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One of the great films about making films, AMERICAN MOVIE is about an artist full of contradictions. Mark Borchardt lives in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin and dreams of making movies. Ever since he bought his first used 16MM camera with a bad focus he’s been making horror flicks like his favorites NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Now to earn the funding for his epic drama about his life, the 30-year-old is making a 35-minute horror flick titled COVEN. That’s pronounced COVE-n, because the other way would sound too much like oven.

Mark recruits his friends and local amateur actors for his films. His best friend Mike Schank is his composer and seems constantly stoned even though he has sworn off drugs and alcohol after too many bad trips. Ken Keen is another longtime friend who is described by Mark’s Swedish mother Monica as the “bad influence.” Mark has three kids, but has no interest in marrying their mother now that he has met his new girlfriend Joan Petrie, who seems to admire his dreams. To fund his films he taps funds from his aged Uncle Bill, who lives in a shabby trailer while he has over $200,000 in the bank. Mark’s mother is supportive, even filling in as cinematographer from time to time. Mark’s father Cliff thinks his son should get a job, but at this point feels he needs to finish his film. Mark’s brothers Alex and Chris see him as a loudmouthed loser whose fit only for factory work.

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Check Out a Clip

The Jim Henson Company launches its Discoveries label to bring acquired content to the direct-to-DVD market. THE BLUE ELEPHANT, the first Thai CG feature, looks from its cute character design like it is geared toward the pre-school crowd. However, one might take notice to its PG rating, because the chief theme is fighting wars for freedom. While the character design for the animals are appealing, they seem in contrast to the tone. These inconsistent parts are the primary qualities that make the film seem like it was cobbled together from spare parts of other films.

Based on the story CHAO PRAYA PRAH HONGSAWADEE by Ariya Jintapanichkarn, Khan Kluay (Jeremy Redleaf) is a tiny, blue elephant that has never known his father. When the Burmese army moves into his area, he goes looking for his dad, believing that he may have been captured. This leads to him being separated from his mother and discovered by a pink female elephant named Kon Suav (Miranda Cosgrove, TV’s ICARLY), who is the “daughter” of the human elephant trainer Tian (Carl Reiner, TV’s THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW). When the King of Siam (Richard Epcar, TV’s DIGIMON) calls on all his people to challenge the Burmese, Tian trains Khan and the other elephants to fight for their freedom. With the aide of the hyper bird Jai (Martin Short, THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES), Khan becomes the honored Royal Elephant.

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