Chris rzigalinski

Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 20 (Interview with Angelic Zambrana)

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Life Imitating Art : A Conversation with Angelic Zambrana

by Christopher M. Rzigalinski

On today’s episode of the Cinephellas Podcast I’m chatting with Angelic Zambrana about her role in the film Bushwick (2017), which hits theaters and VOD on this Friday, August 25th. Bushwick is the horrifying story about a present-day civil war in which several southern states decide to secede from the United States. A group of mercenaries from Texas invade the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York and martial law is declared. Stupe (Dave Bautista) and Lucy (Brittany Snow) have to retrieve Lucy’s sister Belinda (played by Angelic) and escape this war zone with their lives.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 17 (Interview with Brendan Muldowney)

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Fostering Faith: A Conversation with Brendan Muldowney

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

What is faith? What does it mean to actively have faith in something? How necessary is it to have faith in yourself versus a higher power? These are just some of the philosophical questions I discuss with Irish director Brendan Muldowney on this edition of the Cinephellas Podcast. I got keen insight into the quest for spirituality that informs his new film Pilgrimage, which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 16 (Interview with Marko Zaror)

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A Conversation with Marko Zaror

by Christopher M. Rzigalinski

On this episode of the Cinephellas Podcast, I’m talking with Marko Zaror about his role in film Savage Dog. The film is written and directed by Jesse V. Johnson and produced in association with our good friends XLrator Media. It stars Scott Adkins in the origin story of the myth that gives itself to the title. Set in Indochina at an anarchic moment in 1959, the story takes place after the French military had left the area and a few years before the American presence during the Vietnam War. The region is filled with Vietnamese warlords and European war criminals avoiding prosecution in the wake of both World War II and the Korean War. Scott Adkins plays “Martin Tillman,” a former-champion boxer that ends up stuck competing in an underground fighting ring, battling for his life. That’s until he’s forced on a journey of revenge. Marko Zaror plays “Rastignac,” the man responsible for destroying Martin’s last vestiges of hope.

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Killing Ground (2017) – Interview with Harriet Dyer

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Anatomy of Salvation: A Conversation with Harriet Dyer

by Christopher M. Rzigalinski

Attending Catholic school for half my life taught me that salvation meant being saved from damnation by Jesus Christ. The contours of that salvation were difficult to define, though. The very thought that I, an ordinary person, was empowered enough to save myself, let alone others, was overwhelming. Since becoming an adult, however, I’ve been thrust into the role of protector several times. No discrediting Christian doctrine, but it’s equally as important to validate the agency of individual human beings.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 15 (Interview with Mathieu Ratthe)

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Following Passion : A Conversation with Mathieu Ratthe

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

What scares you most? For me, it’s the unknown. If Freddie Kruger, Jason Vorhees, or Chucky showed up at my door, I’d have to check my underwear. But at least I’d know how to defend myself. The first step to conquering a fear is facing it. But what about terror you can’t see?

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 14 (Interview with Michael Alago)

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Translation of Beauty : A Conversation with Michael Alago

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

We’re often reminded that beauty exists in the eye of the beholder. But that revelation takes for granted that the beholder is already positioned in front of the subject she or he is admiring. Seldom do we hear about the influencers that make the relationship between subject and admirer possible. Without them, how would we even have the opportunity to recognize beauty? Michael Alago has made a career of interpreting art and presenting it for large audiences. Who the F**k is that Guy?: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago, director Drew Stone’s documentary about Alago’s life and career, explores Michael’s ability to translate his personal passions into shareable ideas. Whether in the role of show booker for the legendary Ritz club in New York, A & R (Artist & Repertoire) scout for Elektra Records, or as an independent photographer, Alago has a vision for understanding the talent that makes his subjects unique and different. And in the film, we get to see the world through his eyes.

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Review – Man in the Camo Jacket (2017)

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Declaring Yourself: A Review of Man in the Camo Jacket

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

“Declare yourself an unsafe building.” I can’t get that line from The Alarm’s 1981 debut single, “Unsafe Building,” out of my head. The lyric and its sentiment of acknowledging weakness in order to rebuild are the strongest threads through Man in the Camo Jacket, director Russ Kendall’s documentary about Alarm frontman-turned-solo artist Mike Peters. The film could have easily focused on Peters’ rich musical career. But it transcends the predictable Behind the Music-style drama of many music documentaries to become a portrait of hope. We are privileged to tag along on Mike’s several journeys of reinvention, from resurrecting his career after leaving the Alarm to his battles with cancer. The first step toward any reinvention, we learn from Mike, is having the strength to let yourself fall apart.

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Cinephellas Podcast – Episode 13 (Interview with Matt Schrader)

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Complementary Rhythms: A Conversation with Matt Schrader

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

On this episode of the Cinephellas Podcast we have my conversation with Matt Schrader, making his directorial debut with Score: A Film Music Documentary. Matt provides keen insight into how this film was made. We discuss how his previous career as a major network news producer influenced his approach to directing, his favorite cinematic memories, and the difficulties of making a fact-based documentary in the era of Fake News. The conversation made me want to see the movie ten more times; I hope it gets you excited, too.

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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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