Film production and firearms experts say movie sets probably changed permanently when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on the remote New Mexico set of the Western “Rust” 14 months ago, leading to the announcement from prosecutors Thursday that Alec Baldwin and the film’s weapons supervisor will be charged with involuntary manslaughter later this month.
“The gun safety experience on set has become more vocal, it’s a lot louder,” said Joey Dillon, an armorer who has overseen the use of firearms on television shows including “Westworld” and movies including “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” “I make it a lot louder myself.”
Baldwin was pointing the gun with a live round inside that killed Hutchins as they set up a shot for an upcoming scene. People at several levels of production are determined to ensure it never happens again.
That has meant the increasing use of digital and other...
“The gun safety experience on set has become more vocal, it’s a lot louder,” said Joey Dillon, an armorer who has overseen the use of firearms on television shows including “Westworld” and movies including “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” “I make it a lot louder myself.”
Baldwin was pointing the gun with a live round inside that killed Hutchins as they set up a shot for an upcoming scene. People at several levels of production are determined to ensure it never happens again.
That has meant the increasing use of digital and other...
- 1/20/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
Buoyed by the reception at Fantasia of his feature debut, “All Jacked Up and Full of Worms,” one of the fest’s buzz titles, Chicago-based writer-director Alex Phillips has set his follow-up, “Anything That Moves.”
The announcement comes just after “Worms” won a special mention at the 2022 Fantasia Awards, unveiled July 25.
Slated to shoot in Feb. 2023, in another fillip for Phillips’ burgeoning career, “Anything That Moves” is produced by Eddie Linker, a seminal figure on Chicago’s film scene who has executive or associate produced notable work from high-profile independent directors.
These take in Joe Swanberg; Alex Ross Perry; Josephine Decker and Zach Clark (2016 SXSW hit “Little Sister”).
Described by Phillips as “another adventurous low-budget project,” “Anything That Moves” turns on a beautiful and innocent food delivery boy who bikes through Chicago having sex for money until he gets caught up in a string of murders that traces back to someone in his bed.
The announcement comes just after “Worms” won a special mention at the 2022 Fantasia Awards, unveiled July 25.
Slated to shoot in Feb. 2023, in another fillip for Phillips’ burgeoning career, “Anything That Moves” is produced by Eddie Linker, a seminal figure on Chicago’s film scene who has executive or associate produced notable work from high-profile independent directors.
These take in Joe Swanberg; Alex Ross Perry; Josephine Decker and Zach Clark (2016 SXSW hit “Little Sister”).
Described by Phillips as “another adventurous low-budget project,” “Anything That Moves” turns on a beautiful and innocent food delivery boy who bikes through Chicago having sex for money until he gets caught up in a string of murders that traces back to someone in his bed.
- 7/27/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Monte Hellman and Kona. Photo courtesy of Monte Hellman.Two years back, Monte Hellman invited me up to his house to sip vodka tonics in the dark and watch the new restoration of Ride in the Whirlwind (1966), one of a pair of earnest Westerns he made in collaboration with his longtime friend Jack Nicholson. He didn’t know it at the time, but that day was my birthday—and there was no other way I would have preferred to spend it.On a Saturday morning this July, I went up yet again to the Hollywood Hills to pay another visit to Hellman. Best known as the director of Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), a reaction to Easy Rider (1969) and the mother of all existential road movies, Hellman now lives a rather quiet life in a sweet, sequestered hillside bungalow; maybe he’s always preferred solitude and solemnity, but most of the time he...
- 10/22/2017
- MUBI
Bloodsuckers, the water-soaked paranormal, and a Herschell Gordon Lewis film collection are coming out on Blu-ray this October from Arrow Video, and the official special features lists and cover art for The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast collection, Dark Water (2002), and 1986's Vamp tease plenty to enjoy on all three releases:
"Mvd Entertainment Group furthers the distribution of Arrow Video in the Us with several new titles in October...
Dark Water [Blu-ray + DVD] (October 11th)
After terrifying audiences worldwide with the blockbuster J-horror classic Ring and its sequel, director Hideo Nakata returned to the genre for Dark Water, another highly atmospheric, and critically acclaimed, tale of the supernatural which took the common theme of the "dead wet girl" to new heights of suspense and drama.
Based upon on a short story by Ring author Koji Suzuki, Dark Water follows Yoshimi, a single mother struggling to win sole custody of her only child, Ikuko.
"Mvd Entertainment Group furthers the distribution of Arrow Video in the Us with several new titles in October...
Dark Water [Blu-ray + DVD] (October 11th)
After terrifying audiences worldwide with the blockbuster J-horror classic Ring and its sequel, director Hideo Nakata returned to the genre for Dark Water, another highly atmospheric, and critically acclaimed, tale of the supernatural which took the common theme of the "dead wet girl" to new heights of suspense and drama.
Based upon on a short story by Ring author Koji Suzuki, Dark Water follows Yoshimi, a single mother struggling to win sole custody of her only child, Ikuko.
- 9/16/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The great thing about underground films these days is that they are the last and final place where cinema can still be mysterious. They are the antidote to today’s mainstream movies that, on all technical fronts — from the scriptwriting to the CGI effects — craft nitpickishly logical worlds down to the nano pixel, allowing audiences to leave the magic of their own imagination at home when they go to the theater.
For the past 22 years, the Chicago Underground Film Festival has been programming films — both shorts and features — that miraculously asks audiences to bring their own imaginations with them to interact with the imagery conjured up by cinematic magicians. At the fest’s most recent edition on May 13-17, 2015, two extremely different short films perfectly typify the kind of enigmatic cinematic experience that make the viewing of underground movies so invigorating.
Echoes, by Winnipeg-based filmmaker Jaimz Asmundson, is the stunningly...
For the past 22 years, the Chicago Underground Film Festival has been programming films — both shorts and features — that miraculously asks audiences to bring their own imaginations with them to interact with the imagery conjured up by cinematic magicians. At the fest’s most recent edition on May 13-17, 2015, two extremely different short films perfectly typify the kind of enigmatic cinematic experience that make the viewing of underground movies so invigorating.
Echoes, by Winnipeg-based filmmaker Jaimz Asmundson, is the stunningly...
- 5/18/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 22nd annual Chicago Underground Film Festival presents five days of devastating celluloid provocations on May 13-17 at the Logan Theatre.
The fest kicks off on May 13 with the incredibly haunting short film Echoes by Jaimz Asmundson and the Filipino romantic crime drama Ruined Heart: Another Lovestory Between a Criminal and a Whore by the single-named director Khavn.
Highlights of the fest include the new slacker-ific comedy by Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn, L for Leisure; the Spanish socio-political documentary Speculation Nation by Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat; the pastoral friendship drama For the Plasma by Bingham Bryant & Kyle Molzan; and the joyful pop doc Living Stars by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn.
There are also loads of un-missable short films, such as the gritty modern film noir Bite Radius by Spencer Parsons; and amazing new films by Jennifer Reeder (Blood Below the Skin), Zachary Epcar (Under the Heat Lamp...
The fest kicks off on May 13 with the incredibly haunting short film Echoes by Jaimz Asmundson and the Filipino romantic crime drama Ruined Heart: Another Lovestory Between a Criminal and a Whore by the single-named director Khavn.
Highlights of the fest include the new slacker-ific comedy by Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn, L for Leisure; the Spanish socio-political documentary Speculation Nation by Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat; the pastoral friendship drama For the Plasma by Bingham Bryant & Kyle Molzan; and the joyful pop doc Living Stars by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn.
There are also loads of un-missable short films, such as the gritty modern film noir Bite Radius by Spencer Parsons; and amazing new films by Jennifer Reeder (Blood Below the Skin), Zachary Epcar (Under the Heat Lamp...
