Today at Tribeca.... Sam, Ted Bundy, Blind Melon, Chelsea Manning and Rewind, one of the most important films

Breaking the typical coverage with a quick report on the events today. The reason I'm going away from the norm is that I'm not going to be doing full reviews of three films and as for the fourth, you need to know about it now before I do the full review.

The troublemakers- Sam and Steve

First off I ran into my good friend Sam Juliano. Sam writes for Wonders In The Dark. We've been friends for years, having met through our love of Tribeca. While we email all year long we tend to only meet up at the fest and today was the day we met.  Standing outside the Village East we chatted for the about 40 minutes and only stopped talking because we had movies to go to.

Sam, thank you for one of the great moments of the fest.

EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE (2019)
Zac Efron gives a stunning performance as Ted Bundy in the Netflix film told from the perspective of Bundy's long time girlfriend. Playing more like a Hallmark Channel docudrama about a woman who picks a bad boyfriend. While not bad, its not much of anything other than Efron's performance.

ALL I CAN SAY
Excellent portrait of Shannon Hoon the former lead singer of Blind Melon who video taped his the last few years of his life. Its a bittersweet portrait of man who got everything he wanted and then lost it. I really liked it. Nate Hood's review (which is here) says everything that needs to be said.

XY CHELSEA
Portrait of Chelsea Manning after her release from prison.  We follow Manning over the last two years as she comes to terms with her freedom, protests and runs for senate. A rambling film that was brought up to date with the arrest of Julian Assange in England, it's a film I'm not certain I like. More to the point I no longer know what I feel about Manning. I can't explain why just yet, but the film left me uncertain what I am supposed to think. The sad thing is I am so ambivalent about it all I don't really care enough to work it out.

REWIND
I will be writing a full review but right now you need to see Sasha Joseph Neulinger’s look at the sexual abuse he and his sister suffered at the hand or relatives. I shattering experience it provides hope for victims by revealing that they are not alone and that there is help and a way out of the blackness they feel. Probably the most important film at Tribeca, it is highly recommended. (A review will be coming in the next week)