Odds are, with how Netflix has advertised the series just about everywhere, you’ve probably watched Season 1 of “Sweet Tooth” already. And if so, you’re well aware the feel-good drama series about the post-apocalypse isn’t just filled with adorable hybrid kids and sweet moments between friends, but it’s also filled with incredible music from composer Jeff Grace.
Read More: The Best Television Of 2021… So Far
And in honor of the soundtrack to “Sweet Tooth” arriving this week, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive peek at one of the tracks from the forthcoming release.
Continue reading ‘Sweet Tooth’ Exclusive: Hear A Track From Jeff Grace’s Score For The Netflix Hit at The Playlist.
Read More: The Best Television Of 2021… So Far
And in honor of the soundtrack to “Sweet Tooth” arriving this week, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive peek at one of the tracks from the forthcoming release.
Continue reading ‘Sweet Tooth’ Exclusive: Hear A Track From Jeff Grace’s Score For The Netflix Hit at The Playlist.
- 6/24/2021
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Producers Ryland Aldrich and Adam Maffei have set their next movie, A Hard Problem, which will mark the feature directorial debut of duo hazart (pictured above).
Aldrich’s productions It Happened in L.A. and Folk Hero & Funny Guy respectively made their world premieres at Sundance and the Tribeca Film Festival.
Maffei is a writer, director and producer on Disney Channel’s Disney Quizney. He recently produced the Chloe Bennet comedy drama 5 Years Apart, which Aldrich was a consulting producer.
hazart is the collective and collaborative efforts of writer/directors Kyle Hasday and Matt Stewart. The duo have written and directed films together in addition to creating fine art photography and photo essays. The two began their collaboration in 2002 while attending Chapman University’s School of Film and Television. The duo will also produce A Hard Problem. In A Hard Problem, Ian, following the death of his mother,...
Aldrich’s productions It Happened in L.A. and Folk Hero & Funny Guy respectively made their world premieres at Sundance and the Tribeca Film Festival.
Maffei is a writer, director and producer on Disney Channel’s Disney Quizney. He recently produced the Chloe Bennet comedy drama 5 Years Apart, which Aldrich was a consulting producer.
hazart is the collective and collaborative efforts of writer/directors Kyle Hasday and Matt Stewart. The duo have written and directed films together in addition to creating fine art photography and photo essays. The two began their collaboration in 2002 while attending Chapman University’s School of Film and Television. The duo will also produce A Hard Problem. In A Hard Problem, Ian, following the death of his mother,...
- 9/26/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Denver native Emilie Upczak moved to Trinidad and Tobago and became Creative Director of the Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival where she worked for ten years. At that time, she not only helped set up the only Caribbean Film Industry Center but began making a fiction feature film about human trafficking.
She enlisted the prize winning Dp Nancy Schreiberwho also recently shot Ondi Timoner’s Robert Mapplethorpe biopic Mapplethorpe who was recently honored at the High Falls Film Festival, an annual event celebrating female filmmakers with the Susan B. Anthony “Failure is Impossible” Award “in recognition of her contributions to the art of filmmaking as one of the few female cinematographers working today.”
Moving Parts is about an illegal Chinese immigrant who, after being smuggled into Trinidad and Tobago to be with her brother, discovers the true cost of her arrival.
See the trailer here.
Emilie Upczak’s films reflect her...
She enlisted the prize winning Dp Nancy Schreiberwho also recently shot Ondi Timoner’s Robert Mapplethorpe biopic Mapplethorpe who was recently honored at the High Falls Film Festival, an annual event celebrating female filmmakers with the Susan B. Anthony “Failure is Impossible” Award “in recognition of her contributions to the art of filmmaking as one of the few female cinematographers working today.”
Moving Parts is about an illegal Chinese immigrant who, after being smuggled into Trinidad and Tobago to be with her brother, discovers the true cost of her arrival.
See the trailer here.
Emilie Upczak’s films reflect her...
- 11/21/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Is this the new feminist minimalism? Director Kelly Reichart doesn’t like labels, and to her credit as a woman director, her amalgam of three tangential short stories transcends the format in a studious, low-key way. Four interesting actresses present interesting portraits that illuminate the realities of life in the great Middle America.
Certain Women
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 893
2016 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 107 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date September 19, 2017 39.95
Starring: Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, Lily Gladstone, Kristen Stewart, Jared Harris, James Le Gros, Rene Auberjonois.
Cinematography: Christopher Blauvelt
Film Editor: Kelly Reichardt
Original Music: Jeff Grace
Written by Kelly Reichardt from short stories by Maile Meloy
Produced by Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani
Directed by Kelly Reichardt
One of the first things that the interesting director Kelly Reichardt says is that she’d like her movie to not be considered a ‘woman’s picture.’ We at first think she’s kidding herself,...
Certain Women
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 893
2016 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 107 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date September 19, 2017 39.95
Starring: Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, Lily Gladstone, Kristen Stewart, Jared Harris, James Le Gros, Rene Auberjonois.
Cinematography: Christopher Blauvelt
Film Editor: Kelly Reichardt
Original Music: Jeff Grace
Written by Kelly Reichardt from short stories by Maile Meloy
Produced by Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani
Directed by Kelly Reichardt
One of the first things that the interesting director Kelly Reichardt says is that she’d like her movie to not be considered a ‘woman’s picture.’ We at first think she’s kidding herself,...
- 8/26/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Jeff Grace’s indie charmer “Folk Hero & Funny Guy” follows a pair of seemingly mismatched childhood friends who have taken wildly divergent paths in life — Wyatt Russell as a good-time-having folk singer and Alex Karpovsky as a struggling standup comedian who just ended an engagement — when they hit the road for concert tour that soon turns into something else. Rest assured, though, in between the big questions about life and a love triangle that threatens to split the long-time pals, there is plenty of guitar-picking.
Read More: ‘Folk Hero & Funny Guy’ Review: Wyatt Russell and Alex Karpovsky Hit the Road in Year’s Most Charming Buddy Comedy
Over the course of the film, Russell’s Adam Ezra croons a ton of really excellent folk songs (his character is on tour, after all). And it’s really Russell who is singing them, too, as “Folk Hero” took a cue from films...
Read More: ‘Folk Hero & Funny Guy’ Review: Wyatt Russell and Alex Karpovsky Hit the Road in Year’s Most Charming Buddy Comedy
Over the course of the film, Russell’s Adam Ezra croons a ton of really excellent folk songs (his character is on tour, after all). And it’s really Russell who is singing them, too, as “Folk Hero” took a cue from films...
- 5/26/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Alex Karpovsky is no stranger to a film festival. In the past year alone, he has had movies premiere at South by Southwest (Fits and Starts), Sundance (Sidney Hall), Tiff (My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea) and Tribeca (Folk Hero & Funny Guy, in which Karpovsky plays a struggling stand-up comedian who gets roped into opening for his more successful singer-songwriter friend on tour). Yet, when Karpovsky phoned Et to discuss Folk Hero & Funny Guy, out now, he said that he's the least busy he's been in years, despite having also had a prominent role as Ray Ploshansky in the sixth and finale season of HBO's Girls.
"I feel like there are guys working a lot harder than I am," Karpovsky laughed, explaining that he started acting in his early 30s when he and his friends would act in one another's independent movies. "I tried not to [turn friends down] as much as possible, just because...
"I feel like there are guys working a lot harder than I am," Karpovsky laughed, explaining that he started acting in his early 30s when he and his friends would act in one another's independent movies. "I tried not to [turn friends down] as much as possible, just because...
- 5/22/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has played his fair share of superheroes from the title character in Kick-Ass to Quicksilver in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age of Ultron, but in Doug Liman’s The Wall, he gets to play a real superhero; Sergeant Allen Isaac, a soldier in Iraq trapped behind the title wall and pinned down by a sniper. Said sniper finds a way to tap into Isaac’s earpiece, and he begins to play mind games with the young soldier while trying to find out more about his life, and his past.
It’s a fantastic role for Taylor-Johnson with Liman’s camera trained on him for much of the film, creating the same kind of tension Liman brought to his earlier films, Edge of Tomorrow and The Bourne Identity.
Lrm got on the phone with Taylor-Johnson from the L.A. junket last week:
Lrm: I spoke with Doug and he...
