“After leaving Silver Falls following Alex’s love confession and her kiss with Cole, Jackie Howard spent the summer in New York City. When Katherine...
Lifetime isn’t really known for their “scary movies.” But once in a while, they tend to deliver a film that successfully spooks you while watching. High School Possession, however, is not one of those films.
Lauren (Janel Parrish-Pretty Little Liars) and Chloe (Jennifer Stone-Wizards of Waverly Place) are best friends. But recently, Chloe is having trouble and spiraling out of control at home and at school. Her mother has taken her to countless doctors, and none of them can clearly diagnose her.
While on assignment for the school newspaper, Lauren interviews Olivia (Shanley Caswell-The Conjuring) and her church youth group known as “The Chosen.” But after the interview, she accidentally sees them performing an exorcism on a girl. Lauren is horrified but intrigued. So she begins to investigate, and it seems to have really helped the girl. Now she wonders if Chloe might be possessed, and the only way to save her is through an exorcism.
You would think this film would take advantage of its demonic elements, and go for some attempt at making its audience scream. This is meant to be released on the week of Halloween for a reason right? Well, that’s too bad, because this might have been the lamest Lifetime thriller yet. I have seen scarier and more interesting episodes of Pretty Little Liars. I wasn’t sure if the direction was aiming for teen horror or family friendly. Though High School Possession fails to deliver, the film’s set up of a possible sequel, surprisingly has some potential.
High School Possession premieres Saturday, October 25, at 8pm ET /PT on Lifetime.
They were known simply as “The Lost Boys.” Orphaned by the brutal Civil war in Sudan that began in 1983, these young victims traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys and girls to America. In “The Good Lie,” director Philippe Falardeau, (“Monsieur Lazhar”) brings the story of their survival and triumph to life. Sudanese actors Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, and newcomer Kuoth Weil, many of whom were also children of war, star alongside Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon and Corey Stoll.
I sat down with The Good Lie writer Margaret Nagle (Red Band Society, Boardwalk Empire) and stars Arnold Oceng and Kuoth Wiel to discuss life changing choices, how we can help the South Sudanese children, and much more.
I really did love this film, I wasn’t prepared for how emotionally affected I would be. I do wish I had had some tissue. But I have to say it was so well written, and you two were fantastic in it.
Kuoth, Arnold, Margaret: “Awe, Thank you!”
So a lot of the characters are faced with some tough choices in this movie. What’s the biggest decision you guys have had to make so far in your life; either career wise or just a life changing decision in general?
Margaret: “Ask them because my life is just…”
Kuoth: “Um, I think that this film itself for me was a decision that I had to make. Because at the time I auditioned for it, I was in college. And it was my last semester. So the casting director had told me that if you’re going to do the film you’re going to have to give up school because we’re going to be filming for about two months and there’s a lot of travel in between. And so I gave up my school taking the opportunity of doing the film because of the script itself. Because I felt that I needed to be a part of it because this was the history of my country. And so, knowing that I took the opportunity, obviously, hoping for the best (laughs).”
Arnold: “Same, same, exact same to me. It was a big decision to be part of this film, a decision that I had to make. And it has changed my life being part of this film. It’s changed my life immensely. I’ve learned about my people, I’ve learned about my culture. Things I didn’t know. Coming from my father, my father is from South Sudan and I came to the UK. So being a refugee myself, and not growing up to know my father. I had to be part of this film to grow and to mature into a man. You know there’s a great saying, ‘you don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.’ And I didn’t know where my father was from or what he’s been through, or where he’s been. So this was an emotional journey for me and a big decision, and I’m happy I was part of it.”
The whole time while I was watching this movie I kept thinking, I have to do something. I just wanted to help out in some way, because the film makes you feel that way when you’re watching. And I was so happy that you (Arnold) mentioned thegoodliefund.org because once I got home I donated…
Margaret, Arnold, Kuoth: “Oh, yay! Thank you!”
It’s really rare that a movie can have that effect on the audience. Is there another movie for you guys that after watching it you got inspired to help out for a good cause?
Kuoth: “I always feel like you have that effect with documentaries. And that’s why this film was also special too. Because Philippe has that special thing where he makes you feel like this is something that’s in a way very authentic, but it feels real to people.”
Margaret: “But I also think film is this emotional language. It’s a language that the whole world can speak. We can all watch a movie and get a certain value from it. That someone in China or someone in, you know, Argentina; we can watch the same film and we get it. We all get it. And so I always believe that unlike a documentary, and this is what always kept me going, is I know this film can break down barriers for all of us. It’s funny, it’s entertaining, and it’s an intimate epic. But also that you can understand and so could someone a world away could understand it too and want to give that 5 dollars to the Good Lie Fund. We’re asking people to think about South Sudan. We’re going to try and make a difference.”
