Chicago – A long time ago (1978) in an America far far away, the one and only showing of the “Star Wars Holiday Special” took place on CBS-tv. Infamously miscast and difficult to watch, the history of the show is chronicled in a new doc “A Disturbance in the Force,” co-directed by Jeremy Coon and Steven Kozak.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. On November 17th, 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired and is considered one of the worst shows to ever be broadcast on national TV. “A Disturbance in the Force” co-directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak combine celebrity insight – including Seth Green, Donny Osmond and Kevin Smith – archival/participant interviews and broadcast history perspective to understand why this show was created.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. On November 17th, 1978, CBS aired the two-hour “Star Wars Holiday Special” and was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired and is considered one of the worst shows to ever be broadcast on national TV. “A Disturbance in the Force” co-directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak combine celebrity insight – including Seth Green, Donny Osmond and Kevin Smith – archival/participant interviews and broadcast history perspective to understand why this show was created.
- 12/4/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
On Nov. 17, 1978, Princess Leia sang these lyrics to the melody of John Williams’ Star Wars theme: “We celebrate a day of peace/A day of harmony/A day of joy we can all share/Together joyously.” It’s a rough moment in Star Wars history, and certainly, even the children of 1978 were uneasy about putting words to that iconic music. Chewbacca was wearing a red robe, Luke Skywalker had a haircut that didn’t make him seem like Luke at all, and Han Solo seemed like he wanted to be somewhere else. This was the ending of the Star Wars Holiday Special, a bizarre television event that was aired only once. And, when Star Wars blossomed into a lasting and serious cultural phenomenon, George Lucas tried to make it seem like it had never happened.
“You can’t blame the people who were just doing their jobs,” Jeremy Coon tells Den of Geek.
“You can’t blame the people who were just doing their jobs,” Jeremy Coon tells Den of Geek.
- 3/11/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
The amazing true story of the greatest fan film ever made is coming home on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital!
Drafthouse Films and Mvd Entertainment have announced the upcoming home video release of Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack on August 16th.
After Steven Spielberg's classic Raiders of the Lost Ark was released 35 years ago, three 11-year-old boys from Mississippi set out on what would become a 7-year-long labor of love and tribute to their favorite film: a faithful, shot-for-shot adaptation of the action adventure film, which the New York Times calls "a testament to the transporting power of movie love." They finished every scene...except one; the film's explosive airplane set piece.
Over two decades later, the trio reunited with the original cast members from their childhood in order to complete their masterpiece in what IGN has dubbed "the Boyhood of fan movies.
Drafthouse Films and Mvd Entertainment have announced the upcoming home video release of Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack on August 16th.
After Steven Spielberg's classic Raiders of the Lost Ark was released 35 years ago, three 11-year-old boys from Mississippi set out on what would become a 7-year-long labor of love and tribute to their favorite film: a faithful, shot-for-shot adaptation of the action adventure film, which the New York Times calls "a testament to the transporting power of movie love." They finished every scene...except one; the film's explosive airplane set piece.
Over two decades later, the trio reunited with the original cast members from their childhood in order to complete their masterpiece in what IGN has dubbed "the Boyhood of fan movies.
- 7/14/2016
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Victor Medina)
- Cinelinx
There are times where I don't want to write about a film because I know for a fact that publishing my review is going to end up making people I like angry at me, and this is one of those times. But even months after seeing it, I find myself struggling to make sense out of the film Raiders! The Story Of The Greatest Fan Film Ever Made and the enthusiasm people have for it. I think the film is revealing, certainly, but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it. I also wouldn't call it a celebration of anything. Whether they realize it or not, Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen have given us one of the most searing, ugly portraits of artistic hubris since Overnight. I spent a good portion of my screening at the Drafthouse feeling sick to my stomach, tied in knots by what I was watching instead of elated or moved,...