It’s a fantastic role for Taylor-Johnson with Liman’s camera trained on him for much of the film, creating the same kind of tension Liman brought to his earlier films, Edge of Tomorrow and The Bourne Identity.
Lrm got on the phone with Taylor-Johnson from the L.A. junket last week:
Lrm: I spoke with Doug and he...
- 5/16/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Folk Hero & Funny Guy (Jeff Grace)
The bond of male friendship is examined – and tested – in Folk Hero & Funny Guy, a short and sweet dramedy from multi-hyphenate Jeff Grace, who writes and directs. We meet comedian Paul (Alex Karpovsky) at the end of a tired stand-up routine in a beer-stained comedy club. Meanwhile, Paul’s childhood friend Jason (Wyatt Russell) has built a successful career for himself as a folk music star.
Folk Hero & Funny Guy (Jeff Grace)
The bond of male friendship is examined – and tested – in Folk Hero & Funny Guy, a short and sweet dramedy from multi-hyphenate Jeff Grace, who writes and directs. We meet comedian Paul (Alex Karpovsky) at the end of a tired stand-up routine in a beer-stained comedy club. Meanwhile, Paul’s childhood friend Jason (Wyatt Russell) has built a successful career for himself as a folk music star.
- 5/12/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Review: Folk Hero & Funny Guy, Great Performances Mark the Arrival of a Remarkable Filmmaking Talent
One of the key ingredients for a successful film is a good title. And one thing that makes for a good title is one that is perfectly descriptive of the movie within. Jeff Grace's witty, diverting feature debut Folk Hero & Funny Guy has such a title, which is a major selling point. Much like, say, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - to choose a random example - you don't need to wonder what, or in this case who, you will encounter when you see this title in a film festival catalog or a newspaper listing. Luckily, however, Folk Hero & Funny Guy has a lot more going for it than the convenient thematic shorthand of its title. The "folk hero" is Jason (Wyatt...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 5/11/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Every once in a while, a really special film comes along that you may have a chance to see at a film festival, but that may not have the biggest studio push behind it when it finally gets released. Jeff Grace’s Folk Hero and Funny Guy is one of those great festival movies that really deserves more attention.
The film stars Wyatt Russell (22 Jump Street), and Alex Karpovsky (Girls) as two childhood friends whose lives went into very different directions in terms of fame and success. Russell’s Jason Black is a hugely-popular singer and songwriter i.e. the folk her of the title, while Karpovsky’s Paul is the funny guy, a struggling stand-up comic for many years. When Paul’s fiancé dumps him, Jason, feeling bad for his friend, throws out the idea of the two of them going on tour with Paul opening for him. The...
The film stars Wyatt Russell (22 Jump Street), and Alex Karpovsky (Girls) as two childhood friends whose lives went into very different directions in terms of fame and success. Russell’s Jason Black is a hugely-popular singer and songwriter i.e. the folk her of the title, while Karpovsky’s Paul is the funny guy, a struggling stand-up comic for many years. When Paul’s fiancé dumps him, Jason, feeling bad for his friend, throws out the idea of the two of them going on tour with Paul opening for him. The...
- 5/11/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
The bond of male friendship is examined – and tested – in Folk Hero & Funny Guy, a short and sweet dramedy from multi-hyphenate Jeff Grace, who writes and directs. We meet comedian Paul (Alex Karpovsky) at the end of a tired stand-up routine in a beer-stained comedy club. Meanwhile, Paul’s childhood friend Jason (Wyatt Russell) has built a successful career for himself as a folk music star. Inspired over the course of a drunken reunion, Jason gets the idea to take Paul on tour with him. We had the opportunity to speak with Russell about the film, and one can read the full conversation below.
How did this all come together?
I came back from doing a film and I just read this movie that I thought was really good. And it had a musical element to it which is something I’d wanting to do. Because I play guitar, and...
How did this all come together?
I came back from doing a film and I just read this movie that I thought was really good. And it had a musical element to it which is something I’d wanting to do. Because I play guitar, and...
- 5/10/2017
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Alex Karpovsky knows his way around an ill-fated working road trip. Back in 2012, the indie multi-hyphenate pulled triple duty on his “Red Flag,” starring in a feature he also wrote and directed about a filmmaker taking his latest work on around the country on a makeshift tour that only did more (mostly amusing) harm than good. In Jeff Grace’s amiable “Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” Karpovsky is mining similar territory in a comedy elevated by pairing up the actor with rising star Wyatt Russell.
As childhood friends who have taken wildly divergent paths in life — Karpovsky’s Paul is a struggling standup comedian who just ended an engagement, Russell’s Jason is a mildly successful folk singer who is having a hell of a time traveling the country and jamming out, with groupies to spare — the pair have a lived-in, believable chemistry that hinges equally on their affection for and disappointment in each other.
As childhood friends who have taken wildly divergent paths in life — Karpovsky’s Paul is a struggling standup comedian who just ended an engagement, Russell’s Jason is a mildly successful folk singer who is having a hell of a time traveling the country and jamming out, with groupies to spare — the pair have a lived-in, believable chemistry that hinges equally on their affection for and disappointment in each other.
- 5/8/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Long live the road movie. While the independent film scene in Hollywood might be littered with stories about lovable losers who jump in their car as a way to find themselves, that does nothing diminish the appeal when a road movie is done right. The first trailer for actor Jeff Grace‘s directorial debut “Folk Hero & Funny Guy” leans into the gentle premise of two artists — one a struggling comedian, and one, well, a folk hero — who take to the road in an attempt to find themselves.
Continue reading Hit The Road With The Amiable First Trailer For ‘Folk Hero & Funny Guy’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading Hit The Road With The Amiable First Trailer For ‘Folk Hero & Funny Guy’ at The Playlist.
- 4/14/2017
- by Matthew Monagle
- The Playlist
"She gets it. I told her this about getting your mojo back." Gravitas Ventures has debuted the trailer for the indie comedy titled Folk Hero & Funny Guy, about "a folk hero and a funny guy", as played by Wyatt Russell and Alex Karpovsky (respectively). The story is about a struggling comedian named Paul, played by Karpovsky, who is talked into being the opening act of his folk-music friend Jason's solo acoustic tour of the east coast. Everything seems to be going well, until Jason reveals an ulterior motive behind the tour. The cast includes Meredith Hagner, Melanie Lynskey, Hannah Simone, Michael Ian Black, Heather Morris and David Cross. This looks funny and heartfelt, and it's always good to see Alex Karpovsky with a key role in a film. Though, as one of the quotes points out, this seems to be about the entire ensemble cast. Here's the official trailer (+ poster...
- 3/27/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Fans of “Girls” star Alex Karpovsky will likely feel comfortably familiar with some of the dynamics that play out in his latest starring role in Jeff Grace’s “Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” as the multi-hyphenate returns to the same wacky — and insightful! — road trip high jinks that marked his own feature, “Red Flag.” In that film, Karpovsky played a filmmaker who takes his latest feature on the road and encounters all kinds of strange characters, all of whom have lots to say about his creative output.
Read More: Tribeca Review: Amiable And Appealing ‘Folk Hero & Funny Guy’ Starring Alex Karpovsky And Wyatt Russell
In Grace’s film, Karpovksy is again a struggling artist — this time, an aspiring comedian — who (somewhat against his will) takes his shtick on the road, only to find some unexpected people and situations along the way. He’s the funny guy, so of course he also...
Read More: Tribeca Review: Amiable And Appealing ‘Folk Hero & Funny Guy’ Starring Alex Karpovsky And Wyatt Russell
In Grace’s film, Karpovksy is again a struggling artist — this time, an aspiring comedian — who (somewhat against his will) takes his shtick on the road, only to find some unexpected people and situations along the way. He’s the funny guy, so of course he also...
- 3/27/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
After impressing in 22 Jump Street and Everybody Wants Some!!, Wyatt Russell has teamed with Girls star Alex Karpovsky for a new indie comedy. Folk Hero & Funny Guy, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival last fall, follows the two characters as they head out on a a comedy/music tour. Ahead of a release this summer, the first trailer has now arrived.
We said in our review, “It may read maudlin here, but Grace and his team thoroughly sell it. And despite a somewhat foregone conclusion, Folk Hero & Funny Guy rises above cliché thanks to a sure-handed, thought-out script, and memorable performances.”
Check out the trailer below for the Jeff Grace-directed film also starring Meredith Hagner, Melanie Lynskey, Hannah Simone, Michael Ian Black, Heather Morris, and David Cross.
