Do right-wingers (meaning conservatives, libertarians and anyone who would not be caught dead wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt) have a sense of humor? You might not think so, if your main sources of news have been John Stewart and Lena Dunham piped into your safe space on a politically correct campus. I have, however, seen right-wing humor in the wild, often at previous iterations of the Anthem Film Festival, and I have laughed and survived.
I caught up with the creator of web series “Quirky Female Protagonist” at this year’s LA Film Festival. She shared her secrets with me.
There seems to be a new meme in indie film: scary ladies. “Danger: Crazy Lady Ahead” award goes to a pair of films shown at the Dances With Films Festival.
The new dramedy “Don’t Think Twice” begins as if it’s a documentary on how to do improv. Then the members of the fictional improv group, The Commune, violate all the rules in their improv dire results, in their personal lives.
‘Creedmoria’, a film by first-time writer/director Alicia Slimmer, made its SoCal premier at the Dances With Films Festival. It chronicles the efforts of sweet-sixteen Candy Cahill, played by Stef Dawson, to come of age in one of the most dysfunctional families in movie history. As I watched the film, I hoped, for Slimmer’s sake, that this movie wasn’t too autobiographical. It turns out that it was.
‘Before the shooting, people were asking me all the time in which studio I would be filming, assuming that most of the film would be shot in front of green screens. The reality is very different. Out of the 30 days of shooting, we shot only one day in a green screen studio.
The LA Film Festival ‘Opening Night’ world premiere was Screenwriting 101 in 90 minutes. Filmmakers did everything right in this film, which stars Topher Grace as a failed Broadway star.
In Hollywood parlance, a “period piece” is a script or film that takes place in the past. ‘Girl Flu’, a film written and directed by Dorie Barton, gave a new meaning to that phrase. It’s a film about firsts. Without a doubt, it is the only film you’ll ever call charming, funny and heartwarming that has menstruation as its focus.
When you become aware of a car crash on the side of the road, you don’t want to look, but you do and then you can’t turn away from the horror you are seeing. That’s how I began to feel as I became immersed in the world of High-Rise. Not a perfect film, but seductive, beautiful, and an intriguing social allegory.
John Cryer, of ‘Two and a Half Men,’ served as Television Luncheon Master of Ceremonies for this year’s National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, April 18 in Las Vegas. Cryer joked his way through the ceremony, which honored Producer Chuck Lorre and actress/singer Keke Palmer. Palmer received the TV Chairman’s Award which recognizes achievements in one or more specific disciplines in television. Chuck Lorre, creator/writer of some of TV’s most memorable sitcoms since the 1980s, was inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
South by Southwest (SXSW), the annual music, movie, and technology conference that dominates life in Austin each spring, should be on everyone’s bucket list. Cutting-edge film, music, and technology can be enjoyed there, and there are ways to bring home the experience.
A film must have strong characters to be remembered. I will remember ‘The Waiting’ for a long time, not only because of its characters, but because of how well they were used to explore human depravity,
Mr. Robot stars Rami Malek and Christian Slater joined series creator Sam Esmail at SXSW film panel “Coding on Camera: MR. ROBOT and Authenticity on TV.” SXSW was the site of the show’s premiere last year. This year, participants in the Golden Globe Award-winning series came back to celebrate and discuss the show’s success.
At this year’s South by Southwest film festival Seth Rogen debuted, as a work-in-progress, his new animated feature ‘Sausage Party.’ It is the first foray into the “R-rated world” for an animated feature. If you have no problems with watching food have sex, it’s really funny.
J.J. Abrams joined SXSW attendees and writer/director Don Coscarelli for the debut of Phantasm – Remastered at the Stateside Theatre in Austin. The debut was part of the SXSW Midnighters series which is billed as “Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.”
‘The Bandit’ documents the story behind the making of ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ and of the relationship of star Burt Reynolds and his close friend, stunt double, and creative force behind the film, Hal Needham.
The bad boy son of a West Texas preacher, returns to his hometown to become its preacher and to keep a promise to his father. His past and a variety of bad things, including a mysterious cosmic force, an ex-girlfriend, and a psychopathic vampire complicate this for him.
Sometimes, when a movie plays at SXSW, it’s not just a screening, it’s a celebration. Last year, that was true about ‘The Breakfast Club.’ This year, the celebration was for the opening night premiere of Richard Linklater’s ‘Everybody Wants Some.’
‘The Trust’, starring Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood, is a crime drama which combines the world of ‘CSI: Las Vegas’ with the violence and dark humor of a Quentin Tarantino film. Pretty good for beginners
If you’ve never heard of SXSW (pronounced South by South West), you might not believe it. During eleven days in March, Austin, Texas, will welcome 85,000 people, host 5,000 speakers, showcase over 150 bands, offer 1,500 educational and networking sessions, and screen over 200 films (not counting music videos) more than 450 times. And, Mr.Robot will be there.