- 6/21/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Thoroughly hilarious, surprisingly poignant portrait of fandom, friendship, and the filmmaking odyssey that consumed the teenage years of three movie lovers. I’m “biast” (pro): Raiders of the Lost Ark is my most favorite movie ever
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
In 1982, three friends in Mississippi — Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, and Jayson Lamb — set out to make a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark. You know, just for fun. They were 11 years old, and it took them seven years before they were done with the project… although they were never able to fully finish: they were missing one key scene. I won’t tell you which scene that is, because you can see them go through the adventure and the torment of finally shooting it now, as adults, in the thoroughly hilarious and surprisingly poignant Raiders!:...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
In 1982, three friends in Mississippi — Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, and Jayson Lamb — set out to make a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark. You know, just for fun. They were 11 years old, and it took them seven years before they were done with the project… although they were never able to fully finish: they were missing one key scene. I won’t tell you which scene that is, because you can see them go through the adventure and the torment of finally shooting it now, as adults, in the thoroughly hilarious and surprisingly poignant Raiders!:...
- 6/17/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
To help sift through the increasing number of new releases (independent or otherwise), the Weekly Film Guide is here! Below you’ll find basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.
Starting this month, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list here, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.
See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for June 2016
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, June 17. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.
Wide
Central Intelligence
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Aaron Paul, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet, Ryan Hansen, Bobby Brown, Megan Park, Timothy John Smith
Synopsis: “After he reunites with an old pal through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage.
Starting this month, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list here, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.
See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for June 2016
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, June 17. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.
Wide
Central Intelligence
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Aaron Paul, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet, Ryan Hansen, Bobby Brown, Megan Park, Timothy John Smith
Synopsis: “After he reunites with an old pal through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage.
- 6/16/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
While other 11-year-olds in Biloxi, Mississippi might have spent their 1980s summer vacations playing endless hours of Space Invaders at the local arcade or tricking dimwits into painting picket fences, Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala, the subjects of the new documentary Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (opening June 17th), were busy lighting each other on fire.
The two boys first saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in the summer of 1981, and like any right-minded latchkey kids in search of adventure (and father figures), they instantly fell in love.
The two boys first saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in the summer of 1981, and like any right-minded latchkey kids in search of adventure (and father figures), they instantly fell in love.
- 6/16/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Chicago – When it comes to movie fandom, there are acolytes and obsessives, but few stories are better than three fanboys in 1982, who loved a certain film so much they decided to do a shot-by-shot remake. This is chronicled in the new documentary, “Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made.”
Chris Strompolos was one of those boys – he portrayed Indiana Jones in the remake – and he was joined by his childhood friends Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb. They were 11 years old when they started their project, and came back to it in the next seven summers (yes, they aged to teenagers during the process). In 1989, they finally showed the results of their efforts in a local hometown premiere, and promptly left behind their childhood obsession. The 1980s video quality film then went into the underground cult world, until emerging in 2002 at the “Butt-Numb-a-Thon” film festival sponsored by the...
Chris Strompolos was one of those boys – he portrayed Indiana Jones in the remake – and he was joined by his childhood friends Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb. They were 11 years old when they started their project, and came back to it in the next seven summers (yes, they aged to teenagers during the process). In 1989, they finally showed the results of their efforts in a local hometown premiere, and promptly left behind their childhood obsession. The 1980s video quality film then went into the underground cult world, until emerging in 2002 at the “Butt-Numb-a-Thon” film festival sponsored by the...
- 6/15/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made is one of the most purely entertaining documentaries you will see this year, a tribute to the joys of cinema and the agonies of childhood. Directors Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen tell the story of Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala, two childhood friends who set […]
The post A Conversation With the Subjects of ‘Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made’ appeared first on /Film.
The post A Conversation With the Subjects of ‘Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made’ appeared first on /Film.
- 6/15/2016
- by Jacob Hall
- Slash Film
Created by CoolProps, the life-size heads of both the Brown and Blue Alien Warrior as well as the newborn Alien from Alien: Resurrection are now available to pre-order from Sideshow Collectibles. Also: Funko and Previews’ San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Swamp Thing Pop! vinyl figure, a new poster and teaser for the short film Lion, and, lastly, a trailer and theatrical / VOD rollout details for Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made.
CoolProps’ Life-Size Alien Heads Photos and Release Details: Alien Warrior (Brown) Life-Size Head: “Sideshow and CoolProps are pleased to present the Alien Warrior Life-Size Head Prop Replica. The “Alien Warrior” was part of dozens of aliens that were propagated from the alien queen in the 1986 movie Aliens. Alien Warriors appeared many times in the movie, but only a few suits were made for shooting.
CoolProps has produced this piece based on the original mold, which is without lips,...
