WE ALL FALL DOWN

Drugs, Drama, Despair

By Jill Hart

Fans of “Trainspotting” and “Requiem for a Dream” will want to own Director Michael Cummins’ dark, psychological drama centering the downward spiral of drug abuse and despair among a troubled circle of friends on the seedy urban streets of Canada. Ryan Reynolds (“The Nines,” “Van Wilder”), Barry Pepper (“Flags of Our Father” “The Green Mile”), award-winning actress Helen Shaver (“The Color of Money,” “The L Word”), Rene Auberjonois (“Boston Lega,l” “Star Trek”) star in “We All Fall Down” along with Darcy Belsher and Martin Cummins. The film tells the story of doomed souls consumed in a destructive lifestyle of drug abuse, violent behaviors and toxic routines, which form their only escape from painful realities and despair. The film was the official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival and Vancouver International Film Festival and received critical acclaim for the cast’s strong performances.

The film was heralded by the Austin Chronicle as “…gorgeous, richly affecting film” and FilmThreat.com raved about Darcy Belsher’s performance with, “Belsher emerges as the most compelling reason to separate this film from its contemporaries.

In one of his early feature film roles, Ryan Reynolds plays the strung-out drug dealer “Red Shoes,” who keeps everyone high, while Helen Shaver plays “Sherry,” the troubled prostitute who sells her body to pay for her toxic habits. Shaver garnered a Genie Award for “Best Supporting Actress” in the film. Writer/Director Cummins also stars in the film as “Kris,” the self-destructive artist who is completely consumed by his addition to crack and heroin. Michael (Darcy Belsher) is a struggling actor whose drug abuse intensifies after the recent passing of his mother and who can’t quite get a grip on his life. As Michael turns to his best friend, Kris, the two continue their ruthless path of drugs, prostitutes and violence. Everyone’s deadly routines eventually catch up with them producing uncanny consequences. Bonus features include “The Making of We All Fall Down” and the original theatrical trailer.

For more information about the DVD distributed by Koch Entertainment and presented by Somerville House/Critical Mass, please visit www.somervillehouse.org.

Planet B-Boy

By Rick Garner

If you’re hooked on “Dancing With the Stars” and “America’s Best Dance Crew,” you’re going to be blown away by “Planet B-Boy,” the film that uncovers the underground, international world of B-boying ~ the urban dance more commonly known as “break dancing.” Filled with compelling characters and vibrant dance sequences, “Planet B-Boy” weaves amongst the vivid backdrops of Osaka, Japan, Paris, France, Seoul, Korea, and Las Vegas, Nevada, telling the intimate stories of dancers who struggle for their dreams despite being misunderstood by a good portion of society ~ including their own families.

Hailed as “Thrilling…Packed with illuminating details and striking personalities” by The New York Times and “Entertaining, Insightful…. Exuberant!” by The Denver Post, “Planet B-Boy” features electrifying dance performances punctuated by astonishing displays of power and grace, showing how a street dance from New York has evolved into an inspiring art form for a new generation around the world. From an American dancer in Vegas looking for his big break to a Korean son seeking his father’s approval to a twelve-year-old boy in France confronting his family’s racism, these b-boys’ lives intersect in Germany where their skills are put to the ultimate test: the “Battle of the Year” finals, with crews from 18 nations vying for the title of World Champion.

“Planet B-Boy” was an Official Selection at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Tribeca 789 Film Festival Beijing, Edinburgh Film Festival, Deauville Festival, and The IDFA Film Festival. It received wide critical acclaim, including, from The Washington Post, “Makes a spirited and persuasive case for break dancing, not only as an art form of strength, beauty, discipline and instinct, but as a means of transcending caste and culture,” and from The Los Angeles Times, “Planet B-Boy shows that breaking is alive and thrillingly well all over the globe…compelling back stories…jaw-dropping dance sequences.”

Special extra features on the DVD include behind-the-scenes footage from the Premiere at The Tribeca Film Festival in addition to interviews with Director Benson Lee.

For more information please visit artsallianceamerica.com.