyed the film and its special effects; they were reminiscent of 70s and 80s films, such as “Clash of The Titans.”

The storyline is typical: something is stolen and if it is not returned the world will be destroyed. Of course, Percy is destined to find it.

As I was reading about the books, I found that the corresponding literary Percy is 12 years old, but in the film he is 17. This is a difference between the Harry Potter films and the Jackson series. We have gotten to watch Harry grow up; with Percy, he is pretty well there.

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief” is overall a good film with a feel good message. It was directed by Valley native Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter films.

Hopefully in the sequel, Percy will grow up -- but not too much.