Recently dumped by his fiancée and with a stagnating standup routine, aspiring comedian-slash-copywriter Paul (Alex Karpovsky) is stuck. The manager of the...
We said in our review, “It may read maudlin here, but Grace and his team thoroughly sell it. And despite a somewhat foregone conclusion, Folk Hero & Funny Guy rises above cliché thanks to a sure-handed, thought-out script, and memorable performances.”
Check out the trailer below for the Jeff Grace-directed film also starring Meredith Hagner, Melanie Lynskey, Hannah Simone, Michael Ian Black, Heather Morris, and David Cross.
Recently dumped by his fiancée and with a stagnating standup routine, aspiring comedian-slash-copywriter Paul (Alex Karpovsky) is stuck. The manager of the...
- 3/27/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
-Gravitas Ventures has secured the worldwide rights to “Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” the debut film from writer-director Jeff Grace. The comedy follows a successful singer-songwriter who helps his friend’s struggling comedy career and broken love life by hiring him as his opening act on his solo tour. “Folk Hero & Funny Guy” premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and stars Alex Karpovsky, Wyatt Russell, Meredith Hagner, Melanie Lynskey, Hannah Simone, Heather Morris, Michael Ian Black and David Cross.
“It was impossible to resist the witty and memorable characters in Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” Nolan Gallagher, Founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures, said in a statement. “It’s a laugh-out-loud bromance that we know will resonate with audiences near and far.
-Gravitas Ventures has secured the worldwide rights to “Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” the debut film from writer-director Jeff Grace. The comedy follows a successful singer-songwriter who helps his friend’s struggling comedy career and broken love life by hiring him as his opening act on his solo tour. “Folk Hero & Funny Guy” premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and stars Alex Karpovsky, Wyatt Russell, Meredith Hagner, Melanie Lynskey, Hannah Simone, Heather Morris, Michael Ian Black and David Cross.
“It was impossible to resist the witty and memorable characters in Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” Nolan Gallagher, Founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures, said in a statement. “It’s a laugh-out-loud bromance that we know will resonate with audiences near and far.
- 1/27/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Gravitas Ventures has sealed worldwide rights to Folk Hero & Funny Guy, a comedy from first-time writer-director Jeff Grace that bowed at Tribeca. It follows a successful singer-songwriter who hatches a plan to help his friend’s struggling comedy career and broken love life by hiring him as his opening act on his solo tour. The pic will bow day-and-date on May 12. Paul (Alex Karpovsky) and Jason (Wyatt Russell) are old friends who have drifted apart as they've reached…...
- 1/18/2017
- Deadline
Sundance Institute and the Dolby Institute, along with the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund, have chosen Dee Rees’ anticipated drama for the 2017 Dolby Family Sound Fellowship.
Mudbound stars Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell and Carey Mulligan and premieres on Saturday.
Cassian Elwes and Wme Global represent Us rights and Good Universe handles international sales.
Blackpills has acquired rights to Adaptive Studios’ digital series Pineapple, which is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight Episodic Showcase on Saturday, in anticipation of a larger slate deal between the companies.In an unprecedented move that follows years of legal action, all heirs to the estate of Sammy Davis Jr. have united to agree to a biopic about the entertainer. Lionel Richie, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mike Menchel lead a team that has been granted rights to adapt Yes I Can by Davis Jr., author Burt Boyar and his wife JaneVirgil Films has acquired all North American...
Mudbound stars Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell and Carey Mulligan and premieres on Saturday.
Cassian Elwes and Wme Global represent Us rights and Good Universe handles international sales.
Blackpills has acquired rights to Adaptive Studios’ digital series Pineapple, which is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight Episodic Showcase on Saturday, in anticipation of a larger slate deal between the companies.In an unprecedented move that follows years of legal action, all heirs to the estate of Sammy Davis Jr. have united to agree to a biopic about the entertainer. Lionel Richie, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mike Menchel lead a team that has been granted rights to adapt Yes I Can by Davis Jr., author Burt Boyar and his wife JaneVirgil Films has acquired all North American...
- 1/18/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Lineup Announcements
– The 2017 Oxford Film Festival has announced the full schedule of films for next year’s edition of the popular Mississippi film festival. Katherine Dieckmann’s drama “Strange Weather,” starring Holly Hunter, is the Opening Night Selection while Jeff Grace’s festival hit, “Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” serves as the Closing Night selection.
A total of 151 films (34 features, 117 shorts, music videos, new media, and virtual reality projects), including 15 world premieres and 4 U.S. premieres, were selected for the film festival taking place February 15-19, 2017, in Oxford, Mississippi. Along with the films in competition, the festival will be highlighted by three new sections: New Media, a virtual reality (Vr) slate of programming, and both features and shorts sections featuring Lgbtq films.
You can check out the full lineup and schedule right here.
Lineup Announcements
– The 2017 Oxford Film Festival has announced the full schedule of films for next year’s edition of the popular Mississippi film festival. Katherine Dieckmann’s drama “Strange Weather,” starring Holly Hunter, is the Opening Night Selection while Jeff Grace’s festival hit, “Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” serves as the Closing Night selection.
A total of 151 films (34 features, 117 shorts, music videos, new media, and virtual reality projects), including 15 world premieres and 4 U.S. premieres, were selected for the film festival taking place February 15-19, 2017, in Oxford, Mississippi. Along with the films in competition, the festival will be highlighted by three new sections: New Media, a virtual reality (Vr) slate of programming, and both features and shorts sections featuring Lgbtq films.
You can check out the full lineup and schedule right here.
- 12/8/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Ti West enters the Wild West with his newest film, In a Valley of Violence. Starring Ethan Hawke, John Travolta, and Jumpy the dog, the revenge Western will come out firing on Blu-ray and DVD this December from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Press Release: Universal City, California, October 26, 2016 – A mysterious drifter enters a forgotten town in the edgy action film, In a Valley of Violence, available now on Digital HD and on Blu-ray™ and DVD on December 27, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. From acclaimed director, Ti West (The Sacrament, The Innkeepers), and famed producer Jason Blum (Insidious, The Visit), the film stars Academy Award® nominees; John Travolta (The People v. O.J. Simpson, Criminal Activities) and Ethan Hawke (Sinister 2, Maggie’s Plan). The In a Valley of Violence Blu-ray™ and DVD include bonus content that takes viewers on a wild ride behind the scenes with an exciting inside look at the making of the film.
Press Release: Universal City, California, October 26, 2016 – A mysterious drifter enters a forgotten town in the edgy action film, In a Valley of Violence, available now on Digital HD and on Blu-ray™ and DVD on December 27, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. From acclaimed director, Ti West (The Sacrament, The Innkeepers), and famed producer Jason Blum (Insidious, The Visit), the film stars Academy Award® nominees; John Travolta (The People v. O.J. Simpson, Criminal Activities) and Ethan Hawke (Sinister 2, Maggie’s Plan). The In a Valley of Violence Blu-ray™ and DVD include bonus content that takes viewers on a wild ride behind the scenes with an exciting inside look at the making of the film.
- 11/22/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
In the last few years, there’s been a fantastic Renaissance in the Western genre with all sorts of new and more experienced filmmakers tackling the most American movie genre there is. With a name like “Ti West,” it was probably only a matter of time before the director of The Innkeepers and House of the Devil would try his hand at a Western.
The results are In A Valley of Violence, West’s gritty take on the “lone drifter comes to small town” Western subgenre. It stars Ethan Hawke as that drifter, who arrives in the ghost town of Denton and immediately falls afoul of Gilly (James Ransone from Tangerine), son of the town’s leader, Marshall, played by John Travolta. When Gilly and his men ambush Hawke’s character outside of town and commit a despicable act, it forces Hawke to return to Denton with his sole motivation being vengeance.
The results are In A Valley of Violence, West’s gritty take on the “lone drifter comes to small town” Western subgenre. It stars Ethan Hawke as that drifter, who arrives in the ghost town of Denton and immediately falls afoul of Gilly (James Ransone from Tangerine), son of the town’s leader, Marshall, played by John Travolta. When Gilly and his men ambush Hawke’s character outside of town and commit a despicable act, it forces Hawke to return to Denton with his sole motivation being vengeance.
