‘CATHARSIS’ (Tribeca 2024 short) Explosive and unique

tribeca 2024 logoCATHARSIS

https://tribecafilm.com/films/catharsis-2024

CATHARSIS POSTER

Brian Logvinsky brings his electric short film CATHARSIS to Tribeca 2024. Alex is a dancer and the face of his company, whose inner turmoil gets him mandated therapy sessions with an unorthodox doctor.

Max Basch‘s hypnotic visual and sound editing personify Alex’s rage. The score is infectious, and, oh, the choreography! Marc Gellar, Jemima Kirke, Deborah Harry, and lead Harrison Ball interact like fireworks.

CATHARSISThe overall aesthetic reminds me of Darren Lynn Bousman’s Repo! The Genetic Opera, thanks to costumes by Zac Posen and Catherine Gubernick‘s production design.

CATHARSIS tackles mental health, unresolved trauma, and grief. It is a wild, genre-obliterating film ripe for expansion. Bold and explosive, it is a magnificent stand-out. It is like riding someone else’s high.

CATHARSIS-Clean-16x9-02

A directorial debut by Brian Logvinsky, a dancer savant with serious anger issues is about to sabotage his life when a strange psychotherapist brings him to face the shadows of his subconscious mind in CATHARSIS, a 17-minute avant-garde, neo-noir film. Weaving surrealism, performance art and horror, this psychological story is a lifelong passion project for Logvinsky, drawing from his own Soviet-American heritage. 

Alex (Harrison Ball) is a dancer, a once in a generation talent, who is spiraling out of control after the recent and tragic passing of his mother in CATHARSIS. He now lives with his aunt Anya (Deborah Harry), who was born in the Soviet Union and maintains several superstitions from her upbringing. She believes her family is cursed, and it is Alex’s inner demons that are causing the impulsive outbursts of anger and destruction that threaten to destroy his promising future.

At Anya’s urging, Alex attends a late night appointment with the mysterious psychotherapist Dr Leechny (Marc Geller). Using his own brand of pseudo–scientific hypnosis, Dr. Leechny and his enigmatic assistants, Chakra & Harmony (Jemima Kirke), guide Alex into hypnosis.

Within the void of hypnosis, Alex faces his worst fears and darkest truths. However, strengthened by a vision of his dead mother he is finally able to face the beast within himself. Leaving his appointment the following morning, Alex experiences catharsis while dancing through the streets of NYC as the sun finally rises.

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD’ (Tribeca 2024) Shouting from the rooftops for their loved ones

tribeca 2024 logoMISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD 

World Premiere: Spotlight Documentary Section

Sabrina Van Tassel‘s TRIBECA 2024 documentary MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD speaks for those without a voice. Indigenous women are in crisis. Why aren’t we talking about the statistics of missing native women? The number is vastly higher than any other group in the United States.

The film focuses on the story of Mary Ellen Johnson Davis, missing since 2020, as her family tries to piece together all the information they can, while also showing up for those in their community with similar circumstances. There are far too many unexplained disappearances and deaths for one community not to call it an epidemic.

MISSING_FROM_FIRE_TRAIL_ROAD 2The reservation has its own justice system, under which not a single white man has been prosecuted in connection to a disappearance. Families must rely on the Feds to intervene. They never do. It is endless, lawless mayhem.

Story after story, family after family, one thread connects them all. That is abuse from white outsiders. You can’t tell this story without delving into the trauma of native children stolen from their families and physically and emotionally tormented in boarding schools. MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD delivers the horrific truth through the words of survivors.

MISSING_FROM_FIRE_TRAIL_ROAD 1A quote from a manual given to households when children the government was ripping from their homes reads, “The goal is not to make scientists, or doctors or lawyers out of these citizens. The goal is to make domestic housewives and farmers and laborers.” Keeping the population suppressed remains the goal. It’s cyclical genocide. It is the continuation of colonization, plain and simple.

The question remains. How many of these documentaries need to be made to get the message across? Tribeca 2024 audiences can share the native plight and, perhaps, move the dial toward justice. Do something.

Remaining Screenings of MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD:

Saturday, June 15 – 11:00 AM:  AMC 19th St. East 6


Mary Ellen Johnson Davis has been missing since the eve of Thanksgiving 2020 from the Tulalip Reservation. She is only one of hundreds of Native American women who continue to go missing in the U.S. As director Sabrina Van Tassel (“The State of Texas vs Melissa”) investigates Mary Ellen’s case, dozens of Native women speak up about the violence suffered and observed by them. 

 

Executive Produced and featuring Deborah Parker, activist and indigenous leader, Deb Haaland, US Secretary of the Interior, to many of Mary Ellen’s friends and family, the film threads a haunting but important report about these underlooked cases and the urgency for attention and action in these investigations. 

MISSING FROM FIRE TRAIL ROAD 

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘THIS REALLY HAPPENED’ (Tribeca 2024) The delirious dating dilemma is REALLY that good

tribeca 2024 logo

THIS REALLY HAPPENED

This Really Happened

NOW PROGRAM 
WORLD PREMIERE

This hilariously relatable and immersive short captures the nightmare that dating has become with an added element of surprise. In the Tribeca 2024 short film, THIS REALLY HAPPENED, Kate and Zoe break the 4th wall in one giant fantasy retelling of their unfortunately shared experience.

Abubakr Ali is effortlessly charming as Boy. His authentic interest and quirky, but completely believable, delivery of the dialogue make him a star. His chemistry with AbiAssi and Prosterman is magnetic.

Speaking of our leading ladies, Kallen Prosterman‘s portrayal of Kate fits every characteristic of an actor in NYC. I should know. I too attended a “fancy theatre school.” Olivia AbiAssi plays her brilliant foil in Zoe. Her self-deprecating stand-up routine perfectly captures her personality. It only makes sense that they write the script and play themselves. It is entirely lived-in viewing.

THIS REALLY HAPPENED has all the potential for a spectacular series. It begs for your attention. Director Emily Cohn deserves notice for helming their hilarity. This team of women earns your eyes and time in a slew of great Tribeca 2024 shorts programming. I’m looking at you Tribeca Creators Market. You’ve got potential gold in this one.

27 MINUTES | English | 2024 | NOT RATED

Cast & Credits:
Director: Emily Cohn
Project Creator: Olivia AbiAssi & Kallen Prosterman
Producer: Olivia AbiAssi, Kallen Prosterman, Emily Cohn & Allison Joy Gale
Screenwriter: Olivia AbiAssi & Kallen Prosterman
Cinematographer: Alexander Roque Petersen
Editor: Kate Pedatella

Based on a true story, Kate and Zoe, two young creatives in the throes of new love, have discovered they’ve been dating the same person: “BOY.” Determined to produce some kind of brilliant revenge project, they recount their experiences in filmed interviews and fantastical flashbacks full of (literal) red flags. But will this process turn out to be more cathartic or soul-crushing?

