Spencer Milligan, a veteran actor best known for playing Rick Marshall on the 1970s sci-fi series Land of the Lost, has died. He was 86. According to an obituary on the Huehns Funeral Home website, Milligan passed away on Thursday, April 18, 2024. A cause of death was not disclosed. Born on September 10, 1937, in Oak Park, Illinois, Milligan began his career performing on stage in local theater before he enrolled in the Army. Following his honorable discharge from the Army in September 1966, Milligan moved to California, where he started his Hollywood career, appearing in Woody Allen‘s 1973 sci-fi comedy Sleeper and the 1974 thriller film The Photographer. In 1974, he landed his most memorable role as Ranger Rick Marshall, the father of Will and Holly Marshall (Wesley Eure and Kathy Coleman), in Sid and Marty Krofft’s Land of the Lost. He starred in the first two seasons of the live-action/stop-motion hybrid show, which gained cult favorite status.
- 6/26/2024
- TV Insider
Spencer Milligan, who starred for Sid and Marty Krofft as the park ranger and widowed father Rick Marshall on the iconic Saturday morning kids show Land of the Lost, has died. He was 86.
Milligan died April 18 at his home in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, his family announced.
Milligan played the heroic father of youngsters Will Marshall (Wesley Eure) and Holly Marshall (Kathy Coleman) on the first two seasons of NBC’s Land of the Lost, which featured a mix of live-action and stop-motion animated dinosaurs. On the sci-fi show, the family is caught in an earthquake while on a rafting trip and propelled into an alternative universe.
“Sid and Marty Krofft didn’t just cast our TV family, they created, for the cast, a lifelong loving family in real life,” Eure said Wednesday in a statement. “Today I have been overwhelmed by thousands of fans, reaching out to tell me how...
Milligan died April 18 at his home in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, his family announced.
Milligan played the heroic father of youngsters Will Marshall (Wesley Eure) and Holly Marshall (Kathy Coleman) on the first two seasons of NBC’s Land of the Lost, which featured a mix of live-action and stop-motion animated dinosaurs. On the sci-fi show, the family is caught in an earthquake while on a rafting trip and propelled into an alternative universe.
“Sid and Marty Krofft didn’t just cast our TV family, they created, for the cast, a lifelong loving family in real life,” Eure said Wednesday in a statement. “Today I have been overwhelmed by thousands of fans, reaching out to tell me how...
- 6/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spencer Milligan, who starred in the 1970s Saturday morning series Land of the Lost from Sid & Marty Krofft and was a regular guest star on TV into the late 1980s, has died. He was 86.
An obituary on the Huehns Funeral Home website said he died April 18 but did not provide details.
Born on September 10, 1937, in Oak Park, Il, Milligan was active in local theater during the 1960s before serving a tour in the Army. His screen career began with a small role as a head-change specialist in Woody Allen’s futuristic 1973 comedy, in which the filmmaker starred with Diane Keaton. He also appeared in the 1974 features The Man from Clover Grove and The Photographer, serving as an associate producer on the latter.
The following year, Milligan was cast as Rick Marshall in the Krofft brothers’ hybrid live-action/stop-motion sci-fi/adventure series Land of the Lost. It focused on Rick and...
An obituary on the Huehns Funeral Home website said he died April 18 but did not provide details.
Born on September 10, 1937, in Oak Park, Il, Milligan was active in local theater during the 1960s before serving a tour in the Army. His screen career began with a small role as a head-change specialist in Woody Allen’s futuristic 1973 comedy, in which the filmmaker starred with Diane Keaton. He also appeared in the 1974 features The Man from Clover Grove and The Photographer, serving as an associate producer on the latter.
The following year, Milligan was cast as Rick Marshall in the Krofft brothers’ hybrid live-action/stop-motion sci-fi/adventure series Land of the Lost. It focused on Rick and...
- 6/26/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Spencer Milligan, who starred in the first two seasons of the 1970s kids show Land of the Lost, has died at the age of 86, TVLine has confirmed.
Milligan died on April 18, according to an obituary published by Huehns Funeral Home in his adopted hometown of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Wesley Eure, who played his son Will on Land of the Lost, paid tribute to Milligan in a Facebook post: “For many of us, and Spencer’s many fans, he was the perfect dad. We loved his kindness, talent and huge sense of humor… Our hearts go out to his lovely wife...
Milligan died on April 18, according to an obituary published by Huehns Funeral Home in his adopted hometown of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Wesley Eure, who played his son Will on Land of the Lost, paid tribute to Milligan in a Facebook post: “For many of us, and Spencer’s many fans, he was the perfect dad. We loved his kindness, talent and huge sense of humor… Our hearts go out to his lovely wife...
- 6/25/2024
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
How did a TV show like Land of the Lost ever get made? The 70s saw some really wild television. It seemed like TV networks were willing to try anything at least once. From shows about space age garbage men named Quark, Bionic Couples, or couples who are actually elements like the little known BBC series Sapphire and Steel. Anything and everything was game for at least one season. Children’s programming was even more bizarre, as networks tried to engage kids and teens alike in a time when psychedelic was the norm. When it came to family and kid’s TV though, there was one duo who stood proud with a legacy that would dominate the 70s when it came to family programming and put the variety into the word “variety show”.
That duo was Sid and Marty Krofft, and they would be the creators of some of the...
That duo was Sid and Marty Krofft, and they would be the creators of some of the...
- 8/29/2023
- by Jessica Dwyer
- JoBlo.com
“What he does to your nerves is almost as frightening as what he does to his victims!”
World Premiere of The Toolbox Murders (1978) on New 4K 16-Bit Restoration struck from the uncut original negative for the 4K Uhd + Blu-ray Set Coming January 18th 2022. Pre-order Here
Here’s the Restored 1080p HD Movie Trailer from Blue Underground
Blue Underground Opens the Tool Shed to Release One of the Most Shocking Slashers of All Time in 4K Ultra HD. Blue Underground invites you to ring in the New Year with one of the most sadistic and controversial slashers of all time. On January 18, the cult distributor plans to dust off the old toolshed with a brand-new release of The Toolbox Murders. Dennis Donnelly’s notorious exploitation classic makes its debut on 4K Ultra HD with a new Blu-ray combo that has been scanned in 4K 16-bit from the uncut original negative. A...
World Premiere of The Toolbox Murders (1978) on New 4K 16-Bit Restoration struck from the uncut original negative for the 4K Uhd + Blu-ray Set Coming January 18th 2022. Pre-order Here
Here’s the Restored 1080p HD Movie Trailer from Blue Underground
Blue Underground Opens the Tool Shed to Release One of the Most Shocking Slashers of All Time in 4K Ultra HD. Blue Underground invites you to ring in the New Year with one of the most sadistic and controversial slashers of all time. On January 18, the cult distributor plans to dust off the old toolshed with a brand-new release of The Toolbox Murders. Dennis Donnelly’s notorious exploitation classic makes its debut on 4K Ultra HD with a new Blu-ray combo that has been scanned in 4K 16-bit from the uncut original negative. A...
- 12/13/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
1977: Leslie Charleson assumed the role of Monica on Gh.
1992: Elizabeth Keifer debuted as Blake on Guiding Light.
2007: The 10,000th episode of One Life to Live aired on ABC.
2007: As the World Turns' Luke and Noah shared an historic kiss."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1933: On radio soap opera Ma Perkins, Ma (Virginia Payne) has found out about Cousin Sylvester's marriage proposal to Penny, and she wondered what kind of men the cousins were.
1967: On Dark Shadows, Julia (Grayson Hall) warned Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) not to become too chummy with Barnabas (Jonathan Frid).
1967: On Another World,...
1992: Elizabeth Keifer debuted as Blake on Guiding Light.
2007: The 10,000th episode of One Life to Live aired on ABC.
2007: As the World Turns' Luke and Noah shared an historic kiss."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1933: On radio soap opera Ma Perkins, Ma (Virginia Payne) has found out about Cousin Sylvester's marriage proposal to Penny, and she wondered what kind of men the cousins were.
1967: On Dark Shadows, Julia (Grayson Hall) warned Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) not to become too chummy with Barnabas (Jonathan Frid).
1967: On Another World,...
- 8/26/2019
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1978: One Life to Live and General Hospital each expanded to an hour."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1958: On The Edge of Night, Mike Karr (John Larkin) warned Toni Fescina of the danger if she tried to get hush money from Roy Benson.
1967: On Dark Shadows, Sam Evans (David Ford) woke up and tried to put out the fire, burning his hands in the process. Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott ) came in and put the fire out, as Sam frantically claimed that Laura Collins (Diana Millay) burned his hands.
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1958: On The Edge of Night, Mike Karr (John Larkin) warned Toni Fescina of the danger if she tried to get hush money from Roy Benson.
1967: On Dark Shadows, Sam Evans (David Ford) woke up and tried to put out the fire, burning his hands in the process. Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott ) came in and put the fire out, as Sam frantically claimed that Laura Collins (Diana Millay) burned his hands.
- 1/15/2019
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1977: Leslie Charleson assumed the role of Monica on Gh.
1992: Elizabeth Keifer debuted as Blake on Guiding Light.
2007: The 10,000th episode of One Life to Live aired on ABC.
2007: As the World Turns' Luke and Noah shared an historic kiss."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1933: On radio soap opera Ma Perkins, Ma (Virginia Payne) has found out about Cousin Sylvester's marriage proposal to Penny, and she wondered what kind of men the cousins were.
1967: On Dark Shadows, Julia (Grayson Hall) warned Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) not to become too chummy with Barnabas (Jonathan Frid).
1967: On Another World,...
1992: Elizabeth Keifer debuted as Blake on Guiding Light.
2007: The 10,000th episode of One Life to Live aired on ABC.
2007: As the World Turns' Luke and Noah shared an historic kiss."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1933: On radio soap opera Ma Perkins, Ma (Virginia Payne) has found out about Cousin Sylvester's marriage proposal to Penny, and she wondered what kind of men the cousins were.
1967: On Dark Shadows, Julia (Grayson Hall) warned Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) not to become too chummy with Barnabas (Jonathan Frid).
1967: On Another World,...
- 8/21/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1979: Ryan's Hope's Poppy caused trouble for Tom and Faith.
1988: Another World's Amanda gave birth to Alli.
1988: Days of our Lives' Tom was secretly a poet.
2002: Guiding Light's Reva sang to Josh."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1938: Local New York City radio soap opera Stella Dallas began airing nationwide on NBC Radio.
1938: Young Widder Brown premiered on NBC Radio. Stella Dallas...
1988: Another World's Amanda gave birth to Alli.
1988: Days of our Lives' Tom was secretly a poet.
2002: Guiding Light's Reva sang to Josh."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1938: Local New York City radio soap opera Stella Dallas began airing nationwide on NBC Radio.
1938: Young Widder Brown premiered on NBC Radio. Stella Dallas...