There’s also a lot of humor in here, too. One of the funniest parts was when the guys were thanking God for the miracle food that is pizza. I think pizza is amazing as well, but do you guys have a favorite food that you would also say is worthy of that title?
Arnold: “Ha-ha, yeah, I’m telling you for this film I had to loose so much weight. So now that I’m allowed to eat the food I want, I’d say steak! (Laughs)…”
Margaret: “Steak, the ‘Lost Boys and Girls’ love steak and orange juice. And then the Cheerios, that’s my favorite. I’m an obsessive Cheerios eater. And I also love; I personally feel pizza is a miracle food. I feel like that’s sort of a universal, like everybody feels like pizza is you know? That’s why you laugh at that. Because you know in any language airplane food is bad, pizza is good.”
The Good Lie opens in theaters October 3.
*If you would like to help South Sudanese children in crisis and “Lost Boys and Girls” communities by please donate at thegoodliefund.org
Written By: Marion Nelson (Screenplay), Robyn Davidson (Novel)
Rating: 3.5/5
I guess by now, we can expect that at least one film a year will be about someone’s struggling, isolated travels. Though, unlike Life of Pi and All Is Lost, Robyn Davidson’s (Wasikowska) rough journey was by choice. Tracks follows the true story of Davidson as she treks 1,700 miles across the Australian desert with four camels and her faithful dog. Since National Geographic ends up sponsoring her trip, Robyn agrees to the monthly drop-in of the magazine’s pestering photographer Rick Solman (Adam Driver), who must take pictures of her progress.
Unfortunately, this film does lack a certain amount of excitement that we would expect from most dangerous adventures. Nevertheless, Tracks portrays an authentic voyage that is heightened by its stunning cinematography and the brilliant performances led by Wasikowska and Driver.
Good People
Rated: R
Starring: James Franco, Kate Hudson, Tom Wilkinson
Directed By: Henrik Ruben Genz
Written By: Kelly Masterson (Screenplay), Marcus Sakey (Novel)
Rating: 3/5
What good has ever come to people who find large sums of money in the movies? None you say? Well you’re right! And that redundant premise that we have so often seen follows just as predictably in Henrik Ruben Genz’s thriller, Good People.
Tom and Anna Reed (Franco and Hudson), a young American couple, fall into serious debt while renovating Anna’s home in London. As they begin to accept their losses of having a dream home and finally starting a family, they discover the dead body of their tenant who lives below them and the bag of cash worth $400,000 that he stashed away. Since no one comes forward to claim the cash, Tom and Anna agree to only spend money that they need. Unaware that this loot was stolen from a deadly enemy, they are now the crook’s latest target.
Good People is as formulaic as they come. There are no twist or turns. However, the story manages to stay engaging the whole way through and ends with a climactic, suspenseful conclusion. Even though this movie probably won’t even get a bleep on the cinematic radar, Good People does pass for a solid rental.
Good People and Tracks are currently playing in select theaters on September 26.
DALLAS (September 23, 2014) – The Dallas Film Society has announced that the 9th annual Dallas International Film Festival will take place April 9-19, 2015. The film society is now accepting submissions. The early deadline is Friday, October 17, 2014, the regular deadline is Friday, December 5, 2014 and the late deadline is Friday, December 12, 2014.
The Dallas International Film Festival is one of the fastest growing festivals in the world and has brought over 190,000 film lovers together to view over 1,520 films from more than 50 countries. Named one of MovieMaker magazine’s “25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,” the festival has consistently featured the finest cinema has to offer, including 84 world premieres and 27 U.S. premieres.
This past April, the festival successfully completed a marathon of more than 165 screenings with attendance surpassing 33,000. The 2015 festival will once again span 11 days and feature International Premiere screenings with red carpet entrances at theaters throughout the city, award presentations, filmmaker panels and other special events.
“We are proud to be known as the filmmaker’s festival and consider it an honor to host such incredible and diverse talent from around the world,” said Sarah Harris, Dallas International Film Festival Senior Programmer. “We look forward to sharing our love of film with the community and introducing Dallasites to some of finest work filmmaking has to offer.”
The festival welcomes submissions for all categories. Grand Jury Prizes will be presented for Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Film, Animated Short Film, Student Short Film and Texas Film Competition presented by Panavision. Audience Awards will be given for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Short Film. Additional programming categories include World Cinema, Latino Cinema Showcase, International Spotlight: Germany, Deep Ellum Sounds (music documentaries), Family Films and Midnight Specials.