- 5/11/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
If you’re in the mood for something really scary — and maybe a little off beat — to watch this Halloween, you’re in luck! A terrific crop of wickedly frightening and ghoulishly grotesque horror flicks that terrorized the underground film circuit have made their way to your favorite VOD streaming service just in time for this All Hallow’s Eve.
Saturday Morning Mystery, dir. Spencer Parsons (Amazon | Itunes) Saturday Morning Mystery is one of the best, most original horror movies in recent memory. The film cashes in on both the modern obsession with paranormal investigating as well as on that classic Saturday morning cartoon, Scooby-Doo. But, this ain’t no kiddie film! Four hipsters and their (non-talking) dog look to solve a good ghost mystery and immediately find themselves way in over their heads. Gory and outrageous in more ways than one, what’s most impressive about this flick is how smart,...
Saturday Morning Mystery, dir. Spencer Parsons (Amazon | Itunes) Saturday Morning Mystery is one of the best, most original horror movies in recent memory. The film cashes in on both the modern obsession with paranormal investigating as well as on that classic Saturday morning cartoon, Scooby-Doo. But, this ain’t no kiddie film! Four hipsters and their (non-talking) dog look to solve a good ghost mystery and immediately find themselves way in over their heads. Gory and outrageous in more ways than one, what’s most impressive about this flick is how smart,...
- 10/29/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
We’re back with another Q&A feature, this time talking with Saturday Morning Mystery director Spencer Parsons, who tells us about growing up with Scooby-Doo, balancing horror and comedy, and his time on the set of the movie:
With this movie being Scooby-Doo influenced, can you tell me about your experience with Scooby-Doo as a child? What’s one of your favorite episodes?
Spencer Parsons: Oh yeah, when I was little, it was huge to me. My little brother and I would stay over at my grandmother’s house and wake up early to watch it with my older cousins while snarfing down sugary breakfast cereals my mom never let us have. By the time Jason of Star Command came on, I’d be flying high on Count Chocula, trying to get pony rides from the cocker spaniel. So I’d call it formative.
But Scooby and any...
With this movie being Scooby-Doo influenced, can you tell me about your experience with Scooby-Doo as a child? What’s one of your favorite episodes?
Spencer Parsons: Oh yeah, when I was little, it was huge to me. My little brother and I would stay over at my grandmother’s house and wake up early to watch it with my older cousins while snarfing down sugary breakfast cereals my mom never let us have. By the time Jason of Star Command came on, I’d be flying high on Count Chocula, trying to get pony rides from the cocker spaniel. So I’d call it formative.
But Scooby and any...
- 8/22/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Saturday Morning Mystery is now available on VOD and is starting to open in a number of theaters across the Us. If you’d like a better idea of what to expect from the movie, take a look at our exclusive clip and the official trailer.
“Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.”
Saturday Morning Mystery was directed by Spencer Parsons and stars Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers and Adam Tate. The movie was first released to VOD on July 17th and its limited theatrical release started on on August 10th. A DVD release is planned for August 20th. Here are the upcoming locations, dates, and times when the movie will screen:
Los Angeles – Laemmle Noho on Thursday, 8/15, at 7:...
“Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.”
Saturday Morning Mystery was directed by Spencer Parsons and stars Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers and Adam Tate. The movie was first released to VOD on July 17th and its limited theatrical release started on on August 10th. A DVD release is planned for August 20th. Here are the upcoming locations, dates, and times when the movie will screen:
Los Angeles – Laemmle Noho on Thursday, 8/15, at 7:...
- 8/15/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Theatrical release dates, locations, and showtimes have been announced for Saturday Morning Mystery, coming out in August from XLrator Media, and we have all the info you need right here.
The film is directed by Spencer Parsons and written by Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, and Jason Wehling. You can find it on VOD now and in the following theatres beginning August 10, 2013.
* Brooklyn - Videology on Saturday, 8/10, at 9:30 pm
* Los Angeles - Laemmle Noho on Thursday, 8/15, at 7:30 pm
* Seattle - Tin Room on Friday, 8/16, and Saturday, 8/17, at 10:00 pm
* Chicago - Music Box on Friday, 8/16, and Saturday, 8/17, at 12:00 midnight
Related Story: Guest Blog: Director Spencer Parsons on Saturday Morning Mystery; Exclusive New Stills!
Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, and Adam Tate star.
Synopsis:
Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they...
The film is directed by Spencer Parsons and written by Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, and Jason Wehling. You can find it on VOD now and in the following theatres beginning August 10, 2013.
* Brooklyn - Videology on Saturday, 8/10, at 9:30 pm
* Los Angeles - Laemmle Noho on Thursday, 8/15, at 7:30 pm
* Seattle - Tin Room on Friday, 8/16, and Saturday, 8/17, at 10:00 pm
* Chicago - Music Box on Friday, 8/16, and Saturday, 8/17, at 12:00 midnight
Related Story: Guest Blog: Director Spencer Parsons on Saturday Morning Mystery; Exclusive New Stills!
Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, and Adam Tate star.
Synopsis:
Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they...
- 7/26/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Saturday Morning Mystery is now available on VOD and will be given a limited theatrical release early next month. If you’re interested in checking out the movie in theaters, we have details on where and when it will be screening.
“Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.”
Saturday Morning Mystery was directed by Spencer Parsons and stars Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers and Adam Tate. The movie was first released to VOD on July 17th, with a limited theatrical release starting on on August 10th. A DVD release is planned for August 20th. Here are the locations, dates, and times when the movie will screen:
Los Angeles – Laemmle Noho is confirmed for Thu 8/15 at 7:30pm. Brooklyn – Videology on 8/10 at 9:30pm.
“Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.”
Saturday Morning Mystery was directed by Spencer Parsons and stars Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers and Adam Tate. The movie was first released to VOD on July 17th, with a limited theatrical release starting on on August 10th. A DVD release is planned for August 20th. Here are the locations, dates, and times when the movie will screen:
Los Angeles – Laemmle Noho is confirmed for Thu 8/15 at 7:30pm. Brooklyn – Videology on 8/10 at 9:30pm.
- 7/26/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Saturday Morning Mystery, the scare-tastic indie horror flick directed by Spencer Parsons that freaked out audiences on the festival circuit last year, is now available for home frightening on iTunes.
The film follows the exploits of four teenage ghost hunters and their pet dog — hmm, that sounds familiar — as they investigate a haunted mansion. But, this ain’t no light-hearted kiddie cartoon romp as the quartet encounter satanic rituals, cannibalism, acid trips and other forms of extreme ickiness. Genuinely scary and filled with great gore, Saturday Morning Mystery is one of the most original and devilishly fun horror movies of the last couple of years.
The official Underground Film Journal review will be up soon, but don’t wait for us. Stream/download this fantastically entertaining horror romp today!
(Previously known as Saturday Morning Massacre on the fest circuit.)
Watch the trailer for Saturday Morning Mystery:...
The film follows the exploits of four teenage ghost hunters and their pet dog — hmm, that sounds familiar — as they investigate a haunted mansion. But, this ain’t no light-hearted kiddie cartoon romp as the quartet encounter satanic rituals, cannibalism, acid trips and other forms of extreme ickiness. Genuinely scary and filled with great gore, Saturday Morning Mystery is one of the most original and devilishly fun horror movies of the last couple of years.
The official Underground Film Journal review will be up soon, but don’t wait for us. Stream/download this fantastically entertaining horror romp today!
(Previously known as Saturday Morning Massacre on the fest circuit.)
Watch the trailer for Saturday Morning Mystery:...
- 7/24/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Along with some exclusive and really bloody new stills, we have a special guest blog on tap for you guys from director Spencer Parsons about his new film, Saturday Morning Mystery; old cartoons; and much, much more! Dig it!
