Famke, Who Turns Rivers

IIFF Day 1
Operating on just 2+ hours of sleep (early morning flight) I hit Indianapolis, caught up with Nick, braved a food court (blech -- the bane of dining out), caught a few movies and then met Famke Janssen for a lengthy sit down. I didn't want to bury the lead... figured I'd cut to the chase. I knew you were waiting for her.

The Star
Famke Janssen, as striking in person as on screen, was all sharp and dark lines. I'm not talking about just her familiar angular beauty or the black asymmetrical dress and sleek hair she wore to this festival premiere. She was also smart and unsentimental about her career and character creations in our interview. I had a wonderful time meeting her and discussing her characters, old (Jean Grey --I had to ask you know) and new --she's very good in Turn the River (trailer), ably carrying the drama of a pool shark who can't get her life together and desperately wants custody of the child she lost. Loyal Film Experience readers will be delighted to hear that I even got Famke using the phrase "deglam" as we talked. I couldn't help myself!

The lounge where we chatted was too noisy for a podcast, but I'll have more of the interview for you in a week or so. I also met the amiable writer/director Chris Eigeman who you film buffs will know as an actor from those wonderful Whit Stillman movies (Metropolitan, Barcelona and The Last Days of Disco) and Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming. We didn't have much time to talk but more later hopefully.

If you'd like to read more about the movie, I am pleased to let you know that Nick of Nick's Flick Picks wrote an actual review after our screening. Nick with new material. Yay!

The Movies
Psycho Hillbilly Cabin Massacre! (short) Mildly amusing and twisty. Gross but horror fans will really enjoy I'll bet.
World Builder (short) CGI heavy. A man is building a holograph city for purposes we don't learn until near the end of the overly sentimental film. The effects aren't groundbreaking but they're very professional and they work well in context and are hypnotic to watch.
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (doc, US)
This was worth seeing for some film history that I was heretofore unaware of. Learned a few choice snippets about exhibition and double features in the 50s and a lot about Castle's career of making horror programmers like 13 Ghosts and House on Haunted Hill. My favorite parts where on The Tingler and Straightjacket (with Joan Crawford!). Asides to Rosemary's Baby and Hitchcock's Psycho (two of my favorite films ever) were also welcome --but I can't say that I thought it was well a put together doc. A puff piece surely. And if I never see another documentary that moves photos around and colorizes them (very The Kid Stays in the Picture) I will be quite pleased.

In the City of Sylvia (feature, Spain)
This feature by José Luis Guerín is about an artist who is still hung up on a woman he met six year prior. This played the major triple of Venice, Toronto and New York last year. It's in my jury category so I can't discuss it now.
Turn the River (feature, US)
Famke's vehicle. More on this when when it opens in May.