33rd NORTHWEST FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL

Films screen at the Northwest Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium and the Clinton St. Theater.

DARK WATER RISING

A month after Hurricane Katrina, animal rescue agencies began searching the decimated neighborhoods of New Orleans for the thousands of pets still living in and around the city. While some of the camerawork feels sloppy, and the interviews are rarely deep, there's no doubt that Dark Water Rising's filmmakers were in the right place at the right time, and their footage is fascinating. This is not an easy documentary to watch, though; the film shows as many decomposing animals as living ones, and the ones that are alive are often in pretty bad shape. If nothing else, it'll make you want to hug your dog, and then volunteer at the Humane Society. (Alison Hallett)

QUEENS OF HEART: COMMUNITY THERAPISTS IN DRAG

This documentary from PSU Professor of Psychology Janice Haaken tells the story of local drag performer Darcelle and her club, Darcelle XV. While the Darcelle story is an interesting local tale in itself, Haaken frames it into a mini-psych analysis, flashing definitions of rudimentary terms like "castration anxiety" or "transvestite" in between scenes of young Oregonian squares who frequent the club for bachelorette parties and such. This'd be a killer movie to have to watch for school, but as a film screened for an admission-paying audience, the technique feels like the cinematic equivalent of flashcards. (Marjorie Skinner)

SHORTS II & III

Short films from Northwest filmmakers.

SHOEGAZER CINEMA

A program of shorts from local filmmakers Andy Blubaugh, Nick Peterson, and Zak Margolis. Also featuring the first entry in "Shoe in the Road," an experiment in which Blubaugh will create a new Super-8 film every week and post it online at shoeintheroad.com.

American Hardcore
See review this issue.

Babel
Three movies for the price of one! (Chas Bowie)

The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
While light on the thrills, this coming-of-age story set in the slums of Manila has moments of unexpected sweetness. Following the death of his mother, Max, a 12-year-old effeminate homosexual boy, cares for his family of petty criminals by cooking their meals and cleaning their house. In a refreshing and rather unbelievable twist, Max's homosexuality is not considered unusual in a family of Filipino men. Max develops a puppy-dog crush on a handsome police officer, which eventually culminates in a crucial decision between his family and his attraction to the cop. (Courtney Ferguson)

Casino Royale
See review this issue.

Deliver Us From Evil
Amy Berg's blistering exposé about pedophilia in the Catholic Church. (Andrew Wright)

Fast Food Nation
See review this issue.

For Your Consideration
See review this issue.

A Good Year
The most shamelessly silly movie about grapes ever made. (Annie Wagner)

Happy Feet
Happy Feet is about a fucking adorable penguin named Mumble. Mumble's a little different from all the other penguins. See, all the other penguins can sing—but poor little Mumble screeches like nails on a chalkboard as soon as he opens his mouth. But what Mumble can do, is dance. And boy can that motherfucker's feet fly! He's like Fred Astaire on ice! With uh... feathers! And a beak! The penguin elders don't like it when things are different, though, so they shun Mumble and his happy feet. Parents just don't understand. They also blame him and his constant dancing for the lack of fish. "You're scaring away our food, Mumble!" they cry at him. But it's not Mumble's fault, it's the selfish humans that are doing it! So now Mumble has to go and prove to everyone that blah blah blah. Who cares what happens—have you seen the penguins in this movie!? EEEEEeeeeeeee! They're so cute! (Megan Seling)

horrorfest
"A weekend of horror films... too graphic or too disturbing for general audiences." As these films weren't screened for critics that claim is likely bullshit. More info: horrorfestonline.com

Ima Plume Trilogy
16mm films from Nancy Andrews. Featured: "Monkeys and Lumps," "The Dreamless Sleep," "The Haunted Camera."

Let's Go to Prison
I really can't tell if I'm laughing with this preview, or at this preview, in which Will Arnett (Gob from Arrested Development) goes to the slammer. (It would probably help if they screened the movie for critics, but no go.) On one hand, it looks like every painfully unfunny "comedy" of the past five years, but on the other hand, it was directed by Bob Odenkirk and written by Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant (Dangle and Travis from Reno 911!). So why doesn't it look funnier? (Chas Bowie)

Little Children
See review this issue.

The Return
I like Sarah Michelle Gellar. I really do. Her Buffy currency is vast and great, but half of it just got used up in this mess of a film. Gellar plays a trucking fleet rep (uh huh, right) who revisits her childhood home in Texas to unfold "disturbing" (boring) visions that gnaw at her sanity. Things are still cool with me and Sarah ('cause of Buffy), but one more botch like this and I'm reconsidering my attitude on Jennifer Love Hewitt. (Jenna Roadman)

Shut Up & Sing
When Dixie Chicks frontwoman Natalie Maines took the stage in London and told an audibly sympathetic audience that she was ashamed that Dubya was from the band's home state of Texas, even the most pessimistic liberal couldn't have anticipated the fallout. While directors Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck weren't there from the beginning of the controversy, they thoroughly document the aftermath, weaving their footage with existing film taken by the band's own camera crew. The most gripping elements of the film are not the obvious dramatic moments—such as Dallas police discussing death threats with the women prior to their return to Texas—but the confused way America's country sweethearts react to the wave of conservative criticism. Initially apologetic and bewildered, the Chicks' journey from meek-voiced penitents to defiant and articulate free-speech advocates is nothing short of inspiring. (Hannah Levin)

Stranger Than Fiction
Will Ferrell. Not being funny. (Courtney Ferguson)

The Transformers: The Movie & GoBots: War of the Rock Lords
See My, What a Busy Week! on pg. 25.

Unknown
A bunch of C-level actors (Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Joe Pantoliano, that poor bastard from The Passion of the Christ) wake up in an abandoned warehouse, without their memories and with a whole lot of pouting and posturing. They try and figure out who's who, where they are, etc., all while ripping off Reservoir Dogs and about a billion other, better movies; it's all about as interesting and deep as one would imagine being stuck in an actual warehouse would be. (Erik Henriksen)

The Young Animals & Incident at Channel Q
Two 35mm films. Young Animals (1968) examines racial conflict in a California school; Incident (1986) follows suburbanites who wage war on a radio station that plays rock 'n' roll!