It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that after two years, Mile High Cinema is closing its doors. It’s been a fun ride, but in the end, we were just never capable of finding our footing and taking root as Denver’s premiere film website. Add in to the mix a couple of editors who are extremely busy with day jobs and other projects and you have a recipe for stagnation. As such, it’s not fair to us and it’s not fair to you to keep the site running in its current incarnation.

But fear not, for Mile High Cinema isn’t going away entirely. One thing we have noticed is that we’re mildly popular on Facebook, so we’re moving there permanently. While we won’t be writing long form posts about upcoming screenings anymore, we will still be bringing you up-to-date information on upcoming screenings and events, contests, and even our own hosted screenings when possible.

To stay in the loop, simply head on over to our Facebook page and give us a “Like.” We’re also on Twitter! So if you’re one of those Twitterin’ types and you live in Denver or the surrounding area, give us a follow there as well.

We hope you’ll continue on this journey with us to bring you the latest in film-related happenings in the Denver area.

-Brad

In 1955 legendary Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa built a medieval castle on the foggy slopes of Mt. Fuji. The film that followed has been universally hailed as perhaps the greatest Shakespearean film adaptation ever made. Yet Throne of Blood (screening April 17th at Boulder’s IFS) proves less mere adaptation than haunting artistic transposition of the “Scottish play”, daringly supplanting Western Shakespearean stage-craft with the Eastern Noh Theater tradition and inexplicably conjuring the elements before the lenses. Under Kurosawa, iambic pentameter transcends into strings of images, both horrifying and surreal- fog and wind evolve into characters; “Lady MacBeth” fades into a spectre; the iconic Toshiro Mifune transforms beneath the wretched fear of a hunted animal. This dream-like foray into the mists of the absurd confounded the cinematic universe of 1957- too expressionist for postmodernism; too Eastern to be proper Shakespeare; too Western to be proper Japanese. Throne simultaneously deconstructs the written word through lens of post-war filmmaking and reconstructs the medium back into a haunted haiku of the human condition. Harold Bloom called it the “greatest film version of Shakespeare ever made.” T.S. Elliot called it his “favorite film ever constructed”. The late Jake Euker of the Wichita Eagle called it “the greatest reason to ever attend a movie.” What more can be expressed about a film that simply must be experienced?

Throne of Blood screens Wednesday, April 17th at 7 & 9 p.m. at CU Boulder’s International Film Series in Muenzinger Auditorium and is sponsored by the Colorado Shakespeare Festival Guild.

It’s not surprising an early version of Danny Boyle’s latest was first proposed to him back in 1994 after the overnight success of his debut feature Shallow Grave, an easy film essentially made of Hitchcockian warm-up exercises in suspense and twist. Now finally produced, Trance still bears a lot in common with that elementary hobbyhorse and conceitedly performs those same rudimentary calisthenics while a seasoned Boyle holds his breath just for show. Like Hitchcock, Boyle has proven he can suffuse most any genre with his signature style—admittedly just as modern as the “Master of Suspense” although far less original—that typically displays propulsive music-driven editing and against-all-odds surprises punctuated with evasive violence. But unlike Hitchcock, Boyle is determined after four reels teeming with vice to practice virtue in the fifth through suspiciously smooth and saccharine endings that confuse the palette after such a grainy main course.

With useless voiceover exposition, Trance’s opening sequence introduces a piece of priceless art while the ensuing fuss will hide which character really wants it for no better reason than just cause, really. That art is Goya’s “Witches in the Air” under surveillance by Simon (James McAvoy), a fine art auctioneer who’s in cahoots with Franck (Vincent Cassel) and his gang to steal the painting in order to pay off Simon’s gambling debts. For unknown reasons, Simon takes his cover too seriously and jeopardizes the operation mid-heist resulting in the butt of Franck’s assault rifle to the head that leaves him unconscious while Franck escapes with the prize. Or so he thought. Somewhere along the line, the painting has been cut from its frame and hidden somewhere Simon can’t remember due to the amnesia brought on by the blow. To get his own share of money, Franck must tease its location out of Simon’s glitchy brain, which leads him to force Simon into hypnotherapy from Dr. Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson).