- 6/6/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Guest reviewer Lee Broughton covers a trio of grisly horrors. The Toolbox Murders, Blood Harvest and A Cat in the Brain each feature a pop culture icon in a leading role. Hollywood actor Cameron Mitchell, oddball 1960s crooner Tiny Tim and the Italo horror director and all-round enfant terrible Lucio Fulci find themselves caught up in their own gory and disturbing splatter show. Perhaps unsurprisingly, all three films fell foul of the British Board of Film Classification at the time of their original release in the UK.
The Toolbox Murders, Blood Harvest, A Cat in the Brain
Separate Region B Blu-ray releases
All from 88 Films – Slasher Classics Collection
£14.99 each
Reviewed by Lee Broughton
The Toolbox Murders
Region B Blu-ray
1978 / Color / 1.78 / 93 min. / Street Date December 4, 2017
Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Pamelyn Ferdin, Wesley Eure, Nicholas Beauvy, Tim Donnelly, Aneta Corsaut.
Cinematography: Gary Graver
Film Editor: Nunzio Darpino
Production Designer: D. J. Bruno
Original...
The Toolbox Murders, Blood Harvest, A Cat in the Brain
Separate Region B Blu-ray releases
All from 88 Films – Slasher Classics Collection
£14.99 each
Reviewed by Lee Broughton
The Toolbox Murders
Region B Blu-ray
1978 / Color / 1.78 / 93 min. / Street Date December 4, 2017
Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Pamelyn Ferdin, Wesley Eure, Nicholas Beauvy, Tim Donnelly, Aneta Corsaut.
Cinematography: Gary Graver
Film Editor: Nunzio Darpino
Production Designer: D. J. Bruno
Original...
- 4/3/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
1978: One Life to Live and General Hospital each
expanded to an hour."History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1958: On The Edge of Night, Mike Karr (John Larkin) warned Toni Fescina of the danger if she tried to get hush money from Roy Benson.
1967: On Dark Shadows, Sam Evans (David Ford) woke up and tried to put out the fire, burning his hands in the process. Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott ) came in and put the fire out, as Sam frantically claimed that Laura Collins (Diana Millay) burned his hands. Roger (Louis Edmonds) believed booze to be the culprit in Sam's accident.
expanded to an hour."History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1958: On The Edge of Night, Mike Karr (John Larkin) warned Toni Fescina of the danger if she tried to get hush money from Roy Benson.
1967: On Dark Shadows, Sam Evans (David Ford) woke up and tried to put out the fire, burning his hands in the process. Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott ) came in and put the fire out, as Sam frantically claimed that Laura Collins (Diana Millay) burned his hands. Roger (Louis Edmonds) believed booze to be the culprit in Sam's accident.
- 1/16/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Patrika Darbo wasn’t paid a dime to star in the web series “Acting Dead.” But that gamble paid off – with an Emmy win this weekend.
“Nobody got paid, we all worked deferred,” Darbo told IndieWire on Monday, a day after winning for outstanding actress in a short form comedy or drama. (Deferred payment refers to when an actor works for free until the project makes money.) “So I really got paid very well with my Emmy last night.”
The victory was sweet for Darbo, who had previously been nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2000 (as Dr. Nancy Wesley in “Days Of Our Lives”). But it was also a big win for independent creators, as the Television Academy’s expanded short form categories opened the door toward recognizing small-time productions outside of the usual studio and network system.
“Acting Dead” is a smart and zany satire written and produced by accomplished voiceover actor Brian Beacock.
“Nobody got paid, we all worked deferred,” Darbo told IndieWire on Monday, a day after winning for outstanding actress in a short form comedy or drama. (Deferred payment refers to when an actor works for free until the project makes money.) “So I really got paid very well with my Emmy last night.”
The victory was sweet for Darbo, who had previously been nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2000 (as Dr. Nancy Wesley in “Days Of Our Lives”). But it was also a big win for independent creators, as the Television Academy’s expanded short form categories opened the door toward recognizing small-time productions outside of the usual studio and network system.
“Acting Dead” is a smart and zany satire written and produced by accomplished voiceover actor Brian Beacock.
- 9/12/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The Vampire Diaries' midseason premiere, "Woke Up with a Monster," certainly gave fans a lot of options as to who might meet an impending and untimely end in the near future.
As the series begins its sprint to the season finale, characters both beloved and brand new stared down death.
Star Paul Wesley directed the episode, which picked up directly after Kai (Chris Wood) abducted Elena (Nina Dobrev) and as Caroline (Candice Accola) struggled to accept her mother's cancer diagnosis. Even amid those merciless circumstances, Elena and Sheriff Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) weren't the only folks in Mystic Falls whose lives were in peril.
As the series begins its sprint to the season finale, characters both beloved and brand new stared down death.
Star Paul Wesley directed the episode, which picked up directly after Kai (Chris Wood) abducted Elena (Nina Dobrev) and as Caroline (Candice Accola) struggled to accept her mother's cancer diagnosis. Even amid those merciless circumstances, Elena and Sheriff Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) weren't the only folks in Mystic Falls whose lives were in peril.
- 1/23/2015
- by Lanford Beard, @lanfordbeard
- People.com - TV Watch
The Vampire Diaries' midseason premiere, "Woke Up with a Monster," certainly gave fans a lot of options as to who might meet an impending and untimely end in the near future. As the series begins its sprint to the season finale, characters both beloved and brand new stared down death. Star Paul Wesley directed the episode, which picked up directly after Kai (Chris Wood) abducted Elena (Nina Dobrev) and as Caroline (Candice Accola) struggled to accept her mother's cancer diagnosis. Even amid those merciless circumstances, Elena and Sheriff Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) weren't the only folks in Mystic Falls whose lives were in peril.
- 1/23/2015
- by Lanford Beard, @lanfordbeard
- PEOPLE.com
John Nein was not always a Senior Programmer at the Sundance Film Festival — it’s only been eight years. When he began at Sundance in 2002 he was always watching movies of course. More than that, like John Cooper said, he just didn’t shut up when he was in the room; he was opinionated and spoke his opinions. He also always liked international cinema as he was born in Ireland and grew up in The Netherlands, Belgium and London where his father worked for international companies. When he was 12 he came to the U.S.
The programmers at Sundance do not have a strict formal assignment of areas they program; they see all the films of all the sections, but like his father, international was always of great interest. The same is true for myself, although out of the 118 feature films selected out of 4,105 feature length submissions, many of the U.S. films look great to me as well. For instance, I am so happy that Matt Sobel’s “ Take Me To The River ” which won the prize at Us in Progress this past November in Wroclaw, Poland at The American Film Festival is in the Next section.
John: This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: one shorts program, a U.S. documentary, a U.S. dramatic, an international documentary and an international dramatic which will be the first ever Lithuanian film in Competition, a lesbian love story that is stylish and smartly directed by Alanté Kavaïté with two fantastic actors, Julija Steponaitytė and Aistė Diržiūtė. Actually " The Summer of Sangaile” is a coproduction of Lithuania, France, and Holland . I think Alanté lives in France.
There ares 29 countries represented and 45 first-time filmmakers.
Sydney: I know the Chileans love Sundance. Last year Alejandro Fernández Almendras said in our interview about “To Kill a Man” that Sundance is very important for Chile. I am also a longtime fan of Sebastian Silva since “The Maid”. Two years ago he had two films, “Crystal Fairy” and “Magic, Magic” in Sundance, so why is this Chilean film not in World Competition but in Next?
John: I’m glad Alejandro said that. Yes we like Chile too. They make many good films. But “Nasty Baby” by Sebastian Silva is a U.S. film, about people living in Brooklyn.
He lives in U.S. and has spent a lot of time here. He knows Brooklyn and yet his curiosity and his view of it is that of an outsider. He knows these people because he watches and listens so well. “
Sydney: “Bridesmaids” star and co-writer Kristen Wiig stars. A short promo of “Nasty Baby” was shown to buyers while it was in post-production in Cannes and Toronto. The Chilean production company of Juan de Dios Larrain and Pablo Larrain, Fabula, produced “No” as well as Sebastian’s later films. Papi Boye and Violaine Pichon’s production and international sales agent Versatile out of France along with the film’s international sales agent Funny Balloons — also based in France – helped finance this U.S. Production.
John: World Cinema is now 10 years old. Overall, the Competition sections have evolved over the years. We have a sense of emerging directors here. We have come of age.
All our films are of emerging filmmakers. Either first time directors or highly anticipated second or third features. Of all the festivals worldwide, Sundance has the strongest program of emerging talent. Watch these filmmakers over the next years. Like “Homesick” by Anna Sewitsky. Her previous film “Happy, Happy” showed at Sundance in 2011 and took the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. “Happy, Happy” also became the Norwegian Official entry for the Academy Awards® .
Sydney: TrustNordisk sold “Happy, Happy” to more than 50 countries, so they must be poised to sell this one as well.
John: But not all the second and third films are from filmmakers whose first films were at Sundance, although Canada’s “ Chorus” director Francois Delisle showed “The Meteor” at Sundance two years ago.
And “Glassland”, was a very anticipated second film. The first film by director and screenwriter, Gerard Barrett, "Pilgrim Hill” won the Galway Film Festival and was very sought after and was signed with a U.S. agent then. “Sangaile" is also a second feature.
Look at the international films in the Premieres section and you will see some international filmmakers there, like “ Brooklyn” which is an immigrant story directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby whose film “Wild” is now playing .
Sydney: I see from IMDbPro that Hanway has already sold Middle Eastern rights to Front Row Entertainment who must have pre-bought “Brooklyn” in Cannes or Toronto.
John: Of the 12 films in World Cinema the less expected films come from Turkey, “Ivy” by the talented director Tolga Karacelik. This is his second film. His first was “Toll Booth” which Global Initiative distributed in the U.S. The Dp on this was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Winter’s Sleep”)’s Dp on “Winter’s Sleep”, Gökhan Tiryaki. It is about guys stuck on a freighter whose company goes bankrupt. Power dynamics play out.
Sydney: Have there been Oscar nominated films in Sundance (Aside from “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”)?
John: Yes, “Man on Wire” was not last year but it was foreign. “Ida” was in Spotlight last year and maybe Sundance increased its visibility. Three others were in Sundance last year:
“To Kill a Man” is Chile’s submission, “Difret” which won the Audience Award is Ethiopia’s submission this year and “Liar’s Dice” from India was in World Competition last year. It is a very artful film. We knew it would do well with the critics, but it did extremely well with the audience too. A couple of films in Spotlight will probably be nominated next year. Watch for them.
Sydney : We haven’t even discussed the World documentaries.
John : Are there any that stand out for you?
Sydney: Yes, “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”, from U.K., Romania and Germany. Chuck Norris?
John: How interesting it is that something like Chuck Norris means something very different to others. It is a sign of cultural differences between us. Chuck Norris shows how independent films built a community of counter culture against an authoritarian government.
Sydney: I also notice that there are six docs from the U.K. Out of 12 films.