CoolProps’ Life-Size Alien Heads Photos and Release Details: Alien Warrior (Brown) Life-Size Head: “Sideshow and CoolProps are pleased to present the Alien Warrior Life-Size Head Prop Replica. The “Alien Warrior” was part of dozens of aliens that were propagated from the alien queen in the 1986 movie Aliens. Alien Warriors appeared many times in the movie, but only a few suits were made for shooting.
CoolProps has produced this piece based on the original mold, which is without lips,...
- 5/30/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
In 1982, best friends Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos set out to remake Steven Spielberg's action/adventure classic, "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Seven years later, after an odyssey that tested their relationship as well as their filmmaking acumen, the result was a remarkable shot-for-shot replica—except for the airplane fight sequence in the North African desert. (Last year, Vice's series "American Obsessions," which unearths stories of the strange cultural phenomena that capture the public imagination, featured an 11-minute short about Zala and Strompolos, including the campaign, thirty years after "Raiders" first appeared in theaters, to shoot the airplane scene. Watch the video below.) Now, Drafthouse Films has acquired the worldwide rights to Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen’s "Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made," a documentary about their lifelong journey—joined by another friend, Jayson...
- 1/6/2016
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Drafthouse Films has acquired worldwide rights to Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen’s “Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made,” a documentary about two friends’ lifelong journey to complete their passion project: a shot-for-shot remake of Steven Spielberg‘s first Indiana Jones movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” An inspiring testament to creative passion and the powerful role of cinema, “Raiders!” has been a hit on the festival circuit, screening at such festivals as SXSW, Doc NYC, Fantasia International Film Festival and more. After Spielberg’s classic film was released almost 35 years ago, three 11-year-old boys from Mississippi set out.
- 1/6/2016
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Plus: to Bobby Moresco to write Lamborghini – The Legend for Ambi; Uwe Boll prepares final film… for a while; and more…
Andrew Rodgers has been appointed executive director of the Denver Film Society after serving since 2005 as executive director of the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Rodgers holds an Mba and a degree in journalism. He worked for the Chicago Tribune before serving as a publicist for the Sundance Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival.
During his tenure at RiverRun he grew the event’s annual income by nearly 200% and secured support from Fortune 500 companies.
Bob Clasen, chair of the search committee for Denver Film Society and chair-elect of the Society’s board of directors, said: “Andrew was far and above the most outstanding candidate we reviewed and interviewed.
Crash screenwriter producer Bobby Moresco will write the screenplay for Ambi’s biopic Lamborghini – The Legend based on the Life of Ferruccio Lamborghini. Principal...
Andrew Rodgers has been appointed executive director of the Denver Film Society after serving since 2005 as executive director of the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Rodgers holds an Mba and a degree in journalism. He worked for the Chicago Tribune before serving as a publicist for the Sundance Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival.
During his tenure at RiverRun he grew the event’s annual income by nearly 200% and secured support from Fortune 500 companies.
Bob Clasen, chair of the search committee for Denver Film Society and chair-elect of the Society’s board of directors, said: “Andrew was far and above the most outstanding candidate we reviewed and interviewed.
Crash screenwriter producer Bobby Moresco will write the screenplay for Ambi’s biopic Lamborghini – The Legend based on the Life of Ferruccio Lamborghini. Principal...
- 1/6/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Montreal’s genre film festival to showcase 135 features and almost 300 shorts across its three-week run from July 14-Aug 4.Scroll down for line-up
Fantasia International Film Festival has unveiled its full line-up for its upcoming 19th edition which kicks off next Tuesday [July 14].
Over its three-week run, the Montreal-based genre film festival will showcase 135 features, including 22 world, 13 international premieres and 21 North American premieres, and almost 300 short films.
Shinji Higuchi’s Attack on Titan will receive its Canadian premiere as the closing film of this year’s edition on Aug 4. The live-action film is based on Hajime Isyama’s steampunk fantasy war opera manga series.
Additional highlights of the final wave of titles include the world premieres of Malik Bader’s thriller Cash Only and Ken Ochiai’s Ninja the Monster, as well as the Canadian premiere of Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion’s horror comedy Cooties starring Elijah Wood.
A trio of Sion Sono films will also be shown at this...
Fantasia International Film Festival has unveiled its full line-up for its upcoming 19th edition which kicks off next Tuesday [July 14].
Over its three-week run, the Montreal-based genre film festival will showcase 135 features, including 22 world, 13 international premieres and 21 North American premieres, and almost 300 short films.
