Today was a bright, sunny day in Memphis. Not the kind of day to be inside unless you’re attending an event like the Memphis International Film Festival. I headed to Malco’s Studio on the Square. A pretty blonde festival-goer pointed me in the direction of filmmaker Michael Gilio, the director of “Kwik Stop.” The young lady (boy I sound old!) raved about the movie. I missed the screening. Maybe next year EI will have several writers covering the four-day event. Mr. Gilio was on his way to visit Graceland. I hope to sit down with him tomorrow. Next stop the Congo Theater.

Joe Mulherin had everything under control for the third day. I approached John Paget, director of the great documentary “Almost Elvis.” He agreed to sit for an interview after the next film “Sweet Old Song.” I settled in to watch the movie with him.

SWEET OLD SONG

Leah Mahan’s “Sweet Old Song” is the most romantic and heartwarming documentary you are ever likely to see. The film, which aired on PBS chronicles the life of versatile musician Howard “Louis Bluie” Armstrong. The movie was filmed in 2000 when the ageless musician was 91 years old. The heart and soul of the film is the relationship between Howard and his girlfriend Barbara Ward. The two met in 1982. Armstrong was in his 70s and Ward in her 40s. He thought she was 25 and she thought he was 50. The two share the love letters written by Armstrong to Ms. Ward. In addition to playing 23 musical instruments, Armstrong is an accomplished painter. His letters to Ms. Ward were sealed in hand painted envelopes professing his love for her. Mahan’s film reveals something rare in this world, solid love between two people that has survived nearly two decades.

Once Mahan establishes the relationship between the grumpy old guy and his headstrong woman, the film shifts its focus onto Armstrong’s amazing life. The 91-year-old man plays a fiddle faster than any man alive. It is amazing to see that age has not dulled Armstrong’s agility or mind. There are numerous scenes of Armstrong playing at festivals all over the country. He plays bluegrass, ragtime, blues and many other music forms. Armstrong explains that he learned to play all types of music. He never knew who was going to hire him. Armstrong and Ward journey back to his hometown of Lafollette TN. Along the way, Armstrong shares the stories of his life. It is a wondrous journey of a life well lived. Unlike many indie films, “Sweet Old Song” has been widely aired. If it ever runs on your local PBS station, do not miss it.

SMOKING WITH JOE

I left the movie. I realized that I had missed some of the panel discussion with several animation filmmakers. I made plans to get together with John Paget and discuss “Almost Elvis” later. Of course, I had to stop for a smoke with Joe Mulherin first. Joe Mulherin has an extensive past in film. He has been a composer, actor, producer and musical supervisor on many a Hollywood film. Mr. Mulherin worked on “Consenting Adults” with director/producer Alan J. Pakula. Pakula produced a film, which had a great impact on my life. I saw “To Kill a Mockingbird” when I was 10. I came away from the experience wanting to be Atticus Finch and a filmmaker. Pakula is responsible is some part for me being a public defender and a writer for EI. I asked Joe if he knew Mr. Pakula (I mispronounced his name like an idiot).

“Alan was a dear friend. He was a sweet, gentle spirit. A New York intellectual. Alan was a funny guy. “Consenting Adults” was an unusual experience. Usually I’m on film for a couple of weeks. Alan kept me there for the entire shoot. Kevin Kline played a pianist. We had to teach him to play for the camera. Alan would never make up his mind about the music. There was a lot of incidental music in the film. Alan would say, and anyone who ever worked with him will tell you this…he would come up to you and say “Don’t rob me of your riches.” In other words, give me more options. He could drive you crazy with his indecisiveness. We had to shoot a scene on Friday. We filmed most of the movie in Atlanta. Alan stayed at the Ritz Carlton and the rest of us stayed elsewhere. Anyway, we were going to film a scene on Friday. It was late Monday night and Alan still hadn’t told me what music he wanted. I went to the Ritz and knocked on his door. No answer. I knocked again and said, “Alan, I’m not leaving till you answer the door and get this music settled.” He finally opened the door. I had three selections. He asked which one I liked. “Use that one.” Finally and answer. I’ve now got three days to get the musicians, teach them the music and record it by Friday. It was an experience working with him. I’m still friends with his daughter and son-in-law.” Mr. Pakula was killed in a freak accident on the Long Island Expressway eerily similar to the log truck accident in “Final Destination 2.”