Over the past eight years, the Dallas International Film Festival has presented filmmakers with over $690,000 in awards. This year, the winner of the Texas Film Competition presented by Panavision will receive a camera rental package valued at $30,000. Also, the Embrey Family Foundation will present The Silver Heart Award and a $10,000 cash prize to one inspirational filmmaker or film to honor their dedication for fighting injustices and/or creating social change for the improvement of humanity. Additionally, each recipient of a 2015 Dallas International Film Festival award will receive MOVIE MAGIC Budgeting and Scheduling software bundles from Entertainment Partners, which allows filmmakers to create and view production scheduling.
Girl Most Likely was a disappointing, failed attempt at the indie genre for Kristen Wiig. So much so, that my standards were kept low when walking into The Skeleton Twins. But, once again, Wiig’s unsurprising chemistry with another SNL alum creates an on-screen bond that immediately pulls you into their story.
The Skeleton Twins (directed by Craig Johnson, and written by Johnson and Mark Heyman) solely focuses on its two title characters. Bill Hader channels his inner “Stefon” as Milo, the snarky, gay, depressed out-of-work LA actor. He opens the film with an attempted suicide that reunites him and his twin sister Maggie (Wiig), who he hasn’t seen in 10 years. Like her brother, Maggie is also unhappy, but hides her depression behind her marriage to a happy-go-lucky, Luke Wilson, to whom she has had trouble staying faithful. Maggie insists Milo stay with them until she knows he is okay. Milo agrees to come back to New York to live with Maggie for a little while. At this point, the two of them attempt to revisit their past, try to make adjustments to their disturbed selves, and finally realize how important it is for their well-being to have each other in their lives.
What really makes the thematic material in The Skeleton Twins so grasping is that it has such an understanding on a siblings’ connection. Throughout the film it’s referenced that the two had a rough upbringing, which has forced them to rely on one another since childhood. Even though Maggie and Milo are miserable with their lives, their presence together is a silver lining. The two not only share a bond, but also understand each other completely. They make jokes, get high, and even have one of the best scenes this year, a sing-a-long to Starship’s “Nothing Gonna Stop Us Now.”
The Skeleton Twins’ grim tone throughout the film is balanced with its uplifting message of how sometimes the person in your life who completes you can make you realize why life is worth living. There is also enough comic relief through Wiig and Hader’s hilarious, witty banter for you to continuously have a laugh. Watching these two on-screen together is a rare treat no one should miss.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Skeleton Twins opens in select theaters September 19.
Fathom Events and More2Screen Team Again to Offer Audiences an Exclusive, Private View of Highly Acclaimed British Museum Exhibitions
Greenwood Village, Colo. – Sept. 03, 2014 – Fathom Events and the U.K.’s More2Screen are partnering to present two extraordinary cinematic experiences from the British Museum in London that shine a bright light on two cultures – Viking and Roman – that have had a profound impact on western civilization. Anyone with a passion for history, culture or forces in the modern world will be fascinated by the Museum’s “Vikingsfrom the British Museum” onTuesday, Oct. 7, 2014 at 7 p.m. local time, and “Pompeiifrom the British Museum” on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014 at 7 p.m. local time. Both events, which will be shown two weeks apart and for only one night each, provide an inside look into the two most acclaimed exhibitions of the British Museum’s 2013 and 2014 seasons.
“Vikingsfrom the British Museum” – the Museum’s first major exhibition on the Vikings in more than 30 years – will focus on the core period of the Viking Age: the late 8th to the early 11th century. The “Pompeiifrom the British Museum” exhibition was the first ever held on the important cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum at the British Museum, and the first in London for almost 40 years.
Tickets for “Vikings from the British Museum” and“Pompeiifrom the British Museum” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. Both events will be presented in more than 470 select movie theaters around the country through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the Fathom Events website(theaters and participants are subject to change).
Patricia Wheatley, Head of Broadcasting at the British Museum and Executive Producer of Vikings from the British Museum, said, “We are delighted that American audiences will be able to have their own private view of two of our biggest and most popular recent exhibitions, in the company of leading experts who really know their subject. The Vikings influenced so much of our modern world and the extraordinary objects from the buried cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum tell a haunting human story.”
“The British Museum offers an array of exquisite collections from around the world,” Fathom Events’ senior vice president Dan Diamond said. “As part of Fathom’s continued commitment to bring the finest in alternative programming to movie theaters, local communities will have the chance to experience these breathtaking exhibitions of world history and culture like never before.”