- 10/20/2016
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
The 5th Annual Key West Film Festival has announced its official 2016 lineup, including the opening night film, “20th Century Women,” directed by Mike Mills and starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig and Billy Crudup. As part of the festival’s signature Critics Focus program, MTV’s Chief Film Critic Amy Nicholson will present and lead a conversation around the film, alongside David Fear, Senior Film/TV Editor of Rolling Stone.
Director of Programming Michael Tuckman said of Nicholson’s pick, “I could not be more thrilled with Amy Nicholson’s choice of ’20th Century Women’ to kick off our 5th Anniversary edition of festival. Annette Bening’s performance is Oscar-deserving and the rich depth of the balance of the leading cast is Altman-esque in its quality. Amy’s discussion after the film will bring a cunning critic’s eye to this fabulous film for audiences.”
Read More: ’20th Century...
Director of Programming Michael Tuckman said of Nicholson’s pick, “I could not be more thrilled with Amy Nicholson’s choice of ’20th Century Women’ to kick off our 5th Anniversary edition of festival. Annette Bening’s performance is Oscar-deserving and the rich depth of the balance of the leading cast is Altman-esque in its quality. Amy’s discussion after the film will bring a cunning critic’s eye to this fabulous film for audiences.”
Read More: ’20th Century...
- 10/19/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Full Lineup Announcements
– The fiercely independent 17th Annual Woodstock Film Festival presents an outstanding lineup of films to be shown in Woodstock, New York, as well as Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Saugerties, and Kingston. The festival runs October 13 – 16.
The festival opens on October 13 with the World Premiere of “Blind,” a romantic narrative feature written by Michael Mailer (son of famed American author Norman Mailer) and starring Alec Baldwin (who will attend the screening with Mailer) and Demi Moore. You can find out more about the slate right here.
– The Mill Valley Film Festival, presented by the California Film Institute, has announced the complete lineup for the 39th edition of the Festival, taking place October 6 – 16. The 11-day event will screen films across Marin County and will feature premieres, panel discussions,...
Full Lineup Announcements
– The fiercely independent 17th Annual Woodstock Film Festival presents an outstanding lineup of films to be shown in Woodstock, New York, as well as Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Saugerties, and Kingston. The festival runs October 13 – 16.
The festival opens on October 13 with the World Premiere of “Blind,” a romantic narrative feature written by Michael Mailer (son of famed American author Norman Mailer) and starring Alec Baldwin (who will attend the screening with Mailer) and Demi Moore. You can find out more about the slate right here.
– The Mill Valley Film Festival, presented by the California Film Institute, has announced the complete lineup for the 39th edition of the Festival, taking place October 6 – 16. The 11-day event will screen films across Marin County and will feature premieres, panel discussions,...
- 9/15/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
In a Valley of Violence Is a Small Western Packing a Bloody PunchFantasia Film Festival 2016
Writer/director Ti West’s filmography is populated mostly with dark genre fare of the thrilling and/or horrific variety, but while they typically have moments of humor you’d be hard-pressed to call any of them comedies. The possible exception there is his 2011 chiller, The Innkeepers, which delivers more than enough laughs and smiles to justify the label while also being legitimately scary. I’d argue it’s his best film due in part to the masterful balance in tone he creates throughout.
West’s latest leaves the horror genre behind all together for the dry, deadly desert of the post-Civil War American southwest, but while In a Valley of Violence is a traditional western through and through — perhaps too traditional at times —he once again imbues it with comedy and charisma that work beautifully to elevate the entertainment without stifling...
Writer/director Ti West’s filmography is populated mostly with dark genre fare of the thrilling and/or horrific variety, but while they typically have moments of humor you’d be hard-pressed to call any of them comedies. The possible exception there is his 2011 chiller, The Innkeepers, which delivers more than enough laughs and smiles to justify the label while also being legitimately scary. I’d argue it’s his best film due in part to the masterful balance in tone he creates throughout.
West’s latest leaves the horror genre behind all together for the dry, deadly desert of the post-Civil War American southwest, but while In a Valley of Violence is a traditional western through and through — perhaps too traditional at times —he once again imbues it with comedy and charisma that work beautifully to elevate the entertainment without stifling...
- 7/18/2016
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
There are many things that the movies can teach us, but — at least in recent years — none have been punctuated with a bullet quite like the lesson that you should never get between a man and his dog. It didn’t work out too well for the naïve gangsters who killed Keanu Reeves’ beagle in “John Wick,” and it doesn’t work out too well for the misfit hooligans who try to do the same to Ethan Hawke’s loyal collie in Ti West’s “In a Valley of Violence.”
There’s no quicker, cleaner, or cuter way of getting an audience to root for a hero than by threatening to separate him from his pup. The imperiled dog is the plot device you bust out when you want to cut through the gristle and get to the good stuff — the imperiled dog is the perfect mechanism for characters who aren’t designed to grow so much as they are to explode.
In other words, the first oater from slow-burn horror maestro Ti West (“The Innkeepers”) isn’t exactly “The Searchers.” If anything, this bare-bones throwback is such a straight shooter that it makes the hyper-linear “High Noon” feel like “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” For much of this handsomely-lensed but palpably unambitious film, it feels as though West was so happy to be playing with classic Western tropes that he never bothered adding anything to them. Audiences who are just looking for a bone to chew on might have fun gnawing at this, but others will wonder where all the meat has gone.
Paul (Hawke, whose long shadow and beatnik casualness reveal him to be a natural gunslinger) is a mysterious drifter who’s cutting a path to Mexico and shooting anyone that gets between him and the border. Details from his unremarkable past trickle out over time, but it’s clear from the start that he isn’t interested in looking over his shoulder at the country he’s leaving behind, or reflect on whatever part he may have played in its Civil War. Paul’s only companion: A bright, battle-tested collie named Abbie (Jumpy the dog, in one of the year’s great breakout performances). The Sundance Kid to her master’s Butch Cassidy, Abbie is Paul’s only friend, and he’s been traveling with her for so long that he’s grown a bit alienated from other people (“I’m so used to talking to you that I barely know what to say when somebody speaks back,” he mutters after one of expository monologues).
Of course, any Western hero is only as good as the dusty town he blows through. That’s bad news for Paul, whose trail South cuts through Denton, Texas, a no-horse shit-hole that looks like the abandoned set of a bigger movie that ran out of money. Most of the population has headed for the hills — that’s what you get for settling in a place known as the “Valley of Violence” — but the men who remain are itching for a fight, and the handful of women left to keep them company are itching for new men. If the local marshal (John Travolta in a goofy, extended cameo) has decided to stick around, it’s only because his jackass son Gilly (James Ransone, the pimp from “Tangerine”) needs to be policed at all times. Paul isn’t in the saloon for five minutes before he feels compelled to punch Gilly in the face, and Gilly — a cowardly sadist who proves his manhood by serving as the grim reaper of his ghost town — leads a posse after the drifter and his dog. Unstoppable force, meet immovable object.
Read More: Ti West Explains Why Really Great Movies Can’t Have Great Trailers
Less purposeful than last year’s “Bone Tomahawk,” less mannered than “The Hateful Eight,” and less gruesome than either (a bit of a let-down when considering West’s credentials), “In a Valley of Violence” is a tepid pastiche that’s a touch too comfortable with its own lack of vision. Fortunately, West comes at this material from a place of love, and his film’s most familiar moments reflect the greatest of what the genre has to offer. Expertly choreographed, and kissed with our strange nostalgia for a lawless fantasy world, the inevitable climactic shootout suggests that West has watched enough Ford and Peckinpah to know that all the best showdowns feel like bad theater.
But the action only sparks with purpose during the scenes when it abandons its misfit cast of men and all of the dull posturing that West uses to define them; the female characters, while relegated to supporting roles, are nevertheless responsible for what little verve the film has of its own. Taissa Farmiga (so promising in “6 Years”) is wonderful as the motor-mouthed Mary-Anne, a 16-year-old widow who takes a shine to Paul and talks him into revealing his past. Karen Gillan (of “Dr. Who” fame) shines in the comparatively thankless role of Gilly’s wife.