Truth be known, I’m more of a Buford Files guy than a Scooby-Doo guy, probably because that one ripped off Smokey and the Bandit, and every episode took place in a swamp, with way more opportunity for moss monsters. But man alive, ‘70s TV barfed up a ton of these Scooby wanna bes about ghost-chasers-with-dogs. And all of them got repeated endlessly through the ‘80s in syndication, even the ones that didn’t last a whole season. Shows like Clue Club, Butch Cassidy and Goober and the Ghost Chasers, plus less dog-centric mystery team cartoons like Fangface, Speed Buggy, or The New Shmoo. There were more, and I could go on,...
Truth be known, I’m more of a Buford Files guy than a Scooby-Doo guy, probably because that one ripped off Smokey and the Bandit, and every episode took place in a swamp, with way more opportunity for moss monsters. But man alive, ‘70s TV barfed up a ton of these Scooby wanna bes about ghost-chasers-with-dogs. And all of them got repeated endlessly through the ‘80s in syndication, even the ones that didn’t last a whole season. Shows like Clue Club, Butch Cassidy and Goober and the Ghost Chasers, plus less dog-centric mystery team cartoons like Fangface, Speed Buggy, or The New Shmoo. There were more, and I could go on,...
- 7/16/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
We haven't heard much about Spencer Parsons' Saturday Morning Massacre lately, but we've learned it has a new title, revised trailer, DVD box art, and release info via XLrator Media. Now that's an update worth waiting for!
The film, directed by Spencer Parsons and written by Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, and Jason Wehling, is now called Saturday Morning Mystery. A possible reaction to all the negative feelings toward violence these days? Who knows, but in any event you can find it on VOD beginning July 17th and in theatres on August 9, 2013.
Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, and Adam Tate star.
Synopsis:
Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
The film, directed by Spencer Parsons and written by Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, and Jason Wehling, is now called Saturday Morning Mystery. A possible reaction to all the negative feelings toward violence these days? Who knows, but in any event you can find it on VOD beginning July 17th and in theatres on August 9, 2013.
Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, and Adam Tate star.
Synopsis:
Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they investigate an abandoned schoolhouse with a mysterious past.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
- 5/10/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Here at Dread Central we can never get too much horror, and the good folks over at Rhodesclosed Productions and Willow Road Entertainment are ready to deliver a one, two punch of terror!
In 2013 they'll be producing both the horror anthology I Scream You Scream and the slasher flick Released.
I Scream You Scream is a modern day throwback to The Twilight Zone: The Movie and Creepshow, with a darker and original twist. The producers promise fright with the upcoming anthology as well as a new spin on the genre. The producers will be attaching seven to eight directors in the fall of 2012. Directors that are currently attached include Jack Perez (director of Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus and Some Guy Who Kills People), Spencer Parsons (director of Saturday Morning Massacre), Kris Swanberg (Empire Builder), and Frank Ross (director of Audrey the Trainwreck and Tiger Tail in Blue). Brian Levin...
In 2013 they'll be producing both the horror anthology I Scream You Scream and the slasher flick Released.
I Scream You Scream is a modern day throwback to The Twilight Zone: The Movie and Creepshow, with a darker and original twist. The producers promise fright with the upcoming anthology as well as a new spin on the genre. The producers will be attaching seven to eight directors in the fall of 2012. Directors that are currently attached include Jack Perez (director of Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus and Some Guy Who Kills People), Spencer Parsons (director of Saturday Morning Massacre), Kris Swanberg (Empire Builder), and Frank Ross (director of Audrey the Trainwreck and Tiger Tail in Blue). Brian Levin...
- 11/16/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Held back on Sept. 21-29, the 5th annual Arizona Underground Film Festival was a major blow-out event of extreme underground greatness. And, to top it all off, they handed out a gaggle of awards to both feature films and shorts alike.
The big winner was the Best of Fest award that went to Michael Melamedoff’s sly drama The Exhibitionists, about a bunch of hedonists gathered on New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, the Audience Award went to the reality TV parody Ghosts With Shit Jobs by Chris McCawley, Jim Morrison, Jim Munroe and Tate Young; and Kenton Bartlett’s torture flick Missing Pieces won the Director’s Award.
Some other winners include Spencer Parsons’ Saturday Morning Massacre for Best Horror Feature, a film that while not reviewed yet on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film we’ve seen it and easily declare one of the best horror movies of the last few years.
The big winner was the Best of Fest award that went to Michael Melamedoff’s sly drama The Exhibitionists, about a bunch of hedonists gathered on New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, the Audience Award went to the reality TV parody Ghosts With Shit Jobs by Chris McCawley, Jim Morrison, Jim Munroe and Tate Young; and Kenton Bartlett’s torture flick Missing Pieces won the Director’s Award.
Some other winners include Spencer Parsons’ Saturday Morning Massacre for Best Horror Feature, a film that while not reviewed yet on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film we’ve seen it and easily declare one of the best horror movies of the last few years.
- 11/9/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
One more feather in the awards cap for David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook": The Austin Film Festival, which ran October 18-25, announces the film as winner of its Marquee Feature Audience Award. A full list of the festival's award winners is below. Marquee Feature Audience Award: Silver Linings Playbook Writer/Director: David O. Russell Narrative Feature Audience Award: Junk Writers: Kevin Hamedani, Ramon Isao Director: Kevin Hamedani Documentary Feature Audience Award: (Tie) Spinning Plates Writer/Director: Joseph Levy Rising From Ashes Director: T.C. Johnstone Comedy Vanguard Audience Award: The Muslims Are Coming! Directors: Negin Farsad, Dean Obeidallah Dark Matters Audience Award: Saturday Morning Massacre Writers: Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, Jason Wehling Director: Spencer Parsons Narrative Short Audience Award: Asad Writer/Director: Bryan Buckley ...
- 10/30/2012
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
When is a Scooby-Doo satire not exactly a Scooby-Doo satire? When it arrives in the form of an indie horror flick like Saturday Morning Massacre, a low-budget but clever enough little concoction from a group of young filmmakers who have little besides a game cast, a creepy location, and (fortunately) some actual skills in the filmmaking department. Here we have a group of four young adults and a loyal dog who trek across the country investigating, you guessed it, mysterious paranormal occurrences, only to finally butt heads with something horrific and inexplicable. So while it's true that the premise is pretty familiar, director Spencer Parsons and his numerous co-writers find ways to subvert convention and deliver a clever little homage that's both "in-joke" funny and, eventually, pretty darn scary.
Don't let the phrase "Scooby-Doo satire" turn you off; Saturday Morning Massacre is not broad wackiness or cartoony sound effects. It's...
Don't let the phrase "Scooby-Doo satire" turn you off; Saturday Morning Massacre is not broad wackiness or cartoony sound effects. It's...
- 10/26/2012
- by Scott Weinberg
- FEARnet
Directed by: Spencer Parsons
Written by: Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, Jason Wehling
Featuring: Ashley Rae Spillers, Josephine Decker, Adam Tate, Jonny Mars, Paul Gordon
Drawing inspiration from Scooby-Doo, Ghost Hunters and scary movies of the '70s and '80s, Saturday Morning Massacre is a horror parody that's equal parts frightening and funny. Made with affection and a knowing eye, this sly film is for anyone who ever wanted to see how the meddling members of Mystery Inc. would fare if they, say, walked onto the set of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
In this entertaining flick, which screened last night as part of the Austin Film Festival, the Scooby gang is reimagined as real-world paranormal investigators struggling to make ends meet in the grungy mid-1990s. Teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, the team stumbles into a paying gig involving a deserted mansion with a sordid Satanic history.
This...
