‘DREAM TEAM’ (2024) An homage that rides the bit to the bitter, coral-covered end.

Yellow Veil Updated logoDREAM TEAM

Dream Team poster

Filmmakers Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn bring us an absurdist homage to 90s basic cable TV thrillers. DREAM TEAM follows the episodic escapades of two hot West Coast INTERPOL agents who uncover an international, interspecies mystery involving psychic coral, a sexually suggestive scientist, and an invisible coworker with a very vindictive streak. Do you remember when you used to fall asleep in front of the television in middle school and wake up at 2 am only to find some weird low-budget movie playing? DREAM TEAM takes you back in a time machine of half-awake ideas and visual nostalgia.

Dream team NoAgents No and Chase (Esther Garrel and Alex Zhang Hungtai) leisurely follow the trail of deaths but mostly sport tight clothes and make innuendos. The script occurs in episodes featuring a repeated title sequence and undeniably clever cheeky titles.

The 16mm cinematography is Chef’s Kiss, from the extreme handheld close-ups to the shaky handheld everything else. The editing by Whitney is a masterful fever dream of overlapping superimposed fades and soft-core imagery (many aquarium shots. A lot.) The amount of B-roll outnumbers the actual plot. Each element nails the 90s aesthetic, with appropriately absurd costumes and a wealth of black light.

Dream team 1The script is intentionally utter nonsense. If you want to learn about coral, DREAM TEAM is your jam. Performances across the board are spot-on for mediocre porn overdramatics. I feel like watching on mushrooms would be an experience. There are so many moments of WTF I lost count 30 minutes in. At that point, it is best to throw your hands up and tell yourself, “Sure, why not?” My favorite scene involves an invisible coworker. I was also thankful for the break in what I assume are meant to be channel surfing breaks in the narrative pattern.

Dream team 2It is easy to see why Jane Schoenbrun acts as executive producer. The neon color pops are right up her alley. Listen, coming from someone who starred in two of these things many years ago – do not even try to look that shit up on the internet, I will hunt you down- DREAM TEAM owns the bit. The question remains whether audiences will tolerate it for 90-plus minutes.

 

The trippy, surreal, sci-fi/comedy
DREAM TEAM
opens at Metrograph NYC on Nov. 15th
 
The acclaimed 16mm satire of 90s softcore action is produced by I SAW THE TV GLOW writer/director Jane Schoenbrun
 
 

The third audacious feature from Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn (L FOR LEISURE, TWO PLAINS & A FANCY), DREAM TEAM once again blends the filmmakers’ wild genre pastiches into sociopolitical parables, creating a truly unforgettable – and beautifully weird – cinema experience. The critically-acclaimed sci-fi/comedy debuted at 2024’s International Film Festival Rotterdam and stars Esther Garrel and Alex Zhang Hungtai.

An absurdist homage to ’90s basic cable TV thrillers, DREAM TEAM follows the episodic escapades of two hot West Coast INTERPOL agents who uncover an international, interspecies mystery involving psychic coral, a sexually suggestive scientist, and an invisible coworker with a very vindictive streak.

DREAM TEAM kicks off a retrospective of Kalman and Horn’s filmography at the Metrograph in New York City. Their previous two features will play In Theater as part of the “Retro-Futurism: The Films of Lev Kalman & Whitney Horn” series, and screen via Metrograph At Home.

Distributed by Yellow Veil Pictures, the satirical sci-fi/comedy is produced by Lev Kalman, Whitney Horn, Sarah Winshall, Pierce Varous, and I SAW THE TV GLOW director Jane Schoenbrun.

For more sci-fi coverage, click here!

‘GIRL INTERNET SHOW: A KATI KELLI MIXTAPE’ (Fantastic Fest 2024) An experimental greatest hits documentary of a pioneering goddess.

FantasticFest_2024_Poster (GIRL INTERNET SHOW: A KATI KELLI MIXTAPE

girl internet show: kati Kelli poster

This brand-new feature-length “mixtape” unearths and reintroduces a stunning, singular body of work by the enigmatic Kati Kelli, an outsider video artist and digital native whose subversive online uploads push at the seams of the digital form. For nearly a decade before her passing in 2019, Kati ran “Girl Internet Show,” a YouTube channel, parasocial experiment, and epically deranged one-woman universe built from scratch in her bedroom. This hand-made mixtape by Jane Schoenbrun and Jordan Wippell features a lovingly curated selection of Kati’s online work, unreleased videos, and her first (and final) short film opus Total Body Removal Surgery.

girl internet show Kati Kelli still 1

Kelli’s videos range from character work, songs, artistic interpretation, and brief mundane behind-the-scenes footage, almost always direct to the camera. She is effortlessly funny, undeniably weird, and an improv queen. Her editing skills are mind-blowing.

girl internet show kati kelliKelli is a star. She has that sardonic wit you see in Aubrey Plaza. Frankly, if you told me they were blood relatives, I would accept that as fact. Also, it’s impossible to ignore how stunning she is.

