Alaska Robotics releases new DVD of shorts

By CLINT J. FARR

FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

There are no titles at Alaska Robotics. There are no CEOs or CFOs, but maybe a few UFOs.

“There are specialties,” Lou Logan clarifies.

The Alaska Robotics crew — Logan, Sarah Asper-Smith (Alaska Robotics Emeriti), Aaron Suring and Pat Race — recently joined me at the newly renovated Rookery for an interview. I never did get around to asking what those “specialties” are -- but I can guess. I’m guessing Logan, whose quick eyes screen a crash derby of madly original ideas, is the energy. Suring, serene like a Scottish ninja, is probably wisdom. Asper-Smith, the recipient of such touching deference from her Alaska Robotics brothers, must be the compass. And Race? Race is William Shatner.

Yes, William Shatner. From “Star Trek” to “T.J. Hooker,” from covering Elton John to jazzy stage readings of “Going Rogue: An American Life,” Shatner is very self aware. An artist who does whatever the hell he wants and trusts his nuttiness will find an audience. A trust that’s made him a household name and millionaire. That’s Shatner, and it so happens, Pat Race, minus the millions (for now).

Alaska Robotics Volume 2: highlights and challenges

In late 2006 or early 2007 (there was some debate) the Alaska Robotics crew released a first DVD collection of 15 short films. The plan was to release a DVD of shorts every year.

Five years later, the second DVD is ready. The new DVD has 47 tracks which is, Race says, enough for three DVDs. The new DVD does not include films from the first collection; most of the Volume 2 shorts have been made in the last five years. The new DVD is $10 and available for purchase at the upcoming show, online at www.akrobotics.com, or at Alaska Robotics’ store-front (also known as Lucid Reverie, or the Ruby Room) in the Emporium Mall.

Are there favorites?

Logan went with the time-lapse shots of Juneau scenery such as “Time Lapse, Southeast Alaska – August 2007.” This short is a gorgeous look at the areas in and around Juneau as the tides recede and clouds race overhead. It’s the kind of short you share on Facebook for your family in Atlanta.

Suring chose “Nipple Fire.” This short has f-bombs, shirtless men and a cringe-causing close-up of, well, you can probably guess. It is catnip for the ladies.

Race figures his favorite is “Frank Murkowksi – A Tribute.” The Murkowski short is one of Alaska Robotics’ forays into political satire. Alaska Robotics deftly, and with great wit, summarize the recent tumult in Alaska politics from the end of former Gov. Murkowski’s administration to now with their series of “We’re Alaskans!” shorts.

My favorite is “Sarah Palin (relatively) Awesome.” Alaska Robotics made the film soon after she was chosen by Senator McCain and was at the height of her Alaskan popularity. Their point, that her popularity was only relative to an unpopular previous governor and an indicted house, proves prescient. A popularity that relies on the unpopularity of everyone else can’t be sustainable. And wasn’t.

Race also likes “Die Rebel Scum,” a poem written from the point of view of a bedraggled soldier for the Empire in Star Wars. It’s clever, funny, well acted, and is a good look into a second type of film Alaska Robotics has on their DVD, sketch comedy.

Mini-documentaries are the third type. In this vein, the Alaska Robotics crew explores some Juneau history with the amazing “Chuck Keen,” one of their most polished and informative works. The documentaries also include their beard based adventures around the world.

As for the most challenging short, Suring and Race both agreed on “Fruitcake of Joy,” one long take where a camera follows a precious fruitcake as it is walked through the twisty innards of a local business. One long shot is tough. The filmmakers have to practice the shot, figure out where everyone is supposed to be, and ensure everyone gets their lines right the first time.

Logan offered “Alaska Whaler,” a short that documents Alaska Robotics’ first foray into the high pressured world of beard competitions. Foremost, Logan had to hump a bunch of equipment to Anchorage. Food and birds nested in Suring’s beard. And they lost critical footage. “Critical” means the actual moment when Suring wins a top three spot in the “Alaskan Whaler” category. So, like the way Spielberg had to re-envision “Jaws” as a psychological thriller when Bruce the mechanical shark kept malfunctioning, Alaska Robotics had to re-envision “Alaska Whaler.” Losing the footage lent a poignancy to the short. After the funny bearded men and their fans, and all the build up, the moment of triumph faded to black. We had to imagine Suring standing proud with his red beard, curvy pipe, Asper-Smith designed outfit and whaling spear. And we did.