West’s script doesn’t allow Paul and Mary-Anne to spend much time together, but “In a Valley of Violence” sparks into something more in the brief moments when both characters share the screen, the chatty girl chipping away at Paul’s brittle exoskeleton of loneliness — he’s given up on this world and everyone in it, but Mary-Anne isn’t having any it (“There’s no sense of being difficult,” she snipes at her new friend’s view of the world, “you make do with what you can”). The idea of a good woman bringing a gunslinger to heel is hardly a novel idea, but Farmiga’s animated performance reaches well beyond the range of West’s film, confronting the immutable male mystique at the heart of a genre where vulnerable men are always the first to die. “I’m not here to save you,” Paul barks at Mary-Anne, but his story only grows more interesting as it grapples with the idea that he’s the one who needs saving.
It’s frustrating that West often scores with his few modest attempts to stamp his own imprint on the genre, as those flashes of fun hint at what this movie could have been. Buried beneath Jeff Grace’s stampeding Western score are a handful of less familiar inflections, including a couple of solid jump-scares, the occasional dose of contemporary humor, and an ill-fated duel for the ages. As a eulogy for genre, “In a Valley of Violence” has little to say, but as an exorcism it shows some real spirit. Oh, and the dog is real cute.
Grade: C+
“In a Valley of Violence” premiered at SXSW 2016, and will play at BAMCinemaFest this week. Focus World will release it on September 16th.
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Related stories'The Childhood Of A Leader' Review: Brady Corbet's Directorial Debut Is An Enthralling Mind-f*ck12 Must-See Films at BAMCinemaFest 2016'Little Men,' 'Wiener-Dog' and More Set for BAMcinemaFest 2016 -- Indiewire's Tuesday Rundown...
There’s no quicker, cleaner, or cuter way of getting an audience to root for a hero than by threatening to separate him from his pup. The imperiled dog is the plot device you bust out when you want to cut through the gristle and get to the good stuff — the imperiled dog is the perfect mechanism for characters who aren’t designed to grow so much as they are to explode.
In other words, the first oater from slow-burn horror maestro Ti West (“The Innkeepers”) isn’t exactly “The Searchers.” If anything, this bare-bones throwback is such a straight shooter that it makes the hyper-linear “High Noon” feel like “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” For much of this handsomely-lensed but palpably unambitious film, it feels as though West was so happy to be playing with classic Western tropes that he never bothered adding anything to them. Audiences who are just looking for a bone to chew on might have fun gnawing at this, but others will wonder where all the meat has gone.
Paul (Hawke, whose long shadow and beatnik casualness reveal him to be a natural gunslinger) is a mysterious drifter who’s cutting a path to Mexico and shooting anyone that gets between him and the border. Details from his unremarkable past trickle out over time, but it’s clear from the start that he isn’t interested in looking over his shoulder at the country he’s leaving behind, or reflect on whatever part he may have played in its Civil War. Paul’s only companion: A bright, battle-tested collie named Abbie (Jumpy the dog, in one of the year’s great breakout performances). The Sundance Kid to her master’s Butch Cassidy, Abbie is Paul’s only friend, and he’s been traveling with her for so long that he’s grown a bit alienated from other people (“I’m so used to talking to you that I barely know what to say when somebody speaks back,” he mutters after one of expository monologues).
Of course, any Western hero is only as good as the dusty town he blows through. That’s bad news for Paul, whose trail South cuts through Denton, Texas, a no-horse shit-hole that looks like the abandoned set of a bigger movie that ran out of money. Most of the population has headed for the hills — that’s what you get for settling in a place known as the “Valley of Violence” — but the men who remain are itching for a fight, and the handful of women left to keep them company are itching for new men. If the local marshal (John Travolta in a goofy, extended cameo) has decided to stick around, it’s only because his jackass son Gilly (James Ransone, the pimp from “Tangerine”) needs to be policed at all times. Paul isn’t in the saloon for five minutes before he feels compelled to punch Gilly in the face, and Gilly — a cowardly sadist who proves his manhood by serving as the grim reaper of his ghost town — leads a posse after the drifter and his dog. Unstoppable force, meet immovable object.
Read More: Ti West Explains Why Really Great Movies Can’t Have Great Trailers
Less purposeful than last year’s “Bone Tomahawk,” less mannered than “The Hateful Eight,” and less gruesome than either (a bit of a let-down when considering West’s credentials), “In a Valley of Violence” is a tepid pastiche that’s a touch too comfortable with its own lack of vision. Fortunately, West comes at this material from a place of love, and his film’s most familiar moments reflect the greatest of what the genre has to offer. Expertly choreographed, and kissed with our strange nostalgia for a lawless fantasy world, the inevitable climactic shootout suggests that West has watched enough Ford and Peckinpah to know that all the best showdowns feel like bad theater.
But the action only sparks with purpose during the scenes when it abandons its misfit cast of men and all of the dull posturing that West uses to define them; the female characters, while relegated to supporting roles, are nevertheless responsible for what little verve the film has of its own. Taissa Farmiga (so promising in “6 Years”) is wonderful as the motor-mouthed Mary-Anne, a 16-year-old widow who takes a shine to Paul and talks him into revealing his past. Karen Gillan (of “Dr. Who” fame) shines in the comparatively thankless role of Gilly’s wife.
West’s script doesn’t allow Paul and Mary-Anne to spend much time together, but “In a Valley of Violence” sparks into something more in the brief moments when both characters share the screen, the chatty girl chipping away at Paul’s brittle exoskeleton of loneliness — he’s given up on this world and everyone in it, but Mary-Anne isn’t having any it (“There’s no sense of being difficult,” she snipes at her new friend’s view of the world, “you make do with what you can”). The idea of a good woman bringing a gunslinger to heel is hardly a novel idea, but Farmiga’s animated performance reaches well beyond the range of West’s film, confronting the immutable male mystique at the heart of a genre where vulnerable men are always the first to die. “I’m not here to save you,” Paul barks at Mary-Anne, but his story only grows more interesting as it grapples with the idea that he’s the one who needs saving.
It’s frustrating that West often scores with his few modest attempts to stamp his own imprint on the genre, as those flashes of fun hint at what this movie could have been. Buried beneath Jeff Grace’s stampeding Western score are a handful of less familiar inflections, including a couple of solid jump-scares, the occasional dose of contemporary humor, and an ill-fated duel for the ages. As a eulogy for genre, “In a Valley of Violence” has little to say, but as an exorcism it shows some real spirit. Oh, and the dog is real cute.
Grade: C+
“In a Valley of Violence” premiered at SXSW 2016, and will play at BAMCinemaFest this week. Focus World will release it on September 16th.
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Related stories'The Childhood Of A Leader' Review: Brady Corbet's Directorial Debut Is An Enthralling Mind-f*ck12 Must-See Films at BAMCinemaFest 2016'Little Men,' 'Wiener-Dog' and More Set for BAMcinemaFest 2016 -- Indiewire's Tuesday Rundown...
- 6/14/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
The bond of male friendship is examined – and tested – in Folk Hero & Funny Guy, a short and sweet dramedy from multi-hyphenate Jeff Grace, who writes and directs.
We meet comedian Paul (Alex Karpovsky) at the end of a tired stand-up routine in a beer-stained comedy club. Meanwhile, Paul’s childhood friend Jason (Wyatt Russell) has built a successful career for himself as a folk music star. Inspired over the course of a drunken reunion, Jason gets the idea to take Paul on tour with him.
And so ignites a leisurely paced, but entertaining road trip movie, largely shouldered by two reliable lead performances. Soon enough, the duo becomes a trio, with the addition of aspiring musician Bryn, played by the immensely likable Meredith Hagner. There’s a hint of a love triangle, before we’re made aware of the hidden complexities within Jason’s “rock star” life.
Confident in its...
We meet comedian Paul (Alex Karpovsky) at the end of a tired stand-up routine in a beer-stained comedy club. Meanwhile, Paul’s childhood friend Jason (Wyatt Russell) has built a successful career for himself as a folk music star. Inspired over the course of a drunken reunion, Jason gets the idea to take Paul on tour with him.
And so ignites a leisurely paced, but entertaining road trip movie, largely shouldered by two reliable lead performances. Soon enough, the duo becomes a trio, with the addition of aspiring musician Bryn, played by the immensely likable Meredith Hagner. There’s a hint of a love triangle, before we’re made aware of the hidden complexities within Jason’s “rock star” life.
Confident in its...