AN INTERVIEW WITH FILMMAKER ANGIE ALEXANDER

I got so wrapped up talking to Joe that I missed the animation panel. I headed to the French Quarter Inn in hopes of catching some of the filmmakers before my own panel at 3:00 PM. I got lucky. The talented Texas filmmaker Angie Alexander was still on hand. Her feature-length documentary “Invasion: Anime” was screened the night before. Flexibility is important for directors. Ms. Alexander started her project by accident…not her’s, someone else’s. She was set to do a documentary on the various Fan Conventions. When tapes didn’t arrive, Ms. Alexander shifted her focus from the people who attend the Cons to those artists who create the Japanese art called Anime.

EI: Do you think “Reanimatrix” will bring Anime more into the mainstream?

AA: I really think films like “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke” will have more to do with a mainstream breakthrough than “Reanimatrix.”

EI: But “Spirited Away” did so poorly in America. It wins the Oscar, but no one has seen it. Hard to believe considering it is the highest grossing film in Japanese history, even ahead of “Titanic.”

AA: It’s being re-released today with studio backing. Hopefully it will find its audience. Most people think of “Pokeman” and “Speed Racer” when they think of Anime. The think that Anime is poorly draw, with simple storylines. That’s just not true. The artistry is so much more detailed and beautiful than the impression people unfamiliar with Anime have. It also deals with more mature themes: life, death and day-to-day living. Things you don’t find in “Bugs Bunny.”

EI: I’m not a big Anime fan. Probably for the reasons you mentioned. Preconceived notions because of “Pokeman” and “Speed Racer.” I took a chance and saw “Akira.” I was blown away until the final 20 minutes. The ending left me confused.

AA: It has to do with the A-Bomb and the Japanese national identity. Before WWII, Japan had never lost a war. They had never been defeated in centuries of warfare. Then came the Bomb. Following WWII, we (America) forced our laws and way of life on them, for better or worse. We changed their entire culture. This caused an internal conflict in the hearts of the Japanese people. The character in “Akira” is being transformed into something he doesn’t want to be. He struggles to remain who he really is, but can’t because of the forces set against him. He can’t fight the transformation.

EI: That is so cool. Thanks a lot! The movie now makes sense to me. Very cool. So, what’s next on your plate?

AA: I'm about to start a documentary about Jade, how it is found and harvested. I’ll be leaving for Central America later this year. I have a project closer to home that I’ve been working on for a couple of years: The Tennessee Bell Witch. I’m only using original documents from the family involved. It was difficult getting the family’s descendants to cooperate. A lot of people want to make the film. I had to convince them I was serious. I plan on using the archived documents and include dramatic recreations. If I can get the funding. I don’t want it to look like something off of the Travel Channel.

I thanked Ms. Alexander for her time. It was nearing 3:00 PM and I had to get to my panel. The panel dealt with Film Festivals and film criticism. I was nervous as hell and really can’t remember anything I said. I did enjoy hearing the thoughts of the other panelists. They included Andrea Sporcic from the St. Louis Film Festival, Brian Gordon from the Nashville Film Festival and Michael Harwood and Brown Burnett from Memphis Film Forum. Greg Kahn from “Film Buzz” was on hand to explain his company’s efforts to give indie film’s their proper due. I was too nervous to take notes so you’ll just have to use your imagination concerning what was said.

A BRUSH WITH ROY THINNES

Time for another smoke! As I stood in front of the French Quarter Inn with a guy named Brandon from the Media Co-op, I saw Roy Thinnes pull into the parking lot. Mr. Thinnes parked, waiting for someone to come out of the hotel. I walked up an introduced myself. This is a guy I’d love to do an in-depth interview with. “Call me Roy,” he said. Very cool. I thanked him for inspiring my imagination as child. Every Sunday night in the mid 1960s, I was glued to the screen watching “The Invaders.” Mr. Thinnes explained that “ ‘The Invaders’ is revered in France. They have midnight screenings just like ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ The audience speaks right along with the dialogue. It’s pretty amazing. It’s also sad that it isn’t aired in America. The show holds up perfectly. “The X Files” took many of our stories and plot devices. The episode about the aliens using insects to eat the planet clean so they could move in, that came straight from our show.” I mentioned my “Norliss Tapes” story (see Day One). Mr. Thinnes said that show was one of his personal favorites. “It was supposed to be a TV series but the network dropped the ball. That was a well done pilot film.” Mr. Thinnes talked about his newest project. “It’s a super hero film about a super hero who stopped flying. He can fly like Superman, but he had some personal problems and just quit flying. I’m waiting on a call from the special effects people. We did a lot of green-screen work for the flying scenes. I’m supposed to go in and do some pick-up shots for scenes that were missed the first time around.” Mr. Thinnes’s family came out. Time to leave. We exchanged numbers. Check back in the future for an interview with one of the TV and film greats from the 60s and 70s.

