Dial M For Melissa

Men outside, men in the field, men in the snow. These three films all center around the complex relationships they have with each other.

Prince Avalanche
Directed and written by David Gordon Green. (USA) – Spotlight, New York Premiere, Narrative.
Alvin (Paul Rudd) and Lance (Emile Hirsch) spend the summer of 1988 repainting a highway in a fire-damaged forest. The isolation quickly wears thin on Lance, yet an unlikely friendship emerges within their cutting jibes and forced reconciliations to meet the long road that lies ahead. David Gordon Green returns to the lyrical tenor of his earliest films in this potent blend of comedy and road-movie stoicism, based on the 2011 Icelandic film Either Way. A Magnolia Pictures release.

Buddy movies are a dime a dozen, but every once in a while, there's one that stands out. Don't expect crazy comedy, as you'll get an understated  portrait of two men just trying to understand each other (and the natural humor that accompanies such).

Ever thought that a movie was way too long? Perhaps it would have been better as a short film. I often overlook short film, but I couldn't really tell you why. Anytime I do give it a shot, it's actually very enjoyable. Such is the case for the following five short films of this years festival. Check them out if you get the chance!

The festival began Wednesday and is in full swing. There are 89 features and 60 short films this year spanning a range of topics. Here's three I recommend if you're out and about. It's always fun to see what's on the movie horizon!

Watching Conan one night, I saw Seth Green promoting his new movie, The Story of Luke. Instead of a trailer, it was a clip where Green's character and Luke are observing and studying a couple flirting. I thought to myself, this could be a great movie. I saw it and totally loved it. I had completely forgotten that Jeremy (Spirit of the Thing) had seen this gem at the Heartland Film Festival and given it a rave review.

Luke, 25, is autistic and lives a sheltered life with his grandparents. But his world is suddenly turned upside down when his grandmother dies and he is forced to live with his dysfunctional relatives who have no patience for him or his senile grandfather, who they quickly force into a nursing home. Luke is left with his grandfather’s final semi-coherent words: “Get a job. Find a girl. Live your own life. Be a man!” For the first time in his life, Luke has a mission. He is about to embark on a quest.

Scream marathon!

• Scream (1996) - Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan
  Horror maven Wes Craven -- paying homage to teen horror classics such as Halloween and Prom Night -- turns the genre on its head with this tale of a murderer who terrorizes hapless high schooler Sidney Prescott by offing everyone she knows.
• Scream 2 (1997) - David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox
  Gale has written a best-seller which has been turned into a film. As the movie premiere looms closer, the mysterious deaths begin again.
• Scream 3 (2000) - David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox
  This installment of the tongue-in-cheek horror trilogy finds Sidney Prescott once again battling a crazed killer -- this time, on a movie set.
• Scream 4 (2011) - Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox
  Perennial survivor Sidney Prescott, now a successful self-help author, returns to her hometown of Woodsboro in the fourth act of the Scream franchise.

Also, if you want to catch the original Evil Dead, it's also available!

• The Evil Dead (1981) - Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss
  During a stop at a remote cabin deep within the woods, a group of teens begins turning into flesh-eating zombies in director Sam Raimi's cult classic.

Melissa Hanson, Cinemit Content Editor, also known as Dial M For Melissa, has been a Cinemit member since 8/29/10, and is a member of Criticwire. Follow me on Twitter @DialMForMelissa or Like Me on Facebook facebook.com/DialMForMelissa