Remaining Screenings of THIS REALLY HAPPENED:

‘VULCANIZADORA’ (Tribeca 2024) Another magnificent WTF from an iconic indie duo.

tribeca 2024 logo

VULCANIZADORA

DWECK PRODUCTIONS & FACTORY 25 PRESENT A SOB NOISSE FILM

VULCANIZADORAUS Narrative Competition

Two friends spend time contemplating life on a camping trip in the woods. Their plans severely backfire. 

There are iconic filmmaker/actor duos out there. Scorsese and DiCaprio. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos. If you don’t know about the absolute IDGAF weirdness of Joel Potrykus and Joshua Burge, welcome to genre heaven. Tribeca 2024 audiences have the privilege of absorbing their latest collaboration in VULCANIZADORA

Potrykus is Derrick, the overly enthusiast best friend of Burge’s hyper-aggressive Marty. Watching them play is like witnessing a couple of middle schoolers fuck around without supervision. The trust between these two that the shenanigans that Joel creates will translate is mindboggling. Their chemistry makes you ponder the fine line between written dialogue and close friends screwing with each other. (Read our reviews of BUZZARD and RELAXER.)

Derrick never shuts up, while Marty seemingly begrudges the spirit of the trip altogether. The script morphs from buddy comedy to thriller. Not until 48 minutes into the film do the true intentions of the plot reveal themselves. Their secret pact is desperately dark, taking Marty on a downward spiral. 

Potrykus’ screenplays are unpredictable, and Vulcanizadora is no exception. He utilizes eclectic music and long takes to reel you into his world. He and Burge deliver magnificent performances. The moral grey area in the film is spectacular, leading to equal parts smirk and cringe. The sneaky impact of a discussion about heaven and hell comes full circle with a stunning visual akin to purgatory. It is undeniably brilliant. Tribeca audiences are damn lucky to experience it first.

Cast: Joel Potrykus, Joshua Burge, Bill Vincent, Solo Potrykus
Writer/Director: Joel Potrykus
Associate Producer: Daniel Berger
Producer: Ashley Potrykus, Hannah Dweck, Theodore Schaefer, Matt Grady
Co-Producer: Kevin Clancy
Director of Photography: Adam J. Minnick
Production Design: Michael Saunders
Sound: Sasa Slogar

Remaining Screenings of VULCANIZADORA:

 
For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘THE DEVIL’S BATH’ (Tribeca 2024) Horrifying History

tribeca 2024 logo

THE DEVIL’S BATH

A FILM BY VERONIKA FRANZ & SEVERIN FIALA
(GOODNIGHT MOMMY, THE LODGE)

STARRING ANJA PLASCHG (Soap&Skin)

*Winner, Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear 2024*

the devil's bath still 2Goodnight Mommy filmmakers Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz‘s latest film, The Devil’s Bath, opens with a positively gruesome scene. Based on historical research, it is a story that begins with infanticide, tackles mental health and religion, and is a haunting narrative you won’t see coming. Tribeca 2024 audiences are not ready. Anja Plaschg delivers a flawless performance. Her descent into despair is heartbreaking, but it is the eventual madness that devastates the audience. The Devil’s Bath is a deliberately paced, push and pull between tradition and ignorance, cultural expectations, and desperation. It is a deep dive into female depression and the historic gaslighting through our cries for help. Boasting a cyclical finale that will appall you, Shudder has another deeply dark notch in its belt. 

*COMING TO SHUDDER ON FRIDAY, JUNE 28TH FOLLOWING
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE ON JUNE 8TH AT TRIBECA FESTIVAL 2024*
2024 / Austria, Germany / In German with English Subtitles / 121 mins


Remaining Tribeca Screenings of The Devil’s Bath:
Public Screening 3: Thursday, June 13th at 9:15pm – AMC 19th St. East 6
The DEVIL_S_BATHSYNOPSIS – In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison. Giving a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past; THE DEVIL’S BATH is based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history.

Filmmakers Veronika Franz and Severin FialaVERONICA FRANZ (Writer & Director) studied German and philosophy and worked as a journalist. She has also worked as an artistic collab-orator with Ulrich Seidl since 1997 and co-wrote the screenplays for all of his films including DOG DAYS (2001), IMPORT EXPORT (2007), the PARADISE trilogy (2012/13) and WICKED GAMES – RIMINI SPARTA (2023). In 2003 she also founded the Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion GmbH with him.

SEVERIN FIALA (Writer & Director) studied at the Vienna Film Academy. He worked at the Red Cross and celebrated his first success with the award-winning short film ELEPHANT SKIN (2009, co-directed with Ulrike Putzer).

The first collaboration between Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala was the international award-winning documentary KERN (premiere: Locarno Film Festival 2012). This was followed by their first joint feature film GOODNIGHT MOMMY (2014), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, won several awards and was shown at the Oscars as Austria’s entry for Best International Feature Film. A US remake of the film was released internationally by Amazon in 2022 under the same name, starring Naomi Watts. THE LODGE, the directing duo’s first English-language feature film, has a prominent cast including US stars Riley Keough and Jaeden Martell. It celebrated its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. The premiere of their period feature film THE DEVIL’S BATH followed in 2024 – an Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion, in coproduction with Heimatfilm and Coop99 Filmproduktion.

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer’ (Tribeca 2024) Killer comedy in every sense

tribeca 2024 logo

The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer

The SHALLOW TALE

World Premiere – Spotlight Narrative Section

A hapless writer gets pulled into a scheme involving his wife, his impending divorce, and a serial killer yearning to be the subject of his next book. Tolga Karaçelik‘s first English-language film, The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer, makes its debut for Tribeca 2024 audiences.

After Suzie asks Keane for a divorce, Kollmick poses as a marriage counselor to throw her off the scent of their agreement. Suzie becomes suspicious with the discovery of each book Kollmick suggests Keane study. Convinced she is the target of Keane’s strange new behavior, the three become entangled in a complicated plot for individual satisfaction.

Britt Lower plays Suzie, Keane’s fed-up wife. Suzie has a type A personality and a pristine appearance. Her fashionably buttoned-up look, whether donning silk pajamas or a salmon-colored suit, is perfection. Her morose delivery is flawless.

John Magaro nails the role of Keane. He swings from overly nonchalant to manic as the film progresses. A celebration of childish floundering, this performance is hysterical.
The SHALLOW TALE 2Steve Buscemi is a legend. In pretending to be Keane and Suzie’s marriage counselor, he brings his murder advice into the sessions, equally confusing and intriguing his faux clients. Buscemi’s calm and confident nature is captivating.

The cast’s chemistry is spectacular. Buscemi and Magaro have a fun banter, but the most surprising firecracker moments happen between him and Lower. The way they both lean into Suzie’s macabre aura is a hoot. Karaçelik’s dialogue is witty. The cinematography from Natalie Kingston is beautiful, utilizing noir lighting.

THE SHALLOW TALE is weird, but the good kind of weird. It’s simultaneously so strange and dark you find yourself smirking and scratching your head, needing to know where it goes next. The film boasts a knee-slapping climax akin to a high-stakes ping-pong match. THE SHALLOW TALE is a dark oddball comedy that celebrates leaning into our authentic selves and the essence of communication, no matter the fallout.

