Black Limousine (2010)

The film originally had the hideous title, "The Land of the Astronauts." There is a feeling of impending doom throughout the film. The music, lighting and unshaven look of our star Jack Mackenzie (David Arquette) all work in unison to give us a noir feel. Jack is a Hollywood composer who has fallen from grace. He desires to get back with his divorced wife (Carla Ortiz) and child Kate (Jacqueline Mackenzie). He attends AA meetings, was involved in an accident were someone died and now works as a limo driver.The limo he is driving was the scene of a brutal murder where a limo driver cut the throat of his wife. Hitch (David Jean Thomas) who reminds us of a creepy Morgan Freeman, shows Jack the photos. He also collects items left behind in limos. Jack is also attempting a comeback. He has issues with his landlady (Lin Shaye) who wants a part in a film. While at an AA meeting, Jack meets the noir femme fatale Erica Long (Bijou Phillips). She is a model, singer, and actress attempting to pay her bills. Ironically she appears on vodka ads. Jack is inspired by her and quickly falls in love. They hit it off and seem to become soul mates, but alas Erica is clearly a girl Jack should not love.We know something is going to happen and every tidbit clue that the film feeds us will all cleverly tie together. The goal is to figure it out before the film tells us. And then the end happens and you are suddenly tasked with trying to figure out what just happened. Enjoyable, but not for everyone.PARENTAL GUIDE: F-bomb, brief nudity (lady in window)

"It was an accident, no one is to blame, except him...that man." Jack (Arquette) is a struggling composer who takes a job driving a limousine to make ends meet. His life is a mix of AA meetings, hanging out with his young daughter and trying to get back in the business. After he gets a job driving a famous movie star he strikes up a friendship and thinks he found his way in. Little by little he tries to get his life back to how he wants, but there is always something in his way. There are some trailers for movies that give away the whole movie in the 2 minute clip and nothing is a surprise. There are trailers who give absolutely nothing away and you are left wondering what it is about. Then there is this movie. This movie is so undescribable that even the trailer doesn't do it justice. This movie is both beautiful and disturbing. This is the type of movie that makes you question everything you are seeing and wondering if it's real or a dream. I am the first person to say I don't think David Arquette is a good actor, but he deserves an Oscar nomination for this movie. He is that good in this. This is another movie that words will not do justice to. When the credits roll it feels like you can finally take a breath and wonder what it was you just saw. Overall, a movie with the pace of "Drive" but the feel of Aronofsky movie. Not a movie to just put in and veg out to. This one makes you think. I liked it. I give it a B+.

Not sure what this was but I sort of like it. The director uses some weird surrealistic kind of moods and certain things don't make sense and I can't tell if it was on purpose or not. It's very awkward and unsettling. Lin Shay is very funny as the old lady and David Arquette is good and very emotional as the main character but is he crazy, depressed? Insane? Dreaming? There's murder and music and drama and comedy. The girl is very good and she has a nice voice.At times it's very cheap looking and other times it looks pretty good. Especially for the low budget this clearly had.But I kind of had fun at the screening even though I didn't fully understand it.

Land of the Astronauts is fun. It's an art film. How often does that happen? Credits rolled, lights came up... I was in a strange mood. I appreciate the fact that it had an effect on me, like one of those textured segue songs on NPR or some ambient PBS special about space, or secondhand pot smoke in a small European car. The film made me want to sit in Elysian Park and contemplate loss and reinvention while staring at the LA skyline. Maybe listen to Pink Floyd or Brian Eno for a few days. The music and talent are great. My favorites to watch were David Arquette and Bijou Phillips and Tom Bower and Lin Shaye. Yay green face Shaye! I look forward to seeing another story from Carl and his team.