52nd City

Thomas Goes to the Movies

Very interesting evening at the Tivoli last night, viewing part of the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase.

During the 5 p.m. showing, three films screened, though only two had a large audience. After a short film on a local nut job called "Block Captain" played, the house was buzzing for "At Large with Mickey McTague," starring the lovable rake of the same name. More cable-access talk show than bio-pic, the McTague piece was odd viewing, in part because of the audience. They spoke, at normal volume, throughout the film. They were disbelieving that places and people they knew were on-screen, despite the evident fact that that's EXACTLY why they were there in the first place. And with a brief intermission after their fave screened, 75% of the audience, including the director, got up and walked out, chattering like monkeys all the way. Now, I've been taught to treat elders like treasures and as I'm approaching their age rapidly, I can dig that sentiment. Unfortunately, old people can be assholes, too. So, there you go.

The film they missed, "Nightwork," was a fascinating, hour-long doc on workers who labor after the sunset. Included were: a married, hotdog-vending team; a female impersonator; a shoe shine guy; and a couple of line cooks at The Buttery. This was a sharp-looking, serious, but never preachy look at the lives of people all around us. For those of us who are absolute night-owls, their existences are known. But the retelling here, by a team-approached project, no less, was just right. Bravo! Here's hoping the doc gets a lot of local life, if not some national play, too.

And, lastly, "A. (anonymous)" played the 7 p.m. show, to a full house. (In the interests of disclosure, I have a small bit in the mockumentary, opposite Ray Brewer.) The film, which screened only at some friends-and-family outings before, was getting its just due in front of a large audience, and it seemed to go over very well, indeed. The 70-minute picture, by expat Dan Bowers, seemed to have hit enough of a nerve with the audience to think that it could very well get some extra screenings at fests around the country; outside of the theatre, "Hooch & Daddy-O" co-writer and co-star Oscar Madrid was saying just that. Another Bravo, then, to Bowers, for his super-low-budget, but technically lovely feature film effort.