The Rake Magazine

Killer Movie, a tongue-in-cheek story of a reality television shoot in a northern border town that goes terrifyingly awry, will open the third annual Solstice Film Festival (June 19-21) at Galtier Plaza in downtown St. Paul. The movie premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival (founded by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal) in New York last month, but this will be its Minnesota premiere—a fitting start as it was shot almost entirely in Minnesota.

"We're excited to kick off this year's festival with a hometown theme," said event founder and executive director Devin Halden. The film follows a reality film crew as they profile a small town hockey team making it to the state finals for the first time ever. The film turns dark, in a deliberately campy way, when the crew begins to be stalked one by one. The film's director, Jeff Fisher, calls it "a live action Scooby Doo episode."

Killer Movie was one of hundreds screened that were narrowed to a selection of twenty for this three-day event. Submissions come from filmmakers across the country.

Fisher—whose other directing credits include reality television shows The Simple Life, Making the Band and Big Brother, as well as a few shorts—said Killer Movie (his first feature movie) is influenced by the slasher horror movies of the seventies and eighties that he grew up on, like Halloween and Friday the 13^th, as well as some of Brian DePalma's earlier works from the '80s, most notably the 1981 John Travolta-led Blow Out (itself a remake of Michelango Antonioni's 1966 film Blowup, with a sound technician recording a murder instead of a photographer capturing a murder).

"Everyone always says write what you know. I love horror movies. They always scared me as a kid." He was inspired while working on remote locations, and wondered what would happen if a killer decided to off a reality TV crew one by one.

According to Fisher, the audience for Killer Movie is reality TV fans (especially those interested in what happens behind the scenes of these programs) and fans of the HBO show Entourage. The movie is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, he said. "It's designed to give you a few thrills and also make you laugh."

Jackson Bond, a 12-year-old actor of Lino Lakes, has a significant role in Killer Movie He appeared in last summer's The Invasion starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Bond will be in attendance for the premiere Thursday, walking the red carpet prior to the screening.

Bond's favorite part of the shoot was hanging out with the cast and working on his character with director Fisher. "He made my role more like me, and it was easier for me that way," he said.

Fisher said of working with Jackson: "He's a total pro, awesome. The cast and crew loved him. I was grateful to have him in the cast."

Bond got the role through auditioning. He said Fisher immediately liked his audition. "Coming out of there knowing the director likes you is a good feeling." Bond says he loves old horror movies, citing Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13^th. He was a big fan of Martin Scorsese's The Departed, and when he was in the theater watching it, he remembered everyone in the audience giving his mom dirty looks during some of the more intense scenes.

Another movie screening at the festival (5 p.m. on Thursday) is Patsy, a darkly humored psychological farce, as well as a romantic comedy of the absurd, as seen through the eyes of Lenny Rose (Brett Golov). Lenny's already delusional world spirals even more wildly out of control when Patsy (Christine Lakin) slips into his Palm Beach clothing store, and very quickly into his life. Craving more excitement, Lenny is intrigued by Patsy's untraceable past, "little black box" and even being pursued by covert agents. They journey with a cast of colorful characters through reality to the unimaginable.

Golov, who also produced the movie, said the movie has hints of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, with touches of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets Memento.

The closing film of the festival will be director Jake Rademacher's directorial debut Brothers At War. It's a very personal documentary about his family, mainly his two brothers serving in Iraq, and Jake going to see what their lives were like.

"I wanted to do something positive for my brothers, and for all the soldiers serving in Iraq," he said. "The film is about my journey into the lives of my brothers, and to better understand that I literally go to Iraq for several weeks, then along the way the it really becomes about brotherhood and about an American family facing the crucible of war, rather than about any mission."

Brothers at War has been screening across the country, receiving a standing ovation at the G.I. Film Festival, where it won best feature documentary, for its premiere on May 16. He's very excited for the film's Solstice screening, its third public screening. Rademacher will be in attendance.

Given the recent glut of Iraq-themed movies, especially documentaries, of late, Rademacher, who cited On The Waterfront and this year's There Will Be Blood as favorites of his, said his film is different in four ways: It focuses on a family and their story; the filmmaker actually went to Iraq; he doesn't impose a political viewpoint in to the story but instead lets the story unfold in front of the camera; and the soldiers serving in Iraq actually like the film.

"I think soldiers and their families are above politics, so I felt the film should be the same," he said.

Movie theaters will be constructed in Galtier Plaza for the festival, bringing theater back to Galtier after a 10-year reprieve. "We wanted a facility that could house all of the movies in a single location to make it more convenient for attendees," said Halden. "You can come watch a show, step out for a stroll in Mears Park, grab a bite at one of the great restaurants nearby, and enjoy the heart of downtown St. Paul."

