Page 6 August 17, 2017 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
By Morgan and Ryan Rojas
for www.cinemacy.com
Every summer, the Sundance Film Festival
brings a handful of films directly from Park
City to Los Angeles to make their L.A. debut
at Sundance NEXT FEST. This diverse
selection of films played in Sundance’s
NEXT category that showcases bold films
by up-and-coming talents of tomorrow. The
festival is held at the beautiful Ace Hotel
Theater in Downtown L.A. and pairs comedy
and musical acts with each film, making for
a full night of entertainment.
This past weekend, Morgan and Ryan
Rojas attended NEXT FEST and caught
Lemon and Gook, two films that made our
heads spin (along with musical acts Lizzo
and Sleigh Bells--two female-fronted bands
who brought the Ace Hotel Theater’s roof
down). For our red carpet interview with
the cast of Gook, visit www.cinemacy.com.
Lemon (2017)
Review by Ryan Rojas
Lemon has been getting reviewed as a
cringe-inducing comedy, which is exactly
what writer and director Janicza Bravo would
like. Making her feature film debut, Lemon
is the story of sad-sack Isaac (Brett Gelman,
Bravo’s real-life partner), a struggling L.A.
actor whose life begins to slowly unravel
when his girlfriend of 10 years Ramona (Judy
Greer) decides to leave him. The break-up
is more or less the driving center of this
absurdist comedy, around which a number
of other nonsensical and low-stakes events
orbit. Some instances include amateurish
theater scenes in which Isaac workshops
Chekhov’s The Seagull with two self-serious
actors (Michael Cera and Gillian Jacobs) as
well as celebrating Passover with his pregnant
sister (Shiri Appleby) and quirky parents
(Fred Melamed and Rhea Perlman).
While it’s all utter nonsense, Lemon is still
delightful and fun throughout its relatively
short 83-minute runtime. The deadpan
seriousness of Isaac’s spiral-diving life is
a fun time--if neurosis-obsessed humor
is your thing. Lemon both challenges its
audience to keep up with it as much as it
does apathetically stroll from start to finish.
It is an interesting tension that is kept intact
from beginning to end. If you want to see a
movie that may make you as uncomfortable
as it does make you laugh out loud, and if
you like your comedy brainy and re-wired
for your IQ, then Lemon will tickle you in
just the right way.
Lemon is not rated. 83 min. In select
theaters this Friday.
Gook (2017)
Review by Morgan Rojas
Writer/Director/Actor Justin Chon
was just a boy during the L.A. Riots of
1992. He since took to filmmaking to express
his experience as a Korean American living
through one of the city’s most infamously
tumultuous times which, until now, has
generally been considered a black/white issue.
Chon’s latest film, Gook, gives audiences
a fresh perspective of how the Rodney
King riots affected the Asian population
living in Los Angeles at that time. From
destroyed businesses to strained cross-cultural
relationships, this Sundance award-winning
drama uses black and white cinematography
to tell a truly unique story that celebrates
the artistry in diverse voices.
Gook tells the story of two Korean American
brothers, Eli and Daniel, who struggle to make
ends meet by working in their late father’s
shoe store, located in the South Central
neighborhood of Paramount (a stone’s throw
from Compton). The brothers’ tough exterior
of gold chains and foul language may seem
intimidating to outsiders, but that doesn’t
deter 11-year-old Kamilla from hanging
around them any chance she gets. Kamilla is
a street smart, orphaned black girl whose own
dysfunctional upbringing has her searching
for the security of a family in unconventional
ways. As racial tension runs at an all-time
high, the special bond between Kamilla, Eli
and Daniel is put to the test in a major and
life-altering way.
Gook is not rated. 94 min. In select theaters
this Friday. •
Entertainment
Check It Out Film Review
First Day Jitters
By Julie Danneberg and
Planet Kindergarten
By Sue Ganz-Schmitt
Reviewed by Katrena Woodson,
Teen and Young Reader Librarian,
El Segundo Public Library
If you can believe it, summer is coming to
an end and the kids will be heading back to
school before you know it. This week, I will
be reviewing a couple of picture books that
are focused on being nervous about starting
school. First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg
can be an excellent conversation starter between
parents and children on the subject of being
nervous when beginning at a new school. In
this story, Mr. Hartwell is trying to coax Sarah
out of bed where she is hiding because she
is too nervous to go to school. Finally, Sarah
gives in and heads off to school where she is
greeted by the principal who tries to reassure
her that it is all right to be a little scared or
nervous on your first day. This is a well-written
book that is charmingly illustrated. I would
say it is best for young readers between five
and eight years old. But what makes this book
particularly notable is that Danneberg is actually
very craftily misleading the readers the
majority of the time. At the end, Danneberg
reveals her brilliant plot twist. Sarah is not
a new student--she is the new teacher. This
proves that anyone can be nervous about their
first day of school.
Planet Kindergarten by Sue Ganz-Schmitt
features the main character imagining himself
as a young astronaut who is preparing for his
mission to Planet Kindergarten. For this brave
boy, kindergarten is not just a grade--it’s a
destination. He travels to school in a rocket
ship and is sure that his classmates are aliens.
He tries the space food and is surprised by how
good it is and he is briefly worried that they are
running out of oxygen since at one point all of
his classmates lay down and fall asleep during
something called naptime. The illustrations are
full of bright and bold colors as well as lots
of sharp lines. The images look like they are
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg.
drawn in a retro-space style slightly reminiscent
of the Jetsons cartoons. This book is sure to
ease the fears of any other young astronauts as
well as making parents chuckle to themselves.
It is an excellent book for children ages three
to five who will soon be embarking on their
own mission to the strange yet wonderful place
known as “planet kindergarten.”
The El Segundo Public Library offers access
to its collection of titles in a variety of formats,
including traditional hardback, e-books and
books on CD. To check out First Day Jitters
by Julie Danneberg and Planet Kindergarten
by Sue Ganz-Schmitt or any other title on your
to-read list, please visit the library to apply for
your library card, or please contact the reference
staff for further assistance. •
Katrena Woodson.
Planet Kindergarten by Sue Ganz-Schmitt.
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NEXT FEST Brings Sundance Hits
Lemon and Gook to Los Angeles
Sundance NEXT FEST. Courtesy of the 2017 Sundance Institute.
“A film should be an experience.
You should feel something. It should
motivate you to feel something.”
– Tim Reid