Liz’s Review: ‘The Little Death’ delivers some sexy education.

The Little Death posterSex comedies are all the rage these days. Films like The Overnight and Sleeping With Other People, two of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival favorites will be coming your way in July and September respectively. Until then, The Little Death will fill the void, pun potentially intended. There are also lots of MILFs on the adult dating sites so you can easily find a MILF near you for casual sex and have all of the kinky fun you ever wanted.Paul and Maeve The Little Death stillFive couples living in suburban Sydney have very different but fascinating sexual desires, that included yolo sex toys to improve pleasure. Ans, yes, while the film seemingly centers around the topic of sex, The Little Death is actually about intimacy. The couples are as follows: Paul and Maeve- One with a suggested fear of commitment and the other with a rape fantasy while doing livecam sex chat. Phil and Maureen- Phil is a submissive man who is only aroused when his cold hearted wife is asleep. Dan and Evie- marriage therapist suggests role play might help, until Dan’s priorities take a turn. Richard and Rowena- Trying to conceive, sex becomes more about purpose and less about pleasure. Finally, Monica and Sam- She is a deaf video play interpreter and Sam is her customer. Each of these characters wants something from their  partner. Getting it comes with some truly hilarious and oftentimes heartbreaking consequences. Get the best dildos from bboutique, here you get the best variety of sex toys for women.Evie still The Little DeathThe script is brilliantly written and directed by Josh Lawson, who also beautifully portrays Paul. The structure is presented in form of a sexual manual and is entirely funny and informative. It allows the audience to open their own dialogue about deep seeded personal issues, both sexual and emotional, tackling such things as self loathing, fetishes, relationship shifts, and manipulation. Even if the particular kinks aren’t something you’ve experienced, the film is relatable in some way on every level. It’s a perfect balance of heartwarming and laugh out loud hysterical. With a superb ensemble cast, a fun soundtrack, and excellent writing, The Little Death should most definitely be on your list this weekend. The winner of the Audience Award at this year’s SXSW, you can count on a little something for everyone. Monica still The Little DeathI must take a moment to acknowledge what I think is the most beautiful and revelatory story in the entire film. The unique final scene between Monica and Sam, is some of the best dialogue I’ve seen in some time. 50% of which is in sign language, it allows us to  completely break down the barriers of communication in a very literal sense. Every moment between actors Erin James and T.J.Powers is perfection. It’s the perfect ending to an already out of this world indie gem. Even if the rest of the film weren’t as fantastic as it is, this scene alone brings laughter and happiness to your head and your heart. Most definitely seek this film out. You cannot go wrong.

The Little Death comes to theaters and VOD Friday, June 26th.

SYNOPSIS: The secret lives of five suburban couples living in Sydney reveal both the fetishes and the repercussions that come with sharing them.

Country: Australia

Language: English

Release Date: 26 June 2015 (USA)

Filming Locations: Sydney, Australia

The most hilarious comedy of the summer ‘Sleeping With Other People’ finally releases a trailer!

Sleeping With Other People_Press_1 TribecaI loved this movie at Tribeca, as is documented in many places. I laughed so much it hurt. This is not a romantic comedy. It makes no apologies, it’s a sex comedy. I gushed about it often.

Can two serial cheaters get a second chance at love? After a one-night stand in college, New Yorkers Lainey (Alison Brie) and Jake (Jason Sudeikis) meet by chance twelve years later and discover they each have the same problem: because of their monogamy-challenged ways, neither can maintain a relationship. Determined to stay friends despite their mutual attraction, they make a pact to keep it platonic, a deal that proves easier said than done. Fresh, funny, and full of witty insights about modern love, this hilariously heartfelt film “is the rare rom-com that reminds us why we love them so much in the first place” (Time Out New York). Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, Natasha Lyonne, and Jason Mantzoukas co-star.

STARRING: Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Jason Mantzoukas, Katherine Waterson, Adam Brody, Amanda Peet, Marc Blucas, and Andrea Savage

RELEASE DATE: September 11, 2015

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: Leslye Headland

PRODUCED BY: Sidney Kimmel, Jessica Elbaum, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell

DISTRIBUTOR: IFC Films

Check out more: www.sleepingwithotherpeoplefilm.com

 

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios Find Their “SPIDER-MAN” Star and Director

who-do-you-really-think-should-play-spider-manSony Pictures and Marvel Studios are proud to announce that after a full worldwide casting search, Tom Holland will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the next Spider-Man film, in theaters in IMAX and 3D on July 28, 2017.  The film will be directed by Jon Watts, director of Cop Car, the upcoming thriller that made its debut earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.

Marvel and Sony Pictures, and producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal conducted an extensive search for both the actor and the director.  The studios and producers were impressed by Holland’s performances in The Impossible, “Wolf Hall,” and the upcoming In the Heart of the Sea, and by a series of complex screen tests.  Following Marvel’s tradition of working with the brightest next wave of directors, Watts also went through multiple meetings with Feige, Pascal, and the studio, before winning the job.

Commenting on the announcement, Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group Chairman, “It’s a big day here at Sony. Kevin, Amy and their teams have done an incredible job.  The Marvel process is very thorough, and that’s why their results are so outstanding.  I’m confident Spider-Man will be no exception.  I’ve worked with a number of up-and-coming directors who have gone on to be superstars and believe that Jon is just such an outstanding talent.  For Spidey himself, we saw many terrific young actors, but Tom’s screen tests were special.   All in all, we are off to a roaring start.”

Feige commented, “As with James Gunn, Joss Whedon, and the Russo brothers, we love finding new and exciting voices to bring these characters to life.  We spent a lot of time with Jon and find his take and work inspiring.”

Pascal added, “Sony, Marvel, Kevin and I all knew that for Peter Parker, we had to find a vibrant, talented young actor capable of embodying one of the most well-known characters in the world.  With Tom, we’ve found the perfect actor to bring Spider-Man’s story into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”

Sony Pictures will finance and release worldwide the next installment of the $4 billion Spider-Man franchise on July 28, 2017, in a film co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the Web-Slinger.

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

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Find out what movie made Adam Scott want to be an actor & other fun trivia from ‘The Overnight’ sneak preview and Q&A at Lincoln Center

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Film Society moderator, Judith Godrèche, Producer Naomi Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Adam Scott, Writer/Director Patrick Brice

Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, have recently moved to Los Angeles’ Eastside from Seattle. Feeling lost in a new city, they are desperate to find their first new friends. After a chance meeting with Kurt at the neighborhood park, they gladly agree to join family pizza night at the home. But as it gets later and the kids go to bed, the family “playdate” becomes increasingly more revealing and bizarre as the couples begin to open up.

The Overnight posterThe Overnight was one of the first movies I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival this year and it started off my viewing with a bang. The spirit of an indie and the laughs of a blockbuster, this comedy takes you on an unexpected journey of non-stop hilarity.

I attended the sneak preview of the film with a Q&A that followed with Writer/Director Patrick Brice, Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Producer Naomi Scott and Judith Godrèche. Here are some of the highlights:

  • Judith GodrècheJason Schwartzman hadn’t met prior to the first day on set
  • It was shot mostly at night in 12 days with no rehearsing in basically chronological order
  • Writer/Director Patrick Brice at one point deleted a 70 page draft and had to retype from memory.
  • Production Designer Theresa Guleserian drew all Kurt’s paintings in one day
  • Almost exclusively lit with practical light
  • Movie that made Adam Scott want to be an actor – Raiders of the Lost Ark  “That’s what I want to do.” Later, he makes note that the first audience that made an impression was War Games. “It was so exciting in the theater.”
  • Jason Schwartzman never really thought of himself as an actor because he thought actors were in big movies and were like Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was more into music. “Cable always played the weirdest movies.” Dog Day Afternoon made him want to get into acting.
  • Patrick Brice also has a completely different type of movie, the horror, Creep, coming to VOD June 23rd and to Netflix July 14th.

