Martha Marcy May Marlene

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  You can take the girl out of the cult, but you can't take the cult out of the girl.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Louisa Krause, Brady Corbet, Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  Interesting subject matter.  Interesting character study. I have no idea what I was supposed to think happened at the end.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  It was developed at the Sundance Institute, so I'll give you one guess, and the answer isn't "yes."

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  It's more likely to cause the deep pondering of questions like: "Why do people fall for cults?"  "How do they find them?" And, "How are they so easily brainwashed?"... I guess my parents were too loving for me to ever understand the answers to questions like these.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  Director Sean Durkin won his category at Sundance, and it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, but lost out to the previous movie I saw, Like Crazy.  Still, even the nomination looks a little bit like self-nepotism.  If you develop a movie, is it really fair to nominate yourself for a prize?

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Elizabeth Olsen gives a star making performance, but I knew that before I even saw the movie because of all the press and hype that's been surrounding her since last January.  What I didn't know is that she would be so interesting, that I would find myself struggling with how exactly she's related to her sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  Despite Sundance nominating itself for prizes, Sean Durkin actually does deserve recognition.  He seamlessly shifts between the past at the cult and the present at a Lake House, using color schemes and clever editing that has your brain working just the right amount throughout, as you try to keep up with where each scene is taking place.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  Mostly, I just wish I understood what I was supposed to take from it.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Martha Marcy May Marlene Trailer

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Humpday

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Two old friends, one happily married (Mark Duplass) and the other a vagabond (Joshua Leonard), challenge themselves to make an art project for a contest... it will be a porn about two straight men having gay sex. And they will play the straight men.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, Trina Willard

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you weren't automatically turned off by what the film is about, you should absolutely see this movie. It's brilliant on all the levels that a true film lover should appreciate. It takes risk after risk and succeeds at all of them. No-name actors, bizarre topic, improvised dialogue, and a low budget look, do not stop this story from being everything an independent film is supposed to be. If you liked Chuck & Buck, Happiness, or Kissing Jessica Stein, you must see this movie. If you've never heard of any of those films, this one's probably not for you either.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Doesn't everyone laugh when they're uncomfortably squirming inside?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: What happens after the movie is over might, but thankfully, we don't have to watch that part.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance, and if the Spirit Awards don't follow suit they'd be-- well, they'd be the Spirit Awards...

Q: How is the Acting?

A: If you're not familiar with the Mumblecore movement yet, what's taking you so long? The actors speak casually and talk over each other, making you feel as if you were eavesdropping on their lives, as they unfold. In other words, it's like a film version of TV's The Hills, but with a plot and a point.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Lynn Shelton uses the hand-held shaky cam in almost every scene to intensify the feelings of awkwardness and discomfort that arise around two men trying to force themselves to sleep together, despite their complete lack of desire for each other, and the married guy's wife. Shelton's directing is deceptively simple, and without any missteps.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Brilliant. Raw. Never forced. What makes this a great independent film is the writers take a risky topic and tell a story that the studios would be afraid of, but that is still completely (and this is the important part for all you indy filmmakers out there) WORTH TELLING. But ultimately, the movie isn't even about what the premise is about. The premise is just an interesting way for the characters to discover what's really going on in their lives under the surface appearances that they put out to the world.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/humpday/trailers

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