After one session, Elizabeth catches on to the muscle forcing Simon’s treatment and confronts Franck to ask for a share in the eventual payoff. Since everyone will turn up empty-handed without her skills, he agrees, but with a watchful eye over her proceedings with Simon, an eye that (of course) develops into a lustful gaze further complicating the trio’s individual stake. Much like a traditional femme fatale, all male insecurities and blame for professional delays are projected onto Elizabeth as suspicions of greed and deceit are traded between the three along with sex. Boyle is suddenly inclined to prescribe Elizabeth’s own body as the key to unlocking Simon’s mind, which she appallingly offers up at the drop of a hat, even to men who’ve physically traumatized her in her own problematic past. It’s clear the psychological trauma so central to Trance seems to only shade and apply to its men while the trauma of its sole female character is thrown out the window for the sake of moving everything along as well as giving cause for the incidental fetishization of her freshly waxed vagina.

All of this vice and the Apple-friendly eventual virtue in Trance are pretty ordinary once the veneer of technological fashion and cinematic trickery is stripped away. Trying to elevate a simple noir-ish story of high-art heist, murders, and a love triangle, the film’s primary novelty lies with literal depictions of a human psyche under hypnosis. Very much in today’s vein of psychological “mindscape” movies, it reaches for the same complex pathological and intellectual desire to forget painful relationships found in Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind but lands closer to the exhaustive narrative gimmickry of Inception. But unlike Inception, a movie that at least believes in and follows through with its questionable premise, the hypnosis segments in Trance are ultimately a spasmodic maguffin functioning more as an excuse to jostle up linearity, permit flashback, and set forthcoming reveals than as an exploration of doctor/patient relationships (the complexity of which is crammed into its final ten minutes) that it pretends to do.

Never an exceptional filmmaker, Boyle seems content to apply his “edgy” exploits and glossy music-video pacing to variations on what’s hot in cinema at any given moment. He co-opted zombies into diseased sprinters in 28 Days Later, rode the Bollywood boom all the way to Best Picture with Slumdog Millionaire, and his latest is superficially interested in the pop psychology trend of pretentious mindteasers. Trance sometimes resembles an obnoxiously smug neo-noir that finds its own torrent of plot twist pretty clever even if we don’t, but any filmgoer who’s seen their share of classic noir can predict where its monotonous greed, deceit, and sex will end up. Given the film’s preponderance of iPads, it’s also not difficult to predict the condescension that a hypnotherapist’s practice will be reduced to an app even though the film offers little more entertainment than any instantly downloadable software. Odds are the latter is cheaper anyhow.

2/5

Trance is now playing.

Do you fancy yourself a filmmaker? Do you wish you could pull your hair out as you conceive of, write, film, and edit a film inside of 48 hours? If you answered yes, then the 48 Hour Film Project is for you.

Returning to the Denver area on August 2, early bird registration for the 48 Hour Film Project will open on Tuesday, June 4 and will set filmmakers back $140. In order to lock in this rate, you must register your team on or before Monday, July 8. Between then and Tuesday, July 23, registration is $160. After that date registration is $175. The finished films will be screened on Sunday, August 11, at the Oriental Theater.

More information can be found on the 48 Hour Film Project official website.

From the website:

What We’re About

Who We Are

The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which you and your team have a blast making a movie. All writing, shooting, editing and scoring must be completed in just 48 hours.

On Friday night, you are assigned a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre, that must be included in your movie. 48 hours later, you must submit your film. Next? Your masterpiece will show on the big screen of a local theater!

In 2013 the 48HFP will visit more than 120 cities where more than 60,000 people will make short films. The Project has truly spread to the four corners of the globe as filmmakers from Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas will compete to see who can make the best short film in a weekend.

Our Mission

The 48 Hour Film Project’s mission is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. Through its festival/competition, the Project encourages filmmakers and would-be filmmakers to get out there and make movies. The tight deadline of 48 hours puts the focus squarely on the filmmakers—emphasizing creativity and teamwork skills. While the time limit places an unusual restriction on the filmmakers, it is also liberating by putting an emphasis on “doing” instead of “talking.”

The opening night film is Rendez-vous a Kiruna, which will screen on Thursday, April 25 at 7 p.m. Director Anna Novion and star Jean-Pierre Darroussin will appear in person, and the a reception will take place in Henderson’s Lounge following the screening, with food catered by Le Central.

Tickets can be purchased for individual screenings at the Denver Film Society box office, or online. A festival pass can also be purchased for $60 ($50 for DFS members), and gets you admittance to the opening and closing night reception, as well as one ticket to each film.

Ernest, a renowned architect, lives only for his work. One day, he receives a call from the Swedish police who ask him to undertake a long journey to Kiruna in Lapland. There, he must identify the body of a complete stranger, the son he has never known. On his way, he meets Magnus, a vulnerable and lost young man who has nothing in common with the authoritarian and mistrustful architect. Through the journey, Ernest will discover a part of himself that will help him to understand the purpose of his visit to Kiruna.

