Today's Don't Miss: “Leslie, My Name is Evil”

Poor Perry. The first time he locks eyes on lovely Leslie, he is smitten. And the longer he is around her, the stronger his longing becomes. Too bad he's engaged to someone else–and sitting in a juror's box as Leslie Van Houten and two other young ladies stand trial alongside Charlie Manson for the Tate/La Bianca murders.
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And so we have the proverbial rub of Leslie, My Name is Evil, a
goofy-ass Canadian import from writer-director Reginald Harkema. Uptight
conservative spawn Perry (Gregory Smith, who was Ephram Brown on Everwood)
and damaged free-spirit Leslie (Kristen Hager, who is Sophie Gracen on
MTV's Valemont) each embody the two Americas that emerged from
the Eisenhower era and collided head on amid Vietnam, the rise of L.S.D.
and the Kennedy and King assassinations. As the pair flirt with one
another with their eyes, Perry pulls away from his intended (Kristin
Adams), the domination of his Nixon-loving father (Peter Keleghan, whose
Jim Walcott was the dimmest anchorman north of Ted Baxter on The
Newsroom) and his fellow “square” jurors. Will Perry save his crush
from the gas chamber? Leslie, My Name is Evil is full of nods to
Mansonisms, America's blood lust and over-the-top symbolism that will
likely offend half this country and amuse everyone else. I found it hilarious, and, if nothing
else, it gives a strong indication of how we are viewed from the Great
White North. A special shout-oot (that's “out” in Canadian) to whoever designed the sets. Like an earlier
festival film from Canada, Machotaildrop, someone very cleverly
made the most of out very little.     

Also
recommended and playing today at NBFF: Alamar; Living It
Forever; Lost
Prophets–Search for the Collective; See You in September; A Shine
of Rainbows; So Right So Smart.

The
long list (today's entries that sound promising): Accidental
Icon: The Real Gidget Story; Air Doll; Bran Nue Dae; Case 219; 8:
The Mormon Proposition; L'Affaire Farewell; Private Eye; Sophie's
Revenge.

Theaters:
Regency Lido Theatre, 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach; Regency
South Coast Village Theatre, 1561 W. Sunflower Ave.,
Santa Ana; The Studio at Sage Hill
School, 20402 Newport Coast Dr., Newport Beach.
Visit newportbeachfilmfest.com
for times, theaters and ticket information.