GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR
Phil Brooks, or CM Punk as millions of WWE fans may know him as, is perfectly placed inside an atypical haunted house horror that’s out for vengeance. Brooks plays Don, a husband and future father who is renovating an old home as he works on rebuilding his marriage at the same time. He’s patching up his past mistakes, but it’s not that easy. Don’s new home has a paltry past just like he does.
In his first feature film as a director, Travis Stevens perhaps finds too much joy in making scenes as slimy as possible. Though, I guess that comes with the territory when handling the pitfalls of toxic masculinity. But with all of the bold decisions Stevens confidently presents that are destined to get under your skin – we also get the expected cheap scares that come hitched to the genre. Too expected. In the end, the scares are scarce and the distinctiveness within the storytelling shows promise, but it only cracks the door instead of kicking it wide open.
DESOLATION CENTER
Director Stuart Swezey – the force behind taking bands out of the club and out in to wide-open spaces to rock – tells his revolutionary story with the volume turned way up. In the mid-80s, as the punk rock scene was getting raided by L.A. police, a light-bulb goes off for Swezey and starts to setup concerts in unusual places like the dessert and on a boat. This brilliant idea would go on to serve as the inspiration for Lollapalooza, Coachella, and countless other outside venues we attend today.
The subject matter, along with the overall direction, doesn’t allow room to expand beyond bands and the locations they played. It limits itself quite a bit by doing that. But for audiences who listen to Sonic Youth, Minutemen, and Meat Puppets, you will rejoice and be very much in tune with this documentary. And even if the music isn’t for you – this unheard of creation that would shape how we perceive and embrace music within an untamed environment is still something to see. Even if you would’ve never gone, it’s fascinating to witness the origins of it and how special those early experiences were for those who lived it.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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