Shinji Higuchi’s Attack on Titan will receive its Canadian premiere as the closing film of this year’s edition on Aug 4. The live-action film is based on Hajime Isyama’s steampunk fantasy war opera manga series.
Additional highlights of the final wave of titles include the world premieres of Malik Bader’s thriller Cash Only and Ken Ochiai’s Ninja the Monster, as well as the Canadian premiere of Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion’s horror comedy Cooties starring Elijah Wood.
A trio of Sion Sono films will also be shown at this...
- 7/7/2015
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
The 19th Annual Fantasia Film Festival is only a week away, beginning July 14 and running through August 4. And as promised for today, they’ve revealed their full line-up of films screening at 2015’s festival in Montreal.
This year’s line-up boasts 22 World Premieres, 13 International Premieres, and 21 North American Premieres. Both Marvel’s Ant-Man and the animated Miss Hokusai were previously announced, but now they’ve added the much anticipated Attack on Titan movie as their closing night film. Other highlights include the Sundance darlings Cooties, starring Elijah Wood and Rainn Wilson, Cop Car, starring Kevin Bacon and directed by the upcoming Spider-man director Jon Watts, and a trio of films from horror auteur Sion Sono.
See the full line-up announcement of films below via Fantasia’s Facebook page, and be sure to check out their website at fantasiafestival.com for additional information.
****
Fantasia 2015:
36 Countries, 135 Features, and Nearly 300 Short Films
- Including 22 World Premieres,...
This year’s line-up boasts 22 World Premieres, 13 International Premieres, and 21 North American Premieres. Both Marvel’s Ant-Man and the animated Miss Hokusai were previously announced, but now they’ve added the much anticipated Attack on Titan movie as their closing night film. Other highlights include the Sundance darlings Cooties, starring Elijah Wood and Rainn Wilson, Cop Car, starring Kevin Bacon and directed by the upcoming Spider-man director Jon Watts, and a trio of films from horror auteur Sion Sono.
See the full line-up announcement of films below via Fantasia’s Facebook page, and be sure to check out their website at fantasiafestival.com for additional information.
****
Fantasia 2015:
36 Countries, 135 Features, and Nearly 300 Short Films
- Including 22 World Premieres,...
- 7/7/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
I don't believe that they are "just" movies. I mean, sure, there are plenty of movies that I would consider inconsequential, and many of those are even movies that I like. But the entire culture of films, the idea of these shared narratives that make up something that unites people from around the world, is something that I think people dismiss too easily sometimes. Films are transformative. Films can force you to see things in a new ways. They can build or destroy communities. They can be powerful forces for social change, and they can shine a spotlight on things in a way that is undeniable and immediate. And, in their best moments, they can save lives. Right now, "The Wolfpack" is making its way into theaters, a documentary about a family of young men, all raised by a domineering father who intentionally cut them off from the outside world.
- 6/29/2015
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
There was a fairly famous commentary in Wired a couple of years ago by Patton Oswalt that essentially came down to the comedian telling today’s movie geeks that they have it too easy. Back in the day, there was no internet to follow the development of a film blow-by-blow, there was no Internet Movie Database to learn who all the primary people behind the film were, and a home video was months, if not years, after the initial theatrical run, rather than weeks. In essence, the technology has taken the effort out of it, and truthfully, the same can be said about the art of filmmaking as well. Digital cameras, Photshop, Final Cut, it all means you can make a movie at home look like a top-notch professional effort.
All this has probably also leant to the rise of the fan film, an easy way for people who love...
All this has probably also leant to the rise of the fan film, an easy way for people who love...
- 5/5/2015
- by Adam A. Donaldson
- We Got This Covered
The story has made the rounds for years: In 1982, a trio of 11-year-old Mississippi boys — Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala and Jayson Lamb — launched an elaborate attempt to remake "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Over the course of eight years, they more or less completed the task, and the result took on a mythological dimension. Eventually noticed by horror director Eli Roth, the now-adult figures responsible for "Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaption" enjoyed newfound appreciation for their accomplishment and eventually landed a meeting with Steven Spielberg himself. However, as Jeremy Coons and Tim Skousen's enjoyable documentary "Raiders!" makes clear, even then the story wasn't quite finished: The boys never managed to shoot one crucial scene, and in adulthood, they finally attempted to finish the job. Read More: The 2015 Indiewire SXSW Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During Run of Festival The missing scene, in which Harrison Ford's.
