cinephellas

Review – The Shallows (2016)

/ cinephellas / Leave a comment

theshallows

by Old King Clancy

Shark movies have a difficult time getting noticed because they’re all inevitable going to be compared to Jaws, and rightfully so, in this niche genre Jaws isn’t just top of the pile, it’s wearing a crown made of shark teeth and sitting on a throne of bones. There have been a few that have made their mark, Deep Blue Sea for embracing the silliness of its own concept and the Sharknado franchise for just being plain silly. The Shallows might not be the next great shark movie, but for what it is, it’s one of the better low-key thrillers we’ve had for a while and a reminder of why people have been scared to go in the water for over 40 years.

Continue reading →

Check out FOUND FOOTAGE 3D!

/ cinephellas / Leave a comment
Found-Footage-3D-Szenenfoto-1
When he’s hired to document the behind-the-scenes action of the ultra low-budget horror movie Spectre of Death (“the first 3D found-footage horror film”), an aspiring filmmaker packs up his camera and travels with the film’s crew to a creepy cabin in the woods. But when the fictional evil presence from their film begins appearing in his behind-the-scenes footage, he has to figure out how to stop it, or it just may find its way into the real world. In the same way that Scream deconstructed the slasher sub-genre in the 1990s, FF3D takes a found-footage horror movie and populates it with people who are aware of all of the rules, tricks, and clichés of the genre. They know how to make a found footage movie. But do they know how to survive one?
Found Footage 3D is produced by Kim Henkel, co-creator of the original classic, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, one of the most widely influential horror films ever made. Filmed in Gonzales, TX, the film stars Carter Roy (Refuge, Stuck in the Middle), Alena von Stroheim (Hacker’s Game, The Activist), Chris O’Brien (Alpha House), Tom Saporito (Off Campus), Scott Allen Perry, Jessica Perrin, and Scott Weinberg.
The film will celebrate its World Premiere at Bruce Campbell’s Horror Film Festival in Chicago on August 20th, and will also have its International Premiere at FrightFest in London on August 29th.

EXCLUSIVE: Logan sits down with Director/Writer Ben Cresciman!

/ cinephellas / Leave a comment

DirectorBenCresciman_DPMathewRudenberg

Independent film making is its own art form in many ways. This includes counter parts involved such as the writers, directors, producers, crew members, visual team, and actors/actresses. It’s not about the money and the big budget that will sky rocket you to celebrity stardom, but more about doing what you love and building a memorable craft.  Ben Cresciman is an independent film maker that does it all and has a great outlook on making these films special. Ben is the writer and director in his newest film, Sun Choke, which won an award at the Knoxville Horror Film Fest in 2015. Ben crafted a unique cinematic experience that drives the audience into a trance with beautifully crafted scenes that use the camera work and lighting to it’s full potential on top of a dark story. Sun Choke is a film that takes you into the mind of Janie who is recovering from a psychotic breakdown and the relationships she has with her nanny, Irma and soon to be friend, Savanna.  

It was my pleasure to sit down with Ben today to pick his brain on creating Sun Choke, his film-making process, and the tool kit he implements when making a character driven film.

Continue reading →

Review – Suicide Squad

/ cinephellas / Leave a comment

sq

by Rachel Schullo

By now you’ve read many reviews on Suicide Squad. I’m sure they’ve ranged anywhere from, “THIS WAS A TOTAL SHITSHOW DEATH TO EVERYONE INVOLVED” to “OMG THIS WAS AMAZING DEATH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE THIS VIEWPOINT”. And honestly, these passionate opinions are based in some truth; there were really good parts and very, very bad parts. But after seeing the movie I’m not sure how anyone can feel that strongly about anything as mediocre as it was. Let me explain.

Continue reading →

EXCLUSIVE: Logan interviews “The Mind’s Eye” star John Speredakos!

/ cinephellas / Leave a comment

 

Mind's+Eye

It’s rare to find a film that intrigues you and draws you back into the 1980’s when cinema was focused on story, acting, score, and practical effects. Joe Begos’ newest film “The Mind’s Eye” revisits the time when scripts were inventive, invigorating, and energizing. Today, I had the opportunity to interview the great John Speredakos who portrays Dr. Michael Slovak, the demented doctor that has a research facility who is studying people that have psychokinetic powers. John is no stranger to film and you may have recognized his work in the Ti West films “House of the Devil” and “The Innkeepers’ but he has portrayed characters in the horror genre for some time, but this is a new role that we have not seen in his film career. John Speredakos brings his best performance to date and it was my pleasure to sit down and interview him on his role in The Mind’s Eye.

Continue reading →

HBO’s New Comedy Series to Begin Production Later This Year

/ cinephellas / Leave a comment

The Bronze Premiere at the SilverScreen Theater

The anthology comedy series ROOM 104, from brothers Jay and Mark Duplass, will begin production in Los Angeles later this year for 2017 debut on HBO, it was announced today by Casey Bloys, president, HBO programming. Set in a single room of an average American hotel, ROOM 104 tells a different story of the assorted characters who pass through it in each episode.

“Jay and Mark Duplass are two of the most inventive talents in TV today,” noted Bloys. “We’re excited to see what they do with this unique concept.”

“We’ve all seen stories set in seedy motels and high-class international resorts, but for years we’ve been fascinated by the funny, weird, sad, scary, absurd things going down in that corporate chain hotel near the airport. That’s what ROOM 104 is after… finding some magic in the seemingly mundane,” added Jay and Mark Duplass.

Filmmaking brothers Jay and Mark Duplass (along with Steve Zissis) were creators of the HBO comedy series “Togetherness,” which completed its second season earlier this year. They are also executive producers of HBO’s adult animated comedy series “Animals,” which returns for its second season in 2017.

Jay and Mark Duplass have written, directed and/or produced more than 20 films, including “Cyrus,” “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” “Baghead” and their 2005 Sundance Film Festival breakout hit, “The Puffy Chair.” Other films produced by the Duplass Brothers include the Independent Spirit Award-winning “Safety Not Guaranteed” and “Tangerine,” and the upcoming romantic drama “Blue Jay,” which will have its world premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

ROOM 104 will be executive produced by Jay & Mark Duplass, who are also showrunners; executive producer, Xan Aranda; producer, Sydney Fleischmann.

Courtesy of HBO

Review – Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

/ cinephellas / Leave a comment

mike-and-dave-need-wedding-dates

by Armando Vanegas

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is one of those movies I would’ve loved when I was younger and it was playing on Comedy Central on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It knows what it is and sometimes that’s good enough. It even has a really dependable cast for the most part and they were a big reason that I was curious about this. That and I couldn’t see Ghostbusters as it was packed at the time but it’s still a good substitute if you want to have some laughs. Some of the people providing those laughs are Adam DeVine and Zac Efron as Mike and Dave Stangle, two brothers who have a reputation for getting too out of control at their family get togethers.

Continue reading →