Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!

To celebrate the Winter season and to acknowledge how much the economy is affecting us all, Natural Life Therapy Clinic is extending a 10% discount for all treatments provided during December and January. In addition, we are waiving the "initial fee" for all new patients during December and January. New patients will be charged our regular fee, less 10% and we will extend an additional 10% to whoever refers a new patient during these two months.

Holiday Hours

We will be seeing patients Wednesday, December 9th and Saturday December 12th and 19th.

Dr. Duckworth will be seeing patients on Wednesday December 23rd and will not be in the office from Thursday December 24th through Friday, January 1, 2010.

Dr. Hackler will not be in the office from Wednesday December 23rd through Monday, December 28th. He will see patients on Tuesday the 29th and Wednesday the 30th.

Call to schedule an appointment, 314-991-6035.

With Gratitude,
Thomas Duckworth DKM, L.Ac.
Jason Hackler L.Ac.
Mallory Shocklee
Sharon Reed

SLIFF DAY 11

It''s the last final hurdle in the cinematic marathon that is the 18th Anual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival

Simply put today is beast. There are lots of great films being screend including 3 heavy hitters screening at the same time.

Today will be a day of sellouts so come early!

The Headless Woman

A highly touted indie film from Argentina about a car accident disrupts the life of a wealthy dentist. 

Argentina is where it's at right now with world cinema and this film is proof as to why they seem to be making so many great films. Co-produced by Pedro Almodavar. 1:00 pm Hi-Pointe

Jolene

This film is basted on a Doctorow short story. it's the story of a woman who spends a decade crossing the USA. Her striking beauty doesn't make this any easier. Director Dan Ireland will be in attendance. 3:00 pm Hi-Pointe

Bollywood Beats

This is a love story set to Indian dance starring St. Louis native Pooja Kumar. A down on his luck dancer starts his own dance class. It also is a vivd portrait of the Indian cultural experience in America. 3:30pm Tivoli

Burma VJ

One of the best documentaries in this years festival, Burma VJ covers the unsettling events of September 2007, when an uprising by Buddhist Monks protesting the Military Regime of burma was brutally suppressed. A complete news blackout ensued.   Undercover video journalists provided the West's only information on what was going on there. This is their story. 6:00pm Frontenac

Me & Orson Welles

A serious Oscar buzz surrounds this film about Orson Welles and an eager upstart looking for a part in Julius Caeser. Zac Efron plays the kid with great exuberance and Christian McKay has been getting great reviews for his portrayal of Welles. 6:30pm Tivoli

The Young Victoria

Emily Blunt stars as England's longest reigning monarch. Before she was old and wrinkly she was a young girl who just took the throne. This costume drama explores Queen Victoria's early years as monarch and features a star studded supporting cast.  6:00pm Hi-Pointe 

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

A lot of attention has been given to the 40th anniversary of Monty Python this year. However Python alum Terry Gilliam has resurfaced with a new film. Parnassus features Heath Ledger's last role with Johnny Depp and Jude Law in the wings. This offbeat fantasy stars Christopher Plummer  as Dr. Parnassus and Tom Waits as The Devil.  5:30pm Tivol

SLIFF again featured lines and sellouts on Friday night.  Marcello Marcello sold out at Frontenac and 35 Shots of Rum benefitted with a heavier bounce in audience numbers. Meanwhile the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Panel packed the Tivoli.

Saturday brings some great docs to the plate. These are all heavy hitters so advanced tickets are recommended

Operation Babylift

over 2,500 Vietnamese orphans left Vietnam with the departing US. This documentary explores their lives in the US as well as those of the volunteers who got them out. 

5:00pm Tivoli

Convention

STL native AJ Schnack made a name for himself with Kurt Cobain About A Son. His follow up examines the goings on of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. Schnack enlisted the help of other doc filmmakers to get the full story from people on the ground in Denver and inside the Convention Hall.  7:15pm Tivoli

2:22

This is a terrific caper film. A group of thieves rob a boutique hotel only to become the hunted of a vengeful thug. In case you wondered where Val Kilmer was hiding, he's right here! 9:30pm Frontenac

Desdemona: A Love Story

Juan Guzman (2:22) also has a second feature screening today.  This one is about two Mexican street hustlers who kidnap the wife of a wealthy man. When the woman's identity is revealed

things begin to unravel. 5:30pm Tivoli

Three Monkeys

This Turkish film packed Plaza Frontenac last night. 2:30pm Frontenac

35 Shots of Rum

Acclaimed director Claire Denis puts her own take on Ozo's Late Spring with this film about a father desperately trying to connect with a daughter eager to get out on her own. It takes a bit to get going but is a completely engrossing cinema experience. Alex Decas is terrific here.

