deadCENTER: The Movie Mother Lode - 405 Magazine

deadCENTER: The Movie Mother Lode

Become immersed in movies, feast your eyes on films, sate yourself on cinema – deadCENTER is back in downtown OKC. The annual independent film festival is fully stocked with features in every genre for its strongest lineup yet; read on for a closer look at some of our favorites, and plan a trek of your own.

One Short Film (The Operative Word Being “Short”) Is Literally One Minute Long; One Feature Spills Over Its 95 Minutes On Screen Into A Live Concert That Will Rock Late Into The Night. Gleefully Thrilling Science Fiction, Documentaries Both Harrowing And Inspiring, A Showcase For Comedian Nick Offerman And A Special Anniversary Revisitation Of A Town Ruled By The “Children Of The Corn” – On Friday The 13th, No Less. Film Lovers, Rejoice: It’s Time For deadCENTER.

The 14th annual deadCENTER Film Festival shares over 100 movies and a spate of special events with downtown OKC viewers and guests over the course of five days, June 11-15. If that sounds like a lot, consider that over a thousand entries were submitted – resulting in a tough job for the selection committee, but a great bounty for OKC. Executive Director Lance McDaniel sounds extremely confident when he avers, “This is, I believe, our strongest slate of films ever.”

We’ve selected a few features to investigate in a little more depth, but this is only the very tip of an awesome cinematic iceberg.
Visit deadcenterfilm.org to peruse the full schedule and make some strategic selections, and consider an All-Access Pass for priority entrance to every film, party and special event. We’ll see you at the movies!

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The Posthuman Project

High School Graduation is a Frequently Used Event in Coming-of-Age Stories Because It’s Such a Pivotal Moment For Adolescence: you start making meaningful choices that will have a direct impact on your future, you find yourself carrying a lot more responsibilities, you have to deal with the idea of leaving behind a lot of the life and people you knew, you develop superpowers … wait, what?

Five teens, each dealing with their own personal dramas (rehabilitating from a serious injury, recovering from heartbreak, rethinking college, resenting other family members, recoiling from an abusive stepfather) decide to take a group mountain-climbing trip and abruptly have their lives thrust into the realm of the extraordinary. Suddenly, shadowy forces maneuver them into an experiment that imbues them with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal high-schoolers, and they must band together to use those strengths against their would-be captors or risk becoming laboratory specimens … or worse.

If that description sounds at all interesting, you’ve come to the right place – this is a comic book movie through and through, right down to the occasional nifty transitions in which the action freezes and turns into a sketch with text boxes. “The Posthuman Project” also leavens its action beats with teen drama that’s sold well by the ensemble, and even manages to find room in its script for comedic moments and sarcastic quips.

While the cast doesn’t always seem to be on the same page tonally (the evil mastermind is considerably more over-the-top than anyone else), some really nice work is done by Rett Terrell as Finch, the villain’s casually scornful lieutenant, and Kyle Whalen as oft-confused protagonist Denny Burke.

A word of sincere praise about the visuals: there are times during the film when you may find yourself thinking something like, “That looks pretty good for being shot in Oklahoma,” or being done on an indie budget, or being put together without a big effects team. And then there are times when you’ll just think, “Wow. That looks great.” Period, no qualifiers. Roberts deserves major kudos for doing the visual effects work himself, a monumental task even if he weren’t also directing and producing. In his feature film debut, he swung for the fences … and with a corps of Oklahoma talent, made a solid, briskly told story that’s genuinely entertaining. Enjoy, and since it’s a comic book movie, be sure to stick around after the credits.

 Sooner Power

While superhuman abilities are in these characters’ DNA, Oklahoma is in the movie’s: writer Sterling Gates lives in L.A., but was born in Tulsa and attended OU with Steve Gill, Slice associate editor and author of this review. Writer Matt Price owns Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman. Director Kyle Roberts doesn’t just work in OKC, he’s a staunch advocate for our state’s ongoing presence in the film industry. “The Posthuman Project” was filmed entirely in the state, and according to Roberts, 98 percent of the cast and crew was from Oklahoma.

