interviews

Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 12 (Interview with Blake Freeman)

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Calling for Community: A Conversation with Blake Freeman

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

On this episode of the Cinephellas podcast we have my conversation with the multitalented Blake Freeman. We’re discussing his new comedy, All About the Money. Blake wrote the screenplay, directed, produced, and stars in the film. But he consistently points out that the project was only possible thanks to the community of people he worked with, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. He’s got some great co-stars, including Eddie Griffin and Casper Van Dien. This is Eddie’s return to the big screen after about two years doing other projects. And Casper gives a great performance playing against his usual all-American type. Blake also gave me some info about his upcoming TV project based on tech and gaming culture. It’s a timely look at contemporary digital culture.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 11 (Interview with Ward Horton)

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New Perspectives: A Conversation with Ward Horton

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

Who’s your favorite movie villain? What makes an antagonist threatening enough to fear, but vulnerable enough to find relatable? Too often these questions are ignored in favor of stereotypical performances. In the the new film Midnighters, however, Ward Horton develops a multi-layered anti-hero. Questions surround the identity of his character, “Smith,” forcing Horton to perform a spectrum of personality traits from suave to demonic. His ability to transform gives brings to fruition several plot points in the journey of Midnighters’ protagonist, Lindsey, played with sincere vulnerability by the phenomenal Alex Essoe.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 10 (Interview with Bobby V.)

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Bobby V. :  The Most Positive Man in Comedy

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

On today’s episode of the Cinephellas podcast we’ve got my conversation with Bobby Venetz, known by his stage name Bobby V. He’s an up-and-coming stand up comedian in the Los Angeles area that performs regularly with the Rebels of Comedy revue organized by another insanely funny man that you’ve seen on shows like Comics Unleashed, TK Matteson.

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Camera Obscura: Interview with Director Aaron B. Koontz

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Looking Beyond Eyes: An Interview with Aaron B. Koontz

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

Schedules can be hectic. My flight back to Los Angeles from a wedding in New York and director Aaron B. Koontz’s packed press schedule meant that we couldn’t talk directly. But our good friends at the Katrina Wan Press Agency had our backs. Samantha Arevalo and Camelia Adibi forwarded my questions to Aaron so the Cinephellas community could get some insight into his artistic process, being a first-time director, and why he wanted to tackle Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the new film Camera Obscura. I’d like to thank Samantha, Camelia, and Aaron for taking time out of their busy schedules, and I hope Aaron’s answers get you as hyped for the movie as I am.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 9 (Peter Spirer and Peter Baxter Interview)

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Removing Borders: A Conversation with Peter Spirer and Peter Baxter

by Christopher Rzigalinski

On this episode of the Cinephellas podcast I’m talking to the Peter Spirer and Peter Baxter, co-directors of Spirit Game: Pride of a Nation. The documentary uses lacrosse, which the Iroquois nation calls its “medicine game,” as a lens through which to explore Iroquois history and indigenous peoples’ relationships with the United States and Canada. How is it, the film asks, that countless schools and universities across North America play teach the game to its students without relating its ceremonial past? To answer that question, the Peters and I discuss the Catholic Church’s oppressive Doctrine of Discovery, the Iroquois challenges to traditional ideas of sovereignty, and how sports can be used as a tool for activism. Spirit Game is a powerful statement about how popular culture can help change the world for the better.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 8 (Matthias Hoene Interview)

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The Representation Game: A Conversation with Matthias Hoene

 

by Christopher Rzigalinski

Pop culture products like movies and TV shows help us recognize social issues that need discussing. If we’re lucky, they enlighten us in entertaining ways. Sometimes they even make us uncomfortable because they force us question our own beliefs. Enter the Warriors Gate, the latest film from director Matthias Hoene, does all that work and more.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 7 (Olson Brothers Interview)

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A Conversation with the Olson Brothers

by Chris Rzigalinski

It’s hard enough directing a movie when one intelligent mind is behind the camera. But brothers Obin and Amariah Olson find a way to merge two brilliant perspectives. Their latest project, The Shadow Effect, explores the consequences of trauma on Gabriel (played by Cam Gigandet), an ex-Navy Seal unaware he’s in the throes of a scientific experiment. As a result, the lines between reality and imagination are blurred. Gabriel must figure out if his murderous flashbacks are delusions or if the mysterious Dr. Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is manipulating him. Along the way, Gabriel is forced to question the sincerity of the people closest to him, including his wife, Brinn (Britt Shaw).

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Cinephellas Podcast-Episode 5 (Luc Annest Interview)

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Sans Acrobats:

A Review of NOLA Circus

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

NOLA Circus, the latest film from writer/director/producer Luc Annest, focuses on an African American community in New Orleans. Friendships are tested, true love is put on trial, and a bunch of dudes get their asses kicked. Luc brings a French perspective to this dark comedy about two rival barbershops and their larger-than-life employees. I got the chance to talk with him about adjusting to cultural differences in the United States, looking beyond race to understand the film, and the importance of music in visual storytelling. After you listen to my conversation with Luc, check out NOLA Circus when it hits theaters on April 21st or when it hits VOD platforms and iTunes on April 25th.

 

Cinephellas Podcast-Episode 4 (Salt and Fire Screening)

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A Fluffy Night Out:

The West Hollywood Screening of Salt and Fire

by Christopher M. Rzigalinski

At the end of my interview with Veronica Ferres a few weeks ago, she invited me to the London West Hollywood hotel off of West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip for a screening of Salt and Fire. Instead of writing  a review of the event, I wanted to reproduce it. This episode of the Cinephellas podcast is the story my experience and the personal journey it necessitated. I’m forced to confront questions of identity, recognizing the space between the way I see myself and how I’m seen (or unseen) within the Hollywood machine. While those neuroses are being sorted out, I try to pay attention to a David O. Russell-moderated Q & A with Veronica and writer/director of Salt and Fire, Werner Herzog. But the most trying part of the evening is figuring out why Mr. Herzog is as fluffy as llama fur.