Lori Petty, a Venice local,  has conquered the silver screen with her indelible performances like Kit Keller in “A League of Their Own” or Tank Girl in, well, “Tank Girl.”  She dazzled on the small screen as well producing and starring in the tv hit “Lush Life” on Fox and made her mark on Broadway back in the 90’s.  An accomplished painter, in March 2008 she had a solo exhibit of her work at the Deborah Page Gallery in Santa Monica in follow-up to her earlier one-woman show at 72 Market Street in Venice and has been a regularly featured artist on the Venice Art Walk. So, it seems only natural that sooner or later directing would be her next step.  In 2008, Petty also wowed audiences at Los Angeles Film Festival  with not only her skills as a writer and director, but with her heartfelt honesty and emotion, telling one small chapter from her own life story, with THE POKER HOUSE.

Agnes, Cammie and Bee are an incredible group of siblings. Continue reading THE POKER HOUSE →

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It is a real privilege and pleasure for me to bring you my review of  SEVERED WAYS: THE NORSE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA, a film which debuted at Los Angeles Film Festival in 2007 and which was one of my “Must See Festival Films” as well as a hot contender in the Narrative Feature competition.   Just to show all you filmmakers out there that festivals do garner distribution deals, SEVERED WAYS now makes its way into theatres starting July 17, 2009.  

Slightly off-beat and definitely not what one would expect with a Viking movie, producer/writer/editor/actor and first time feature director Tony Stone brings us a rather unique perspective of the coming to America by Vikings in 1007 AD.   Shot over the course of almost 4 years (although not a 4 year time span in the film) using only natural lighting from the sun, the moon and fire, the results are at times magical.  

Obviously one with a fertile imagination, Tony Stone creates a fictional story drawn from the actual Vineland Sagas, stories which tell the tale of Viking and Norse exploration of the New World starting with Lief Ericson. Continue reading SEVERED WAYS: THE NORSE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA →

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Lynn Shelton has managed to do what few of the fairer sex have accomplished – infiltrate the psyche of the male species.  (Yes, amazing as it may seem, men do have a psyche…and it may even be located above the waist!)  And thanks to this insightful wisdom, with HUMPDAY, Shelton brings us an uproariously funny, rollicking romp into the world of bromance by way of the fictional porn film festival known as  “Hump Fest”.

Now, I know, when you hear the word “humpday” you think of Wednesday, that day in the middle of the week.  That day where we actually see the light at the end of the tunnel of a hellacious work week.  Well, Shelton now sheds new light on the new meaning to the word with the story of Ben and Andrew.

Best friends in college, Ben and Andrew have each gone their separate ways, each living his own dream and with paths now crossing only by the occasional post card or phone call. Continue reading MOVIE REVIEW: HUMPDAY →

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It takes one heckuva film or performance for me to be swayed into a position of utter allegiance to an actor, writer or director, but with SURVEILLANCE, writer/director Jennifer Lynch has  done just that, solidifying my belief in her unique vision, style and solid execution of a project.   Already known for pushing the envelope thanks to “Boxing Helena”, with SURVEILLANCE, Lynch pushes the psychological thriller envelope even further, captivating, enthralling and intriguing us with her own intensity in a cat and mouse game of twists and turns and the unexpected, all linked together by the voice of an innocent child.

The highway can be a lonely place.  Driving along, mile after mile, with nothing but the barrenness of golden brown dying field grass to keep you company, you become oblivious to the world beyond the tinted glass of a car window. Continue reading MOVIE REVIEW: SURVEILLANCE →

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Iraq.  Baghdad.  Insurgents.  IED.  EOD.   These terms have swirled around in the world and in our minds for some years now, but what do we know beyond what the media feeds us?  Do we really know the scope and magnitude of the emotional and physical battles being played out every day in the war?  Do we really know or understand the magnitude of the insurgency bombings that take place on a routine daily basis?  How many of you know what an EOD is?  Or what an EOD squad actually does?  Screenwriter Mark Boal does.  Director Kathryn Bigelow does.  And now, thanks to them,  you will get the closest thing to experiencing a war zone first hand, and the unsung heroes of the EOD squads, with THE HURT LOCKER – a riveting, nail biting, action-packed, tension-filled film  that pounds the screen with jack hammering intensity.  Powerful.  Visceral.  One of the finest war movies of all time that will find a home in history among the best of the best.

Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) squads are our first and last line of defense against Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). Continue reading MOVIE REVIEW: THE HURT LOCKER →

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Foreword by Stan Lerner: the blog you are about to read is simply the best and most comprehensive guide for this years Los Angeles Film Festival–see you at the movies!