John: Yes we noticed and discussed that. U.K. really supports documentary filmmaking. Great work is coming out of the U.K. And many of the films are about different countries, so it doesn’t fit so simply into a U.K. pigeon hole.
Sydney : Yes I see “Chuck Norris” is about Romania, “Dreamcatcher” is about teenage prostitution, “How to Change the World” is about Greenpeace, “Listen to Me Marlon” is about a famous U.S. actor, “The Russian Woodpecker” is about a Ukrainian survivor of Chernobyl.
Thank you John for your insights. I think we have a lot to look at here. Thank you for taking this time to talk with me. See you at Sundance!
For a full list thus far of Sundance films, see below.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. Day One Film
The D Train / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he's changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she's sleeping with her mother's boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.
Dope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the Sat. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.
I Smile Back / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / U.S.A. (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.
The Overnight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, Rj, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche.
People, Places, Things / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.
Results / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers' lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chloé Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eléonore Hendricks.
The Stanford Prison Experiment / U.S.A. (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) — This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith) — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.
Unexpected / U.S.A. (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.
The Witch / U.S.A., Canada (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.
Z for Zachariah / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman's affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.
U.S. Documentary Competition
Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
3½ Minutes / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ Minutes explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.
Being Evel / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.
Best of Enemies / U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
Call Me Lucky / U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.
Cartel Land / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.
City of Gold / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.
Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.
Hot Girls Wanted / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.
How to Dance in Ohio / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger / U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
Meru / U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Racing Extinction / U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.
(T)Error / U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — (T)Error is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.
Welcome to Leith / U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.
The Wolfpack / U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Chlorine / Italy (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won't be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni. World Premiere
Chorus / Canada (Director and screenwriter: François Delisle) — A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold. World Premiere
Glassland / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere
Homesick / Norway (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don't know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before?Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere. Isa: TrustNordisk
Ivy / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship's owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Çermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Özdemiroğlu. World Premiere
Partisan / Australia (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler) — Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori's idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara. World Premiere
Princess / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. International Premiere
The Second Mother / Brazil (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother's slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli. World Premiere
Slow West / New Zealand (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius. World Premiere
Strangerland / Australia, Ireland (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker's two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children's fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown. World Premiere
The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, Holland (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė. World Premiere. Isa: Films Distribution.
Umrika / India (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar. World Premiere
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.
The Amina Profile / Canada (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. World Premiere
Censored Voices / Israel, Germany (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. World Premiere
The Chinese Mayor / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere
Chuck Norris vs Communism / United Kingdom, Romania, Germany (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution. World Premiere. Producers Rep: UTA
Dark Horse / United Kingdom (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman's club who decide to take on the elite "sport of kings" and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere
Dreamcatcher / United Kingdom (Director: Kim Longinotto) — Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. World Premiere
How to Change the World / United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. World Premiere. Day One Film
Listen to Me Marlon / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. World Premiere
Pervert Park / Sweden, Denmark (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. International Premiere
The Russian Woodpecker / United Kingdom (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. World Premiere
Sembene! / U.S.A., Senegal (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. World Premiere
The Visit / Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Norway (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans' first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. "Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival." World Premiere
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Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.
Bob and the Trees / U.S.A., France (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere
Christmas, Again / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. North American Premiere
Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. World Premiere
Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek. World Premiere
H. / U.S.A., Argentina (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. World Premiere
James White / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call. World Premiere
Nasty Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O'Hare. World Premiere
The Strongest Man / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes. World Premiere
" Take Me To The River " / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye. World Premiere. Producer rep: Cinetic Media
Tangerine / U.S.A. (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone. World Premiere
Spotlight
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.
6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia / United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a letter to Lawrence — or “Bert” — a detail that’s typical of the film’s inviting sense of conversational intimacy.International Premiere
'71 / United Kingdom (Director: Yann Demange, Screenwriter: Gregory Burke) — ‘71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann.
99 Homes / U.S.A. (Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi) — A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real-estate broker who's the source of his frustration. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Tim Guinee, Cullen Moss, J.D. Evermore.
Aloft / Spain, France, Canada (Director and screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) — Aloft tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana, and her evolution to becoming a renowned healer. When a young artist tracks down Nana's son 20 years after she abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the meaning of their lives into question. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, William Shimell. North American Premiere
Eden / France (Director: Mia Hansen-løve, Screenwriters: Mia Hansen-løve, Sven Hansen-løve) — Mia Hansen-løve's electronic-dance-music epic follows the rise and fall of a DJ (based on her brother, Sven, a contemporary of Daft Punk) who gets into the rave scene in 1994 and spends the next 20 years navigating the French club scene. Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Greta Gerwig, Brady Corbet, Arsinee Khanjian, Vincent Macaigne.
Girlhood / France (Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom. Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.
The Tribe / Ukraine (Director and screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy) — Set at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, the film’s narrative unfolds purely through sign language without the need for employing subtitles or voiceover, resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level. Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich.
White God / Hungary (Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi) — When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other. Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth. U.S. Premiere
Wild Tales / Argentina, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Damián Szifrón) — Inequality, injustice, and the demands of the world cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of an unpredictable reality, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Cast: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere
The Hallow / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) — When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family. Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley. World Premiere
Hellions / Canada (Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier) — Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk. World Premiere
It Follows / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell) — After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.
Knock Knock / U.S.A. (Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo) — Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man's life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp. World Premiere
The Nightmare / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds. World Premiere
Reversal / U.S.A. (Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes) — A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski. World Premiere
Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. World Premiere
New Frontier Films
The Forbidden Room / Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere
Liveforever / Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) — Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere
The Royal Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock'sVertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere
Sam Klemke's Time Machine / Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere
Station to Station / U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere
Things of the Aimless Wanderer / Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere
New Frontier Installations
1979 Revolution Game
Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari
1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.
Assent
Artist: Oscar Raby
This immersive documentary uses virtual reality technology to put the user in the footsteps of Director Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile, on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment.
Birdly
Artist: Max Rheiner
Flying is one of the oldest dreams of humankind. Birdly is an experiment to capture this dream, to simulate the experience of being a bird from a first-person perspective. This embodiment is conducted through a full-body virtual reality setup.
Dérive
Artist: François Quévillon
This interactive installation uses the audience’s body motions and positions to explore 3-D reconstructions of urban and natural spaces that are transformed according to live environmental data, including meteorological and astronomical phenomena.
Evolution of Verse
Artist: Chris Milk
Chris Milk, working with visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain and virtual reality production company Vrse.works, has created this photo-realistic CGI-rendered 3-D virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey from beginning to new beginning.
Kaiju Fury!
Artist: Ian Hunter
A dark energy experiment leads to a devastating attack by monstrous Kaiju, and you are standing at ground zero — all in 360-degree, stereoscopic 3-D cinematic virtual reality. You will "be there" as the beasts lay waste to a crumbling city and humanity makes its last stand. Cast: Susie Abromeit, Bill Lippincott, Daniel Martin, Brian Dodge, Vincient Chiantelli.
Paradise
Artist: Pleix
Paradise is certainly not paradisiacal if you look at it through our eyes. But neither is it totally devoid of humor, melancholy and absurdity. Perhaps it is first and foremost life as it is, and then a touch exaggerated in the digital overdrive.
Perspective; Chapter I: The Party
Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May
A young college woman attends a party with the intention of shedding her "shy girl" persona. At the same party, a young man is after a similar reinvention. They meet, drink, and misinterpreted signals turn into things that cannot be undone. Virtual reality simulators let viewers experience both characters. Cast: Tabitha Morella, Caleb Thomas, Zachary Zagoria, Anna Grace Barlow.
Possibilia
Artists: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
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The programmers at Sundance do not have a strict formal assignment of areas they program; they see all the films of all the sections, but like his father, international was always of great interest. The same is true for myself, although out of the 118 feature films selected out of 4,105 feature length submissions, many of the U.S. films look great to me as well. For instance, I am so happy that Matt Sobel’s “ Take Me To The River ” which won the prize at Us in Progress this past November in Wroclaw, Poland at The American Film Festival is in the Next section.
John: This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: one shorts program, a U.S. documentary, a U.S. dramatic, an international documentary and an international dramatic which will be the first ever Lithuanian film in Competition, a lesbian love story that is stylish and smartly directed by Alanté Kavaïté with two fantastic actors, Julija Steponaitytė and Aistė Diržiūtė. Actually " The Summer of Sangaile” is a coproduction of Lithuania, France, and Holland . I think Alanté lives in France.
There ares 29 countries represented and 45 first-time filmmakers.
Sydney: I know the Chileans love Sundance. Last year Alejandro Fernández Almendras said in our interview about “To Kill a Man” that Sundance is very important for Chile. I am also a longtime fan of Sebastian Silva since “The Maid”. Two years ago he had two films, “Crystal Fairy” and “Magic, Magic” in Sundance, so why is this Chilean film not in World Competition but in Next?
John: I’m glad Alejandro said that. Yes we like Chile too. They make many good films. But “Nasty Baby” by Sebastian Silva is a U.S. film, about people living in Brooklyn.
He lives in U.S. and has spent a lot of time here. He knows Brooklyn and yet his curiosity and his view of it is that of an outsider. He knows these people because he watches and listens so well. “
Sydney: “Bridesmaids” star and co-writer Kristen Wiig stars. A short promo of “Nasty Baby” was shown to buyers while it was in post-production in Cannes and Toronto. The Chilean production company of Juan de Dios Larrain and Pablo Larrain, Fabula, produced “No” as well as Sebastian’s later films. Papi Boye and Violaine Pichon’s production and international sales agent Versatile out of France along with the film’s international sales agent Funny Balloons — also based in France – helped finance this U.S. Production.
John: World Cinema is now 10 years old. Overall, the Competition sections have evolved over the years. We have a sense of emerging directors here. We have come of age.
All our films are of emerging filmmakers. Either first time directors or highly anticipated second or third features. Of all the festivals worldwide, Sundance has the strongest program of emerging talent. Watch these filmmakers over the next years. Like “Homesick” by Anna Sewitsky. Her previous film “Happy, Happy” showed at Sundance in 2011 and took the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. “Happy, Happy” also became the Norwegian Official entry for the Academy Awards® .
Sydney: TrustNordisk sold “Happy, Happy” to more than 50 countries, so they must be poised to sell this one as well.
John: But not all the second and third films are from filmmakers whose first films were at Sundance, although Canada’s “ Chorus” director Francois Delisle showed “The Meteor” at Sundance two years ago.
And “Glassland”, was a very anticipated second film. The first film by director and screenwriter, Gerard Barrett, "Pilgrim Hill” won the Galway Film Festival and was very sought after and was signed with a U.S. agent then. “Sangaile" is also a second feature.
Look at the international films in the Premieres section and you will see some international filmmakers there, like “ Brooklyn” which is an immigrant story directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby whose film “Wild” is now playing .
