For four decades, the world, characters and mythology of Alien have permeated the minds (and nightmares) of film fans across the globe. In his latest doc, director Alexandre O. Philippe looks at all the titles that influenced young Dan O’Bannon, scribe of the 1979 horro classic, and how the film forever captured and changed the mindset of the public. The documentary takes fans on an exploration of the mythical underpinnings of Alien. It is supported by exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, unearthing the largely untold origin story behind Ridley Scott‘s cinematic masterpiece, and reveals a treasure trove of never-before-seen materials from the archives of “Alien” creators Dan O’Bannon and H.R. Giger – including original story notes, rejected designs…
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Exclusive: Interview…Mac Quayle Brings Guitars and Gun Fighter Gusto to Netflix’s ‘The Politician’
Composer Mac Quayle is a musician we’ve followed for years. And if you’ve kept up with his output, he’s quite hard to keep track of. One thing is for sure: Mac is very busy and very much in demand. He’s recently worked on four seasons of American Horror Story, as well as Mr. Robot, Feud: Bette and Joan, Pose and now he’s venturing into Netflix territory. The common thread between him and his prolific output is the equally prolific Ryan Murphy. One thing Mac prides himself on is the distinctive palette he creates and brings to each project. In the case of a show like AHS, that palette changes from…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…’WYRM’ Director and Producer on the Awkward Quirkiness of Adolescence
It’s not easy growing up. If it’s not someone telling you what to do and how to do it, there’s plenty of stress we can put on ourselves that are only exacerbated by the insecurities we have trying to “fit in”. So enter technology to that mix and you can easily identify (or empathize) with Wyrm. Yes, that is his real name, and in Christopher Winterbauer‘s coming-of-age film, the titular character navigates the societal norms as well as the loss of a family member. In this strangely futuristic yet analog alternate universe, the above pictured lonely, dinosaur-obsessed youth struggles to complete a unique school requirement or risk being held back…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman and Michael C. Hall on ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’
Fantastic Fest 2019 was packed to the gills with insane films, hotly anticipated titles, and legendary actors in large and small scale pictures. There were also a trio of Netflix titles from some pretty big directors making their premiere at the Fest. One of those is In the Shadow of the Moon which is directed by Jim Mickle (We Are What We Are, Stake Land, and Cold in July). Mickle’s latest is a brilliant hybrid of science fiction and a detective yarn. It’s also headlined by some very accomplished thespians, and we got to chat with them about the themes and concepts in this high-concept familial drama. Enjoy our time…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…Director Jim Mickle on Filming ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’
Director Jim Mickle is no stranger to genre filmmaking. He’s made films about cannibals, vampires, and psychopaths and won plenty of fans along the way with We Are What We Are, Stake Land, and Cold in July. In his latest, the upcoming Netflix title, In the Shadow of the Moon, he explores the concept of obsession in a multi-generational familial drama. It’s also a murder mystery detective story that has an element of time-travel. So, yes, it’s ambitious to say the least, and it’s also Mickle’s largest production to date. The film stars Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman and Michael C. Hall who all play a part in this massive story line. We…
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Interview…Marvel Studios Concept Artist Anthony Francisco on ‘Avengers: Endgame’
When you go to the movies, the images on screen can bring out all sorts of emotions – excitement, intrigue, humor, fear, etc. Well, before even one frame of film is shot, a team of very talented concept artists works hard to imagine heroes, villains, costumes, vistas, scenes and settings that will one day light up the silver screen. Now as far as being wowed at the cineplex, it’s hard to get more amazing and spectacular than the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One above-mentioned concept artist adding to that experience is Anthony Francisco. His job, in short, is to give movie goers something they’ve never seen before. That’s…
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Interview…’Driven’ Director on Lee Pace and the Life and Times of John Z. DeLorean
To many, John Z. DeLorean is a man steeped in equal amounts of esteem and intrigue. He lived a fascinating life, but after his time with GM, he reached point where all his fame turned to infamy. In the 30 minutes I spent with director Nick Hamm, we discussed the road he wanted to take to bring this character to the screen. Hamm admits that DeLorean’s life isn’t interesting enough for him to have taken the biopic route, and similarly, a documentary might have felt stale. So basing this narrative around the actual events of DeLorean’s attempts to start and save his car company (including the cocaine sting operation that…
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Video Interview…Eugenio Derbez on ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’
This Summer, Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures will release Dora and the Lost City of Gold. To promote the film, Eugenio Derbez came to Dallas. In the acting world, Derbez is about as down-to-Earth as it gets. He’s also charming, and up for anything in the name of comedy. In our interview, Eugenio acts, sings and laughs a lot as we talk about Dora, his nickname, telenovelas, and Barry Manilow (he’s a huge fan). Enjoy! Directed by James Bobin, and starring Isabela Moner, Eva Longoria, Q’orianka Kilcher, and Michael Peña, Nickelodeon Movies will release Dora and the Lost City of Gold on August 9. If you think you know Dora…think…
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Video Interview…David Harbour on Hopper, Horror, and Big Hair in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 3
For most of this year, we’ve been getting ready for the upcoming season of Stranger Things. We’re still more than a week away, but one thing that took our mind off the wait was the chance to speak with David Harbour. That’s right, Police Chief Jim Hopper himself was in Dallas as part of a press event to promote the show. While in the Big D, he was treated to some of the best baseball and BBQ we could offer. Hey, it’s the least we could do. Thanks, Dallas, for making David feel at home. He’s already a pretty laid-back guy (I spent close to an hour with him in…
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Exclusive: Interview…Composer David Newman to Conduct 20th Anniversary Concert for ‘Galaxy Quest’
Next month, the San Diego Symphony will put on a live–to-picture performance of Galaxy Quest, the classic sci-fi comedy from 1999 starring Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell and Tony Shaloub. What’s that you ask? Why would a symphony play the music to a comedy? Well, two reasons: One, it’s really great music to a really fun film. Two, it’s really great music written by David Newman. These days, orchestras know they have to inclusive – they can’t be exclusive – and there’s no benefit to being closed-minded. Orchestras used to just play the same canonical works, but now they have really embraced the popularity and the artistry…