Halden created Solstice in 2006 and immediately won accolades for programming from such publications as Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Filmmaker Magazine. His vision is twofold: to provide independent filmmakers and artists a platform and audience to premier their work; and to produce an event that spotlights the Twin Cities, Minnesota, and all that the area has to offer to encourage future studio and independent film productions.

Single passes are $10 for opening and closing screenings (Thursday and Saturday night) and $5 for any daytime screening. An All Access Pass costs $20. It includes:

• Entry into Opening Night Ceremony, Film, and After Party
• Pass to all films selected to screen at the 2008 Solstice Film Festival
• Admittance to the Spotlight Presentation and Film Saturday evening, June 21
• Entry into the Closing Awards Ceremony and Film Presentation on June 21

For more information on the festival and to order passes, visit www.solsticefilmfest.org.

About Solstice Film Festival

Solstice Film Festival is a non-profit organization committed to bringing the art of filmmaking to the Twin Cities. SFF will offer a varied slate of films, special events, and educational initiatives at the festival and throughout the year, presenting Minnesota with an engaging cultural event for both the local population and visitors to the Twin Cities.

The following is an interview I had with Dean Halden, Executive Director of the Solstice Film Festival.

The Rake: How long has the Solstice Film Festival been going on? Whose idea was it? How did it begin? Why Minnesota?

Dean Halden: 2008 marks the third year of Solstice Film Festival. The idea to create SFF stemmed primarily from my own personal passion for film and my desire to help not only independent filmmakers but also the film industry in Minnesota as a whole.

I worked on several local films and the biggest hurdle, besides actually completing a film on shoestring budgets, was getting the film in front of an audience and individuals and companies who could bring the film or their talents to the next level. SFF provides a platform and audience for talented films and filmmakers to showcase their talents to an audience and those influential people and companies. Our organization takes pride in the fact that we do not stop at simply screening a film at the festival then moving on. Throughout the years, we have developed many great relationships with studios, production and distribution companies, as well as private individuals who are able to get a film or filmmaker to the next level. We facilitate meetings between the two parties and foster relationships to help push that process along. Throughout the year, many studios call us for screeners from a film that was played at SFF to take a closer look at an actor's performance, the talents of a cinematographer or director, or simply the movie as a whole.

The other main reason for creating SFF, and an equally important one, is to produce an event that gives studio execs and production and distribution companies a reason to travel to Minnesota. Once we have them here for the event, we can educate them on our state's tax incentives, and they are able to see first-hand the beautiful and amazing backdrop Minnesota has to offer future film productions.

The Rake: What is the mission statement for the festival? What do you hope to achieve with it?

DH: The Solstice Film Festival represents the spirit of our community and a celebration of filmmaking talent and the art of cinema from around the world. SF offers a varied slate of films, special events and educational initiatives, presenting Minnesota with an engaging cultural event for both the local population and visitors to the Twin Cities.

We achieve this through producing a very balanced event that touches on all three aspects of what we offer. Each year the SFF organization as well as our large selection committee views and rates over 600 shorts, documentaries, animation and feature films, with every genre imaginable. Though it is incredibly hard work and often times tough to make decisions, we feel by the time we have finalized our program we have the best of the best, always keeping our audience in mind throughout the process.

We also hold panels during the event as well as throughout the year. This year, we have several well-known film directors and actors on board for our online panels held through our Web site.

And of course you can't have a festival without parties. Our event planners are top notch and transform our gala venues into incredible party atmospheres. Our parties allow the festivalgoers to interact with the showcased filmmakers, local celebrities and perfect strangers who share their passion for cinema.

The Rake: What type of films does the festival typically show?

DH: The films that have screened at SFF have been truly across the board. However, we try to find films that one day could have, "Coming to a Theater Near You" attached to it. From the first year, we have won accolades for our programming, and we feel that is from our devotion to "uncovering" the next great talent in filmmaking. Our selection committee is made up of movie critics, actors, filmmakers, teachers, business professionals etc., so we pull feedback from a very eclectic audience.

The Rake: Are you a film lover? What are some of your favorite movies of all time? Or anything you've enjoyed from the last few years?

DH: I am definitely a film lover. I tend to annoy people when watching a movie because I find beautiful filmmaking in a film that others don't. Though a compelling story is a must, I find that the way a filmmaker uses colors and a soundtrack can make or break a film. I also feel over-editing has made the actors' job too easy. The constant camera shot of a Fred Astaire dance number or the impeccable timing and interaction of Danny Kay and Bing Crosby in "White Christmas" is just not seen anymore in today's movies. And the simple slapstick of Chaplin and the genius use of props on set is a thing of the past.

That said, innovation in film has given cinema and storytellers an endless world of possibility, and that is a great thing for the audience and the future of movies.