Sydney: I see from IMDbPro that Hanway has already sold Middle Eastern rights to Front Row Entertainment who must have pre-bought “Brooklyn” in Cannes or Toronto.
John: Of the 12 films in World Cinema the less expected films come from Turkey, “Ivy” by the talented director Tolga Karacelik. This is his second film. His first was “Toll Booth” which Global Initiative distributed in the U.S. The Dp on this was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Winter’s Sleep”)’s Dp on “Winter’s Sleep”, Gökhan Tiryaki. It is about guys stuck on a freighter whose company goes bankrupt. Power dynamics play out.
Sydney: Have there been Oscar nominated films in Sundance (Aside from “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”)?
John: Yes, “Man on Wire” was not last year but it was foreign. “Ida” was in Spotlight last year and maybe Sundance increased its visibility. Three others were in Sundance last year:
“To Kill a Man” is Chile’s submission, “Difret” which won the Audience Award is Ethiopia’s submission this year and “Liar’s Dice” from India was in World Competition last year. It is a very artful film. We knew it would do well with the critics, but it did extremely well with the audience too. A couple of films in Spotlight will probably be nominated next year. Watch for them.
Sydney : We haven’t even discussed the World documentaries.
John : Are there any that stand out for you?
Sydney: Yes, “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”, from U.K., Romania and Germany. Chuck Norris?
John: How interesting it is that something like Chuck Norris means something very different to others. It is a sign of cultural differences between us. Chuck Norris shows how independent films built a community of counter culture against an authoritarian government.
Sydney: I also notice that there are six docs from the U.K. Out of 12 films.
John: Yes we noticed and discussed that. U.K. really supports documentary filmmaking. Great work is coming out of the U.K. And many of the films are about different countries, so it doesn’t fit so simply into a U.K. pigeon hole.
Sydney : Yes I see “Chuck Norris” is about Romania, “Dreamcatcher” is about teenage prostitution, “How to Change the World” is about Greenpeace, “Listen to Me Marlon” is about a famous U.S. actor, “The Russian Woodpecker” is about a Ukrainian survivor of Chernobyl.
Thank you John for your insights. I think we have a lot to look at here. Thank you for taking this time to talk with me. See you at Sundance!
For a full list thus far of Sundance films, see below.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. Day One Film
The D Train / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he's changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she's sleeping with her mother's boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.
Dope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the Sat. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.
I Smile Back / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / U.S.A. (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.
The Overnight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, Rj, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche.
People, Places, Things / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.
Results / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers' lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chloé Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eléonore Hendricks.
The Stanford Prison Experiment / U.S.A. (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) — This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith) — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.
Unexpected / U.S.A. (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.
The Witch / U.S.A., Canada (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.
Z for Zachariah / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman's affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.
U.S. Documentary Competition
Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
3½ Minutes / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ Minutes explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.
Being Evel / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.
Best of Enemies / U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
Call Me Lucky / U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.
Cartel Land / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.
City of Gold / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.
Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.
Hot Girls Wanted / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.
How to Dance in Ohio / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger / U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
Meru / U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Racing Extinction / U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.
(T)Error / U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — (T)Error is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.
Welcome to Leith / U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.
The Wolfpack / U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Chlorine / Italy (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won't be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni. World Premiere
Chorus / Canada (Director and screenwriter: François Delisle) — A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold. World Premiere
Glassland / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere
Homesick / Norway (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don't know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before?Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere. Isa: TrustNordisk
Ivy / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship's owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Çermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Özdemiroğlu. World Premiere
Partisan / Australia (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler) — Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori's idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara. World Premiere
Princess / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. International Premiere
The Second Mother / Brazil (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother's slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli. World Premiere
Slow West / New Zealand (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius. World Premiere
Strangerland / Australia, Ireland (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker's two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children's fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown. World Premiere
The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, Holland (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė. World Premiere. Isa: Films Distribution.
Umrika / India (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar. World Premiere
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.
The Amina Profile / Canada (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. World Premiere
Censored Voices / Israel, Germany (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. World Premiere
The Chinese Mayor / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere
Chuck Norris vs Communism / United Kingdom, Romania, Germany (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution. World Premiere. Producers Rep: UTA
Dark Horse / United Kingdom (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman's club who decide to take on the elite "sport of kings" and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere
Dreamcatcher / United Kingdom (Director: Kim Longinotto) — Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. World Premiere
How to Change the World / United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. World Premiere. Day One Film
Listen to Me Marlon / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. World Premiere
Pervert Park / Sweden, Denmark (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. International Premiere
The Russian Woodpecker / United Kingdom (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. World Premiere
Sembene! / U.S.A., Senegal (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. World Premiere
The Visit / Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Norway (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans' first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. "Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival." World Premiere
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Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.
Bob and the Trees / U.S.A., France (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere
Christmas, Again / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. North American Premiere
Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. World Premiere
Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek. World Premiere
H. / U.S.A., Argentina (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. World Premiere
James White / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call. World Premiere
Nasty Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O'Hare. World Premiere
The Strongest Man / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes. World Premiere
" Take Me To The River " / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye. World Premiere. Producer rep: Cinetic Media
Tangerine / U.S.A. (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone. World Premiere
Spotlight
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.
6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia / United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a letter to Lawrence — or “Bert” — a detail that’s typical of the film’s inviting sense of conversational intimacy.International Premiere
'71 / United Kingdom (Director: Yann Demange, Screenwriter: Gregory Burke) — ‘71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann.
99 Homes / U.S.A. (Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi) — A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real-estate broker who's the source of his frustration. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Tim Guinee, Cullen Moss, J.D. Evermore.
Aloft / Spain, France, Canada (Director and screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) — Aloft tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana, and her evolution to becoming a renowned healer. When a young artist tracks down Nana's son 20 years after she abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the meaning of their lives into question. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, William Shimell. North American Premiere
Eden / France (Director: Mia Hansen-løve, Screenwriters: Mia Hansen-løve, Sven Hansen-løve) — Mia Hansen-løve's electronic-dance-music epic follows the rise and fall of a DJ (based on her brother, Sven, a contemporary of Daft Punk) who gets into the rave scene in 1994 and spends the next 20 years navigating the French club scene. Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Greta Gerwig, Brady Corbet, Arsinee Khanjian, Vincent Macaigne.
Girlhood / France (Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom. Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.
The Tribe / Ukraine (Director and screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy) — Set at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, the film’s narrative unfolds purely through sign language without the need for employing subtitles or voiceover, resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level. Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich.
White God / Hungary (Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi) — When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other. Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth. U.S. Premiere
Wild Tales / Argentina, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Damián Szifrón) — Inequality, injustice, and the demands of the world cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of an unpredictable reality, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Cast: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere
The Hallow / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) — When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family. Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley. World Premiere
Hellions / Canada (Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier) — Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk. World Premiere
It Follows / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell) — After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.
Knock Knock / U.S.A. (Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo) — Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man's life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp. World Premiere
The Nightmare / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds. World Premiere
Reversal / U.S.A. (Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes) — A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski. World Premiere
Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. World Premiere
New Frontier Films
The Forbidden Room / Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere
Liveforever / Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) — Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere
The Royal Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock'sVertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere
Sam Klemke's Time Machine / Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere
Station to Station / U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere
Things of the Aimless Wanderer / Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere
New Frontier Installations
1979 Revolution Game
Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari
1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.
Assent
Artist: Oscar Raby
This immersive documentary uses virtual reality technology to put the user in the footsteps of Director Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile, on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment.
Birdly
Artist: Max Rheiner
Flying is one of the oldest dreams of humankind. Birdly is an experiment to capture this dream, to simulate the experience of being a bird from a first-person perspective. This embodiment is conducted through a full-body virtual reality setup.
Dérive
Artist: François Quévillon
This interactive installation uses the audience’s body motions and positions to explore 3-D reconstructions of urban and natural spaces that are transformed according to live environmental data, including meteorological and astronomical phenomena.
Evolution of Verse
Artist: Chris Milk
Chris Milk, working with visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain and virtual reality production company Vrse.works, has created this photo-realistic CGI-rendered 3-D virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey from beginning to new beginning.
Kaiju Fury!
Artist: Ian Hunter
A dark energy experiment leads to a devastating attack by monstrous Kaiju, and you are standing at ground zero — all in 360-degree, stereoscopic 3-D cinematic virtual reality. You will "be there" as the beasts lay waste to a crumbling city and humanity makes its last stand. Cast: Susie Abromeit, Bill Lippincott, Daniel Martin, Brian Dodge, Vincient Chiantelli.
Paradise
Artist: Pleix
Paradise is certainly not paradisiacal if you look at it through our eyes. But neither is it totally devoid of humor, melancholy and absurdity. Perhaps it is first and foremost life as it is, and then a touch exaggerated in the digital overdrive.
Perspective; Chapter I: The Party
Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May
A young college woman attends a party with the intention of shedding her "shy girl" persona. At the same party, a young man is after a similar reinvention. They meet, drink, and misinterpreted signals turn into things that cannot be undone. Virtual reality simulators let viewers experience both characters. Cast: Tabitha Morella, Caleb Thomas, Zachary Zagoria, Anna Grace Barlow.
Possibilia
Artists: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
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- 12/6/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Stars: Harley Neville, Jocelyn Christian, Ben Baker, Mike Edward, Andrew Laing, Reanin Johannink, Simon Ward, Mark Neilson, Patrick Davies, Harry Love | Written and Directed by Guy Pigden
It’s the third day of shooting the low budget horror ‘Tonight They Come’ on location in the wilds of New Zealand. The director is already beside himself having to work with a self-obsessed leading man and a bimbo actress when into his line of fire comes a new runner, wannabe screenwriter Wesley Pennington. An accident-prone nerd, Wesley tries his best to fit in with the crazed cast and demented crew while falling head over heels for Susan, the set caterer. But something nasty has entered the local water supply and suddenly the zombie extras start acting like genuine members of the living dead, gore stunts looks even more authentic and actual severed limbs fly. “Reel life” turns real life as Wesley attempts...
It’s the third day of shooting the low budget horror ‘Tonight They Come’ on location in the wilds of New Zealand. The director is already beside himself having to work with a self-obsessed leading man and a bimbo actress when into his line of fire comes a new runner, wannabe screenwriter Wesley Pennington. An accident-prone nerd, Wesley tries his best to fit in with the crazed cast and demented crew while falling head over heels for Susan, the set caterer. But something nasty has entered the local water supply and suddenly the zombie extras start acting like genuine members of the living dead, gore stunts looks even more authentic and actual severed limbs fly. “Reel life” turns real life as Wesley attempts...
- 8/23/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
News
Marvel made a big announcement about the future of Mike Peterson (J. August Richards) on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. It’s a big spoiler, so I’ll let you decide if you’ll click on the link. I love the concept, if not the specifics.
