I’ve never heard of Betty Blowtorch before–and after hearing their music, I’m sad I haven’t. I should really start seeking out better bands than what the media hands me. Granted, I only listen to classic rock, but you get my point. “Betty Blowtorch” is quite possibly one of the best rock documentaries I’ve ever seen. It’s the classic tale of a rock band starting out, garnering a fan base, forming a friendship, their attempts at stardom, their inevitable grasp for it, and their imminent downfall thanks to outside sources. Most modern music documentaries prefer to profile bands that suck like They Might Be Giants, or All American Rejects, but this film profiles a band–who doesn’t suck like Paris Hilton in a porno–they’re called Betty Blowtorch, four hard rocking bitches that were a hybrid of KISS, The Runaways, and Motley Crue.
Tag Archives: Indie Film
KatieBird *Certifiable Crazy Person (2005)
The road from troubled girl, to certifiable insane psychotic killer is not an easy one, and it’s a declaration Katie Bird can attest to. “Katie Bird” is not particularly a perfect film, but when it hits the mark it’s quite possibly one of the more steadily disturbing horror entries that really did entertain and fascinate me. After her father’s funeral, she and her psychiatrist, lovers and all, have a fight and eventually make up, but Bird then suddenly goes over the edge and ties him up. Through small interludes of torture, Bird finally gives her therapist the brunt of her love for killing and sadomasochism. Many times, a film can basically come off as contrived when exploring what leads to the inevitable birth of a serial killer, and Bird is not a sympathetic character who was pushed in to this.
The Land of College Prophets (2005)
I had fun, yes, I had fun. It has its flaws, and it’s far from a perfect film, but in the end, “Land of the College Prophets” is a fun B action horror that really does bear an original concept. It’s an interesting mixture of many ideas and concepts; a little bit of “Fight Club”, a little bit of “Mortal Kombat”, and a little bit of “In the Mouth of Madness”, it’s without a doubt an odd amalgam of many concepts intertwined in to one fun action flick about the end of the world caused by two considerably self absorbed individuals. I wasn’t sure what to make of this film in the end, because I really wasn’t sure what in the hell it was that I’d just seen, but I liked it.
The Diary (2004)
“The Diary” plays out a lot like a story from “Creepshow”. It’s short, to the point, but also very creepy, and much like “Evil Dead” there’s your monsters, hapless victims, and a cabin in the middle of the woods. “The Diary” is a very creepy and taut zombie horror film with two narratives about one plot element that takes a toll on our characters with the same inevitabilities. Being a hardcore horror fan since before I could walk, I love to see what indie filmmakers can offer, and “The Diary” is an offering for any horror fan to see. It’s recommended.
Through the Fire (2006)
I’m no sports fan. I find no interest in sports, and I really don’t watch it, but “Through the Fire” is not about sports. You don’t have to like sports to know how damn good this is. It’s typical to say such a thing, but as a man who hasn’t seen a full basketball game in eleven years, it says something about the sheer quality and excellence of “Through the Fire”, that it was able to grab a hold of me and keep me glued to the screen. It’s not an insider documentary, it’s not a new look at sports, and it is not an exploitative peek at a man who ruined himself. It’s simply a down to Earth story about a young man who worked for his dreams and achieved them.
Bram Stoker's Way of the Vampire (2005)
Vampire movies are perhaps the easiest of the horror genre to make aside from zombie films. Some fake fangs, contacts, immense over acting and voila (watch the actors here attempt to mutter their lines through fake teeth!). You can go to an online store and simply type in “vampire” and you’ll come up with about seventy to a hundred vampire films. What’s rare about vampire films though, is that it’s extremely difficult to find a vampire movie that’s actually worth watching. I can think of only a few. “Bram Stoker’s The Way of the Vampire” is no exception to this rule.
Peter's Price (2005)
And there’s that adage that “The grass is always greener on the other side”, and when you break down that adage in bits and pieces, it’s not a one-liner about envy, it’s basically telling you, misery though we perceive it to be bliss, is still misery. And such is examined in the intelligent and engrossing twenty minute short from director Mitchell L. Cohen who seems to have channeled Richard Linklater down to his essence of simplicity.