I found myself mesmerized, even as some of Kelli’s sketches stretch on well past a comic norm. You just keep watching. Girl Internet Show is equal parts entertainment and voyeuristic pleasure. Teaming Jordan Wippell (who was also Kati’s partner) and Jane Schoenbrun makes so much sense. It is a creative marriage of deeply like-minded genius, and I know Kati would approve.

girl internet show: a kati Kelli Mixtape bannerThe film ends with Kati’s short film, finished three days before her passing. The subject is both ironic and eerie. Going in with the understanding that Kati is no longer with us weighs heavy in the back of your mind. Knowing what a massive star she was and how much bigger she could have been leaves a sting, but GIRL INTERNET SHOW: A Kati Kelli Mixtape celebrates an artist in all her magnificence. It’s an unforgettable film. Kelli lives forever, an eternal celluloid angel. She flies.

https://fantasticfest24.eventive.org/schedule/66cfc89c908740004850cb0e


Director Biography – Kati Kelli

kati kelli headhsot

Kati Kelli is a Los Angeles-based experimental video artist known for her surrealist approach to online media and cutting-edge, culture-jamming satire. Using baby dolls, caricatures, and maximalist editing techniques, Kati Kelli deconstructs her online identity while reveling in the toxic allure of social media.

She passed away in 2019 shortly after completing her first short film.

 

 


FantasticFest_2024_BannerMAIN_LOGO

For all things Fantastic Fest 2024, click here!

Sundance 2024 preview: A film for everyone at the festival’s 40th Edition.

Sundance Film Festival 2024 Color Logo
The Sundance Film Festival has launched the careers of indie film directors, writers, and actors now for 40 years. Back with in-person and online screening opportunities, this year’s iteration boasts new and bold storytelling from every genre. Here are a handful of films we’ll track in 2024.

 

For more information and tickets to Sundance 2024, click here! Be on the lookout for shared coverage with our good friend, Steve Kopian, at Unseen Films. To see all of his reviews and what he’s looking forward to this year, head over to his home base.

(World Cinema Dramatic Competition)
SUJO

S till from the Sundance film SUJO
When a cartel gunman is killed, he leaves behind Sujo, his beloved 4-year-old son. The shadow of violence surrounds Sujo during each stage of his life in the isolated Mexican countryside. As he grows into a man, Sujo finds that fulfilling his father’s destiny may be inescapable.

A movie about time and trauma, this beautifully acted and hauntingly written film from the directors of Identifying Features will be sure to captivate audiences. 

This film contains strobe effects.
Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


40th Edition Celebration Screenings And Events

DIG! XX

DIG! XX tracks the tumultuous rise of two talented musicians, Anton Newcombe, leader of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Courtney Taylor, leader of the Dandy Warhols, and dissects their star-crossed friendship and bitter rivalry. Through their loves and obsessions, gigs and recordings, arrests and death threats, uppers and downers, and ultimately to their chance at a piece of the profit-driven music business, they stage a self-proclaimed revolution in the music industry.

DIG! premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition, where it ultimately won the Grand Jury Prize in the documentary category. DIG! XX, which will premiere at the upcoming Festival, is not only a digitally enhanced, remixed, and remastered version of DIG!, but also a special 20th anniversary new edit of the film culled from footage shot over seven years, and brought to you by the original sibling team, Ondi and David Timoner.

*Digitally enhanced and featuring new footage


(Premieres)

And So It Begins

Amidst the traditional pomp and circumstance of Filipino elections, a quirky people’s movement rises to defend the nation against deepening threats to truth and democracy. In a collective act of joy as a form of resistance, hope flickers against the backdrop of increasing autocracy.

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


(World Cinema Documentary Competition)

Eternal You

Startups are using AI to create avatars that allow relatives to talk with their loved ones after they have died. An exploration of a profound human desire and the consequences of turning the dream of immortality into a product.

“I wanted to see if he was okay,” explains Christi, one of the users of Project December. With this innovative software, users can communicate with a virtual version of the deceased through a chatbot that simulates the dead person’s conversation patterns. Hers was an attempt to check on her first love. Others may simply miss someone, seek permission to move on, or want to rid themselves of guilt.

At this point, I think we’ve all seen the app that turns photos into moving images. The idea feels equally sentimental and disturbing. Eternal You takes this tech further, begging the question, “How far are we willing to go to feel connected to those we’ve lost, and how might that affect our brains?” 

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


World Cinema Documentary Competition

A New Kind of Wilderness

In a forest in Norway, a family lives an isolated lifestyle in an attempt to be wild and free, but a tragic event changes everything, and they are forced to adjust to modern society.

