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,…
-
-
[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.
-
[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…
-
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…
-
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,…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Interview…Composer/Music Editor Robinton Hobbs on Score Production and Joy House Music
These days, regardless of the industry, we all need a little help. Whether that is outsourcing entire productions or a few hours of assistance and consulting, we can all use a support system. As the world grows ever more hungry for entertainment, the talented tradespeople making movies/shows, games, and music are in a flurry trying to deliver what’s needed. So to help with that project flow, Joy House Music has helped plenty of features and shows get the musical attention needed to finish the job. JMH is a woman-lead business working towards innovating the world of score production with a commitment to community, diversity and equality. Their company is a…
-
Interview…Derek Presley, Lola Lott and Jason Starne on the Deep Fried Noir of ‘Tonic’
We’ve all seen the movies where a character is a one-man army, or everything just happens to work out for them, right? Well, what if this particular man – the one carrying 100% of the story – is about as hopeless and down on his luck as you can find? In many ways that’s more appealing because it’s their flaws, quirks and weaknesses that shine brighter than their strengths. So let’s take a look at one such a character, Sebastian Poe (played by Billy Blair), in Derek Presley‘s latest film. Written and shot here in Dallas, Tonic tells the tale of a barfly jazz pianist who must commit murder in…
-
Interview…Composer Sandro Morales-Santoro on Heritage, Heartstrings and Versatility
Sandro Morales-Santoro is an award-winning Venezuelan composer based in Los Angeles. This creative multi-instrumentalist specializes in music for film and television as well as interactive and new media. His most recent scoring projects include hit TV-shows like WeTV’s ‘Kold x Windy’ and National Geographic/Disney+’s ‘Restaurants At The End of the World’. Sandro has also composed original music for Marvel Animation’s film ‘The Secret History of Venom,’ as well as co-composing World of Wonder’s ‘Explant,’ a documentary exposé about the breast implant industry. His most recent film ‘The Shadow of the Sun’ will premiere at LALIFF in June 2023. His skills as a composer are evident throughout his lush orchestral scores,…