- 3/16/2015
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
It was a story that, in film nerd circles, gradually took on the glimmer of legend: in 1981, a group of kids in smalltown Mississippi set out to recreate, shot-for-shot, Steven Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark." It would gradually consume every summer of their childhood and gain some big name appreciators in the form of horror filmmaker Eli Roth and nerdy movie blogger Harry Knowles. The recreation was something that had to be seen to be believed, a pop culture artifact as lovingly crafted as the film it so astutely mimicked. What makes "Raiders!," a documentary by Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen, so compelling, is that it chronicles not only the phenomenon but the attempts by the original filmmakers Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, and Jayson Lamb, to finish the one shot that never got completed. The resulting film is exhilarating, most notably for its ability to be awesomely triumphant...
- 3/15/2015
- by Drew Taylor
- The Playlist
The documentary film "Raiders!" is a curious exercise in meta-narrative; it's a film about a film that is a remake of another film. Co-directed by Jeremy Coon (producer and editor on "Napoleon Dynamite") and Tim Skousen, "Raiders!" tells the story of two Indiana Jones fanboys who embark on an adventure that rivals the legendary explorer's onscreen exploits. Here's the official synopsis: "In 1982, two 11 year-olds in Mississippi set out to remake their favorite film: Raiders of the Lost Ark. It took seven turbulent years that tested the limits of their friendship and nearly burned down their mother's house. By the end, they had completed every scene except one... the explosive airplane scene. Thirty years later, they attempt to finally realize their childhood dream by building a replica of the 75-foot "Flying Wing" plane from Raiders in a mud pit in the backwoods of Mississippi... and then blow it up! This is the story behind the.
- 3/3/2015
- by Shipra Gupta
- Indiewire
We've talked about the awesome shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark that was attempted by a group of 12-year old kids back in 1982 before. The film became a cult sensation when it was screened in Austin, Texas, and now the story of how the film came to be is coming to the big screen with a documentary called Raiders! premiering at SXSW next month. In addition to looking back at the making of the film with childhood friends Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos, it also chronicles their attempt to shoot the final scene they could never pull off: the infamous Flying Wing scene where the shirtless Nazi strongman is cut up by the circling plane's propeller while fighting Indy. This looks like one hell of a cool story. Watch now! Here's the first trailer for Jeremy Coon & Tim Skousen's Raiders! from the film's YouTube: Check out the...
- 2/26/2015
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in TrainwreckPhoto: Universal Pictures With Sundance just wrapping up and Berlin starting up in a few days, we are now immersed in the year-long barrage of film festivals. One such festival in South By Southwest. A few weeks back they announced the first seven films of their program, including the opening night film Brand: A Second Coming. Today, they have revealed the rest of the features to be shown in March (except for the midnight program), and some of it has me very excited. The bigger titles announced do not do much for me. Paul Feig's Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, and the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart starrer Get Hard leave a lot to be desired in terms of anticipation, as does a work in progress cut of Judd Apatow's latest film Trainwreck. I'm guessing an Apatow work in progress is probably around three and a half hours.
- 2/3/2015
- by Mike Shutt
- Rope of Silicon
South by Southwest, the multi-faceted film, music and technology festival held annually in Austin, TX will feature such upcoming films as Paul Feig’s Spy, David Gordon Green’s Manglehorn, Alex Gibney’s documentary Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, and Ondi Timoner’s Russell Brand profile Brand: A Second Coming as headliners in this year’s film festival lineup.
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
- 2/3/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Now that holidays are over, it's time to start thinking about what we might get for some of our Dread Central staffers for Christmas 2012, and thanks to the McFarland publishing company, we have already crossed Foy off our list. Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on David Coleman's The Bigfoot Filmography: Fictional and Documentary Appearances in Film and Television.
Synopsis:
The "Sasquatch" film genre, devoted to the legendary and notoriously elusive creature also known as Bigfoot and its Himalayan counterpart, the Yeti, is the focus of this illustrated reference guide. Here is a fascinatingly detailed look at the cinematic history of Sasquatch from the earliest trick films of Georges Melies to the most up-to-date CGI efforts. Critical insights regarding the genre's development are offered, along with an exhaustively researched filmography that includes every known film or television appearance of Sasquatch, Bigfoot, and Yeti in both fictitious and documentary formats.
