Liz Whittemore and Amber Benson at Midtown Comics NYC
Let’s be honest, a lot, and I do mean A LOT of us are fans of the Whedonverse. This past Sunday, Liz had the opportunity to sit down with Amber Benson, actor, director and successful author, best known to some from her iconic TV role as Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Amber’s new book, “The Witches of Echo Park” just became available last week. Stay tuned for a special edition of the Girls on Film podcast for the exclusive audio!!
We’re all looking forward to the newest installment of Jurassic World next year. I know CGI has come a long way since the original, but I am looking for some up close and personal dino interactions. Who doesn’t want to actually touch a dinosaur?! I know I do, and I’m totally cool if that makes me even more of a nerd. There is nothing like the famous Triceratops scene in Jurassic Park… because in 1993 they built a life-sized Triceratops! Let’s hope we see some of this artistry once more. Take a look behind the scenes from the original. Read More →
Grief is a very personal experience. Some of us cry, some lash out at loved ones, some shut down. A few even look at a loss as an excuse to reassess their lives. Either way, it is a loss. Five years ago yesterday, I lost someone very special to me. I had experienced the loss of family members before, but this, this was something altogether different. Tyler was a beloved friend. I guess I never actually knew how close we were until after he was ripped from my life without real explanation. The hole gets smaller each day but just barely. There are moments, songs, pictures, that still take the wind out of me. It’s the most horrible feeling. Grief owns me at times. It’s still a process. In Blake Robbins new film, The SUBLIME and BEAUTIFUL, all those feelings rush back into my brain and heart. Read More →
I was lucky enough to attend the press junket for Tim Burton‘s new film, BIG EYES (review coming soon!). Afterwards, I had the opportunity to sit down with the incredibly talented and successful writing partners Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander. Read More →
I injured my neck a few years ago. This year, it flared up and I found out I have the spine of an 80 year old. In case you are wondering. In case you are wondering, I am a very long way off from 80. I had to cancel about two weeks worth of meetings, appointments, and life in general because I could not move. It was not fun. Other than my husband, who is essentially legally obligated to care for me (I have a license that we both signed that says so) no one was around to help me do the simplest of tasks. In fact, the only person that offered to bring me dinner was my very own managing co-editor, Melissa. Shout out is official now. In the new film, TAKE CARE, a woman is stranded in the same way I was. Post car accident, she is forced to rely on a person from her past. Read More →
I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a weird gal. It’s fine. It’s sort of my thing. I like what I like and I’m proud of it. That being said, if someone killed my best friend, I’d hunt them down like the scoundrels they are. (Prime example, I use words like scoundrel in regular conversation). In the new film MURDER OF A CAT, Clinton (Fran Kranz) also, a bit of a weirdo, finds his beloved cat-friend brutally murdered. It is his moral duty to find out who, what, when, where, and why.
Marriage is difficult. I got married 5 days before my husband started business school at Yale. He was on the Investment Banking track. What that meant in my world was that I wouldn’t see my husband for the next 4 months as he prepared for innumerable interviews, events, and attended the accelerated course load that comes with an ivy league school. Even after 6 years together, I had to become a whole new woman. In the new film RED KNOT, a young, newly married couple take this idea to the extreme as they honeymoon on a research vessel near Antarctica.
Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. In Magnolia Pictures new release, PIONEER, we find a story based on true events that is both disturbing and heart-pounding. The film is based upon the scientific and political race to get a group of deep sea divers to 500 meters; a feet never even attempted prior. An American Team and a Norwegian team train side by side and the best men win, or so they think. Petter (Aksel Hennie) and his brother are part of the Norwegian team chosen to pursue the dive which would ultimately allow Norway to build an oil pipeline. After a tragedy during their first real attempt to dive, Petter is thrust into a conspiracy so deep, it is astounding to think that any of this actually happened. Though, if you know anything about international politics, you might think twice.
I LOVE horror movies. I love an original script. I love a great soundtrack. Put them all together and you’ve got me on your side from minute one. There are few movies ever made that deliver on all of these aspects. The one I am about to describe blows it out of the water. Read More →
When I was a child I revelled in my mother and father reading bedtime stories. I grew up on classic Disney fairytales and Tom & Jerry reruns. As an adult, nothing makes me happier than reliving those moments and sharing that joy with the next generation. At this year’s New York Film Festival, I was treated to a film that has been around for ages, but for me was a brand new tale to pass down. Read More →
Music is life’s breath. When you attend a concert, there a thousands of people from different backgrounds, races, religions, ages, what have you. Everyone has one thing in common; they are all connecting to the music. In the emotionally charged and viscerally compelling documentary ALIVE INSIDE, is finally coming to Blu-Ray and DVD. Minutes into this film you will realize why I say what I do. Just for an example, check out the clip from the movie that got the world talking. Rest of the world; May I introduce Henry and ALIVE INSIDE. Read More →
When I was little, I was a fan a Nancy Drew books. My brother had a bookshelf filled with The Hardy Boys collection. I was jealous of that collection. As an adult, I am obsessed with Investigation Discover channel. I’ll straight up have that on in the background all day when I have a day off. I want to know who did it, why, and how. As of late I am a huge fan of NPR‘s new podcast “Serial” (Go do yourself a favor and subscribe now), so when this film came my way, I was more than intrigued.
