• Editorials,  Movies/Entertainment

    Back to the Orchestra: The Sound of VCRs, Analog TV, and Flying Cars

    Some things have certain smells that have the capacity to transport to a very specific place. Be it your mother’s cooking or the perfume of the one you shared your first kiss with, you can go to a specific memory and relive it over and over. How about the cinema? Can the smell of stale popcorn, artificial butter flavoring and dirty carpets take you some place?  The same thing happens with sounds and music. Film scores have been part of cinema ever since sound was incorporated into the reel. Can you imagine Indiana Jones fighting Nazis without John Williams’ score in the background? Or Marty McFly riding his skateboard without Alan…

  • Editorials,  Movies/Entertainment

    Editorial: The Sacredness of Family Values in Netflix’s ‘Ozark’

    5 years, 4 seasons, 44 episodes. And still some things remain left unsaid.  In Ozark, a middle class family is forced to move to a remote place after a big secret is revealed. I won’t share much because some things are best if seen, but after 5 years of knowing the Byrdes, it’s hard to imagine if they had stuck together like they did, if their lives hadn’t been threatened at first. It’s not that they should welcome the horrible set of events. In a scene that’s on the season finale, the Byrdes survive a horrible accident without a scratch. This is an act of god. Note the lower case.…

  • Editorials,  Features,  Movies/Entertainment

    Editorial: What is the Perfect Summer Movie?

    If you hadn’t noticed, the days are getting longer, and the heat just won’t quit. What does that mean? Looking at the calendar, today is the first day of Summer – a time when the world eases into that time-honored tradition of watching movies in the cool of the cinema. But what to watch? Something loud? Something scary or funny? For my money, I’m looking for the perfect Summer movie. Now, if you’ve been burned by trailers misrepresenting films or giving everything away, a perfect film is not an easy thing to find. What is the perfect Summer movie? The answer is up to you. To help answer that, I’m…

  • Editorials,  Features

    A Decade Full of Memories: The Life and Times of Go,See,Talk!

    Hey, GST fans. Today is a special day in Internet history. I’m proud to share with you that it’s been a full decade since I started this site! ​​For this anniversary/editorial post, I wanted to write more than a catch-all piece recapping highlights from the previous year. Well, there is some of that below, but I hope this look back can also offer a way forward – tips along with lessons learned – for aspiring film journalists or hobbyists like myself. In a way, I’m speaking to me in 2009, and on that note, I can’t help think of Christopher Lloyd’s famous line from Back to the Future, “My God. Has…

  • Editorials,  Fantastic Fest,  Movies/Entertainment

    [Fantastic Fest 2018]…Four Years Covering the Best Damn Fest There Is

    Since starting GoSeeTalk in 2009, I’ve attended Fantastic Fest four times (oddly, I have been on even years since 2012), and 2018 might just take the cake. In three-and-half days I saw 11 movies, wrote 4 full reviews & 6 mini write-ups, conducted 3 interviews, slept roughly 7 hours in total, downed dozens of beers, and had the best damn time yet! But it’s not just the quality of films that make for a great time. The more time I spend at festivals, I find what keeps me coming back are the personal experiences more than the narratives playing to die-hard genre film fans. And believe me, I have my share…

  • Editorials,  Features,  Movies/Entertainment

    Great Scott!!…’Back to the Future’ Turns 30

    ​This is heavy. 30 years ago, lightning struck the clock tower of an unassuming California town, and the world hasn’t been the same since. Back to the Future is an incredible piece of filmmaking – full stop. Further, it is one of the rare occasions where a film’s legacy is only eclipsed by its fun factor. The landmark film has inspired countless filmmakers, artists, and entertainers…there are even Back to the Future LEGOs if that tells you anything. The impact it’s had on pop culture shows that the property has truly captured the hearts of an entire generation. In fact, years ago, we created a blog event titled “Films That…