- 4/27/2016
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Tribeca 2016 Review: Folk Hero & Funny Guy, A Witty Tale Of Best Friends (And Frenemies) On The Road
One of the key ingredients for a successful film is a good title. And one thing that makes for a good title is one that is perfectly descriptive of the movie within. Jeff Grace's witty, diverting feature debut Folk Hero & Funny Guy has such a title, which is a major selling point. Much like, say, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - to choose a random example - you don't need to wonder what, or in this case who, you will encounter when you see this title in a film festival catalog or a newspaper listing. Luckily, however, Folk Hero & Funny Guy has a lot more going for it than the convenient thematic shorthand of its title. The "folk hero" is Jason (Wyatt...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 4/21/2016
- Screen Anarchy
“So what’s the deal with Evites?” Stand up Paul (Alex Karpovsky) is bombing — at life. Dumped by his fiancée, working a dead end temp job, and flogging the same tired stand up routine at open mics around town, he’s going nowhere until an old friend invites him on a ride. The old friend is Jason Black (Wyatt Russell) a folk musician with a cult following who brings Paul on tour as an opening act to get his “mojo” back. “Folk Hero & Funny Guy” writer/director Jeff Grace is an actor (“It’s a Disaster”) and stand-up comic, and mines his own experiences for his directorial debut in this appealing road trip flick. The film hews closely to the road movie format, and calls to mind films like “The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best” and even Karpovsky’s own film “Red Flag,” which share themes about finding inspiration and...
- 4/18/2016
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
Actor Jeff Grace makes his directorial feature debut with Folk Hero & Funny Guy, a Tribeca Film Festival offering starring Girls‘ Alex Karpovsky, Wyatt Russell (Everybody Wants Some!!) and Men at Work actress Meredith Hagner. Karpovsky plays Paul, a middling standup comedian recently dumped by his girlfriend. Childhood pal and successful folk rock musician Jason (Russell, real-life son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn) scoops up Paul as a ridealong on the singer’s East…...
- 4/9/2016
- Deadline
“They took everything away from me; now, I’m going to leave them with even less.” Stepping outside your comfort zone creatively is never easy, yet Ti West does it so effortlessly with his latest film, In a Valley of Violence, that you can’t help but wonder if he’s secretly been making Westerns on the side throughout his career. His affection for the genre is evident with every single frame in this ode to Spaghetti Westerns, and his confidence as a storyteller has never been higher than it is here. Simply put, In a Valley of Violence is a masterpiece and officially my new favorite film from the highly talented director who has already given us genre fans so much to love over the last 15 years.
If there’s one simple rule of life to follow, it’s to never get between a man and his dog, and...
If there’s one simple rule of life to follow, it’s to never get between a man and his dog, and...
- 3/16/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Top brass at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival presented by At&T have announced selections in the Us Narrative, International Narrative and Documentary Competition strands.
The films comprise 55 out of 110 features that will play during the 15th edition of the New York festival from April 13-24. The festival will present features films in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Sections on March 8.
Also included in Wednesday’s announcement are the out-of-competition Viewpoints titles.
The world premiere of Bill Ross and Turner Ross’ Contemporary Color will open the World Documentary competition on April 14, while the world premiere of Kicks by Justin Tipping will open the Us Narrative competition.
The world premiere of Madly directed by Gael García Bernal, Mia Wasikowska, Sebastian Silva, Anurag Kashyap, Sion Sono, and Natasha Khan will open the International Narrative Competition. Viewpoints will open with the world premiere of Nerdland directed by Chris Prynoski.
One third of the festival’s feature films are directed by women...
The films comprise 55 out of 110 features that will play during the 15th edition of the New York festival from April 13-24. The festival will present features films in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Sections on March 8.
Also included in Wednesday’s announcement are the out-of-competition Viewpoints titles.
The world premiere of Bill Ross and Turner Ross’ Contemporary Color will open the World Documentary competition on April 14, while the world premiere of Kicks by Justin Tipping will open the Us Narrative competition.
The world premiere of Madly directed by Gael García Bernal, Mia Wasikowska, Sebastian Silva, Anurag Kashyap, Sion Sono, and Natasha Khan will open the International Narrative Competition. Viewpoints will open with the world premiere of Nerdland directed by Chris Prynoski.
One third of the festival’s feature films are directed by women...
- 3/2/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Tribeca Film Festival announced 55 films today that will be a part of their 2016 lineup, divided across Us Narrative, International Narrative, and Documentary Competition sections. To be brutally frank, after I saw that Folk Hero & Funny Guy (pictured above) will enjoy its world premiere as part of the Us Narrative Competition lineup, I stopped reading. Written and directed by Jeff Grace, the film stars Alex Karpovsky and Wyatt Russell "as two artistically inclined childhood friends, a comedian and a folk-rocker respectively, who set out on a tour together in hopes of regaining their 'mojo' and finding love in the process." My friend and Twitch colleague Ryland Aldrich served as one of the producers, so my objectivity is out the window on this...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 3/2/2016
- Screen Anarchy
The limited edition I Sell The Dead vinyl soundtrack is set to be released in September but is available for pre-order on August 10th. Also in this round-up: a trailer for The Slashening and horror icon apparel from TeeFury.
I Sell the Dead Vinyl Soundtrack: Press Release: "It's been many months in the making, but the time has finally come.
The I Sell The Dead soundtrack is finally coming to vinyl for the first time! Pre-orders will begin Monday, August 10, 2015. The release date is September 15, but for those who place a pre-order, your copies will ship as soon as we get them.
This limited edition of 500 copies will come in red and purple swirl vinyl, plus artwork created exclusively for the release by Ghoulish Gary Pullin. We were also fortunate enough to have Angus Scrimm write liner notes for the release!
As an exclusive bonus to those of you who...
I Sell the Dead Vinyl Soundtrack: Press Release: "It's been many months in the making, but the time has finally come.
The I Sell The Dead soundtrack is finally coming to vinyl for the first time! Pre-orders will begin Monday, August 10, 2015. The release date is September 15, but for those who place a pre-order, your copies will ship as soon as we get them.
This limited edition of 500 copies will come in red and purple swirl vinyl, plus artwork created exclusively for the release by Ghoulish Gary Pullin. We were also fortunate enough to have Angus Scrimm write liner notes for the release!
As an exclusive bonus to those of you who...
- 8/3/2015
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
The electronic revival is real, and it’s real good. From Steve Moore (Zombie, The Guest, Cub) to Jonathan Snipes (Starry Eyes, Room 237), to Jeff Grace (Cold in July) to the Giallo Disco crew like Antoni Maiovvi and Vercetti Technicolor, traditional string stings aren’t as prevalent. The latest, tremendous example is Disasterpeace’s terrific It Follows score, the…
The post Listen: Tracks from the Tremendous It Follows Score appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Listen: Tracks from the Tremendous It Follows Score appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 2/25/2015
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Exclusive: Wyatt Russell and Girls’ Alex Karpovsky are getting more company in their road comedy Folk Hero & Funny Guy. Glee standout Heather Morris has joined the cast as Nicole alongside Meredith Hagner of TBS series Men At Work, who will play Bryn.
It’s a Disaster producer/star Jeff Grace makes his directorial debut with the indie comedy about a struggling stand-up comic (Karpovsky) who hits the road as the opening act for his childhood buddy, a successful singer-songwriter (Russell). Grace will direct from his own script.
Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men, Togetherness) will also star in the pic inspired by Grace’s own experience touring with musician pal Adam Ezra. Ezra is providing original music for the film and took part in on the project’s successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, which closed last month. Ryland Aldrich (Snap, Enter the Dangerous Mind) is producing and filming is scheduled...
It’s a Disaster producer/star Jeff Grace makes his directorial debut with the indie comedy about a struggling stand-up comic (Karpovsky) who hits the road as the opening act for his childhood buddy, a successful singer-songwriter (Russell). Grace will direct from his own script.
Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men, Togetherness) will also star in the pic inspired by Grace’s own experience touring with musician pal Adam Ezra. Ezra is providing original music for the film and took part in on the project’s successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, which closed last month. Ryland Aldrich (Snap, Enter the Dangerous Mind) is producing and filming is scheduled...
- 1/20/2015
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
From Guardians Of The Galaxy to Godzilla, and Noah to Paddington, our pick of 2014's finest film soundtracks and scores.
After Gravity blew your eardrums out of the airlock in 2013 with its seamless mix of sound effects and music, it was hard to imagine a film wowing just as much the year after, but 2014 was a year in which movie soundtracks became, if anything, even more intricate, from films about the nature of being a musician to those that replicated the noise of human existence for alien senses.
