BLACK EVE

Years before the dawn of torture porn; years before horror was reduced  to dismissing the need for scares and reducing the genre to gross out masochistic blood fests, the slasher genre ruled.  From Halloween in 1978 on, tales of killers stalking the youth of a community dominated the box office.

Black Eve (dir by Ryan Andrews) brings this genre back with a vengeance.  He weaved a complicated tale about a killer running rampant through a party of teenagers.  While avoiding spoilers, all I can say is that the set up isn't the story and Andrews does an excellent job of taking us down a spiral of terror that is both physical and psychological.

Ryan Andrews weaves a narrative that is reminiscent of the slasher classics that came before while forging new ground in terror.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1594913/

http://www.facebook.com/BlackEveMovie

STARTED OUT DARK, ENDED UP TWITCHY

I started writing this blog in somewhat of a dark place. For the first time since doing this, I asked myself “what's the point?” Abram's Hand was denied for the first time in a festival. Not upset about not getting in necessarily, but bummed because I was again faced that this isn't always about talent or who's film is better. It's about connections. It's about names. It's about money. And then talent.

I didn't necessarily mind the idea of not playing the fest. It's one of those things. And in the past year, we had more than our share of successes. But the list of films comes out and you see remakes of TV shows and such...well, I went a little Vader after Padme died. “Nooooooo!” This isn't to say I felt that about every film that got in. Not at all. Ya'Ke's film WOLF is premiering there. I'm in awe of him as a director. I was his student at Texas and I think he's got a brilliant eye. It deserves the honor. And I saw Gayby at SlamDance as a short and am excited to see the full thing.

So, again, I was asking “what's the point?”

The point is to realize this: “They” want me to quit. So, the minute I do, it lets them win. Gives them one less obstacle too block their way. So, the key is to gut through the disappointment and set backs and find a new angle of positivity. New energy to work harder. So, while the point of the blog was originally to rail against the unfairness of the situation, I'm gonna go with a more positive tone. Focus on how I'm going to keep my energy and positivity.

1. My wife. I cannot say enough about what she means to me and what she's done to help us grow.  She's beautiful, genuine and the sweetest person I know.  Truly a better person than I.
2. The Twitchy owners: Chris Copple shoots a movie better than most people I know. And really helps keep me moving. Especially when I need my meds.  Or when our backs are against the wall.  And Nathan Bybee has a unique way of staying positive just when I need him to be.
3. The Twitchy Folks: People like: Stephanie Dunbar, Terissa Kelton, Natalie Wilemon, Richard Jones, Caitlin Sweeney, Brandi Blevins, Francis Casanova, Sonia Melendez, Aaron Gaudin, Will Cooper, Billy and Elizabeth Kring, Colby Wallingsford, Christen Holder, Derick Morris, Ashley Serrao, Vanessa Perry, Benjamin Jabe, Phillip Emmanuel, Conrad Gonzales, Allison Wood, Mark McCarver, Orion Gallagher, Jenn Nicole and so many others. Even Jimmy Donovan. These folks have worked so hard on past projects and touched me with their talents and really humbled me with their effort.
4. The cast of 3 References. Full of new faces. So many talents. I'm as excited as heck to get started. Those guys are really, really funny.
5. The CineMafia. Our word for the other filmmakers who are “like” us. Gary Warren is a brother to me (even though he'd prefer to read the more angry version of this blog). Carlo Rodriguez is one of the hardest working guys I know. Janet Mayson brings such infectious enthusiasm to everything she does. Mike Donis is the same, just more Canadian. Sharon Wright is like an old school Hollywood starlet. Full of grace (and sometimes a foul mouth, which I love :-) Ford Austin is a guy who is just motivating to be around. And Marc Wasserman brings shots! (and so much more. The guy can act. And I have genuine love for that dude.) Scott and Kandi Duns are this amazing husband and wife couple that have gone all in for eachother like Jess and I have. All of these folks, including Koran Dunbar our new friend we just met wow me with their work ethic and creativity that I'm inspired to try and keep up.

So, that's where I'm left . It's always darkest before the dawn. And I honestly feel that I will get back to it tomorrow and be full speed ahead. For those of you who sign on to work with us, better keep up or get off the train completely. Cause we won't slow down and we're not afraid to run folks over.

Thought I'd link you guys to the members of the "CineMafia" for some insight into their projects and such.