My impressions of the Q&A:

  • Jason Schwartzman is just as adorable as you would imagine he is.
  • Adam Scott has an amazing voice that carries well and commands attention but is actually very soothing.
  • Judith Godrèche is incredibly sweet and must have been a pleasure to work with.
  • Patrick Brice will give us many more thought-provoking movies in the future.

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Liz’s Review: Get raunchy with ‘BALLS OUT’

Balls Out posterYou never know what you’re gonna see at Tribeca Film Festival. One out of left field film from last year was BALLS OUT. Wrong sports metaphor in this case since this particular movie revolves around an intramural college flag football league. Starring a rag tag team of hilarious and talented people like Jake Lacy, Kate McKinnon, Nikki Reed, Beck Bennett, Jay Pharoah and many, many more, Balls Out pulls no punches when it comes to the A-typical sports genre movie. Balls out cast stillCaleb (Jake Lacy) is a fifth year senior with law school on the brain and an overbearing and hilariously high-on-life girlfriend (Kate McKinnon). Suddenly finding himself faced with having his future mapped out for him, he begins to reminisce about his freshman year and his flag football team’s- The Panthers- epic win over a douchebag rival team the Titans. Haunted by the how the first game ended with the paralysis of his best friend, Caleb struggles to commit to what makes him truly happy. Balls Out is an unapologetic underdog story, that’s frankly funny as hell. Every single sports cliche you can think of is admittedly thrown in your face. Training montages, two stoner fans acting as the league’s “official announcers”, hidden personal agendas, each Panther member being just slightly too weird for reality, and a rival captain so damn ridiculous you love to hate him. All this is admitted in the actual dialogue. The film never takes itself seriously at any moment, which is what makes it so great. I was not expecting to like this film at all, and it ended up being my favorite comedy of the fest last year.Kate KcKinnon Balls Out stillSo let’s talk performances in Balls Out. Jake Lacy is, for lack of a better phrase, relatively straight laced, in comparison to the rest of the cast. Nikki Reed does an excellent job playing the girl who comes into Caleb’s life just when he needs it most. This was a nice departure for Reed coming off the Twilight series and a great follow up to her quirky performance in last year’s Murder of a Cat. She is cool and fun. Kate McKinnon steals every scene she is in. Since she joined SNL, I have been touting her as the new Amy Poehler. One wide-eyed look from this gal is comedy gold. Newly minted Panther head coach is played by Nick Kocher. Wher has this kis been all my life? He easily flips from just amusing to sidesplitting comedy with the ease of someone twice his age. How is he not in everything right now? Team him up with Chris Pratt, like yesterday. I want over saturation of Kocher immediately. Jay Pharoah and D.C. Pierson‘s narration as the sideline peanut gallery makes the game sequences what they are. Balls Out Beck StillNow, let’s get real  for a moment. Hands down, once again,the star of this film is Beck Bennett. I have been a fan ever since his national AT&T campaign. Believing he is vastly under utilized on SNL, I have been privileged to see his outstanding movie roles thus far. His last film, Beside Still Waters (a MUST see), was on the opposite end spectrum on his testosterone driven revenge obsession in Balls Out. Like McKinnon, each frame he appears in he completely owns. I don’t know how anyone kept a straight face having to be in a scene with him. It makes me wonder how much of his dialogue is improvised. I would imagine the DVD blooper reel with feature him heavily. Cheers to Beck for bring this film over the goal line.

BALLS OUT arrives theatrically and on VOD June 19th.

Genre: Comedy
TRT: 100 min
Camera: RED Epic
Language: English

Rated: R for crude and sexual material, language and some drug use

SYNOPSIS: With graduation, marriage, and an uncertain future on the horizon, fifth year college senior Caleb Fuller (Jake Lacy) decides to do the one thing he vowed to never do again: get the ol’ flag football team back together. Now with the help of his Panther teammates and unorthodox head coach Grant Rosenfalis (Nick Kocher), Caleb must defy all odds and logic if he ever hopes to achieve the intramural football glory he once had. Set in the highly popular world of college intramural sports, BALLS OUT is the epic sports movie for the guys who don’t deserve one.

Liz’s Review: ‘Gabriel’ haunts us with an undeniable truth

Gabriel_PosterMany of us deal with anxiety on a daily basis. Some of us have sleep disorders. Others battle with being OCD. Mental illness tends to be a taboo subject. It’s something we usually hear about when it comes to the increasing number of mass shootings in this country. Why do we avoid the issue until something goes wrong?Gabriel_DinerIn Lou Howe’s writing and directorial debut, he brings us the story of GABRIEL. Played flawlessly by Rory Culkin, Gabriel is a young man struggling with a form of mental illness. On his way back home from some sort of facility, he stops to check up on an old girlfriend in her dorm room, only to find that she has gone home for the holiday. All this happens while avoiding calls from his worried family members. The rise in his agitation both emotionally and physically is a real punch in the gut for audience members. I think we all had a sigh of relief when she wasn’t available. Finally meeting up with his family, Gabriel is not deterred in his path to find her. He disappears on a bus and makes his way into NYC to track her down. During his journey we are witness to the quiet moments in this young man’s life. These seem to be the most disturbing and painful for both Gabriel and viewer alike.Gabriel_Meredith_SmallHowe has created a fully fleshed family dynamic without spelling out everything in the script. He treats each character with honest care. It is quite an impressive feat for this first time writer/director. There is actually pretty little dialogue, but what there is, is very astute. Rory’s performance is like watching a masterclass in character study. His focus and mannerisms are perfection. Not to mention that in person, his humility gives you pause. He is quiet in person but eloquent and clearly very bright.I was fortunate enough to attend a round table with Writer/Director Lou Howe and Rory. Here are some of their thoughts on the film.

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Lou Howe & Rory Culkin- Tribeca 2014 Roundtables. Photo by Liz Whittemore

Lou Howe & Rory Culkin- Tribeca 2014 Roundtables. Photo by Liz Whittemore

Normally in Hollywood when we deal with mental illness everything turns out alright in the end. For example, Silver Linings Playbook. This is the extreme opposite. So what was your motivation in telling this story?

Lou: I think I just wanted to be as truthful as possible. I likeSilver Linings Playbook. I like positive movies but I don’t find them to be as honest about life as I hope to make my movies. I wanted to stay true to Gabe and his experience and try to make it as authentic as possible.

 And if the character based on anyone specific?

Lou: No, not really. The original idea to create a character came from the experience of seeing a close friend get diagnosed with mental illness. The character is purely fictional.

 Rory, you are constantly on all the time, everything take. Were you and everybody onset thinking, “I just need a break for 5 seconds?”

Lou: I think were so in it we are just running the race, like Rory said, it took a minute after we wrapped to realize how intense the whole process had been. But at least for me, when you’re in it, you try to focus on the next step.

Can I ask about the body language in the film?

Rory: When we went and spoke with people and did those sort of things, there was one young man that really stuck out to me. He said he couldn’t entirely trust his own hands so they always had to stay within his line of sight and so the point of the hands in my face was to make sure they’re behaving.

 Was there any specific research you did maybe speaking to doctors or speaking to patients affected with mental illness?

Lou: My own friend was sort of the start of it. There were two organizations here in New York that were very helpful with research; the Child Mind Institute read early draft of the script and helped me make sure that this felt accurate and true. And another place called fountain house which is a community center for people struggling with mental illness. I visited several times and took Rory there as well just to meet people struggling with mental illness and hear their stories directly.

Rory: For me it was almost entirely hearing about hearing firsthand accounts and their perspective. Learning from the outside, the medical aspects and all that, is great as a foundation, but as soon as we start shooting I just sort of throw that all that all the window because as Gabriel, your diagnosis is bullshit. he doesn’t buy into any of that so I sort of had to not think from the outside.