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This May Be the Last Time

From the Opening Shot of a Serene, Cloud-Filled Sky, Sterlin Harjo’s “This May Be the Last Time” strikes a spiritual chord that’s maintained throughout the film, bolstered by a haunting soundtrack that fades in and out seamlessly with the outdoor sounds of rural southeastern Oklahoma.

The documentary’s main subject is the hymns of the Christian Muscogee (Creek) community, traditional songs sung in a unique style (with a surprising origin), but the individual stories used to flesh out the larger theme are more than points to bolster a premise; they are living facets of several very poignant truths, which Harjo’s filmmaking deftly reveals. The directorial style is organic, never contrived or controlling, and there is a very real sense of a story being allowed to simply unfold.

Armchair (and genuine) anthropologists will be fascinated by the film’s revelations, students of history and those who love a good mystery will be intrigued (the disappearance of Harjo’s grandfather is one of the threads woven into the narrative), but anyone who wants to see a beautiful film imbued with meaning will be well rewarded.

Keeping a Language Alive

Oklahoma is a pretty good place to live, if you want to keep a Native American dialect viable. In addition to a natural history museum (Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History) researching and building databases of Oklahoma’s indigenous languages and a state university (OU) offering classes in five Indian languages (more than any other university in the world), the state also has one of the most valuable resources for preserving Indian languages; the second largest Native American population in the country.

However, the sobering truth is that the older generation is aging and passing on … often before they can give their knowledge to younger Native people.

“I think back to when I was my son’s age,” says Jess, a Creek mother of two who grew up with parents who were fluent in Muscogee (Creek), “My dad tried to sit me down to teach me the language and I wish I would have listened. I was a kid, and didn’t have the desire to learn like I do now.”

Busy schedules are a challenge for any family in the 21st century, but for those who are trying to hold on to a cultural legacy as well as build a future, the situation can be especially trying. Jess works full time in addition to going to school to finish a bachelor’s degree, and points to a lack of time and resources as a serious impediment. While the rise of technology is often blamed for adding to the busyness of modern life, Jess also believes it could be a key in preserving indigenous language.

“I do want to teach my kids the words that I know, but there’s only so much time in a day. It would also be nice if there were classes easily available – maybe online – at a reasonable cost. I’d also like to see classes offered at high schools across the state.”

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Light From The Darkroom

“I Want You to Send Me Home Real Pictures; None of That Digital Nonsense.”

That’s gallery owner Blanca’s instruction to her friend Francisco as he and Jaime embark on a pilgrimage to China, and the prime mover for this “Catholic thriller” of life-and-death drama infused with contemplation of a higher power.

The men’s journey is halted by a squad of soldiers trying to extinguish religious practices, and when the pilgrims attempt to detour the troops gun them down. In the midst of the chaos and death, the men witness an astonishing event that makes for the film’s most powerful moment: a woman felled by gunfire abruptly sits up and points to the sky, the motion and soundtrack suddenly grind to a near-halt and a wash of unearthly light floods the sky and screen. The light fades, speed and sound return to the world and the woman dies while the travelers flee and soldiers pursue.

The remainder of the film unfolds in Panama, where an officially tailored report of Francisco and Jaime’s “accidental” deaths reunites Blanca with childhood friend Carmen, a bitter, driven young doctor too busy healing to care about feeling. Blanca receives two of Francisco’s photos; one proving the true carnage and one of the mysterious event, which a starry-eyed Blanca identifies as a visitation from the Virgin Mary. Now Blanca, driven by hope and faith, and the skeptical, more pragmatic Carmen must decide what to do with their evidence, and how to stay alive once word of the pictures begins to spread.

