This year, the world was treated to a rebirth, or an extension rather, of the Romero ‘of the Dead‘ universe. Tina Romero makes her feature debut with something that is in line with what her legendary father started nearly sixty years ago, but she and co-writer Erin Judge put their spin on it. And, we’re talking about some serious spin. To be honest, it’s been spinning in our head since we finished our glowing review of it. The film, produced by Vanishing Angle (spearheaded by Natalie Metzger and Matt Miller), is not your father‘s zombie movie, but in a way, it actually is. This feature is a dyed-in-the-wool Romero joint…
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G-S-T Review…Tina Romero’s ‘Queens of the Dead’ Has Comedy, Commentary and Heart To Chew On
There’s a lot to love about Tina Romero‘s Queens of the Dead. In fact, the list is almost as long as the receipt for the sequins and shoes purchased by the costume department. That’s written in playful jest, but the number of topics that present themselves in her feature length debut deserve a round of applause for boldness, cohesion, conviction, and execution (in story and in zombie kills). What sounds like a ludicrous idea on paper turns out to have a lot of heart, and the relationships in Tina‘s film are just as strong as those in her legendary father’s work nearly sixty years ago. The set up is unconventional,…
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Interview…Alden Ehrenreich and Natalie Metzger on ‘Shadow Brother Sunday’
One of the most enjoyable perks in film journalism is getting to talk to creative individuals about their work. On this site we’ve been fortunate enough to meet with numerous storytellers; we love taking deep dives with the talent at hand to find what inspires them. Some of the best interviews are ones that yield behind-the-scenes stories, triumphs and lessons learned. All in all, the road to bring any production to the public is a long one – but it can certainly be fun. And that’s why people in film consider the work an all-or-nothing pursuit. Last week, we had a kitchen sink discussion with Alden Ehrenreich. He’s been working…
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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…Fest Friends: Natalie Metzger, Joe Badon, Tiffany Kimmel, Dawn Luebbe and Margaret Miller
Fantastic Fest 2022 was one of the very best – it’s certainly tops in my book for all the years we’ve covered and attended. One take away that is more impactful and enduring than seeing some gonzo foreign film, sitting for a secret screening or getting in on the ground floor for the next big genre spectacle is the people. Whether it’s the fans, the festival staff (including those hard-working volunteers!) or the filmmakers, there is a certain kind of magical haze that only exists on the festival circuit. Moreover, I fondly (and sometimes fuzzily) recall the conversations, chance encounters and unexpected friendships that have emerged from being in the…
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[Fantastic Fest Interview]…Turmoil and Family Terror in ’Spoonful of Sugar’
One of the best and biggest surprises of the festival is Mercedes Bryce Morgan‘s acid-fueled stunner, Spoonful of Sugar. People like to say that a movie sticks with them after seeing it, but in this case we really and truly mean it. Unsettling, stunning and serious as cancer, Spoonful of Sugar makes you question family, friends, even horticulture in a film that shows that monsters exist everywhere…even within each of us. But it also asks an important question: do we nurture a monster in an attempt to manifest the life that we want? Answer that how you will, but in the meantime check out the film which, in a mark…
