“Dixie Dynamite”

(Not Rated.)

Mimi Gentry, my fellow Times-Georgian columnist, makes her screenwriting debut in this intriguing animated yarn. The independent film made its worldwide debut at London’s Portobello Film Festival, where it earned a nomination for Best Animation. It is currently being shopped for theatrical distribution, so a release date hasn’t been scheduled yet.

Director and co-writer Bob Clark’s two-dimensional foreground/three-dimensional background style takes some getting used to (it’s kind of like watching a feature-length Flash animation), but once your eyes adjust you realize that the discombobulated visuals are a perfect match for the hilariously oddball story.

At the forefront of “Dixie Dynamite” is Dirk, an Asian drifter who shows up in Westabooga, Ala., searching for his long-lost father. He stands out a bit since it’s 1979, but not as much as you’d think since Westabooga is a curious amalgamation of small-town Southern life and the residents’ idea of what Far East culture is like. Though he doesn’t plan on staying long, Dirk is strangely drawn to several townspeople, including Dewey Sr., the narcoleptic sheriff, and Rose, a waitress and single mom who immediately steals his heart.

Of course, that doesn’t sit too well with Dewey Jr., father to Rose’s kid and owner of the local dojo. As his name would suggest, he’s also the son of the sheriff, which allows him to get away with a good bit of mischief. As tensions escalate, Dirk is framed for a crime and Dewey Jr. gains control of the town. If things are ever going to be right again, those who usually sit back and do nothing must take a stand.

Gentry describes the story as “a classic kung fu myth, redneck style.” That’s about the best description I can think of. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously — instead, it’s content to provide the maximum amount of laughs and bizarre scenarios possible in 90 minutes. The score, which fuses Japanese music with Southern rock, supplies an even greater “what the heck?!” feeling to the proceedings. That includes one of the coolest versions of “Free Bird” I’ve ever heard. It drags a bit in the last third, but “Dixie Dynamite” is still worth seeing thanks to the distinctive world created by Gentry and Clark, along with a truly slam-bang finale.

Grade: B



“Let the Right One In”

(Rated R for some bloody violence including disturbing images, brief nudity and language.)

Except for the occasional “Catching Up on the Classics” column, I typically try to stick to reviewing new releases. Sometimes, though, I’ll stumble across a recent movie I missed that I just have to write about. That happened to me last weekend with “Let the Right One In,” a Swedish vampire flick that has been available on DVD since March. I’d heard great things about the unsettling coming-of-age tale, but I never got around to watching it. I figured Halloween would be the perfect time to rectify that. I was right.

Directed by Tomas Alfredson, the film mostly focuses on Oskar (Kare Hedebrant), a quiet, socially awkward 12-year-old whose inability to stick up for himself leads to daily taunts from school bullies. That changes when he befriends Eli (Lina Leandersson), an androgynous child who just moved into the next apartment and only seems to come out at night. Bet you can’t guess why.

There’s more to the plot, but the less you know about it going in the better. There are some interesting twists and several scenes of shocking gore that come out of nowhere. For those who aren’t big horror movie fans, screenwriter John Ajvide Lindqvist (who adapted his own novel) has you covered. The film also works as an interesting and accurate — except for the whole vampire thing — meditation on how hellish adolescence can be for the unpopular.

I loved this film for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the softly brilliant performances from Hedebrant and Leandersson. However, what I appreciated most is that it works as the anti-“Twilight.” Lindqvist understands the vampire mythos and plays by the rules. Eli doesn’t drink animal blood to avoid harming humans, go to school or play baseball (though he is pretty handy with a Rubik’s Cube). Sunlight certainly doesn’t make Eli sparkle.

The big Americanized remake is scheduled for next year but try to check out the original before it gets here. I’m sure it will ramp up the scares while minimizing all the character-driven aspects that make this version more than just another horror movie. You should also see it before “New Moon” opens later this month, to see just how much vampires have evolved throughout recent pop culture.

Grade: A-