LEGENDS OF SHOW BUSINESS AND ALMOST ELVIS

I headed back to the Congo Theater to catch Mark W. Gray’s “Legends of Show Business” and John Paget’s documentary “Almost Elvis.”

LEGENDS OF SHOW BUSINESS

Mark W. Gray’s “Legends of Show Business” is a hilarious, irreverent animated short, which pays homage to George Burns, Frank Sinatra, Las Vegas and Godzilla (not to mention Rodan, Mothra and Gamera!). Cinematographer Mark W. Gray has shot a number of feature and Made for TV films. His most recognizable film is the perennial Sci-Fi Channel favorite “A.P.E.X.” Mr. Gray explained that he turned to animation after the bottom fell out in Hollywood. “Canada has taken so much of our business. From a producer’s stand point I can understand it. A dollar gets you a dollar fifty in Canada. There’s still work around, just not as much.” “Legends of Show Business” is pretty much a one-man show. The animated short was drawn, storyboarded and voiced by Mr. Gray. “Orson Welles said that a filmmaker is the only artist who doesn’t have his own tool box. That’s not true any more,” explained Gray. “I even sing the song over the final credits. I did have to get someone to write the music.” The final credit reads: “Made on Macintosh.” The short film revolves around George Burns growing to gargantuan proportions at his 100th birthday party. He sets out to destroy Las Vegas. The rest I’ll leave for you to discover. Mr. Gray also had a live short titled “The Morning Guy” at the festival. Before I could ask him about it, the movies started. Maybe I’ll get more from Mr. Gray tomorrow.

ALMOST ELVIS

John Paget’s “Almost Elvis” played to a packed house. After all, this is the home of The King! Paget’s delightful film follows several Elvis impersonators as they prepare to compete at the Images of Elvis contest in Memphis during Death Week. The material naturally evokes giggles from some viewers, but Paget’s subjects play it straight. Each impersonator takes their craft seriously. They all share their experiences concerning public and family ridicule at their chosen professions. Unintentional giggles aside, Paget’s film is full on many intentional laughs. The laughs don’t come at the expense of his subject. It is obvious that Paget understands these men and treats them with respect. You laugh with the impersonators, not at them. (Well maybe some will, but they just don't get it).

Paget succeeds in drawing the viewer into caring about these hunka hunka wannabes. Irv Cass is an Indiana native who makes his living doing the King. He has placed third in two previous competitions. At 41, Cass wants to win badly. He promises to get a tan and loss some extra weight by the time he gets to Memphis. Paget chronicles a running joke as Cass indulges in his obvious love for food. Each of the impersonators is unique. Paget captures each one’s story. Roger Washington is a Black impersonator. There is Doug Couch who sounds so much like the real thing that it is eerie.

Why do these guys do what they do? Uma Thurman asked John Travolta if he was an “Elvis man or a Beatles man” in “Pulp Fiction.” If you are an Elvis man then you already know the answer to that question. Elvis was an anomaly in American history. Next to Jesus Christ, you’d be hard pressed to find someone as adored and idolized in the Deep South. The adoration isn’t just confined to the south. Paget himself has the look to be an Elvis impersonator. The Washington State native is a towering young man with black hair and similar facial features. As fate would have it, I was unable to talk with Paget after the film. He had dinner plans with friends he had made while filming in Memphis. Maybe I’ll catch him tomorrow.

The Festival wound down early Saturday evening so everyone could head over to the Gibson Guitar Factory for a blowout party. The wife was home sick with the kids. I’ll catch the party next year. Check back tomorrow for coverage of the final day of the 4th Annual Memphis International Film Festival.

MIFF4 Intro
MIFF4 DAY ONE
MIFF4 DAY TWO
MIFF4 DAY THREE
MIFF4 DAY FOUR

Rusty White