Courtesy of The Orchard

Based on the novel by Bonnie Nadzam, Lamb is an unsettling drama about the relationship between an unmoored middle-aged man and a precocious young girl. The movie, starring and directed by Ross Partridge, consists mainly of a road trip, fraught with the self-centered needs of its protagonist and set against the beautiful backdrop of the duo’s natural surroundings (Wyoming and Colorado).

When we first meet David Lamb (Partridge), he’s denying the fact that his wife has left him to his ailing, alcoholic father, who knows better; David also lies about his wife’s desertion to co-worker Linny (Jess Weixler), with whom he is having an affair. Despite his good looks and laid-back outward demeanor, David is obviously a guy with issues.

Some time later, he is smoking in a parking lot after his father’s funeral, when 11-year-old Tommie (a terrific Oona Laurence) saunters up and asks for a cigarette, a dare set up by her friends. David’s reaction – he not only gives her one, but lights it – is the just the first of many disturbing moments in this film and in their relationship. He pretends to kidnap Tommie to scare her friends, but actually drives her home, and lectures her about approaching him: “I’m not a bad guy, but I could have been.” (He introduces himself as “Gary,” one of many lies he tells to various people he knows or encounters.)

Courtesy of The Orchard

This sets the tone for the rest of the film, showing both David’s concern for Tommie and his disconcertingly inappropriate behavior. We want to be sympathetic but can’t help being appalled, or at least frustrated, by his lack of judgment.

Things haven’t been going well for David at work, either, and his boss suggests that he take some time off. When “Gary” and Tommie meet again, they discuss their depressing Midwestern town. “I’m probably going to die here,” says the preternaturally bright girl, who acknowledges that their budding friendship is “weird,” and lies about her whereabouts to her slacker mom and boyfriend, who don’t pay much attention.

David proposes a weeklong trip to his father’s cabin out west, warning Tommie that “This will look a lot like kidnapping” (yep!), so she’d better think about it before deciding whether to go. Of course she decides to go.

So they embark on a road trip and have deep conversations amid beautifully-shot vistas of open spaces. David lectures Tommie and predicts, “You’ll wonder about the old guy who showed you so much beauty in the world.” Sensing a kindred soul from an equally rough background, he seemingly wants to help her, as well as himself. (“You’re going to teach me all about the beautiful things I’m supposed to know,” he tells her.) We keep wondering exactly how David can justify his actions, logical as they may seem to him. There doesn’t appear to be any sexual interest on his part, which is a relief, but still… How stable can he be?

Courtesy of The Orchard

At one point, the girl becomes homesick and cries at a truck stop, catching the attention of a sympathetic woman. It’s one of several opportunities for the duo to be apprehended, adding to the film’s tension. “I’m going to be in so much trouble,” Tommie tells David later. “No, you’re not; they’re going to be so happy to see you, then I’ll leave town, so you can get over this,” he replies matter-of-factly. And we know he’s probably right.

The cabin is idyllic and peaceful, though its serenity and the increasingly affectionate relationship between David and Tommie — including confession of a secret that sort of explains his actions — is interrupted by both a nosy neighbor and Linny, who has come to keep David company, much to his dismay. She seems to recognize that he is indeed basically a good guy and so hasn’t given up on him. But the timing is obviously bad and things become even more tense before finally resolving on an emotional note.

Most movies are pretty clearcut about good versus bad characters, so it’s always interesting to meet one who is deeply flawed but still somewhat sympathetic. Many audiences may not buy it – and it’s not an easy sell – but there’s value in this odd and sometimes poetic film about a friendship that is wildly incongruous but is somehow real nonetheless.

Lamb is currently playing at Cinema Village.

—Marina Zogbi

If each new calendar year brought forth a new style trend that mirrored the Spice Girls, 2016 would be known as the Year of Sporty Spice. Right now, athleisure is as popular and ubiquitous as Park Slope or Santa Monica moms pushing UppaBaby strollers—and with booming sales, chic, dressed-up exercise clothing are finally more affordable too.