“Vikingsfrom the British Museum” – Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014 at 7 p.m. local time
This exhibition offers cinema audiences an exclusive private view of the BP-sponsored exhibition Vikings: Life and Legend. Introduced by historians and broadcasters Michael Wood and Bettany Hughes, and featuring Exhibition Curator Gareth Williams and British Museum Director Neil MacGregor, this showcase will take the viewer through the exhibition, getting up close to objects and exploring the global contacts of the Vikings – ships and swords, burials and beliefs, language and legacy. The broadcast also explores how we are still connected to the Vikings, through our languages, our poetry, our personal and place names – even our DNA. With practical demonstrations and stunning close-up photography of Viking objects in the exhibition, this program is a reminder of how the Vikings have shaped our modern lives across four continents, yes, including North America.
“Pompeii from the British Museum” – Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014 at 7 p.m. local time
This encore presentation of an event first shown in 2013, will offer an exclusive private view of the British Museum’s blockbuster show Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum. This special encore features an edited tour appropriate for all ages so that younger audiences can attend and enjoy this unique experience. The exhibition focuses on the homes and lives of the inhabitants of the thriving industrial hub of Pompeii and the small seaside town of Herculaneum nearly 2,000 years ago when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Introduced by British Museum Director Neil MacGregor, this fascinating show takes audiences around the exhibition with insights from renowned experts who bring these extraordinary objects to life. With accompanying music, poetry and eyewitness accounts, viewers go behind the scenes of the exhibition to explore the stories of these famous Roman cities
Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett have revitalized the horror genre with their exciting new thriller, The Guest.
Fans of Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) will be more than pleased with the surprising new side he shows in this sharp, jolting, retro thriller. His insipidly charming good looks, accessorized with the all-American accent, are put to disturbing use. Audiences won’t know whether to fear him or root for him. His character, “David,” is almost like a suave Jekyll and Hyde. Even if you’ve never seen Downton Abbey, gentlemen and especially the ladies will be in agreement that Dan Stevens has never been better.
The Peterson family is suffering a great loss. The death of their son, Caleb, has set a somber tone in their household. When David (Stevens) shows up on their door steps, claiming to be a close friend of Caleb’s from the army. It’s almost as if they have received a gift from God. Parents, Laura (Sheila Kelley) and Spencer (Leland Orser) view David as the perfect guest. He is kind and helpful around the house. Even their youngest son, Luke (Brendan Meyer), is impressed by the polished soldier when he puts his military fighting to use against some violent high school bullies.
It seems that only Anna (the outstanding Maika Monroe), the Peterson’s brooding, teen daughter, senses something is off with her family’s new found house guest. Though David’s arrival has broken the cloud of mourning that had descended in their podunk, New Mexico home, a string of mysterious deaths occur during his stay. A suspicious Anna starts to wonder if David could be responsible.
Last year, Wingard brought us the ingenious You’re Next, which like The Guest, is a horror that calmly lets things escalate to a state of restless violence. Wingard and Barrett have admirably paid homage to the old-school slashers with their John Carpenter-influenced 1980’s styling. From their music, to their by the numbers outline that follows the rules of the usual scary movies. Plus, they have added a few secret ingredients that spice up the predicable horror flick recipe.
The Guest may be welcoming audiences to a familiar plot, but there is enough gusto in this story that makes for a surprisingly, hell of a good time!
Erin Richards (The Quiet Ones) stars in the highly anticipated new drama, Gotham. Set to make its debut on FOX this fall, Richards plays Barbara Kean, who is engaged to a current Comissioner James Gordon. I sat down with Richards to discuss her role, what scene comes to mind when she thinks of Batman, how she lightens her dark days, and much more!
Side note: After watching the Gotham pilot at Comic Con this year, I can guarantee this is the MUST-SEE new series of the year!
I got a chance to sit down with the stars of “Dolphin Tale 2,” , Nathan Gamble & Cozi Zuehlsdorff. We discussed their first impressions of each other, which other true story they would like to see have a sequel, and what helps them get out of a funk. “Dolphin Tale 2” hits theaters today!
In this interview with actor Mark Duplass and director Charlie McDowell, we talk about their latest film, “The One I Love.” The two discuss relationships, what they find attractive in a woman, happiest moments, and even played with barbies (sort of). “The One I Love” is still playing in select theaters!
From the bottom of your angsty teenage hamper comes the grungiest parody of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.’ Sock Puppet Parody nails the feel, spirit and the odor of the band with their new satire, ‘Smellvana.’ It includes hand-tailored instruments painstakingly faithful to their original counterparts down to the lefty flipped guitar for Kurt.
Sock Puppet Parody pays tribute to iconic bands and glorifies their undergarments with a quality, musical prowess and production value on a level above most music videos. These aren’t your grandpa’s sock puppet shows!
With a stellar YouTube line-up including the upcoming bands: The Sox Pistols, Stayner and Fabrix, you’ll want to take a whiff for yourself.