There are also “multiple unfinished products that are kind of neat,” Race said. These bits — which include animation scraps, behind-the-scenes footage, and alternate film versions — allow for insight into the Alaska Robotic creative process. (For oddballs, like me, who think the “mistakes” are just as interesting as the final product.) There are “Easter eggs” too; bits of fun hidden in the shorts to reward obsessive viewing.

The Alaska Robotics crew is long on talent, but short on ego. For their upcoming screening, they’re uncomfortable with the idea of showing just their works to an audience.

“It’s weird,” Race said, “we just contributed to collective screenings.” That would be the Juneau Underground Motion Picture (JUMP) Society screenings that Alaska Robotics hosts twice a year to showcase locally made film shorts. But Friday night’s screening will be just their stuff.

“We’re going to dig out things we haven’t screened in a while. There will be stuff people haven’t seen,” Race said.

Classics from their first DVD will also be screened, including “Downtown vs. The Valley” and “Buy Back Alaska”.

The screening will occur at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Juneau Douglas High School auditorium. Tickets to the screening are $10, or $25 for a combo deal including the screening and a DVD. Also offered is a $50 super pack which includes a ticket, a limited edition print, a super strong robot magnet and both Alaska Robotic DVDs.

With help from the good folks at KXLL, an after party will be held immediately following the screening down the street at Mandy’s at the Breakwater. Present your screening ticket at the door to be eligible for a prize or discount. Adding to the general merriment, George Kuhar and Bridgett Cross will play as “Playboy Spaceman.”

The business of films

Working film-makers in Alaska encounter a number of unique obstacles. The weather can be an issue of course. (Though in the summer, the extra light can be good for filming). The lack of a real film industry in the state also poses unexpected challenges.

“You start making films as a young adult and soon find yourself being the ‘experts’,” Race said. And he is the first to admit, they’re not experts.

“There is a lack of experience to draw from. You’re forced to make it up as they go along… it would be nice if there was more structure, to be able to go to a class on the weekends.”

And, finally, there is finding an audience. Alaska Robotics relies on the same people to support them, again and again. To find a new audience outside the state isn’t practical; it “costs 5 billion dollars” to go anywhere.

Why Juneau, then?

“This is where we live,” Suring said.

Good point.

Obviously, Alaskans are their audience today. There are the political junkies who dig their satire. The Anchorage Daily News has posted a few of their political shorts. There’s another audience for the sketch comedy, and another for the documentaries.

So have they chosen location over career?

Again, common sense reigns.

“I don’t want to live in L.A.,” Logan said.

To find new audiences, they’ve gone Outside. In the past few years they’ve travelled to Seattle’s Comic Convention and Comic Con in San Diego. Although they’ve had success in selling their art, t-shirts and comics, DVD sales are generally low.

“People are less likely to buy (the DVDs) because people don’t have any concept what’s on it,” Suring said.

Films are not their sole source of income, however. Race considers the group “invested enthusiasts” when it comes to film.

“We’re semi-pro,” Suring said.

Under the title of Lucid Reverie, the crew of Alaska Robotics provides commercial services for Juneau such as video production and website work. Some of this work is posted at the Alaska history website (www.akhistorycourse.org/) and the Taylor White documentary project (www.taylorwhite.org/projects/documentary).

The future of Alaska Robotics

“This (The DVD release) is kind of a punctuation for us,” Race said. “We’re kind of at a place … where we determine where to go. We know we want to continue making movies. Maybe someday we’ll build up an audience and fined the right niche.”

However, finding a niche can also be a source of worry — that servicing the niche, the “cultural meme” as Pat puts it, becomes priority over potential changes in their own interests.

“I don’t want to just do Stars Wars parodies,” Race said, referencing “Die Rebel Scum.” “It’s like singing Christmas music every day.”

Thus they plan to release Volume 3 “in 2017” Lou joked. Suring figures they’ll do volume 4 before volume 3. Race intends to try combine his comic work and film work more. (In fact, his comic characters are on the Volume 2 DVD menu pages).

