We’ve all seen the movies where a character is a one-man army, or everything just happens to work out for them, right? Well, what if this particular man – the one carrying 100% of the story – is about as hopeless and down on his luck as you can find? In many ways that’s more appealing because it’s their flaws, quirks and weaknesses that shine brighter than their strengths. So let’s take a look at one such a character, Sebastian Poe (played by Billy Blair), in Derek Presley‘s latest film. Written and shot here in Dallas, Tonic tells the tale of a barfly jazz pianist who must commit murder in…
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G-S-T Review…’Tonic’
In Derek Presley’s latest film, Tonic, we follow the ups and downs of a barfly jazz pianist. In this down home story – told over one exhaustive night – Sebastian Poe (played by Billy Blair) is a man out of options who constantly weighs his pressured offer to commit murder in exchange for his drug debt to a crooked cop. A no-win “what would you do?” scenario if ever there was one. But let’s clear some things right up front. There is no Liam Neeson, no flashy cuts and edits, or heroic music. In fact, there is no music at all (save for needle drops and source music which was done live) just the…
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Home Grown Texas Talent Interview Series – Writer/Director Derek Presley Discusses ‘Cronus’
Local filmmaker, Derek Presley, is a great friend of the site, and we’re always excited to help spread the word about his latest projects. Filmed here in DFW, and featuring contributions of a number of area trades persons, Cronus was filmed and produced over the course of two years. It’s a film about a genius recluse with amnesia who awakens to find he has built a machine that extracts memories from the dead. He uses those memories to discover who he is and to rebuild a perfect past for himself. The practical effects, the music and the production design (not to mention acting from Joey Folsom and Ted Ferguson) are…
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Home Grown Texas Talent Interview Series – Writer/Director Derek Presley
For the past month, Summer has been in full swing here in Texas…well, truth be told, Summer really starts in April, but I digress. So while there are many ways to beat the heat this time of year, one of the dependable standbys is retreating to a darkened theater. As part of a new series here at GoSeeTalk, we will start to shine a spotlight on some of the local Texas-born or bred filmmakers making a name for themselves. You may have heard of Shane Carruth, David Lowery or David Gordon Green, but there are similarly talented filmmakers here in the Metroplex right on the cusp of discovery. Not only…
