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Bruce N
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Nudged (2015)
An emotional journey for people needing to be nudged out of their complacent lives
In "Nudged" writer/director/producer Rodger Marion explores a theme he has explored before – people who are stuck in a place in their lives and need a push to move on ("Healer" and "Impasse"). The intersecting lives of parents, children, and acquaintances are nicely presented. Fantasy elements (dreams and a ghost) are used effectively to produce the mood. The party scene, in particular, is a dream-like carnivale with a juggler, musicians, and a strange game involving a giant disembodied brain. Another character in the movie is the Texas Hill Country setting which Marion uses effectively to establish atmosphere. Jason Marion's music nicely complements the characters' emotional journeys.
Impasse (2011)
An emotional impasse
Down-on-his-luck Wendell is sitting on a bench in a small Texas Hill Country town. A biker drops off a little girl and tells Wendell she is his niece and that her mother, his sister, has died. Wendell takes the little girl, called Mouse, to the Twilight Inn, a rustic bed-and-breakfast run by four sisters, cousins to Wendell's former wife.
Mouse is taken in by the sisters and Wendell is hired as handyman. This event precipitates a break in the impasse – the logjam – in the emotional lives of the sisters, Wendell and Mouse herself.
The different personalities of the four sisters, Mouse and Wendell, are well-portrayed. The music by Jason Marion beautifully underpins the changing emotional states of the characters.
At 57 minutes, Impasse is the longest film to date by Hill Country-based filmmaker Rodger Marion. The Hill Country location of the bed-and-breakfast adds greatly to the contemplative and pensive nature of the film.
When Cars Attack (1997)
Great satire of a stupid genre
Richard Belzer's deadpan approach (homage to Robert Stack) is perfect for this beautifully ridiculous satire of cop and weird animal quasi-documentaries. Consider it an American satire in the tradition of the classic British "The Rutles." OK, maybe that's a stretch but I saw it on probably its only broadcast and was in awe of its inspired absurdity. Belzer fused his great stand-up comedy skill with his excellent dramatic acting (as seen as Lt. Munch in Homicide:Life in the Streets) in being the ultra-serious host for this "reality" show. Houstonians will enjoy its use of an unfinished Houston freeway for some of the really bizarre car behavior. I feel honored to see the program as the odds are you will never see this as it is highly unlikely that it will ever be rebroadcast.
Radio Inside (1994)
A gentle film
This gentle, even sweet, film is quite unusual in presenting in a non-mocking manner a person, Matthew (William McNamara), with real, heartfelt religious beliefs. Matthew does have a rather quirky relationship with Jesus, however! Basically, this is a three-character story with the actors (Dylan Walsh, Elisabeth Shue and McNamara) all giving fine performances. I also liked the cinematography, with its nice use of Miami Beach locales.