In other ventures, Asper-Smith’s book “A Smack of Jellyfish” came out last year (see more at smackofjellyfish.com/), and she’s got another book in the works, a collaboration with her husband. Logan makes wine out of huckleberries, and last year made some beer out of local hops, evidence of his dedication to the idea of turning local produce into something tasty. Race and Suring are quick to point out Logan’s natural resource background; he’s always telling them on hikes what they can and cannot eat.

In the immediate future, Alaska Robotics will be at Public Market. They’re tending their store-front; trying to sell graphic novels, art, and other stuff that fits in with their interests. Travel to Anchorage is booked. They’re working on Fairbanks. They’re looking to visit other states. They may hit the ferries and enjoy “those weird looking caribou with the human eyes” as Logan says. They’re trying to find an audience.

There’s a line of thought, due to cave paintings and what not, that creating art is as innate a drive as sex and sleep. What about buying art? The crew is an example of how most artists make a living today. They seek to eke out an entrepreneurial existence, picking up the detritus a flailing economy might toss their way. They trust us to prioritize art.

If it’s going to work anywhere, it’ll be Juneau. Against long odds, Alaska Robotics seems to be making a go of creating and selling on their own terms. How bold. How William Shatner.

Movie Review - Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

By CLINT J. FARR

FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

(You can hear the review by clicking here.)

The South has a self confidence problem. I suspect the South suspects the North suspects the people of the South are… just not right. They’re right of course — the South I mean. The rest of the country doesn’t take the South seriously. Perhaps it’s the accent, the clothes or a perceived ignorance, the South is up for ridicule — ridicule that’s been ongoing since the War of Northern Aggression.

It’s only to the North’s detriment, surprise, and continued frustration to have low expectations of the South. The South has risen: Southerners have won three of the last five presidential elections, they have CNN, FedEx, Coca Cola, and let us never forget, Jeff Foxworthy. Let’s boil this down to a hypothetical competition. I love Anthony Bourdain and “No Reservations” (the best show on television), but if you put Paula Deen and Bourdain into a cage match, Deen would snap that scrawny Yank in half.

Which at last brings us to this week’s Gold Town Nickelodeon movie. “Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil” explores the gruesomely fatal results of assuming all Southerners are vicious hillbilly rednecks. Near the shore of a wooded West Virginian lake, a group of college kids encounter Tucker and Dale. Are Tucker and Dale just a couple of good ol’ boys who are decent, caring, and more or less just want to get along? Or are Tucker and Dale violent redneck bigots like the murderous hillbillies of B-movies? This meeting and friction between cultural archetypes is explored with great sophistication and nuance. Sure it is.

Tucker and Dale are indeed good ol’ boys. Dale in particular, due perhaps to the societal issues above, is haunted by low self confidence. He’s a mess under stress, including just talking to a pretty woman. How Dale faces his friends, his foes, his love, and his own misgivings under the duress of combating “Evil” provides the film’s central conflict. The film creatively depicts society’s negative Southern stereotypes through the eyes of the college kids and drives home the point this bigotry is probably based on our own petty fears and small hearts. A fear that we may be just like them. That we may be them.

The movie tries to be the backwood slasher equivalent of “Shaun of the Dead.” Take thematic elements from a tired genre, like attractive college students making bad choices in the forest … while nude, then both poke fun at the clichés and also deliver authentic thrills promised by the genre. If successful, it’s a masterpiece meta-film like “Shaun of the Dead”. “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” just about succeeds. This film is good. More importantly, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is fun. I laughed out loud. Tucker in particular has the best lines, ruefully commenting on the increasingly absurd and bloody situation.

But be warned friends, bloody is an understatement.

If you’re wondering why this film is playing at the august cinema showcase that is the Nickelodeon, it is because all the stuff above about the South and low societal expectations and assumptions holds. That’s fine. On whatever level you choose to watch Tucker Dale vs. Evil, for the social commentary, or for the impalements, most of you will enjoy it. This is B-grade looniness that displays much more intelligence than necessary and ultimately works because it has a heart. It’s not heavy, it’s not stupid. It’s a film primarily for film lovers, especially those who like their art house films a little more Craven.

Movie Review-Toy Story 3

To listen to the radio version, please click here.

