Hello, hello. So, it is tax time, oh happy days. I just wanna say they make me cry and sometimes curse. I am eating a handful of MILK DUDS, isn't that funny? A friend of mine, Gerard, (not his real name) gave them to me. How nice and yummy. I love them. So, I have no idea how I ended up watching this film, but I was very impressed with it. It is one of those good old-fashioned Indie films.

PARANOID PARK
Rated R
For some disturbing images, languages and sexual content

Length:
84 minutes

Director:
GUS VAN SANT

Cast:
TAYLOR MOMSEN, GABE NEVINS, DANIEL LIU, JAKE MILLER, LAUREN MCKINNEY, JOE SCHWEITZER, WINFIELD JACKSON, GRACE CARTER, BRAD PETERSON

Genres:
Independent

Awards:
2008 Independent Spirit Awards: Best Director Nominee: GUS VAN SANT
2008 Independent Spirit Awards: Best Feature Nominee

Other Features:
Color; interactive menus; scene access

Screen Formats:
Academy Ratio 1.37:1

Subtitles:
English SDH, Spanish

Language and Sound:
English Dolby Digital 5.1

Original Release Date:
2007

So, there is this really cute and very young skater boy who is depressed because he got involved in an accidental murder. He writes about it and reveals the story through his eyes. Set in Portland, who doesn't love that? Great sequences of skate boarding with fab sound effects. Beautiful photography. The young GABE NEVINS has a face like a Renaissance angel and Mr. Van Sant uses the close-up on him quite liberally. TAYLOR MOMSEN (GOSSIP GIRL) is in this and she is perfectly cast as the cheerleader girlfriend of the young, hooded skater boy. The supporting actors are all well cast and well acted. The camera work is poetic and thought-provoking. The story, as I said before or maybe I didn't is based on a book, so the script is pretty good. Quite complex, and at times I found myself asking questions about stuff, so, I guess I kinda had to use my brain a bit, which is always a good sign. Haunting is a good word for this film, in fact most of Mr. Van Sant's film have that poetic, haunting quality. Solitary, another good word, but solitary in a way that you have to withdraw from society in order to come up with an answer for yourself. I was surprised at how easy it was for him to tell lies, which is something we learn to do at such a very young age. How sad.

Toodles,

Mitzi