What’s more powerful: words or actions? Usually it’s the latter, yet in the case of Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed’s brilliant and sobering short film, the former shines ever brighter and clearer. The Long Goodbye is a personal statement from the two above-mentioned entertainers, and an incredibly pointed narrative. Just a mere 11 minutes, and you are thrust into a world of experiences that many social groups have had to endure for generations. To say this is powerful doesn’t give it enough weight. But simply, it does the job because it is true. Karia uses sharp visuals – mostly editing and natural light – to convey an accurate portrayal that,…
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Interview…Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson Discuss the Loss and Weight of ‘On My Mind’
How often do we listen to the lyrics of a song? And I mean really listen. Sometimes the poetry the artist spent so long crafting gets lost in the car, or speakers, but maybe it’s because we aren’t ready for the weight of the message. Other times, our lives don’t correlate to the words. But what about when it does? It usually results in a couple people (for whatever the reason or message) saying, ”that’s our song!” So why this particular intro? No, we’re past Valentine’s Day, but there is still love in the air, and it’s two-fold. First is a heartfelt short film about a man who wants nothing…
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Interview…Composer Steve Mazzaro on the Quirky and Charming Score to ’Army of Thieves’
Every few years, some piece of pop culture jumps up, grabs hold of us and just won’t let go. In this case, it was the unassuming prequel to Zach Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Considering they both deal with zombies, perhaps the surprise (and parallel) was quite funny, even serendipitous. What really comes alive in this heist film, which are usually fun by nature, is the music. At times, it is white-hot to match the energy (and calamity) fueling this team of discarded dorks. Other times, it is somber and anguished as these characters wear their emotions on their sleeves. Further, the sound pulsing through the speakers is so unexpected…
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Sweet Trailer…Caleb Landry Jones in ’Nitram’
What is art? Is it a reflection of real life, or a fabrication of it? Often times, it can be tough to discern, but when it’s the former it can be far more impacting. So on that note, we present the upcoming IFC Films feature from hard-hitting Aussie filmmaker Justin Kurzel (True History of the Kelly Gang, The Snowtown Murders) who is adept at adapting tough subject matter. This film is headlined by wondrously complicated character actor Caleb Landry Jones. Having spoken to both Jones and Kurzel over the years, I have to say that if there are two individuals capable of commanding such a complicated vehicle, it’s these two…
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Podcast: 2021 Recap – Films, Scores and More!
Hi everybody. Well, we’re completely out of 2021 (whew!) and as we march forward into what the future of cinema holds, let’s take a quick look back to what impressed or depressed us in the last twelve months. On today’s show, I’m again joined by my compadre, my Consigliere, my caballero, Federico Furzan. Together, we run down the best & worst of 2021 as well as our favorite films, film scores, and anticipated features hitting screens in the coming months. How closely do the picks of these two high-flying film friends with low standards align with one another? I guess you’ll have to check out the episode to find out.…
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Interview…Director Tim Kirkby on Subtle Humor and Colorful Casting in ‘Last Looks’
When it comes to entertainment, there’s a certain school of thought that things belong on boxes – the easier it is to identify something, the easier is it to understand and sell it. So we have genres. But when stories mix certain elements, and make bold choices, the narrative becomes stronger and keeps the audience on its toes. Case in point. When someone says “detective story”, one might think Sam Spade or Jake Gittes. Well what if you throw in eccentric characters, against type casting and pepper the whole affair with a certain British flair and some ’70s era pizazz? Now you’re getting something unique, entertaining and unexpected. So that…
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Interview…Murad Abu Eisheh on Truthfulness and Importance of ‘Tala’vision’
Ahead of the nominations for this year’s Academy Awards, we got to speak with a highly talented young director about his powerful short film. This project is written and directed by Murad Abu Eisheh (who is in his third year of film school) who was inspired to write Tala’vision after he came across an article about ISIS banning televisions in Syria 2014. The film highlights Tala’s struggle trying to live her childhood in a war zone. This heart-wrenching film won the Gold Student Academy Award, thus qualifying it to be considered for a 2022 Oscar. The Jordanian director earned his bachelor’s degree in Visual Communications and Design with a focus…
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Interview…Composer Kevin Kiner on the Emotion and Intellectual Authenticity to ‘Peacemaker’
There are heroes. There are villains. And then there’s Peacemaker…Fresh from his explosive role in last year’s hit film The Suicide Squad, and from the brilliantly twisted mind of James Gunn, comes PEACEMAKER – a new series achieving peace on HBO Max at any cost starting January 13. The DC spinoff series is written and directed by James Gunn, and the show explores the continuing story of the character that John Cena reprises in the aftermath of Gunn’s 2021 film. The colorful patriot is a compellingly vainglorious man who believes in peace at any cost. And like the titular character, seasoned composer Kevin Kiner doesn’t care how many ear drums he has to kill to give us great music. This…
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Editorial: A Year Full of Studio Ghibli Films
It’s been a while since we’ve done a list, but something about our love of Studio Ghibli has us thinking about their films as we usher in the New Year. Maybe it’s our positive feelings about 2022, maybe it’s the unfailing hope in each of these films or just nostalgia for the heartwarming and fanciful tales. Coincidentally, there are a total of 22 in the studio’s catalog. Perhaps the stars are aligning for this list. Regardless, Ghibli’s works showcase wondrous landscapes and are propelled by unassuming heroes, inspiring themes and quirky humor. Whatever is loved about these is really seemingly loved by the whole planet. So as we take another…
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G-S-T Review…’The Matrix Resurrections’
For a film franchise that broke all the rules and changed the entire entertainment industry, one might expect subsequent adventures down the rabbit hole would be welcomed, mind-bending yarns. But alas – system failure – The Matrix Resurrections sports no significant advancements in this upgraded sequel. We’ll get that out of the way up front as it’s probably the worst part about plugging back into the beloved series. So dig in, this is going to take a while. Often times, sequels are all about familiarity and there is a certain comfort when expectations are met. So while Lana Wachowski is never content to do the same thing, she wanted this…