Lou: I was sort of trying to maintain that, too. Rory would be out there with the rest of the cast thinking about it from their point of view. First person memoirs for Rory or talking to people with illnesses and for the actors playing the family members in the film, having them talk to people in their position.

Rory, was the character hard to shake off at the end of the day?

Rory: Yeah, I thought I left him behind once we got done. But when I got home I was like kind of fragile and really sensitive and I didn’t realize it. But it took a while to shake it off. When I came home, my friends said that my face had aged years. It’s weird, you know, at the screening last night, it brought me right back and I was afraid I was going to, as soon as it ended, get emotional. It’s almost embarrassing, getting emotional watching myself. It’s almost like I’m praising myself but really I’m back there. It’s not easy.

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GABRIEL will leave you thinking about this intense story. You will want to know what happens long after the screen blacks out. It is certainly a wonderful conversation starter, and that one that we need to address more often. Bring family members to see this film. It will give you a safe place to start talking to one another, no matter what ails you, inside or out.

Gabriel is in theaters June 19th.

Writer/Director: Lou Howe Starring: Rory Culkin, David Call, Deirdre O’Connell, Emily Meade, Louisa Krause, Lynn Cohen, Alexia Rasmussen Runtime: 88 min

 

See the funniest movie of the summer – ‘The Overnight’ at a sneak peek with Q&A at Lincoln Center this Wednesday

Taylor Schilling (Emily) in a scene from THE OVERNIGHT. Photograph by John Guleserian

Taylor Schilling (Emily) in a scene from THE OVERNIGHT.
Photograph by John Guleserian

Q&A with director Patrick Brice, actors Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godreche, and producer Naomi Scott

8pm – Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center, New York, NY – Buy tickets here

Seattle transplants Alex and Emily (Parks and Recreation’s Adam Scott and Orange Is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling) are settling into their new Los Angeles life with some difficulty (their young son makes friends more easily than they do). The two are overjoyed when outgoing fellow parent Kurt (Jason Schwartzman) invites them over for a dual playdate—one for the kids and one for the adults. Things take a turn for the bizarre when Kurt and his elegant French wife Charlotte (L’Auberge Espagnole’s Judith Godrèche) suggest putting the children to bed and continuing their couples date. The rare contemporary comedy that does not outstay its welcome, writer/director Patrick Brice’s second feature (after last year’s found-footage thriller Creep) capitalizes on Scott’s proven straight-man abilities and Schwartzman’s patented confidence, with art-house darling Godrèche more than holding her own amid seasoned comics. A The Orchard release.

Liz’s Review: Vengeance and Religion drive the fight in ‘REDEEMER’

Redeemer posterGuilt is a loud devil on your shoulder. The past can drive you mad or drive you to change… sometimes a little bit of both. In Ernesto Diaz Espinoza‘s new film REDEEMER, a man known only by this title is a mysterious figure, righting wrongs among his small Chilean community. Tortured by an unthinkable past that is slowly revealed as the film progresses, The Redeemer must conquer his own ghosts in order to battle the biggest evil he has ever known. Can he protect those left behind? redeemer 2Marko Zaror, martial arts action star extraordinaire, takes on the lead with ease and ownership. Not only is his acting pretty damn stellar, he is also the fight coordinator for the film’s vast array of sequences that are enhanced by key moments of slow motion. These sequences are extremely long and well shot. It was mostly refreshing to see an organic quality about the battles. They are interesting and definitely full of surprises. My favorite aspect would definitely be the use of graphic blood splatter. Reading like a first person shooter game, the blood use is colorful, impactful, and sometimes just over-the-top enough to make you cringe at the perfect moments. redeemer 1The dialogue is creative and comic relief comes in the form of our only English speaking character, drug lord Bradock, Noah Segan, who I recognized from Deadgirl, is so natural in his comedy it should be against the law.  He was actually my favorite part of the film. Segan has 8 projects this year alone, including Tales of Halloween with Lin Shaye (Insidious) and Booboo Stewart (The Twilight Saga), as well as The Mind’s Eye with Larry Fessenden (We Are Still Here). This guy is around for the long hall. Bottom line, if you liked Netflix’s Daredevil season 1, Redeemer will resonate with you. While it could be about 10-15 minutes tighter, due to the extended fight scenes, this film is definitely worth a shot.

Acclaimed Chilean director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mandrill, The ABCs of Death, Kiltro) teams up again with martial arts action star Marko Zaror (Undisputed III, Machete Kills) in the theatrical and VOD release of REDEEMER. The epic action film, which made its debut at the 2014 Fantastic Film Festival, hits theaters and VOD on June 12 from Dark Sky Films.

‘The Walk’ starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, directed by Robert Zemekis to open the New York Film Festival this September

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The Walk NYFF 53

The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today that Robert Zemeckis’s The Walk will make its World Premiere as the Opening Night selection of the upcoming 53rd New York Film Festival (September 25 – October 11), which will kick off at Alice Tully Hall. A true story, the film is based on Philippe Petit’s memoir To Reach the Clouds and stars Golden Globe nominee Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit, the French high-wire artist who achieved the feat of walking between the Twin Towers in 1974. The Walk will be the second 3D feature selected for the Opening Night Gala since Ang Lee’s Life of Pi in 2012 and also marks Zemeckis’s return to the Festival afterFlight, the 2012 Closing Night Gala selection. Today’s announcement coincides with the release of the film’s trailer, which can be viewed at movies.yahoo.com. The film will be released in 3D and IMAX 3D on October 2, 2015.

New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said: “The Walk is surprising in so many ways. First of all, it plays like a classic heist movie in the tradition of The Asphalt Jungle or Bob le flambeur—the planning, the rehearsing, the execution, the last-minute problems—but here it’s not money that’s stolen but access to the world’s tallest buildings. It’s also an astonishing re-creation of Lower Manhattan in the ’70s. And then, it becomes something quite rare, rich, mysterious… and throughout it all, you’re on the edge of your seat.”

Robert Zemeckis added: “I am extremely honored and grateful that our film has been selected to open the 53rd New York Film Festival. The Walk is a New York story, so I am delighted to be presenting the film to New York audiences first. My hope is that Festival audiences will be immersed in the spectacle, but also to be enraptured by the celebration of a passionate artist who helped give the wonderful towers a soul.”

Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group Chairman Tom Rothman said: “On behalf of TriStar and Sony, I want to thank Kent and the NYFF for this great honor. The Walk is a love letter to the Twin Towers, which through the unique magic of cinema, come back to vibrant, inspiring life. But it is also a universal story of the determined pursuit of impossible dreams, told by one of our greatest living filmmakers, and the NYFF has always been a place where such dreams come true.”

The film also stars Academy Award® winner Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz, Steve Valentine, Charlotte Le Bon, Clement Sibony, Caesar Domboy and Benedict Samuel. Directed by Zemeckis, the screenplay is by Robert Zemeckis & Christopher Browne, based on the book To Reach the Clouds by Philippe Petit, and produced by Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, and Jack Rapke.

The 17-day New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema, featuring top films from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. The selection committee, chaired by Jones, also includes Dennis Lim, FSLC Director of Programming; Marian Masone, FSLC Senior Programming Advisor; Gavin Smith, Editor-in-Chief, Film Comment; and Amy Taubin, Contributing Editor, Film Comment and Sight & Sound.

NYFF previously announced Luminous Intimacy: The Cinema of Nathaniel Dorsky and Jerome Hiler, the first-ever complete dual retrospective of the experimental filmmakers works that will include the world premiere of Dorsky’s Intimations, a new untitled work, and New York premieres of Summer, December, February, and Avraham.

