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.’
SXSW: ‘The Trust’ with Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood
‘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
SXSW: Film, Computers, Music and Mr. Robot – Be There or Be Here
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.
Adobe Does ‘Deadpool’ : And Remember Kids, Try This at Home
Deadpool is not your father’s superhero movie, or, because of its R-rating, your kid’s either. Director Tim Miller was true to the comic book character, who has been rude-man-out in the Marvel Universe for 25 years. Miller was obviously going for shock and edginess and he succeeded. But one thing not obvious is how this tale was put together. Traditionally, major movies have been assembled on big, dedicated editing hardware and software costing as much as a Prius. Although Deadpool couldn’t have been put together on your father’s PC, it probably could on your kid’s.
‘Forsaken’ – Kiefer and Donald Sutherland Co-star in Weighty Western
Forsaken stars Kiefer and Donald Sutherland as father and son in a new Western drama. That’s the hook, but there is way more to this western than anyone would expect, although the director, writer and impressive supporting cast should give you a hint that this is an exceptional film. The story, on the surface, seems deceptively simple and one any fan of westerns has seen a dozen times. The railroad is coming and a corrupt business man is using a bunch of thugs to force farmers to sell their land to him. But to leave the description there would be like saying High Noon was about a town’s law enforcement human resources problems.
‘Chimes at Midnight,’ Orson Welles’ Best Work, Available for First Time in Decades
I inherited a respect for Orson Welles and a love for his work from an uncle who came of age in the 1940s when Orson Welles was one of radio and cinema’s best known actor/directors. When ‘Chimes at Midnight’ came out, I was busy coming of age and rioting at UCLA. I heard about the film and that Welles considered it his best work, but I missed it. Then, like the mysterious Mr. Welles himself, it disappeared for decades. Now, it’s back.
‘Room’ – Mothers, Children, and Abduction with Brie Larson, Joan Allen, and William H. Macy
‘Room’ will both scare you and make you cry. It is the best movie I’ve seen this year. It is two movies in one. The first movie is a tense thriller about an abducted teenager, locked in a 10 by 10 sound-proof garden shed as a sex slave for seven years. She finally has an idea of how to escape with her five year old child. The second movie is a psychological study of the effects of abduction, rape, and social and sensory deprivation on its direct and indirect victims. Both stories will grab you.
‘Rififi’ – Film-noir Heist Flick All Filmmakers and Everyone Else Should Watch
(Originally published on Blogcritics.org) The 1955 film Rififi should be seen and studied by every screenwriter and filmmaker. It is a near-perfect example of a heist flick, and a master class in how to structure a story Hollywood style. Ironically, the movie was created by filmmaker Jules Dassin, a man exiled from Hollywood. The film has been remastered […]
‘Six Gun Savior’ – Eric Roberts Brings the Sexy Back to Cowboy Boots
Westerns haven’t been sexy to Hollywood producers for a long time, but a plucky group of filmmakers is trying to change that. And they got Eric Roberts to play the devil with “Six Gun Savior.”
Anthem FilmFest: Top 10 Libertarian Films Rock with Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman
“When I grow up, I want to be Dr. Manhattan,” was one of the responses Anthem Film Festival organizer Jo Ann Skousen received during the “Top 10 Films Every Libertarian Should Know” panel. Sometimes you get more than you ask for. After the audience joined the panel in suggesting films, well, there were a lot more than 10.
Anthem FilmFest: ‘Searching for Eddie Running Wolf’
Searching for Eddie Running Wolf, a feature length documentary by director Thomas Hartmann, defies easy classification.
Anthem Film Fest: County Charges Farmer $15,000 for Hosting a Birthday Party
Eight little girls at a birthday party on their neighbor’s farm; what could be more innocent than that?
Anthem FilmFest: Putting People Back Together
At the Anthem Film Festival, part of the libertarian FreedomFest conference July 8-11, 2015, at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, I was discussing films with a young woman who commented, “I like documentaries, but so many of them are so depressing. I want to see positive stories.” She was in the right place.
Anthem Film Fest: Help Me, Obi Penn Jillette – You’re My Only Hope
Producer Ted Balaker said, “There has always been outrage, but now with technology, we can supercharge outrage.”
Anthem FilmFest: Plato, Revolting, and Mendocino – All in a Cave
Ancient Greek philosopher Plato put in a couple of appearances at the Anthem Film Festival in Las Vegas, July 8-11. Two of the short films showed influence, if not direct inspiration, by Plato’s tale of the cave, written 2,500 years ago. The films, ‘The Cage’ and ‘Helio’ both deserve praise for supporting the human quest for freedom and individualism. Cinematically, ‘Helio’ was a winner and ‘The Cage’ was not.
Interview: Jo Ann Skousen, Anthem Film Festival Founder
Chatting with Jo Ann Skousen, founder of the Anthem Film Festival, a venue for filmmakers who care about individuality and libertarian ideals
LA Film Fest: Two Scary Ladies – Sophie Lowe and Beth Riesgraf Turn Clichés on Their Heads
Women are typically the victims in action and horror films, but two films at the Los Angeles Film Festival flipped these genre clichés on their heads.
LA Film Fest: ‘Seoul Searching’ – an Homage to John Hughes and the 1980s
The LA Film Festival chose to make ‘Seoul Searching’ one of its Gala Presentations. After the red carpet arrivals, the film was introduced by its director-screenwriter Benson Lee, and had its LA debut in Regal Cinemas’ Premier House. The entire event and the film itself gave that evening at the festival an old-time Hollywood feel. ‘Seoul Searching’ takes viewers on a nostalgia trip. Its theme, its style and its presentation are all retro in a good way. Prior to the screening, the audience did a stadium-style wave for the director. That’s getting into the 80s!
LA Film Fest: Talking to Morgan Spurlock about Ice Cream
Morgan Spurlock made a name for himself eating burgers. His film ‘Supersize Me’ was an indictment of the fast food industry. Now he’s moved on to ice cream, and Häagen-Dazs in particular, but, not to convince you not to eat it. Spurlock’s new film ‘Crafted’ debuted at the Los Angeles Film Fest, June 10-18. ‘Crafted’ aims to take us into the mindset of modern craftsmen who choose quality and personal involvement over mass production.
LA Film Fest: Dude, It’s a Dude-omongus Fest
Two films at the Los Angeles Film Festival, June 10-18, explored the Dude weltanschauung to bring us all closer to a profound understanding of the essence of dudeness. (Dude, that was heavy.) ‘Flock of Dudes’ looks at what happens when you put off becoming your father for too long. ‘Dude Bro Party Massacre III’ suggests that maybe dudeness could be a topic for satire.