Access Hollywood talked with Finn Jones about the upcoming season of Game of Thrones. Sadly, he says, “There’s not enough hot gay sex for Loras this season.” I’m going to sit in a corner where I will think about Daenerys dispensing justice with her dragons and Lady Olenna dropping wit bombs until I’m excited about the new season.
Come on, HBO, who is going to fill Lafayette’s shoes once True Blood ends?
Adrianne Palicki will be appearing in a story arc on NBC’s upcoming dramedy About a Boy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Marvel made a big announcement about the future of Mike Peterson (J. August Richards) on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. It’s a big spoiler, so I’ll let you decide if you’ll click on the link. I love the concept, if not the specifics.
Access Hollywood talked with Finn Jones about the upcoming season of Game of Thrones. Sadly, he says, “There’s not enough hot gay sex for Loras this season.” I’m going to sit in a corner where I will think about Daenerys dispensing justice with her dragons and Lady Olenna dropping wit bombs until I’m excited about the new season.
Come on, HBO, who is going to fill Lafayette’s shoes once True Blood ends?
Adrianne Palicki will be appearing in a story arc on NBC’s upcoming dramedy About a Boy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
- 1/24/2014
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
Grimm, Season 3, Episode 7, “Cold Blooded”
Written by Thomas Ian Griffith
Directed by Terrence O’Hara
Grimm, Season 3, Episode 8, “Twelve Days of Krampus”
Written by Dan E. Fesman
Directed by Tawnia McKiernan
Airs Fridays at 9pm Est on NBC
This week, on Grimm: Wu faces his fears, Capt. Renard’s family is less than welcoming, and Juliette helps spread some Christmas cheer
Grimm gets a much-hyped two-part sendoff this week; unfortunately, the buzz winds up hampering the mood, sending the show off to hiatus with more of a pleasant smile than the bang many were likely hoping for. “Cold Blooded”, which is Grimm’s answer to the resilient legend of alligators roaming the sewers, is entertaining enough, but it’s rather disposable. As yet another Grimm standalone, this wouldn’t be particularly notable. As one half of the exciting two-part fall finale, it’s decidedly less satisfying. The concept is...
Written by Thomas Ian Griffith
Directed by Terrence O’Hara
Grimm, Season 3, Episode 8, “Twelve Days of Krampus”
Written by Dan E. Fesman
Directed by Tawnia McKiernan
Airs Fridays at 9pm Est on NBC
This week, on Grimm: Wu faces his fears, Capt. Renard’s family is less than welcoming, and Juliette helps spread some Christmas cheer
Grimm gets a much-hyped two-part sendoff this week; unfortunately, the buzz winds up hampering the mood, sending the show off to hiatus with more of a pleasant smile than the bang many were likely hoping for. “Cold Blooded”, which is Grimm’s answer to the resilient legend of alligators roaming the sewers, is entertaining enough, but it’s rather disposable. As yet another Grimm standalone, this wouldn’t be particularly notable. As one half of the exciting two-part fall finale, it’s decidedly less satisfying. The concept is...
- 12/16/2013
- by Kate Kulzick
- SoundOnSight
On Thanksgiving Day, Glee will join an elite squad of network TV series: the few, the proud, the ones with puppet episodes. Not episodes that revolve around inevitably creepy marionettes — like Buffy’s “The Puppet Show” or Criminal Minds’ “The Lesson” — but ones that instead feature cute, colorful felt facsimiles of one or more main characters. (It’s important to note that these facsimiles are generally not Muppets. To quote an earlier episode of one Puppet Brotherhood member: “Shh! You wanna get sued?”)
Though puppet episodes are a nascent genre, they still generally conform to a certain set of rules.
Though puppet episodes are a nascent genre, they still generally conform to a certain set of rules.
- 11/27/2013
- by Hillary Busis
- EW.com - PopWatch
News
With the nasty business of cancelling its two bubble dramas, ABC Family finally ordered more episodes of The Fosters and Twisted along with a third season of Switched at Birth. I’m relieved questions of “Where are they going with Jude?” won’t go unanswered like Huge fans’ questions about Alistair.
Lifetime has ordered a pilot about a staffer on a dating reality show whose job involves manipulating the cast to ensure drama. Former Buffy, Grey’s Anatomy and Glee writer Marti Noxon is tasked with the adaptation, which probably means I should brace myself.
When CBS CEO Les Moonves announced the renewal of Under the Dome, he dismissed critics’ concerns saying, “Why can’t they be under the dome for a long period of time? This is television!” NPR’s Linda Holmes explains how that comment illustrates the difference between broadcast and cable. At least cable execs understand...
With the nasty business of cancelling its two bubble dramas, ABC Family finally ordered more episodes of The Fosters and Twisted along with a third season of Switched at Birth. I’m relieved questions of “Where are they going with Jude?” won’t go unanswered like Huge fans’ questions about Alistair.
Lifetime has ordered a pilot about a staffer on a dating reality show whose job involves manipulating the cast to ensure drama. Former Buffy, Grey’s Anatomy and Glee writer Marti Noxon is tasked with the adaptation, which probably means I should brace myself.
When CBS CEO Les Moonves announced the renewal of Under the Dome, he dismissed critics’ concerns saying, “Why can’t they be under the dome for a long period of time? This is television!” NPR’s Linda Holmes explains how that comment illustrates the difference between broadcast and cable. At least cable execs understand...
- 7/31/2013
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
Last weekend the wall-eyed animated nightmare The Croods was an unexpected slam-dunk at the box office. Like many of you, we were sent into fits of existential panic over the lumpy, prehistoric countenances of the film's jug-faced-yet-allegedly-lovable lead characters, and probably won't be checking out the film anytime soon. After all, we already have plenty of other kid-targeted flicks to pepper our dreams with flashes of unintended terror. Here are a few of the most scarring examples.
(Note - we're focusing here on kids' movies that are way creepier than they probably intended to be, so classic kid-scarring genre flicks like The Dark Crystal, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Watcher in the Woods, etc. are off the table.)
The Peanut Butter Solution
I remember seeing this bizarre Canadian family film in the theatre when it came out in 1985, and I still have an irrational fear of homeless ghosts, paintbrushes made of human hair,...
(Note - we're focusing here on kids' movies that are way creepier than they probably intended to be, so classic kid-scarring genre flicks like The Dark Crystal, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Watcher in the Woods, etc. are off the table.)
The Peanut Butter Solution
I remember seeing this bizarre Canadian family film in the theatre when it came out in 1985, and I still have an irrational fear of homeless ghosts, paintbrushes made of human hair,...
- 3/29/2013
- by brian
- The Backlot
MTV goes retro with classic seasons of The Real World this weekend.
Stay indoors, unless you want to risk catching youself saying, "In my days..."
News
The cast of Pretty Little Liars is managing to get even hunkier, according to TV Guide with the addition of Sean Faris as an investigator from outside of Rosewood.
Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson tells EW that he would like to direct an episode of Doctor Who, providing the iconic series is willing to meet his fee — a Dalek.
My Name is Earl alum Nadine Velaquez is joining the cast of Major Crime in its second season, according to Deadline. Velaquez will play a D.A. working on the Phillip Stroh case who clashes with Captain Raydor.
I guess Fox News was having a slow news day. Have there been any national stories they've been trying to ignore this week? Any anniversaries?...
Stay indoors, unless you want to risk catching youself saying, "In my days..."
News
The cast of Pretty Little Liars is managing to get even hunkier, according to TV Guide with the addition of Sean Faris as an investigator from outside of Rosewood.
Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson tells EW that he would like to direct an episode of Doctor Who, providing the iconic series is willing to meet his fee — a Dalek.
My Name is Earl alum Nadine Velaquez is joining the cast of Major Crime in its second season, according to Deadline. Velaquez will play a D.A. working on the Phillip Stroh case who clashes with Captain Raydor.
I guess Fox News was having a slow news day. Have there been any national stories they've been trying to ignore this week? Any anniversaries?...
- 3/22/2013
- by LyleMasaki
- The Backlot
When the current theatrical reboot (a sequel and toothless TV remake had already come and gone) of Carrie was announced, there was a lot of teeth gnashing and cries of "leave the classics alone!," mostly by me. But as details began to leak out, the prospect became more intriguing. Gay director Kimberly Pierce gave us the masterpiece Boys Don't Cry, and the fabulous Julianne Moore signed up to play Carrie's psychotic fanatical mother. Chloe Moretz doesn't look anything like Stephen King's Carrie, but then neither did Sissy Spacek, so I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Carrie was supposed to open in March, but the studio has pushed it back to October, which means they're either hoping for Halloween dollars ... or it's a sign of a troubled production.
But while we wait to rain judgment down on the new version of our favorite telekinetic teen, let's take...
Carrie was supposed to open in March, but the studio has pushed it back to October, which means they're either hoping for Halloween dollars ... or it's a sign of a troubled production.
But while we wait to rain judgment down on the new version of our favorite telekinetic teen, let's take...
- 1/22/2013
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Here is last week's caption pic winner. This week's caption pic is at the bottom of the page.
Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is ...
"If you want to catch a Matthew Mitcham (proper name: homo aquaticus) in the wild to keep as a pet at home, you have to use the right bait."
Thanks to joeyhegele for this week's winning caption!
Weekend Birthdays! (Note: Birthday shoutouts are for out entertainers, allies, or for any celeb that seems to have a following on Ae). Mark Salling (above) is 30, Madeleine Stowe is 54, Wesley Eure is 61, Sean Penn is 52, Edward Norton is 43, Donnie Wahlberg is 43, Peter Gallagher is 57, John Stamos is 49, and Mika is 29. Jr Bourne is joining the cast of Revenge in a recurring role as "Raymond, a magnetic, self-assured, Hamptons resident who tries to hide his rough edges behind his fancy clothes and Mercedes." But don't worry, he isn't leaving Teen Wolf.
Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is ...
"If you want to catch a Matthew Mitcham (proper name: homo aquaticus) in the wild to keep as a pet at home, you have to use the right bait."
Thanks to joeyhegele for this week's winning caption!
Weekend Birthdays! (Note: Birthday shoutouts are for out entertainers, allies, or for any celeb that seems to have a following on Ae). Mark Salling (above) is 30, Madeleine Stowe is 54, Wesley Eure is 61, Sean Penn is 52, Edward Norton is 43, Donnie Wahlberg is 43, Peter Gallagher is 57, John Stamos is 49, and Mika is 29. Jr Bourne is joining the cast of Revenge in a recurring role as "Raymond, a magnetic, self-assured, Hamptons resident who tries to hide his rough edges behind his fancy clothes and Mercedes." But don't worry, he isn't leaving Teen Wolf.
- 8/17/2012
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
A pretty stellar episode this week, guys. We said goodbye to a character that’s been around since day one which was pretty tearful one way or the other depending on how you feel about narrative euthanasia. Everyone was reminded why Tara ain’t nothin’ to fuck with. And even though the Stackhouse whodunit mystery plot that Sookie adopted from Jason dragged its feet like Batman getting the one-handed Bane choke-out (oh my god, spoilers, Spoilers), everyone else was either being better than they have all season in the background or mercifully absent and the episode worked all the better for it. But despite there being a scene in which one hallucination turned the other inside out, the most pressing discussion of “Gone” is nonetheless reflected in that old Shakespearean adage, “Tis better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.”