Tickets for the 53rd New York Film Festival will go on sale in early September. Becoming a Film Society Member at the Film Buff Level or above provides early ticket access to festival screenings and events ahead of the general public, along with the exclusive member ticket discount! To find out how to become a Film Society member, visit filmlinc.com/membership.

For even more access, VIP Passes and Subscription Packages give buyers one of the earliest opportunities to purchase tickets and secure seats at some of the festival’s biggest events including Opening, Centerpiece and Closing nights. VIP passes also provide access to many exciting events including the invitation-only Opening Night party, “ An Evening With…” Dinner, Filmmaker Brunch, and VIP Lounge. Benefits vary based on the pass or package type purchased. VIP Passes and Subscription Packages will go on sale Tuesday, June 9.  For information about purchasing Subscription Packages and VIP Passes, go to filmlinc.com/NYFF.

New York Film Festival Opening Night Films

2014    Gone Girl (David Fincher, US)
2013    Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass, US)
2012    Life of Pi (Ang Lee, US)
2011    Carnage (Roman Polanski, France/Poland)
2010    The Social Network (David Fincher, US)
2009    Wild Grass (Alain Resnais, France)
2008    The Class (Laurent Cantet, France)
2007    The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, US)
2006    The Queen (Stephen Frears, UK)
2005    Good Night, and Good Luck. (George Clooney, US)
2004    Look At Me (Agnès Jaoui, France)
2003    Mystic River (Clint Eastwood, US)
2002    About Schmidt (Alexander Payne, US)
2001    Va Savoir (Jacques Rivette, France)
2000    Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, Denmark)
1999    All About My Mother (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain)
1998    Celebrity (Woody Allen, US)
1997    The Ice Storm (Ang Lee, US)
1996    Secrets & Lies (Mike Leigh, UK)
1995    Shanghai Triad (Zhang Yimou, China)
1994    Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, US)
1993    Short Cuts (Robert Altman, US)
1992    Olivier Olivier (Agnieszka Holland, France)
1991    The Double Life of Veronique (Krysztof Kieslowski, Poland/France)
1990    Miller’s Crossing (Joel Coen, US)
1989    Too Beautiful for You (Bertrand Blier, France)
1988    Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain)
1987    Dark Eyes (Nikita Mikhalkov, Soviet Union)
1986    Down by Law (Jim Jarmusch, US)
1985    Ran (Akira Kurosawa, Japan)
1984    Country (Richard Pearce, US)
1983    The Big Chill (Lawrence Kasdan, US)
1982    Veronika Voss (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany)
1981    Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson, UK)
1980    Melvin and Howard (Jonathan Demme, US)
1979    Luna (Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy/US)
1978    A Wedding (Robert Altman, US)
1977    One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (Agnès Varda, France)
1976    Small Change (François Truffaut, France)
1975    Conversation Piece (Luchino Visconti, Italy)
1974    Don’t Cry with Your Mouth Full (Pascal Thomas, France)
1973    Day for Night (François Truffaut, France)
1972    Chloe in the Afternoon (Eric Rohmer, France)
1971    The Debut (Gleb Panfilov, Soviet Union)
1970    The Wild Child (François Truffaut, France)
1969    Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (Paul Mazursky, US)
1968    Capricious Summer (Jiri Menzel, Czechoslovakia)
1967    The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, Italy/Algeria)
1966    Loves of a Blonde (Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia)
1965    Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard, France)
1964    Hamlet (Grigori Kozintsev, USSR)
1963    The Exterminating Angel (Luis Buñuel, Mexico)

ABOUT FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
Founded in 1969 to celebrate American and international cinema, the Film Society of Lincoln Center works to recognize established and emerging filmmakers, support important new work, and to enhance the awareness, accessibility, and understanding of the moving image. The Film Society produces the renowned New York Film Festival, a curated selection of the year’s most significant new film work, and presents or collaborates on other annual New York City festivals including Dance on Camera, Film Comment Selects, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, New York African Film Festival, New York Asian Film Festival, New York Jewish Film Festival, Open Roads: New Italian Cinema and Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. In addition to publishing the award-winningFilm Comment magazine, the Film Society recognizes an artist’s unique achievement in film with the prestigious Chaplin Award, whose 2015 recipient is Robert Redford. The Film Society’s state-of-the-art Walter Reade Theater and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, located at Lincoln Center, provide a home for year-round programs and the New York City film community.

The Film Society receives generous, year-round support from American Airlines, The New York Times, HBO, Stella Artois, The Kobal Collection, Variety, Trump International Hotel and Tower, RowNYC, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts. For more information, visitwww.filmlinc.com and follow @filmlinc on Twitter.

Support for the New York Film Festival is also generously provided by Jaeger-LeCoultre, Fiji Water, and WNET New York Public Media.

Melissa’s Review: ‘I Believe In Unicorns’ beautifully/terrifyingly captures the innocent foolish decisions of a teenage girl’s first love

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Davina (Natalia Dyer) is teetering between childhood and adulthood as she meets and falls in love with an older boy (Peter Vack). The two run away together, but her imaginative and free-spirited nature only goes so far before reality catches up.

I_Believe_in_Unicorns_publicity_still02This incredibly intimate story is writer/director Leah Meyerhoff’s first feature film and revolves around a “fictionalized version of her younger self.” Davina takes care of her mother (the director’s mother, Toni Meyeroff), and is artistic and imaginative. She has a best friend, Cassidy (Julia Garner, from the Tribeca film Grandma), but when she sees Sterling, she’s smitten.

I_Believe_in_Unicorns_publicity_still06As we follow Davina, Meyeroff uses stop motion to animate her lucid dream sequences. These sequences serve as a window into her mind as she can’t quite process what’s happening in real life. The real world backdrop, often without any score, allows you to take in the what’s happening without a filter.

I_Believe_in_Unicorns_publicity_still05Davina tries out Sterling’s world and gets lost. She doesn’t know how she’s supposed to be treated, or to act, and neither does he. The two of them learn as they go, discovering what makes each feel good as well as what really upsets them. Their short romance goes from bliss to utter disaster back to bliss in the blink of an eye. This is what someone means when they describe a relationship as, “we were too young.”

I_Believe_in_Unicorns_publicity_still09Good and bad, every experience shapes us. Davina may have lost her innocence, but she’s gained knowledge that she’ll carry with her forever. I look forward to Meyeroff’s next feature, as she has a very powerful voice.

Starts today at the IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue at West 3rd Street, New York, NY. Available on Vimeo June 1st.

This exploration of the emotional, complex landscape of troubled young love centers on Davina, an imaginative, strong-willed teenage girl with a beautifully twisted fantasy life. Having grown up quickly as the sole caretaker of her disabled mother, she looks for escape in a new relationship with an older boy. She’s quickly swept up into a whirlwind of romance and adventure, but Davina’s enchantment is shaken when her boyfriend’s volatile nature emerges. Official selection: SXSW Film Festival

Friday, May 29 at 8:20: The Making of I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS – Leah Meyerhoff (writer/director) and the UNICORNS cast and crew

Saturday, May 30 at 3:10: Editing for Performance – Michael Taylor (editor, UNICORNS), Natalia Dyer (actress, UNICORNS), Peter Vack (actor, UNICORNS)

Saturday, May 30 at 8:20: Coming of Age – Mary Harron (director, American Psycho), Eliza Hittman (director, It Felt Like Love), Caryn Waechter (director,The Sisterhood of Night), Natalia Dyer (actress, UNICORNS)

Sunday, May 31 at 3:10: DIY Techniques – Ryan Koo (founder, No Film School), Aly Migliori (post, UNICORNS), Joe Stillwater (sound, UNICORNS)

Sunday, May 31 at 8:20: Independent Visions – Adam Leon (director, Gimme the Loot), Deborah Kampmeier (director, Hounddog), Laurie Collyer (director,Sherrybaby), Rob Meyer (director, A Birder’s Guide to Everything)

Monday, June 1 at 8:20: Stop Motion Animation – Signe Baumane (director, Rocks in my Pockets), Leah Shore (director, Hallway), David Bell (director, The Sacred Engine)

Tuesday, June 2 at 8:20: Personal Narratives – Jonathan Caouette (director, Tarnation), Reed Morano (director, Meadowland), Ryan Piers Williams (director,X/Y), Kim Levin (director, Runoff), Petra Costa (director, Elena)

Wednesday, June 3 at 8:20: The Casting Process – Nicole Kassell (director, The Woodsman), Laurie Weltz (director, Scout), Sara Colangelo (director, Little Accidents), Anja Marquardt (director, She’s Lost Control)

Thursday, June 4 at 8:20: The Female Gaze – Bette Gordon (director, Variety), Alison Bagnall (director,Funny Bunny), Enid Zentelis (director, Evergreen), Gail Segal (professor, NYU), Terry Lawler (executive, NYWIFT)

I Believe in Unicorns – Trailer from Gravitas Ventures on Vimeo.

