The unofficial but sincere
Maria Bamford Fan Site Newsletter
Issue #5 / July 2003

Hello Bamford Fans!
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In this issue:
++ New Digs for the MBFS Office
++ Review: "Stella's Search For Sanity"
++ We Want More Maria!

News:
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New Digs!

If this issue seems a bit sparse, I've been a tad busy lately. Not only is my website business doing well, but Cynthia and I are moving our residence and office to a new location.

And what a location! No more stinky well water. Central air conditioning. Only minutes from the supermarket. And they're building a huge Walmart right across the street. Truly nirvana

But most important... I'll have a nicer office from which to run the Maria Bamford Fan Website. I'm sure you'll see the improvements in future editions.

Yeah, right. :-)

Review:
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Stella's Search for Sanity
A film by Peter J. Alessandria and Solange Castro Belcher
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Reviewed by Eugene Barnes

OK, I am not a professional movie reviewer, nor do I play one on television. My motives for viewing this movie are highly suspect. I bought it because Maria Bamford has a major role and I wanted to see her performance. Hey, can you blame me

" Stella's Search for Sanity" is a low budget independent production shot (I assume) on digital video. Solange Castro Belcher plays the role of Stella, a woman searching for the perfect therapist.

Stella self-narrates through the film, introducing us to her current therapist, Lynn (played by Maria Bamford), her two previous therapists, her boss, her acting teacher (played by ex-Monkee Peter Tork), and a few friends and family along the way.

Stella is the ultimate space cadet. She glides through the film oblivious to most of her surroundings, often causing unintentional mishaps to others. She aspires to be an actor "as long as I don't have to rehearse or memorize lines." And she temps at a firm whose name she doesn't remember, answers the phone as if it were an object beamed down from a UFO, and otherwise drifts mentally into another dimension.

OK, she's a loser. But she does have one strong ambition: to find the perfect therapist. Her first therapist is a domineering woman who is fond of repeating "affirmations" as a means of building self-esteem. Her second therapist is a man who reads sexual innuendos in the most innocent of body language. And then there is Lynn.

Lynn spends most of Stella's hourly sessions talking about her own life instead of listening to Stella. When Stella suggests that Lynn maybe shouldn't talk so much about her life and instead discuss Stella's problems, Lynn is dumbfounded. When Stella suggests that she cut her sessions to every other week for financial reasons, Lynn tenses and snaps "But that isn't the way I work! I see people once a week. That is how I work!".

Stella's therapists are just as screwed up as she is. And when Stella boldly suggests this idea to Lynn, you get the impression that maybe Stella's true calling is to be a therapist herself

So, let's get to the important points. Is Maria's performance good? Is the movie worth buying and watching?

Maria is very good. She is much more than a stand up comedian. She has the gift of playing a character just exaggerated enough to produce a humorous caricature, yet stays grounded in believability. And Maria fans, take note -- she speaks in "normal" voice throughout her performance. Is that high childlike speech she uses on and off stage really her normal voice? To me it doesn't matter. Either way, it shows just how well she can get into her role and stay there. Seeing Maria in this brief film just makes me want to see more of her. Are you listening, Hollywood?

So what about the rest of the film? Should you jump on the website and buy a copy?
Here I must be honest. If you watch "Stella's Search for Sanity" expecting a hilarious half-hour of comedy, you will probably be disappointed. This is more of an early draft than a finished product. There is a lot of potential here as well as some truly hilarious lines. Unfortunately the humor is hindered by awkward timing, uneven acting, and a slow-paced editing style

But don't write off "Stella" entirely... not yet. There is much potential to this unpolished gem. If you don't believe me, go to the "Stella" website and read Stella's blogs. They are wonderful!
I can picture "Stella" turning into one of those comedy series that gets picked up by HBO and wins endless critical praise and little gold statues. It just needs a little more time and work. Just like Stella herself.

If you are a die-hard Maria Bamford fan like me, you might want to buy a copy of "Stella" because 1) new Maria Bamford performances are hard to come by, and 2) this little film could become a collector's item someday.

But if you don't buy the DVD or VHS version of the film, do go to the website and read Stella's blogs. Therein lie the seeds of what could turn into a wonderful comedy masterpiece

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Stella's Search for Sanity
Produced by Peter J. Alessandria and Solange Castro Belcher
Directed and Edited by Peter J. Alessandria
Written by Solange Castro Belcher
Starring Solange Castro Belcher, Maria Bamford, Jim Coughlin, Constance Haft, Joe Keys, Mary Keefe O'Brian, and Peter Tork

DVD/VHS -- Running Time 35:50 -- Copyright 2003
Available exclusively at http://www.searchforsanity.com.

Am I the only one who needs another Maria fix?
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Tell me I'm crazy, but there just doesn't seem to be enough Maria Bamford performances out there. What do you think we can do about it?

Send me your ideas.. practical, crazy, whatever... and let's see if we can come up with a campaign to grab Hollywood's attention and and help make Maria the superstar she deserves to be!

Until later...
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Gotta pack some boxes and wire up the computer network at my new place.
Hey, if you should be struck by inspiration and want to write something for this newsletter that is Maria related, do let me know!

More later,
Eugene

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