TWITCHY DOLPHIN FLIX:

www.twitchydolphin.com

facebook.com/twitchydolphin

GARY WARREN:

facebook.com/pages/The-Path-of-Torment/136011754134

facebook.com/pages/The-Best-Laid-Schemes/226571961031?ref=ts

CARLO RODRIGUEZ:

www.gothicfilms.biz/

www.underdogs.com

JANET MAYSON:

www.woofnow.com

MIKE DONIS:

http://www.facebook.com/PeteWinningAndThePirates

SHARON WRIGHT:

http://www.shesalwayswright.com/

MARC WASSERMAN:

http://www.resipsaproductions.com/

FORD AUSTIN:

http://angrybabymonkey.com/main.html

SCOT & KANDI DUNS:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Heart-Productions-LLC/171283396258609

KORAN DUNBAR:

http://www.greencastlethefilm.com/index.html

GREENCASTLE review

Since our films Look At MeAgain and Snatch 'N'Grab began their festival runs a year ago, I've seen hundreds of independent films. Some were good. Some were great. Most of the films were covered with the blood, sweat and tears of their filmmakers who put everything into their project. Some not so much. A few of the films stuck with me after the screening. One such film was Greencastle.  We were fortunate to be at the premiere of this film at the Idyllwild International Festival Of Cinema.

Set in Greencastle, PA, this film takes on a number of heavy topics. It covers issues dealing with single fatherhood, moving on after the loss of a spouse and how to grab a hold of your life's dreams while struggling with racial identity. It handles these issues with subtlety and delicacy, couching the story in a tale of love and forgiveness.

The film features a great cast that really brought a human face to the difficult challenges the story presented. Writer/Director Koran Dunbar plays Poitier Dunning, a widower whose life is slowing passing by. He struggles with keeping the momentum of his life going while trying to raise his son Julian, played by real life son Aurelius. These two have great chemistry on screen with Julian providing an emotion touchtone for Poitier. Both Koran and Aurelius create vivid characters that really allow the audience to connect with their struggle. Nikki Estridge's Leslie enters the story as a wounded woman running from her past and becomes a glimmer of a hopeful future for Julian and Poitier. Her naked portrayal of a woman just trying to get a new start is frank and touching. The film benefits from an amazing cast of supporting actors as well. Ralph Mauriello as Rocco is a breath of fresh air, the hardened, tough talking boss who really wants the best for Poitier. Christopher James stole every scene he was in as the Bradley Cooper-esque Rick.

The cast, combined with the honest simplicity of the story created a film that was impossible not to connect with. I was honored to be in the audience and I look forward to watching the audience of Greencastle grow. Any one complaining about reboots or remakes in Hollywood need to check out this film and others like it. The originality and honesty of our film culture is out there. We just need to find it. And the journey can begin with films like Greencastle.  And it can continue with films from the likes of Gary C. Warren, Gothic Films, Sharon Wright, Mike Donis, Janet Mayson Marc Wasserman, Ford Austin and Underdogs.com.  They make movies with nothing but a love of film and desire to tell a story.  Or, all that you need.

James Christopher

President, Twitchy Dolphin Flix

www.twitchydolphin.com

OUR ICONS? OR L.A.'s?

So, we've all read it and cringed:

"A reimagining"

"A reboot"

"A redefining"

"A retread"

RE-RE-RE-RE....remember when people just told a cool story?

It's not uncommon for Hollywood to return to old themes or ideas - that's been going on for as long as there has been a movie industry.  But the idea of taking specific characters and changing part of their story because they weren't "cool" enough in the first place seems relatively new.

"We're gonna do SUPERMAN, but he needs to be cooler.  Edgier."  Rather than focus on what works about the character and writing a good story with those elements, they ignore everything about it, focusing just on the brand recognition.

One only need to look as far as the Twilight novels to see how popular culture has started a trend of gutting character arch types that we know for drastically different (and counter to the core of the character) interpretations.

So it begs the question.  Who owns these characters?  Does it go beyond the legal ownership and licensing rights to a greater sense of ownership by those who hold these characters dear to their hearts?  George Lucas constantly redefines the most popular series of films in history.  Are they truly "his"?  Or are they owned, in part, by those of us who feel they are part of the fabric of our culture?

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME FOR A FLICK

Christmas season is upon us.  Well, I guess it's been upon us since October, but now it's in full swing.  Just 20 days until the jolly fat man squeezes his white ass down the chimney.  I've been prepping the way I always do...watching movies.  I watch a variety.  Some are new.  Some are old.  Some are gonna make you say WTF for either it being included (or excluded).  So, here are my top ten Christmasy flicks that I have to watch every year so I can keep the holiday in my heart...