“Stores like H&M, Forever 21, and Aritzia, are offering up a selection of goods that aren’t just cute but, mostly at under $50, won’t break your bank, either,” writes Ray Lowe of Refinery 29.

Here are three simple facts you need to know about this fabulously casual fashion trend.

Read More→

As the year winds down and we’re suffused with holiday cheer (and perhaps making donations to our favorite causes), it’s a good time for film fans to take a look at some movies that need help getting made, ones we might not necessarily hear about otherwise.

For many a low-budget indie filmmaker, Kickstarter, Indiegogo and other crowdfunding sites have become the way to get it done – or at least try to get it done. (Actually, some not-so-low budget films, including Zack Braff’s Wish I Was Here and Spike Lee’s Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, were both made with money – $3.1 million and $1.4 million, respectively – raised via Kickstarter, but those are exceptions.) Offering potential backers several donation tiers that pay back perks ranging from a thank-you postcard and link to the finished product to set visits and a night out with the cast and crew, these campaigns are not only a way for films to get made, but for fans to become a part of something cool and exciting.

There are many worthwhile films seeking funds on a variety of crowdsourcing platforms (over 600 film and video projects on Kickstarter alone). Here is just a sampling of interesting-looking projects on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, several of them based right here in New York City, with campaigns that are currently open. The list includes both documentary and narrative films in various stages of production, from pre- to post. They range from fairly sophisticated endeavors with principals who have significant industry experience to scrappy first-time efforts. Check them out and get inspired.

Kickstarter:

Downstream
Written and directed by Brooklyn-based brothers Dylan and Dakota PF, this short SciFi film incorporates themes of climate change, environmental decay and cybernetics to tell the story of a young woman who becomes a cyborg at the hands of a malicious doctor. The brothers’ pitch video is especially entertaining.

A Woman, A Part

A Woman, A Part
Director/writer Elizabeth Subrin’s feature-length drama stars Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy) as a successful but stifled actress who breaks down on the set of her LA-based TV series, and returns home to her old Brooklyn apartment to try to regain herself. Also starring the fantastic Cara Seymour (The Knick) and other actor/performer/artist luminaries.

Cancion sin Nombre (Song Without a Name)
Melina León’s first feature film, shot in black and white, concerns child trafficking in 1980s Lima, Peru. It was inspired by a true story about a young mother who loses her newborn and the journalist who investigates the case.

1, 2, 3 You Please
Though primarily known as an actor (The Master, Fargo), Josh Close is also a filmmaker whose directorial feature debut follows a young woman struggling to maintain her life while dealing with OCD. Close, who plays the protagonist’s love interest, was inspired by his own bout with the condition.

Fight Mom
Sean Menard’s documentary shows the life of Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson, a pro mixed martial arts fighter who balances the incredible demands of her sport with those of motherhood, as she pursues membership in the UFC’s newly-formed MMA division for women.

Indiegogo:

Hunky Dory

Hunky Dory
Michael Curtis Johnson’s dramedy stars co-writer Tomas Pais as Sidney, an L.A. rocker/drag queen who suddenly has to raise his young son full-time. (The film will premiere at Slamdance 2016.)

Unmasked: A Bout with Schizophrenia
Michael Dote’s documentary details his battle with schizophrenia and charts his return to the sport of fencing – and rebuilding his life in general – after several traumatic years.

Nomad Meets the City
This documentary, made by a team of activists based in Ulaanbaatar, tells three different stories of Mongolian nomads who leave their rural, millennia-old way of life to pursue opportunities in the city. This ongoing migration is transforming the country’s culture.

A Footnote in Ballet History?
Parisian-based Egyptian director Hisham Abdel Khalek shows us the little-known history of ballet in Egypt in his documentary about Magda Saleh, the celebrated prima ballerina of the Cairo Ballet Company in the 1960s.

