Every dog owner usually claims their pride and joy is the smartest or most loyal dog on the planet. But let me ask you this: Has your dog ever hitchhiked his way across the Australian Outback to find you? Neither has mine. The star of this film is the famous titular Australian that dog who did just that and a whole lot more. But, as the say in the film, “It’s not what he did, it’s who he was“. His name, as simple as the colored sand that stretches across that vast continent, is Red Dog. In the film this highly lovable canine brings a community together as the remote town in the Pilbara region transitions into a…
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DIFF Review…Salvation Boulevard
There’s quite an A-List ensemble cast in this indie film from IFC and you’ll find that the laughs to be had are about as big as the stars themselves. Salvation Boulevard is directed and written by George Ratliff and is based on Larry Beinhart’s book of the same name. In the film Pierce Brosnan plays Dan Day, Pastor of a mega-church who is planning to build an entire community for the followers of his mega-parish The Church of the Third Millennium. But after he accidentally shoots a highly regarded atheist author (Ed Harris) after their debate on religion, the plans for his mega-city could soon turn to dust. Salvation Boulevard is a clever satire…
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DIFF Review…Lucky
Ok, so the idea of “a serial killer winning the lottery” is bound to get plenty of curious (and morbidly curious) in the theater doors. But homicide really is small potatoes compared to marital troubles and incompatibility. Lucky is directed by Gil Cates Jr. and does quite a lot with this little indie script. He sets things up nicely with the simple but passable back story where we find Ben has always been in love with his next door neighbor. But Lucy has never thought of Ben as anything more than a friend. That is until he won the 36 Million dollar Iowa lottery. Soon Ben’s life is changed completely and he’s…
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DIFF Review…13 Assassins
Takashi Miike paints a samurai film for the ages with his gripping epic 13 Assassins. A gritty story about 13 Ronin tasked with killing the corrupt son of the Shogun, Miike sends a love letter to Akira Kurosawa that would make any filmmaker envious of such a compliment. Right off the bat Miike recounts this true story by establishing a villain set for the record books in the form of Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira. His careless and detestable actions are close to breaking the peace that has been held for many years. Called to stop him is Shinzaemon Shimada and he’s to assemble 12 other samurai to take down Naritsugu. It’s 13 against 200 but to a well…
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2011 DIFF Opens TODAY (and G-S-T Has A Press Pass!!)
Hello World, Marc Here: Since starting Go,See,Talk a few years ago I had always hoped all the work done here would take me one step closer to the magical world of film. This year it looks like it’s starting to pay off. I have received my Press Pass *throws arms up and dances like a maniac…then resumes typing* to the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival and man am I excited!! So far I’ve already had the privelage to interview two directors for their awesome films (A Kiss and A Promise and She Deserved It) and there should be plenty of opportunities ahead in the next 11 days. However since I’m…
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[DIFF Interview] – ‘A Kiss and A Promise’ Writer/Director Phillip Guzman
This Thursday the 31st will be the opening night of the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival. One of the features playing the this year’s DIFF is the dark and challenging film ”A Kiss and A Promise“. Step into the mind of serial killer. But first … breakfast. David Beck, a closet sociopath, but seemingly normal man, runs the B&B with his wife Samantha, a fiery woman with masochistic tendencies. Their only tenant is an aspiring writer named Charlie Matthews, a pathological liar who has a longing to be liked by everyone. The harmony of the house is disrupted when a young girl’s body is found on the edge of town. Veteran police…
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[DIFF Interview] – ‘She Deserved It’ Writer/Director Thomas Stiller
This Thursday the 31st will be the opening night of the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival. One of the features playing the this year’s DIFF is the hard-hitting and emotional German film “She Deserved It“. Based on real-life events, this timely narrative illustrates the darkest side of bullying. Linda is a teenage girl whose own insecurities and frustrations lead her to viciously act out against others. By inviting Linda‘s boyfriend to her birthday party, Susanne unknowingly sets off a chain of horrific events. Is Linda a product of environment and circumstance or was she simply (in her own mother’s words) “born evil”? Perfectly realized performances combined with stellar art direction make SHE…