Bad Turn Worse, a directed by Simon and Zeke Hawkins, grabbed me from the opening scene. Quippy, Tarantino-esque dialogue from the mouths of Texas teens (also reminiscent of Dawson’s Creek… wow, I’m really dating myself now…) made me sit up a little straighter at attention. The plot is not too far fetched. Three friends; two leaving for college in a few weeks, while the third we all know is destined to become a townie in this arid cotton mill town. BJ is a bitter, big fish in a little pond, whose aggressive charm and good looks have gotten him the smart girl next door Sue. Bobby is the best friend to both but his sheep demeanor gets him into some trouble when BJ steals $20K from his sociopath boss. When the shit hits the fan and the three are roped into a heist that is doomed from the start, everything gets turned in it’s head in this noir thriller.
Writer, Dutch Southern, deserves praise with his love letter to crime novelist Jim Thompson.
Jim Thompson — ‘There are thirty-two ways to write a story, and I’ve used every one, but there is only one plot – things are not as they seem.’
Sue makes mention of this in more than a few ways throughout the script. Little does the audience know that they are being led down a twisted plot line that is secretly spoon fed to them from the get go. But, seriously, you sort of miss it until the very end. When is the last time a movie played out in a surprising fashion? In true noir style, just when you think you’ve figured out what going on, nope, left turn.
The acting is fantastic. Mackenzie Davis, who I had previously been introduced to in Breathe In, is so wonderful. Fully fleshed out girl who is smart as a whip but vulnerable enough to fall for the town “badboy” but still have affection for the shy best friend. She gives the perfect balance of naive and cunning. Logan Huffman, who has one of those, ‘Why do I know him? Yeah, he is hot,” kind of demeanors, nails the role of BJ. That jockish, underachiever bitterness is rife for the taking. Jeremy Allen White is entrancing as Bobby. His endearing fragility draws you in. You genuinely feel sorry that he has such a crap best friend. And then, there is our ultimate baddie; Mark Pelligrino, my mysterious Jacob from LOST. His startling crazy is borderline comical but totally works. Money makes people do bad things, and the character of Giff is no exception.
The music is awesome and the cinematography is beautiful. I say catch this film this weekend. It will keep you on the edge of your nerve from beginning to end. Bad Turn Worse comes out today, November 14th in theaters and on VOD.
Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari. Photo by Liz Whittemore
Based on a true story, ROSEWATER marks the screenwriting and directorial debut of The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, and stars Gael García Bernal.
Liz attended the press conference and despite the serious subject matter, Jon Stewart kept them all laughing. Are you really surprised? Heads up to all those Big Daddy fans out there, you’re in for a treat. Listen after the jump!
Oh, p.s. Jon Stewart’s reddit AMA is happening today at 11:30am ET / 8:30am PT! Pick his brain and ASK HIM ANYTHING! #RosewaterMovie
Read More →
At some point or another in time, we’ve all failed to be there for friends. All gotten so wrapped up in our own lives that the ones who most count on us somehow fade into the background. In Chris Lowell’s directorial debut, we find just this scenario. Best Still Waters is a story about love, friendship and the ties that bind us together.
Daniel has just lost his mother and father. As he spirals deeper into depression, his childhood friends show up for a weekend away at his parents’ lake house. Each carrying their own baggage, they must come to terms with the lies they tell each other and themselves once reunited. Very much inspired by the 80’s classic The Big Chill and reminiscent of this year’s Tribeca Film Fest favorite, About Alex, Beside Still Waters deals with “what if”s and “what might have been”s. Reality swiftly punching each character in the gut or to be more specific, slapping them in the face.
As a child I sat in a hard plastic chair in my town library and played The Oregon Trail until eventually my player died of dysentery. I thought it was cool to put my name on a list, hear it called out, and get to play for a whole 30 minutes all my myself. Little did I know/care that I was actually learning in the process. All of those memories came flooding back when I saw the new Roadside Attractions release, The Homesman. Read More →
Airsoft is a skirmish sport that originated in Japan. It is a combat style game in which individuals or teams compete to eliminate their opponent with non-metallic pellets loaded in guns. Standard Airsoft guns are typically replica firearms having a mechanism for shooting projectiles 6-8 mm in diameter. As per operating principles, airsoft guns are classified as spring loaded guns, battery powered electric guns and gas-powered guns.