Dialogue isn’t the film’s strongest suit. Some of the conversations and arguments start to feel a trifle repetitive. But the sound quality and score are great at establishing a vivid atmosphere, and the acting from Lymari Nadal, Patricia de Leon and Steven Quesada is really a strength overall; it’s genuinely moving when Blanca – tied to a chair and beaten, bleeding from the nose and mouth, menaced by the behemoth who has already killed two people close to her – ignores her situation entirely to search intently for a sign that the miraculous photo is reflecting any spark of goodness in the soul of someone she has known for decades.

Setting the Scene

One major Oklahoma connection is obvious without even seeing the movie, since director Lance McDaniel is also the Executive Director of deadCENTER itself. But another is a little sneakier, revealing itself gradually to those familiar with metro geography: while “Light From the Darkroom” is set primarily in Panama, with a side trip to China and only a brief sequence of scenes in OKC, the reality is that almost everything was filmed in Oklahoma. One major location, Blanca’s “Bella Lux” art gallery (which is a nice touch thematically, by the way), is recognizable as the Paseo’s JRB Art at the Elms. If viewers can tear their attentions away from the story, it might be fun to play “spot the local background scenery.”

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Last Days in Vietnam

For At Least One Generation of Americans, an Enduring Image of The Vietnam War is of a helicopter perched atop a Saigon rooftop, a queue of would-be evacuees trailing down a ladder. If any picture is worth a thousand words, that extraordinary photo is well worth the hour-and-a-half running time of “Last Days in Vietnam.”

Though the action is focused on the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon in April 1975, the film offers generous perspective on the run up to those events. Beginning with the Paris Peace Accord crafted in 1973, proceeding through the resignation of President Nixon in 1974 and ending with the pleas to Congress for one more round of support by President Ford, the documentary reveals a disarmingly human side to the closing days of the lengthy conflict.

Highlighted by interviews with Henry Kissinger, Richard Armitage and many of the last Marines “in country” at the American embassy, and aided by superb graphical representations of the North Vietnamese Army’s advance on Saigon, “Last Days in Vietnam” provides a riveting portrayal of the closing moments of the war. While spectacular – and occasionally graphic – archival footage of the events drives the action, the candid interviews provide perspective on the events and players from decades away.

Emmy Award-winning director and producer Rory Kennedy deftly traverses the complex political and personal landscape in crafting an exceptionally evenhanded portrait of a harrowing – and heroic – episode in American history. In addition to American military personnel, the interview credits include South Vietnamese evacuees and military officers. Some of the most gripping interviews are those with South Vietnamese civilians who did not make it out of the country on that last day, yet persevered and eventually found their way to freedom in the United States.

“Last Days in Vietnam” may not make you stand up and cheer. It may not make you proud – or ashamed – to be an American. It may, however, make you appreciate more fully the fragile state of humanity in which we all exist. For the student of history, the avowed patriot or the empathetic observer of both human destruction and decency, it is a film worth seeing.

A Continuing Journey

Growing up in Edmond, “Last Days in Vietnam” associate producer Taylor Johns lived just up the road from one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the country. For anyone who has visited the metro’s bustling Asian District, “Last Days in Vietnam” will shed some light on the obstacles many of the city’s residents overcame on their trek to the United States.

This film represents Johns’ first feature-length assignment. The Edmond Santa Fe and Pepperdine University graduate is understandably excited to share the film with a local audience. “I am thrilled with the success it has had,” Johns says, “and to have it screen for my home crowd.” The home crowd will undoubtedly be thrilled at the Oklahoma premiere of this outstanding documentary.

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LaDonna Harris: Indian 101

The title of this film about Native American activist and leader LaDonna Harris is a reference to the role that Harris, a Comanche woman who grew up in Walters, Oklahoma, played in Washington, D.C., after her husband was elected to the United States senate. Harris was instrumental in educating government officials and lawmakers about Native people, in an effort to better understand how to form policies concerning them.

“Indian 101” is both an informative experience (even people with a good understanding of civil rights issues may learn something new from Harris’ explanation of how Indian issues differ from the struggle of other people of color in the United States), and an examination of how Harris’ personality and singular approach to social action made her a unique force in the volatile world of political activism in the ’60s and ’70s.