Trailer of the Day: SXSW 2013 Selection ‘I Believe In Unicorns’

From (L) to (R), Peter Vack and Natalia Dyer in I Believe in Unicorns

From (L) to (R), Peter Vack and Natalia Dyer in I Believe in Unicorns

OPENS FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015 in New York at IFC CENTER with a national release to follow

Vimeo On Demand Exclusively nationwide on June 1, 2015.

OFFICIAL SELECTION: SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2014, EDINBURGH FILM FESTIVAL 2014, GRAND JURY PRIZE WINNER: ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL 2014, BEST ORIGINAL SONG: NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL 2014

Stay tuned for Melissa’s review!

Davina (Natalia Dyer) is an imaginative and strong-willed teenage girl who often escapes into a beautifully twisted fantasy life. Having grown up quickly as the sole caretaker of her disabled mother (The filmmaker’s mother Toni Meyerhoff), she looks for salvation in a new relationship with an older boy (Peter Vack). Davina is swept into a whirlwind of romance and adventure, but the enchantment of her new relationship quickly fades when Sterling’s volatile side begins to emerge. I Believe in Unicorns takes us on a road trip through the stunning and complex landscape of troubled young love.

From Student Academy Award nominated director Leah Meyerhoff (Twitch), Oscar nominated producer Heather Rae (Frozen River), and Emmy Award winning executive producer Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging), I Believe In Unicorns stars emerging talents Natalia Dyer, Peter Vack (Mozart in the Jungle), Julia Garner (Electrick Children), Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color) and the director’s mother Toni Meyerhoff.

I Believe in Unicorns premiered in competition at SXSW, won the Grand Jury Prize in Atlanta and additional awards from Nashville, Woodstock, Anchorage, First Time Fest and San Francisco Film Society. It is supported by Tribeca All Access, US in Progress, Film Society of Lincoln Center, IFP Emerging Narrative Labs and the IFP Finishing Labs. I Believe in Unicorns was recently nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award and received a Directing Award from the Adrienne Shelly Foundation.

Leah Meyerhoff is also the founder of Film Fatales, a female filmmaker collective based in New York with chapters around the world. She is a graduate of Brown University and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

I Believe in Unicorns – Trailer from Gravitas Ventures on Vimeo.

See FREE new indie movies at the Las Vegas Lift-Off Film Festival June 25th!

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Las Vegas Lift-Off is part of the Lift-Off International Film Festivals, dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists in an unbiased environment and free from any commercial pressures. Student films are programmed alongside professional/ independent films and every film that is submitted is treated equally and voted on individual merit alone. A large budget and glossy production value means nothing to the folks at Lift-Off – the only focus is great delivery of an honest story. The motto is to “Look beyond the gloss. Put talent before technology.”
If you are a filmmaker and wish to benefit from a discount to submit your film, you may use the submission code LasVegasIndie for a 25% discount!
 
Las Vegas Lift-Off Film Festival is one of six international Lift-Off events and come directly after the very successful Liverpool event in the UK. Other Lift-Off events take place in LA, Amsterdam, London and Tokyo. Las Vegas Lift-Off Film Festival is free to attend, enabling submission fees to directly donate to bringing more audience to independent work. Lift-Off believe strongly in their filmmakers getting value for their submission fee and so every one is given extensive support and advice on topics such as marketing, crowd-funding and artistic development. Lift-Off’s aim is to create a network of creatives to one day become an industry of their own, where talent is king and hard work rewarded.
 
The festival also offers an option to receive extensive feedback and grades on submitted works, regardless of selection – another factor that makes Lift-Off unique from other festivals. With 700+ overall global entrants, the Las Vegas leg of Lift-Off promises an array of films from animations, live action narrative and documentaries. As is always the case with Lift-Off, winners are selected via audience choice and will be awarded with introductions to directorial agents and booking managers, as well as the chance to have their work reviewed by the national and international press. Lift-Off wish to bring back the art of film-making and, most importantly, to bring back the talent behind it.

Trailer of the Day: Everyday life in the Romanian drama ‘So Bright Is the View’

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The Debut of Filmmaking BrothersMichaël and Joël Florescu, this Official Selection of the 36th Moscow International Film Festival Will Be Released to DVD And all Leading Digital Platforms

Stay tuned for Jeremy’s review!

An Official Selection of the 36th Moscow International Film Festival, SO BRIGHT IS THE VIEW is a Romanian drama, the feature-length debut of filmmaking brothers Michaël and Joël Florescu.  The film follows Estera (Bianca Valea), a middle class Jewish girl in modern-day Bucharest, who’s at a crossroads, forced to choose between pursuing a job in Atlanta working for a nouveau riche business thug, or joining her mother in Israel.  With her father in prison for unspecified crimes and her mother about to be evicted, the pregnant Estera — trying hard to work out some sort of future with her boyfriend, Vlad (Robi Ers) – has only one hope: a “friend-interview” with Mike (Ovidiu Niculescu), a Romanian-American businessman, who may or may not have a job offer. “The Florescu brothers have the ability to present the drama of everyday life”, said David Walsh, Arts Editor of the World Socialist Web Site.

So Bright Is the View poster

For the latest breaking news on SO BRIGHT IS THE VIEW and other releases, follow IndiePix Films on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/indiepixfilms) and Twitter  (https://twitter.com/IndiePixFilms)

So Bright Is the View4 So Bright Is the View2 So Bright Is the View

Image Entertainment Nabs “Criminal Activities” Starring John Travolta

JT_pizza_2-1311-2Image Entertainment, an RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand, has acquired the North American and UK rights to the thriller CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES on the eve of this year’s  68th annual Cannes International Film Festival.  The film is written by Robert Lowell and directed by Academy Award nominee Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children, The Watchmen) who also co-stars along with Oscar nominee John Travolta (Pulp Fiction), Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”), Michael Pitt (“Boardwalk Empire”), Christopher Abbott (“Girls”), Rob Brown (Coach Carter) and Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class). CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES is set for a theatrical release Fall 2015.

Mark Ward, RLJ Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer for the Image brands, made the announcement today.

“This is a smart, witty, extremely commercial thriller with elements of ‘Boiler Room’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and an ending you don’t see coming,” said Ward.  “We’re excited to bring this film with a star-studded cast to the big screen.”

CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES tells the story of four young men who, while acting on an inside tip, invest in a “sure thing” only to discover the deal going south while putting them in trouble with the mob.

CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES was produced by Wayne Rice, Howard Burd and Micah Sparks and executive produced by Rodger May, Gayle Nosal and Daniel Diamond.   The deal was negotiated by RLJE/Image Entertainment’s Mark Ward and Matt Hooper and WME Global on behalf of the filmmakers.  Diamond Pictures is handling international sales in Cannes.