Before 2014 becomes a distant ringing in the ears, here are the top 14 movie soundtracks of the year.
1. Under the Skin (Mica Levi)
Once you've heard Mica Levi's soundtrack to Under the Skin, everything else sounds both disappointing and even more exciting. I say 'soundtrack' because, like the best movies, Jonathan Glazer's sci-fi understands that sound and music are two halves of the same hastily-conceived metaphor.
After Gravity blew your eardrums out of the airlock in 2013 with its seamless mix of sound effects and music, it was hard to imagine a film wowing just as much the year after, but 2014 was a year in which movie soundtracks became, if anything, even more intricate, from films about the nature of being a musician to those that replicated the noise of human existence for alien senses.
Before 2014 becomes a distant ringing in the ears, here are the top 14 movie soundtracks of the year.
1. Under the Skin (Mica Levi)
Once you've heard Mica Levi's soundtrack to Under the Skin, everything else sounds both disappointing and even more exciting. I say 'soundtrack' because, like the best movies, Jonathan Glazer's sci-fi understands that sound and music are two halves of the same hastily-conceived metaphor.
- 1/7/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
A new year of films may beckon, but there are lots of movies from 2014 you may have missed. Here's a list of 2014's most underappreciated...
There was no shortage of magnificent films in 2014 of every kind, from the expensive and explosive to the low-key and experimental. But it's a sad fact of life that not all movies do as well as they should, either because of poor distribution or simply because they'd been released at the same time as something much bigger and more star-laden.
While the list below is by no means an exhaustive one - there are plenty of great films from 2014 that we're still getting around to seeing - it's our attempt to highlight a few fine pieces of work that didn't get quite as much love as they deserved.
So without further ado - and in no particular order - we'll start with a stunning...
There was no shortage of magnificent films in 2014 of every kind, from the expensive and explosive to the low-key and experimental. But it's a sad fact of life that not all movies do as well as they should, either because of poor distribution or simply because they'd been released at the same time as something much bigger and more star-laden.
While the list below is by no means an exhaustive one - there are plenty of great films from 2014 that we're still getting around to seeing - it's our attempt to highlight a few fine pieces of work that didn't get quite as much love as they deserved.
So without further ado - and in no particular order - we'll start with a stunning...
- 1/6/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
It’s been a great year for film music. I say that as someone who had to endure the laughably dated qualities of Alberto Iglesias’ Exodus: Gods and Kings and had to swallow the pill that is Howard Shore‘s latter days Middle-earth music.
But it has been a great year. Clint Mansell gave us haunting, complex soundscapes in Noah, the Alexandre Desplat Hive Mind unleashed another five feature-length scores on the planet, and we even got a peak at John Williams‘ forthcoming music in that Star Wars trailer.
So what was the best of the bunch? For simplicity’s sake, I’ve limited this list to movies with U.S. theatrical runs in 2014. When possible, I’ve also linked to our reviews and select cues on Spotify, although you’ll note the occasional YouTube or SoundCloud embed as well. Let’s do this:
20. Horns — Robin Coudert
Every few years,...
But it has been a great year. Clint Mansell gave us haunting, complex soundscapes in Noah, the Alexandre Desplat Hive Mind unleashed another five feature-length scores on the planet, and we even got a peak at John Williams‘ forthcoming music in that Star Wars trailer.
So what was the best of the bunch? For simplicity’s sake, I’ve limited this list to movies with U.S. theatrical runs in 2014. When possible, I’ve also linked to our reviews and select cues on Spotify, although you’ll note the occasional YouTube or SoundCloud embed as well. Let’s do this:
20. Horns — Robin Coudert
Every few years,...
- 12/31/2014
- by David Klein
- SoundOnSight
A great film score complements without burrowing too far into the ideas, wrestles with genre without locking the picture into a fixed identity, amplifies actors and actress’ choices without spilling the beans. A composer’s job is a balancing act. More and more, movie music finds itself backing off too far, devolving into incidental muzac, or going too far, where full-blast orchestral sounds pummel us like the Transformers’ energon punches. There’s a sweet spot, and the best film scores of the year ride it for an entire runtime. I shouldn’t be surprised that my favorite film scores of the year line-up closely with my favorite films of the year. As someone who goes to the movies with his ears as wide open as his eyes, I found myself captivated by 2014’s audio-visual offerings. Below, what I’d consider the "best" of the year (along with a few runner-ups,...
- 12/29/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
Back in August, I released a mix tape consisting of the best tracks, from the best movie soundtracks and best scores of the first half of 2014. This here, is the entire mix consisting of the best songs heard in movies all year long.
Note: If you’ve already heard the first half, simply skip ahead one hour in. Enjoy!
Playlist:
Phase 1
Guardians of the Galaxy Clip
The Band – “The Weight” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Clip
Superhuman – “Where It Ends” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Alexandre Desplat – “Godzilla Main Theme”
Marco Beltrami – “We Go Forward” (Snowpiercer)
Snowpiercer Clip
Hot Blood – “Soul Dracula” (Only Lovers Left Alive)
Only Lovers Left Alive Clip
James Brown – “Papas Got A Brand New Bag” (Get On Up: The James Brown Story)
Get On Up Movie Clip
Elvis Presley – “You’re the Devil in Disquise...
Note: If you’ve already heard the first half, simply skip ahead one hour in. Enjoy!
Playlist:
Phase 1
Guardians of the Galaxy Clip
The Band – “The Weight” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Clip
Superhuman – “Where It Ends” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Alexandre Desplat – “Godzilla Main Theme”
Marco Beltrami – “We Go Forward” (Snowpiercer)
Snowpiercer Clip
Hot Blood – “Soul Dracula” (Only Lovers Left Alive)
Only Lovers Left Alive Clip
James Brown – “Papas Got A Brand New Bag” (Get On Up: The James Brown Story)
Get On Up Movie Clip
Elvis Presley – “You’re the Devil in Disquise...
- 12/5/2014
- by Sordid Cinema Podcast
- SoundOnSight
Director Jim Mickle’s fourth feature film, Cold in July, is an adaptation of a novel by Joe R. Landsale, set in the particular, simpler landscape of 1989 East Texas. It’s also Mickle’s most accomplished and promising work to date, as it shows the director moving away from the genre hybrids he’s come to be known for, specifically the vampire apocalypse comedy Stakeland (2010) and his remake of Jorge Michel Grau’s We Are What We Are (2013). While those films struggled with consistency and tone, often faltering irreparably under the weight of their derivative natures, Mickle’s latest is a mixture of scaled back flourishes and makes for a cold, mean, vicious neo-noir. The film certainly deserved more attention after critical praise following the Sundance Film Festival premiere, followed by an invite to play at Cannes and then a muted theatrical release in the Us. But its eventual destiny...
- 9/30/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Death Waltz Records unleashes its The House of the Devil vinyl at Beyond Fest tonight and we were able to snap off a few shots of the package. It's quite a work of art that would please Satan himself. Keep checking Death Waltz's site and Twitter account to learn when the leftover stock will be available to everyone else. Tom Hodge provided the cover design. Director Ti West, composer Jeff Grace and others whipped up some liner notes.
The post Beyond Fest Photo Gallery: Get a Look at Death Waltz’s House of the Devil Vinyl appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Beyond Fest Photo Gallery: Get a Look at Death Waltz’s House of the Devil Vinyl appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 9/27/2014
- by Ryan Turek
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Sept. 30, 2014
Price: DVD $24.98, Blu-ray $29.98
Studio: IFC/Mpi
Michael C. Hall (l.) and Sam Shepard get down to business in Cold in July.
Michael C. Hall (TV’s Dexter), Sam Shepard (Mud) and Don Johnson (A Good Old Fashioned Orgy), arguably the manliest celluloid trio of the year, star in the Southern film noir thriller Cold in July.
While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane (Hall) puts a bullet in the brain of lowlife burglar Freddy. Although he’s hailed as a small-town hero, Richard soon finds himself fearing for his family’s safety when Freddy’s ex-con father, Ben (Shepard), rolls into town, hell-bent on revenge. But not all is as it seems in this seemingly peaceful community, and soon Richard’s life begins to unravel into a dark underworld of corruption and violence that will pit him against the most unlikely of foes.