Written by: Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, Jason Wehling
Featuring: Ashley Rae Spillers, Josephine Decker, Adam Tate, Jonny Mars, Paul Gordon
Drawing inspiration from Scooby-Doo, Ghost Hunters and scary movies of the '70s and '80s, Saturday Morning Massacre is a horror parody that's equal parts frightening and funny. Made with affection and a knowing eye, this sly film is for anyone who ever wanted to see how the meddling members of Mystery Inc. would fare if they, say, walked onto the set of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
In this entertaining flick, which screened last night as part of the Austin Film Festival, the Scooby gang is reimagined as real-world paranormal investigators struggling to make ends meet in the grungy mid-1990s. Teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, the team stumbles into a paying gig involving a deserted mansion with a sordid Satanic history.
This...
- 10/24/2012
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
The 5th annual Minneapolis Underground Film Festival, which was held back on August 17-19, gave out a nine awards to seven films.
The biggest winner of the event was a short film: Barry Kimm’s documentary Tattoo Underground, which took home three awards for Best Sound, Cinematography and the Largest Audience Award. The film explores the emotional connection between three people and their tattoos.
Other winners include Spencer Parson’s Saturday Morning Massacre, which won for Best Feature and has been killing it in general on the film festival circuit this year; Go Ganges!, the travel doc by Jj Kelly and Josh Thomas won for Best Documentary; Mike Nelson’s The Retirement of Joe Corduroy won for Best Short Film; while the Audience Choice went to the short film Buffalo Shampoo, which was directed by local filmmaker Ryan Becken.
The full list of winners is below:
Best Feature Winner
Saturday Morning Massacre,...
The biggest winner of the event was a short film: Barry Kimm’s documentary Tattoo Underground, which took home three awards for Best Sound, Cinematography and the Largest Audience Award. The film explores the emotional connection between three people and their tattoos.
Other winners include Spencer Parson’s Saturday Morning Massacre, which won for Best Feature and has been killing it in general on the film festival circuit this year; Go Ganges!, the travel doc by Jj Kelly and Josh Thomas won for Best Documentary; Mike Nelson’s The Retirement of Joe Corduroy won for Best Short Film; while the Audience Choice went to the short film Buffalo Shampoo, which was directed by local filmmaker Ryan Becken.
The full list of winners is below:
Best Feature Winner
Saturday Morning Massacre,...
- 9/19/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
To celebrate their 5th anniversary, the Arizona Underground Film Festival has expanded to a whopping nine nights on Sept. 21-29 for a cinematic event the likes of Tucson has never seen before!
The shenanigans kick off with the opening night film The Legend of Kaspar Hauser, an experimental Italian feature directed by Davide Manuli and starring Vincent Gallo as the hero and the villain to a strange young boy, then end with the closing night film Jason M. Solomon’s nostalgic documentary 7 Years Underground: A 60′s Tale, which profiles the legendary Cafe Au Go Go in NYC that hosted such up-and-coming acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, George Carlin, Lily Tomlin and more.
In between those two films lies a twisted carnage of movie mayhem, including Spencer Parsons’ demented homage to ’70s mystery cartoons Saturday Morning Massacre; Michael Melamedoff exploitative semi-doc The Exhibitionists; Stephen Amis’ Australian WWII sci-fi...
The shenanigans kick off with the opening night film The Legend of Kaspar Hauser, an experimental Italian feature directed by Davide Manuli and starring Vincent Gallo as the hero and the villain to a strange young boy, then end with the closing night film Jason M. Solomon’s nostalgic documentary 7 Years Underground: A 60′s Tale, which profiles the legendary Cafe Au Go Go in NYC that hosted such up-and-coming acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, George Carlin, Lily Tomlin and more.
In between those two films lies a twisted carnage of movie mayhem, including Spencer Parsons’ demented homage to ’70s mystery cartoons Saturday Morning Massacre; Michael Melamedoff exploitative semi-doc The Exhibitionists; Stephen Amis’ Australian WWII sci-fi...
- 9/14/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The theme for this year’s B-Movie, Underground and Trash Film Festival, held in the city of Breda in the Netherlands, is “Apocalypse.” So get ready to watch the world end dozens of different ways on Sept. 5-9 at various venues around the city.
The fun kicks off on the 5th with the German movie Hell by director Tim Fehlbaum. If you didn’t know, “hell” means “bright” in German and, given that title, this flick is set appropriately in a post-apocalyptic future where global warming has decimated the planet and surviving tribes battle for water and food.
Other post-apocalyptic visions include Milan Konjevic’s Zone of the Dead starring legendary zombie killer Ken Foree; Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro’s Bazillian underground hit Beyond the Grave about a world where magic and madness rule the world; and Rob van Eyck’s bizarrely twisted Afterman and Afterman 2.
Not all the...
The fun kicks off on the 5th with the German movie Hell by director Tim Fehlbaum. If you didn’t know, “hell” means “bright” in German and, given that title, this flick is set appropriately in a post-apocalyptic future where global warming has decimated the planet and surviving tribes battle for water and food.
Other post-apocalyptic visions include Milan Konjevic’s Zone of the Dead starring legendary zombie killer Ken Foree; Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro’s Bazillian underground hit Beyond the Grave about a world where magic and madness rule the world; and Rob van Eyck’s bizarrely twisted Afterman and Afterman 2.
Not all the...
- 9/4/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Here's the latest in Austin and Texas film news.
Austin-based film composer Brian Satterwhite has been commissioned by the Dallas Chamber Symphony to compose scores for two silent films, including A Sailor-Made Man, a Harold Lloyd film about a boy who accidentally enlists in the Navy to impress a girl, according to Satterwhite's blog. The scores will be performed live during the entire second half of the screenings on Nov. 13 and and Feb. 26 at the new Dallas City Performance Hall.IndieWire reported that University of Texas alumnus Todd Berger's film It's a Disaster, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, has been picked up by Oscilloscope for North American distribution. The ensemble comedy, starring America Ferrera and Julia Stiles, is about a group of friends who experience an apocalyptic bomb explosion during brunch. Speaking of films with local ties that premiered at Laff ... the Austin-shot movie Saturday Morning Massacre...
Austin-based film composer Brian Satterwhite has been commissioned by the Dallas Chamber Symphony to compose scores for two silent films, including A Sailor-Made Man, a Harold Lloyd film about a boy who accidentally enlists in the Navy to impress a girl, according to Satterwhite's blog. The scores will be performed live during the entire second half of the screenings on Nov. 13 and and Feb. 26 at the new Dallas City Performance Hall.IndieWire reported that University of Texas alumnus Todd Berger's film It's a Disaster, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, has been picked up by Oscilloscope for North American distribution. The ensemble comedy, starring America Ferrera and Julia Stiles, is about a group of friends who experience an apocalyptic bomb explosion during brunch. Speaking of films with local ties that premiered at Laff ... the Austin-shot movie Saturday Morning Massacre...
- 8/27/2012
- by Jordan Gass-Poore'
- Slackerwood
We chatted with the Saturday Morning Massacre cast and crew shortly before and after their well-received world premiere at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival. Here is a transcription of the finer points of our conversations with Spencer Parsons (director), Ashley Rae Spillers (actor), Jonny Mars (producer, actor), Josephine Decker (actor), Jory Balsimo (writer) and Aaron Leggett (writer) about Saturday Morning Massacre...
- 8/17/2012
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
For their 5th annual edition, the Minneapolis Underground Film Festival is heating up by returning to the summer after being a winter event for the past three years. The fest will run on Aug. 17-19 with a killer lineup of films from all over the world — most of which probably will not be able to be seen in Minnesota except at this 3-day event.
Plus, there are two programming blocks of short films all made by local filmmakers, including Pam Colby’s Fertile Ashes, Ryan Becken’s Buffalo Shampoo, Janelle Sorenson & Melany Joy Beck’s Bring It 2 Peter, Jl Sosa’s Some of Angela and more.
The feature films screening this year cover an extremely diverse swath of subject matter, from every day people’s murder fantasies fulfilled — cinematically, at least — in Michal Koskowski’s German documentary Zero Killed; a tattoo comes to live to torment its wearer in...