The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer


Written and Directed by: Tolga Karaçelik

Produced by: Scott Aharoni, Sinan Eczacibasi, Alihan Yalçındağ, Wren Arthur, Steve Buscemi, Alex Peace Power, Mustafa Kaymak, and Tolga Karaçelik

Executive Producer: John Magaro, Britt Lower, Aykut Sanver, Kanat Dogramaci, Eppie Ozen, Daniel John Goldberg, Julien Levesque, Ahmet Kenan Bilgic, Can Gursoy, Tara Khorti, Irmak Pakdemir, Peter Veverka, Ali Yurerer, Aret Tasciyan

Starring: Steve Buscemi, John Magaro, and Britt Lower

A struggling writer in the midst of a divorce befriends a retired serial killer who incidentally becomes his marriage counselor by day, and killing counselor for his next book by night.

RT: 102 Minutes

 

Public Screenings for The Shallow Tale:

Saturday, June 8th at 5:00 PM at SVA Theater – 1 Silas

Sunday, June 9th at 2:15 PM at Village East Cinema – 02

Wednesday, June 12th at 8:00 PM at Village East Cinema – 07

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘BLACK TABLE’ (Tribeca 2024) A vital lesson in excellence

tribeca 2024 logo

BLACK TABLE

Spotlight Documentary

Feature | United States | 93 MINUTES | English

BLACK_TABLE-Tribeca 2024Yale’s Class of 97′ boasted the largest admission of black students in the university’s history. Filmmakers John Antonio James and Bill Mack bring Tribeca 2024 BLACK TABLE, a documentary that delves into the complexities of learning, thriving, and simply existing within a predominantly white Ivy environment and beyond.

The documentary interviews an array of graduates from the 90s. Each comes from a different background, but in almost every admission story, parental involvement plays a vital role in communicating with guidance counselors.

As the spouse of a Yale School of Management ’13 grad and president of The SOM Partners Club during our time in New Haven, hearing The Whiffenpoofs sing is a nostalgic sensory memory. To no one’s surprise, we are both white. The reality for the featured alum evokes vastly different experiences, particularly their introduction to the environment. One thing they all had in common is that each individual had their validity and accomplishments relentlessly challenged.

Commons is the university’s overwhelmingly beautiful dining hall. Everyone who sees it likens it to something straight out of Harry Potter. Our alums describe making room for other black students, thus creating a safe space for their community, sometimes pushing tables together to grow the joy and share their daily knowledge and experiences. It is described as black excellence training for their time on Yale’s campus.
BLACK_TABLE-Clean-02 Tribeca 2024There is no escaping the discussion of Affirmation Action, and filmmakers fully understand it. We delve into the racist talking points that thrive today in diminishing accomplishments and a sense of belonging. An explosive incident at Naples forced Yale and its student body to confront the reality of being black on campus. Rodney King changed the name of the game from a student action standpoint. Then O.J. Simpson’s trial reignited cultural tension.

A fascinating conversation surrounds reasons not to sit at the black table. Alums discuss that perhaps the table hindered their growth, their fear of branching out, and the ensuing judgment from their black peers. It is a complicated conversation that continues with their children.

The photos from the alums are storytelling gold. When friends get together in 2022, they break down their college experiences, childhoods, and ancestral wisdom. One statement from the film succinctly tackles the overall message: “Even if it were affirmative action that got you here, affirmative action is not keeping you here.” BLACK TABLE is a history lesson and a celebrated tour through years of black excellence.

Black Table


Remaining Screenings of Black Table:

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘Come Closer’ (Tribeca 2024) The complexities of grief shine through stunning performances

tribeca 2024 logo

COME CLOSER

come closer still tribeca 2024

In Tom Nesher‘s Tribeca 2024 film COME CLOSER, following the accidental death of her brother, Eden discovers his secret girlfriend. They begin a complicated relationship that pushes them both into challenging territory.

Darya Rosenn‘s innocence shines as Maya. She is entirely mesmerizing. Lia Elalouf instills deep loss and authenticity in Eden. Her fiery spirit feels dangerous in the best way. Elalouf projects the epitome of unresolved trauma.

We should have expected an already damaged character to use sex as a coping mechanism. Eden’s self-sabotaging behavior covers deep-seated trauma from both her parent’s ugly divorce and the loss of her brother. Her volatility keeps the audience engaged, but Elalouf and Rosen’s chemistry takes your breath away.

While the story is relatively predictable, it doesn’t lessen the impact of the performances and stunning lighting choices. How we deal with grief is such a personal journey. COME CLOSER examines the idea of its unique messiness.




Written & Directed by Tom Nesher

Produced by Haim Mecklberg, Estee Yacov-Mecklberg, Domenico Procacci, Laura Paolucci, Anthony Bregman, Moshe and Leon Edery, Oren and Omer Rogovin, Omri and Karni Bezalel, Tomer Mecklberg

Executive Produced by Ivan Fiorini, Marica Stocchi, Yigal Mograbi, Schaul Scherzer

Starring Lia Elalouf, Darya Rosenn, Netta Garti, Jacob Zada Daniel, Shlomi Shaban, Ido Tako, Ofek Pesach, and Yael Shoshana Cohen


When Eden’s beloved brother suddenly dies, she takes desperate measures to fill the void. Once she discovers he had a secret girlfriend, these measures assume a passionate and dangerous twist.

RT: 107 Minutes

Language: Hebrew | Subtitles: English COME CLOSER

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘TRIM SEASON’ (2024) High dread and witchy realness.

blue harbor logostudio logos for trim

presents

TRIM SEASON

Trim Season poster

Filmmaker Ariel Vida brings a femme-centric horror to screens today with TRIM SEASON. When a group of young women takes a two-week gig on a remote mountain marijuana farm, breaking the rules of the job leads to a more sinister plot.

The script overflows with well-developed characters with unique traits and eclectic personalities. Playing Mona’s vastly different sons are Cory Hart and Ryan Donowho. Each gives it their all, with Hart as the aggressor and Donowho as the gentle innocent.

trim season 3Beth’s protective best friend Julia, played by Alex Essoe, balances Emma’s anxiety-ridden nature. Essoe’s level-headed portrayal feels authentically grounded. Juliette Kenn de Balinthazy as Lex is extra cool as writers David Blair and Vida give her character a rare disease, making her unable to sense physical pain. Juliette Kenn de Balinthazy is a star.

Bex Taylor-Klaus gives Dusty an apprehensive aura. Taylor-Klaus is incredible in every role they tackle, and this is no exception. Their physical performance is exceptional. Ally Ioannides is a firecracker as Harriet. She is a button pusher with no boundaries. Ioannides owns every second of screen time. You love to hate her.

Trim-SeasonJane Badler plays Mona with an eccentric personality, fully tapping into her career toolbox. Wise and mesmerizing, curious and terrifying, Badler delivers an intriguing villain like the pro she is. Beth Million is Emma. She is timid, paranoid, and desperate for cash. Million is relatable and quietly powerful.

