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Catalog / Cantankerous Titles & Obscure Ephemera, Vol 1 DVD

Cantankerous Titles & Obscure Ephemera, Vol 1 DVD 94 minutes + 22 bonus minutes, DVD (5 oz) $12.99 $10.00

A new DVD collection of short documentaries by Joe Biel about bikes, trains, dogs, patches, and the board game RISK.

"Martinis in the Bike Lane" (11 min) is a documentary short about the history of the decorated and unique bike lane markings in Portland, OR. Why does that one have a golf club or a book? Without giving too much away, it's an exciting issue that has been pondered by many and explained by few. See a fun and adventurous marking that Joe got to design. "Best Documentary Short" in the Mid-Valley Film Festival!

“Last Train out of North America” (19 min) discusses the lack of priority and funding towards passenger rail service in North America. Interviews with passengers, employees, and train obsessives tell the story of the rails being sold to cargo train companies, why the government fired David Gunn, & how each year appears to the be the last.

“Central Kansas - Canvas Central” (11 min) is a mockumentary about the obsessive nature of people with patches as a kind of media. For years we’ve tabled at bookfairs and sold primarily patches to young, excited individuals who ignored our reading material. I set out to get the inside story from this interesting set.

“Of Dice and Men” (39 min) chronicles players of the board game RISK and their obsessive behaviors. The game affects their personalities, turning anarchists and relaxed folks into conniving, manipulative, and calculated imperialists. Parallels to the patterns and habits of the US are drawn, showing how these situations, in the real world or a game, reveal human nature.

"Cowboy Hat & A Cane" (11 min) is a documentary short about America's most loved dog - Coda Bowles and her relationship with her people. Move over Lassie, this dumpster diver grew up on the mean streets of Portland after probably spending some time on a puppy farm, and was found roaming a dangerous intersection! The video focuses on Coda's history as much as it can be traced and then moves onto her daily habits and behaviors now. A fun movie for dog owners and lovers everywhere!

Contact us if you are interested in setting up screenings in your town!

ISBN 978-0-9788665-0-1

 
The main thing that comes across whilst watching Joe Biel's selection of short documentaries is that you can find inspiration pretty much anywhere - grab a camera, go for a wander and chances are you'll come across something worth pointing a camera at. Charming, entertaining and visually interesting, Biel's films have an enjoyably unjaded and inquisitive tone that brings his subjects of choice to life. Worth checking out. Subba-Cultcha
I have made no secret of my love of the indie movie world, and this DVD sums it up. It does not take the GNP of a small third world nation to make a movie. All you need is a camera and an idea. Often, the solution is to produce what is known as ‘A short’, a movie that may last 5 to 10 minutes. A movie that is just a ‘quick bite’ rather than a 7 course meal that quite frankly just leaves you bloated and yet unsatisfied. Film maker Joe Biel is from the classic indie mold. In some ways he reminds me of Bill Brown, the voice over, or talk-umentary styles are very similar. Cantankerous Titles & Obscure Ephemera, Vol 1 consists of six ’shorts’. And each one is different. From Bike lanes in Oregon, to the problems facing the passenger railroad industry, Joe Biel takes them on. As my wife Jan would say “I ain’t scared!” Last Train Out Of North America explores the word of the passenger train, and a wonderful experience it is. Traveling should be part of the experience, not just the vehicle to the destination. Todays world though is one of ‘high speed, and high anxiety’. The train alas has become a second class citizen. For passengers this mode of transport may already be an extinct animal. Patches, they are not just for fixing rips in your clothes, Joe tells us. They are a way of life. Central Kansas - Canvas Central is a humorous mockumentary about peoples obsession with patches. As one interviewee explains “they are the Coles Notes to a person”. People that just ‘go out and do it’ are my kind of film makers, and that is what you will find if you watch this great DVD. Way to go Joe! Simon Barrett, Blogger News
The winners here are Martinis In The Bike Lane, covering unusual bike lanes in Portland, Oregon with strange markings that offer amusing anecdotes, and Last Train Out Of North America is a surprisingly good piece about the U.S. train system and how it is purposely being undermined by the government so superhighways can be built endlessly for polluting gasoline vehicles instead of modernizing the system like so many other countries have to save money, resources and make oil & auto interests rich. Add the use of archival footage and it is good enough alone to justify picking up the whole disc. Fulvue Drive-in
This DVD of short documentaries by Joe Biel was probably the best thing that’s come in the mail for me this month. I mean that; I don’t even get a lot of bills! Maybe, as someone who enjoys interviewing people, I am a bit biased, but I really enjoy the subjects Biel presents, as well as the way personal commentary figures in, yet is not contrived. Among them, Martinis In The Bike Lane is probably the highlight of the collection: a short about the improvisational graphics in Portland’s “bike only” lanes, and the crew who made them. Of Dice and Men explores the competitive world of the board game RISK among anarchists and college students who would normally consider themselves rational, anti-imperialist and non-competitive. The interviews - with women about their interactions with family members and men who seem to change faces when playing the game might be of interest to those exploring. Also noteworthy is the tongue-in-cheek Central Kansas: Canvas Central, about patches as media and the punk relationship with them. It’s really worth checking out, especially for fans of Christy C. Road or Aaron Cometbus. Janine Oski, Feminist Review
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