  • Editorials,  Features

    Strange and Wondrous Times: Six Years on the Web and A New Baby At Home

    A few weeks ago, Brad Bird’s latest film, Tomorrowland, hit theaters. It​’s had a mixed reception ​but we can’t really weigh in on the consensus. Why? We haven’t seen it yet. How ​did we not see one of the most anticipated films of the year? Well there’s a reason for that (that little nugget I’m holding in the header image has something to do with it), and, truth be told, I’ve missed a few other very notable films this year as well. I lead off with mention of Brad Bird specifically to bring up a line from his 199​9​ film ​which has been going through my head for many months…

  • Editorials,  Features,  Home Grown Texas Talent,  Movies/Entertainment

    Exclusive: Director Jorge R. Gutierrez, Composer Gustavo Santaolalla, and Reel FX Creative Team Explain Story, Music and Mexican Heritage in ‘The Book of Life’

    Back in August, writer/director Jorge R. Gutierrez gave a small presentation to select local press outlets at Reel FX studios. While there, we got to hear all about his film – from its humble beginnings to the nearly finished product – which is a co-production between the Dallas-based animation studio and 20th Century Fox. Last month we posted an article about our exclusive tour of the Reel FX studio, as well as our 1 on 1 interview with Gutierrez and his team. This follow-up post will take a closer look at The Book of Life and explain the design of the film, give insight into the symbolism in the story, as well as touch on…

  • Editorials,  Fantastic Fest,  Festivals,  Movies/Entertainment,  Reviews

    2014 Fantastic Fest Recap: The Best and the Rest of the Best Damn Fest There Is

    Any film festival that you are lucky enough to attend as Press will find you struggling with, among other things, 1. seeing as much as you can, 2. writing about as much as you can, and 3. somehow finding time for sleep so you can keep doing both. Ah, tis a wonderfully viscous circle if ever there was one. Well, as with the best of intentions, sometimes your review aspirations have to yield to personal health (and sanity). You’re there to enjoy the fest after all, so the main thing is that you don’t get burned out. Pace yourselves dear friends, pace yourselves. In 2012 I learned that sometimes a festival…

  • Editorials,  Features,  Home Grown Texas Talent,  Movies/Entertainment

    Exclusive: A Look Inside Reel FX and ‘The Book of Life’

    Reel FX is a Dallas-based company that has seen their fair share of the commercial animation world. In the last two decades, they have lent their digital magic to a multitude of projects, both large and small. The company also maintains a Santa Monica location but the unassuming brick building here in North Texas houses a multitude of digital artists – ones well-versed in the field of computer animation. Founded 20 years ago, the company began doing service work and were one of the first to have the “Flame” software (their current circle logo is loosely based on that fact). Over time, their projects grew in size, as did their commercial…

  • Editorials

    The Issue With X-Men: Days of Future Past

    I got goosebumps at the end of The Wolverine just like most X-Men fans. To see some of the cast reunited is something special in Hollywood. But reality isn’t always kind. The reason the cast of the original X-Men trilogy was back was to simply make another film. Sure, every now and then we get something grand. But in this case, we get a hurried script that benefits from the building of Wolverine over five of the six X-Men films, the past versions of the X-Men characters complete with a stellar cast, and the opportunity to have the originals bring in their own fandom. It’s a trifecta that surely will…

  • Dallas Symphony Orchestra,  Editorials,  Features,  Movies/Entertainment

    Hollywood Hits and The Music of John Williams with The Dallas Symphony Orchestra

    The glamour and excitement of Tinseltown come alive when the DSO presents famous movie soundtracks from films like Star Wars, Jaws, Goldfinger, Silverado, Pirates of the Caribbean and more. Take your seat for the best in entertainment with music that ignites the senses in sonic splendor only heard at the Meyerson Symphony Center. But before the lights go down on the evenings of June 6-8, here’s a little glimpse of what to expect from the world-renowned Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The following text is from the essay we contributed to the playbill for this Pops concert. The Hollywood Golden era was a wondrous time in cinema history. The period between the…