Quick visual homages to Texas Chainsaw and the supernatural mingle in this genre crowd pleaser. Bravo to the FX team for some gruesome visuals. Perhaps a bit inspired by Ari Aster’s films, the legend of Elizabeth Bathory, and witchy feminism, TRIM SEASON gives audiences a unique and disturbing fare. Stay for the credits.

https://youtu.be/L66PVuAToAg?si=XjpQejTHw9Wd1mFg

In Theaters and On Demand June 7th, 2024



Directed by Ariel Vida (“Vide Noir”)
Written by David Blair, Sean E. DeMott,
Cullen Poythress, Megan Sutherland, & Ariel Vida
Produced by Aaron B. Koontz, Sean E. DeMott, Paul Holbrook, & Jane Badler
Executive Produced by Leal Naim & Jake Hearns
Co-produced by Cameron Burns

Starring:
Jane Badler (“V”, Ricky Stanicky)
Bex Taylor-Klaus (“Scream”)
Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes, “Midnight Mass”)
Bethlehem Million (Sick, “And Just Like That…”)
Ally Ioannides (Synchronic)
Cory Hart (“Fear the Walking Dead”)

RT: 100 Minutes

trim-season-featured-1280x720

SYNOPSIS: Jobless and searching for purpose, Emma and a group of young people from Los Angeles drive up the coast to make quick cash trimming marijuana on a secluded farm in Northern California. Cut off from the rest of the world, they soon realize that Mona – the seemingly amiable owner of the estate – is harboring secrets darker than any of them could imagine. It becomes a race against time for Emma and her friends to escape the dense woods with their lives.


About Ariel Vida
Ariel Vida is a director and writer of the strange and fantastical, who has also production designed over a hundred shorts, music videos, and feature films. Her design work has received high honors, including ‘Best Production Design’ at Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival for Moorhead & Benson’s THE ENDLESS. Her music video directorial debut -Lord Huron’s The World Ender-was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick and awarded ‘Best Music Video’ at several festivals. The videos for Lord Huron’s The Night We Met, which Ariel produced, and Childish Gambino’s Sober, which she art directed, have both been viewed over 100 million times on YouTube.
 
A frequent collaborator with Rustic Films, Ariel’s most recent design work includes Amy Seimetz’s Neon Release SHE DIES TOMORROW, Spectrevision and Adam Egypt Mortimer’s ARCHENEMY, Alma Har’el and Bob Dylan’s SHADOW KINGDOM, and Moorhead & Benson’s SYNCHRONIC as well as their Sundance 2022 premiere SOMETHING IN THE DIRT, which Ariel also second unit directed. 
 
Ariel’s feature directorial debut, VIDE NOIR – written and scored by the band Lord Huron – released in November 2022 through 1091 Pictures. Her first published short fiction will be printed in the upcoming genre anthology HAUNTED REELS alongside fellow filmmakers C. Robert Cargill, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Brea Grant, Owen Egerton, Gary Sherman, and more. TRIM SEASON marks Ariel’s second feature as director, and she’s currently developing many of her own scripts imbuing stylized action within vivid, fantastical worlds from dystopian sea-faring tales to warped, surrealist westerns.

For more Horror reviews, click here!

‘Invaders From Proxima B’ (2024) This sweet, family- friendly film is out of this world fun.

buffalo8logo

Invaders From Proxima B

Invaders from Proxima B posterA celebration of family-friendly indie filmmaking, Invaders From Proxima B has arrived to delight the budding cinephile. Ward Roberts brings audiences a whimsical story of intergalactic mayhem.

This cast is outstanding. Playing a quippy father-son duo, Richard Riehle and Mike C. Nelson deliver laughs and add weight to the ensemble.

Sarah Lassez is quirky, alien-obsessed blogger Esther Terrestrial. Her excitable energy is infectious. Jeremiah Birkett is a director’s dream as animal control guy Nathan Droogal with an oddly religious inclination.

Invaders from Proxima B still 1Bo Roberts is a natural as daughter Ruby. Her comic timing is a hoot. Samantha Sloyan is effortlessly charming as Mom, Jane. We get both sitcom motherly goodness and slackstick joy from Sloyan. She is a dynamo.

Ward Roberts wears all the hats on this project. Besides writing and directing, he plays Howie Jenkins with a sweet, accessible enthusiasm as the bumbling Dad doing his best. His physicality wins the film.

Roberts also voices Chuck. It’s a hilarious turn that is entirely different from Howie. His sarcastic, gruff tone comes with genuine (otherworldly) guidance. Chuck looks like a softer version of Oscar The Grouch with large, purplish eyes. Chuck’s puppetry is comedy gold.

Invaders from Proxima B still 2The inspiration from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch is unmistakable, but Invaders From Proxima B has an edgier narrative. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you Chuck’s first line of dialogue elicited a genuine guffaw from my mouth. Incredible Seusian animation acts as transition storytelling. The editing and use of GoPro add to the kid-centric perspective. This alien invader, body-swapping comedy is a laugh-out-loud, enchanting watch for the weekend. Check it out!

Invaders from Proxima B Beams onto VOD May 31st Sci-Fi Comedy Starring Midnight Mass’ Samantha Sloyan Invading Screens Across the United States and Canada

Exclusively on Fandango at Home

Los Angeles, CA–Buffalo 8 is excited to slide into summer with the North American VOD release of Invaders from Proxima B, a family friendly science fiction comedy from writer/director/star Ward Roberts (Westworld, Agents of SHIELD) and Samantha Sloyan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass). Invaders from Proxima B debuts exclusively on Fandango at Home May 31, 2024.

Invaders from Proxima B was directed by Roberts from his own script. Roberts produced under his DrexelBox Films outfit alongside Mike C. Nelson. The film had its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival. The cast is rounded out by Sloyan, Mike C. Nelson (Shrinking, Black-ish), Richard Riehle (Office Space, Casino), Jeremiah Birkett (Black Cake, Euphoria), and Sarah Lassez (Nowhere, Lo).

BUFFALO 8

Founded in 2010 by partners Matthew Helderman and Luke Taylor, Buffalo 8 is a full-service film and media company focused on production, post-production, distribution, design, and finance based in Santa Monica, California.

Buffalo 8 projects have been premiered and been awarded at Sundance, Berlin, Toronto and SXSW. At Buffalo 8, we are the fusion of an entrepreneurial culture fused with a love of storytelling and the creative arts and a passion for delivering original stories.

Buffalo 8 is partnered with industry leading BondIt Media Capital enabling streamlined packaging, production, financing, and sales opportunities.

For more Family Films, click here!

‘PANDEMONIUM’ (2023) Explore the depths of Hell, streaming on ARROW May 27th,


Arrow Banner Logo

PANDEMONIUM

PANDEMONIUM poster

Step into the twisted brain of filmmaker Quarxx’s mind-bending, genre-obliterating PANDEMONIUM. Nathan awakens on the side of the road to discover his wrecked car. When another man begins to explain that they are dead, all Hell breaks loose. 

Arben Bajraktaraj is Daniel, the man on the bicycle whom Nathan struck. He is much like a philosophic tour guide to their plight, slyly steering Nathan and the audience to the heart of the plot, but there’s a twist. In PANDEMONIUM, there’s always a twist. 