Plus, there are two programming blocks of short films all made by local filmmakers, including Pam Colby’s Fertile Ashes, Ryan Becken’s Buffalo Shampoo, Janelle Sorenson & Melany Joy Beck’s Bring It 2 Peter, Jl Sosa’s Some of Angela and more.
The feature films screening this year cover an extremely diverse swath of subject matter, from every day people’s murder fantasies fulfilled — cinematically, at least — in Michal Koskowski’s German documentary Zero Killed; a tattoo comes to live to torment its wearer in...
- 8/13/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This is the last in a series of four interviews related to the Austin-shot movie Saturday Morning Massacre (Jette's review), which recently premiered at Los Angeles Film Festival. Don't forget to read about our chats with producer Jonny Mars, screenwriters Aaron Leggett and Jory Balsimo, and director Spencer Parsons.
Austin-based actress Ashley Rae Spillers stars in Saturday Morning Massacre as Nancy, the plucky young leader of a group of amateur ghostbusters working their first paying case... and things don't go quite as planned. This is Spillers' first feature-film role, following her appearance in a few short films, including a segment of Slacker 2011. Slackerwood sat down with Spillers before the film's Laff premiere. Though this was her first feature film role, she's been busy ever since, working with a long list of Austin filmmakers.
Slackerwood: How did you get involved with the film?
Spillers: This is the first feature I'd ever done.
Austin-based actress Ashley Rae Spillers stars in Saturday Morning Massacre as Nancy, the plucky young leader of a group of amateur ghostbusters working their first paying case... and things don't go quite as planned. This is Spillers' first feature-film role, following her appearance in a few short films, including a segment of Slacker 2011. Slackerwood sat down with Spillers before the film's Laff premiere. Though this was her first feature film role, she's been busy ever since, working with a long list of Austin filmmakers.
Slackerwood: How did you get involved with the film?
Spillers: This is the first feature I'd ever done.
- 6/27/2012
- by Virginia Yapp
- Slackerwood
This is the third in a series of four interviews related to the Austin-shot movie Saturday Morning Massacre (Jette's review), which recently premiered at Los Angeles Film Festival. Don't forget to read about our chats with producer Jonny Mars and screenwriters Aaron Leggett and Jory Balsimo, and look for the fourth interview later this afternoon.
Before he moved to Chicago to teach at Northwestern University, Spencer Parsons spent over a decade making movies in Austin. His first feature film, I'll Come Running, premiered at Laff in 2008 and also screened at Austin Film Festival that year. Despite the move, Parsons hasn't been able to escape Austin completely. His second feature film, Saturday Morning Massacre, shot locally, earned Parsons and crew a return trip to Laff earlier this month.
Jette and I sat down with Parsons and talked horror, the Austin film scene, his move to Chicago and (of course!) breakfast tacos.
Before he moved to Chicago to teach at Northwestern University, Spencer Parsons spent over a decade making movies in Austin. His first feature film, I'll Come Running, premiered at Laff in 2008 and also screened at Austin Film Festival that year. Despite the move, Parsons hasn't been able to escape Austin completely. His second feature film, Saturday Morning Massacre, shot locally, earned Parsons and crew a return trip to Laff earlier this month.
Jette and I sat down with Parsons and talked horror, the Austin film scene, his move to Chicago and (of course!) breakfast tacos.
- 6/27/2012
- by Virginia Yapp
- Slackerwood
Using Scooby Doo as a jumping off point, director Spencer Parsons's latest is a horror-parody of the classic cartoon series starring Ashley Spillers, Jonny Mars, Josephine Decker, and Adam Tate as questionably competent paranormal investigators. After the world premiere of Saturday Morning Massacre, we talked with director Spencer Parsons, producer/actor Jonny Mars, and stars Ashley Spillers and Josephine Decker about ghosts, Scooby Doo, and the mansion that inspired them to make a horror-parody film. This is your second time at Laff--how has your experience been different this year? Spencer Parsons: Well, it's always a different experience--different filmmakers, different films, different vibe. It's been great both times. It's fantastic to return. I really honestly couldn't be happy premiering this movie at the same festival cuz we...
- 6/27/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Director Spencer Parsons (I’ll Come Running) introduced Saturday Morning Massacre to a packed crowd of horror film enthusiasts late Tuesday night as something you would see if you stayed up all night watching B-horror films (while possibly indulging in some “Scooby snacks”) and now the sun is coming up, cartoons are on, you are eating a massive bowl of sugar (i.e. Count Chocula), and you find yourself starting to doze off. Massacre follows four paranormal activity detectives (plus their dog Hamlet) as they try and solve mysteries that seem to be due to ghosts or other mysterious activity, but (much like the Saturday morning cartoon they seem to emulate) these amateur detectives uncover more misdeeds than ghosts on their missions. A promising job (meaning they will actually get paid) comes in, and group leader Nancy (Ashley Spillers) has the crew pile into Frankie’s (Sean Ryan) van (which has yet to prove to be mysterious...
- 6/21/2012
- by Allison Loring
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Directed by Spencer Parsons
Featuring Jory Balsimo, Sonny Carl Davis and Josephine Decker
I was really looking forward to watching some kind (well, any kind) of Massacre. To my dismay Saturday Morning Massacre had no massacre in it.
It is another convoluted, poorly written, terribly acted, bad looking, non-scary “scary” movie wherein absolutely Nothing happens until the movie is almost over. You would probably enjoy this movie if you have lived under a rock because you are a snail and know nothing about the world.
Note to the film makers: just because you use rockabilly music and “cool” haircuts on your actors while dressing them like the “cool” poser kids doesn’t mean you are making a horror movie. Also, just because you decide these characters are going to kind of, but not really, explore sex doesn’t make it edgy or modern; it makes it stale masturbation because not once,...
Featuring Jory Balsimo, Sonny Carl Davis and Josephine Decker
I was really looking forward to watching some kind (well, any kind) of Massacre. To my dismay Saturday Morning Massacre had no massacre in it.
It is another convoluted, poorly written, terribly acted, bad looking, non-scary “scary” movie wherein absolutely Nothing happens until the movie is almost over. You would probably enjoy this movie if you have lived under a rock because you are a snail and know nothing about the world.
Note to the film makers: just because you use rockabilly music and “cool” haircuts on your actors while dressing them like the “cool” poser kids doesn’t mean you are making a horror movie. Also, just because you decide these characters are going to kind of, but not really, explore sex doesn’t make it edgy or modern; it makes it stale masturbation because not once,...
- 6/19/2012
- by Dana R. Davidson
- Planet Fury
I wasn't at the Los Angeles Film Festival this weekend, sadly for me. However, former Austinite Spencer Parsons screened his locally shot horror-comedy Saturday Morning Massacre here in Austin last week, and I was lucky enough to be there. It's just the kind of horror movie I like -- lots of humor but not enough to dilute genuine scariness, and no prolonged graphic violence. Seeing it accomplished with familiar local talent was a happy bonus.
Saturday Morning Massacre is set in 1994, which seems random until you realize that's right before cell phones became commonplace, thus keeping them out of the picture. Four twentysomething slackers have formed a small business that videotapes and debunks paranormal activities, although it's not especially profitable. It's led by Nancy (Ashley Spillers), the short perky gal in the big pink sweater, and includes the attractive and clean-cut couple Gwen (Josephine Decker) and Chad (Adam Tate) as...
Saturday Morning Massacre is set in 1994, which seems random until you realize that's right before cell phones became commonplace, thus keeping them out of the picture. Four twentysomething slackers have formed a small business that videotapes and debunks paranormal activities, although it's not especially profitable. It's led by Nancy (Ashley Spillers), the short perky gal in the big pink sweater, and includes the attractive and clean-cut couple Gwen (Josephine Decker) and Chad (Adam Tate) as...
