May 11 2017:  
Alien Covenant
American Essentials Film Festival 2017

This week's film festival is the American Essentials Festival, showcasing some cutting edge indie film-making, and just to counter things we have a very main-stream horror sci-fi in the form of yet another in the Alien franchise.  

Alien: Covenant
Director: Ridley Scott
Length: 120 min

© 20th Century Fox -  expect more nasty creatures
exploding from abdomens!

It's hard to believe the original Alien came out way back in 1979. Sigourney Weaver rose to legendary status as a fearless heroine, able to stand up to one of the scariest monsters ever to hit our screens. Since then we've had Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), Alien Resurrection (1997) the prequel Prometheus (2012), and now we have this latest. I went with high hopes, and the opening scene, impressive in a stunning stylised white setting, kept me enthralled, as the android David, played by Michael Fassbender, discusses with his "father" weighty philosophical theories of the origins of humans and androids. The film then cuts to the spaceship Covenant, travelling for 7 years to a far-flung outpost of space, taking 2000 settlers and a crew, all in hypersleep for the journey. For me it is all downhill from there. I feel as if I have seen so many of these settings and plot points before - almost like a remake of the original Alien without any of the fresh shocks and horror. The same tired tropes abound - the space ship is stricken by unexpected technical dramas, the captain decides to go off course to explore an unknown planet, the astronauts are blithely careless, and of course the alien creatures get a foothold in their bodies and on their spacecraft. There are the odd self-conscious references to poetry and implied grandiose religious overtones; there are even scenes reminiscent of the fall of Pompei, along with other attempts to make it into something greater than it is. Many of the settings look like they have employed generic rent-a-spaceship props. As always I love to watch Fassbinder, and this time we get a double helping as he plays two "brother" androids. While the rest of the cast are fine, there is little emotional investment in their characters, and Katherine Waterston can't hold a candle to Weaver's original Ripley. The various incarnations of the repulsive alien are as horrific, bloody and repulsive as ever, but somehow I think only die-hard fans of the franchise need go see it. 
2 - maybe (unless you are addicted to the franchise!) 

American Essentials Film Festival 2017
Melbourne: Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Astor
May 11-24
For other states and session times visit www.americanessentials.com.au

When did Dustin Hoffman ever look so young!
See him fall for Mrs Robinson all over again in the
iconic 60s' film The Graduate.  

This festival showcases talented indie directors in the early stages of their careers, as displayed in the many fine features and docos. There is also a special Masters and Masterpieces section featuring such iconic films as David Lynch's Eraserhead, Woody Allen's Annie Hall, Mike Nichols' The Graduate, and many more. The centrepiece film is about Australia's own George Lazenby becoming James Bond, while the opening night film 20th Century Women promises to be a winner. As always I've managed to catch a few in advance.  
Len and Company: This is my pick! Len, played by Rhys Ifans, is a reclusive record producer. When his son comes to visit, his tranquility is disrupted, but when Zoe, one of his recording stars turns up, life is truly turned upside down. This understated gentle film is wryly amusing, with terrific themes of fathers/sons, fame and overtones of redemption (and of course music!)  
Are We Not Cats: Astonishingly bizarre, this is a love story between loner Eli and oddball Anya, who is given to eating hair. The film is completely eccentric, yet has a weird compelling fascination and moments of pathos, not the least some rather challenging scenes of body horror. 
Sylvio: Another oddball film about a gorilla who works for a debt collection agency and ends up in his own TV show. You really have to suspend disbelief for this one, which didn't totally do it for me, and felt a bit too much like a student film. However, to the film's credit, one actually felt moments of compassion for the lumbering gorilla (which is actually a guy in a suit), and his attempts to dispel his image as an aggressive beast. 
David Lynch: The Art Life: With Lynch's Mulholland Drive and Eraserhead featuring, here is a doco to give a wider perspective on the great director. We get an insight into his visual arts practice - his own unique world view that gives rise to the distinctive vision in his films. While not light viewing, this is a must for Lynch fans. 

The festival is highly recommended! Festivals of this nature are a great opportunity to catch films you may otherwise not see.