Hoyt...
A pretty stellar episode this week, guys. We said goodbye to a character that’s been around since day one which was pretty tearful one way or the other depending on how you feel about narrative euthanasia. Everyone was reminded why Tara ain’t nothin’ to fuck with. And even though the Stackhouse whodunit mystery plot that Sookie adopted from Jason dragged its feet like Batman getting the one-handed Bane choke-out (oh my god, spoilers, Spoilers), everyone else was either being better than they have all season in the background or mercifully absent and the episode worked all the better for it. But despite there being a scene in which one hallucination turned the other inside out, the most pressing discussion of “Gone” is nonetheless reflected in that old Shakespearean adage, “Tis better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.”
Hoyt...
- 8/14/2012
- by Joseph Kratzer
- Obsessed with Film
In the wake of the recent awesome news that Joss Whedon is set to make both The Avengers 2 and a live action TV series for Marvel, there's an unsurprising but welcome extension to this collaboration. Marvel have announced that:
“Joss Whedon has signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Studios for film and television through the end of June 2015. As part of that deal, Whedon will write and direct Marvel’s The Avengers 2 as well as help develop a new live action series for Marvel Television at ABC. He will also contribute creatively to the next phase of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.”
Yes, Joss Whedon is going to spend the next three years putting superheroes on our screens, making movies and TV shows about comic book characters. That’s awesome. It’s like signing a contract with the Dollhouse, only kind of the opposite.
(Maybe if someone in one of these contracts messes up,...
“Joss Whedon has signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Studios for film and television through the end of June 2015. As part of that deal, Whedon will write and direct Marvel’s The Avengers 2 as well as help develop a new live action series for Marvel Television at ABC. He will also contribute creatively to the next phase of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.”
Yes, Joss Whedon is going to spend the next three years putting superheroes on our screens, making movies and TV shows about comic book characters. That’s awesome. It’s like signing a contract with the Dollhouse, only kind of the opposite.
(Maybe if someone in one of these contracts messes up,...
- 8/9/2012
- Shadowlocked
Love is in the air... and hearts melted for these leading Hollywood men who starred as these lovable boyfriends in some of the most romantic movies ever. Check it out!
The Best Big Screen BoyfriendsHugh Grant
Character: William ThackerFilm: "Notting Hill"Co-star: Julia Roberts as Anna ScottWhy couldn't a high-profile Hollywood A-lister fall in love with a timid bookstore owner?William Thacker was enamored with the beautiful and famous Anna Scott, and it was Thacker's...
The Best Big Screen BoyfriendsHugh Grant
Character: William ThackerFilm: "Notting Hill"Co-star: Julia Roberts as Anna ScottWhy couldn't a high-profile Hollywood A-lister fall in love with a timid bookstore owner?William Thacker was enamored with the beautiful and famous Anna Scott, and it was Thacker's...
- 2/14/2012
- Extra
Ah, memories.
While our TV Fanatic staff writes about just about every show on a weekly basis, we're taking some time below to look back.
Sure, we love to cozy up these days and watch Damon be snarky on The Vampire Diaries, or Ron be manly on Parks and Recreation, but what primetime programs were included on our must-see lists as children?
We tackle that topic in the following Round Table discussion - and, yes, this makes many of our ages quite evident. Please don't judge...
Jim Garner: Six Million Dollar Man. I loved this show, I looked forward to it being parked in front of the TV every week. I had the Steve Austin playset and lunch box!
Eric Hochberger: I'm going with Saved by the Bell for sure. Just please don't make me watch the college years ever again.
Miranda Wicker: Saved by the Bell. And I'll see...
While our TV Fanatic staff writes about just about every show on a weekly basis, we're taking some time below to look back.
Sure, we love to cozy up these days and watch Damon be snarky on The Vampire Diaries, or Ron be manly on Parks and Recreation, but what primetime programs were included on our must-see lists as children?
We tackle that topic in the following Round Table discussion - and, yes, this makes many of our ages quite evident. Please don't judge...
Jim Garner: Six Million Dollar Man. I loved this show, I looked forward to it being parked in front of the TV every week. I had the Steve Austin playset and lunch box!
Eric Hochberger: I'm going with Saved by the Bell for sure. Just please don't make me watch the college years ever again.
Miranda Wicker: Saved by the Bell. And I'll see...
- 2/1/2012
- by matt@tvfanatic.com (TV Fanatic Staff)
- TVfanatic
Hey all. Jim here, kicking off the first edition of my weekly entertainment column for AfterElton! Have a burning question concerning your favorite TV show, movie or celebrity? Either tweet me @JimHalterman or shoot me an email at jim@jimhalterman.com. I'll try to track down an answer for you.
Now let’s get started with this week's questions!
I keep hearing about this gay storyline with Will on Days Of Our Lives, but what’s taking so long? – Mike (via email)
Well, Mike, your timing couldn’t be better because Days is finally going to stop talking the talk and start walking the big gay walk. I was hanging out at this weekend’s ‘Day of Days’ event at the Universal City Walk in Burbank and I had a chance to sit down with Chandler Massey himself.
He elaborated on what Freddie Smith told me a few weeks ago,...
Now let’s get started with this week's questions!
I keep hearing about this gay storyline with Will on Days Of Our Lives, but what’s taking so long? – Mike (via email)
Well, Mike, your timing couldn’t be better because Days is finally going to stop talking the talk and start walking the big gay walk. I was hanging out at this weekend’s ‘Day of Days’ event at the Universal City Walk in Burbank and I had a chance to sit down with Chandler Massey himself.
He elaborated on what Freddie Smith told me a few weeks ago,...
- 11/7/2011
- by Jim Halterman
- The Backlot
On this date in...
1989: Terry Lester's contract expired with The Young And The Restless where he had been playing Jack for nearly a decade. Then Terry ran into Santa Barbara's head writer, Chuck Pratt, an an L.A. function. Chuck commented, "Boy, would I like to write for you," which Terry found very flattering. Two weeks later, New World Television president Jon Feltheimer called the actor at home and emphasized that his company had many other production arms other than Santa Barbara and that if Terry joined the cast of the soap, they would help him find the other vehicles he was interested in.
2007: One Life To Live aired its 10,000th episode.
2007: Luke and Noah shared their first (historic) kiss on As The World Turns. YouTube clips of the kiss have been watched by millions of fans since that day.
Celebrating a birthday today are:
Julianna McCarthy (ex-Liz,...
1989: Terry Lester's contract expired with The Young And The Restless where he had been playing Jack for nearly a decade. Then Terry ran into Santa Barbara's head writer, Chuck Pratt, an an L.A. function. Chuck commented, "Boy, would I like to write for you," which Terry found very flattering. Two weeks later, New World Television president Jon Feltheimer called the actor at home and emphasized that his company had many other production arms other than Santa Barbara and that if Terry joined the cast of the soap, they would help him find the other vehicles he was interested in.
2007: One Life To Live aired its 10,000th episode.
2007: Luke and Noah shared their first (historic) kiss on As The World Turns. YouTube clips of the kiss have been watched by millions of fans since that day.
Celebrating a birthday today are:
Julianna McCarthy (ex-Liz,...
- 8/18/2011
- by We Love Soaps TV
- We Love Soaps
Wesley Eure is best known to soap fans for his long run as Mike Horton on Days Of Our Lives which ended in 1981. He also made a huge splash as Will Marshall during his run in the popular Sid and Marty Krofft adventure series Land Of The Lost. But he also has an extensive background as an author, television writer, producer, lecturer and charity fundraiser. In an exclusive three-part interview with We Love Soaps TV from November 2009, Eure covered all those aspects of his life and more including the price he's paid for being an out gay man in the industry.
In Part One, Eure talked about his background, how he came into show business and shared some fun stories from Days set.
In Part Two, Eure recalled Mike Horton's "gay storyline" and revealed how and why he was fired from the soap.
In Part Three, Eure spoke about...
In Part One, Eure talked about his background, how he came into show business and shared some fun stories from Days set.
In Part Two, Eure recalled Mike Horton's "gay storyline" and revealed how and why he was fired from the soap.
In Part Three, Eure spoke about...
- 8/17/2011
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Here at AfterElton.com, people aren't shy about naming their TV crushes, whether it's a sometimes-brooding, sometimes-happy-go-lucky roguish time traveler, a gruff, strong-willed police officer or a cable TV decorator stud. But there had to be someone who started it all for each of us. The one who first made our young selves one day notice that there was more to these TV shows than just the spaceships, cartoons, and things blowing up. Someone who made our pulse race and previously non-tingly parts go all tingly.
That was the hot topic of conversations at the AfterElton break room this week: Who was your first TV crush?
The responses we got varied quite a bit. Some people remembered the teen idols of their youth, some people remembered a character who didn't make the wardrobe department work very hard, while others remembered someone who ... surprised us.
But we don't want to just hear from Ae writers.
That was the hot topic of conversations at the AfterElton break room this week: Who was your first TV crush?
The responses we got varied quite a bit. Some people remembered the teen idols of their youth, some people remembered a character who didn't make the wardrobe department work very hard, while others remembered someone who ... surprised us.
But we don't want to just hear from Ae writers.
- 6/23/2011
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
Last year Wayne McClammy, the director behind the video ‘I’m Fucking Matt Damon [1]‘ and star-studded rejoinder ‘I’m Fucking Ben Affleck [2]‘ that aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2008, was set to direct [3] Isla Fisher in Desperados, which is typically referred to as 'a female-oriented Hangover.' But something didn't work out, and he's now walking away from the film. 'Creative differences' is what the trades say. (Isla Fisher remains attached.) Likely stepping into the vacant director's position will be Betty Thomas, who last made...um...well, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. The Ellen Rapoport script for Desperados hit the Black List in 2009 [4]. The synopsis that has been floating around for a couple years is: Wesley Robbins, a 30-something single attorney with an unhealthy obsession with coupling up, thinks she’s found the perfect man. But when he doesn’t call for days after the first time they sleep...
- 3/18/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Hey Gang! The full schedule for Comic-Con 2010 has been unleashed on the world today and boy, oh boy does it have a lot of great stuff! We have the full list for you below to check out. I've highlighted all of the events that we are excited about seeing. Check out the list below and start planning out your Comic-Con adventure now!
We will be doing a meet-up at the Con this year, we will fill you in on all the details once we have it all planned out. See ya there!
Special Preview Night Programming
Wednesday, July 21
Attendees at Comic-Con's Preview Night can also experience special programming, games, and Anime and Film screenings in addition to the giant Exhibit Hall! Here's a rundown of the Wednesday night fun, including the chance to get a first look at the new homes for Anime and Films in the Marriott Hotel and Marina.
