July, 2009 Archive
Irv Slifkin | In the Director's Chair, Movie Buzz
It was at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival that Humpday came out.
That is, it came out for people to see—and out of the closet, so to speak, at the same time. The response was positive enough to snag the low-budget, shot-in-less-than-a-month comedy a distribution deal with Magnolia Pictures.
The storyline, after all, is an attention grabber. Two old friends get together and make a porn film. Before you say to yourself, “Haven’t we seen that plot before?,” let’s tell what makes Humpday different: The two friends are guys.
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Jason Marcewicz | Create-A-Caption
You know the drill. Below is a classic movie photo with Jason's caption. You're encouraged to leave your own suggestion in the comment section below!
If Leatherface doesn’t do his morning calisthenics he’s grumpy the whole rest of the day.
guest-blogs | FanFare Guests
Angie and Chantale of www.cinemaobsessed.com write:
Cult films. Sounds kinda scary doesn’t it? If you’re not a movie-buff you might be thinking a cult film is a recruiting video to entice you to join The Alliance of the Stars of Neptune, or some such thing. This isn’t the case.
A cult film is a film that has a small but obsessive following (trust us… we at CinemaObsessed.com have a lot of experience obsessing over movies). A film like this usually doesn’t have mainstream success. Actually most are total box office flops upon their release, but the film eventually gains success through rentals and DVD sales. Our bank accounts have suffered greatly due to our ‘habit’.
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Edward Frebowitz | New Releases This Week
Whether new movies or old favorites, they are all new or re-releases on DVD this week. Coming your way are Torso; The Tenth Victim; Torchwood: Children of Earth; Green Lantern: First Flight; Bad Lieutenant: Special Edition; Knight Rider, Season 1. For more titles touching down this week, please click here.
Brian Sieck | Staff Notes
It’s a term that no self-respecting man wants to hear. The dreaded “chick flick” can strike trepidation in the hearts of guys preparing for date night more than any classic horror film. However, does it have to be so scary? Maybe the reason dudes are so opposed to such a movie is simply in the terminology itself. After all, a chick flick automatically suggests that the material isn’t anything that would interest a man. Without generalizing too much, many men would probably prefer to stick to movies that involve action, sports, crime, etc. Most celluloid geared towards women deals with relationships, family crisis, and emotions. However, if one digs a little deeper, beyond all the stereotypical nonsense, it’s evident that there can be plenty for a man to enjoy when taking on such a film endeavor.
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Chris Cummins | Staff Notes
Based on Daniel Clowes' underground comic series, Ghost World is a funny and bittersweet coming-of-age tale that follows caustic best friends Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) as they try to find purpose following their high school graduation. While the summer wastes away, the girls spend their time mocking everyone around them and tormenting their mutual pal Josh (the late Brad Renfro). But when Enid begins a friendship with misanthropic record collector Seymour (Steve Buscemi) and gets a crash course in the hypocritical world of art school, she begins to dirft away from Rebecca.
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Irv Slifkin | In the Star's Trailer, Movie Buzz
Jeff Daniels likes to have it any way he can get it. That is, when it comes to show business.
The busy Daniels is comfortable no matter what the situation. He's a regular in high-profile "A" films like Speed or the recent State of Play, and a fixture on the indie scene with his fine recent work in The Lookout and The Squid and the Whale.
He's been a standout on the stage, on Broadway with his Tony-nominated acclaimed role opposite James Gandolfini in God of Carnage, and in his own Purple Rose Theater Company at his home base of Chelsea, Michigan, which has been going for 18 years.
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Jason Marcewicz, Brian Sieck, Chris Cummins and Jon Morgereth | Staff Notes
Some road movies such as the Hope/Crosby films, It Happened One Night, The Grapes of Wrath, Easy Rider, and more recently, Thelma and Louise and Little Miss Sunshine are both critically acclaimed and immensely popular to this day. We’ve decided to divert from the well known avenues of these films, opting instead to travel off the beaten path with the ones listed below. Naturally, you may have previously passed through some of these byways, but hopefully some will lead you down unfamiliar trails that will become favorites of yours as well. Enjoy the trip!
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Gary Cahall | Scene Stealers
"I was never the 'babe,' so I knew I'd never get those big roles. I'd always be the best friend or the quirky sidekick." So said comedienne/actress Joan Cusack about a body of work that has garnered her many fans (including, in spite of the comment, her fair share of male admirers) and two Academy Award nominations, all for following in the Hollywood tradition of Joan Blondell, Eve Arden, Thelma Ritter, and others known for playing the heroine's wisecracking gal pal.
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John Tartaglia | Staff Notes
Although it has recently been brought back to life (ironically) by the vampire saga True Blood, and maybe by the too-soon-to-tell Hung, HBO has lost a lot of cache since its days of The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Sex And The City. Big Love has never gotten the big love it has deserved (Emmy nomination for Chloe Sevigny!) and Entourage seems stale. The It’s Not TV It’s HBO network passed on the AMC hit Mad Men and decided not to even show 12 Miles of Bad Road, starring Lily Tomlin and Mary Kay Place and executive produced by the team behind Designing Women.
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George D. Allen | Staff Notes
Think making great feature films is difficult? (If you don’t, I daresay you have never spent any time in the trenches—as making even a bad movie requires an enormous investment of time, money, and passion.) Try cramming a compelling, touching, funny, or frightening story into 15 minutes or less!
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Tags: Independent films