The fest announced today it’s opening night film will be James DeMonaco’s The Purge, a dystopian horror film with Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, and Max Burkholder.

In the near future, a daring new edict keeps the nation safe. Called simply The Purge, it is a 24 hour release from all laws. When vicious outsiders break into an innocent family’s home on the one night that crime is legal each year, everyone will find out how far they would go to protect themselves.

Director James DeMonaco and Producer Jason Blum in-person for a special Q&A following the film.

Also announced was the Stanley Film Festival’s centerpiece film, Sightseers. 

One of the most original filmic experiences of the year from the ever-mind-blowing British Director Ben Wheatley (Kill List). The film forges a entirely new genre – a psychopathic horror rom-com, and I can assure that it is unlike anything you can imagine.

Having been treated to a secret screening of the film at Austin’s Fantastic Fest in 2012, my only advice is read absolutely nothing about this film, and go in cold. For anyone who has seen Wheatley’s earlier works likeKill List, you know that “unexpected” barely scratches the surface. If you must, the trailer is below.

Additional films announced for the festival include:

Cabin Fever Presented by Eli Roth – USA – (Director/screenwriter: Eli Roth, Cast: Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, Rider Strong) – The inaugural Stanley Film Festival Visionary award recipient Eli Roth will present his directorial debut. This modern horror classic centers on a group of college graduates who rent a cabin in the woods, only to fall victim to a flesh-eating virus.

Macabre – Singapore/Indonesia – (Directors/screenwriters: Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto, Cast: Ario Bayu, Shareefa Daanish, Julie Estelle) – A group of friends traveling together are lured to a house of evil run by an ageless matron and her bloodthirsty offspring. The rarely seen directorial debut of Indonesian horror-hounds The Mo Brothers delivers carnage in spades.

No One Lives ‪– USA – (Director: Ryûhei Kitamura, Screenwriter: David Cohen, Cast: Luke Evans, Adelaide Clemens, Derek Magyar) – ‪Gore master Ryûhei Kitamura (Versus, The Midnight Meat Train) tells the story of a brutal gang of thieves who get more than they bargained when they attempt a typical highway robbery of what appears to be an average vacationing couple.

Special Presentations Announced

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: a Silent Film with Live Piano Score
The silent classic of German expressionism, and one of the great horror pictures of its era, comes to life the way it was meant to be heard as a special presentation in the Stanley Hotel Concert Hall with a live piano score by the incomparable Hank Troy. This unmissable experience will be preceded by the very first horror film ever made, George Melies’ Haunted Castle from 1896. (Sunday, May 5, 2:15 pm)

Stanley Dean’s Cup Competition
Find the next Alfred Hitchcock, Wes craven or John Carpenter among the disturbed young talent who have entered our local student competition. Students from Colorado’s leading film schools will battle in a live action horror short film competition to determine the best student film and which school will take home the 2013 Stanley Dean’s Cup. (Saturday, May 4, 10 am)

Horror Author Clay McLeod Chapman Reading and Book Signing
Clay McLeod Chapman will read from his new middle-grade novel The Tribe: Homeroom Headhunters (Disney/Hyperion Books). After practically burning down his last school, 7th grade troublemaker Spencer Pendleton is recruited by a wild tribe of runaway misfits hiding inside Greenfield Middle School. Lord of the Flies meets Fight Club for middle schoolers. A free, family friendly event presented in conjunction with the Estes Valley Library. (Saturday, May 4, 1:00 pm)

The Pumpkin Pie Show
Part ghost story, part shamanistic ritual, author Clay McLeod Chapman’s The Pumpkin Pie Show has established itself over the last two decades as the bastard love-child of spectral luminaries Poe and Lovecraft. Packed with the emotional intensity of a rock concert, the Pumpkin Pie Show is a pure campfire story experience for adults. (Saturday, May 4, 5:15 pm)

Horror Brunch and Bloody (Mary) Awards Ceremony: an Andrew Novick Production
As Chief Coroner of the Stanley Film Festival, Andrew Novick will create several “horrific” culinary options for brunch-goers to endure. In addition to bottomless bloody Mary’s, guests may have to deliberate “which side of the crime they are on” when they choose what to digest. Ballots will be tallied and the 2013 Audience Winners for Best Feature Film and Best Short Film will be announced. Andrew Novick has been behind such temptations as: The Surgery Dinner, Thanksgiving-on-a-Stick, Andrew Novick’s X-Treme Pancake Breakfast and is the “Griller-in-Residence” for tailgate parties at the Museum of Contemporary Art. (Sunday, May 5, 11 am)

It’s simply not enough to just create a Kickstarter page to raise funds for your independent film these days (I speak from experience). Promoting it online is all well and good, but in order to truly being attention to your vision, you need to stand out from the myriad crowdfunding campaigns saturating the Internet to prove you’re serious about your project.

