Character-driven narrative feature Diving Normal that tells the story of a love triangle that occurs when two unlikely friends fall for the same girl. The film is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed play of the same name, and centers around the lives of Fulton and Gordon (played by Philipp Karner and Scotty Crowe, respectively, who also produced and co-wrote the adapted screenplay with playwright Ashlin Halfnight). Fulton and Gordon are an odd pair; Fulton is an adorable, successful graphic novelist who has no problem attracting attention from the ladies, despite (and maybe slightly because of) brief moments of insecurity, and Gordon is his sweet, yet extremely socially awkward neighbor…
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[DIFF Review]…A Teacher
While A Teacher may appear on the outset to be a typical tale of the inappropriate student/teacher relationship that has become all too familiar due their sensationalized media coverage, writer/director Hannah Fidell takes an in-depth, psychological approach, asking the audience to ponder the inner workings of a mind capable of such a taboo. The film begins in medias res, though Fidell chooses not to fill us in on how a lonely teacher named Diana (Lindsay Burdge), and her student Eric (Will Brittain) who epitomizes what every teenage boy is really like, confident and carefree as if invincible, ignorant to the hard truths of the world and therefore naïve to the…
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[DIFF Interview]…'KINGS OF SUMMER'
Fifteen-year-old, Joe Toy, finds himself increasingly frustrated by his single father, Frank, who tries to control his life. Declaring his independence, Joe escapes to the woods with his best friend, Patrick (Gabriel Basso), and a strange kid named Biaggio (Moises Arias); the three build a house there—free from responsibility and parents. Families and friendships are tested in this rare comedy that succeeds visually and manages to be nostalgic while remaining sincere. Go, See, Talk sat down with writer/director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, and the film’s young stars, Moises Arias and Gabriel Basso to talk about how the story evolved, improvisation, bringing cinematic flair back to comedy and filming Kings of Summer in Ohio. When…
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[DIFF Interview]…’PIT STOP’ Writer/Director Yen Tan
Gabe (Bill Heck) struggles with his identity as a gay man living in a small, rural Texas town, finding comfort in his relationship with ex-wife Shannon (Amy Seimetz) after his recent breakup. Ernesto (Marcus DeAnda) is also plagued with the demons of a failing relationship, as he is simultaneously forced to deal with another past lovers impending death. Pit Stop follows the lives of these two men as they unknowingly drift toward one another, demonstrating the way life often has a funny way of pointing us in the right direction, even in the moments we feel most lost. Go, See, Talk chatted with Pit Stop writer/director Yen Tan about his writing process, collaboration, and filming…
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G-S-T Review…Identity Thief
Despite a decent trailer that manages to deliver a few laughs, Identity Thief in its entirety fails to live up to it’s potential. Finding comic relief in stories about stolen identities is far from an original concept, one that’s managed to work fabulously well in films like the Coen Brothers’ 90’s classic, The Big Lebowski, but left in the hands of Director Seth Gordon, whose other comedic ventures include comedies Horrible Bosses and Four Christmases, the familiar comedy of errors scenario is nothing but a chaotic mess. The film opens with accountant Sandy Patterson, played by Jason Bateman, who is duped by Melissa McCarthy’s Diana – con woman and said…
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G-S-T Year In Review – Jessica's 2012 Wrap Up
Being the Indie lover that I am, I’ve decided to stick to independent titles only for my 2012 Wrap Up. After a fairly disappointing 2011, this year brought us so many amazing films it is difficult to chose only ten to discuss here, and with the limitations of the categories below, I am leaving out so many wonderful films, both studio and independent based, that I probably walked out of thinking it was the best film I’d seen to date. That’s what made picking a favorite film for 2012 so difficult. It seemed that the more I saw, the more favorites I had to add to the list. To name…
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G-S-T Quick 5 – Favorite Casino Heist Films
Among the many established or iconic locales famous for gambling, the Las Vegas Strip has been a very popular cinematic setting over the years. From films like Warren Beatty’s Bugsy (1991), the Joe Pesci/Robert De Niro classic Casino (1995), hell even Chevy Chase’s Vegas Vacation (1997), there’s something undeniably cool and edgy about “The Strip” (except maybe that National Lampoon one). Yet in the city of sin, or wherever you try and find Lady Luck, when you pony up to the tables sometimes you’re putting more than just some colorful chips on the line. Unfortunately, as one Danny Ocean astutely comments, the underlying rule is that “the house always wins“, but it’s not always the case as…
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G-S-T Top 10 – Movies Off The Beaten Path – Round 4
After a two-month hiatus, we’re back with the next installment of “Movies off the Beaten Path”. Movies, and the entertainment business, can be highly hit or miss because of ranging tastes in film and how people approach the medium. Sometimes, for whatever reason, you hear about a movie and have no desire to see it and don’t. You may even avoid it at all costs. In other cases you have no idea the film exists until someone points it out to you, years after its original release. The following entries in our series of Top 10 lists are films I happened to stumble upon or that were recommended to me. Whether…
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G-S-T Review…Hyde Park On Hudson
Hyde Park on Hudson recounts the royal visit of King George VI (who you may remember from Colin Firth’s portrayal in The Kings Speech, depicted here by actor Samuel West), and Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) to Hyde Park from the perspective of Daisy Suckley (Laura Linney), who at this time has recently become FDR’s (Bill Murry) mistress. Unbeknownst to Daisy, she’s not the only secret Roosevelt is keeping. The screenplay is based on actual events discussed in diary entries and letters that belonged to Daisy. The correspondence was found after her death, and the affair she had kept a secret for most of her life was finally revealed. The royal visit begins with…
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Dallas Filmmakers Make Sundance Line-Up
Yesterday, The Sundance Institute announced their 2013 line-up of US and World Cinema Competition films as well as films in their NEXT program line-up. As several of us from the Go, See, Talk team are Dallasites, we were delighted to see some familiar Dallas names associated with films that made the list. Among these films were David Lowery’s western drama, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Austinite Yen Tan’s Pit Stop, and Dallas native Shane Carruth’s (Primer) Upstream Color. Ain’t them Bodies Saints, “The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met,” and Upstream Color, about a man and…
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G-S-T Review…Hitchcock
Sacha Gervasi’s Hitchcock tells the story behind the making of the 1960’s horror flick, Psycho. Beyond that however, it uncovers a story behind the film, and behind the man himself. Some synopses refer to John Mclaughlin’s script as a love story, and this is certainly one aspect that exists within the multi-layered plot. Alma is the wife of Alfred Hitchcock. She is also a writer, producer and sometime-director, and according the film, the final say behind every script that Hitchcock turns into a film. It is Alma’s notes that he eagerly awaits on the set of Psycho, Alma who saves the movie when Hitchcock gets sick and shooting is three days…
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[AFF Review]…The Sapphires
Based on the true story of screenwriter Tony Briggs’s family, and adapted from the 2004 stage production, about an Aboriginal girl band, The Sapphires is set in 1968 Australia, when racism was prevalent, causing the girls talent to go unnoticed. That is until they meet Dave Lovelace (Chris O’Dowd, Bridesmaids), a local Irishman who happens to play piano accompaniment at one of the venues where the girls perform. O’Dowd is hilarious and loveable as the eccentric Lovelace, and his performance is a highlight of the film through comic relief and O’Dowd’s undeniable charm. Dave sees something in the girls that the town refuses to notice due to the racism that exists within the community. Dave quickly appoints…