- 6/18/2012
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
I know, I know. A modern day, live action reinterpretation of Scooby Doo sounds like a really horrible Hollywood pitch. But, c’mon just hear me out… Because if any film community would be able to spin this particular pitch into gold, it would be Austin. The idea was originally hatched by Jonny Mars and Jason Wheling. They eventually brought Spencer Parsons (I’ll Come Running) on board as the director. Next, Aaron Leggett and Jory Balsimo were hired to flesh out the idea into a fully realized script. Then, the true moment of genius came — the casting. The slightly-skewed Scooby gang became embodied by Ashley Rae Spillers, Josephine Decker, Jonny Mars and Adam Tate, with masterful supporting turns by Chris Doubek, Paul Gordon, and Heather Kafka. The end result is Saturday Morning Massacre, a film that plays in dutiful homage to 1980s horror films with gory practical effects and boatloads of blood. Though...
- 6/12/2012
- by Don Simpson
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Making its premiere at the upcoming Los Angeles Film Festival, "Saturday Morning Massacre" is a dark and bloody parody about a "Scooby Doo"-like team of paranormal investigators and their devoted dog who struggle for cash until they land a job getting to the bottom of a series of gruesome deaths in an abandoned schoolhouse. And we've got an exclusive clip from the film which you can see below.
Directed by Spencer Parsons ("I'll Come Running"), when asked about the appeal of parodying "Scooby Doo," he said, "I think a lot of kids grew up wondering what would happen if it ever turned out that the ghosts were real or if the owner of the haunted amusement park was a psychopath who’d chop them all up and then do really nasty things with the pieces. I think for a lot of horror fans, those cartoons were like the baby pool of the horror genre,...
Directed by Spencer Parsons ("I'll Come Running"), when asked about the appeal of parodying "Scooby Doo," he said, "I think a lot of kids grew up wondering what would happen if it ever turned out that the ghosts were real or if the owner of the haunted amusement park was a psychopath who’d chop them all up and then do really nasty things with the pieces. I think for a lot of horror fans, those cartoons were like the baby pool of the horror genre,...
- 6/7/2012
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Time to add a bit of a massacre to your afternoon as we've gotten our claws into the first stills and artwork for Saturday Morning Massacre, which will be playing as part of this year's Los Angeles Film Festival.
Saturday Morning Massacre – (Director Spencer Parsons Writers Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, Jason Wehling Producers Jonny Mars, Jason Wehling Cast Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, Adam Tate) – Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they take on a rambling mansion with a mysterious past. ★ World Premiere
This year's Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 14th-24th; click here for ticket info. Visit the official La Film Festival website for the full list of films showing.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Throw your own fest in the comments section below.
Saturday Morning Massacre – (Director Spencer Parsons Writers Jory Balsimo, Aaron Leggett, Jason Wehling Producers Jonny Mars, Jason Wehling Cast Josephine Decker, Paul Gordon, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, Adam Tate) – Four professional ghost hunters, who travel in a vintage van accompanied by their canine companion (sound familiar?), get far more than they bargained for when they take on a rambling mansion with a mysterious past. ★ World Premiere
This year's Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 14th-24th; click here for ticket info. Visit the official La Film Festival website for the full list of films showing.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Throw your own fest in the comments section below.
- 5/2/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival will run June 14-24, 2012, and included in the schedule are more than a few movies with ties to Austin or Texas. As Matthew Odam points out in his Tuesday post on Austin Movie Blog, the feature films Saturday Morning Massacre and Magic Mike are both in the lineup. Magic Mike is a Steven Soderbergh film starring Austin actor Matthew McConaughey.
Saturday Morning Massacre was directed by former Austinite Spencer Parsons and was shot locally. Cast members include Jonny Mars and Paul Gordon from The Happy Poet, Heather Kafka and Chris Doubek from Lovers of Hate and veteran character actor Sonny Carl Davis (The Whole Shootin' Match, Bernie). It's a horror movie that references a popular 70s cartoon about crime-fighting teens in a van with a dog.
Here are some more films with Austin/Texas connections scheduled to show during this year's fest:
Big Easy Express,...
Saturday Morning Massacre was directed by former Austinite Spencer Parsons and was shot locally. Cast members include Jonny Mars and Paul Gordon from The Happy Poet, Heather Kafka and Chris Doubek from Lovers of Hate and veteran character actor Sonny Carl Davis (The Whole Shootin' Match, Bernie). It's a horror movie that references a popular 70s cartoon about crime-fighting teens in a van with a dog.
Here are some more films with Austin/Texas connections scheduled to show during this year's fest:
Big Easy Express,...
- 5/2/2012
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
Meet the meddling kids behind Saturday Morning Massacre via a new trailer and a series of photos that have been released to Shock Till You Drop this morning.
Spencer Parsons' film is going to make its debut at the L.A. Film Fest next month. The story follows a crew of young paranormal investigators and their dog struggle for cash until they land a job getting to the bottom of a series of gruesome deaths in an abandoned schoolhouse.
Associate producer Adam Donahey tells us, "Imagine if all the meddling kids from Saturday morning cartoons really did go out and try to solve crimes, uncover murders and get in the middle of really sticky situations? I can assure you, they wouldn't get out unscathed if even alive. Saturday Morning Massacre is a bloody parody of mystery cartoons and the consequences of meddling with the supernatural."
Head inside for the trailer and photos.
Spencer Parsons' film is going to make its debut at the L.A. Film Fest next month. The story follows a crew of young paranormal investigators and their dog struggle for cash until they land a job getting to the bottom of a series of gruesome deaths in an abandoned schoolhouse.
Associate producer Adam Donahey tells us, "Imagine if all the meddling kids from Saturday morning cartoons really did go out and try to solve crimes, uncover murders and get in the middle of really sticky situations? I can assure you, they wouldn't get out unscathed if even alive. Saturday Morning Massacre is a bloody parody of mystery cartoons and the consequences of meddling with the supernatural."
Head inside for the trailer and photos.
- 5/2/2012
- shocktillyoudrop.com
The lineup of the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival was announced today, and while there are a lot of impressive entries heading to the West Coast, not many of them are horror films. But there are a few that caught our eye so read on for the details.
This year's Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 14th-24th; click here for ticket info. Below are the horror and horror-ish sounding films on the fest's slate; visit the official La Film Festival website for the full list.
Vampira and Me – (Director/Producer R. H. Greene) – Before Elvira there was Vampira, the playfully ghoulish host of a local L.A. late night horror movie show who became a national celebrity, then disappeared. This loving, personal portrait reveals the remarkable woman behind the chalk-white mask. ★ World Premiere
P-047 – Thailand (Director/Writer Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Producers Soros Sukhum, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Cast Parinya Kwamwongwan, Aphichai Trakulphadejkrai) – Part meditation,...
This year's Los Angeles Film Festival runs from June 14th-24th; click here for ticket info. Below are the horror and horror-ish sounding films on the fest's slate; visit the official La Film Festival website for the full list.
Vampira and Me – (Director/Producer R. H. Greene) – Before Elvira there was Vampira, the playfully ghoulish host of a local L.A. late night horror movie show who became a national celebrity, then disappeared. This loving, personal portrait reveals the remarkable woman behind the chalk-white mask. ★ World Premiere
P-047 – Thailand (Director/Writer Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Producers Soros Sukhum, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee Cast Parinya Kwamwongwan, Aphichai Trakulphadejkrai) – Part meditation,...
- 5/1/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
The opening night movie of the Los Angeles Film Festival — Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love — was announced three weeks ago (along with screenings of Sundance winners Middle of Nowhere and Beasts of the Southern Wild), but today the rest of the line-up was unveiled, with the headline news being that Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper romp, Magic Mike, starring Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey, will close out the June fest.
