Legitimacy goes a long way when telling a story. Whether the tale being told is grounded or just plain tall, it is much more impacting and engaging when they involve tangible elements. Even far-fetched ideas like teleportation and space battles can feel real when they are based on, well, real things. While no one has figured out how to open a worm hole (that we know of anyway), the idea that a team of Special Missions Unit operators can warp to any point on Earth to deal with conflicts or terrorism can seem unbelievable. But when you base the action on actual rules of engagement, vernacular and the know-how that…
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Interview…Nolan Gould on ‘The Liars of Black Mountain Road’
It’s always incredibly rewarding getting to speak with the people who make the things we enjoy. The main and most obvious reason for it is that we are often times treated to fun or interesting stories of creative struggles/triumphs. Those behind-the-scenes looks at how the tiniest decisions contribute to the whole are inspiring on a number of levels. Last year, we were thrilled to talk to Parker Croft – writer, director, producer of As Easy As Closing Your Eyes. It’s a short film that really hits home at it circles issues such as loss, addiction, and much more. It’s also wrapped up in a sci-fi vision of the future that,…
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Interview…Luke Edwards Talks Acting, Producing and Stories From the Sets of ‘The Wizard’ and ‘Little Big League’
Once in a great while, we get to speak with our heroes, people who inspire us, or those we just wish we could hang out with. So enter one such individual who fits all three and let me ask you a question: How many times have you seen The Wizard and/or Little Big League? We won’t tell you our answer, but I will say I have actually and literally worn out the VHS of both of them. Yes, both. In this wide-ranging conversation, we spend time with Luke Edwards to discuss his experiences in film & television, his approach to acting, and experiences on set working with larger-than-life actors/personalities. For…
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Interview…Oded Fehr Faces Fierce Fuzzy Frights in ‘Grizzly Night’
If you go down in the woods today, as the saying goes, you’re sure of a surprise. And that surprise comes in the form of a 9 foot tall brown bear. Suffice to say, staring down this fuzzy wuzzy is enough to make your hair stand up. All of them. And that is why Grizzly Night succeeds; it’s tale of just how scary nature can be, and in a true story no less. Oded Fehr is one of the stars in Burke Doeren’s film and it’s good role for him (even if he doesn’t have a majority of screen time). Playing a doctor on vacation with his family, he joins…
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Interview…Author Thomas Ray On the Tension, Detail and Plausibility of ‘FLIGHT 47’
Wherever something new comes out from an artist you admire, it’s always reason to celebrate. So whether it’s turning up the volume on a new album, grabbing the remote to binge the latest season, or cannonballing onto your sofa with a new book, finding time to enjoy the things you love is one of life’s true zen-like experiences. Today, we get to share an interview with an author whose work literally makes the hairs on our necks stand up. And even though we’re siting in our living rooms, we can easily imagine ourselves tethered to any of Thomas Ray‘s far-flung but eerily plausible situations. The man writes some magnetic narratives,…
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Interview…Composer Simon Franglen Goes Back to Pandora (Again) to Craft Lush Soundscapes for ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
For most things, they say that the third time is the charm. While the latest installment of the Avatar series seems to be trailing the two previous installments by just a bit at the box office, one thing is clear: the music and emotions in this franchise have never run higher. And to that we’re giving hat tips, golf claps, and jumping high-fives to composer Simon Franklin. He’s a pillar in James Cameron’s acoustic armory and has been carrying the musical torch/thematic through-lines established by James Horner for that little blue mega blockbuster way back in 2009. We had the incredible opportunity to speak with Simon about his work on…
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Interview…Composer Nicholas Pike on Finding the Fountain of Youth Through Music at Casa Verdi
Here we are with the first interview of 2026 and it already set the bar super high for the rest of the year. Our exceptionally insightful and entertaining session with multi-hyphenate Nicholas Pike has yielded stunning stories from his time in the music business. From playing flute and piano to writing and composing, Nicholas shared tales and takeaways about music direction, orchestration, working with the likes of Bill Frisell, Michael Jackson and Stan Winston. Those are just a few of the stops on the highway of his career. Like most musicians, Nicholas got his start at an early age, and his focus on jazz and unique playing styles helped him…
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Interview…Scott Bomar Helps Bring the Magic of Lighting and Thunder Through the Speakers and Screen in ‘Song Sung Blue’
There’s a saying that not all heroes wear capes. By that token, you can say that not all superstars get to the big time. Such is the case for the highly enjoyable, rousing and emotional story of Mike and Claire Sardina, a married musical duo called Lightning & Thunder. The couple are true “everyman” entertainers whose dreams and talent were never limited by their resources or their place in the world. Written and directed by Craig Brewer, Song Sung Blue gives the beloved Wisconsin-based act their big screen treatment. While they are far from the Hollywood Bowl, the very fact that this film exists is a testament to the perseverance…
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Interview…Kangding Ray on the Raw and Explosive Power of Music in Oliver Laxe’s ‘Sirât’
If you’ve been on the festival circuit this year, it’s likely you’ve heard about Sirât. The bold, tragic and unforgettable film by Spanish director Oliver Laxe was the winner of the Jury Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. And while it was collecting praise and laurels, composer Kangding Ray (aka David Lettelier) received the award for Best Original Score. People will, fairly, relate this to Mad Max: Fury Road, but it’s more apt to say this walks among other dour narratives like Wake In Fright, Valhalla Rising, and The Mosquito Coast. A two-hour visual and auditory trance, Sirât is incredible. Laxe gives us a world full of grit and…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…High Kicks and Furious Fists with Nik Pelekai & Jacob Stauff
The year is winding down quickly, and as we look back through the entertainment cornucopia of 2025, it was all pretty awesome. We had a slew of sensational experience in theaters, at home, and with creatives on multiple press junkets. And the best part about getting to interview people who make the things we love is when the conversation is as fun as the film. So enter director/writer Nik Pelekai and co-writer Jacob Stauff who brought their film to Fantastic Fest in September – if you’re gonna share something wild and hard-hitting with the world, this is the place to do it. Penance starts off with a bang, and even…
