Just wanted to spread the word on this indie film, god knows it's hard enough just to get them into theatres let alone video stores.
It's definetly getting some good buzz. Hopefully the underground scene will continue to grow here in Canada.
Bums (2005)
The Butlers are young filmmakers to keep an eye on. (by Lodger)
The Butler Brothers emulate a lot of other filmmakers with their low-budget independent features, but at least they are picking from a good lot. Kevin Smith, Hal Hartley, Tarantino and myriad other Sundancers who have achieved cinematic cult status the last decade or so are certainly filmmakers worth copying. And somewhere embedded in all this cinematic xeroxing, there are certainly gems of originality, wit, intelligence and uniqueness of vision that make the Butlers young filmmakers to keep an eye on.
"Bums," the brothers' most recent video feature, furthers the filmmakers' work in the field of "relationship" comedies... or dramas... or dramedies... for lack of a better genre description. This genre was also utilized by the Butlers for an earlier 16mm feature called "Alive and Lubricated." Since these are male filmmakers (hopefully you garnered that from the term "brothers"), the scripts and dialogue have a decidedly male slant, even when females enter the scene as they do in "Bums." But then again, since the roles of males and females have blurred in recent years in heterosexual relationships, these males are far more in tune with women than the role models that have inhabited relationship films of the past. The males here are, by and large, far more sensitive and considerate, just as the females, to nearly the same degree, are more sexual and aggressive.
While the male slant may be obvious in "Bums", it is certainly much more realistic and modern than the dreck we find in a lot of the indie film scripts popping up in low budget features out there these days. For example, this is a far better script and a far more realistic film than the highly overrated indie fave "Funny Ha Ha" that came out recently.
Here, the girls are strong, smart, sassy women who understand the modern male psyche much more than their cinematic predecessors have and their cinematic peers usually do. "This is because I think the Beatles are better than the fucking Stones, isn't it!" one of the women suggests to the guy who is breaking up with her. This dialogue is obviously a male ideal (and funny), and yet it suggests not only the frivolity of the male psyche in relationships but also the female understanding of that psyche. Then again, it also implies a complete disregard for the modern males sensitivity in relationship issues. The female is strong, vocal, insightful. She has many attributes previously not attributed to her gender and yet in her growth as a powerful, forceful woman she has come to expect nothing but frivolity and idiocy from the male. She completely disregards that during the time of her growth, the male has grown as well, becoming more sensitive, responsive and understanding. The changing synergy of the heterosexual relationship in post millennium America is truly the focus of this film and the Butler Brothers bring an insight and a wit to the table that is sorely missing in their cinematic peers arsenal.
The acting in "Bums" is decent but certainly not the kind to help make the film noticed by critics or film festival staff. While the actors in the piece (including the brothers) certainly have the confidence to present their speeches with attitude and charm, they too often fall flat in making it seem real and extemporaneous. This might work if it came out as "stylized," as in the work of Hartley, but it doesn't.
When it comes to cinematics, the Butlers are risk takers. There are split-screens that present images in twos, threes and fours, echoing the ideal of Warhol while heralding the computer editing era in low-budget indie films.
Yet, when one pushes aside the problems in "Bums," and concentrates on the wit, imagination, and insight that it contains, one easily sees a film with much to offer. While not the perfect film that the Butler Brothers are capable of making, "Bums" leads us by the nose into their career and makes us hunger for the next film that pops out of the siblings often intriguing minds.
When the Butlers get better (i.e. film) equipment and learn to edit themselves successfully as camera operators, editors and creative filmmakers, they may become the brightest filmmakers of their generation, in both senses of the word.
Notes:
Viewed in December 2005 and January 2006 on a DVD provided by the filmmakers. To purchase a copy of Bums go to the Butler Brothers company website at Substance Production
For the full article visit FileThirteen.
It's definetly getting some good buzz. Hopefully the underground scene will continue to grow here in Canada.
Bums (2005)
The Butlers are young filmmakers to keep an eye on. (by Lodger)
The Butler Brothers emulate a lot of other filmmakers with their low-budget independent features, but at least they are picking from a good lot. Kevin Smith, Hal Hartley, Tarantino and myriad other Sundancers who have achieved cinematic cult status the last decade or so are certainly filmmakers worth copying. And somewhere embedded in all this cinematic xeroxing, there are certainly gems of originality, wit, intelligence and uniqueness of vision that make the Butlers young filmmakers to keep an eye on.
"Bums," the brothers' most recent video feature, furthers the filmmakers' work in the field of "relationship" comedies... or dramas... or dramedies... for lack of a better genre description. This genre was also utilized by the Butlers for an earlier 16mm feature called "Alive and Lubricated." Since these are male filmmakers (hopefully you garnered that from the term "brothers"), the scripts and dialogue have a decidedly male slant, even when females enter the scene as they do in "Bums." But then again, since the roles of males and females have blurred in recent years in heterosexual relationships, these males are far more in tune with women than the role models that have inhabited relationship films of the past. The males here are, by and large, far more sensitive and considerate, just as the females, to nearly the same degree, are more sexual and aggressive.
While the male slant may be obvious in "Bums", it is certainly much more realistic and modern than the dreck we find in a lot of the indie film scripts popping up in low budget features out there these days. For example, this is a far better script and a far more realistic film than the highly overrated indie fave "Funny Ha Ha" that came out recently.
Here, the girls are strong, smart, sassy women who understand the modern male psyche much more than their cinematic predecessors have and their cinematic peers usually do. "This is because I think the Beatles are better than the fucking Stones, isn't it!" one of the women suggests to the guy who is breaking up with her. This dialogue is obviously a male ideal (and funny), and yet it suggests not only the frivolity of the male psyche in relationships but also the female understanding of that psyche. Then again, it also implies a complete disregard for the modern males sensitivity in relationship issues. The female is strong, vocal, insightful. She has many attributes previously not attributed to her gender and yet in her growth as a powerful, forceful woman she has come to expect nothing but frivolity and idiocy from the male. She completely disregards that during the time of her growth, the male has grown as well, becoming more sensitive, responsive and understanding. The changing synergy of the heterosexual relationship in post millennium America is truly the focus of this film and the Butler Brothers bring an insight and a wit to the table that is sorely missing in their cinematic peers arsenal.
The acting in "Bums" is decent but certainly not the kind to help make the film noticed by critics or film festival staff. While the actors in the piece (including the brothers) certainly have the confidence to present their speeches with attitude and charm, they too often fall flat in making it seem real and extemporaneous. This might work if it came out as "stylized," as in the work of Hartley, but it doesn't.
When it comes to cinematics, the Butlers are risk takers. There are split-screens that present images in twos, threes and fours, echoing the ideal of Warhol while heralding the computer editing era in low-budget indie films.
Yet, when one pushes aside the problems in "Bums," and concentrates on the wit, imagination, and insight that it contains, one easily sees a film with much to offer. While not the perfect film that the Butler Brothers are capable of making, "Bums" leads us by the nose into their career and makes us hunger for the next film that pops out of the siblings often intriguing minds.
When the Butlers get better (i.e. film) equipment and learn to edit themselves successfully as camera operators, editors and creative filmmakers, they may become the brightest filmmakers of their generation, in both senses of the word.
Notes:
Viewed in December 2005 and January 2006 on a DVD provided by the filmmakers. To purchase a copy of Bums go to the Butler Brothers company website at Substance Production
For the full article visit FileThirteen.