Liz’s Review: ‘EVERY SECRET THING’ is a twisted tale of emotional manipulation.

EVERY SECRET THING_POSTERLaura Lippman‘s best-selling novel Every Secret Thing has been brought to life by Academy Award(r) Nominated Filmmaker Amy Berg. Two 11 year old girls are convicted of kidnapping and killing a biracial infant. Released after seven years in a jeuvenile detention center, Ronnie and Alice are back in their hometown attempting to adjust to normal life as newly minted adults. Two weeks after their release, another young biracial girl goes missing from a local furniture store. Can the lead detective from the first case survive this new one? Who can you trust? Every Secret Thing puts your suspicions to the test at every turn.

Every Secret Thing (15)Utilizing flashbacks and he said/she said interrogation tactics, Berg skillfully crafts a film filled with mystery. Having not read the book, I was pleasantly surprised that the film clearly stands on it’s own. Never once did I feel cheated or left in the dark for the wrong reasons. In fact I was scratching my head, trying to figure it out right along with the detectives. I was fully engrossed with the story and structure.  Bravo, I say.

Every Secret Thing (16)Dakota Fanning plays Ronnie with a beautiful mixture of shyness and a hardened edge. Ronnie is from “The wrong side of the tracks”. Quiet and smart, her heavily rimmed eyes speak volumes as a severely damaged young woman. Danielle Macdonald gives one hell of a performance as Alice. Her eerie lack of emotional growth is startling. She walks a fine line between naivete and incredulity. Someone go cast her in something else, please?

Every Secret Thing (6)Diane Lane plays Alice’s mother, Helen. This is a woman with issues in broad daylight. Her relationship with Ronnie and Alice is beyond peculiar and most definitely off putting. Alcoholic and self loathing, she has been silently molding the girls whether she realizes it or not. This performance should garner her attention for the sheer sliminess and moral justification that comes off the screen. Elizabeth Banks play Detective Nancy Porter. Haunted by the death of the first child 7 years earlier, she is determined to figure out the truth this time around. Banks is vulnerable but tough in all the right areas.

Every Secret Thing (14) It was so refreshing to see a cast that was female dominated and extraordinarily talented. This film blows the Bechdel test out of the water. Applause to Berg, screenwriter Nicole Holofcener, and executive producer Frances McDormand for bringing Every Secret Thing to the big screen. I will say, even after seeing the film twice, (once at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and again this week) I am still intrigued to go out and grab Lippman’s novel. At the heart of it all, this is a story about emotional abuse and it’s long term consequences. Every Little Secret will keep you guessing until the very last frame.

Synopsis: From a producer of FOXCATCHER and based on the novel by New York Times best-selling author Laura Lippman, EVERY SECRET THING is a gripping psychological thriller about the chilling consequences of the secrets we keep.

Detective Nancy Porter (Elizabeth Banks) is still haunted by her failure to save the life of a missing child from the hands of two young girls. Eight years later, another child goes missing in the same town just days after Ronnie and Alice (Dakota Fanning and newcomer Danielle Macdonald), the two girls convicted of the former crime, were released from juvenile detention. Porter and her partner (Nate Parker) must race against the clock to prevent history from repeating itself. But as they begin to investigate the girls and their families, especially Alice’s protective mother (Diane Lane), they unearth a web of secrets and deceptions that calls everything into question.

Directed by Academy Award(r) Nominated Filmmaker Amy Berg and Executive Produced by Frances McDormand.

Rated R

RT: 93 Minutes

Release: In theaters, On Demand and iTunes May 15, 2015
 
Additional VOD platforms: iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, DirecTV, Dish, and more…

Girls On Film Podcast: Interview with the ‘I AM BIG BIRD’ filmmakers Chad Walker and Dave LaMattina.

I am big bird posterHands down one of the most touching documentaries to come out of theTribeca Film festival last year is I AM BIG BIRD. This is the heartwarming story of the man inside the big yellow icon, Caroll Spinney. I’ve already gushed about the film in my review, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to talk with directors Chad Walker and Dave LaMattina this afternoon. Here is our brand new episode of Girls On Film: I Am Big Bird

I AM BIG BIRD is now playing in theaters in selected cities with a national expansion coming in throughout the summer. Stay tuned to Reel News Daily for more information!

 

An interview with ‘Boy Meets Girl’ star Michelle Hendley. Liz and Michelle talk about breaking into the biz and sexual identity.

DVD Art for Boy Meets Girl
Transgender actors and actresses are hard to find. When director Eric Schaeffer wrote the script for coming of age rom-com Boy Meets Girl, he literally had to Google who might be available. Finding a young and dynamic YouTube vlogger Michelle Hendley was god send. The story revolves around an early 20 something transgender girl, Ricky, who is stuck in her hometown (Followed the best casual sex calvin website). Thankfully she is surrounded by a supportive family and an adoring best friend, Robby. Into daydreaming, creating original outfits she features on her Youtube channel, and trying to navigate friendships, Ricky finds herself attracted to the new girl around town, Francesca. Not knowing how “things” work sexually with a girl, Robby becomes her tutor in the ways of wooing a female properly. We make your experience a fun and unforgettable one with plan your hens night. In a small Southern town, there are of course those who don’t  fully accept Ricky as well as the masked sexual tensions from those in denial.Fleshlight imitate the feel of vaginal, anal and oral sex with lifelike openings, internal canals and soft material. If you have never considered a Fleshlight , it will change the way you view masturbation.The beauty of booking with Absolute Angels Bangkok is that quality is always assured. Our first-class companionship agency represents the most outstanding Thai escort can provide in terms of beauty, professionalism, personality and elegance.avai Michelle is a real gem. She is naturally funny and sweet. Not to mention drop dead gorgeous, she carries this film with the help of Twilight alum Michael Welch. His performance is also extraordinarily organic and likable. The two steer this movie into the ABC Family category, meaning that it’s meant for tweens (at the youngest) and up audience. The dialogue is honest and reminiscent of conversations we’ve all had while trying to figure out where we belong. You can book for your next night out the best hotel where topless waiter are available. The Male Revue can supply a shirtless barman to your location. Whether it’s a girl’s night out or a special occasion, male strippers can add fun and excitement to any event. Why do the same boring things when you’re out with your friends? Try something new. Enjoy a show featuring male strippers ct and spice up your night! Going out to conventional clubs for dancing or bars for good cheers is the sure-fire recipe for quickly becoming bored and frustrated. There is little entertainment to be had in such places. Having to push through crowds just to find a place to stand, or dodging drunks who are always in danger of spilling drinks on you, is no way to spend an evening. Avoid such foibles by booking a place for your party at an exotic club, where you will be able to enjoy male strippers who are completely sober and sizzling hot! Hard-working women deserve to be entertained by hard-bodied men. This is one of the motivating ideas behind a male strip club: to give you a fun and unique experience for your celebration. Here, you get to enjoy yourself in style as male strippers ct give you a show you are not soon to forget. Male strip clubs offer comprehensive entertainment. The men are fit and very skilled as performance artists. They are dedicated to delivering a dazzling and spectacular show that will raise your heart rate and get the blood flooding through your veins. With your booking, you get to choose the male strippers you want to service you, and you get to time blocked off exclusively for your event. The atmosphere in an exotic club is electric! The music, the lights, the scents, the well-oiled muscles, and the stupendous dance routines-all of these provide an energy that you won’t find in a normal club or bar. Away from the humdrum of your life and into the great sphere of male entertainment, you can really let loose and allow yourself to feel sexy and excited. This is the value offered by male strippers and the clubs in which they perform.The stage is set! Lights shining. Smoke machine steaming, hearts are racing and blood is pumping. As the curtains unveil and the electrifying music fills the air, our Magic Men appear and take the stage in what only promises to be an unforgettable evening ahead.  Come watch the ultimate male revue shows at the hottest venues and nightclubs around Melbourne. Whether it’s a Friday, Saturday or you just wanting to have your very own magic night, come see our MagicMen hens night venue hire perform their spectacular dance routines at a male revue show Melbourne. Our guys bring a high energy performance with electrifying dance moves that will have you sitting on the edge of your seats. Want to visit one of our shows? Enquiry with us today to book your tickets and reserve your seating. No walk-ins permitted! Voted one of Australia’s hottest male strip clubs, Magic Men is one male strip show you don’t want to miss. Reserve your tickets and book today.Still 2 - Michelle Hendley - Courtesy of Wolfe VideoIn the end, this film is not about being transgender, it’s about loving yourself. Boy Meets Girl has a great message to people of all ages and should be on your agenda. So many folks we know have lived in fear of judgement for years. I had an amazing teacher who was married, had children, all hiding the fact that he was gay. This is not a unique scenario. Too many teens are taking their own lives because of bullying. Boy Meets Girl is a beautiful introduction into a world some are still having a rough time accepting. Parents, watch it first, then watch it with your kids. Now is the time.