The film blends Harris’ biography and the bigger picture of issues together from the beginning, outlining how her upbringing – complete with cherished memories and painful ones – molded her character and consciousness into one well-suited for navigating political waters. Devotion to her heritage coupled with great personal strength and a rare trait in Washington – likeability – helped Harris to influence policy and achieve great victories for Native people.

At just over an hour, the film stops while it’s ahead, and contains just the right amount of detail to both honor Harris, and reaffirm an always-relevant message: activists can be sweet, as well as strong, and education remains the most powerful weapon against social injustice.

An Unlikely Ally

It’s a historical fact that in addition to their list of political accomplishments, the most memorable American presidents tend to leave a legacy of one-liners; JFK’s “Ask not” chiasmus, the elder Bush’s “Read my lips” and his successor’s famous musing about the precise definition of “is”… all are noteworthy, but perhaps the most quoted (and imitated) is Richard Nixon’s “I am not a crook” statement, made in response to accusations about financial misdeeds in his presidency.

Almost every American past the third grade knows that Nixon is the only President of the United States who has resigned. They can also tell you that it had to do with something called “Watergate,” even if they have no idea what that entailed.

When Nixon’s term is put under the microscope on issues concerning Native Americans, however, there are a surprising number of decisions that did much to bring about change in the federal government’s policy. In addition to the repudiation of the termination policy designed to assimilate Indian tribes, the Nixon administration saw the passage of the Indian Financing Act, the bill for federal (re)recognition of the Menominee tribe, an increase of 214 percent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs budget and the return of the sacred Blue Lake to the people of Taos Pueblo, among other things.

Even the passage of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, a landmark piece of legislation for Native American interests, was built on a foundation laid by Nixon, although his resignation came before he could be the one to sign it.

Famous for having to insist he wasn’t a thief, Nixon’s greatest contribution to U.S. history might have been trying to give things back to their rightful owners.

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The Quiet Philanthropist: The Edith Gaylord Story

When You Hear The Name E.K. Gaylord Around These Parts, your first thought is likely of Edward King Gaylord, longtime publisher of the Oklahoman. Or maybe that street just adjacent to Bricktown. While that E.K. Gaylord certainly made his mark on the state, a different E. K. is the subject of “The Quiet Philanthropist.”

The film chronicles the life of Edith Kinney Gaylord, eldest child of the media magnate. While her father built a statewide empire, Edith followed in his footsteps. After a stint at the family paper, Gaylord moved to New York and stepped into the male-dominated newsroom.

She quickly made a name for herself working for the Associated Press in New York and Washington, D.C. She spent the next two decades covering high profile individuals and events domestically and abroad. As a pioneering figure among female journalists, Edith Gaylord blazed a trail for other women to follow.

While the short documentary more than adequately chronicles Gaylord’s early life and exceptional career achievements, the focus throughout is on what she helped others accomplish. Upon returning to Oklahoma in the early 1960s, Gaylord spent much of the ensuing 40 years championing causes ranging from the fine arts to family planning. As the film title suggests, public recognition was never her motive for donating. In typical fashion, she would choose to honor others instead.

Interview subjects include family members, close personal friends, business associates and even hotel staff at a beloved Colorado retreat. Although this film comes well over a decade after Gaylord’s passing in 2001, all of the interviewees speak as if she had just been in the room.

In many respects, Gaylord was – and still is – in rooms all around the city and state. The Inasmuch Foundation and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, both of which she founded in the 1980s, continue to provide millions of dollars of support annually to a wide spectrum of causes and organizations.

Although Edith Gaylord was decidedly small in stature, she became a towering figure in the field of journalism. Through her philanthropic pursuits she left an indelible mark – often silently – on her city, state and country. At the conclusion of the film, one gets the feeling that this is not so much a legacy piece as it is the story of a tremendous life that continues to this day. A fitting tribute to a quiet philanthropist.