Synopsis:
The "Sasquatch" film genre, devoted to the legendary and notoriously elusive creature also known as Bigfoot and its Himalayan counterpart, the Yeti, is the focus of this illustrated reference guide. Here is a fascinatingly detailed look at the cinematic history of Sasquatch from the earliest trick films of Georges Melies to the most up-to-date CGI efforts. Critical insights regarding the genre's development are offered, along with an exhaustively researched filmography that includes every known film or television appearance of Sasquatch, Bigfoot, and Yeti in both fictitious and documentary formats.
- 1/12/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
The 2011 Dallas International Film Festival Announces
Award Winners
Jess + Moss receives the $25,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature
Elevate receives the $25,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary Feature
Five Time Champion receives the $20,000 in Cash, Goods and Services for the Mps Studios Texas Filmmaker Award
If A Tree Falls: A Story Of The Earth Liberation Front receives the Environmental Visions Award
Zero Percent receives the $10,000 Embrey Family Foundation Silver Heart Award
The Legend Of Beaver Dam, The Robbery and Paths Of Hate are named winners for Best Short Film, Student Short and Animated Short
Audience Awards go to Snowmen for Narrative Feature, Wild Horse Wild Ride for Documentary and The Legend Of Beaver Dam for Short
Dallas, TX, April 9, 2011 . For the second year running, the .Dallas Film Society Honors. presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation provided an elegant forum for the awards presentation at the Dallas International Film Festival presented by Cadillac.
Award Winners
Jess + Moss receives the $25,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature
Elevate receives the $25,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary Feature
Five Time Champion receives the $20,000 in Cash, Goods and Services for the Mps Studios Texas Filmmaker Award
If A Tree Falls: A Story Of The Earth Liberation Front receives the Environmental Visions Award
Zero Percent receives the $10,000 Embrey Family Foundation Silver Heart Award
The Legend Of Beaver Dam, The Robbery and Paths Of Hate are named winners for Best Short Film, Student Short and Animated Short
Audience Awards go to Snowmen for Narrative Feature, Wild Horse Wild Ride for Documentary and The Legend Of Beaver Dam for Short
Dallas, TX, April 9, 2011 . For the second year running, the .Dallas Film Society Honors. presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation provided an elegant forum for the awards presentation at the Dallas International Film Festival presented by Cadillac.
- 4/11/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
This review was written by our friend, Reel Distraction.
Rating: 3/5
Director: Tim Skousen
Founded in 2000, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison provides the opportunity for inmates at New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility to receive a college education from an accredited university. The relatively young program boasts an impressive success rate: of the 41 men who graduated through Hudson Link and then left Sing Sing, none have returned to prison. By way of comparison, the national recidivism rate is a depressing sixty percent.
Read more on Diff 2011 Review: Zero Percent...
Rating: 3/5
Director: Tim Skousen
Founded in 2000, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison provides the opportunity for inmates at New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility to receive a college education from an accredited university. The relatively young program boasts an impressive success rate: of the 41 men who graduated through Hudson Link and then left Sing Sing, none have returned to prison. By way of comparison, the national recidivism rate is a depressing sixty percent.
Read more on Diff 2011 Review: Zero Percent...
- 4/7/2011
- by GATW Guest Writer
- GordonandtheWhale
Screen Media Films
NEW YORK -- The ads for The Sasquatch Gang promise that it comes "from the guys who brought you 'Napoleon Dynamite, ' " but similar mainstream success is likely to elude this teen-oriented comedy. A slapstick enterprise centering on the discovery of a presumed Sasquatch turd, this movie is all too redolent of its subject matter.
Written and directed by Tim Skousen, who served as assistant director on Napoleon, the film deals with the discovery by the supremely nerdy Gavin (Jeremy Sumpter) and his friends of some mysterious tracks and droppings in the woods, the size of which indicates that they might stem from the mythical Bigfoot.
Unbeknown to the group -- which also includes the plus-sized Hobie (Hubbel Palmer), the minus-sized Maynard (Rob Pinkston) and the sweet-natured Sophie Addie Land) -- their discovery actually is the creation of slacker Zack (a very amusing Justin Long) and his constantly shirtless friend, Shirts (Joey Kern), as part of a moneymaking scheme to erase Zack's credit card debts.
