Back at last October’s first edition of the Nightstream Film Festival, I was able to watch the wild puppet horror film Frank & Zed, written and directed by Portland filmmaker Jesse Blanchard. I loved it a lot as a love letter to the horror genre and monster movies, and I loved seeing all the effort that went into a puppet film of nature, especially with the climactic Orgy of Blood. I spoke with Jesse at that festival, but as our conversation came at the very end of the festival, we thought it best to hold the conversation for either its release (On Demand or what have you), or its next big festival stop. It’s now playing at the Fantasia Film Festival – available On Demand through Wednesday, August 25 – and I’m super excited to unveil our conversation.
Tag: 2020
“Ted Lasso” Production Team Interview | Production Designer Paul Cripps, Costume Designer Jacky Levy, Make-Up and Hair Designer Nicky Austin, Casting Director Theo Park
Featured image: Jason Sudeikis in Ted Lasso, now streaming on Apple TV+. (Courtesy of Apple TV.) Ted Lasso is a comedy that’s been a hit since its release last summer, a story about the ever-so-positive coach Ted Lasso (played by Jason Sudeikis), who goes from coaching a Kansas football team to a championship in America to … Continue reading “Ted Lasso” Production Team Interview | Production Designer Paul Cripps, Costume Designer Jacky Levy, Make-Up and Hair Designer Nicky Austin, Casting Director Theo Park
Interview: Georgia Waters as Eliza in Freeform’s “Siren” and Rose in “Toys of Terror” (The Filmcraziest Show)
On this episode of The Filmcraziest Show, I was able to talk with Vancouver-based British actress Georgia Waters, where we spoke about her roles on Freeform’s fantasy mermaid show Siren, where she played the role of Eliza in the second and third seasons; as well as her role as Rose in the 2020 horror film Toys of Terror.
Interview: Director and co-writer Elza Kephart for the Shudder Original “Slaxx” (The Filmcraziest Show)
Slaxx is a new horror film about a pair of killer jeans that attacks a Canadian clothing store on the night before a big sale. Reading that synopsis, you’ve likely already decided if that’s the kind-of film for you – and if it is, it’s a real treat as it blends great gore FX, comedy and commentary on the retail industry into a compact 77-minute runtime. I was able to chat with director and co-writer Elza Kephart about her film, where we get into the concept of it, gore, VFX, jeans puppetry and much more.
Interview: Michael Abbott Jr. for The Dark and the Wicked (The Filmcraziest Show – Podcast, video, written transcript)
Here's a written interview transcript of a conversation I had with Michael Abbott Jr., who plays Michael in the new Shudder Exclusive film THE DARK AND THE WICKED. I've also included the podcast audio of the conversation, as well as the YouTube video of the conversation.
Netflix Review: The Prom (2020)
Ryan Murphy, showrunner of American Horror Story, revisits some of his Glee roots by directing The Prom, a movie adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name. The story features a troupe of self-obsessed theater stars wanting to find a cause to make themselves feel better. They settle on a small conservative town in Indiana in support of a high school girl, Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman), who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom.
Review: Chick Fight (2020)
In Chick Fight, Malin Akerman's Anna discovers her late mother's fight club when Anna is at rock bottom. She trains and with misguided confidence challenges the film's villain, Olivia (Bella Thorne) to a fight. This starts one of the most boring underdog stories I've ever seen, with flat acting and a lot, a LOT of slow-motion. Read more to learn why you should skip it.
The Filmcraziest Show – Robert Bockstael for Fatman (2020)
Here’s another episode of The Filmcraziest Show featuring a Christmas film, as I chat with Robert Bockstael (pictured in the featured image in the background on the right) who plays Captain Jacobs in the new Mel Gibson film Fatman. In Fatman, a rowdy, unorthodox Santa Claus (Gibson) fights to save his declining business by taking on a government contract proposed by the military, represented by Captain Jacobs (Bockstael). Meanwhile, Billy (Chance Hurtsfield), a neglected and bratty 12-year-old, hires a hit man (Walton Goggins) to kill Santa after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking. The film also stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Eric Wolfe, and it is written and directed by Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms.
The Filmcraziest Show – Travis Irvine for Killer Raccoons 2: Dark Christmas In the Dark (2020)
On this episode of The Filmcraziest Show, recorded at the tail end of September and released for the Christmas season, I spoke with writer and director Travis Irvine about his latest film Killer Raccoons 2: Dark Christmas in the Dark. The plot: On Christmas Eve, Casey Smallwood (Yang Miller) has just been released from prison after serving 10 years for underage drinking. He hops on the express train to Washington D.C., the Holiday Express, and it’s hijacked by an angry gang of domestic terrorists and government trained raccoons. Casey joins forces with a porter on the train to fight back against the terrorists. The film is written and directed by Travis Irvine.
Shudder Review: A Creepshow Holiday Special (TV Special 2020)
Directed by: Greg Nicotero. Starring: Anna Camp, Adam Pally, Pete Burris. Runtime: 46 min. A Creepshow Holiday Special follows Robert Weston (Adam Pally), a man trying to figure out the strange thing that has been happening to him every full moon. Believing himself to be a werewolf, he finds a support group called Shapeshifters Anonymous … Continue reading Shudder Review: A Creepshow Holiday Special (TV Special 2020)