At Fantastic Fest, we fell in love with Werewolf, the second feature film from Polish writer-director Adrian Panek. His bleak narrative tells the story of a group of children who, having just survived the Holocaust, find themselves preyed upon by a pack of wolf dogs. As stated in our capsule review (read it here), there’s something magnetic about the film. It’s a sly powerhouse, and so much so that to say it is a masterpiece would be an understatement. Panek’s film is as beautiful as it is bleak, but the film offers something not often found in genre films: hope. We caught up with the Polish-born director to discuss the…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…’You Might Be the Killer’ Creative Team Discuss Story and Love of ’80s Slasher Films
In the span of three and a half days at Fantastic Fest this year, I saw eleven films. That might not seem like much, but when you are covering the fest, writing reviews and interviewing talent, you run out of time real quick. To say that going to bed at 4:30 AM became the norm is an understatement. All that aside, I really want to tell you about the best film that played at the Fest this year – or at least my favorite. That honor goes to an ’80s era slasher send-up called You Might Be the Killer. Check out my review here. I was so taken with the…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…Director Jim Hosking and Co-Writer David Wike on the Absurd Hilarity in ‘An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn’
In 2014, we spoke with Jim Hosking about his segment ‘G is for Grandad‘ in ABCs of Death 2 (check out that interview here). It was a brief glimpse into his mad style before he began work on the now divisive film The Greasy Strangler. Our good buddy Bryan Kluger (who runs BoomstickComics.com) loved it, so after thoroughly enjoying Hosking’s latest, the hilarious An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn, we had to partner up on an interview while Hosking and co-writer David Wike were in town at Fantastic Fest this year. It was just as odd and fun as their film. Enjoy!! An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn is written/directed by…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…Director Adesh Prasad and Composer Jesper Kyd on ‘Tumbbad’
In the rural village of Tumbbad, young Vinayak has heard the stories of an ancient fortune held by his family for years, but is warned against attempting to attain the treasure lest he fall victim to the demon who guards it. He instead cares for his great-grandmother, a decrepit crone who must remain sated or her appetites might just claim them all. When she dies and he inherits the treasures housed inside a decaying estate, Vinayak discovers that they are not exactly what he expected, but instead an endless bounty protected by a vengeful and ravenous fallen god. While at Fantastic Fest 2018, we sat down with writer-director Adesh Prasad…
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Interview…Bill Duke on Nic Cage, and LSD Nightmare Fuel in Panos Cosmatos’ ‘Mandy’
This year, more than a month before Halloween, Panos Cosmatos is set to unleash his latest film on the horror masses. If you’ve seen Beyond the Black Rainbow, then you have a pretty good idea what to expect, and his sophomore effort is just as nebulous. While the narrative is slightly more linear and discernible, it’s an equally messed up Dungeons & Dragons fever dream that finds Nic Cage in full-on revenge mode. I’m not really sure how to describe any further. Even if I spoiled the story, it won’t keep you from being shocked and surprised at the madness within. So how about this: It’s like a heavy metal…
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Video Interview…’KIN’ Writers/Directors Jonathan & Josh Baker on Grounded Sci-Fi and the “Anti-Blockbuster”
Jonathan & Josh Baker are Australian born, Los Angeles based directors. While Kin marks their feature-directing debut, the brothers are established commercial directors, and are part of an acclaimed roster of directors at David Fincher‘s production company, RESET. The Bakers have made a name for themselves telling fanciful stories with a grounded and honest flair. Their naturalistic imagery embraces the bizarre and creates a detailed world that’s often both beautiful and imaginative. The duo craft their first narrative feature, Kin, based on their 2014 sci-fi short, “Bag Man” (check it out here). Throughout film, they keep the tension high, and, in a word, it is pulse-pounding. Their narrative is expertly…
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Exclusive: Video Interview…Ben Dickey on the Life and Times of Blaze Foley in Ethan Hawke’s ‘Blaze’
Seasoned actor, Ethan Hawke, steps behind the camera to direct Blaze, a film about little-known country music star, Blaze Foley. In the film, real-life musician, Ben Dickey, stars as the titular unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement. Dickey, in his first acting role, is simply magnetic as the soft-spoken Foley. We caught up with him at The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas and got an exclusive interview. During our talk, we discussed his prep-work for the role, the dream-like structure of this uncommon biopic, and working with Foley’s wife, Sybil Rosen. Shot in his hotel room, Dickey was open to talking about all aspects of the film. Additionally, an…
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Interview…Directing Trio RKSS on Throwback Thriller, ‘Summer of 84’
To those of you who aren’t on the film festival circuit or don’t watch a lot of genre films, the Montreal-based directing trio, RKSS, probably just seems like random letters. Well, they directed this totally rad throwback post-apocalyptic bicycle flick called Turbo Kid, and it was totally wicked! Some three years later, they are back with another ’80s era film, only this is a departure from the zany level of filmmaking that got them noticed in the first place. So while many fans would have loved to see the continuing adventures of Turbo Kid, riding through the Wasteland, this is a great film that proves they can do more than…
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Interview…Composer/Orchestrator Conrad Pope Teaching and Performing at the Hollywood Music Workshop
In the span of 30 years, composer/orchestrator Conrad Pope has worked on more than 420 films. We spent an hour with Pope, and he is an infectious joy as well as one of the most laid-back people you’d ever meet. But he’s also a legend. Name any film or topic, and you’ll sit there in awe of the stories he could tell. I sure did. It’s been said that Pope is the best kept secret in film music – if there’s a successful score, it’s because Conrad Pope is attached to it. He will quickly and humbly shoot that down, but as his mentor used to say, “It’s always amazing…
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Interview…Composer Joe Kraemer Conducting Original Music at the Hollywood Music Workshop
Hollywood Music Workshop celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year, and part of the festivities outside the classes in the workshop include a live concert in association with Warner Brothers at the Casino Baden, featuring iconic film music performed by the Synchron Stage Vienna Orchestra under the baton of Joe Kraemer and Conrad Pope. The set list is chock full of iconic film scores from Warner Bros. films and brings the sounds of Max Steiner, Erich Korngold, Ennio Morricone and John Williams (to name but a few) to the Baden concert hall. The program will also include original music by Joe Kraemer and Nan Schwartz. I just returned from L.A. (where I spent some time at the WB studio), and as Casablanca is…