The Rake: How much work has gone in to putting on the festival? How many people are a part of the Solstice team?

DH: It is a year-round job for our organization. We have already begun planning for 2009, making sure we stay ahead of the game and on the pulse of independent film. Throughout the year there are only 4 of us who work on SFF, then around May we bring on a much larger staff. Each member of SFF has a full-time job at other companies. I am a partner in a real estate firm, and the others work for a magazine, media company and professional sport team. It is truly the passion for film and what we have created that motivates us to produce SFF each year.

The Rake: Is the plan to have the festival every year? Any hopes for its future? Where do you see it going from here?

DH: SFF is an annual event. We are in negotiations right now to extend the event to Minneapolis as well; making it the true Twin Cities film festival. From here we just stay the course, make strategic and smart decisions, and keep growing the event.

The Rake: What kind of audience are you hoping to draw to the festival?

DH: Our audience grows every year, and it truly depends on what film is playing as to what audience demographic walks into the theater. The greatest thing about movies is there is one for everyone. Young, old, male, female, child or adult, there is something for everyone at Solstice Film Festival.

CAPSULE REVIEWS: opening and closing films

KILLER MOVIE dir. Jeff Fisher

I need to preface this review by saying this: I love horror films. Along with science-fiction (and crime/gangster movies a close third) it's my favorite film genre. Writer/director Jeff Fisher clearly isn't trying to do anything different here, instead relying on tired clichés that felt dated 20 years ago. The movie is about a reality TV crew – covering the local high school hockey team – being stalked by a killer in a remote North Dakota town.

I also hate reality television (if you can even call it reality) and have no interest in the lives of either celebrities or people wanting to be celebrities. I also played hockey for most of my life through high school. So this movie had a lot to prove to me from the beginning. Fair to say I was not impressed with this non-scary, unfunny attempt at slasher horror/comedy.

The problems in the movie are evident from the beginning; clearly not much thought was put into the production: the setting is North Dakota during the high school hockey season, so that usually means lots and lots of snow and cold, but you wouldn't know that by watching Killer Movie because, save for some of the wardrobe and a few throwaway lines, the movie was clearly shot in the summer or spring – you know, usually the leaves on the trees have fallen off by this time of year in the Midwest, so when the characters go into the woods and it's as green as Al Gore's greatest wet dream, the movie has some problems.

Other mishaps include a really lame reveal of the killer in the end, an even lamer ending (sequel anyone? Sure hope not), a Paris Hilton-type lead character named, get this: Blanca Champion (a joke I'm sure, but it's not funny), horrible dialogue ("she was decapitated, heart beat less"), clichéd characters and attitudes towards the Midwest (no cell phone service, are you kidding me? Someone still thinks that's a quality plot device?), an irritating soundtrack complete with a bunch of teeny pop crap I've never heard of, and hockey action that is way too unrealistic (high school hockey players have to wear face masks. I hate when these details are missed in sports in movies).

If you're a true fan of horror movies, you will hate Killer Movie. If you're a novice to the genre, you might have a bit of fun, though it is quite violent. These kinds of horror movies are better left in the $2 bin at Wal-Mart, and that's way too much to spend on it if you ask me.

BROTHERS AT WAR dir. Jake Rademacher

A completely different movie from Killer Movie in every way, Brothers at War is an often touching and very personal look at a filmmaker's family dealing with the consequences of the Iraq War. Director Rademacher focuses his lens mainly on brothers Isaac (Platoon leader in Afghanistan, Captain in Iraq) and Joe (sniper in Iraq), but also makes himself a character in the documentary.

Through his narration and observant eye, Jake Rademacher gives an intimate portrait of soldiers serving in Iraq without any political baggage. It is to the film's benefit that he avoids any kind of political context to the story. It's completely unnecessary here and it's been done a lot in the past few years. Rademacher claimed that his film is unique because the filmmaker actually goes to Iraq, but Morgan Spurlock's (Super Size Me) latest doc Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden did the same thing.

All in all, Brothers is a good film. Rademacher is the only person in the world who could tell this story, so that makes it special. Things get a little melodramatic and manipulative (the score really wants to pull the audiences' heartstrings, but comes off a bit obvious) towards the end, and it drags a bit in the third act as Rademacher goes back to Iraq on a mission with a separate unit.

I was pleased to see some unflinching looks at war violence that was captured by Rademacher and his camera crew, as well as some much-needed, but unexpected, moments of humor (courtesy of some great brotherly banter that will make any one with a brother laugh). Rademacher also gets some good interviews and footage of Iraqis, many of which have a positive outlook on America's involvement in their country. That certainly makes Brothers stand out amongst all the negative views of the war seen in the media every day. I'm against the war myself, but it's good to see all perspectives.