In the late 1980s, this sport spread to the UK and until the mid-1980s when more and more upper parts for AR-15 rifles started to emerge. The sport has been adapted as a purely recreational activity in many countries.
This skirmish sport is also used in the United States by numerous law enforcement agencies for force-on-force training drills in varying organized scenarios.
Airsoft with a replica weaponGuns tend to run at 350fps-500fps or higher depending on the gun and the manufacturer. All guns are legally liable to comply with the “orange tip” muzzle requirement in order to distinguish them from real live fire ammunition fire arms. Check TheEliteDrone’s airsoft sniper guide
Because our field is close quarter urban combat, we require that all guns playing in our arena are shooting at or below 330fps for safety and have technicians on site to do any alterations necessary to allow players to use their personal weapons in our arena.
All in all, remember that Airsoft is played to have fun. This seems like a no-brainer but I’ve seen many players get caught up in the moment as well as fights breaking out. Try to avoid anything that might spark a conflict because no one wants to be banned from their local field.
Due to the nature of the sport, Airsoft has specific laws made for it so it can help prevent any sort of confusion. Airsoft contains many realistic themes of the military which can cause problems if you don’t know what your country allows. In this section, we’ll cover the basic Airsoft laws that exist in the USA together with our brothers in Canada.
Airsoft equipment can be a very broad topic. In our case, I am referring to the gear you are bringing into the field. First and foremost, you’ll need a tactical military vest to hold your magazines and grenades. Depending on your field, you should find the appropriate camouflage and the number of pockets. Make sure you have enough pockets to store your magazines as well as quick and easy access to whatever equipped. After the vest, I wouldn’t worry too much about your pants unless you’d want to match the camouflage of your torso. Later on in this mega-article, we cover game-changing attachments that can give you pinpoint accuracy. But for now, explore and see what type of clothing you’d like to wear. Check out Eagle Six Gear for the best military apparel.
The BBs used are primarily 6mm size ball made of plastic. They come in different weights and brands as well as BioDegradable or Tracer style. Here at VIP Airsoft, we have our BBs custom created for used specifically within our arena. They are made of high quality plastic and are a custom color to help identify ours from others. This difference allows our players the opportunity to bring any unused BBs to later sessions. A HUGE advantage for our players!
Many players have compared getting hit by a BB as being snapped by a rubberband. This sensation can be lessened by the amount of layers being worn, safety protection and the fabrics. So dress accordingly and be prepared to get hit. While the FPS we run in our arena will not cause blood draw, it may leave marks that last about an hour. Again, the better prepared you come with what you’re wearing, the better off you’ll be and the better the experience you’ll have.
They’re not just zombies. They’re Nazi zombies.
There may not be a better tag line written for a film in a long time. Fans of the 2009 hit Dead Snow, will immediately latch onto this epic sequel, Dead Snow; Red VS. Dead. This pull no punches zombie flick is a, for the lack of a more eloquent phrase, balls to the walls comedic gore-fest. If you’re a fan of genre flicks like Evil Dead and Shaun of the Dead, you’ll love this. Frankly, you don’t even have to have seen the original to adore the sequel. Dead 2 is almost entirely in English, unlike the first. (subtitles provided in the necessary areas are not distracting at all) Read More →
Director Robby Kenner (Food, Inc.) brings us an eye opening documentary on the sleight of hand of the rich and on the right in terms of media manipulation. Often, we wonder why folks vote against their best interest and don’t even know it. Some of the “why” has to do with highly paid “con artists”; lobbyists and spin doctors hired by people like the Koch Brothers, big tobacco, and climate change deniers. Despite actual scientific evidence, much of America is somehow under the impression that human beings are not the cause of climate change. While baffling to half of the country, these people are being spoon-fed talking points that are created by some very talented characters. Read More →
It should come as no surprise to anyone that I went to a performing arts conservatory for my college experience. Not to burst readers’ bubbles, but I am pretty sure I have never been described as shy or ambiguous in my opinions. However, it wasn’t until a 2nd semester Voice Production and Speech class in which I got up in front of my ridiculously talented classmates and admitted that I have an oftentimes crippling case of stage fright. No one knew. I guess I hide it well. That being said, it has been the bane of my existence as performer for as long as I can remember. Seeing one of this year’s NYFF 52 Spotlight on Documentary selections hit very close to home. I present my thoughts on ‘Seymour: An Introduction.”
In the 2013 New Directors/New Films fest, we were privileged enough to see Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing. The film chronicled the leaders of a government led military killing brigade whose goal was to irradiate “communists” (mostly farmers, artists, and freethinkers) in Indonesia in 1965-66. We met the men who slaughtered hundreds of people under the regime of pure ignorance and evil. At this year’s NYFF 52, we are introduced to Oppenheimer’s follow up doc, The Look of Silence. Read More →
You must be logged in to post a comment.