In the narrative competition, there are notable entries from Cory McAbee (The American Astronaut), Jared Moshé (a familiar name as a producer, making his first film as director), and Alex Karpovsky, whose other 2012 effort, Rubberneck, just premiered at Tribeca. Among the other premieres are the Uganda-set Lgbt doc Call Me Kuchu, the star-studded directorial debut of screenwriter Alex Kurtzman, People Like Us, and indie stalwart Spencer Parsons’ Saturday Morning Massacre.
A full list of the newly announced screenings...
In the narrative competition, there are notable entries from Cory McAbee (The American Astronaut), Jared Moshé (a familiar name as a producer, making his first film as director), and Alex Karpovsky, whose other 2012 effort, Rubberneck, just premiered at Tribeca. Among the other premieres are the Uganda-set Lgbt doc Call Me Kuchu, the star-studded directorial debut of screenwriter Alex Kurtzman, People Like Us, and indie stalwart Spencer Parsons’ Saturday Morning Massacre.
A full list of the newly announced screenings...
- 5/1/2012
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
HollywoodNews.com: Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, in conjunction with Presenting Media Sponsor the Los Angeles Times and Host Partner L.A. Live, announced the Closing Night film and official Us and international selections for the 2012 Festival. Guest Director, Artists in Residence and Conversations with special guests will be announced later this month. The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of nearly 200 feature films, short films, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries, along with signature programs such as the Filmmaker Retreat, Poolside Chats, Coffee Talks, music events and more. As previously announced, Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love will be Opening Night, sponsored by Virgin America, and Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere and Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild were selected for the Galas section.
Returning to downtown Los Angeles and headquartered at L.
Returning to downtown Los Angeles and headquartered at L.
- 5/1/2012
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
Continuing an extraordinarily prolific phase that has also encompassed his year-long subscription service, Joe Swanberg premieres his latest film, Caitlin Plays Herself, tonight at Brooklyn’s reRun theater. His new star is Caitlin Stainken, a member of the Neo-Futurists Theater Ensemble.
Here’s the description and a clip.
Making its North American debut, Caitlin Plays Herself is the last in a trio of provocative, self-reflexive new dramas premiering at reRun this season from acclaimed auteur Joe Swanberg (Silver Bullets, Art History). Inspired by Eric Rohmer’s The Green Ray and the life of lead actress Caitlin Stainken (a member of the “Neo-Futurists” experimental theater ensemble), the film screens for a week-long theatrical run from December 2 – 8.
Caitlin, a young Chicago artist, struggles to create work that is both personal and political. A piece she performs about the Bp oil spill sends her relationship into a tailspin when her boyfriend can’t...
Here’s the description and a clip.
Making its North American debut, Caitlin Plays Herself is the last in a trio of provocative, self-reflexive new dramas premiering at reRun this season from acclaimed auteur Joe Swanberg (Silver Bullets, Art History). Inspired by Eric Rohmer’s The Green Ray and the life of lead actress Caitlin Stainken (a member of the “Neo-Futurists” experimental theater ensemble), the film screens for a week-long theatrical run from December 2 – 8.
Caitlin, a young Chicago artist, struggles to create work that is both personal and political. A piece she performs about the Bp oil spill sends her relationship into a tailspin when her boyfriend can’t...
- 11/26/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
"…and I would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!. Just how many episodes of "Scooby Doo" ended with that line? And did anyone ever wonder why the criminals were able to bamboozle the entire town and police squad with their schemes only to be foiled by a dog and four stoner kids who rolled into town two days earlier in a van that had to smell like malted hops, bong resin and dog farts? We’ve got some info on a new movie where the meddling kids don't necessarily fare so well.
Directed by Spencer Parsons and starring Ashley Spillers, Josephine Decker and Jonny Mars, Saturday Morning Massacrefollows some meddling paranormal investigators trying to make a buck. From the information we've managed to glean thus far, there is no talking dog in this film.
The film is currently in post-production and the official website titsandaxe.
Directed by Spencer Parsons and starring Ashley Spillers, Josephine Decker and Jonny Mars, Saturday Morning Massacrefollows some meddling paranormal investigators trying to make a buck. From the information we've managed to glean thus far, there is no talking dog in this film.
The film is currently in post-production and the official website titsandaxe.
- 9/21/2011
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
Filming has wrapped and director Spencer Parsons is presently in post-production on Saturday Morning Massacre . The team behind the film describe Saturday Morning Massacre as "a bloody parody of mystery cartoons and the consequences of meddling with the supernatural." Ashley Spillers, Josephine Decker, Jonny Mars, Adam Tate, Paul Gordon, Heather Kafka, Sean Ryan and Wyeth Miller. Parsons previously helmed Slacker 2011 . In the film, a team of amateur paranormal investigators struggle to make ends meet by debunking reports of supernatural incidents. With the group on the verge of bankruptcy, Nancy takes on a case involving rumors of suspicious disappearances and violent deaths linked with the abandoned Kyser schoolhouse. Discounting rumors of satanic practices the...
- 9/19/2011
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Directors: Bob Ray, Spencer Parsons, Rusty Kelley, Berndt Mader, Amy Grappell, Karen Skloss, Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, Paul Gordon, Johnny Stranger, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Jay Duplass, John Bryant, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Ben Steinbauer, Elisabeth Sikes, Mike Dolan, Geoff Marslett, Bradley Beesley, Bob Byington, Clay Liford, Carlyn Hudson, Miguel Alvarez, Scott Meyers, Pj Raval, Chris Eska Writers: Bob Ray, Spencer Parsons, Rusty Kelley, Berndt Mader, Amy Grappell, Karen Skloss, Duane Graves, Justin Meeks, Paul Gordon, Johnny Stranger, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Jay Duplass, John Bryant, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Ben Steinbauer, Elisabeth Sikes, Mike Dolan, Geoff Marslett, Bradley Beesley, Bob Byington, Clay Liford, Carlyn Hudson, Miguel Alvarez, Scott Meyers, Pj Raval, Chris Eska Starring: Bob Ray, Chris Doubek, Maggie Lea, Hilah Johnson, Robert Lambert, Leslie Naugle, John Wesley Coleman, Kelli Bland, Justin Meeks, Jonny Mars, Ashley Spillers, Jen Tracy Duplass, Jay Duplass, Chris Trew, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Luke Savisky,...
- 9/4/2011
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
In celebration of Slacker's 20th anniversary, local filmmakers are re-creating scenes from the Richard Linklater movie for Slacker 2011, a fundraising project benefitting the Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (Tfpf). As we await the August 31 premiere, we're chatting with some of the filmmakers participating in one or more of the short films that will comprise the project -- check out our interviews so far.
Today's interview is with Spencer Parsons, an Austin filmmaker who is currently working at Northwestern University in Chicago as an Assistant Professor. His work includes the feature I'll Come Running, which received two Tfpf grants and played Austin Film Festival in 2008; and the short Once and Future Asshole, which played SXSW 2005 (the cast includes Chris Doubek and Jonny Mars).
An interesting aside: Kyle Henry is another Austinite teaching at Northwestern, and in 1999, Parsons edited Henry's short doc University, Inc., about the corporatization of The University of...
Today's interview is with Spencer Parsons, an Austin filmmaker who is currently working at Northwestern University in Chicago as an Assistant Professor. His work includes the feature I'll Come Running, which received two Tfpf grants and played Austin Film Festival in 2008; and the short Once and Future Asshole, which played SXSW 2005 (the cast includes Chris Doubek and Jonny Mars).
An interesting aside: Kyle Henry is another Austinite teaching at Northwestern, and in 1999, Parsons edited Henry's short doc University, Inc., about the corporatization of The University of...
