‘COLD BLOWS THE WIND’ (2024) Fresh meat on a bone in this indie horror from Eric Williford

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COLD BLOWS THE WIND

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When a husband and wife (Victoria Vertuga and Danell Leyva) find their night blown wildly off-course, they’re forced to band together in order to survive in the most extreme of circumstances.

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COLD BLOWS THE WIND finds Tasha and Dean in a moral predicament. After drunk driving, striking a jogger with their car, a stranger makes things even more complicated. Teamwork makes the dream work. Too bad this husband and wife can’t agree on a damn thing.

Cold Blows The Wind -VictoriaVertugaDanell Leyva does a great job of being entirely unlikeable. Victoria Vertuga gives Tasha a fierce presence. She is very watchable. It is Jamie Bernadette who steals the show playing Briar. Everything from her blunt haircut to her unsettling delivery is star quality. I want a prequel where she and Torrey Lawrence lead.

cold blows the wind jamie bernadetteFilmmaker Eric Williford starts his new film off with a bang. The editing by Timothy Widmann is effective. Practical FX are solid and in your face. Cold Blows The Wind is a mysterious story of body-snatching possession on unholy ground. So much of the film feels inspired by the Evil Dead franchise, with a few other classic homages mixed in. Williford offers bits and pieces of backstory. Even though we are left to fill in the blanks, the potential is clear. There is enough meat on the bone (pun intended) to keep audiences hungry.

Watch the trailer to COLD BLOWS THE WIND here

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Written and directed by Eric Williford, COLD BLOWS THE WIND stars Victoria Vertuga (LEXI), Danell Leyva (CLOCKED), Jamie Bernadette (I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: DEJA VU), and Torrey Lawrence (THE HARDER THEY FALL).


Horror / Crime Thriller
Color
85 Minutes
English Language
Unrated

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‘DELICATE ARCH’ (DWF: LA 2024) This supernatural WTF showcases a new voice


DWF-LA logoDELICATE ARCH

https://danceswithfilms.com/delicate-arch/

Delicate Arch Poster
Filmmaker Matthew Warren brings DWF: LA 2024 audiences DELICATE ARCH, where four college students embark on a camping trip to prepare for the inevitable societal shift due to climate change. When they arrive, visions creep into their waking mind, blurring reality for everyone.

Katie Self is the soothing voice of the narrator. While we hear her only briefly throughout the film, her presence is memorable. Rene Leech plays Ferg with exuberant energy. Their stoner persona is fun and carefree until shit hits the fan.

DELICATE-ARCH-2Kevin Bohleber gives Cody a know-it-all environmentalist vibe. He hides a much more nuanced undertone. Kelley Mack is Wilda. She mixes a breezy girl-next-door quality with authentic emotional baggage.

William Leon gives Grant an upright aura, quickly crumbling as his sense of reality changes at every turn. Leon is beyond compelling.

Delicate Arch 06The titular location is a real place in Utah. It is striking and entirely isolated, making for an immediately tense premise. The score is haunting and ethereal, comprised of disembodied voices. Scenes in which Grant trips on mushrooms utilize a combination of ever-evolving animation and VHS-style imagery to illustrate his POV. It is trippy.

Tongue-in-cheek dialogue overtly pegs each character by their archetype. Their love for horror and subsequent homages blend into the whirlwind finale.

The film plunges into chaos, further down the rabbit hole as the minutes tick by. Warren makes it impossible to predict. DWF: LA audiences are in for one hell of a ride in DELICATE ARCH. To weirdly quote Mean Girls, “The limit does not exist.” You will question everything.

WRITER/DIR: Matt Warren
PRODS: Larissa Beck, Josh Long, Aaron Nelson, Matt Warren
CAST: William Leon, Kelley Mack, Kevin Bohleber, Rene Leech

Four young friends with fracturing relationships take a camping trip to Southern Utah in order to escape an ecological disaster in the northern part of the state. Alone in the desert, they begin to suspect that their reality might not be as it seems, and soon realize they’re being observed by a mysterious cosmic force.