9:30pm Frontenac

There is a lot going on today at the the St. Louis International Film Festival so check out their schedule to get a grasp of everything.  

At this point if you haven't sen a film at the festival,  get going!

As we go into the home stretch there is a lot of excitement!

Tonight is the premiere of two film from some guy named Thomas Crone.

Old Dog New Trick/Spirit of St. Louis

Two nifty documentaries in one program!  One about Pavlov's Dog frontman Steve Scorfina &  one about Danny Liston of Mama's Pride. After the show they will perform at The Duck Room. 7pm Tivoli

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Cinema Titanic Panel

The MST 3000 people roll into town with a preview of their concert at The Family Arena. You can ask them almost anything in this entertaining Q&A.  9:30pm Tivoli

Marcello Marcello

A slapstick comedy set in the 1950s delivers laughs and love. it got a nice reception when it played last night.  Director Denis Rabaglia has shot a gorgeous looking film with a lot of heart. there also is some superb acting in it as well. As Marcello  sets out to woo an island's most beautiful maiden hwe findsa out it's not as easy as it appears. 7:15pm Frontenac

Three Monkeys

It's been a great Fest for Noir and this film continues the run. An award winner at Cannes, Three Monkeys is film noir Turkish style with greed, glory and deceit galore. The cinematography is amazing! 9:15pm Frontenac

Each year at the Festival I am amazed at the wanderers who come to the Tivoli or Frontenac having never seen an independent film or even worse have not been to a non metroplex cinema. It strikes me as odd.

Anyway, I am glad so many have chosen to come to SLIFF. I also am glad that no one is giving any of the volunteers or staff a rough time.

The SLIFF volunteer force has done a great job of handling lines and crowds this year. I also like how the Lobby crowd noise from films letting out has been diminished. This means those in the other theaters aren't interrupted by lots of extranious noise.

As we begin the long crawl into the final weekend I strongly urge people to get advance tickets!

Documentaries are heavy on the programming tonight.

We Live In Public
This documentrary looks at how the internet has impacted society. Since I liked 'Dig!' a lot (also directed by Ondi Timoner) I have hopes for this film. 7pm Tivoli

Say My Name
The world of female hip-hop emcees is tougher than many people think. Finally they get their props. MC Lyte, Monie Love and Erykah Badu are some of the artists featured here. 9pm Tivoli

Documentary Shorts-Sports
A collection of sports themed short films is featured. Zip Rzeppa not included. 5pm Tivoli

Shorts Program5-Dramatic Shorts
Seven short films laced with drama are featured. 9:15pm Frontenac

Hooked
Romania is quickly becoming a player in forgeing cinema. This is one of 2 films from Romania represented this year. A couple having an affair runs over a prostitute only to have her presence threaten their relationship. 7:15pm Tivoli

Day 7 of The 18th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival brought another group of terrific films.

Snow repeated at The Tivoli.

A great Romanian film, First of All, Felicia screened as well.

The German sidebar was capably represented by Jerichow.

It's great to see the venues active and busy with eager film buffs. Especially since the schedule this year is so solid that selecting films has been oftentimes painful since there is so much to see.

You would think the rain would keep people away but in relative terms it didn't as evening shows did very well tonight.

Bosnian Sidebar

SLIFF is featuring two features and a short from Bosnia. 

Snow was a powerful film about how war affects towns both physically and emotionally

 Aida Begic is a filmmaker who will be heard fomr again. This film was vivid and poignant.

Grbavica

A single mother struggles to survive in a district of Sarajevo. Grueling and oftentimes painful the film ideally portrayed the scars of war.

Other terrific films screened as well.

London River

Another film that impressed viewers was London River. Set just after the London bombings in 2005 this film about an African man and a farming woman come together to look for their missing children. A powerful film about prejudice and assumptions. This is a well acted and tense film.

What A Wonderful World

Part of the Global Lens series this Moroccan thriller delivers in action, drama and just enough humor to entice audiences. A serial killer and a cop fall in love in Casablanca with dire results.

There still is a lot of left to go as we approach the half way mark. what is exciting is the energy has never relented and audiences seem interested in coming out to see movies.