Pandemonium 1The narrative shifts into a visionary anthology of stories as Nathan moves through the levels of Hell. The progression feels like the dark films by Jim Henson in the 80s, but PANDEMONIUM takes it to an entirely new level of demented. It is the definition of French Extreme Cinema.

As Nathan comes across the bodies of other eternally damned souls, we experience their unique tragedies, ranging from mental illness to guilt. Ushered from one level to the next, something goes awry in the underworld, yet again changing the film’s trajectory. 

Pandemonium 2 ARROWHugo Dillon is Nathan. He is the only constant in PANDEMONIUM. We have pieces of his story, but only what he reveals. Dillon delivers a brilliant performance filled with fear, disdain, and bargaining. He’s phenomenal. 

Handheld camera work and a foreboding yet haunting score quicken the pulse. The production design is exquisite, and the Special FX makeup is stunning. 

Pandemonium 3 ARROWAn imaginative descent into the personal Hell we create, PANDEMONIUM is like nothing you’ve seen before. The film is a deep dive into denial and despair, a peak into the darkest corner of our psyche. Authentically disturbing, relentlessly engrossing, and deserving of a sequel as soon as possible, Nathan’s story is far from over. 

 


On May 27, ARROW drags audiences into their new release, Pandemonium (UK/IRE/US/CA).


Director Quarxx (All the Gods in the Sky) explores the peculiar, welcoming all those hungry for wonder, in Pandemonium, a unique cinematic blend of fantasy, drama, genre, and humour.
Pandemonium takes the viewer on a chilling journey as three interconnected stories unravel in this macabre exploration of tales depicting fallen souls. From the intricacies of everyday drama to the realms of supernatural intrigue, each narrative weaves a haunting tapestry that blurs the lines between the mortal and the supernatural.

Head over to ARROW to start watching now.
Subscriptions are available for $6.99 monthly or $69.99 yearly.



ARROW is available in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland on the following Apps/devices: Roku (all Roku sticks, boxes, devices, etc), Apple TV & iOS devices, Samsung TVs, Android TV and mobile devices, Fire TV (all Amazon Fire TV Sticks, boxes, etc), and on all web browsers at https://www.arrow-player.com.

With a slickly designed and user-friendly interface, and an unparalleled roster of quality content from westerns to giallo to Asian cinema, trailers, Midnight Movies, filmmaker picks and much, much more, ARROW is the place to go for the very best in on-demand entertainment.

About ARROW

Arrow Logo

From Arrow Films, a recognized world-leader in curation and creation, ARROW is a premium platform giving audiences an unparalleled viewing experience across multiple devices, so fans can explore the films and TV shows that the Arrow brand is famous for.

Specially curated by members of the ARROW team, ARROW is home to premium film and TV entertainment, exclusive new premieres, cutting edge cinema, international classics and cult favorites – such as the works of Lars Von Trier, Brian De Palma, Dario Argento, David Cronenberg and Park Chan-wook, and brand-new short films from both new and established filmmakers.

In the coming months, ARROW will be adding Oscar-winning hits, European classics, Asian cinema masterworks, rediscovered Westerns, offbeat gems and much more as part of ARROW’s international strategy to support and celebrate the medium of film.


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ArrowVideoUK
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arrowPlayer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Arrow_Player
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo


For more Horror films, click here!

‘THE PRESENT'(2024) A beautiful combination of family fun and visibility

THE PRESENT

The Present posterOn the eve of their parents revealing a planned separation, a brilliant boy and his two older siblings use an enchanted grandfather clock to manipulate time and get them back together. Director Christian Ditter has audiences reconnect with his latest film, THE PRESENT. This lovely film, filled with silliness and life lessons, is a must for the holiday weekend.

It takes only a few minutes to realize that Taylor’s scheme is already underway. The film’s structure rewinds the day, allowing the audience to experience the time from the viewpoint of each family member.

I must mention a couple of stand-out performances from ensemble cast members Arturo Castro, as the marriage counselor, and Ryan Guzman, Jen’s new client and ardent admirer. 

The Present still 1

Greg Kinnear and Isla Fisher play the kids’ parents. Kinnear plays it close to the chest at first. His upright, arms-length parenting persona cracks as the plot progresses. He’s a solid foil for Isla and has fantastic chemistry with the kids. 

Fisher’s Jen is Taylor’s default parent. As a parent of a child on the Autism Spectrum, I immediately identified with the way she speaks to all her children, carefully choosing her words but putting her whole heart into their interactions. Jen is a fierce feminist but constantly faces misogyny from every angle. She is the heart of the film. 

Mason Shea Joyce plays Max with a spirited middle-school energy. He, too, seeks attention, but from his siblings. He is a lovely spark in this trio.

The Present still 2

Shay Rudolph gives Emma a relatable sadness between high school drama and feeling ignored as a neurotypical eldest daughter. She is a touch rebellious, but only as a mechanism for control, Rudolph is engaging. She has genuine star quality. 

Easton Rocket Sweda is Taylor, a brilliant nonverbal boy who is happier tinkering in the basement than interacting with his family. Sweda delivers a grounded performance. His gentleness pours off the screen. He is a pro, anchoring the emotional truth of THE PRESENT

The score is full of wonder. The lighting and editing are spectacular. Screenwriter Jay Martel utilizes Taylor’s Augmentative and Alternative Communication device, or AAC, to communicate with his family. Martel also involves it as a creative mechanism in the siblings’ plans. Taylor manipulates the computer’s voice option to replicate his parents and celebrities. It’s a hoot.

The Present still 3

While the dialogue never explicitly states that he is autistic, parents of neurodivergent children will immediately recognize all of Taylor’s attributes. Sweda delicately presents the discomfort with physical touch, a genius mind, the brief appearance of stimming, and his hyper-focused nature. Visibility is everything. It moves us from awareness to acceptance. 

Each new attempt by the kids is funnier and more creative than the last, but there are consequences to messing with destiny. The script delves into the ripple effects of communication on so many levels. It’s a nuanced and accessible narrative. THE PRESENT is a bit of Parent Trap, a touch of Back To The Future, and entirely family-friendly shenanigans. 

The Movie Partnership is excited to announce that their new family comedy,
THE PRESENT, will be coming to UK & Irish cinemas on 24th May.

Featuring an exciting cast lead by Isla Fisher & Greg Kinnear, the film follows a young boy who discovers he can use an enchanted grandfather clock to go back in time. He teams up with his siblings on a quest to bring their separated parents back together again. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Christian Ditter (How to Be Single) and written by Emmy winner Jay Martel (Key and Peele), the film also stars Ryan Guzman (9-1-1) & Shay Rudolph (The Baby-Sitters Club).

The Present logo

For more Family Films, click here!

‘Sally, Get The Potatoes’ (2024) Danicah Waldo short dazzles at The Big Apple Film Festival

SALLY, GET THE POTATOES

Sally, Get The Potatoes

Filmmaker Danicah Waldo brings drama and sweetness to The Big Apple Film Festival with her short film SALLY, GET THE POTATOES. Our titular little lady is the youngest of a well-off household. The precocious redhead, just looking for someone to play with her, gets tasked with procuring the potatoes for her overwhelmed chef mother. 

Sally, Get The Potatoes tubSomething is happening within the family. Every member has a secret, leaving Sally with no one but her beloved housekeeper to care for her needs. Once Magdelaina, the heart of the household, gets dragged into the chaos, Sally intrusively discovers the extent of the mess.

Sally, Get The PotatoesKynlee Heiman is a star as Sally. The camera loves her sweet face and her wily personality. She is relentlessly charming. As the mother of a seven-year-old daughter, Heiman captures the spirit of play, the longing for connection, and the IDGAF determination of a girl. 

Sally, Get The Potatoes pantryThe camera work from Mike Lobello and Paul W. Sauline is brilliant. The audience experiences the goings-on from a child’s eye level. Beautifully lit close-ups of Sally convey the emotional rollercoaster. SALLY, GET THE POTATOES delves into familial dynamics through the eyes of a child and proves socioeconomic standing never lessens relationship complexity. The film is an incredible treatment for a feature. I want to see more of each character, but particularly Sally.

Sally, Get the Potatoes premieres at The Big Apple Film Festival, Wednesday 5/22
 

 

DANICAH WALDO – BIO

Danicah Waldo - Headshot

Danicah Waldo is a director, writer and producer based out of New York City. After spending her childhood performing on the stage and screen, she ultimately fell in love with the work behind the camera. Danicah got her 10,000 hours directing and producing narrative short films starring kids for the Applause New York YouTube channel, which now sits at 1.5 million subscribers and 1 billion views.

In 2021 she joined LIT Videobooks, where they make documentary versions of best-selling nonfiction books. She now holds the title of Director of Production, which includes overseeing all production operations while directing the live-action elements of the videobooks.

She started Yellow Chair Films to produce her debut short film, Sally, Get the Potatoes, set to premiere in early 2024.

For more Short Film reviews, click here!

‘HOUSE OF SCREAMING GLASS’ (2024) is a wild exploration of dark legacy

Deskpop Entertainment logo

HOUSE OF SCREAMING GLASS

HOUSE OF SCREAMING GLASS poster

After inheriting an old schoolhouse, Elizabeth begins to lose time and experience visions of evil in her isolation and exploration of her familial connections.

Success lies within the use of a go-pro and the out-of-focus visuals. The set might be some artist commune or quirky AirBnB listing. It delivers jewel-toned decor choices and creepy corners, echoing loneliness. Elizabeth discovers a trunk filled with dark objects, including a book with sketches right out of Guillermo del Toro’s imagination. 

HOUSE OF SCREAMING GLASS Lani CallLani Call gives Elizabeth a dour and macabre personality. Bravo for her commitment to the role. The screenplay from director Richard R. Williams, Costanza Bongiorni, and Tom Jolliffe does not give her a moment of ease. HOUSE OF SCREAMING GLASS is a one-woman show that gets weirder and grosser by the minute. 

The film opens with a gruesome shot, transitioning to the world’s slowest upward pan. The pacing, while artistically intentional, remains an issue. Call’s narration deserved a pop shield in front of her microphone. Elizabeth makes questionable choices that defy logic as she plunges into her dark legacy. No doubt the practical FX team will make you gag as her physical appearance rapidly deteriorates. The film is out there. What’s good is great, but HOUSE OF SCREAMING GLASS ultimately suffers from the length. 

This otherworldly thriller arrives on VOD and DVD on May 21st

 

Directed and co-written by Williams (RUST BELT DRILLER) with a script co-authored by Costanza Bongiorni and Tom Jolliffe, HOUSE OF SCREAMING GLASS stars Lani Call.

Elizabeth Cadosia has lived a life of isolation under the shadow of her mentally fractured mother. On the day her mother dies, Elizabeth receives an unexpected inheritance—a timeworn schoolhouse from her grandmother—whom she has never met. Within the schoolhouse, Elizabeth finds herself entwined in a tapestry of unsettling visions and harrowing nightmares.

An incredibly surreal, ultra-low budget experiment in minimalist horror – inspired by classic horror, witchcraft legends, the Cthulhu mythos, and Tarkovsky and Antonioni’s “slow cinema” – the film was made by a very small group of close friends and is anchored by a powerful performance from actor Lani Call.

About DeskPop Entertainment
DeskPop Entertainment was created to offer a dynamic scope of original content ranging from light-hearted genre entertainment to thought-provoking, mission-driven cinema designed to stir up engaging conversation.


For more Thrillers, click here!

‘PITCH PEOPLE’ (2024) Wildly entertaining 25th Anniversary of the Never-Before-Seen Feature Documentary

PITCH PEOPLE

PitchPeople poster-25 Anniversary

Selling is theatre and coercion. Stanley Jacobs‘ documentary PITCH PEOPLE explores the very best in persuasive personas and the history of honest sales. 

The film is a clever “how-to” guide to moving products. They are magnetic and funny. Urgency and cleverness get your attention. Does the product make life easier? All people genuinely want is to smile and feel like they’re not being taken advantage of, and that’s the key to selling. 


PITCH-PEOPLE_Still-1.Nowadays, if you can find an operating mall, you might still come across an AS SEEN ON TV store. A small display remains at Bed, Bath, and Beyond locations. Back in the 1950s, Atlantic City was the hub of Pitchmen. Future American celebrities like Ed McMahon, of Star Search fame, began on the boardwalk. 

You all remember waking up at 3 am to infomercials. From Vitamix to ShamWow, you find yourself watching but just a bit longer than you anticipated. In person, it’s an electric energy. It has to be more personable to lock you in, and the moment these experts get you to pause and pay attention, they’ve got you sold. 

PITCH-PEOPLE_Still-2Between local television spots and fairgrounds, pitching products was (and still is) a lucrative career. Only the best survive and put bundles of cash in their pockets. In a world of MLMs, this intimate energy exchange is the oldest truck in the book, and it works. The modern version comes in the form of TikTok influencers, but those 10-30-second uploads have nothing on the original masters.

PITCH PEOPLE takes the “Always Be Closing” model and mesmerizes by showing audiences entire live pitches in the wild, then cutting in sit-down interviews and archival footage. The editing is the hero of this film. You’ll be dazzled. And maybe start Googling the products as I did.

PITCH-PEOPLE_Still-7.jpg

 
Here’s the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmW8R9TuwnE
 
 


PITCH PEOPLE will be available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video and Google Play on May 17, 2024. The film, fully restored in 4K, is the 25th Anniversary of the Never-Before-Seen Feature Documentary.

 

Directed, written, and produced by Stanley Jacobs (96 Souls), PITCH PEOPLE features Arnold Morris, Nancy Nelson, Lester Morris, Al Spino, Sandy Mason, Ed McMahon, Jerry Crowley, Joe Fowler, Jan Muller, John Parkin, Chester Nairne, Wally Nash, Jerry Mascuzzio, James Mason, Ian Long, and Harry Matheson.

The documentary PITCH PEOPLE is an energetic look at the pitch business, a dynamic world that started in Europe, made its way to the U.S. boardwalks, and exploded on television in the 1990s.

Run Time: 88 minutes | Rating: Not Rated

For more documentary reviews, click here!

‘NIGHTWATCH’ (1994) Classic now streaming on Shudder in preparation for the sequel

shudder-logo-flat

NIGHTWATCH (1994)

nightwatch 1994 poster

A fresh-faced Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays 24-year-old law student Martin, taking a position as the sole night watchman in a hospital morgue. When a game of dare from his deviant best mate collides with a serial killer on the loose, Martin’s worst fears begin to haunt him. Writer-director Ole Bornedal helms this disturbing tale of mistaken identity and murderous mayhem.

Nightwatch (1994) 2- www.imdb.comNikolaj Coster-Waldau is, to no one’s surprise, spectacular. My introduction to his work began with Game of Thrones. Even thirty years ago, he possessed a magnetic presence on screen.

The soundtrack kicks ass. Great opening cinematography throws the viewer into a Hitchcockian vibe as the camera floats throughout the house like a ghost. Dan Laustsen‘s framing is a masterclass. I accept genre fans knocking my street cred for never seeing this film. I deserve it. Now that I have, I understand why it holds up.

Nightwatch (1994) 3- www.imdb.comNIGHTWATCH taps into classic fears and creates authentic dread from beginning to end. A premise stemming from toxic masculinity gets a perfect foil in its horror element. Bornedal’s dialogue is particularly meta, no doubt inducing a smirk from the audience more than once.

Nightwatch (1994) 1 - www.imdb.comThe film is a genre-bender. When you think you know what’s happening, the plot twists again. Bornedal’s sequel, 30 years in the making, has a lot to live up to. The Shudder Original NIGHTWATCH: Demons are Forever streams today alongside its predecessor.

Now streaming on Shudder!!

For more Shudder reviews, click here!

Shudder Original ‘NIGHTWATCH: DEMONS ARE FOREVER’ (2024) A perfect Ole Bornedal sequel 30 years in the making.

Shudder Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever Ole Bornedal

SHUDDER NIGHTWATCH_ DEMONS ARE FOREVER - poster

Thirty years after NIGHTWATCH became a genre staple, writer-director Ole Bornedal delivers a Shudder Original sequel just as menacing and twisted as the original. NIGHTWATCH: DEMONS ARE FOREVER taps into our continued fascination with serial killers, true crime takes, and terror. 

NIGHTWATCH_ DEMONS ARE FOREVER - Still 5The film starts with a bang. Bravo to Casper Kjær Jensen for one hell of a performance. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau returns as Martin. We now know he and Kalinka married and had a daughter named Emma. After Kalinka’s suicide, Martin is distraught. Emma discovers the newspaper clippings about her parents’ traumatic ordeal. Seeking answers, she takes her father’s old job on night watch. 

I highly recommend watching both films back to back. You will immediately notice the perfect visual and dialogue callbacks. Coster-Waldau is not the only cast member to return. Most of the original actors are back. 

NIGHTWATCH_ DEMONS ARE FOREVER - Still 4Kim Bodnia is the same thoughtless jackass settling right back into the role of Jens. The character’s development feels darker and more insensitive than before, but Bodnia’s chemistry with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is still dazzling. 

Speaking of, this second iteration of Martin oozes fear. Coster-Waldau exists almost entirely in his unresolved trauma, soaked in alcohol and pills. When he steps out of his grief, it is contagious. 

NIGHTWATCH_ DEMONS ARE FOREVER - Still 11Ole Bornedal makes the sequel a true family affair. His daughter, Fanny Bornedal, plays Emma. She is a pro. Ole gives her characteristics of Martin and Kalinka. Emma is a bold, bright, and fearless medical forensics student. Fanny commands each frame. She’s a star.

Once again, the soundtrack is meticulously curated. “I Fink U Freeky” by Die Antwoord was my favorite choice. The practical FX are squirmworthy. NIGHTWATCH: DEMONS ARE FOREVER cleverly mirrors the original. Ole Bornedal keeps us guessing with complex storytelling choices. The script is a fresh take, delivering badass female characters to immortalize in the genre library. 

Streaming on Shudder May 17th

Screenwriter and Director: Ole Bornedal

Starring: Fanny Leander Bornedal, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kim Bodnia, Sonja Richter, Ulf Pilgaard, Casper Kjær Jensen, Paprika Steen, Nina Rask, Alex Høgh Andersen, Sonny Lindberg, Niels Anders Thorn, Tina Gylling, Casper Phillipson, Vibeke Hastrup, Christopher Læssø

Producers: Thomas Heinesen, Christel C.D. Karlsen, and Signe Baasch

Executive Producers: Katrine Vogelsang, Henrik Zein, Peter Nadermann, and Doris Schrenner

Language: Danish

Running Time: 113 mins

Synopsis

22-year-old medical student Emma (Fanny Leander Bornedal) has just taken a job as the night watch in the same forensic department where her parents were once almost killed by the famed psychopathic police inspector Wörmer. The events led to her mother’s suicide, and her father Martin (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) has turned to tranquilizers to suppress the memories. Determined to investigate what exactly happened to them, Emma tracks down and confronts Wörmer, only to unintentionally reawaken his bloodthirst and ignite a violent revenge on everyone who sealed his destiny years ago.

About Shudder

AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and Original Content is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Over the last few years, Shudder has introduced audiences to groundbreaking and critically acclaimed films including Rob Savage’s HOST, Jayro Bustamante’s LA LLORONA, Phil Tippett’s MAD GOD, Coralie Fargeat’s REVENGE, Joko Anwar’s SATAN’S SLAVES, Josh Ruben’s SCARE ME, Kyle Edward Ball’s SKINAMARINK, Christian Tafdrup’s SPEAK NO EVIL, Chloe Okuno’s WATCHER, Demián Rugna‘s WHEN EVIL LURKS, and the latest in the V/H/S film anthology franchise, as well as the fan favorite TV series THE BOULET BROTHERS’ DRAGULA, Greg Nicotero’s CREEPSHOW, THE LAST DRIVE-IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS.

For more Shudder reviews, click here!

‘LAUGH PROUD’ (2024) LGBTQiA+ Stand Up Comedy Concert Film delivers uproarious fun

LAUGH PROUD poster

LAUGH PROUD: Nine diverse LGBTQiA+ comics each perform a short set connected by a hostess with the mostest in an orgiastic one-night stand starring fresh comics to veteran comic Jason Stuart and the world’s first intersex comic, Seven “7G” Graham. LAUGH PROUD is the first LGBTQiA+ stand-up comedy feature film of its kind.

LAUGH PROUD JunoMenThe effervescent joy of being in the room fully translates from the screen. You’ll find yourself smiling until it hurts. LAUGH PROUD features multigenerational comics. The sets range from serious to hysterical. Many comics discuss childhood trauma, coming-out stories, dating, technology, patriarchal structure, aging, and everything in between. A loving and supportive energy is beaming between the performer and the audience. It is an inviting and celebratory special.