Silje Evensmo Jacobsen mixes home movies and a carefully intimate approach to the Payne family, whose isolated existence gets shaken up quite suddenly. This beautiful portrait of connection and resilience in the face of grief will touch your heart.

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


(NEXT)

REALM OF SATAN

An experiential portrait depicting Satanists in both the every day and in the extraordinary as they fight to preserve their lifestyle: magic, mystery, and misanthropy.

Filmmaker Scott Cummings is no stranger to Sundance, having edited many highly acclaimed festival premieres over the past decade, including Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Monsters and Men, and Wendy.

When I tell you that you aren’t ready for this doc, I mean it in the best way possible. Created to ruffle feathers and dispel right-wing hypocrisy, Scott Cummings titillates with gorgeous framing and a touch of tongue-in-cheek magical realism. 

This film contains graphic sexual content. Audiences must be 18 or older.

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28)


(Premieres)

My Old Ass

Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza in Sundance film MY OLD ASS

Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza in the Sundance film MY OLD ASS

The summer before college, bright-yet-irreverent Elliott comes face-to-face with her older self during a mushroom trip. The encounter spurs a funny and heartfelt journey of self-discovery and first love as Elliott prepares to leave her childhood home.

The concept alone should get your butt into a seat, but filmmaker Megan Park casting Aubrey Plaza is chef’s kiss in indie cinema.


(Midnight)

I Saw the TV Glow

Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine  in I SAW THE TV GLOW

Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine in I SAW THE TV GLOW

Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.

Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021 Sundance Film Festival) gave us one of the coolest genre-bending films with a breakout performance from star Anna Cobb. I cannot wait to see how this one twists my sanity and senses. 

This film contains violence and gore.

This film contains strobe effects.


Sundace Film Festival 2024 Black and White logoTo find out more information on all things Sundance 2024, head to https://festival.sundance.org/

 

Huge Genre News: NIGHTSTREAM is back in new form!

Digital Genre Film Fest NIGHTSTREAM Relaunched Yesterday as Year Round Curated TVOD Platform, Ft. Exclusive Title SUMMONERS, Films from Distros Including Oscilloscope, Utopia, Dark Sky & More


Christine Nyland and Larry Fessenden from Nightstream Exclusive SUMMONERS


(Brooklyn, NY | October 31, 2023) The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, in association with the Boston Underground Film Festival and the Overlook Film Festival, announces today the re-launch of Nightstream. The former virtual film festival will re-launch as a transactional VOD platform that will showcase acclaimed genre films. Nightstream enables at-home audiences to have a one-stop-shop for their favorite (and new discovery) genre indies in lieu of scrolling through offerings buried in other more overarching platforms. Viewers can expect the lineup to continue to grow over time but always remain curated by the festival programmers.

Nightstream was initially launched in 2020 when film festivals were shuttered at the height of the pandemic. These major horror festivals joined forces to satiate their audiences’ appetites for new, exciting titles even while they were stuck at home. Despite the fact that the world is back in action, Nightstream will give genre fans the curated festival experience 24/7.

Terence Krey and Christine Nyland, the filmmaking team behind 2020’s indie gem An Unquiet Grave, unveil Summoners as the very first Nightstream Exclusive. The film made its world premiere at Brooklyn Horror Festival last year and debuts exclusively on the platform as a launch title. Co-starring indie icon Larry Fessenden, the film focuses on a former witch who is plunged back into a world of witchcraft far more dangerous than ever before after her childhood friend seeks her help in performing a dark spell.

Spearheading the relaunch is Justin Timms, Director of Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. “Finding a way to support new indie films along with keeping our collective festivals afloat during the pandemic was our priority and I’m thrilled that we can continue that for the long term,” says Timms. “Not only will we be sharing revenue with the films on the channel but a portion of the proceeds will also be split among the other founding festivals. We hope audiences around the country will see the value in supporting this effort and choose Nightstream when renting one of these standout titles.”

As of today’s Halloween launch day, the platform will feature over thirty titles, including those from indie distributors Oscilloscope, Dark Star, Dark Sky, Dekanalog, Utopia, Yellow Veil Pictures, and others. Titles include Jane Schoenbrun’s We’re All Going to World’s Fair (Utopia), Gaspar Noe’s Lux Aeterna (Yellow Veil), Joel PotrykusBuzzard (Oscilloscope), and much more. The full listing of film offerings is available at nightstream.org.

Prices will vary per title, and users will have the option to rent or buy most titles with a default pricing of $4.99 to rent and $12.99 to buy.

Full information is available at:
https://nightstream.org/

About Nightstream
In response to the many challenges impacting the film community amid the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing concerns of safety and security associated with physical exhibition and festivals in 2020 and 2021, the collaborative online event NIGHTSTREAM was launched by organizers of a number of American genre festivals across the country to present a dynamic and accessible virtual film festival.

