I’m interning at Philadelphia Cinema Alliance! (TLA Entertainment Group) It’s the final step in completing my Associates Degree from MCC. I’m getting a chance to do some minor website updates and being introduced to all things LGBTQ (for anyone not in the know, Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Queer). Not that there’s anything wrong with that, however, I would have preferred it if the internship coincided with Cinefest (formerly Philadelphia Film Festival) or with the upcoming French Film Festival. But QFest (formerly Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival) is where I landed, so I’m going to have fun with it! And most importantly, use it as a stepping stone to…

One day 11, I saw Surveillance (USA,Germany) A Jennifer Lynch film (Boxing Helena and daughter of David Lynch –Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks) it features Bill Pullman (Jeff Daniel’s clone) & Julia Ormond as Scully and Mulder types. It’s such a bloody, twisted, crime thriller, you forget to take note of much else. And the final twist totally came at me with surprise, although my friend Diane figured it out early on, and said she still felt engrossed. – Rating: Pretty Middle Toe And I saw, Sita Sings the Blues, a magnificently original animated film created, animated, written, produced, funded etc… by newcomer, Nina Paley. She weaves a respectfully, irreverent telling…

This is my friend Robert. Robert likes gruesome horror movies. I needed Robert to come with me to see Plague Town (USA). Robert says Plague Town is better than Saw (insert any roman numeral). As for me, I’m intrigued by deformed, soulless children and a tall dark beauty with blindfolded doll’s eyes in place of her own, but when I’m actually there watching it (through the slits of my fingers) I ask myself, why am I torturing myself with all this torture? If you’re like Robert and other “Danger After Dark” cinofiles, then Plague Town is a definite must! [Director: David Gregory / Screenwriters: John Cregan, David Gregory] Ratings: Pretty…

After Plague Town, I was all too glad to be heading to a comedy, Cuttin’ Da Mustard (USA). This is one of the films from the “Fade to Black” series of the festival. It was good to see the attendees were mixed, although the attendance was light. Director / Screenwriter: Reed R. McCants gives us a little taste of what it was like to be a young, aspiring actor in New York. The twist being, this young actor is a functional illiterate. The character, Rolo (Brandon T. Jackson) based on McCants, is presented with the realization that actors need to read. The humor comes into play when he joins a…