Still 3 - Michelle Hendley and Alexandra Turshen - Courtesy of Wolfe Video

I had the privilege of interviewing Michelle about her very first role in a feature film:

Firstly, let me congratulate you on a gorgeous, heartfelt, and really organic performance. Brava. You have a huge fan in me, already. Second, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me. I’ll jump right in… How did you hear about the casting for this film?
Michelle: Wow! Thank you so much! And absolutely! I’m thrilled that you want to interview with me!  Eric found me via my Youtube vlog, and from there I auditioned with him over Skype. He worked with me on the script for a few months before making the final decision to cast me as Ricky.
 Did you and Michael spend much time together prior to shooting? Your relationship is incredibly natural.
Michelle: We did not spend a lot of time together before shooting, but there was a Skype call or two and I do remember getting Indian food together and having an in-depth discussion about spirituality and the after life….the curry was pretty great too. Michael is genuinely a great guy, and incredibly easy to work with (I know Alex and Michael Galante would also agree).
 Now that you have this experience under your belt, do you think you’ll pursue more acting projects?
Michelle: Oh yes! Definitely. I’m working with an agency in New York right now, and just got done shooting and NBC pilot. It looks like I have an acting career coming my way!
 What did you learn while working with Eric?
Michelle: Oh my gosh. Eric taught me *so* much! He basically put me through actor’s bootcamp (and even sent me off to an acting coach for a little while), and showed me the ins and outs of being on camera. Perhaps the most important thing I learned from him was to know your lines in-and-out so you can allow yourself to play with line readings and give the director a variety of takes. Seems like basic knowledge, but what did I know? I was just a Missouri girl in the middle of beauty school when he found me.
 How similar are you and Ricky?
Michelle: There are a number of parallels between Ricky and myself. I certainly relate with her when it comes to the struggles of gender transition, and the horribleness that dating can be. We also come from a supportive family and have loving friends. However, Ricky has a darker past than I do, and therefore carries herself with more of an edge. Ricky is stronger than me, and it was important that I made that distinction when portraying her. Oh, and I can’t sew for anything.
 So many people are uptight about sexuality. Which is amusing, since the ones that get uppity about it usually have something to hide, or feel ashamed about totally normal feelings or experimentation, and people are attracted to different things, many men are attracted to women’s physic while some women like men’s intellect, although a woman like this would be called a sapiosexual woman which anyone could learn online about it. Do you label yourself in your personal life when it comes to sexuality?
Michelle: You are absolutely 110% right. It is amusing (in the most frustrating, hair-pulling kinda way) the way people get up-in-arms about sexuality (and gender) – there own identity and other peoples’! I’m not a huge fan of labels, but I am very much attracted to men. That isn’t to say there couldn’t be a lady out there who had it goin’ on for me, but for the most part…I like dudes. I identify as a heterosexual female… Most people have not seen a transgender body, and I honestly feel that is why there is so much stigma against trans individuals. I think the world needs to face their fear and see that my body is beautiful, powerful, and that it isn’t threatening anyone (or their sense masculinity).
 With this video popularity, do you feel pressure while performing, and adults alike, that might be struggling with being themselves?
Michelle: A lot of people are beginning to see me as a representative for the trans community, and I am more than happy to see Jacob Hansen , Ashton Summers performing as gay twinks in helix studios videos. Yes, it is intimidating and I do feel a bit of pressure, but if their community feels they are doing them justice, then It couldn’t be happier. they receive a ton of messages from individuals all over the LBGTQ spectrum.
Michelle, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You and Congrats again on an extraordinary debut performance. We’re really impressed and look forward to talking with you again soon! 
Michelle: Thank *you* so much! I LOVED your questions, and I hope I have the opportunity to interview with you again!

Available today on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Instant, Vudu, and cable On Demand. DVD  is available WOLFEONDEMAND.COM
and many other retailers across the country.

One of the most popular and award-winning LGBT films of the year, BOY MEETS GIRL is an authentic Southern romantic-comedy starring the newcomer Michelle Hendley as Ricky, a young transwoman trying to navigate life and looking for romance in her small Kentucky hometown. Will she find love with the beautiful rich girl Francesca (Alexandra Turshen, RED OAKS) or with her lifelong best pal Robby (Michael Welch, TWILIGHT franchise)? Authentically written and directed by accomplished indie filmmaker Eric Schaeffer (IF LUCY FELL starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Stiller, Elle Macpherson, NEVER AGAIN starring Jeffrey Tambor and Jill Clayburgh), BOY MEETS GIRL simultaneously exemplifies and transcends the category of “LGBT film” to present the very human story of the blurry and complicated lines between friendship and romance, gender and sexuality.

Said writer-director Eric Schaeffer, “In making this film, I wanted everyone–regardless of gender (cis or trans) or sexual orientation to have a chance to identify with the film’s themes of wanting to be unconditionally loved and accepted for who we are. The message in this film is the same as in all my work: labeling leaves no room for who we really are, or how we really experience life. I think our only chance is to bury those labels forever in favor of a singular new one: human. Hate is easy.  The real courage is in love.”

BOY MEETS GIRL completed its theatrical run in February 2015 and garnered numerous awards on the film festival circuit, including Best Feature at the Teaneck International Film Festival, the prestigious Iris Prize Festival and the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The film also picked up multiple awards at FilmOut San Diego, sweeping up nearly every jury award for which it was eligible at the 2014 festival – nabbing statues for Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. Hendley also won the Programming Award for Outstanding Emerging Talent.  

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, and Joely Richardson star in ‘MAGGIE’ – a post-apocalyptic Zombie flick with Midwestern flare and some incredible acting.

