SIFF reviews: Bad Brains, My Sucky Teen Romance, Wonder Women

Bad Brains: A Band in DC (2012, dir: Mandy Stein and Benjamen Logan)

Taking their name from a song by The Ramones, DC hardcore band Bad Brains has been one of the most influential bands for the past thirty years. This (mostly) glowing documentary showcases their formation and influence, while being bookended by their comeback tour in 2007 that ended with singer HR getting booed while sitting down on stage during a show in Chicago. The film makes a compelling case for how influential the band is, including getting A-list musicians to sing their praises, like Dave Grohl, Beastie Boys, Henry Rollins (who is far less annoying here than any other time I’ve ever seen him, probably because he’s an uncynical fan here) and Ian MacKaye. The reason for the band being considered homophobic is glossed over a little bit, but the confrontation between HR and bassist Darryl Jenifer at the end of that Chicago show is real and compelling. What is enjoyable about this doc is that it’s for fans of music documentaries and those curious to learn more about this important band. Unlike a lot of music documentaries, it’s not just preaching to the converted.

{Bad Brains: A Band in DC screens at SIFF on Sunday, May 20 at SIFF Cinema Uptown at 9:00pm and on Sunday, May 23 at Harvard Exit at 9:00pm. Co-director Benjamen Logan is expected to attend both screenings.

My Sucky Teenage Romance (2012, dir: Emily Hagins)

My Sucky Teenage Romance is the third feature film from eighteen year old filmmaker Emily Hagins. That is not a typo. It’s a light and often funny (in a campy sense) vampire movie that gets in some funny (but easy) jokes at the expense of Twilight fans and the creepy older guys that go to comic conventions (much like my Twitter feed). It’s a quick seventy-seven minutes from beginning to end, but it’s often a joy to watch because Hagins has developed into a very good filmmaker who does a nice job pacing the film that is about an awkward teenage crush that turns both would-be star-crossed lovers into vampires after a grocery store robbery goes bad. The young actors all do a nice and convincing job in a comedy that hits more often than it misses.

{My Sucky Teen Romance screens on Friday, May 18 at Pacific Place at 4:00pm and on Sunday, May 20 at SIFF Cinema Uptown at 6:00pm. Director Emily Hagins is expected to attend both screenings.}

Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines (2012, dir: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan)

Before watching the engrossing documentary Wonder Women!, I had no idea that the creator of Wonder Woman was also the creator of the lie detector test. The documentary traces Wonder Woman’s World War II-era creation and transformation throughout the years (not always progressively). Plus, the film details Wonder Woman’s influence on other (but too few) female superheroes in television, comics and film, including The Bionic Woman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Xena: Warrior Princess. Noting the endurance and success of the character, it is at its best when it makes the case that the traditionally male-dominated geek/comic culture that perpetuates the sexism isn’t just bad for society and the culture that pretends to be inclusive, but bad for business, too. It’s always a pleasure to see Bikini Kill/Le Tigre frontwoman Kathleen Hanna interviewed, but the film also features Gloria Steinem, TV’s Wonder Woman Lynda Carter, Lyndsay Wagner (who played The Bionic Woman on television) and author Jen Stuller, who provides the most interesting context for Wonder Woman’s importance and history.

{Wonder Women! plays at SIFF on Saturday, May 26 at Everett Performing Arts Center at 3:30pm, on Sunday, May 27 at the Egyptian Theater at 4:00pm and on Monday, May 28 at the Harvard Exit at 6:00pm. Director Kristy Guevara-Flanagan and cinematographer Gabriel Miller are scheduled to attend all screenings. There is also a free forum on Saturday, May 26 at the SIFF Film Center featuring Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, author Jen Stuller and Reel Grrls youth filmmaker Daniel Tayara.}