- 8/25/2011
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
The 23rd annual Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival, which wrapped up on June 26, has announced a trio of award winners, plus a trio of honorable mentions.
The first place winner is prolific experimental filmmaker Robert Todd for his film Morning Glory. Todd, a film professor at Emerson College, regularly screens new work at Onion City. The second and third place winners both have animals for film titles: Pawel Wojtasik’s Pigs and Milena Gierke’s Toads, respectively.
The three filmmakers who won honorable mentions are: Yoel Meranda, Neil Beloufa and Lennon Batchelor.
The jury for this edition of Onion City were: Lou Mallozzi, an audio artist; Spencer Parsons, a filmmaker and film professor at Northwestern University; and Jennifer Wild, a Cinema and Media Studies professor at the University of Chicago.
The list of winners is below:
First Place
Morning Glory, dir. Robert Todd
Second Place
Pigs, dir. Pawel Wojtasik
Third Place
Toads,...
The first place winner is prolific experimental filmmaker Robert Todd for his film Morning Glory. Todd, a film professor at Emerson College, regularly screens new work at Onion City. The second and third place winners both have animals for film titles: Pawel Wojtasik’s Pigs and Milena Gierke’s Toads, respectively.
The three filmmakers who won honorable mentions are: Yoel Meranda, Neil Beloufa and Lennon Batchelor.
The jury for this edition of Onion City were: Lou Mallozzi, an audio artist; Spencer Parsons, a filmmaker and film professor at Northwestern University; and Jennifer Wild, a Cinema and Media Studies professor at the University of Chicago.
The list of winners is below:
First Place
Morning Glory, dir. Robert Todd
Second Place
Pigs, dir. Pawel Wojtasik
Third Place
Toads,...
- 6/28/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 18th Annual Chicago Underground Film Festival has handed out their annual awards. The big winner this year is filmmaker Jerzy Rose for his movie Some Girls Never Learn.
Rose’s debut comedy feature film won both the Made in Chicago Award and was voted the number one film amongst audience members.
Other feature films winning prizes are Best Documentary And Again, Adele Horne’s portrait of the unusual town of Playas, New Mexico; while the Best Narrative (feature) award was split between two films: Alex Ross Perry’s The Color Wheel, about feuding siblings; and Damon Russell’s Snow on tha Bluff, a fictional autobiography about an Atlanta crack dealer.
Short film winners include Ryan Garrett, John Price and Ben Rivers; while Nellie Kluz, Mike Gibisser, Spencer Parsons and Laura Kraning all received honorable mentions.
The jury selecting this year’s winners were Donald Harrison of the Ann Arbor Film Festival,...
Rose’s debut comedy feature film won both the Made in Chicago Award and was voted the number one film amongst audience members.
Other feature films winning prizes are Best Documentary And Again, Adele Horne’s portrait of the unusual town of Playas, New Mexico; while the Best Narrative (feature) award was split between two films: Alex Ross Perry’s The Color Wheel, about feuding siblings; and Damon Russell’s Snow on tha Bluff, a fictional autobiography about an Atlanta crack dealer.
Short film winners include Ryan Garrett, John Price and Ben Rivers; while Nellie Kluz, Mike Gibisser, Spencer Parsons and Laura Kraning all received honorable mentions.
The jury selecting this year’s winners were Donald Harrison of the Ann Arbor Film Festival,...
- 6/7/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 18th annual Chicago Underground Film Festival is ready to have another monumental year at the Gene Siskel Film Center on June 2-9, featuring a killer lineup with new films from some true underground legends.
First, Usama Alshaibi will screen his latest, most visually stunning and conceptually innovative feature Profane, about a spiritually confused Muslim sex worker trying to recapture her lost jinn — a demon of smokeless fire — on streets of the Windy City.
Then, documentary filmmakers Jeff Krulik and John Heyn return to their hard rockin’ roots with Heavy Metal Picnic, which relives one of the most notorious ’80s weekend parties in the history of Maryland and the world — the Full Moon Jamboree, which if you can remember it means you weren’t there. Plus, Hmp will be screened with Heyn and Krulik’s underground classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot.
Also in the documentary vein, are Marie Losier‘s...
First, Usama Alshaibi will screen his latest, most visually stunning and conceptually innovative feature Profane, about a spiritually confused Muslim sex worker trying to recapture her lost jinn — a demon of smokeless fire — on streets of the Windy City.
Then, documentary filmmakers Jeff Krulik and John Heyn return to their hard rockin’ roots with Heavy Metal Picnic, which relives one of the most notorious ’80s weekend parties in the history of Maryland and the world — the Full Moon Jamboree, which if you can remember it means you weren’t there. Plus, Hmp will be screened with Heyn and Krulik’s underground classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot.
Also in the documentary vein, are Marie Losier‘s...
- 5/13/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Without Richard Linklater's slice of life film [1] Slacker, the independent film boom of the 1990s might not have happened. Unlike almost anything American audiences had seen before, it inspired a generation of filmmakers to go out and make their own movies. Kevin Smith often credits seeing the film at the Angelika Film Center in New York as his inspiration to make Clerks, the film's success gave Linklater the ability to make Dazed and Confused and so much more. First released in 1991, Slacker celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and the Austin Film Society and the Alamo Drafthouse are teaming up for a remake. In typical Austin and Drafthouse style, though, isn't a by the book remake. There aren't any big special effects or A-list actors. Instead, 23 Austin filmmakers will reshoot scenes using the same dialogue and locations from the original film and string them together as a meta-homage. Read...
- 5/3/2011
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Richard Linklater made a splash back in 1991 with his independent low budget film Slacker. The film was unique in its structure and seemingly plotless film, following a single day in the life of an ensemble of mostly twenty-something youths in Austin, Texas. The film followed various characters and scenes, never staying with one character or conversation for more than a few minutes before picking up someone else in the scene and following them. A similar idea was also explored at around the same time in a film called Twenty Bucks, that well followed a 20 dollar bill around for a day.
Now two decades later, the Austin Film Society and The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas are teaming up with 23 Austin filmmakers to remake Richard Linklater’s critically acclaimed movie to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. According to the Austin Film Society [via The Playlist] “Each scene will be recreated, using the original dialogue and...
Now two decades later, the Austin Film Society and The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas are teaming up with 23 Austin filmmakers to remake Richard Linklater’s critically acclaimed movie to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. According to the Austin Film Society [via The Playlist] “Each scene will be recreated, using the original dialogue and...
- 5/3/2011
- by Kyle Reese
- SoundOnSight
The Austin Film Society and The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas are excited to announce that 23 of the most celebrated Austin filmmakers will remake vignettes from Afs Founder & Artistic Director Richard Linklater’s seminal film Slacker. This homage project was conceived by The Alamo Drafthouse team to celebrate Slacker’s 20th anniversary year by bringing the film community together to honor one of Texas’ best homegrown films. Afs came aboard with a stellar group of filmmakers and a Kickstarter-like campaign to raise an additional $60,000 toward the 2011 Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (accepting applications until June 1).
Each scene will be recreated, using the original dialogue and locations (whenever possible), and individual scenes will then be compiled to create the remake, presenting the city’s changing face while showcasing some of its most exciting talent.
Participating Filmmakers & Teams: Miguel Alvarez, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, Afs Film Club, Bradley Beesley, John Bryant, Bob Byington, Mike Dolan, Sam Wainwright Douglas,...
Each scene will be recreated, using the original dialogue and locations (whenever possible), and individual scenes will then be compiled to create the remake, presenting the city’s changing face while showcasing some of its most exciting talent.
Participating Filmmakers & Teams: Miguel Alvarez, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, Afs Film Club, Bradley Beesley, John Bryant, Bob Byington, Mike Dolan, Sam Wainwright Douglas,...
- 4/28/2011
- by Daniel Metz
- OriginalAlamo.com
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