NIGHTSTREAM will live on, continuing as a curated hub for genre films where audiences across the US will be able to rent, buy and discover the latest indie films.

About Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
Bringing the best of domestic and international genre cinema to New York City since 2016, the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival is a premier East Coast genre festival that embodies the eclectic spirit of its namesake.

Brooklyn Horror not only provides the nightmare fuel that audiences expect but also prides itself on challenging those expectations, spotlighting films that push the boundaries of what is normally deemed horror.

Taking place in venues throughout the borough every October, BHFF compliments its ambitious features and shorts programming with exciting and unique live events, crafting a must-attend festival experience for industry members and film fans alike.


 

In theaters and on VOD today, Andy Mitton’s ‘The Harbinger’ is a waking nightmare.

THE HARBINGER

Mo is taking every precaution possible in lockdown with her father and brother. When summoned to the city by an old friend, Mo’s loyalty takes precedence over her protesting family. She arrives to find a strung-out Mavis claiming something is controlling her dreams. When Mo then begins to have her dreams invaded by a hooded figure in a plague mask, things go from bad to downright terrifying. Writer-director Andy Mitton, who brought The Witch In The Window to Fantasia in 2018, dives headfirst into his new supernatural horror and extra creepy Fantasia 2022 entry, The Harbinger

The script slickly combines historic iconography from the plague to mirror current events and builds upon the concept of mass hysteria and mental health. Mitton introduces demonology and then mixes in the idea of viral internet posts, an issue directly addressed in Jane Schoenbrun‘s brilliant film, We’re All Going To The World’s Fair. Combined with the rapid spread of misinformation, internet challenges like Momo, and urban legends like Slenderman, the spread of evil becomes exponential. But this is really simplifying the fear in The Harbinger

Gabby Beans gives us every ounce of herself as Mo. She is the heartbeat of this plot. Beans brings a grounded vulnerability, and I cannot imagine any other performer in this role. The film has everything and then some. Jarring imagery, thoughtful camera work, cool-as-hell production design, and meticulously placed jump scares keep your pulse pounding as this story unfolds. On top of the authentic terror we all experienced at the beginning of the covid lockdown, The Harbinger is a masterfully crafted, waking nightmare. 


Andy Mitton’s THE HARBINGER opens in cinemas and on VOD today from XYZ Films


DIRECTOR

Andy Mitton

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Cassidy Freeman, Clark Freeman

PRODUCER

Jay Dunn, Richard W. King

WRITER

Andy Mitton

CAST

Gabby Beans, Cody Braverman, Emily Davis, Ray Anthony Thomas, Myles Walker

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Ludovica Isidori

COMPOSER

Andy Mitton

EDITOR

Andy Mitton

Grimmfest (2021) review: ‘We’re All Going To The World’s Fair’ showcases the terror of living online.

WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR

I want to go to the World’s Fair. I want to go to the World’s Fair. I want to go to the World’s Fair.” Say it three times into your computer camera. Prick your finger, draw some blood and smear it on the screen. Now press play on the video. They say that once you’ve seen it, the changes begin… In a small town, a shy and isolated teenage girl becomes immersed in an online role-playing game.


Voyeuristic intimacy meets horror internet challenge We’re All Going To The World’s Fair speaks directly to the danger of the YouTube generation. Casey is a loner who seeks refuge online. When she takes an internet challenge, something that has had real-life, deadly consequences in recent years, her small world gets vastly stranger. We’re All Going To The World’s Fair tackles many weighty subjects; loneliness, depression, mental illness, identity, and gullibility. There’s the parent/child dynamic that, when present, is filled with fear and emotional abuse. 

Michael J Rogers plays JLB with majorly creepy vibes. From his voice to his subtle physicality, Rogers embodies a chilling persona. The viewer is left to interpret his intentions. It is a disturbing performanceAnna Cobb‘s feature debut is a powerhouse. What a fearless and natural performance. She exudes innocent charm. She’s a loner, clearly not by choice. Once the challenge creeps into her psyche, this becomes something altogether different. Wow, cannot even begin to describe the arc, both physically and emotionally. It’s a stunning turn.

Writer-director-editor Jane Schoenbrun paints a bleak picture of Casey’s hometown. Long takes, some through Casey’s laptop and others handheld, give the film a gritty feel. The lengthy scenes put so much of the film’s success directly onto Anna Cobb’s shoulders. She has a massive responsibility to fill the screen, and she pulls it off like gangbusters. A bonus, the soundtrack is cool as hell. The ending is ambiguous. Something about it is perfectly unsettling. 


[Available October 16, 2021, 1:30 – 11:30 PM] Watch now online…