“Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus” – The Michael Cera we know and love has gone to Chile to experience life and immerse himself inside of director Sebasti’ÛÎn Silva’s story about a road trip he had with three other friends and one vagabond American woman as they searched the desert for mescaline. Cera lived with Silva’s family throughout filming and tried to learn Spanish as most of the movie is filmed in Spanish with English subtitles. Cera plays a druggie, a contextualized version of the parody character he plays in Seth Rogen’s “This Is The End,” which was also released in 2013, who meets a free-spirited woman named Crystal Fairy who is not afraid to open her soul to those surrounding her. The two characters decide to go on a journey through the desert regardless of their stark differences as they experience paranoia, bliss and rid their consciousness of bad memories. The bond the characters make over the course of the film will surprise you and give insight into an entirely unique culture and its rituals.
“Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of ‘My Little Pony'” – Before you write it off, this documentary gives a detailed and interesting profile of the bizarre and globally popular trend of adults who watch “My Little Pony.” These fans, mostly male, find something uniquely amazing about this show, as they state that its animation, writing and voice acting are impeccable. The documentary tells the story of about 10 fans from America to Israel who have connected strongly with the show and have created their own content based upon its storyline. From EDM remixes of its soundtrack to laser shows dedicated to the ponies, this community is highly creative and social amongst themselves as they want to share their content with other creators. Because of this phenomenon, Brony conventions have popped up all over the world, creating a space for this new and lively community to flourish. Although it seems ridiculous, the fans pose the question: Why does it matter if adult men connect with a show designed for young girls, when the themes and characters in the show represent harmony, friendship and overcoming adversity?
“Gimme the Loot” – Set in New York, this story follows two young graffiti writers on a mission to create the ultimate tag. Netflix is known for having highly rated graffiti documentaries, but this movie gives a more powerful narrative as it highlights the most important thing for taggers: notoriety. The film has the same title as a song done by Brooklyn-native Notorious B.I.G. about two men who commit various robberies, following these two distinct characters throughout the song. It’s been 20 years since two extremely prominent graffiti writers stated on local television that they want to tag the New York Mets’ Home Run apple, which pops up out of the ground when the team makes a homerun. The two protagonists, Malcolm and Sofia, decide that it’s their time to take the reins and tag the Mets’ apple. Dialogue between the characters is natural and improvised, which allows viewers to understand New York graffiti culture more thoroughly.
“Graceland“ – This movie is the Filipino version of “Taken,” in which a family man named Marlon Villar desperately tries to save his kidnapped daughter. While balancing life as a single father, he works by chauffeuring a corrupt politician. He is ambushed one day while driving around his boss and his daughter after picking her up from school. The rest of the story is an action-packed chase between Villar’s conflicting worlds of politics, ruthless kidnappers and eager detectives searching for his daughter being held for ransom. “Graceland” promises a fresh, exciting twist on the classic kidnapping thriller story.
“Antiviral” – This is the first feature film by Brandon Cronenberg, son of “body horror” auteur David Cronenberg. “Antiviral” paints the picture of a world in which people are completely obsessed with celebrity status. So obsessed, in fact, that many are willing to pay for injections of live viruses farmed from sick stars. These injections become almost collectors’ items. The story follows Syd March, a man infected with a celebrity’s sickness. When that superstar dies, March searches for a cure. The movie presents a creepy, but not totally unrealistic idea backed by incredible casting and a well-written script. With this being his first outing, the junior Cronenberg looks poised to build upon his father’s legacy of unnaturally creepy flicks.
