Lawrence Denes' L.A.

LA Film Fest Day 1: Baghead

Well, the LA Film Fest officially kicked off on Thursday night with the premiere of Wanted, the adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic-book series.  I, however, did not attend because tickets for that cost a hundred bucks apiece.  So for me the LA Film Fest really started yesterday.  I gotta say, I’m loving the atmosphere here.  Strolling around the Festival area I hear nothing but conversations about movies.  I went to see Baghead yesterday evening at the Mann Festival Theatre, but beforehand I stopped by and watched the free outdoor screening of Bye Bye, Birdie, which I had never seen before and I gotta say it’s a pretty hilarious film.  With an over-the-top Elvis-like celebrity, and musical numbers about Ed Sullivan, I was laughing out loud.  I had to leave before the movie was over, though, so I wouldn’t miss Baghead.

Baghead is the latest movie from directing team the Duplass Brothers, Mark and Jay, and tells the story of 4 no-name actors who, deciding they’re fed up with never getting any leading roles, take a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods to collectively write a script for a movie starring themselves.  While at the cabin, however, they are terrorized by an unknown figure with a bag over his (or her) head.  The story takes several twists and turns to keep the audience engaged, but what really pulls the audience in is the humor and realism that the Duplass Brothers create so well.

Yes, Baghead is actually much more of a comedy than a horror movie.  As the directors said, however, in the post-screening Q&A, it is not meant to be a parody or to poke fun at anything in the horror genre.  The humor of Baghead is centered around the interactions and relationships between the characters, as well as taking a few jabs at hollywood cliches.  The movie opens with the 4 main characters watching a bizarre black-and-white film at an independent film festival.  They shoot glances and chuckles towards one another as if to say “I can’t believe people think this is art,” and we laugh with them as the director of the film-within-the-film condescendingly answers standard questions afterwards.  When they see the adoration this director receives, that is what triggers the main characters’ decision to make their own movie.

What really sets Baghead apart, though, is the cinematography style.  Baghead both looks and feels like it is a video journal being shot on a handicam, a la Blair Witch Project.  The camera shakes like a home video, zooms in and out for closeups, and some of the takes are fairly lengthy.  There is, however, no one holding the camera in the movie, and it feels like we, the audience, are simply following the characters around.  This style, along with stellar performances from stars Ross Partridge (as Matt), Steve Zissis (as Chad), Greta Gerwig (as Michelle), and Elise Muller (as Catherine) give Baghead the realism that makes it so engaging.

Watch the trailer for Baghead at apple.com

Baghead was a phenomenal way for me to kick off the LA Film Festival, and I highly recommend it to anyone who gets the chance.  Next up: Largo (tomorrow night)