REVIEWS:
“An extremely sexy, vivacious and
arousing movie.”
- Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film
- Arizona International Film Festival
- Where the Long Tail Ends
ANECDOTES
“YOU’VE GOT A THING, SHE’S GOT A THING, EVERYBODY’S GOT A THING.
YOU JUST HAVE TO APPRECIATE IT”- Marta
What is… Marta’s Sex Tape?
All Artists eventually have to expose themselves. They can’t hide their photographs in the logic of labeled carton boxes, they can’t mask their canvases with fearful white sheets or covet their writing in private little drawers. Art is about “not being afraid” of letting the world see you as you are. Otherwise – what is it that you’re doing in this very short life? So when you do finally stand there, naked in front of everyone, well… you better love yourself or at least feel very comfortable with what you are saying. It’s that security that allows Artists not to worry what others might think, because in the end Artists are the ones that create, reflect, express and make people wonder in amazement. This is what Marta’s Sex Tape is all about – Director Anthony Rivero Stabley
Marta’s Mom & Dad
There’s a moment in MST where Marta (Pilar Padilla) gets concerned that her parents will become ashamed of her for making this film. When we shot the original project in Mexico City, we were missing the scene where her Mom and Dad get interviewed. Fortunately, I ran across Emilia Carbajal who was working as a housekeeper at my hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was eccentric and old world and pretty much perfect. It was a little off-beat, but I asked her if she would be interested in being part of my movie. Well, she was quite thrilled with the offer. She also thought that I was joking, but I wasn’t and the next thing you know there is a little candid mini-shoot happening at her house with her husband. As it turned out – this footage stayed firm. It’s all shot in Spanish with subtitles and it was one of the most genuine and sweet moments in my movie. It was a great life experience for me.
Who is Movidas?
Antonio “Movidas” Flores is the film’s constant observer with his peculiar square-framed glasses, charming open grin and insightful comments about Marta. But how did he get here? Well, I first met “Movidas” many years back when I was Art Directing a picture at Churubusco Studios in Mexico City. “Movidas” was a security guard at the stage there and he had this funny Jerry Lewis like quality about him. The word “Movidas” means sort of like wheeler-dealer in Mexico and this nickname fit Antonio Flores perfectly. He was always selling anything from pencils to lottery tickets or making all sorts of little plans on the side. He really didn’t believe me when I said I would put him in a film, but I did. It just took a little longer than planned.
Bad Lit Review – Anthony Rivero Stabley
Here’s a re-posting of the Marta’s Sex Tape Review by Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film:
Movie Reviews
Marta’s Sex Tape by Mike Everleth – Sept. 2, 2008
Going into Marta’s Sex Tape, my biggest fear was that it wasn’t going to be sexy enough. This wasn’t a bias against the film’s director, Anthony Rivero Stabley, who prior to watching this film I knew nothing about. It was more a general sense of dread of getting ripped off. With the blatant title and premise of the movie — a female artist decides to make a porno to pay off a big debt — I just assumed that the final project couldn’t possibly live up to its promise. I figured all the sex would take place under the sheets or just off-screen and that I’d be subject to a bunch of people sitting around talking sexy talk, but not indulging in any sexy action. All tease and no payoff.
But now having seen Marta’s Sex Tape, I can safely say that it is very sexy. No, scratch that. It is an extremely sexy, vivacious and arousing movie.
Stabley has pulled off an interesting trick here. Marta’s Sex Tape is a big, bold and splashy film with the plot shot at us at a breakneck pace. Marta (Pilar Padilla) is an abysmal Mexican painter who owes $10,000 to the mysterious Arturo (Federico Teran) that he loaned her for art school. Happening upon a porno movie while desperately trying to figure out her situation, Marta comes up with the idea to make her own sex tape to raise the money. Marta’s best friend Inez (Sol Gallardo) is both horrified and helpful. After a disastrous meeting with a porn producer, Marta decides to go the amateur route and begins auditioning men to be her co-stars.
Most of the action of the film takes place in Marta’s apartment, so to keep the film moving along quickly, Stabley employs a number of visual tricks. Scenes alternate between being intensely colored, black-and-white and bathed in different hues. Sometimes the action is speeded up, other times slowed down. Plot points and characters are introduced via title cards. And any number of random shots of Marta’s partially-nude body are tossed in.
The film is also populated with colorful characters. In addition to the bouncy Inez, there’s Marta’s “biggest supporter” with his oversized glasses, missing teeth and overanxious glint of excitement at viewing Marta’s final project. There’s also co-star candidate the Blue Charro who swears he only makes love while wearing his giant sombrero. (That we never see that realized is the film’s only down point.) Marta’s stuffy parents even make an appearance to offer their support for their daughter. Oh, and there’s the guy dressed as a giant banana.
But here’s Stabley’s “trick” that I mentioned earlier: Despite the film being filled with visual trickery and over-the-top characters, he totally manages to keep the film grounded in an emotional reality. Marta, as played by Padilla, is a very strong character whose plight is palpable and presented sincerely. Her decision to make a sex tape isn’t an easy one and we are along with her during all the ups and downs that producing such a product would actually entail. When she speaks boldly of her plans, we know she is all bluster on the outside and scared little girl on the inside, so when she later struggles about following through with making love to anonymous men, her fears and anxieties feel all too real.
The ending of the film, without giving anything away, was very satisfying. Stabley also pulls off a climax that’s at once an “of course that’s what Marta would do” forehead-slapping moment, but one that catches you off guard at the same time.
Stabley is promoting Marta’s Sex Tape as a “Pop Art comedy” and the film is what all great Pop Art should be: Flashy on the surface, but with a deep significance hidden beneath the glitz.