If you are like me, movies can be so mighty they change you. Movies so memorable, so cool, so unexpected, so moral, you walk out of the theater a different person than who walked in; hopefully a better person. Movies are powerful in that way. Perhaps more than radio, books, or television, movies are the common medium of our culture, our country. This can be for better, but often is for worse. Impressionable minds can learn all sorts of ways to blow things up and beat up the bad guys, but very little about how to form lasting love and friendships. So it is a great delight to tell you to go see Toy Story 3.

I have no criticisms. How could I? Disney-Pixar once again hit it out of the park. Best movie of the year? Sure. Another example of animation for kids being a better film for adults? Absolutely. Pixar focuses on timeless, classic story telling, on universal themes like the joy and pain of childhood’s journey into adulthood, and preserving the innocence of children. But above all, Toy Story 3 is about the importance of loyalty to friends. And it’s smart enough to be funny, exciting, and entertaining with blessedly little irony. This film is kind. And really, how many movies are “kind” these days?

Tom Hanks is back as Woody, and Tim Allen is back as Buzz Lightyear. Ned Beatty joins the cast; good to see he is still alive. John Ratzenberg, Michael Keaton, Bonnie Hunt, and even Whoopi Goldberg get in on the fun. And why not? Why wouldn’t you want to be part of the best movie so far this year? If Toy Story 3 is overlooked by the Academy like they’ve done with so many previous Pixar films, I will threaten to throw something really hard, but then won’t, and will seethe for a long while.

This movie belongs with Old Yeller, Watership Down, Where the Red Fern Grow, and E.T., as classic gut wrenching, tear jerking, moral movies that imprint their timeless lessons like cattle brands on the brains of children. This is for the better. Toy Story 3 ought to be required viewing for our jaded, seen-it-all, youth.

But don’t skip this one because you’re not a kid. That’s no excuse. The elderly couple in front of me joined the end chorus of sniffles; a lot of sniffles. The last 15 minutes delivered an emotional wallop something like Andre the Giant smacking you with a two by four to the gut while simultaneously winning the California state lottery and having your childhood dog fly into your lap with angel wings.

Okay, so I’m going to man-up here. True story: It's the end of Toy Story 3, and yeah, I too was on the verge of tears. To deflect an embarrassing display of manly waterworks I whispered to my 4 year old Carmen in fatherly concern, "does this make you sad?" Carmen looks at me with her wide sky blue eyes, "No, dad, it's just a movie."

Toy Story 3 is playing at Gross Alaska Theater Glacier Cinemas this weekend. This is Clint Farr, schooled by his four year old, at the movies.

Movie Review-Looking for Eric

To listen to the radio version, please click here.

“Looking for Eric”. What a nice small adult movie. It’s tough to say that about Hollywood films these days. “What a nice small adult movie.” But it seems just what the English and French specialize. So thank you, Goldtown Nickelodeon, for bringing these foreign films, these nice small adult movies, to Juneau. It’s a nice break from the bombardment of two hours of violence and vapid one-liners from Hollywood’s normally nonsensical summer fair.

Imagine a nice small adult movie about a man you know. Decent and hard working but stuck in a rut. His teen sons are becoming strangers. His first love haunts him. His cowardice saddles him with a sense of helplessness in trying to put life’s pieces back together. Then imagine, one night as he indulges a little escapism with “Mary Jane”, Michael Jordan shows up in his bedroom to give him a philosophical pep talk. But because this isn’t a USA film, (we don’t make films like this), the sport isn’t basketball, it’s soccer. And the star isn’t Jordan but Eric Cantona, a Frenchman who played brilliantly for Manchester United.

The film’s story is straight of the “you need to be a little crazy to keep from going insane” plot line. Eric our protagonist strikes up regular conversations with Eric the footballer, workouts with him, even cheers him on when his imaginary friend plays an imaginary trumpet. And it’s okay. The tension of the film is not born from this imagined interaction. Indeed, his imaginary relationship with the star footballer ends up being very healthy – outside of inhaling of course.

If you regularly patronize our beloved Goldtown Nickelodeon, you may remember director Ken Loach’s “The Wind that Shakes the Barley”, or, as I like to call it, “The Breeze that Quakes the Quinoa”. Director Loach has a sensitive hand with the small but important conflicts real people face. He elicits good performances from his actors which is important in this film because, as I imagine would be the case with Michael Jordan, Eric Cantona is not a good actor. But he’s intelligently used as a sage and his French accent is so thick you can barely understand him anyway which sort of adds to his whole spectral shtick.