Los Angeles-based Abstract Forces have taken this to heart in a unique way. To kick off and promote the Kickstarter campaign for their found footage backwoods zombie film I Am Alone, filmmakers Robert Palmer and Michael Weiss, along with the rest of Abstract Forces, present the Montrose Zombie Walk and Kickstarter Launch Party on May 3 in Montrose, CO.

The first feature film to be filmed in Montrose, CO, I Am Alone follows television host and survivalist Jacob Fitts as he and his camera crew film their newest episode in the isolated Colorado Rockies, unaware of the zombie outbreak that’s quickly spreading around the country. After being infected by a zombie following the first day of shooting, the CDC eventually picks up the cameraman and uses the footage to help determine why Jacob is taking longer than others to turn into a zombie.

They are currently looking for sponsors for the event, the various levels coming with a number of incredible perks. For example, a $500 contribution will see your name and logo on the event’s poster; representation at the party; name and link on the film’s website; name and link on the Kickstarter campaign webpage; and three free entries (each of which include a +1) to the Kickstarter launch party. This is, of course, just one of the many sponsorship opportunities. Sponsorship levels range from $100 to $1,000, and are a great way to get the word out about your own project or website.

The zombie walk will kick off at 5:30 p.m. at Demoret Park, heading down Main Street before finishing at 6 p.m. at the Horsefly Brewing Company at 846 E. Main Street. Admission is only $10 and includes free beer while supplies last, live music, raffles, and a zombie contest.

The Kickstarter campaign officially goes live on April 28. To request sponsorship, e-mail Suzy.AbstractForces@gmail.com. All proceeds earned from sponsorship and ticket sales go toward paying for the event, with any leftover funds assisting in the production of the film. You can also follow Abstract Forces on Facebook and on Twitter for more information.

One such thing is the anniversary screening of the locally made independent horror comedy Atom the Amazing Zombie Killer. Written and directed by Richard Taylor and Zach Beins, the film will screen in Panel Room 1 on Saturday, April 20 at 9 p.m. as part of HorrorFest. The cast and crew will also be on hand during the screening.

You can check out the film’s official webpage and the Facebook invite for more information on the event and the film. Atom the Amazing Zombie Killer comes courtesy of Bizjack Flemco Productions, an American independent film company based out of Denver.

Atom (Mark Shonsey) is an amazing zombie killer, who has a horny girlfriend (Lindy Starr) and is the best bowler in the league! But don’t tell that to Dario (Zachary Byron Helm) and the Slashers, the evil bowling rivals who will stop at nothing to thwart Atom and his buddies. When all of his problems come to a head, Atom must battle his worst nightmare–ZOMBIES! let’s ROCK and BOWL in this outrageous horror comedy!

Featuring a quirky cast of miscreants, bowling, boobs, blood, guts, zombies, over the top effects, a very catchy theme song by “The Radioactive Chicken Heads”, and slapstick comedy that would make Lloyd Kaufman of Troma films himself yelp for joy (Lloyd actually plays a role in the film, for you Troma fans), Atom the Amazing Zombie Killer is a gore fest and a bloody good time for all!!!

Alex Cox, director of Repo Man, Sid & Nancy, Walker and many others, be on hand for a Q&A after the film. Mr. Cox has been acting, writing and directing movies since the 70′s. He is now currently teaching film production and screenwriting at the University of Colorado. He is also currently spearheading a Kickstarter campaign to fund his next film, Bill the Galactic Hero, which he hopes to film in Boulder.

Don’t miss this event, purchase your tickets HERE.

Released in 1984, Repo Man is a film that can proudly own the label “cult film.”  It’s the strange and surreal adventure of Otto Maddox (Emelio Estevez), a punk rocker who is sullenly suffering as a supermarket stock clerk, until he meets repossession man Bud (Harry Dean Stanton).  Bud introduces him to the alluring life of repossessing cars for the Helping Hand Acceptance Corporation.  Otto enjoys his new fast and furious lifestyle - hot-wiring cars, taking drugs, speeding through streets – until he gets more than he bargained for when he meets a girl named Leila (Olivia Barash), who tells him a certain 1964 Malibu has four dead space aliens in its trunk.  The hunt is on for the Malibu, which may be more risk than reward…

Trailer: