Paperjam

Dunno if there's something in the air at the minute, or we just haven't been paying much attention (probably the latter) but there seems to be a lot of short film action going in the West Midlands at the minute.

For instance, only today I found out about these people in Coventry called Call The Shots who, in their own words:

> We are a filmmaking organisation based in Coventry which is open to everyone and our aim is to encourage people to get involved in filmmaking. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a total newbie, you are welcome to come along to our monthly meetings.

They've just moved from the Herbert Art Gallery to Warwick Arts Centre (wonder what went on there?), and they're starting to run training in scriptwriting, pre and post-production and camerawork.

Plus they had a short film night on, but - ah - it's on tonight, Tuesday 22nd. Damn.

Elsewhere, Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum (that'll be the Pump/Pimp Rooms, then?) are running a short film night, and it's 7 Inch Cinema time again this week, with I for India at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath.

I must be about the last person to see “Death Proof”. It was waiting on the door mat when I got in late on Saturday, so after I grabbed some fish and chips, I bunged it on. And I was a bit bored.

By far the best thing about it (apart from the heartstoppingly lovely Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Rosario Dawson - pervy moment over, thanks) was having actress/stuntwoman Zoe Ball do her own stunts.

To see her balancing act on the front of the Dodge Challenger and to know that's her, no computer graphics or nothing, was thrilling, in the same way that when you watch “Bullitt” and the Mustang spins out at one point, you see that it is McQueen himself putting his arm out on the window and whacking it into reverse.

In fact, dammit - that's the only thing that's impressive these days about special effects in films - if the film that can somehow convince you that it's all done in camera and that Industrial Light and Magic have been nowhere near it, I'm vastly more impressed.

I know that computer graphics have got better, but you really can tell - in the dogshit-tastic “Spiderman 3”, when he puts his mask up, all of a sudden his movement becomes eerily fluid and bouncy in a way that humans really aren't. To see Rosario Dawson looking horrified, and then really excited in the passenger seat while watching Zoe Bell on the bonnet of the Challenger was really engaging.

But the film, the plot... all the characters all spoke in Tarantino-ese, it seemed massively overlong at 114 minutes, and Tarantino could only be arsed to keep up the scratchy film effect until the beginning of the second half.

Also the idea of using soundtracks from other films was just a bit rubbish, I wish he'd give it up - during the chase, I said to myself: “eh up, that sounds like Franco Micalizzi” and that took me completely out of the situation. “Jackie Brown” is still his best film by a thousand miles.

It's our first time in the Hare and Hounds, sister to the Bulls Head in Moseley, and we're impressed - it's a lovely Victorian pub. Lots of original looking tiles, a smattering of 60s retro furniture, plenty of decent beer on tap (although I'm on lime and soda tonight), and the bar has that array of leaded windows above it that screams “you are stepping back in time”. Two gulps of a pint and we're already hatching plans to move here.

Up the deadly, narrow stairs - thankfully I'm not wearing heels, tonight - to the 7inch cinema, which tonight is thrown over to annual lo-fi film competition Straight8.

The idea is that you send them £70, they send you a 3 minute Super-8mm film cartridge. You shoot your film, and send it back to them, unprocessed, along with a soundtrack. They do the processing, and if all goes well, the first you'll see of your film is when you turn up at the premiere night at a cinema, possibly at Cannes if you're lucky.

So - there's no editing in post. No post-processing. No bleedin' big-eyed cartoony computer generated furry models neither. Just 3 minutes 20 seconds (or thereabouts) of scratchy, flickering film, with all the edits and effects done in camera, which generally means plenty of under/overcranking and stop-frame animation. One clever-clogs managed a split-screen effect.

And admittedly this is a best-of, but it's really good fun. Our favourite is probably the filthy Flying Lizards-esque pop-video Stick and Balls by Jacqueline Wright and Alice Lowe. I know paper-jam Jim will appreciate Jour de Glories, performed by a brave man with plenty of room for all that beer.

If you fancy giving it a go yourself - the closing date for entries for Straight8 '08 is March 26th, and there's plenty more films over at Straight8's website.

In simple terms: It is a poster of a very French looking man (who might be belgian actually) wearing modern clothes running away from an army of spear carrying warriors, pulling a face that can only be described as "pained". He is also carrying a cafetiere.

In actual fact this is probably the greatest film poster of all time, at once totally shit and utterly brilliant. My french is so bad that I could probably start a limited nuclear exchange just by mis-ordering some wine - yet I was fairly prepared to go and watch this en francais without any more info at all.

Also even when you are cold and wet in Paris, unsure as to exactly where your hotel has run off to, catching a glimpse of this poster will make even the most miserable person crack a smile, while someone else shouts "Do the face! Do the face!"

To kind-of paraphrase Kevin Spacey at the end of Se7en, “Only in a world this sick could you say that 2007 has been a good year for films”. There has been the occasional gem here and there, I enjoyed Sunshine, laughed at The Simpsons, German stasi drama The Lives Of Others was rather good and The Family Friend was exceptional.

Generally it’s been a load of old tat; The big summer films were mostly dull with Spiderman 3 deserving special mention for being particularly awful. There have also been a few real disappointments like Knocked Up, which was just really dull and Hot Fuzz which despite having a few good bits paled badly in comparison to Shaun Of The Dead. Then there have been the real dogs like Superbad (left the cinema with about 20 minutes left), Rocky Balboa (just shit in virtually every way) and The Kingdom (dreary, corny and a terribly simplistic attempt at some kind of political message).

Still things might be looking up over the next few months as this lot wings its promising way to UK (well, London) cinema screens:

No Country For Old Men First up, the latest film from the Coen brothers, probably the film I am most eager to go and see. Looks to be harking back to their brutal early classic Blood Simple. A hunter absconds with a load of money left at the scene of a drug deal gone very bad and is hunted by a completely psycho Javier Bardem who decides on whether to kill by flipping coins. Looks Ace. Trailer plus there are also some more clips

The Darjeeling Limited The new Wes Anderson film. It is being previewed at the London Film Festival. I would probably sleep with (or alternatively promise not to sleep with) anyone who can get me a ticket. Looks to be as quirky and slightly un-real as usual. Trailer

Thirty Days Of Night Vampire, survivalist nastiness including that bird who used to be in Home and Away. Looks a bit on the visceral side. Trailer

The Last Winter More snowbound horror with this Thing-esque thriller. Does look quite unsettling. Trailer

Be Kind, Rewind Jack Black and Mos Def have to make zero-budget versions of famous films when they blank all the tapes at the video rental store where they work. Latest from Gallic genius Michel Gondry. Trailer

Southland Tales Second film from the bloke who made Donnie Darko, got slated in a really long version at Cannes and is reported to be as mad as a box of frogs. Bit apocalyptic, again. Is that the Joy Zipper cover of the Pixies in the trailer? Trailer

Margot At The Wedding Have you seen The Squid And The Whale? if not you should do. This has the same sense of cynicism about people and how they relate to each other. Jack Black turns up again but seems fairly restrained. Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh are in charge. Trailer

I’m Not There Got very little idea about this but it seems to be getting a lot of coverage at film festivals, a whole bunch of actors play Bob Dylan in different eras. Apparently the best one is Cate Blanchette. Trailer

There Will Be Blood Historical oil rights drama from PT Anderson and starring a brooding and bitter Daniel Day Lewis. Cutting to the chase: Looks fucking intense. Trailer