And speaking of accents, as happens in English movies about the working class, when the actors get excited, they’re indecipherable. But my wife tells me I’m not good at understanding accented English anyways so perhaps I’m not the best judge here. Not that it really matters, the story is well told and straightforward so if you miss a word here or there, no big deal.

The films primary conflict is effective and there is a palpable sense of danger. But the movie isn’t perfect. Though the ending honors friendships, your mates, it strains credulity in what is otherwise a very “real” film. It sort of ties up things a little too neatly. But hey, this film is better than most of the summer schlock out there, so if you’re up for a nice small adult movie that doesn’t give you a headache or queasy stomach, I can’t recommend “Looking for Eric” enough.

“Looking for Eric” plays at our beloved Goldtown Nickelodeon this weekend July 1 through 3^rd, Nickelodeon’s closed on the fourth, and apparently there is a special showing on July 5^th - according to their website. This is Clint Farr, Alone at the Movies.

Movie Review: Secret of the Kells

To listen to the radio version, please click here.

The taint – if you can call it that – that animation is a medium only for kids persists. Sure, the last 20 years has seen an explosion of adult cartoons, particularly on television. From ‘Ren and Stimpy’ to the ‘Family Guy’, the humor in these shows is subversive in large part because they use a “kids” genre to tell dirty jokes and explore adult themes.

What I want is more adults to enjoy animated films for their art; for the fact animation often represent a purer filmmaker vision less adulterated by moody actors or bad lighting. So what I want is an animated film that appeals to everyone; films that are not a “kids” film or an “adult” cartoon. What I’m looking for is classic transcendent.

The Secret of the Kells is one of this year’s best. It is gorgeous. Warm, hand drawn animation that is unexpectedly, breathtakingly beautiful with a dream like quality where one’s breath curls into fractals and Celtic weaves lace the trees. The hand drawn animation, its character, its simplicity, its imperfections, depicts the story’s world perfectly. The a story of innocence and beauty enduring against war and intolerance.

The Secret of the Kells involves a young monk-in-training pursuing his curiosity of nature and talent for calligraphy during the turmoil of Ireland’s Middle Ages where Vikings raided and pagan gods hid in the forests. The boy’s adopted uncle, an abbot, obsessively builds a wall to protect a small village from these threats. The boy, curious and talented, is torn between a strong love for his uncle, the attractive promise of adventure in the forest, and the tutelage of a wise and mischievous newcomer who, for all the world, looks like Willie Nelson.

As my wife pointed out, consider the film an allegory. In building the walls that protect us from legitimate fears, we may also wall ourselves from the good and beautiful. Perhaps a not so subtle take on our time.

If a masterpiece, a simple poem unlocks heavy vaults of imagery. The simple animation of Secret of the Kells unveils a filmmaker’s complex vision: order from chaos, humor from fear, hope from the hot ashes of evil, and beauty everywhere. The Secret of Kells is a masterpiece.

The Secret of Kells plays this weekend at out beloved Gold Town Nickelodeon. And though a movie to be enjoyed by children and adults, some visions of Viking violence and hungry wolves are probably too much for the tykes. This is Clint Farr, Alone at the Movies.

Movie Review: Iron Man 2

To listen to the radio version, please click here.

"Iron Man 2" is an example of a trend I’ve enjoyed over the last decade of real actors cast as super heroes. Actors like Tobey Maquire as Spiderman, Eric Bana or Ed Norton as the Hulk, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, or even Christian Bale as Batman. (Despite his annoying, “I’m not wearing hockey pads,” Batman-voice). Even the directors of these films have roots in independent cinema like Batman’s Christopher Nolan or Spider Man’s Sam Raimi. As such, these movies tend to be pretty good. But because these actors and directors focus on character, (not a bad thing mind you), it seems they leave the action and associated special effects to the technical folks.