Maggie PosterThere is no denying that most of us are fans of anything zombie genre. With The Walking Dead becoming a televised phenomenon, we got to see a story line based around the characters and not the infected. This is very much the scenario in Henry Hobson‘s new film Maggie. Wade has promised his late wife that he would  do anything to protect their daughter. Living in a world where an infection causes people to turn into cannibal zombies, the government have ordered that at 8 weeks into said infection, you must deliver your family member to the hospital quarantine wing… where they essentially wait to die. But how can you just give up? What if your loved one is different? What if you believe they can be saved?Maggie still Arnold and Abigail breslinArnold Schwarzenegger plays Wade with a love and affection that is altogether new for him. This legendary action star is gentle and protective, and any of us would be proud to  call him Dad. He is able to hold the screen in long quiet shots with complete ease and not much more than his pensive face. I would  love to him  in more roles like this, as he is clearly capable of giving us an entire range of real emotion without any slow motion explosions going off behind him. Joely Richardson is Caroline, Wade’s second wife and Maggie’s stepmother. After sending her two small children off to live with relatives one Maggie returns to the home, she is hesitant to fully trust Wade’s parenting decisions, as would anyone afraid of being attacked by a zombie. Supportive but always on edge, Richardson displays the same great acting talents we’ve come to know from The Tudors and Nip/TuckMaggie Still Babigail ArnoldThe real star of this film, hands down, is Abigail Breslin. To navigate as a teenager in a world where awkwardness is already the norm, then add in the inevitability of turning into a monster is quite the feat. Breslin is graceful and raw in her spiral both emotionally and physically. She is able to balance sadness, thoughtfulness, and a little bit of frightening all at once. I am truly impressed with her portrayal of Maggie and it should not go unnoticed by Hollywood. MaggieMaggie is Henry Hobson‘s first feature length film. He is known for his genius art direction with title sequences, ironically including The Walking Dead. Hobson’s experience is evident in the way he chooses to shoot in an almost kamikaze style. Indie films have smaller budgets and tight schedule, but his actors and crew trusted him so much that at the drop of a hat, the entire team would run from one location to another in order to fit in a shot to capture a perfect moment in time and its natural light. I see a great future for Henry Hobson if Maggie is any indication of what he is capable of. Joely Abigail Arnold Maggie stillDon’t expect massive actions scenes but do expect some phenomenal makeup effects and a truly lovely script by John Scott 3. For a first time screenwriter, he definitely knows his stuff about the genre and great family dynamics. Maggie is a slow burn, beautifully shot and scored, with one hell of an ending. It’s slightly outside the box for a zombie film and for Schwarzenegger, but totally worth your time. You can check out Maggie in theaters and On Demand today, May 8th.

Below you can find the audio from The Tribeca Film Festival press conference I attended for Maggie. Joely, Henry, and Arnold were in attendance. All three were completely gracious and articulate, it’s worth a listen for some  insider information on the production. Enjoy!

http://maggiethefilm.com/

Big Bird, Relationships & George Takei: 3 Movies To Stream this Weekend

miles go to 1Miles To Go – On Demand Now, In Theaters May 15th

A writer from Los Angeles, who doesn’t believe that relationships can last, struggles to mend his most recent failed relationship, believing it may just be the key to his success and happiness in life.


Caroll Spinney in I AM BIG BIRD: THE CAROLL SPINNEY STORY a Tribeca Film release.

Caroll Spinney in I AM BIG BIRD: THE CAROLL SPINNEY STORY a Tribeca Film release.

I Am Big Bird – On Demand & In Theaters

Directed by:       Dave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker
Producer by:      Dave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker
Written by:         Dave LaMattina
Starring:             Caroll Spinney

For 45 years, Caroll Spinney has been beloved by generations of children as the man behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch – and at 80 years old, he has no intention of stopping. A loving portrait of the man in the yellow suit, I Am Big Bird features extraordinary footage of Spinney’s earliest collaborations with Jim Henson as it traces his journey from bullied child to childhood icon. And as the yellow feathers give way to grey hair, it is the man, not the puppet, who will steal your heart.


eat with meEat With Me – On Demand

Seen through the eyes of a mother and her gay son who must reconnect, heal, and grow together to save the son’s Chinese restaurant, writer/director David Au has created a touching and personal tribute to his Chinese-American family, the healing power of food and love, and a transcendent tribute to motherhood.

Set in one of the glorious food capitals of the world, Los Angeles, this deliciously emotional and redemptive story features adept performances and a memorable cameo by iconic actor George Takei (Star Trek). Starring Sharon Omi, Teddy Chen Culver, Aidan Bristow, and Nicole Sullivan (TV’s “Family Guy”, “MADtv”).

 

Love, Zombies, Fashion, Dolph Lundgren & Popularity: New In Theaters & On Demand – 5.8.15

Bravetown_POSTERaBravetown – In Select Theaters & VOD on May 8th

Josh Harvest, a hardened New York City teen from a broken home – and quietly one of the country’s top dance club DJs and remixers – is sentenced to counseling for a minor drug infraction, along with an extended stay with his estranged father, who lives in a small town in North Dakota.  He is slow to warm to his new environment, a town best-known for sending its young off to war, many of whom never return.  But when Josh is asked to help out the last-place dance team as they vie for the state competition title, his rough exterior begins to soften.  As his relationships emerge with both the team’s captain, Mary, and his therapist, each of whom have lost someone special to war, it forces all three to begin to face and heal their pasts.
Cast: Lucas Till (X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past), Kherington Payne (“So You Think You Can Dance,” Fame), Josh Duhamel (Transformers), Laura Dern (Wild), Maria Bello (Prisoners)
Directed by: Daniel Duran
Written by: Oscar Orlando Torres
Genre: Drama, Music
Distributor: Entertainment One
#Bravetown


Maggie

Maggie – in theaters & on demand May 8th

Directed by Henry Hobson
Written by John Scott 3
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson 

When a deadly zombie virus sweeps the nation, a father will stop at nothing to save his infected daughter in this post-apocalyptic thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin.


saint laurent 8

Saint Laurent – in theaters May 8th

From Sony Pictures Classics
Directed by: Bertrand Bonello
Written by: Bonello and Thomas Bidegain
Starring: Gaspard Ulliel, Jérémie Renier, Louis Garrel, Léa Seydoux, Amira Casar, Aymeline Valade…
Synopsis:  
1967 – 1976.  As one of history’s greatest fashion designers entered a decade of freedom, neither came out of it in one piece.
Official selection:
Cannes Film Festival 2014
New York Film Festival 2014
AFI Fest 2014


skin trade poster

Skin Trade – On Demand & iTunes (April 23), In Theaters (May 8)

RATING R
GENRE Action Thriller

New Jersey detective, Nick Cassidy (Dolph Lundgren) heads to Bangkok where he teams up with Thai detective, Tony Vitayakui (Tony Jaa) to hunt down Viktor Dragovic (Ron Perlman) and destroy his human trafficking network. Nick had inadvertently killed Dragovic’s son in a sting operation on the New Jersey docks, and Dragovic responded by attempting to kill Nick and his family. Nick miraculously survived the brutal attack, but his wife and daughter were killed. With nothing but vengeance to live for, Nick and Tony traverse their way through the Bangkok underworld in search of the elusive Dragovic. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Eddie Reed (Michael Jai White) is sent in to bring Nick home. But as the crossfire ensues, Nick has to determine who his true allies are.

OFFICIAL SITES
http://www.magnetreleasing.com/skintrade/
https://www.facebook.com/skintradefilm

CAST
Dolph Lundgren
Tony Jaa
Michael Jai White
Ron Perlman
Peter Weller
Celina Jade

DIRECTOR
Ekachai Uekrongtham


D TrainThe D Train – in theaters

All his life, Dan Landsman (Jack Black) has never been the cool guy. That’s about to change – if he can convince Oliver Lawless (Marsden), the most popular guy from his high school who’s now the face of a national Banana Boat ad campaign, to show up with him to their class reunion. A man on a mission, Dan travels from Pittsburgh to LA and spins a web of lies to recruit Lawless. But he gets more than he bargains for as the unpredictable Lawless proceeds to take over his home, career, and entire life. Showcasing Jack Black and James Marsden’s most intoxicating performances to date, D TRAIN serves up the question: how far would you go to be popular? Co-starring Kathryn Hahn and Jeffrey Tambor.

STARRING: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer, Henry Zebrowski, Russell Posner and Jeffrey Tambor

RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2015
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel
PRODUCED BY: Mike White, David Bernad, Jack Black, Priyanka Mattoo, Ben Latham-Jones, Barnaby Thompson
GENRE: Comedy
RUNNING TIME: 98 Minutes
MPAA RATING: R
DISTRIBUTOR: IFC Films