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‘BURN OUT’ (DWF:LA 2024 short) Overworked and ambitious are a dangerous combination

DWF-LA logoBURN OUT

https://danceswithfilms.com/burn-out/

Burn out POSTER

A clearly overworked and unwaveringly determined Virgil will do anything to show his boss the very personal presentation he has toiled over. Nothing can stop him from completing this passion project, not even a fire. Filmmaker Russell Goldman‘s DWF: LA 2024 short BURN OUT dives headfirst into the competitive nature of hardcore office culture under the guise of “teamwork.”

Burn Out STILL Virgil_LookingInFire_EverettOsborneThe hilarious and terrifying overall premise might seem unrealistic to some, but I can tell you it is entirely plausible. When my husband was a first-year associate coming out of grad school at Yale, he passed out on the way to work three days in a row from lack of sleep. After being revived by police officers and refusing medical attention, he arrived five minutes late only to be told, “That’s a YP, a You Problem.” Empathy be damned when there is a dollar or deal to be made.

Burn Out STILL Virgil_SprayExtinguisher_EverettOsborneThe film looks spectacular. Sharp cinematography from Ali Armino ups the production ante. Lead performances are fantastic. Everett Osborne and Tommie Earl Jenkins command your attention with dazzling charm and ferocity, making us beg for an expanded world. Without needing to, BURN OUT takes a hard left turn into total WTF near the end of its 12-minute runtime, but the metaphor completely stands. It was unhinged before that choice. Executive Producer Jamie Lee Curtis knows talent when she sees it. Goldman’s voice is fresh, intense, and welcomed.

Written & Directed by: Russell Goldman

Starring: Everett Osborne and Tommie Earl Jenkins

Genre: Horror, Comedy, Short

RT: 12 min | Not Yet Rated

Language: English | U.S.

An assistant will do anything to get his presentation in front of his boss… even set himself on fire. Starring Everett Osborne (SWEETWATER) and Tommie Earl Jenkins (DEATH STRANDING). BURN OUT

ADDITIONAL SCREENINGS
 
2024 Chattanooga Film Festival – June 28th
 
2024 Wyoming International Film Festival – July 11th

 

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‘JUNE ZERO’ (2024) A beautiful and relevant dive into history

JUNE ZERO

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Jake Paltrow brings audiences to a fascinating thread of history that might not be common knowledge. Israel 1961, days after the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a young boy discovers the quiet plot involved in disposing of the body of one of the most notorious organizers of the Holocaust. 

JUNE ZERO_Still 6_Credit_ Courtesy of Cohen Media GroupPerformances from the entire cast are magnificent. Yoav Levi is Captain Hayim Amzalag, the prisonguard tasked with orchestrating the clandestine plans for the most valuable prisoner of war. Hayim’s anxiety manifests in a toothache, a burst blood vessel, and digestive issues as he dodges the press. Levi brings a dazzling physicality to the role. You will not soon forget him.

JUNE ZERO_Still 2_Credit_ Courtesy of Cohen Media GroupNoam Ovadia is David, a precocious, tenacious, Lybyan-Israeli who identifies as an Arab and Sephardic Jew learning perspective on the Nazis. Procuring an after-school job, David uses his quick-witted brain to solve problems. Ovadia is a star. It is an award-worthy turn. He outshines every other cast member.

JUNE ZERO_Still 7_Credit_ Courtesy of Cohen Media GroupTom Shoval and Paltrow wrote the screenplay. In the third storyline, we explore Micah (Tom Hagi), a Polish Holocaust survivor, now a tour guide of the former ghettos. This narrative kicks off a profound discussion of mixing grief and capitalism. It is a history lesson and fearless think piece amongst the ongoing fight in Gaza and global Jewish trauma.

