David Sakurai Talks Diversity, the Inspiration of Jim Morrison, and Housewife
David Sakurai’s Headshot courtesy of his Instagram Page (@davidsakurai)
There are many indirect paths to Hollywood. David Sakurai may be playing Krall in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald later this year, but his journey to mainstream notoriety within the Harry Potter universe was cemented by his pivotal performance as Bruce O’Hara in last year’s Housewife.
‘Summer of ’84’ Is a Splash of Brilliant B-Movie Nostalgia
by Nile Fortner
Even though I wasn’t born yet, I know that 1984 was a fantastic year that gave us classics that would later go on to become classic nostalgia. The year 1984 gave us a Schwarzenegger as a futuristic killing-machine cyborg hunting down anyone named Sarah Connor in The Terminator. The year 1984 also taught us that Gremlins can’t get wet, Molly Ringwald was the O.G. red-head babe before Jessica Chastain (sorry Jessica), and that counting after “five and six you better grab your crucifix” before a red-and-green striped sweater wearing serial killer haunts your dreams.
Sequels are a disease…..meet the cure! Logan Myerz reviews the sequel film Another WolfCop that is now available on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital HD.
Check out our full interview with director Lowell Dean and actor Leo Fafard.
https://cinephellas.com/2018/07/05/another-wolfcop-interview-with-lowell-dean-and-leo-fafard/
“Alcoholic werewolf cop Lou Garou springs into action when an eccentric businessman with evil intentions seduces Woodhaven’s residents with a new brewery and hockey team in this outrageous horror-comedy sequel.”
by Logan Myerz
When it comes to sequels, especially in the horror genre, the second installment can either make or break the franchise. There have been many films that surpass the original in many ways, such as Evil Dead 2, The Conjuring 2, and even Aliens. And many films that killed off the franchise before it really took off, such as Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. As a filmmaker, it’s a chance you take to continue with the storyline and capturing what happens to the characters in the next chapter. Do they live or do they die? More importantly, does the sequel capture the chemistry and tones that made the original movie so compelling?
I had the chance to interview the director, Lowell Dean, and the alcoholic werewolf himself, Leo Fafard, about Another Wolfcop, the sequel to the 2014 underground smash hit Wolfcop. With a title like this and the films poster (a take on Sly Stallone’s Cobra), you know you’re in for some laughs, thrills, and a downright good time. Another Wolfcop is a sequel film that I’ve been awaiting since the original and can honestly say I enjoyed it more than the first movie. Today, I spoke with Lowell Dean about the continuation in this franchise, the challenges, and the process of making a sequel film. And with Leo, I found out what it’s like playing a werewolf, being doused in buckets of blood, and being banned from the U.S.
Sequels are a disease…..meet the cure!
Who Gets to Call it History?
Director Piotr Szkopiak Talks Justice, Katyn, and The Last Witness
Director Piotr Szkopiak on the set of The Last Witness
Photo courtesy of Momentum Pictures
History is written by the victors and those with power. Significant events in the lives of ordinary citizens often go missing from news reports, calendars, and textbooks. But May 11th, 2018 was a monumental date. The Last Witness, Polish-Anglo writer and director Piotr Szkopiak’s second film, opened in Poland that day. Red carpet arrivals and press coverage mattered little compared to the importance of Szkopiak’s mother being present to watch the film.
Director Casey Tebo Talks Inspiration, the Rebirth of Steven Tyler, and Out on a Limb
Director Casey Tebo (left) and Steven Tyler (right) at the 2018 Nashville Film Festival
A 45 year-old male audience member once asked English writer and actor Quentin Crisp what he should do about his thinning hair. “Shave your head. This is the principle on which [style] works. You are losing your hair. So you embrace the loss of your hair. You swim with the tide, but faster,” Crisp responded. “Embrace what you alone have.” I’ve always considered this argument to be the most effective defense against aging. Director Casey Tebo’s film called Steven Tyler: Out on a Limb (2018) proves that, at the age of 70, the Aerosmith frontman is just beginning to find his greatest inspiration.
by Nile Fortner
In the late 70’s and 80’s, WWF (now WWE) superstar Andre Roussimoff, better known as Andre the Giant, was a professional wrestling superstar. Many people already knew that the story-lines in TV wrestling were fake and some people had a hard time accepting the truth that Andre stood seven feet tall and weighed 500 pounds, a behemoth of a man.
Andre was nicknamed “The Eighth Wonder of the World” and a “Larger than Life Existence”. HBO’s Andre the Giant documentary is a larger than life documentary that does a good job of showing the career, influence, ups-and-downs that Andre dealt with in his inspirational lifetime.
Friendship, Childhood, and Guns in the Post-Columbine Era
Director Vincent Grashaw Discuss And Then I Go
How far would you go for your best friend? If they were the only person in the world to which you felt connected, would you let anything jeopardize that bond? Would you sacrifice your own life to make them happy? Director Vincent Grashaw uses the United States cultural epidemic of school shootings to examine the roots and depths of friendship in his latest project, And Then I Go (2017). But he was quick to point out that this film is not about topical tragedies; rather, mass shootings by disaffected young boys are treated as manifestations of a broken society.
Matthew Cooke talks art, activism, and Survivors Guide to Prison
What does it mean to be an activist? On the basest level, it means promoting social change by raising awareness about an issue or idea. Activism is often depicted in historical narratives through larger-than-life figures and mass movements. But the greatest activism takes place when ordinary individuals work to connect with others on a one-on-one level. From those small gestures, hope transforms into promise for everyone. Director Matthew Cooke (How to Make Money Selling Drugs) and I discussed this interpersonal activist approach as it appears in his latest documentary project, Survivors Guide to Prison (2018).
by Nile Fortner
The Lullaby is a 2018 South African horror film directed by Darrell Roodt and written by Tarryn-Tanile. The film centers on a 19-year-old mother named Chloe Heerden, who returns to her hometown, Eden Rock, and tries to embrace the terms of being a mother. Even though Chloe has support from her mother, Ruby, Chloe has the willies and has a difficult time grasping the idea of being a mother.
Cinephellas 