Loudmouth

Loudmouth
Steven Reneau and Amman Abbasi’s narrative feature concerns the life of a 12-year-old boy who is initiated into a local Arkansas gang after dealing with personal tragedy. They have completed filming, but seek funding for editing, sound mixing, color correction and soundtrack composition.

Happy Holidays!!

—Marina Zogbi

‘Tis the time of year for the radio stations to play Mariah Carey’s cover of “All I Want For Christmas” (the “Extra Festive” version) on repeat. It’s a great song and it sure is festive, but after hearing it twenty or so times over the span of only a few hours it starts to wear down the holiday spirit. It doesn’t help that there are only a few dozen other really popular holiday songs played during December: Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)”, Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad”, Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow”, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”, that one song about shoes. Again, all great tunes, but they’re hard to hear on repeat for an entire month. Especially when most of us are either coped up with relatives, stuck in holiday traffic or desperately trying to find the last toy lightsaber sold in the state…or trying to justify sneaking off to see Star Wars… again.

Instead of sitting through TSwift’s “Last Christmas” one more time, listen to some other covers and holiday/Christmas songs that get less airtime. From groups like The Killers that annually put out their own holiday tune to bands like Weezer that cover classics, here are twelve songs to get you through to the New Year. Enjoy!

1. “Christmas Night Of The Living Dead” by MXPX

2. “Deadbeat Holiday” by Green Day

3. “Last Christmas” by Jimmy Eat World

4. “The Season’s Upon Us” by Dropkick Murphys

5. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” by The Holidazes

6. “Christmas In L.A.” by The Killers ft. Dawes

7. “Oi To The World” by No Doubt

8. “(When Is) Hanukkah This Year?” by Melee

9. “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” by Weezer

10. “The Lights and Buzz” by Jack’s Mannequin

11. “Walking In The Air” by Foxy Shazam

12. “My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)” by Regina Spektor

by Zoe Marquedant

Véronique Hyland of New York Magazine reported on Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) efforts to “revolutionize Fashion Week.”

 Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for NYFW

A major possible change to the twice-yearly showcase includes transforming Fashion Week into a consumer-driven event, instead of an industry one. And the redesigned series would “show in-season merchandise to the public.”

This is a huge move because designers typically showcase collections for following seasons, amid rabid fanfare and exclusive pageantry. And, in turn, these fashion showcases would influence fast-fashion looks, clandestinely sold at stores like H&M and Zara, that surface sometime later in the future.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

However, this method is thought to be a great way to spur “buy now, wear now” opportunities for the public. The re-formmated showcases would require designers to host “smaller showroom presentations and appointments with retailers and press,” presenting designs six months out for possible purchasing purposes. Then, designers would produce large-scale runway shows for a consumer audience, WWD reports.

CFDA Chairman Diane von Furstenberg tells WWD “ I have a feeling people will be showing what’s available closer to what’s in store. I don’t have all the answers.” However, the general goal is to boost “full-price selling” of clothing.

This week, designer Rebecca Minkoff announced a big step—a Spring 2016 collections to be presented “in front of a consumer audience.” WWD says that at Minkoff’s Spring show, 30 to 50 percent would be consumers.

Ebay

There are many proponents to this bold endeavor, including Ken Downing, senior vice president, fashion director of Neiman Marcus: “I am an enormous proponent of relooking and recalibrating how we use the fashion show that has become a mega-marketing event,” he says.

“The history of fashion shows was to show the buyers and the press the message of the season, he says, adding, “but technology has utterly changed everything in our industry.” Downing continues: “That customer continues to follow Instagram and Twitter and watches the live-stream of fashion shows. When they are seeing clothes, they are less aware of seasons. What they are seeing, they want,” he said.

In the meantime, the right solution has not presented itself as of yet. CFDA’s Steven Kolb says that there might be a hybrid showcase between the consumer and industry members. Or, “they might come back and say, ‘There’s nothing to fix. Keep it the same,’ says Kolb.

Only time will tell.