One of the most poignant decisions is that Paltrow never shows Eichmann’s face. This subtle gesture speaks volumes. JUNE ZERO allows audiences to weigh varying perspectives without ramming anything down their throat. It is emotionally wrought and undeniably powerful.

OPENING IN NYC JUNE 28TH AND LA JULY 5th
ADDITIONAL SCREENINGS CAN BE FOUND HERE.
 

Entirely shot on 16mm film, JUNE ZERO follows events set in motion from the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann, a principal architect of the Holocaust. June Zero is told from the unique perspectives of three distinct figures: Eichmann’s Jewish Moroccan prison guard, an Israeli police investigator who also happens to be a Holocaust survivor and a precocious and clever 13-year-old Libyan immigrant. As the film delves into the complexities of the human experience during this pivotal trial, it serves as a poignant reminder that history’s impact can be both diverse and unifying.

 

For more Drama coverage, click here!

‘TIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER’S PARADOX’ (DWF:LA 2024) Brilliantly funny sci-fi with a side of self-love. No, really.

DWF-LA logoTIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER’S PARADOX

https://danceswithfilms.com/tim-travers-the-time-travelers-paradox-2/

TIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER’S PARADOX posterStimson Snead takes us on a comedy of trial and error in DWF: LA sci-fi feature TIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER’S PARADOX. This film is a story of a mad genius’s guide to what if, get ready to have your mind blown.

The badass credits come in hot from the first frame. The production design is outstanding, and the camera work is sharp and gorgeously lit. Within minutes, you understand that seeing this film in cinematic form and on the largest screen will make your day.

Filmmaker Stimson Snead plays Helter, a mercenary soldier of sorts. His bumbling actions add another level of hilarity. He lights up the screen.

Felicia Day is Delilah, the firecrackers radio producer to Joel McHale‘s conspiracy theorist radio host. Day is exactly how I imagine her to be in real life as a fandom icon. She is magnificent.

TIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER’S PARADOX still 1Samuel Dunning is Tim Travers. He is funny, charming, and owns this role. Travers is stubborn as hell and honest to a fault. The character has authentic mad scientist vibes. The number of alternative death scenes and distinctly unique versions of the same character is Multiplicity on crack. Dunning eats it up.

The dialogue is whip-smart and relentlessly hilarious. If you’re going to make an autism joke, the approach is approved by this neuro-spicy matriarch. The editing is a smash. The music is perfect. Bravo to the SFX team for their top-notch work.

The screenplay goes to places you will never see coming. Pun is very much intended. It takes digs at certain Multiverse cinema, religion, and sexuality and obliterates every boundary that ever existed with genius-level wit. In the end, TIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER’S PARADOX is a sci-fi comedy about self-love. No, seriously. Genre audiences are going to go nuts.

TIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER’S PARADOX

WRITER/DIR: Stimson Snead
PRODS: Rich Cowan, Ben Yennie, Felicia Day, Casey Cowan, Kylie Walcuk, Stimson Snead
CAST: 
Starring Samuel Dunning, Co-Starring Felicia Day, Special Appearance by Keith David, With Joel McHale and Danny Trejo

It is called the Time Travelers Paradox. In which a scientist creates a Time Machine and kills their younger self. So now a man who should not- can not- exist, somehow does. That is the Paradox, and Paradoxes are impossible. And the man who has created it, is Tim Travers. A reclusive mad scientist whose stated mission in life is to stand alone with God at the end of time, and tell the bastard off. TIM TRAVERS AND THE TIME TRAVELER’S PARADOX

For more Dances With Films coverage, click here!

‘HOW I ROLL’ (DWF:LA 2024 short) Resilience at its finest

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HOW I ROLL
https://danceswithfilms.com/HOW-I-ROLL-2/

How I roll posterOne of the most harrowing stories I’ve seen featured in a short film comes from BriGuel‘s HOW I ROLL. This 13-minute emotional rollercoaster is an eye-opening tale of resilience. Robin Cohen lives with MS, navigating Miami, Manhattan, and a family history of shocking violence, loss, and great love. 

