I don’t know if anyone else has been keeping track of what’s hit screens in 2023, but we’ll just count down a few extraordinary or otherwise noteworthy releases. We got Barbie, The Flash, a new Ninja Turtles, the next Mission: Impossible, the last Indiana Jones, and before the end of the year, we’ll get a Dune sequel, a Willly Wonka prequel and a…wait for it…a David Fincher film, a Ridley Scott film, a Martin Scorsese film, annnd a Hayao Miyazaki film. Let that sink in as this is just a hint of the callbacks to a year that really and truly had it all. But one kind of film that…
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Interview…Director Conor Allyn on Themes, Identity, and Location Shooting on ‘In the Fire’
We spoke with writer/director and former Dallas native Conor Allyn about his work on this captivating new feature from Saban Films. In the Fire is an affecting story, one that walks more than one direction; it’s a spiritual movie, heavy on drama/suspense, and even touches on horror so it will certainly keep you questioning it until the end. But it’s also surprising how captivating the film can be with just three leads. One element which elevates the intensity of the film is the cinematography and set design. Set in and amongst some gorgeous and nearly otherworldly backdrops of Italy and South America, Conor talks to us about location shooting as…
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Interview…Jasmine Myra on Spiritual Jazz, Personal Journeys, and ‘Horizons’
As an art form, music does what it does best when it moves you. But just what does it move us to do? Do we climb a snow-capped mountain because we listened to Vince DiCola‘s music for Rocky IV? Do we enlist in the military after hearing “God Bless the U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood? What about when the music is so mellow, you just want to have a coffee with the person who made it and get to know them better? Well, that last one is why we’re here today. Jasmine Myra is a Leeds-based composer, saxophonist, and bandleader – while she may look incredibly youthful, make some no mistake,…
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Interview…’Jessica’s Big Little World’ Co-Creators and Star on Inspiration, Messages and Growing Up
Ask any kid what’s the biggest challenge about being a “kid”, and they’ll probably say it’s not being big. So enter a highly creative and adorable show from Cartoon Network about that very thing. From the creators of Craig of the Creek comes a show all about Craig’s lovable little sister, the one-and-only Jessica. Jessica’s Big Little World hooks you quickly, and it’s because of the material. Sure, it’s a kids show, but it’s about relevant topics to very young kids. With touches of fantasy and lots of fun it deals with role models, responsibility, and then the biggest hurdle for any kid: doing things themselves. It’s not about geography,…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…Director Francis Galluppi on ‘Last Stop In Yuma County’
I sat down with Francis Galluppi to discuss his first feature film, a neo-noir (do not call it a western) pressure cooker that I really loved. How can you not be intrigued by this log line or the clever poster below? “When a traveling knife salesman is forced to wait for fuel at an isolated rest stop, violence erupts around him when two bank robbers arrive during their getaway from a big heist.” We discussed his unexpected inspirations, the injury that kickstarted his filmmaking career, and the amazing cast he collected for this film.
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…’Spooktacular!’ Documentary Team
Long before Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, there was Spooky World. Spooktacular! tells the story of America’s first Halloween Theme Park and the people behind it. This includes employees, guests, and horror icons that played a part in the park’s history including Tom Savini, Linda Blair, Kane Hodder, and Robert Englund. I sat down with the team behind the documentary to discuss the process and the passion involved: Quinn Monahan (Director), Gail Jorden (Writer), Anthony Landry (Halloween Event Historian/Producer), and David Bertolino (Hauntrepreneur/Founder). This makes for a great Halloween season watch and will join the list of past Fantastic Fest haunt documentaries such as American Scream, and Haunters: the Art of…
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G-S-T Review…’A Million Miles Away’
In the past ten or so years, one of the more resonant film quotes that I hope rings out to young children across the globe is from Disney’s Zootopia. You have to love that inspiring and simple phrase, “anyone can be anything!” Well, when it comes to movies, especially fanciful children’s yarns, not everybody gets to live out their dream, find the treasure, or have an ambitiously emotional dance number to save the farm. But whoever says dreams don’t come true has never heard of one Jose Hernandez – the astronaut and real life hero highlighted in Prime Video’s A Million Miles Away. The words “unforgettable” and “inspirational” get thrown…
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Interview…Producer/Director Natalie Metzger on Film, Fun and Charting Her Own Course
When you meet someone who is passionate about their work, you tend to see them coming a mile away. Two very good examples are writer/director/producer Natalie Metzger and her husband/producing partner Matt Miller who founded Vanishing Angle. Their production company nurtures the freshest voices in the independent film community with award-winning films and series, taking projects from script through distribution. We first got to meet them at Fantastic Fest in 2022 and were blown away by their unsettling family drama, Spoonful Of Sugar. We knew we needed to keep any eye out for anything they did in the future. And they’re also a super fun team to chat with. Today,…
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Interview…Composer Doyle Donehoo Talks Big Scares in Space with ‘Aliens: Dark Descent’
Doyle Donehoo is a rocker-turned composer who gets to live out one of his greatest scoing gigs to date. He grew up with the Alien franchise and that certainly made an impact. Starting with Ridley Scott‘s masterpiece – which he saw in the theater – he’s lived in this world. Ask his about his memorabilia and that would start quite a conversation. Years later, like a kid in a candy store, he gets to expand the palette established by Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Elliott Goldenthall and others while adding his own spice to the mix. The difference in his efforts here is that his music is crafted for a video…
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Interview…Kilamanzego on Identity, Electronic Sounds and ‘Black Weirdo’
If you’re on the hunt for new music, and are open to a palette expanding paradigm shift, you can’t do any better than Kilamanzego [“kill-a-man’s-ego”]. The moniker for Kay Oko (an experimental electronic music producer, vocalist, and visual artist based in Philadelphia) becomes her performer name – which initially was almost “Kilimanjaro” to pay homage to her African culture – that playfully and confidently makes a bold statement of women’s empowerment as a unique force in the electronic scene. We first heard her work on Bandcamp and were instantly hooked. After per-ordering her newest work, the pull-no-punches album called “Black Weirdo” has been playing non-stop in the car, my headphones…
