• Features,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…Production Designer Paul Cripps on Visual Depth, Creativity and Stories From the Set of ‘Ted Lasso’

    I’ve often said that I think movie magic is actually music magic. Many times it is the film score that is the heart of the film. But a very close second would be production design. While film and TV are essentially a two-dimensional exhibition of a three-dimensional world, plenty of skilled craftsmen, artisans and stage hands weave their own magic to create a sense of place. Grand cinematic adventures from The Wizard of Oz to The Matrix to Oppenheimer doesn’t physically come through the screen, but visually you still feel the weight, density, and the depth that make those worlds believable. Some of the greatest production designers in history aren’t household…

  • Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival 2023 Recap with Ryan Kennedy, Sam Siske & Aaron Bryan

    The Atlanta Sci-Fi Film Festival celebrated its sixth year in 2023. The goal of the fest is to shine a light on talented, hungry, and up-and-coming filmmakers who are trying to get their name out in the world. The ASFFF shines a light on noteworthy (or otherworldly?) short films from directors/creatives who have something special to say. These creatives can use the short from format as vehicles for TV pilots, proof of concept, or a chapter/snapshot in a larger story. The fun part about Science Fiction is that anything goes, and things are never one-note. Bits of this and that are thrown into the mix in whatever amount the writer…

  • Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Interview…Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis on Season 12 of ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force’

    The creative minds behind one of Adult Swim’s shows are back to make TV watchable again. For more than twenty years, Aqua Teen Hunger Force creators Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro have dialed into cultural irreverence to make us laugh. So it’s no surprise that they are equally fun to talk to…even if trying to stay in the conversation is like watching Winona Ryder do math. We chatted with Dave and Matt earlier this year for their movie Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm and while they appear to be straight nuts, they love their job, their work, and like seeing how much fun they can have in these junkets. They’re not out to…

  • Features,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview,  Video Interviews

    Interview…Alden Ehrenreich and Natalie Metzger on ‘Shadow Brother Sunday’

    One of the most enjoyable perks in film journalism is getting to talk to creative individuals about their work. On this site we’ve been fortunate enough to meet with numerous storytellers; we love taking deep dives with the talent at hand to find what inspires them. Some of the best interviews are ones that yield behind-the-scenes stories, triumphs and lessons learned. All in all, the road to bring any production to the public is a long one – but it can certainly be fun. And that’s why people in film consider the work an all-or-nothing pursuit. Last week, we had a kitchen sink discussion with Alden Ehrenreich. He’s been working…

  • Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Interview…Eugenio Derbez and Christopher Zalla on the Honesty and Connections in ‘Radical’

    Take a minute to think about this question: who inspires you? For many, there are different answers and several of you can probably cite a laundry list of individuals who fit the role. No matter who helps motivate you – be they real or fictitious, young or old, familiar or not – just one small change can affect the trajectory of our life. It’s probably safe to say we all are and have been inspired by someone in a special or important way. In an era where superheroes dominate pop cutlure, there is another kind of hero we are happy to call attention to in this post: teachers. There are…

  • Composer Series,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Interview…Composer Fernando Velázquez on the Sophistication and Simplicity to ‘Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow’

    I don’t know if anyone else has been keeping track of what’s hit screens in 2023, but we’ll just count down a few extraordinary or otherwise noteworthy releases. We got Barbie, The Flash, a new Ninja Turtles, the next Mission: Impossible, the last Indiana Jones, and before the end of the year, we’ll get a Dune sequel, a Willly Wonka prequel and a…wait for it…a David Fincher film, a Ridley Scott film, a Martin Scorsese film, annnd a Hayao Miyazaki film. Let that sink in as this is just a hint of the callbacks to a year that really and truly had it all. But one kind of film that…

  • Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment

    Interview…Director Conor Allyn on Themes, Identity, and Location Shooting on ‘In the Fire’

    We spoke with writer/director and former Dallas native Conor Allyn about his work on this captivating new feature from Saban Films. In the Fire is an affecting story, one that walks more than one direction; it’s a spiritual movie, heavy on drama/suspense, and even touches on horror so it will certainly keep you questioning it until the end. But it’s also surprising how captivating the film can be with just three leads. One element which elevates the intensity of the film is the cinematography and set design. Set in and amongst some gorgeous and nearly otherworldly backdrops of Italy and South America, Conor talks to us about location shooting as…

  • Bandcamp Interview,  Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Podcast Interview

    Interview…Jasmine Myra on Spiritual Jazz, Personal Journeys, and ‘Horizons’

    As an art form, music does what it does best when it moves you. But just what does it move us to do? Do we climb a snow-capped mountain because we listened to Vince DiCola‘s music for Rocky IV? Do we enlist in the military after hearing “God Bless the U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood? What about when the music is so mellow, you just want to have a coffee with the person who made it and get to know them better? Well, that last one is why we’re here today.  Jasmine Myra is a Leeds-based composer, saxophonist, and bandleader – while she may look incredibly youthful, make some no mistake,…

  • Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Video Interviews

    Interview…’Jessica’s Big Little World’ Co-Creators and Star on Inspiration, Messages and Growing Up

    Ask any kid what’s the biggest challenge about being a “kid”, and they’ll probably say it’s not being big. So enter a highly creative and adorable show from Cartoon Network about that very thing. From the creators of Craig of the Creek comes a show all about Craig’s lovable little sister, the one-and-only Jessica. Jessica’s Big Little World hooks you quickly, and it’s because of the material. Sure, it’s a kids show, but it’s about relevant topics to very young kids. With touches of fantasy and lots of fun it deals with role models, responsibility, and then the biggest hurdle for any kid: doing things themselves. It’s not about geography,…

  • Movies/Entertainment,  Reviews

    G-S-T Review…’A Million Miles Away’

    In the past ten or so years, one of the more resonant film quotes that I hope rings out to young children across the globe is from Disney’s Zootopia. You have to love that inspiring and simple phrase, “anyone can be anything!” Well, when it comes to movies, especially fanciful children’s yarns, not everybody gets to live out their dream, find the treasure, or have an ambitiously emotional dance number to save the farm. But whoever says dreams don’t come true has never heard of one Jose Hernandez – the astronaut and real life hero highlighted in Prime Video’s A Million Miles Away.  The words “unforgettable” and “inspirational” get thrown…

  • Features,  Mondo,  Movies/Entertainment,  Music Review

    Music Review…’Severance’ Soundtrack Is Chock-Full of Lumon Goodies

    If you’re a fan of soundtracks and film scores, the team at Mondo has you covered. They take great pride in crafting physical media, they produce vinyl with audiophiles in mind, and they also care about the packaging. Like a lot! In fact, their slipcases have just as much detail as their amazing posters. Yet the cool thing about their albums is that the team gets to do way more than silk screen their work on foil variants. Albums give these artists/creatives a smaller yet more complex canvas than a poster and the team tries their darnedest to use ever square inch (inside and out) to tell their story. The…

  • Interviews,  Movies/Entertainment,  Video Interviews

    Interview…Producer/Director Natalie Metzger on Film, Fun and Charting Her Own Course

    When you meet someone who is passionate about their work, you tend to see them coming a mile away. Two very good examples are writer/director/producer Natalie Metzger and her husband/producing partner Matt Miller who founded Vanishing Angle. Their production company nurtures the freshest voices in the independent film community with award-winning films and series, taking projects from script through distribution. We first got to meet them at Fantastic Fest in 2022 and were blown away by their unsettling family drama, Spoonful Of Sugar. We knew we needed to keep any eye out for anything they did in the future. And they’re also a super fun team to chat with. Today,…