Price: DVD $24.98, Blu-ray $29.98
Studio: IFC/Mpi
Michael C. Hall (l.) and Sam Shepard get down to business in Cold in July.
Michael C. Hall (TV’s Dexter), Sam Shepard (Mud) and Don Johnson (A Good Old Fashioned Orgy), arguably the manliest celluloid trio of the year, star in the Southern film noir thriller Cold in July.
While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane (Hall) puts a bullet in the brain of lowlife burglar Freddy. Although he’s hailed as a small-town hero, Richard soon finds himself fearing for his family’s safety when Freddy’s ex-con father, Ben (Shepard), rolls into town, hell-bent on revenge. But not all is as it seems in this seemingly peaceful community, and soon Richard’s life begins to unravel into a dark underworld of corruption and violence that will pit him against the most unlikely of foes.
- 9/24/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
I’m back with another mix tape, only this time the compilation consists solely of the best music from movies released in 2014 (January to the end of August). As per usual, I’ve also included some fun movie clips. Here are tracks from the best soundtracks and scores of the year so far. Be sure to check back in December for part two.
Playlist:
Phase 1
Guardians of the Galaxy Clip
The Band – “The Weight” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Clip
Superhuman – “Where It Ends” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Alexandre Desplat – “Godzilla Main Theme”
Marco Beltrami – “We Go Forward” (Snowpiercer)
Snowpiercer Clip
Hot Blood – “Soul Dracula” (Only Lovers Left Alive)
Only Lovers Left Alive Clip
James Brown – “Papas Got A Brand New Bag” (Get On Up: The James Brown Story)
Get On Up Movie Clip
Elvis Presley – “You’re...
Playlist:
Phase 1
Guardians of the Galaxy Clip
The Band – “The Weight” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Clip
Superhuman – “Where It Ends” (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
Alexandre Desplat – “Godzilla Main Theme”
Marco Beltrami – “We Go Forward” (Snowpiercer)
Snowpiercer Clip
Hot Blood – “Soul Dracula” (Only Lovers Left Alive)
Only Lovers Left Alive Clip
James Brown – “Papas Got A Brand New Bag” (Get On Up: The James Brown Story)
Get On Up Movie Clip
Elvis Presley – “You’re...
- 8/27/2014
- by Sound On Sight Podcast
- SoundOnSight
Fans of pulp fiction will get a kick out of Cold in July, a gritty, at times bloody, and darkly funny crime yarn directed by provocateur Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street, Stake Land). This week on Sordid Cinema we take some time to review the rigid and enthralling Texas thriller, as well as discuss some of the highlights from the Fantasia Film Festival including Starry Eyes, Let us Prey and Once Upon A Time in Shanghai. Joining us is Sound On Sight contributor, Deepayan Sengupta.
Playlist:
Jeff Grace – “Black Cosmos”
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Stitcher allows you...
Playlist:
Jeff Grace – “Black Cosmos”
Please give us a rating on Itunes. It would be very much appreciated!
Listen on iTunes
Like us on Facebook
Follow Ricky on Twitter
Follow Edgar on Twitter
Follow Simon on Twitter
Follow us on Tumblr
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Hear the show on Stitcher Smart Radio
You can now hear our podcast on Stitcher Smart Radio.
Stitcher allows you...
- 8/2/2014
- by Sordid Cinema Podcast
- SoundOnSight
Cold in July
Directed by Jim Mickle
Written by Nick Damici
2014, USA
Fans of pulp fiction will get a kick out of Cold in July, a gritty – at times bloody – and darkly funny crime yarn directed by provocateur Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street, Stakeland). This rigid and enthralling Texas thriller is one the most hyperbolic and stylish crime yarns in years. Think Drive, but with a better cast – a better script – and a sense of humour as sharp as a knife.
Jim Mickle’s violent black comedy stars Michael C. Hall as Richard Dane, a suburban family man who has a small-town framing shop, a beautiful wife and son – and a gun hidden away in the house which he should have no business owning. The opening scene gets the plot moving fairly quickly as he confronts and then fatally shoots a burglar who’s broken into his home. The local sheriff...
Directed by Jim Mickle
Written by Nick Damici
2014, USA
Fans of pulp fiction will get a kick out of Cold in July, a gritty – at times bloody – and darkly funny crime yarn directed by provocateur Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street, Stakeland). This rigid and enthralling Texas thriller is one the most hyperbolic and stylish crime yarns in years. Think Drive, but with a better cast – a better script – and a sense of humour as sharp as a knife.
Jim Mickle’s violent black comedy stars Michael C. Hall as Richard Dane, a suburban family man who has a small-town framing shop, a beautiful wife and son – and a gun hidden away in the house which he should have no business owning. The opening scene gets the plot moving fairly quickly as he confronts and then fatally shoots a burglar who’s broken into his home. The local sheriff...
- 7/25/2014
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
John Carpenter was once among Hollywood’s most prolific filmmakers. But the man who brought us such genre classics as Halloween, The Thing, Escape From New York, and Assault on Precinct 13 has only made one movie in the past 13 years—2010’s psychological thriller The Ward—and hasn’t troubled the box office in a big way since 1998’s James Woods-starring Vampires. (And Carpenter, 66, doesn’t sound like he’s in any rush to get back behind the camera: “I worked really hard for more years than I’d like to count, but now I can pick and choose things,...
- 7/16/2014
- by Clark Collis
- EW - Inside Movies
Director: Jim Mickle; Screenwriter Nick Damici, Jim Mickle; Starring: Michael C Hall, Sam Shepard, Don Johnson, Vinessa Shaw, Nick Damici; Running time: 109 mins; Certificate: 15
With last year's We Are What We Are, director Jim Mickle produced a near-miracle – a remake of a recent classic that was not only acclaimed, but did something genuinely innovative with its source material. Finally arriving on screens after several years in the making, his fourth feature Cold in July is a gripping and stylish western noir that blends the small-town malevolence of David Cronenberg's A History of Violence with a sinewy B-movie efficiency that recalls other recent potboiler adaptations like The Lincoln Lawyer.
Michael C Hall is Richard Dane, a meek everyman whose life begins to come apart after he accidentally shoots dead an intruder in his home. "My finger slipped," he says blankly, too shell-shocked to accept any of the hero credit his...
With last year's We Are What We Are, director Jim Mickle produced a near-miracle – a remake of a recent classic that was not only acclaimed, but did something genuinely innovative with its source material. Finally arriving on screens after several years in the making, his fourth feature Cold in July is a gripping and stylish western noir that blends the small-town malevolence of David Cronenberg's A History of Violence with a sinewy B-movie efficiency that recalls other recent potboiler adaptations like The Lincoln Lawyer.
Michael C Hall is Richard Dane, a meek everyman whose life begins to come apart after he accidentally shoots dead an intruder in his home. "My finger slipped," he says blankly, too shell-shocked to accept any of the hero credit his...
- 6/24/2014
- Digital Spy
Stake Land director Jim Mickle serves up a twisty neo-noir thriller. Here's Ryan's review of the murky, entertaining Cold In July...
There’s a deliciously slippery quality to Cold In July, a neo-noir thriller from director Jim Mickle (Stake Land, We Are What We Are). Set in late-80s east Texas, Mickle’s movie contains distinct shades of such films as Blood Simple, Red Rock West and Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear remake, but at the same time, flatly refuses to cleave to genre expectations.
Dexter’s Michael C Hall stars as Richard, a quiet, mild-mannered family man who shoots an intruder in his living room one sultry summer night. Shaken to the core by the experience, Richard’s once humdrum life is disrupted further by the appearance of the intruder’s father, Russel (Sam Shepard), who manages to lace even the most softly-spoken utterance with a thread of barely-concealed menace.
There’s a deliciously slippery quality to Cold In July, a neo-noir thriller from director Jim Mickle (Stake Land, We Are What We Are). Set in late-80s east Texas, Mickle’s movie contains distinct shades of such films as Blood Simple, Red Rock West and Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear remake, but at the same time, flatly refuses to cleave to genre expectations.
Dexter’s Michael C Hall stars as Richard, a quiet, mild-mannered family man who shoots an intruder in his living room one sultry summer night. Shaken to the core by the experience, Richard’s once humdrum life is disrupted further by the appearance of the intruder’s father, Russel (Sam Shepard), who manages to lace even the most softly-spoken utterance with a thread of barely-concealed menace.
- 6/24/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
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