HOW-I-ROLLBriGuel beautifully edits Cohen’s innermost thoughts, one on top of the other in the most organic way, mimicking the chaos of our mind’s intrusive thoughts. With an abundance of home videos and footage of Robin’s daily life and love story, HOW I ROLL introduces the world to a woman who inspires us to love, laugh, and live life to its fullest despite what might feel like insurmountable odds. Eternal positivity and perseverance are the beauty of life.

Get Tickets Here!

How I Roll (Official Trailer) from BriGuel on Vimeo.

DIRS: Brianne Berkson & Miguel Gluckstern, BriGuel
PRODS: Robin Cohen, Brianne Berkson, Miguel Gluckstern, Stefany Dobken

Facing unthinkable hardships – murder, loss, battling MS for 25 years, Robin Cohen impressively defies the odds, finding light despite the darkness.

For more DWF coverage, click here!

‘WHAT A FEELING’ (Frameline 48) An age and stage charmer from filmmaker Kat Rohrer.

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WHAT A FEELING

What a Feeling (2024) - www.imdb.comIt is easy to see why Kat Rohrer‘s Frameline 48 feature WHAT A FEELING played to a sold-out crowd last night. This authentic love story is everything you want it to be.  Workplace shenanigans and complicated family dynamics genuinely ground the film. This naturally progressing script has it all.

what a feeling 3Fa is a wildly unpredictable woman who enjoys creating things with her hands and bouncing from woman to woman. Marie is a doctor whose husband demands a divorce on their 20th wedding anniversary. When the two run into each other, almost quite literally, they discover an unexpected spark between them.

what a feeling 2Caroline Peters delivers laughs and heart in the role of Marie Theres. Proschat Madani gives Fa a firecracker spirit. Both offer depth to roles that could easily remain surface-level clichés. Their chemistry is magic, and Rohrer thoughtfully crafts their characters’ journeys.

what a feeling 1The film leans into conversations of identity, both sexual and national, with Fa being Iranian. It tackles inherent bias and standing up for what’s right, no matter the issue. WHAT A FEELING dives into the nuance of relationships and the mistakes we make that either force us to grow or flee. It’s a lovely film.

https://youtu.be/-MRHS5I1umI

DIRECTOR
Kat Rohrer
YEAR
2024
COUNTRY
Austria
RUNNING TIME
110 mins
LANGUAGE
German, English, & Persian
SECTION
Narrative Features

For more LGBTQIA+ films, click here!

‘WHAT REMAINS’ (2024) Based on a true story and unresolved trauma

WHAT REMAINS

What Remains PosterUpon his upcoming release from a specialized mental hospital in Scandinavia, a man suddenly reveals his connection to a string of murders. His therapist and the police officer on the case go down the rabbit hole, putting all three of them in a precarious relationship.

Stellan Skarsgård plays Officer Soren Rank. He is always a solid actor. This role is another notch on his vast resume. Andrea Riseborough gives Dr. Anna Rudebeck a staunch determination. Yet again, she climbs into the skin of a self-sabotaging and flawed woman who would rather help others than confront her childhood trauma.

What Remains still 1Gustaf Skarsgård is Mads a deep sadness. His gentle nature is at odds with his confessions, although his true motivations feel evident from the beginning. Nevertheless, Skarsgård delivers an emotionally wrought performance.

The script comes from director Ran Huang and Megan Everett-Skarsgard, wife of Stellan and stepmother of Gustaf. WHAT REMAINS is Huang’s feature debut. The characters are so lush that I might suggest expanding this into a miniseries.

What-RemainsHaunting takes in the gloomy natural light of a rainstorm or afternoon in an unlit room, capturing the dark essence of the narrative. The true story behind the film is one of the most unusual in criminal history. In the 1990s, Sture Ragnar Bergwall (later known as Thomas Quicke ) confessed to 20 unsolved murders (convicted of 5). Years later, he rescinded his statements.