1)    NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION  "If I woke up with my head sewn to the carpet, I couldn't be more surprised than I am right now."  trailer

2)    A CHRISTMAS STORY  "Fragile!  It must be Italian."  trailer

3)    ELF  "We're gonna go ice skating and eat sugar plumbs!"  trailer

4)    MIRACLE ON 34th STREET  trailer

5)    DIE HARD "It's Christmas time in Hollis, Queens..."  trailer

6)    MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL  "There's more of gravy than of grave..."  trailer

7)    LETHAL WEAPON  "Do you really wanna jump?  Do ya?"  trailer

8)    A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS trailer

9)    WHITE CHRISTMAS "We'll follow the old man..."  trailer

10)   4 CHRISTMASES  "I'm from the bison state baby..."  trailer

Yep, no IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and BAD SANTA got the boot.

SAY IT AIN'T SO, JOEL

Sadly, he didn't.  Joel McHale confirmed on his Twitter that, in fact, Community has gone into some kind of hiatus.

Does this mark the end of the one of the best written shows on TV?  It definitely doesn't bode well for the show.  Whether were heading for the early death of an Arrested Development or whether the show will limp along in SCRUBS-ian fashion remains to be seen.

One thing is clear however.  The proof that the American cultural IQ has dropped to the point that it can be satiated with more reality and typical sitcom fare is evident.

Part of my love of Community stems from the fact that it is most decidedly a-typical.  It's meta, its irreverent and it pokes fun at the Whitneys and the Up All Nights of the world by illustrating all of the tropes that make those genres so silly and overdone.  As a film guy and someone who'd rather watch a movie than most of the tripe on TV these days, I get that.  And so does a very loyal fan base that I don't think will take this lightly.  For those of you who don't get it, who didn't feel "in on the joke," I don't know what to say.  Maybe less REAL HOUSEWIVES and X FACTORS and more entertainment of substance?  If you want to give the show a shot, I suggest the Halloween Ep of season 1 and the season 1 & 2 finales.

What was a dynamic night of off beat comedies just got less so.  I for one hope to be back at Greendale sooner than later.

HALLOWEEN 5,6,7

HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS

While not as “good” a sequel as 4 or 2, I dig this one.. Again, Danielle Harris and Donald Pleasance carry this film. Michael is back a year later after a really nice sequence referencing Bride of Frankenstein where he is nursed back to health by an old man who he then kills. (He monster did it as an accident. Mike is just a jerk.)

Again the film executes the tropes first set out by the original but also builds on the mythology in an attempt to deepen the story. There are some missteps though. This is the first of the Halloween films that creates characters that you WANT to die. The goofy cops for two and I kind of wanted Jamie's little friend to buy it too. In fact, none of the characters, outside of Loomis or Jamie are worth even rooting for.

What I always enjoyed about the other films was the degree of empathy felt when the characters would buy it. On the other hand, one of the strong parts of this entry is that the story is built to carry on and seeds are planted to carry through the next installment.

HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS

This movie is weird for me. In a lot of ways, it takes the franchise in a bold (potential) new direction. But at the same time, it randomly kills off a beloved character (Jamie Lloyd) after recasting her.

But I didn't hate the film, mostly due to performances like the one that Paul Rudd (yes, that Paul Rudd) gave as TOMMY DOYLE. Tommy survived the first night's attacks and has studied Myers from afar and introduces the idea that Michael's unstoppability might be more than happenstance. The character of Doyle almost adds a degree of realism to the narrative, even with how “out there” it gets.

The film has major flaws, a product I learned later had to do with test screenings, reshoots and the like. The knowledge of a producers cut has my interest and I will wait for that to arrive to pass final judgement on the film. But, at the end of the day, I put this film slightly above 5 on the sequel list.

HALLOWEEN H20: This film is problematic for me. On the one hand, I enjoy it very much. It's a technically very good film. It's well put together, well written and well acted. And of course, it features the return of Jamie Lee Curtis. It's a slick horror film. Maybe too slick. The way they took the theme into a traditional score even feels too glossy.

The other thing that bothers me is their desire to ignore the 4,5,6 installments. While those events COULD have existed with the way the 7^th film is constructed, that they made a point of telling everyone that 4,5,6 didn't exist is lame. It means as an audience, we wasted our time and money enjoying those films. It's a little silly to feel that way, I know, but at the end of the day, its something that, as a fan, I can't pull back from.

HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION Not wasting my time.

RANKING OF HALLOWEEN FILMS:

Halloween (1978)
Halloween 4
Halloween 2 (1981)
Halloween (Zombie)
Halloween H20
Halloween 6
Halloween 5
Halloween 2 (Zombie)
Halloween 8

Happy Halloween everyone!!!