We will be doing a meet-up at the Con this year, we will fill you in on all the details once we have it all planned out. See ya there!
Special Preview Night Programming
Wednesday, July 21
Attendees at Comic-Con's Preview Night can also experience special programming, games, and Anime and Film screenings in addition to the giant Exhibit Hall! Here's a rundown of the Wednesday night fun, including the chance to get a first look at the new homes for Anime and Films in the Marriott Hotel and Marina.
- 7/8/2010
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Crush DVD Artwork
Directors: John Soto and Jeffrey Gerritsen.
Writer: John Soto.
John Soto's (Needle, Prey) Crush is a thriller film from Australia that puts Christopher Egan in the central role of an isolated housesitter. The film pays homage to Fatal Attraction with the tagline "Attraction Can Be Fatal," and the film offers a unique twist on the love affair gone very wrong angle. As well, the soundtrack enhances a visually appealing film from cinematographer Richard Malins (Stump, Crush).
The film's storyline centrally involves Julian (Egan), a prize winning martial arts champion. Egan is a multi-faceted character with a love for the drink and an occasional beautiful woman. These very human weaknesses land Julian in hot waters with his girlfriend, employer, teacher, and coach when Julian turns to the sexy Anna (Emma Lung) for intimacy and excitement.
Christopher Egan as Julian and Christian Clark as Wesley - Movie StillAndrew L.
Directors: John Soto and Jeffrey Gerritsen.
Writer: John Soto.
John Soto's (Needle, Prey) Crush is a thriller film from Australia that puts Christopher Egan in the central role of an isolated housesitter. The film pays homage to Fatal Attraction with the tagline "Attraction Can Be Fatal," and the film offers a unique twist on the love affair gone very wrong angle. As well, the soundtrack enhances a visually appealing film from cinematographer Richard Malins (Stump, Crush).
The film's storyline centrally involves Julian (Egan), a prize winning martial arts champion. Egan is a multi-faceted character with a love for the drink and an occasional beautiful woman. These very human weaknesses land Julian in hot waters with his girlfriend, employer, teacher, and coach when Julian turns to the sexy Anna (Emma Lung) for intimacy and excitement.
Christopher Egan as Julian and Christian Clark as Wesley - Movie StillAndrew L.
- 6/28/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Ross Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
This week! Will La Streisand be in Sex and the City 2? Have any celebrities "inned" themselves? Plus, the truth about the Tiffany/Debbie Gibson feud!
Have a question about gay male entertainment? Contact me here (and be sure and include your city and state and/or country!)
Q: So the trailer for Sex and the City 2 is out, and it reveals what Liza Minnelli had already confirmed: she sings at Anthony and Stanford’s gay wedding. But what about the other part of the rumor, that Barbra Streisand also sings? Is she in the movie or not? – Elliott, Carmel, CA
A: It’s been denied, but truthfully? I'd bet money that she is.
What’s my hunch based on?
First, there were the rumors before filming that the producers were in “secret talks” with her. Then there were the rumors, immediately shot down, that she and Liza Minnelli...
Have a question about gay male entertainment? Contact me here (and be sure and include your city and state and/or country!)
Q: So the trailer for Sex and the City 2 is out, and it reveals what Liza Minnelli had already confirmed: she sings at Anthony and Stanford’s gay wedding. But what about the other part of the rumor, that Barbra Streisand also sings? Is she in the movie or not? – Elliott, Carmel, CA
A: It’s been denied, but truthfully? I'd bet money that she is.
What’s my hunch based on?
First, there were the rumors before filming that the producers were in “secret talks” with her. Then there were the rumors, immediately shot down, that she and Liza Minnelli...
- 4/19/2010
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
Chicago – If you’re like me, you forgot how totally weird the cult horror classic “The Toolbox Murders” actually is. Perhaps the dull, by-the-numbers Tobe Hooper remake (with the otherwise great Angela Bettis from “May”) warped our minds, but this is a trippy slasher film, a notable entry in the slasher genre now available in glorious B-movie High-Def for the first time.
Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0
Reportedly based on a true story (aren’t they all?), “The Toolbox Murders” caused quite a stink in 1978 when it was released. It’s not that graphically violent, but it is easy to see what turned people off in a film that, for almost the entirety of its first act, consists of intercut shots of a power tool and a screaming woman being murdered by said tool. Watching a woman masturbate before being killed by a masked man with a nail gun is not for everyone.
Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0
Reportedly based on a true story (aren’t they all?), “The Toolbox Murders” caused quite a stink in 1978 when it was released. It’s not that graphically violent, but it is easy to see what turned people off in a film that, for almost the entirety of its first act, consists of intercut shots of a power tool and a screaming woman being murdered by said tool. Watching a woman masturbate before being killed by a masked man with a nail gun is not for everyone.
- 2/17/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Each year, Hollywood executives name the best screenplays of the year that have yet to be made. In previous years, their list has catapulted dozens of scripts into production and screenwriters out of oblivion. Some of this year’s crop have moved into production; others are stuck in development hell. See what you think.
It’s called the Black List — film executives' favorite scripts written in, or somehow uniquely associated with, this year but not be released in theaters during this calendar year.
In previous years, the list has catapulted dozens of scripts into production and screenwriters out of oblivion. Diablo Cody's Juno, Nancy Oliver's Lars And The Real Girl, Scott Neustader's and Michael Weber's 500 Days Of Summer, are just some of the scripts that were made after appearing on the list.
Ninety-seven screenplays appear on the just-released version, according to Deadline Hollywood. Here are the Top...
It’s called the Black List — film executives' favorite scripts written in, or somehow uniquely associated with, this year but not be released in theaters during this calendar year.
In previous years, the list has catapulted dozens of scripts into production and screenwriters out of oblivion. Diablo Cody's Juno, Nancy Oliver's Lars And The Real Girl, Scott Neustader's and Michael Weber's 500 Days Of Summer, are just some of the scripts that were made after appearing on the list.
Ninety-seven screenplays appear on the just-released version, according to Deadline Hollywood. Here are the Top...
- 12/17/2009
- doorQ.com
"Land of the Lost: Season One" is currently available on DVD.
Released on October 13 through Universal Studios Home Entertainment, the three-disc set contains the first 17 episodes of the Saturday morning children's television show. Originally broadcast on NBC from 1974 to 1976, the Sid and Marty Krofft series follows the adventures of the Marshall family as they weather the perils of a savage land.
When family patriarch Rick (Spencer Milligan) takes his children Will and Holly (Wesley Eure, Kathy Coleman) on a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon's Colorado River, he has no idea what's in store for them. While on the river, they meet "the greatest earthquake ever known," which results in them plunging over a cliff into a vortex that sends them to the Land of the Lost, a bizarre wasteland full of otherworldly creatures and people collected over the course of time.
Among the beings of this new...
Released on October 13 through Universal Studios Home Entertainment, the three-disc set contains the first 17 episodes of the Saturday morning children's television show. Originally broadcast on NBC from 1974 to 1976, the Sid and Marty Krofft series follows the adventures of the Marshall family as they weather the perils of a savage land.
When family patriarch Rick (Spencer Milligan) takes his children Will and Holly (Wesley Eure, Kathy Coleman) on a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon's Colorado River, he has no idea what's in store for them. While on the river, they meet "the greatest earthquake ever known," which results in them plunging over a cliff into a vortex that sends them to the Land of the Lost, a bizarre wasteland full of otherworldly creatures and people collected over the course of time.
Among the beings of this new...
- 10/28/2009
- icelebz.com
Have a question about gay male entertainment? Send it to aftereltonflyingmonkey@yahoo.com! (Please include your city and state and/or country.)
Q: Can you please help us get more details on Luke Macfarlane's involvement in a Canadian movie Iron Road? He plays a straight guy who falls in love with a woman who was disguised as a boy and has a total nude scene which is gorgeous and sexy. -- Bclee
A: Who is this, the publicist for Iron Road? You’re a smart one. By getting me to publish your email on AfterElton.com, you should sell at least a few thousand extra copies of the movie.
Charlotte Sullivan and Luke Macfarlane in Iron Road
Iron Road, a $10 million Canada/Chinese production, tells the sad story of the building of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and of the many Chinese workers who were tricked into slavery and lost...
Q: Can you please help us get more details on Luke Macfarlane's involvement in a Canadian movie Iron Road? He plays a straight guy who falls in love with a woman who was disguised as a boy and has a total nude scene which is gorgeous and sexy. -- Bclee
A: Who is this, the publicist for Iron Road? You’re a smart one. By getting me to publish your email on AfterElton.com, you should sell at least a few thousand extra copies of the movie.
Charlotte Sullivan and Luke Macfarlane in Iron Road
Iron Road, a $10 million Canada/Chinese production, tells the sad story of the building of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and of the many Chinese workers who were tricked into slavery and lost...
- 10/12/2009
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
The 2009 Edition of Comic-Con gets underway this week at the San Diego Convention Center, promising the biggest pop-culture event of the year.
Fangoria will be there reporting on the action live from the show floor, with constant updates on all the genre panels, announcements, and more - bringing all the latest Sdcc '09 Horror News direct to you right here on Fangoria.com
For those of you planning to attend the 100% Sold-Out show, here's a look at what to expect for genre programming on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009.
10:00-11:00 Fan's Guide to Comic-Con — For the third consecutive year Wesley Strawther, Matthew Jeffrey, and gaming expert Jesse Lopez host a hilarious guide to the San Diego Comic-Con. First timers will find just a little more information than veteran attendees! Room 2 11:00-12:00 Idw Publishing: The Evolution of Comics — Through the lens of Idw's tenth anniversary, founder Ted Adams and Idw editors and creators,...
Fangoria will be there reporting on the action live from the show floor, with constant updates on all the genre panels, announcements, and more - bringing all the latest Sdcc '09 Horror News direct to you right here on Fangoria.com
For those of you planning to attend the 100% Sold-Out show, here's a look at what to expect for genre programming on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009.
10:00-11:00 Fan's Guide to Comic-Con — For the third consecutive year Wesley Strawther, Matthew Jeffrey, and gaming expert Jesse Lopez host a hilarious guide to the San Diego Comic-Con. First timers will find just a little more information than veteran attendees! Room 2 11:00-12:00 Idw Publishing: The Evolution of Comics — Through the lens of Idw's tenth anniversary, founder Ted Adams and Idw editors and creators,...
- 7/19/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
Time to close the books on another week of torture and mayhem here in the Fango dungeon. The horror was hot, the rock was hard, and the exclusives were flowing daily.
Let's take a look back at the past seven days worth of Fangoria news, features, reviews, blogs and more in your Week in Review for 7/19/2009...