MUST SEE FESTIVAL FILMS

Okay folks!  I’ve been waiting all year for it and so have many of you.  It’s time for the Los Angeles Film Festival!!  Now in its 15^th year, LAFF 2009 promises to be one of the best festivals ever.  Running from June 18^th to 28^th, with screening venues located in Westwood as well as the Ford Amphitheatre, LAFF is world renowned for its level of excellence and the quality of its festival programming and films, and promises to show us once again why LAFF is one of the leaders among film festivals.  I, for one, am always amazed at the consistency and quality of films at LAFF and this year is no different.   The slate of films is as diverse as it gets, showcasing some old friends as well as the new wave of insightful, visionary and entertaining filmmakers.  Always with its pulse on the beat of the world, this year you can expect controversy, political commentary, humor, drama and as always, entertainment.

Important to note is that not only does LAFF shine a light on new and emerging filmmakers while providing the audience with top flight entertainment, but it awards the filmmakers with Jury and Audience Prizes in four categories, as well as a $50,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature AND a $50,000 unrestricted cash prize provided by Target, both of which are the largest cash prizes bestowed by a U.S. Film Festival, which we hope these talented filmmakers will use for their next project or, to pay off their debts from funding the winning films.

Over the years, LAFF has debuted or showcased some rather notable films – 2005 brought us the Oscar winning “March of the Penguins”,  2006 gave us  “Little Miss Sunshine” and the world premiere of “The Devil Wears Prada” starring Anne Hathaway who skyrocketed to stardom with this film. Continue reading SPECIAL EVENT: 2009 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL →

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When a friend invited me to attend the first CBS studio taping of So You Think You Can Dance (now in its 5^th season), I did not think of it as a journalistic opportunity. However, on reflection, I was given no notice or instruction toward discretion, nor was I consigned to a grim and lengthy legal disclaimer, so, despite my lateness, a post seems the order of the day.  Some of what I will say will be on view from 8 – 10 o’clock Wednesday on the FOX network, but I will make it my aim to enclose details that television viewers may be ignorant of. Even for fellow Angelenos, details of the movements and events inside a television studio lot are varyingly mysterious. Many have had their separate adventure to a taping of this or that, but, as I quickly found, separate shows offer separate experiences. No two are alike – or even similar. Continue reading So You Want To Be A Live Studio Audience? →

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Leave it to Maria Bello to tackle one of the most challenging and controversial film roles of the year.  Always known for her diversity, not to mention gutsy, fearless and often eclectic performances, with DOWNLOADING NANCY, Bello reaches the pinnacle of her thus far seen vast talents, turning in a performance as Nancy that is mesmerizing, disturbing, interesting and dripping in Oscar gold.

Nancy is a severely disturbed young woman with sadomasochism rooted deep in her psyche.  Stemming from painful sexual abuse as a young child at the hands of her uncle, Nancy’s perceptions were inexplicably altered for life, causing her to understand that pain is pleasure and pain is love and that by allowing someone to cause you pain when it gives them pleasure is a way of returning love. Continue reading MOVIE REVIEW: DOWNLOADING NANCY–good →

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If you get a sense of deja vu on seeing the one sheet poster for this film, it’s with good reason.   After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and given the tough competition in theatres this summer, a shining jewel like AWAY WE GO needs all the help it can get to grab your attention, and movie posters are a good place to start.  But once that poster grabs your eye, make sure you don’t miss AWAY WE GO – a charming, emotionally engaging, humorous and heartfelt look at what happens when it comes time for adults to finally “grow up” (particularly given that they are expectant parents), come face to face with who they are and where they are going, accept responsibility and figure out that home really is where you heart is. (And if that brief description reminds you of a film that dealt with a teenager named Juno facing some similar issues,  you would be right.)

Continue reading MOVIE REVIEW: AWAY WE GO–Good →

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There are two things that jump out at you during the 13:22 minutes of CAPTAIN, a leading contender in the Short Film Competition at this year’s Dances with Films Film Festival.  First, is the exquisite cinematography of Emily Topper and second, although only on screen a scant few seconds, the oh-toooo-cute and adorable CAPTAIN.  Both are images and qualities that stay with you after the film’s end.

A frustrated writer, to make ends meet, Steve has been relegated to the job of a dog-walker.  Staring at a blank computer screen for endless hours, he gives new meaning to the term “writer’s block.”  Mentally tormenting himself over the fact that he is 36 years old and written nothing while F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote “The Great Gatsby” at age 29, you get the idea as to the extent of self-flagellation going on.  Making matters worse, a few months earlier he was kicked out of a writing class because, as his instructor Carl put it, he wasn’t living up to his potential Continue reading MOVIE REVIEW: CAPTAIN–Good →

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