Predictable wackiness ensues, including the appearance of the high-toned Dr. Artimus Snodgrass (Carl Weathers, no doubt nostalgic for the glories of the Rocky films), a self-proclaimed Sasquatch expert who has arrived to determine the turd's authenticity.
The filmmaker attempts to bring stylization to the sophomoric proceedings via such methods as comic book-style interstitials and a time-fractured narrative that seems far too elaborate for the simple story line.
Very much reminiscent of Napoleon in numerous ways only minus the wit, the film is made somewhat palatable by its inherent sweetness and its treatment of typical adolescent angst. With such touches as Sophie's decision to wire her teeth shut in order to lose weight and Zack's sheepishness upon producing a pair of reading glasses, The Sasquatch Gang demonstrates an admirable sensitivity to its target audience's insecurities.
NEW YORK -- The ads for The Sasquatch Gang promise that it comes "from the guys who brought you 'Napoleon Dynamite, ' " but similar mainstream success is likely to elude this teen-oriented comedy. A slapstick enterprise centering on the discovery of a presumed Sasquatch turd, this movie is all too redolent of its subject matter.
Written and directed by Tim Skousen, who served as assistant director on Napoleon, the film deals with the discovery by the supremely nerdy Gavin (Jeremy Sumpter) and his friends of some mysterious tracks and droppings in the woods, the size of which indicates that they might stem from the mythical Bigfoot.
Unbeknown to the group -- which also includes the plus-sized Hobie (Hubbel Palmer), the minus-sized Maynard (Rob Pinkston) and the sweet-natured Sophie Addie Land) -- their discovery actually is the creation of slacker Zack (a very amusing Justin Long) and his constantly shirtless friend, Shirts (Joey Kern), as part of a moneymaking scheme to erase Zack's credit card debts.
Predictable wackiness ensues, including the appearance of the high-toned Dr. Artimus Snodgrass (Carl Weathers, no doubt nostalgic for the glories of the Rocky films), a self-proclaimed Sasquatch expert who has arrived to determine the turd's authenticity.
The filmmaker attempts to bring stylization to the sophomoric proceedings via such methods as comic book-style interstitials and a time-fractured narrative that seems far too elaborate for the simple story line.
Very much reminiscent of Napoleon in numerous ways only minus the wit, the film is made somewhat palatable by its inherent sweetness and its treatment of typical adolescent angst. With such touches as Sophie's decision to wire her teeth shut in order to lose weight and Zack's sheepishness upon producing a pair of reading glasses, The Sasquatch Gang demonstrates an admirable sensitivity to its target audience's insecurities.
- 12/7/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Serving as first assistant director on Napoleon Dynamite (2004) certainly gave first time filmmaker Tim Skousen a template for some of the character creations and mullet-head protagonists for The Sasquatch Gang - formerly known as the Slamdance entry winner of The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang. The comedy features the Mac vs. PC tv comm dude Justin Long and it got picked up fairly quickly after the fest but has sat on the shelve for a while - until now. Screen Media will be putting out the laugher in select cities December 7th. Below we have the synopsis, poster one sheet and youtube trailer. When Gavin Gore and his three friends, Hobie, Maynard, and Sophie go for a hike up to Deer Cliff Falls, they discover some suspicious footprints and scat that they assume can only be from one source—Bigfoot. They quickly decide to alert police and the media of the
- 11/8/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
Sony BMG Music Entertainment has picked up U.S. rights to Tim Skousen's 2006 Slamdance Film Festival audience award winner The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang. The comedy centers on a young sci-fi fan and his friends who discover some large footprints in the woods and think they have found Bigfoot. Two of the teen's neighbors scheme to make a quick buck from the supposed discovery. The film reteams several of the filmmakers behind Napoleon Dynamite, including its first assistant director Skousen and the producer of both projects, Jeremy Coon. Dynamite writer-director Jared Hess executive produced the comedy.
- 3/27/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CANNES -- A number of the filmmakers behind last year's sleeper hit Napoleon Dynamite are reteaming on The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang, to be produced by Trigger Street Prods. and Crazy Dreams Prods. The project will be the first feature to go into production under the new Trigger Street Independent banner. Tim Skousen, who served as first assistant director on Dynamite, has written and will direct Dumpling Gang, a comedy about several groups who converge as they search for the legendary apelike creature. Dynamite producer and editor Jeremy Coon will produce.
- 5/12/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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