Fearful Features:
Exclusive: Fantasia/Book Of Blood interview video! Exclusive: Lisa Vidal discusses "Dark Mirror" and more... Fangoria's Comic Screams Interview with Milo Ventimiglia Fangoria's Comic Screams Interview with Rick Loverd Ghastly Reviews:
Hellboy: The Fire Wolves (Book Review) Back Catalogue #3: Blue Underground (DVD Reviews) Meg: Hell’S Aquarium (Book Review) Modern Gentlemen #2 (Comic Review) I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer (DVD Review) Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash: The Nightmare Warriors – Issue #1 (Comic Review) Berserker – Issues #0 & 1 (Comic Reviews) Horsemen (DVD Review) Giallo (Film Review) Bloody Blogs:
Short Cuts #5: The...
Let's take a look back at the past seven days worth of Fangoria news, features, reviews, blogs and more in your Week in Review for 7/19/2009...
Fearful Features:
Exclusive: Fantasia/Book Of Blood interview video! Exclusive: Lisa Vidal discusses "Dark Mirror" and more... Fangoria's Comic Screams Interview with Milo Ventimiglia Fangoria's Comic Screams Interview with Rick Loverd Ghastly Reviews:
Hellboy: The Fire Wolves (Book Review) Back Catalogue #3: Blue Underground (DVD Reviews) Meg: Hell’S Aquarium (Book Review) Modern Gentlemen #2 (Comic Review) I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer (DVD Review) Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash: The Nightmare Warriors – Issue #1 (Comic Review) Berserker – Issues #0 & 1 (Comic Reviews) Horsemen (DVD Review) Giallo (Film Review) Bloody Blogs:
Short Cuts #5: The...
- 7/19/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
(In Part 1 of this interview (read it here), Wesley Eure recounted his days as a teen idol on Day Of Our Lives and Land Of The Lost, as well as his experiences on the sets of The Toolbox Murders and Jennifer. At this point in his acting career, Eure starts to feel the negative effects of being a gay actor in Hollywood.)
After Jennifer and C.H.O.M.P.S, there’s an eight year gap in Eure’s IMDb.com listing. As I tactfully dance around the subject – “So, right after C.H.O.M.P.S. there’s sort of a…things slowed down…uh, and I wonder…” – Eure jumps in. “What happened? Well, first I got fired from Days, I’m told because I’m gay. The producers didn’t say that explicitly. They gave me all sorts of excuses, like I was too short, I wasn’t aging enough and...
After Jennifer and C.H.O.M.P.S, there’s an eight year gap in Eure’s IMDb.com listing. As I tactfully dance around the subject – “So, right after C.H.O.M.P.S. there’s sort of a…things slowed down…uh, and I wonder…” – Eure jumps in. “What happened? Well, first I got fired from Days, I’m told because I’m gay. The producers didn’t say that explicitly. They gave me all sorts of excuses, like I was too short, I wasn’t aging enough and...
- 7/13/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Sean Abley)
- Fangoria
It was a pretty bloody week here at Fangoria. Updates on Piranha 3-D, The Final Destination, and Halloween II fought for the headlines, but none of them came close to the online storm caused by Megan Fox and Jennifer's Body.
Let's take a look back at the past seven days worth of Fangoria news, features, reviews, blogs and more in your Week in Review for 7/12/2009...
Fearful Features:
Exclusive first set report: Zombieland Examining Junction with April Wade Kyle Gallner’s Haunting Body of Work Riding With Horsemen Bloody Blogs:
Name That Scene: This is your Life - by Drew Tinnin Maxx FX and the Mystery of the Lost Monsters? - by James Zahn All I Really Need to Know About Hollywood I Learned in Just Over an Hour - by Brian Matus aka Hellstorm Gay Of The Dead 17 – Land Of The Lost and Toolbox Murder’s Wesley Eure - by Sean Abley Blog: Repo!
Let's take a look back at the past seven days worth of Fangoria news, features, reviews, blogs and more in your Week in Review for 7/12/2009...
Fearful Features:
Exclusive first set report: Zombieland Examining Junction with April Wade Kyle Gallner’s Haunting Body of Work Riding With Horsemen Bloody Blogs:
Name That Scene: This is your Life - by Drew Tinnin Maxx FX and the Mystery of the Lost Monsters? - by James Zahn All I Really Need to Know About Hollywood I Learned in Just Over an Hour - by Brian Matus aka Hellstorm Gay Of The Dead 17 – Land Of The Lost and Toolbox Murder’s Wesley Eure - by Sean Abley Blog: Repo!
- 7/12/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
That bomb that dropped in Los Angeles about a month ago? That wasn’t the Land Of The Lost feature film. It was the revelation that 1970’s/80’s teen idol Wesley Eure, the original “Will Marshall” from the television version, the star of Days Of Our Lives, the shower nozzle masturbation fantasy material (to quote Heathers) for legions of teenage girls, is gay.
Perhaps I overstate. But Eure’s AfterElton.com interview was certainly a “Holy sh*t!” moment for many 40-something women whose dreams were crushed, and many 40-something men whose dreams came true.
Honestly, this one wasn’t a shocker for me. Although he wasn’t out in the press, the signs were there. His nonstop charity work with various AIDS charities (which include live theater extravaganzas featuring drag queens and muscle boys), the fact that he now lives in Palm Springs (Says Eure, “If you live here you’re either old,...
Perhaps I overstate. But Eure’s AfterElton.com interview was certainly a “Holy sh*t!” moment for many 40-something women whose dreams were crushed, and many 40-something men whose dreams came true.
Honestly, this one wasn’t a shocker for me. Although he wasn’t out in the press, the signs were there. His nonstop charity work with various AIDS charities (which include live theater extravaganzas featuring drag queens and muscle boys), the fact that he now lives in Palm Springs (Says Eure, “If you live here you’re either old,...
- 7/6/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Sean Abley)
- Fangoria
And this was Before the Tonys!
Yes, Neil Patrick Harris has once again snagged the crown to become your Gay of the Week.
Find out by how much the fan-fave beat the others, after the jump!
Why he won: In advance of his Tonys gig, Nph stopped by Letterman to deliver a wonderfully cheeky Top Ten list with a gay punchline. You likey.
How he won: Harris earned a smashing 51% of the vote, with newly-out Land of the Lost heartthrob Wesley Eure taking second with 28%. Calvin (Paul James) from Greek earned 14% for bagging a hot new gay roommate, and Reigning Gay David Hyde Pierce pulled up the rear with 6%.
Past wins: This is King Patrick Harris' third win, the last being in December.
Harris's benevolent rule will last until Friday, when new challengers will attempt to knock that brilliant, shimmering crown from his generous forehead. See you then!
Yes, Neil Patrick Harris has once again snagged the crown to become your Gay of the Week.
Find out by how much the fan-fave beat the others, after the jump!
Why he won: In advance of his Tonys gig, Nph stopped by Letterman to deliver a wonderfully cheeky Top Ten list with a gay punchline. You likey.
How he won: Harris earned a smashing 51% of the vote, with newly-out Land of the Lost heartthrob Wesley Eure taking second with 28%. Calvin (Paul James) from Greek earned 14% for bagging a hot new gay roommate, and Reigning Gay David Hyde Pierce pulled up the rear with 6%.
Past wins: This is King Patrick Harris' third win, the last being in December.
Harris's benevolent rule will last until Friday, when new challengers will attempt to knock that brilliant, shimmering crown from his generous forehead. See you then!
- 6/8/2009
- by brian
- The Backlot
The big screen adaptation of Land Of The Lost opens today. Like many of Wil Ferrell's films, it seems to be an acquired taste, with a lackluster script helped by the raunchy humor of Ferrell and McBride, but it all adding up to not that much.
Roger Ebert says: "....Confronted with such effects, the actors make not the slightest effort to appear terrified, amazed or sometimes even mildly concerned. Some might consider that a weakness. I suspect it is more of a deliberate choice, and I say I enjoyed it."
Rolling Stone counters: "...Will Ferrell and Danny McBride can find the dumb fun in anything. Too bad that Land of the Lost is so much less than anything.
So it's up to you. After my morobid encounter with Terminator 4, I think I'm going to let this one wait until it hits DVD. As weak as the production values are for the original,...
Roger Ebert says: "....Confronted with such effects, the actors make not the slightest effort to appear terrified, amazed or sometimes even mildly concerned. Some might consider that a weakness. I suspect it is more of a deliberate choice, and I say I enjoyed it."
Rolling Stone counters: "...Will Ferrell and Danny McBride can find the dumb fun in anything. Too bad that Land of the Lost is so much less than anything.
So it's up to you. After my morobid encounter with Terminator 4, I think I'm going to let this one wait until it hits DVD. As weak as the production values are for the original,...
- 6/5/2009
- doorQ.com
Every Friday we pick the gays in television who have had the best week and leave it to you, the keepers of the flame, to decide who will be crowned Gay of the Week and enjoy their own fancy button over on the left. We'll announce the winner on Monday, and that champ will reign until a new set of challengers are introduced the following Friday to try to steal his title.
Last week you voted Emmy- and Tony-winning out actor David Hyde Pierce into the throne for the first time, but already three worthy opponents have emerged like so many Nomi Malones to squabble for our Crystal Conners' fancy headgear.
Check them out, and vote for your favorite!
This week's contenders:
Wesley Eure from Land of the Lost (Why?)
Calvin (Paul James) from Greek (Why?)
Neil Patrick Harris on Letterman (Why?)
Reigning Gay David Hyde Pierce (Why? Because he's awesome!
Last week you voted Emmy- and Tony-winning out actor David Hyde Pierce into the throne for the first time, but already three worthy opponents have emerged like so many Nomi Malones to squabble for our Crystal Conners' fancy headgear.
Check them out, and vote for your favorite!
This week's contenders:
Wesley Eure from Land of the Lost (Why?)
Calvin (Paul James) from Greek (Why?)
Neil Patrick Harris on Letterman (Why?)
Reigning Gay David Hyde Pierce (Why? Because he's awesome!
- 6/5/2009
- by brian
- The Backlot
The new Land of the Lost movie is being released today. It's a parody of the 1974 series and stars Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, and Jorma Taccone. Though the tone is very different, the film does incorporate a lot of elements from the original TV show. The dreaded Sleestaks, monkey-boy Cha-Ka, and Grumpy the dinosaur are all along for the ride. Unfortunately, some other familiar faces from the TV show didn't make it to the big screen.
The original Land of the Lost TV series stars Spencer Milligan, Wesley Eure, Kathy Coleman, Ron Harper, and Philip Paley as Cha-Ka. It ran on Saturday mornings and revolves around an explorer father and his two children who find themselves transported to a strange alternate universe. The show ran for just three seasons and only 43 episodes were produced.
The show became so popular in syndication that a new version was created in 1991. It stars Timothy Bottoms,...
The original Land of the Lost TV series stars Spencer Milligan, Wesley Eure, Kathy Coleman, Ron Harper, and Philip Paley as Cha-Ka. It ran on Saturday mornings and revolves around an explorer father and his two children who find themselves transported to a strange alternate universe. The show ran for just three seasons and only 43 episodes were produced.
The show became so popular in syndication that a new version was created in 1991. It stars Timothy Bottoms,...
- 6/5/2009
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
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