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Movie Synopsis: The community of Kings Park in Springfield, Virginia is just like Any Suburb, U.S.A. Uniformity and familiarity prevail as you pass through the neighborhood up until you spot the 30-foot golden statue rising up from behind a house. That house belongs to Michael Meredith, a general contractor, part-time sculptor, and unconventional suburbanite. The documentary is a light-hearted history and exploration of the eponymous statue and its creator and the reactions they get from neighbors, aspiring artists, and commuters, who are witnesses.
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Making the movie (spoiler alert, read only after watching movie): Who doesn’t love listening to This American Life and the extraordinary stories they tell of “ordinary” Americans? Some of my favorites episodes are Superpowers, DIY, My Experimental Phase, and of course, Home Movies. These stories tell of people engaging in activities that range from the remarkable (spending decades trying to get your best friend out of prison) to the whimsical (a boy trying excitedly to find his superpower) and they are all very approachable. So much so that it kind of inspired me to go out and make a documentary about something in my immediate world. Well, there was no better subject or less subtle one than the 30-foot statue that stood 5 minutes from my house. I am being a bit bold when I say that the large statue was an obvious choice for me because in reality it was my wife who told me about the statue even though I had probably driven down Southampton Drive, where the statue stands, more than a dozen times without seeing it.
After my wife’s half-hearted attempts at explaining to me what I should be looking for and where, I rode down the approximately 2 mile drive several more times and still didn’t spot the statue. Our roommate at the time came home one evening and exclaimed that she had indeed seen the statue with her very own eyeballs. I felt the same type of dread when those Magic Eye posters were popular, which is to say not much. I can be patient for these magical moments. I wasn’t going to sweat it. Okay, maybe I was a little jealous. [click to continue…]
Did Sean Mullen like Warm Clothes? Find out below.
Warm Clothes Review by Sean Mullen
In Director Jimmy Nguyen’s latest short film, Warm Clothes, the filmmaker shies away from the comedic narrative that we’ve come to expect. Instead, what we get is something that is more like cinema poetry, where each viewer can have a different interpretation of the meaning. Regardless of what the abstract story might mean, the ending result is sure to leave you feeling….warm.
The film kicks off with a man (Mike Wissner) in a laundromat listening to a segment of a podcast that tells a story of a social experiment conducted by a college professor at Yale University. The voiceover used here will captivate the audience immediately as they then begin to wonder how it will tie into the plot and title of the film – an excellent way to kick things off.
Moving forward, we are shown a series of shots that follow the man who is working on a unique project with a dryer (which is, for some reason, separated from its partner- the washing machine). We get a few snippets of some feel good music as we follow the man and his special project across town. It is interesting to see how the public reacts to the dryer as Nguyen’s trademark documentary-like filming style is used in full force. The camera stays stationary for a good part of the shots which gives us a very honest and organic experience. Unfortunately, this is where we lose some of the mojo from the opening act. After awhile, this section of the film becomes a little redundant which contains practically zero dialogue. It would have been nice to hear a bit more of the voiceover from the opening scene, perhaps a thought-provoking quote of some sort played over the music would have been a nice touch.
The end of the film is where the audience will regain the interest they had and is probably the best part of this picture. A woman (Dana De Filippi) crosses paths with our protagonist’s project. The film concludes with the two characters becoming involved in the beginning of a boy-meets-girl romance and leaves the audience hopeful for their relationship.
Due to the originality of the story’s concept, the effective camera technique and the chemistry between the two actors, this is my favorite film of Jimmy Nguyen’s so far.
Come watch the premiere of Warm Clothes on May 28 (Saturday). Email nguyen.jimmy17@gmail.com for directions.
Finally finished my first two movies for the year. It only took me five months, but I think the extra time spent on each movie will make it that much more enjoyable. Hope you can come. Email me for directions to the movie premiere.
by Jimmy on March 28, 2011
I have been talking about finishing a documentary on D.C. street musicians since February 2009. That was the month and year in which I filmed my first street musician, Trumpet Man John, at L’enfant Plaza. In 2009 and 2010, I must have filmed and interviewed over 25 different street musicians in D.C. and NYC and recorded over 35 hours of footage all in the hope of putting together a documentary that was the realest movie ever made about street musicians. Alas, it is 2011 and I haven’t filmed a street musician in over 8 months and haven’t even looked at all the footage I had acquired in the previous years. Will I ever finish this movie? I hope so. I need a devoted editor!
However, I will always remember fondly those warm summer days when I walked around for hours from metro station to metro station listening for the sounds of music trying to decipher whether it was a trumpet being played a few blocks away or if it was just a metro bus braking abruptly. So why am I sharing all these warm, fuzzy memories? Well, a week or two ago, Nick Broad from the Busking Project emailed me and asked if he could showcase my Busking D.C. trailer on his website. Of course I said yes and now it’s featured on a probably more visited website. Check it out here.
And if you want to support their project, check out their kickstarter page.
by Jimmy on February 16, 2011
So I sold the rights to a movie about my dad to Oliver Stone. It’s about an old Vietnamese helicopter pilot’s life after the Vietnam War. For more background on my dad you can read it here.
"Bo Time 24/7" Oliver Stone's Next Blockbuster Movie
