Deadland

Two and a half of four stars

Sean sets out to be with his estranged wife at the on-set of World War III.  A nuclear strike and five years later, Sean is still looking, hoping to find her somewhere in the post-apocalyptic southeast, where martial law rules. He stumbles across a clue in the bag of a military courier in the form of a coded message.  He steals the document in hopes of finally locating his wife, and sets himself on a collision course with a powerful commander and his sadistic soldiers.

Deadland has everything you want in a post-apocalypse movie: a breakdown of civilized society, rag-tag survivors, rag-tag profiteers, warlords disguised as soldiers, a pandemic and not enough medicine for everyone, a ranting genius with all the information resources, cool motor vehicles (alright, ATVs), a kick-ass hero and lots of action.  The only thing missing is a decimated wasteland; instead there are lush Georgia woodlands. Deadland was principally shot in Georgia and Alabama, and from the looks of the photography and other production values, you'd never guess it is a low budget film.  That goes to show you that you can make a low budget film without it looking cheap.

Gary Weeks (29 Reasons to Run, Tiger Cruise) leads an impressive cast that includes Brian Tee (The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift, We Were Soldiers), Harrison Page (JAG, Lionheart), Chad Matthews and William Colquitt. Look for William Katt (Greatest American Hero) as the ranting genius.  Pacing is rather leisurely, and with the sizable number of players with conflicting agendas and subplots, things can be a bit confusing if you're not keeping a scorecard.

Still Deadland is a mildly interesting film, resonating with a message of hope not just for Sean, but for the restoration of society following uber-devastation.

Deadland has its world premiere at the AFF on Saturday, April 18 at 9:30 pm. A second screening is on Monday, April 20 at 1:30 pm

We Fun

Three of four stars

"The Peter Pan Syndrome at critical mass" is how the bandsmen featured in We Fun are described, and it fits.  This doc looks at the activities of several Atlanta indie rock bands - Black Lips, Mastodon and Deerhunter, to name a few - some of whom are responsible for bringing national attention to Atlanta's indie rock.

The film shows the bands at play and... at play.  The bandsmen - and women, too - live and behave like adolescent boys sans the destructive behavior.  They're not concerned with making it big:  Just to cut a seven-inch single and play concerts for friends and fans is enough for them.  The result:  Some fascinatingly creative music that doesn't follow industry standards, formal structure and harmony or any other rules:  It can be best described as soundscapes.  Even concert performances aren't all formal:  Any garage or basement will do.  Most of the bands don't have front men, and just about anything can happen on stage (like the fire breathing vagina of a girl-band member).

We Fun is as much a celebration of these guys' freedom and music as it is a documentary about the indie rock culture in Atlanta.  Their lifestyle gives them liberty to create and express themselves in music without worrying about whether it sounds commercial enough to sell a million copies.

We Fun screens on Saturday, April 18 at 7:00 pm, and Wednesday, April 22 at 2:05 pm

Beeswax

Three of four stars

Beeswax centers on twin sisters Jeannie and Lauren, played by real life twin sisters Tilly and Maggie Hatcher.  Jeannie is a paraplegic who co-owns a clothing store; Lauren, a teacher who is considering a job offer abroad.  Jeannie believes that her largely absent business partner may sue her, and enlists help from her ex-boyfriend Merrill, a law school grad.  An old flame is rekindled, and Merrill throws himself into Jeannie's problem full-time.

Beeswax is described as "a legal thriller", and "a story about families, real and imagined, people taking care of each other when they want to, when they need to, when they ought to".  The description is on point, as much of the film focuses on Jeannie's legal dilemma, and we get to know some of the caring folk make up the sisters' circles.  Beeswax has a lot going on beneath the surface, though.  At times, it appears to be a character study of the twins.  Jeannie's independence despite her handicap and Lauren's sturdy, athletic build give the impression that they are capable of taking care of themselves.  But they are needy, and though they seem to seek help, the subtext of the nicely written dialogue hides pride that makes them reticent to ask, or accept when offered.

There is also a subtle feel of family drama, as if there is some resentment and sibling rivalry going on.  The sisters share a house, but they are rarely together at the same time; they are congenial towards each other, but at times we can sense some tension; one is close to Mom, while the other doesn't go along on visits; the final lines of the film say it all (though it can be interpreted a couple different ways).

Director Andrew Bujalski wrote Beeswax for the Hatchers (both grew up in the Atlanta area; Tilly lives and works in Atlanta).  As for his previous films, Bujalski casts non-actors, and that's a big plus.  The actors perform in such easy state and deliver dialogue so naturally that we feel as if we are peering through a fourth wall instead of watching a scripted performance.  Beeswax is a wonderfully quiet film whose likeable and fascinating characters will entertain and stay with you. 

Beeswax screens on Monday, April 20 at 9:15 pm.

 Stephen Hart is a Clayton County Georgia librarian by day, and a screenwriter and filmmaker night and weekends. He is a staff writer for CinemATL.