| An article in Sync Magazine on host Levi Agee
Film fiend Growing up without movies, Levi Agee is now addicted to the local cinema scene. Tuesday, September 1, 2009
“[They] were a way for me to laugh at Jim Carrey when I was 13,” he said, recalling how there was no nearby video store when he was a kid. The closest thing to it was a gas station where you might find a copy of thrillers like Rookie of Year on the discount shelf. “I had no concept of what good film was until I started working at a Blockbuster.” It was an eye-opening experience for the then 18-year-old. Over the course of about two weeks, Agee spent every waking hour watching every good indie flick he could get his hands on, using the Internet to research everything he could about them or making regular library visits to get books on legendary filmmakers like John Ford. “It was nonstop, like a smack addict,” he said. But even with his newfound interest — an interest that has subsequently fueled him professionally to be part of the 48 Hour Film Festival for three years, to enter the Ozark Heritage Film Festival and to enter and work with the Little Rock Film Festival — Agee’s course was not set. He was adrift after high school. “I never really thought of having a career,” said Agee, a self described creative type with “impulsive“ tendencies. “I went to Pulaski Tech for two years. I thought I wanted to be a computer guy working in network administration. Then my art teacher talked me out of it after reading something I wrote, a creative writing assignment…. It changed my whole life.” From that assignment he began working on screenplays in his spare time. He decided eventually to enroll in the undergraduate film program at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway with “no idea what it was like to be in film school.” The first few weeks, spent mostly doing reading and bookwork, were “uninvolving,” but once he did his first film, which he shot in 18 hours straight, he was hooked. “I remember saying to my wife I wanted to do this forever. It’s like a drug,” Agee said. Completing his degree, Agee started the graduate program as well, but put it on hold when a professional opportunity opened up as a video editor at Stone Ward’s in-house production company 360 Filmworks. It’s a job that uses his film skills, even if creativity has to be dictated by clients’ wishes. Edgy doesn’t always work for everybody. But that’s not to say Agee is idle. He’s made around 15 films, “five short films I’m proud of, 10 I’m not as proud of.” They range from a homage to screen favorite Charlie Chaplain exploring the madness of newlywed life to a personal story about his older brother’s suicide attempt, which happened when he was 8. “That was really hard initially,” said Agee. “I had to close that [emotional] part of me off to approach it objectively. I didn’t want to present it as this woe is me story, but literally as this is what happened to my brother.” Admiring films like those of Wes Anderson, Agee said he wants to produce work that above all has a powerful story and is “realistic but humanly strange” or “a blend of very down to earth poignancy but at the same time very funny and fantastical.” Of course, there’s still love in his heart for the absurd, hence a recent project to show screenings of a movie titled The Room at 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of each month at Market Street Cinema. Discovered online in YouTube clips, Agee bought the film and “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. You can’t stop looking at it, but at the same time, it’s very repulsive.” Acknowledged by cult following as “the best worst movie ever made,” the film is like a modern Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which audience members are encouraged to interact, heckling or even throwing plastic spoons at the screen. Less aggressive but still engaging is another project of Agee’s, launching a radio show to talk about movies, which kicked off last weekend and airs every Sunday at 8 p.m. on KABF 88.3. Having run the blog for LRFF this year, and done behind the scenes videos and interviews, Agee has a grounding for the show, but admits no experience in radio. Still, he says, “I rant a lot, which is perfect for radio” and “I love interaction,” so he’ll welcome call-ins and entertain almost any discussion to be had. And that’s something he sees as a later career goal — encouraging the discussion of film, especially locally since the days of having to live in Los Angeles or New York to be involved in film are over. To do that, he envisions one day teaching things like writing screenplays or making storyboards, and maybe opening up a whole new world for someone who has never made it further than the discount rack at the local gas station. “I’d love to be involved in film in any way possible, but my main aspiration is to teach younger kids about film,” he said. “I wanna be a part of something bigger I guess…. I think that would benefit the world a lot more than [being] just some kid who wants to watch art films.” THIRD DEGREE If we went out on a typical Saturday night, where would we be most likely to find you? Easy: Market Street Cinema enjoying the latest hipster art-house flick. Then coming home to watch reality TV with my wife. Name one movie you’d pay to see every time no matter how many times you watched it. Tough one. Either Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket or The Room which I do pay $5 for every month! If you could have any super power, what would it be? The ability to answer obligatory polling with ease. Kidding, I always loved the shape-shifters who can turn into anyone or anything they wanted. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? "A day without laughter is a day wasted." — Charlie Chaplin. Although he did not specifically give it to me, I'd like to think he did. If you could take a two-week vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go? Iceland |