An addendum: If you purchase the film directly from the filmmaker, the DVD comes with an additional two shorts by Stabley. This Is Not a Film is in the vein of Marta’s Sex Tape in which two actors are interviewed on their thoughts of becoming actors, their relationship to each other and whether or not they’ll “perform” on camera. Then, the eponymous Movidas stars as the “biggest supporter” in Marta’s Sex Tape, who is an interesting character. He’s a security guard Stabley met while working on another movie and here he mostly just waxes poetic on his love of women’s feet and how him and a foot would make a thrillingly erotic film. These are two fun little shorts and a nice little bonus on the disc.
Marta’s Sex Tape
Winner – Spirit Award (Minneapolis Underground Film Festival)
Winner – Best Foreign Film (Miami Underground Film Festival)
Official Selection – Arizona International Film Festival, Cinekink (NYC),
Flyway Film Festival, Video Inferno (Holland), Sexy Intl. Film Festival (Australia)
Marta’s Sex Tape – Lavender Magazine
Here’s a copy of Lavender Magazine’s write-up on Marta’s Sex Tape prior to the 2008 Minneapolis Underground Film Festival screening:
MUFF 2008
Aug. 29-31
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
2501 Stevens Ave. S., Mpls.
www.minneapolisundergroundfilmfestival.com
Greg Yolen, curator of the 2008 Minneapolis Underground Film Festival:
“Marta’s Sex Tape, a film about self-exposure, was shot in Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and Mexico City. It uses broad strokes of blue, purple, pink, black, white, and gold to enhance its pop-art concept. It was the winner of Best Foreign Film at the Miami Underground Film Festival. Director Anthony Rivero Stabley will speak after the screening.”
Latin Lounge TV
Interview with Anthony R. Stabley (Designer & Filmmaker) known best as the Art Director of “Stigmata”, “White Oleander” and Todd Hayne’s “Safe”. In 2001, using the pen name Antonio Rivero he began making short films in Mexico City with fellow artists Mariana Kahlo & Marco Niro. As a result, we now have the Pop Art Comedy “Marta’s Sex Tape” and the Award Winning Series “Electronica”
Q1: What is Marta’s Sex Tape about?
I think that all Artists eventually have to expose themselves to the outside world and well, as you can imagine, there’s a lot fear that’s attached to that process. So understanding this creative journey and feeling good about oneself is the essence of “Marta’s Sex Tape”. It’s also, honestly, a rather comical reflection of all the self doubts & concerns that I had during the editing.
Q2: What was the inspiration behind the film?
This all sort of happened during the time that I was shooting some short films down in Mexico City with Mariana Kahlo & Marco Niro. I was experimenting with this concept that Cinema & Love both share this amazing, yet rather intangible “Make Believe” quality. So for me, “Marta’s Sex Tape” was a thematic continuation of that blurred celluloid world.
Q3: For those not familiar how would you define pop art comedy?
I call this a Pop Art Comedy for many reasons. Firs off, it’s a very funny film and second, the main character (Marta) is a struggling artist, so the idea was to make this all very painterly by using a restrictive color palette like one you might see in a Pop Art canvas. We used broad strokes of blue, purple, pink, black, white and golden tones to tell our story. Marta’s Sex Tape is also very Pop Culture because making a “sex” tape is so ridiculously prevalent in these absurd, cyber loving days.
Q4: How was shooting on location? Did you find all talent locally?
Marta’s Sex Tape was made over a course of four plus years. The principle photography took place in Mexico City, using English and Spanish speaking actors. Pilar Padilla (Marta) had recently finished “Bread & Roses” for Director Ken Loach and we were really lucky to get her. There was also this big mix of non-actor talent, just funny, interesting people. Marta’s parents were shot in Albuquerque (New Mexico) while I was working on another project. Emilia Carbajal (Marta’s Mom) was a housekeeper at a hotel when I met her and I have to say that she is one of the best, most genuine parts of the movie. We also shot some portions in L.A. – so it was quite a collage in a filmmaking sense.
Q5: What were the biggest challenges directing this film?
Marta’s Sex Tape had to be an art film because of the work I do as a Production Designer and because the main character was an Artist, So creating a language for the film that was genuine, fresh and more importantly, that made sense was my biggest task. I also had to learn how to edit on my own, I had to keep adding and taking away bits and honestly, having the film to myself and not quitting was my biggest undertaking. We also had some last minute music issues and that was a big hurdle. Luckily, my wonderful Music Supervisor (Claudia Andrade) came in and saved the day.
Q6: Have you participated before in Miami Undeground Film Festival? Where else would you like to take the film?
This will be my first time at the Miami Underground Film Festival and I am really looking forward to it. Last year, this Festival showcased another Bolivian born Filmmaker (Rodrigo Bellot) and that made me really happy. As for future screenings – I think any well-organized Festival that embraces Art & Latin Cinema would be perfect for us. I am sure we will also put together screenings in L.A. and Mexico City as a gesture to all the generous people that helped us out.
Q7: What are the prospects for Distribution?
I think we will do well with getting the film out. The landscape has changed tremendously in the last year or so. We can now combine self-distribution, while using various websites as platforms for broader markets. So far the clips playing on the web have attracted considerable attention, because people are really curious. Marta’s Sex Tape is foremost a Comedy, but it also has so many crazy aspects to it’s personality. It’s a real strong original piece and people are gravitating to it. Please visit… MartaSexTape.com, Amazon.com and Filmbaby.com – the DVD will be available at these sites and more.
Q8: What is next for Super Grande Films?
We did really well with our Web-Series pilot “Electronica” last year. It screened at Cannes (Short Film Corner). It received Nominations and Awards at the HDFEST & the IPOD Film Festival. So we feel we are on the right track with this project. We are quite happy with this.
We can’t wait to host the “Electronica” series on LatinLounge.tv. – Mitch
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