Hometown Roots

Oklahoma City native and Bishop McGuinness alum Bryan Beasley wrote and directed “The Quiet Philanthropist.” After leaving home and attending film school at New York University, Beasley has made his home in Los Angeles since 1996.

Despite his local upbringing, Beasley admits, “I had no idea of the profound effect Edith Gaylord had on Oklahoma City and Oklahoma as a whole.” He is surely not alone in that department.
A deadCENTER screening veteran, Beasley continues to seek projects that are relevant to his home state. “It’s gratifying to bring a film back that has its roots in Oklahoma,” he says, “and it’s a pleasure to come back and present here.” 

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► deadCENTER Schedule

Aerosmith: Rock for the Rising Sun

Sunday at 9:30 p.m.
Myriad Gardens

Alive Inside

Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater
Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater

Army of Frankensteins

Friday at 9:30 p.m.
Devon Energy Auditorium
Sunday at 6 p.m.
Harkins Theater

Before I Disappear

Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater
Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater

Born to Fly

Friday at 2 p.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater
Saturday at 3 p.m.
Harkins Theater

Children of the Corn (30th anniversary)

Friday at 9 p.m.
Harkins Theater
 

Footloose (30th anniversary)

Friday at 9:30 p.m.
Myriad Gardens

Harmontown

Friday at 7 p.m.
Devon Energy Auditorium
 

Hellion

Friday at 8 p.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater
 

LaDonna Harris: Indian 101

Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater 
Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater

Last Days in Vietnam

Saturday at 5 p.m.
Harkins Theater
Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater

Light From the Darkroom

Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Devon Energy Auditorium
Sunday at 3 p.m.
Harkins Theater

Nick Offerman: American Ham

Friday at 9:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater
Saturday at 8 p.m.
Harkins Theater
 

Rough Cut

Saturday at 1 p.m.
Harkins Theater
Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater

Sewing Hope

Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Devon Energy Auditorium
Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater

Take Me to the River

Saturday at 9:30 p.m.
Myriad Gardens

The Case Against 8

Saturday at 2 p.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater
Sunday at 4 p.m.
Harkins Theater

The Dramatics (A Comedy)

Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater
Saturday at 6 p.m.
Harkins Theater

The Posthuman Project

Saturday at 3 p.m.
Devon Energy Auditorium
Sunday at 1 p.m.
Harkins Theater

The Quiet Philanthropist:  The Edith Gaylord Story

Friday at 5:30 p.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater
Sunday at 2 p.m.
Harkins Theater

This May Be the Last Time

Saturday at 8 p.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater
Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater

To Be Takei

Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Harkins Theater
Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater

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All in the Family

Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

Artists, Amateurs and A-Types

Thursday at 9:30 p.m.
Saturday at 5 p.m.

Comedy Shorts

Thursday at 7 p.m.
Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Equality Showcase

Saturday at 12 p.m.

Friday the 13th

Friday at 11 p.m.

Love, Sex and Death

Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

The Network

Friday at 6 p.m.
Sunday at 12 p.m.

Okie Shorts

Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Sunday at 5 p.m.

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Opening Night Party

Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
OKCMOA Rooftop

Opening Night After Party

Thursday at 10:30 p.m.
Iguana Mexican Grill

Making Movies in Oklahoma Panel

Friday at 11 a.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater

Distribution Panel

Friday at 12:30 p.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater

OK Film & Music Office Filmmaker Reception

Friday at 5 p.m. IAO Gallery

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Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Myriad Gardens

Friday Night Film Row Frolic

Friday at 10:30 p.m. The Paramount and IAO Gallery

kidsFEST

Saturday at 10 a.m.
Myriad Gardens

Screenplay Table Read

Saturday at 12 p.m.
OKCMOA Noble Theater

Stella Artois Happy Hour

Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

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Take Me to the River

Saturday at 11 p.m.
Myriad Gardens

Brunch Around Downtown

Sunday at 11 a.m.
throughout downtown OKC

Closing Night After Party

Sunday at 10:30 p.m. Flint

Check deadcenterfilm.org for updates