Steve Balderson has been shattering the industry mold for years. This week, his film praised by Roger Ebert as one of the best films in 2005, FIRECRACKER, has its 10th Anniversary screening. Beginning in a micro studio is Kansas, Steve finally made the jump to Hollywood this year. Today, we’ll bring you 3 reviews and an interview with Steve. Get inside the mind of a man who easily crosses genre lines and does it without the budgets and connections of his predecessors. Ladies & Gentlemen, Steve Balderson.
This is pitch perfect black comedy with the gore of a horror industry master. Clearly inspired by Twin Peaks, this film is so over the top, it leaves you begging for more. you can read my full review here.
The score is stunning, the cinematography might as well be an add for the landscape and the local sites. Susan Traylor, as Lizzy, is haunted and ethereal. Anslem Richardson, as Guy, is soft and magnetic. Someone, two people who should have nothing in common create a world of self discovery and forgiveness. Written in collaboration with Traylor, Richardson, and Balderson, the dialogue runs in circles at moments, keeping you on your toes constantly. El Ganzo has a quiet elegance that will capture your heart.
Horror legend Karen Black appears in this most unusual story. A young boy from an abusive home longs for escape, while a singer from a carnival longs for the same. When their worlds collide, tragedy strikes. 
This is one of those films where seeing is believing. The striking visual scope of Firecracker is just one of the things that makes it so unreal. Half in black & white and the other half in overly saturated color, the emotional story lines are hard drawn. Paying almost direct homage to FREAKS, (and far before it’s time, Jessica Lange’s leading lady in Season 4 of American Horror Story) FIRECRACKER is disturbing in so many ways. 
Black plays duels roles, as both the carnival chanteuse and mother with a severe case a PTSD. Son Jimmy is caught between both worlds. The emotional grip this strange tale holds upon the audience is something to experience in the theater, in the dark, on a big screen, surrounded by others experiencing it for the first time. 
I was fortunate enough to chat with Steve last week. Here our fun interview.
For even more info on Steve Balderson, you can check out his website.
Steve Balderson – Director
After attending CalArts Film School, Steve Balderson had something many film makers don’t achieve in a lifetime: a fully realized artistic vision. At the young age of 23, he made his first full-length feature film, PEP SQUAD, which became a cult classic. His second film, FIRECRACKER, starring Karen Black and Mike Patton, was praised by critics worldwide and given a Special Jury Award on Roger Ebert’s list of 2005’s Best Films. His third film, WATCH OUT, was praised by critics as one of the great cult films of all time and shortlisted for Best International Feature in various film festivals. In 2011, the U.S. Library of Congress selected his film THE CASSEROLE CLUB for its permanent collection. Film Threat magazine says, Balderson makes movies that are so gorgeous that it’s not unreasonable to say that, cinematographically at least; he’s the equal of an Argento or Kubrick in their prime. Some people have perfect vocal pitch, Steve has perfect visual composition. Interested not just in film but also architecture, design and elements of time and space, Balderson’s milieu is all-inclusive and his work bears an unmistakable, individual stamp. Though he chuckles when he says his idea of a good time is going out to sketch a story board, he’s not kidding. Driven and prolific, Balderson happily shares his secrets in Maverick Filmmaking Workshops, where he instructs and inspires filmmakers young and old.
Drawing on personal experiences tends to be a pretty successful way to tell a story. Raw emotion tends to translate from page to screen, especially if you have a legend bringing your words to life. Jerry Lewis makes Daniel Noah‘s new film a beautiful and heart-wrenching winner. MAX ROSE tells the story of a retired jazz pianist whose world is sent into a tailspin after he finds a letter given to his wife. Who is the mysterious author? This could change everything he’s ever known.
Written and directed by Joe Begos (Almost Human), The Mind’s Eye reunites him with his Almost Human film star Graham Skipper along with cast members Lauren Ashley Carter (Premium Rush, The Woman), John Speredakos (The House of the Devil), and Noah Segan (Some Kind of Hate, Looper). THE MIND’S EYE is undeniably an homage to David Cronenberg‘s Scanners. Low budget and over the top schlock are at it’s best and tailored for the midnight audience.
Nothing makes me happier while watching a film than thinking I’m watching one story and then getting hit with a proverbial 2×4 in plot. It’s a ballsy move that either pays off or loses the audience. In Ben Cresciman‘s sophomore feature as both writer and director, a young woman’s health and sanity are in serious question. With the watchful eye from her lifelong caretaker, can she conquer what lies deep down. Welcome to the oddity that is SUN CHOKE.
The newest digital release from 
Jeremy got the incredible oportunity to see Bluebird at the Indy Film Fest last year. In his review, he outlines the gutwrenching and effecting emotional hold the film has on it’s audience. I could not have said it better myself, so here are a few quotes from Jeremy’s review:
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The cinematography from Austria’s preeminent DP Martin Gschlacht (Goodnight Mommy, Oscar-nominated Revanch
Presents
Oliver Thompson‘s duel role as writer and director suits this indie gem to a T. Stylistically vibrant and charming, WELCOME TO HAPPINESS is something akin to ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND in look and quirk factor, but most assuredly has its very own unique voice. The colorful cinematography is a brilliant reflection of each character’s momentary mood. The plot has intrinsically intertwined story lines and is full of surprisingly insightful glee all while tackling the ghost of depression. Thompson has achieved quite the feat, no doubt. 
Almost entirely shot in the woods, our lead character Ann has only her vehicle and two small camps on a lake. Screenwriter David Ebeltoft’s immensely effective script, utilizes intermittent flashbacks to show us how Ann came to be on her own. Once traveling with her husband and infant daughter, the audience must allow themselves to be with Ann in the present in order to feel emotionally connected. She is smart and resilient. She has learned that practicality is the only way to survive. Her newly gained skills sometimes fumble, adding to the realism factor. The minute she allows her emotions to control her path, things are bound to go awry. When Ann stumbles upon Chris and his step-daughter Olivia, her motherly instinct may be her undoing. Two mindsets are at play; Stay put or keep moving. Which would you choose? Blackhurst’s use of nudity is never without purpose. There is no glamour factor here, which is much appreciated in the genre in general. Lucy Walters‘ lead performance is breathtaking. It’s not until the very end that we discover what happened to Ann’s daughter. That particular scene, which we know from the very beginning we’ve been building up to, is one of the most gut-wrenching I’ve seen on film. Maybe it’s the new Mommy hormones, maybe it’s Ebeltoft specifically crafted script, or maybe it’s the perfect storm of the two. I don’t think I have ever wept while watching a horror film until now. In a “what would you do?” scenario from hell, HERE ALONE tears your heart out and challenges how you think you’d react in a doomsday situation. When you’re down to your last bullet, it’s life or death.
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