LAUGH PROUD JasonStuart

Director’s Quentin Lee’s (LAST SUMMER OF NATHAN LEE) LGBTQiA+ stand up comedy concert feature film, 
LAUGH PROUD releases in LA at Laemmle NoHo on May 17th and VOD May 30th

 

Check out the trailer below!

 

Director Quentin Lee

2024 Canadian Screen Awards nominee, winner of the 2020 Roddenberry Foundation Impact Awards for TV creators, a member of the Producers Guild of America, Canadian Media Producers Association and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Directors and Producers Peer Group) and a two-time recipient of Canada Council Media Arts grants, Quentin Lee is a multimedia creator and has directed and produced over ten feature films and created over three TV series. His first feature Shopping For Fangs (co-directed with Justin Lin) premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and became a cult classic as part of the Asian American New Wave Class of 1997. His subsequent features DriftEthan MaoThe People I’ve Slept WithWhite Frog and The Unbidden have all been sold and played festivals worldwide such as AFI Fest, Vancouver International, Hawaii International, Sao Paulo, Turin and Cardiff.

As a producer, Quentin has produced Big Gay Love#1 Serial Killer (aka Chink) and Gay Hollywood Dad. In 2018, he created, produced and directed Brash Girls Club, the limited TV series now streaming on Tubi. The TV series Comedy InvAsian that he co-created, directed and produced was streamed as a Hulu Exclusive in 2018. In 2020, Quentin produced three stand up comedy specials including the first gay male comedy special Brash Boys Club for Comedy Dynamics, directed and produced a Zoom feature titled Comisery and a Zoom TV series titled Boy Luck Club. In 2021, Quentin Lee directed and produced a feature film titled Last Summer of Nathan Lee and the second season of the TV series Comedy InvAsian 2.0, now streaming on Peacock. In 2022, he has created a science fiction comic book Mystery Brothers, launched at 2022 Comic-con, and a spin-off TV series, Comedy Invasion, the first all diverse Canadian stand up TV series, has received a 2024 Canadian Screen Awards nomination for Best Comedy Special. In 2023, he produced and directed Laugh Proud, the first LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy feature documentary of its kind, and is in preparation for Rez Comedy, the first all Indigenous and all Canadian stand-up comedy feature film.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, China, Quentin went to high school in Montreal, holds a B.A. in English from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in English from Yale University, and an M.F.A. in Film Directing from UCLA.

LAUGH PROUD

For more LGBTQIA+ coverage, click here!

‘FOR SALE’ (2024) The Good, Bad, and Haunted

gravitaslogo2020

FOR SALE

For Sale (2024) - www.imdb.com

Christopher Schrack‘s FOR SALE finds Mason, a shady salesman who gets the opportunity to score big if he can sell a murder house. Can his relentless determination drive a sale and the spirits away?

For saleCorrine Britti gives Psychic Claire a great quirkiness. Schrack and co-writer Jordan Friedber‘s screenplay allows her to play a dual role. Her commitment is applause-worthy. Andrew Roth does a fantastic job at filling the screen with his presence. His optimism and generally ridiculous “always be selling” persona keep the film in the horror comedy subgenre. Once again, Friedberg and Schrack mix it up in the final act so Roth can show off his acting chops.

For sale 5The soundtrack is fun. A handful of sharp jump scares had my heart racing. I wish Schrack and Friedberg had leaned into Mason’s unresolved trauma earlier in the film. That emotional pull hits another level, heightening the dark threats, but I respect them for introducing a redemption arc. While the pacing is uneven, the visuals and sound editing are phenomenal. Essentially, what is good is extremely good. FOR SALE ends with one final genuine gafaw.

https://youtu.be/8ii0G23fnJ4

NOW AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS

FOR SALE is a handmade film in the truest sense – a crew of three, a cast of ten, and produced by director CHRISTOPHER SCHRACK and lead actor ANDREW ROTH. Despite its humble budget, the film went on to receive multiple awards on the festival circuit, including BEST FILM (Magic of Horror 2023), BEST COMEDY FEATURE (International Comedy Film Festival 2024), BEST ACTOR and BEST DROP DEAD FUNNY (Haunted House FearFest 2023), as well as receiving numerous other nominations.

Mason McGinness has always been good at two things: selling himself, and finding ways to cheat people into buying when they shouldn’t. One day, his brazen swindling catches up with him and he finds himself fired from his job and kicked to the curb by his ex-girlfriend. Mason finds a small realty company that needs someone to sell a piece of property that is considered “unsellable.” The catch? It is the infamous Scarlett Clay house — a haunted house where anyone who inhabits it ends up dead. Now, with the help of a quirky psychic, Mason must find his humanity to get his life back… or die trying.

PRE-ORDER TODAY ON APPLETV: https://apple.co/3xtjZR8

PRE-ORDER TODAY ON AMAZON: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/For…

SOCIAL HANDLES:

IG: @forsalemovieofficial

For more horror reviews, click here!

‘THE PARK PLAYERS’ (2024) Charming new kids show premieres on YouTube today. Get ready to smile.

The park players logo

With comedy, facts, music, and puns mixed to bite-sized perfection, the new series THE PARK PLAYERS is a treat for kids and parents alike. Creator Joe Cobden‘s Sesame Street experience is on full display. Modern children’s programming has exploded over the past few years with shows upping the anty on clever and educational dialogue. THE PARK PLAYERS introduces us to characters like Rose, the curious skunk, the confident dog Mr. Whiskers, the chatty raccoon Rico, and the brave but timid Mouse. 

As a 43-year-old mother raised by Big Bird, PBS Kids is now a morning fixture in our house. Any parent will tell you that YouTube has made their life simpler now that official channels for kids’ shows are available. THE PARK PLAYERS enters the scene with unique characters, carefully crafted and hilariously voiced. Backed by the lovely park audio of birds and wind places the viewer in the environment with their new colorful friends, subconsciously exposing kids to places they might not have seen in real life. The original songs are smirk-inducing, and the score is calming. There is something about each one of our new friends that’s charming and quirky. Even in brief, quiet moments, you find yourself gazing at them with glee. 

THE PARK PLAYERS is sure to delight audiences of all ages. Congratulations to the entire production team for delivering new smiles.

Park Players characters 1

THE PARK PLAYERS characters 2

BIG BEACH

THE PARK PLAYERS - Big BeachFounded in 2004, Big Beach is a Los Angeles-based
company that produces, finances, and distributes
independent films, television, and theater productions.
With an eye toward intelligent, character-driven,
humanistic material, the company’s overall mission is
to showcase stories that inspire, engage, and entertain.

Meet Our Friends

The Park Players -Shelly and Mouse

In true Park Players fashion, Joe invited a slew of his
friends along to help bring his vision to life.
From Fred Stoller lending a voice to Shelley, to
Hombre McSteez illustrating initial sketches and
design legend, Rhek, lending a helping hand.
Ron Clark, an original writer on the muppets, helped
Joe crack a few jokes for your laughing pleasure too.
Park Players encourages you to come together with
your friends and enjoy the magic that real-life
connection can bring.

For more Family Friendly reviews, click here!