So perhaps we’ve come to a point where these artists capsize the normal action movie formula. A movie where the “talky” part is captivating and interesting, while the “actiony,” special effects part is, frankly, boring. Because, really, we’re at a point technologically that whatever you can imagine visually can be depicted realistically on film. Back in the day, we used to marvel at special effects, like stop motion skeletons battling Sinbad, because we were really marveling at the advancement of film making technology. In the last five years or so, special effects seem to have reached a plateau; we’ve become blasé. Thanks a lot “Lord of the Rings”. It’s hard to be impressed when you think a scene was developed with a few mouse clicks and 15 million dollars.

So, it’s back to basics. A movie “wows” us with good acting, writing, and a story that makes us care. For "Iron Man 2", that only happens in between CGI stuff blowing up.

"Iron Man 2" boasts a heavy weight cast of real actors: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Samuel Jackson, Jon Favreau (who happen to be the director), Gary Shandling, and the brutally charismatic Mickey Rourke. They play the kind of character that can throw together a new element promising endless energy with some conduit, duct tape, a prism, plumber’s wrench, holographic blue prints, and bulging biceps – all to an aural backdrop of AC/DC.

One final thought on this film, "Iron Man 2" might be more aptly called Two Men of Plastic. Mickey Rourke, with his puffy lips and small tight eyes, is a well known example of plastic surgery gone wrong. He looks like hell. But it works for Mickey because so far his comeback roles are all men who’ve had their faces rearranged in hell. The other actor is none other than Gary Shandling. This once sly and irreverent comedian looks like he had a face transplant with the plant from Little Shop of Horrors. It’s weird. Hollywood’s plastic surgery fetish is pulling me out of the story. That’s not good if you’re a filmmaker.

"Iron Man 2" plays this weekend at Gross Alaska’s 20^th Century Twin theater downtown. This is Clint Farr, so far surgery free, and Alone at the Movies.

Movie Review: Kick Ass

To listen to the radio version, please click here.

How many grandparents dragged their grandkids out of “KickAss” within the first 20 minutes when they realized this kid’s movie about kids playing superhero is really not kid’s movie at all. Oh sure, it’s got an ‘R’ rating, but I’ve seen way to many toddlers at R movies, with their grandparents, to think that keeps the little ones out. So I want to be clear – do NOT bring your children to see “Kick Ass”. They will forever be warped, their brain chemistry will change. They’ll want to dress up in a green SCUBA suit and try to beat up drug dealers and get themselves put into an ER unit – JUST LIKE THE MOVIE. (I know I did). For this is an insane film. Not clinically insane, not pejoratively insane, but the good kind of insane: wacky, out there, left field, original. Yeah, if at last I’ve seen an original comic book film, this is the one.

So, if you can leave your children and sensibilities behind, this is a thoroughly fantastic film. I don’t believe I’ve been this entertained since “District 9” and “Inglorious Basterds”. Really. “Kick Ass” is unexpectedly, inexplicably good. I should be so offended by this film: the endangerment of children, the vigilantism, the ultra, ultra violence, blood freakin’ everywhere, giant microwaves, Nicolas Cage, and awful stereotypes. Then they’re all taken en masse, spun on their heads, and up pops a sincere moment of tenderness, a clever bit of kind humor, romantic love, and of all things, a story of dad and daughter taking on a hostile world. In short, by the third act you care about the characters. And if I care, then I love a film – even if the daddy and daughter I care about take on the hostile world with creative knife work and shooting the bad guys in the head.

If you’re looking for morals, they ran screaming toward the exits with the grandparents.

And oh what a third act. If along the way, you thought, this movie may be the craziest thing you have ever seen, two kids proceed to … well, you’ll just have to see it. It reminded me of a John Woo film like “Face/Off” where there’a slow motion gun ballet, bodies flying, birds flying off to nowhere for no reason, a dissonant song underplaying the action like “twinkle twinkle little star”, bad guys in suits, good guys in capes, and a whole lot of paper and junk floating around. A visual feast of violent chaos and somehow it is both bloody and beautiful.

And completely messes with your head.

Clearly, “Kick Ass” is not, and isn’t meant to be, for everyone. It is, I kid you not, a coming sign of the Apocalypse. But if I were you, go see it, and just don’t tell anybody, except maybe your priest. “Kick Ass” will be playing this weekend at Gross Alaska Glacier Cinema in the Valley. This is Clint Farr, concerned for his soul, and Alone at the Movies.