It is an intriguing commentary about mental health systems worldwide. The film takes place in Scandinavia, and Mads undergoes rehabilitation treatment. The stark difference between the US industrial prison complex is shocking. The human desire to heal inmates versus for-profit prisons is eye-opening. WHAT REMAINS speaks to the unrelenting consequences of unresolved trauma.

In Theaters & On Demand June 21st
 
** Locarno Film Festival **
** Warsaw International Film Festival **
** Beijing International Film Festival **
** Fantasy FilmFest **

Starring:
Gustaf Skarsgård (“Vikings”),
Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie)
and Stellan Skarsgård (Dune: Part Two)
 
Directed by: Ran Huang
 
Written by: Ran Huang and Megan Everett-Skarsgard 


LOGLINE
In a psychiatric hospital, an alleged serial killer, his therapist, and a police detective seek to solve a brutal cold case before their obsessive quest for the truth consumes them all.

For more films Based On A True Story, click here!

 

Interesting Read – The Craftsmanship of 1:1 Super Clone Watches  gives you the feel and look of the original watch

‘THE HONGFU HOTEL’ (Tribeca 2024 short) Hauntingly spectacular

tribeca 2024 logoTHE HONGFU HOTEL

https://tribecafilm.com/films/hongfu-hotel-2024

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Undoubtedly one of the most visually spectacular short films at Tribeca 2024, Tian Xu’s THE HONGFU HOTEL finds a father and son on the eve of the demolition of their family hotel in New York City. Feng arrives to check in on his father, Chan, the proprietor of their generations-old Chinatown hotel. Sold and marked for destruction to make way for a new road, Chan’s mission to see the spirits of the hotel’s old inhabitants reincarnated has seemingly failed. He plans to return to China and wishes to sign over the hotel and the profits to Feng. 

Feng battles demons past and present as he agrees to bid farewell to the upper floors one last time. What he finds has little impact on him but transfixes the audience with the lush production design. The set is intricate from ceiling to floor. Without spoiling the magic of THE HONGFU HOTEL, the film delves into Chinese mythology and religion in a mesmerizing way, challenging the viewer to open their minds to intergenerational trauma and the things we cannot see. 

Tian Xu and the entire HONGFU HOTEL crew have something indisputably special on their hands. I would be incredibly interested in an expanded universe here. The possibilities are endless. THE HONGFU HOTEL is spellbinding.

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World Premiere

The HongFu Hotel

Shorts

Short | United States | 19 MINUTES | English | English subtitles

Director

Tian Xu

Producer

“Amy” Kouxiao Zhang

Screenwriter

Tian Xu, Michael Ben-Iftah Nutovits, Bing Xu, Jacob Vaus

Cinematographer

“Steven” Sixiong Xie

Editor

Tian Xu, Yumeng “Judith” Zhu

Production Designer

“Mojo” Miao Wen

Executive Producer

Bing Xu

Associate Producer

Michael Ben-Iftah Nutovits

Co-Producer

Xiaojia Zhu

Cast

Kevin Dang, Zhu-Sheng Yin, Annalee Richards, Christine Liao, Jason Sun

The Hongfu hotel (2024) poster - www.imdb.com



Genre: Horror, Family, New York

Synopsis: A son reunites with his father on the eve of their family hotel’s demolition and is asked to bid farewell to the lingering spirits of the hotel’s past guests.

The film combines Chinese mythology and religion with modern-day New York City. Telling an immigrant story through the lens of horror.

For more Tribeca 2024 coverage, click here!

‘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.

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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!

‘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!

‘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

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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.

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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.

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


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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

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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
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArrowVideo


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‘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. 

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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.

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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.

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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).

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‘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.

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

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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.


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‘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.

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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

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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.

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‘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

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