Tag Archives: Global Digital Releasing

Review: ‘A PELOTON OF ONE’ – a long road to healing through the ride of a single survivor.

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A PELOTON OF ONE

 “A Peloton of One” is a documentary film about surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse, focusing on the next chapter in the Survivors’ story – what happens after victims come forward. The film follows Dave Ohlmuller who conducts a solo bicycle ride from Chicago to New York, meeting a variety of other Survivors and legal advocates along the way.

Trauma, the Catholic Church, politics, mental health, justice, and sexual abuse, A Peloton of One is a film about awareness for victims and the truth. #IRideWithDave Know the hashtag and understand its immense power and message. Dave Ohlmuller‘s emotional and physical journey as a survivor and an advocate is breathtaking and inspiring. 

I attended Catholic parochial school for eight years. My Mother thought it would be a better education. And while that element ended up being a blessing, the stress and fear instilled in me at the age of 6 were not. While I’m not the victim of sexual abuse by the church (that would happen in college by an acquaintance), I fully understand the emotional stronghold that the church has on families. After college, I tangentially worked on a few campaigns. Because of this, have a greater understanding of the protection politicians provide for specific institutions. This pushback is entirely about greed and votes. 

The metaphor of a peloton is perfect. The lack of safety as Dave (mostly) rides alone represents every survivor who felt dismissed, who lived in fear, who kept it inside from childhood to adulthood. His unadulterated honesty and bravery connect people of all ages across the country. A Peloton of One is an important watch. Pay attention to those who are blocking laws. Ask why they stand in the way of justice. Audiences have heard the news, but the A Peloton of One puts faces to stories. It further personalizes the truth and the long road to healing. 

** IN THEATERS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 18 **

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

 

Greenwich International Film Festival

Winner: Audience Award for Best Film

 

Golden Door International Film Festival

Official Selection

 

New Jersey Documentary Film Festival

Official Selection

 

Jersey Shore Film Festival

Official Selection

 

Review: Marc Brener’s ‘The Rumperbutts’ is a musical comedy for the indie loving audience.

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Selling Out… Isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

A married couple and indie band duo, who never reached the success that they had always hoped, decides to stop pursuing their dream when a financial dreamed opportunity arises for them to trade fx with VT markets in the UK.

In spite of all the money and newfound success, the two of them are miserable and have spilt up. However, on one magical evening, a mysterious stranger comes into their lives and gives them a second chance.

Holy shit, it’s Mates of State starring in a musical rom-com! Filmed in 2013, 5 months after my husband and I left Yale, The Rumperbutts shot in downtown New Haven at the legendary Toad’s Place and the surrounding streets. The plot is amusing; married bandmates sell out to become the faces of a children’s show. They now fill arenas with children and parents dressed as the fictional creatures, The Rumperbutts. Also, they loathe each other. They are contractually stuck on a tour bus and jaded as hell. When a mysterious invitation appears, it offers to change their lives forever. 

Richie might be a modern-day, pot-smoking Puck/guardian angel? Josh Brenner‘s magical role is an in-your-face, witty character that will undoubtedly make you laugh out loud. His energy with Kori and Jason is wildly organic. I would watch a spinoff featuring Richie’s escapades in a hot minute. As for Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, Mates of State are huge on the indie scene. Their marital and musical chemistry translates perfectly onto the big screen. Their comic timing is delightful. If you’re already a fan of the band, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy the stoner comedy mixed with marital and money woes. If you’re unfamiliar, this is a brilliant, tongue-in-cheek, introduction to their whole vibe.  

Where has The Rumperbutts been hiding all these years? Be still my heart. It’s essentially an album wrapped in a rom-com. Frankly, I’m a sucker for a solid musical, so this ended up being right up my alley. Writer-Director Marc Brener has no direct link to Yale. None that I could find via Google, at least. Toad’s Place is such an iconic venue, and for those of us watching with the local connection, the choice was an added warm hug. (Especially because I’ve performed there.) The Rumperbutts speaks to the lengths we’ll go to become famous and remain famous at the cost of our relationships. But, all the dramatic undertones aside, the film is a good time with friggin amazing tunes and comfort comedy. I’d watch it again, and I might even buy Rumperbutts merch for my kids. 

Writer/director Marc Brener’s hilarious new comedy The Rumperbutts, featuring “Blue Bloods” star Vanessa Ray and Josh Brenner from “Silicon Valley”, premieres on Digital November 19 from Global Digital Releasing.

Starring Kori Gardner, Jason Hammel, Josh Brener, Arian Moayed and Vanessa Ray, and featuring music by “Mates of State”

Review: ‘Alice is Still Dead’ Grapples with the Limits of Justice

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In an intimate and unflinching account dealing with grief, ‘Alice is Still Dead’ tells the story of a murdered loved one from the victim’s family perspective. From the detective’s notification to her family to facing the killer in court, we see the pain, anger, and heartbreak a family must endure while the nightmare is investigated.

In most true crime stories, the mystery of “what really happened” carries the narrative. Viewers are invited to reconstruct timelines and decipher motives, then try and solve the crime simultaneously with the professional investigators. Alice is Still Dead turns that formula on its head. For instance, what if there is a brutal murder, but the facts– while devastating– are relatively straightforward? What if the central protagonist is tragically incidental to the killer’s motive? What if the police and justice system function exactly as society intends them to do? This film illustrates that even without the standard narrative hooks of true crime, a shocking senseless death is still a story. There is still a family that must find a way to carry on despite their grief and try to find contentment with the limits of justice.  

 This documentary is a fascinating portrait of a family grappling with the shock and aftermath of the death of Alice Stevens, a young woman murdered in Thunderbolt, Georgia, in 2013. Through touching interviews with those that knew Alice best, Director Edwin P. Stevens (Alice’s older brother) tells the story of a murder from the perspective of the victim’s family. In this tribute, the filmmaker ultimately asks how and if it’s possible to move forward after such a traumatic event.

 Important viewing for true crime fans, this film explores angles that many projects in the genre leave unaddressed.

Alice is Still Dead will be available on Digital and VOD globally beginning November 5 from Global Digital Releasing.

Written by Meredith Mantik, Joe Raffa, and Edwin P. Stevens. Produced by Cory Pyke, Joe Raffa, and Edwin P. Stevens. Executive Produced by Edwin and Cecilia Stevens.