I don’t know. This seemed to be such a pointless film.
You can’t just throw a bunch of characters into a room, give them each a problem, and then back away expecting the audience to care. Who ARE these people? Why should we care? Maybe none of them are even nice people… we aren’t given the chance to know either way.
Until roughly halfway through when we find out that at least some of these characters actually are horrible friends and despicable human beings. And really, really dumb.
It’s Jennifer’s 30th birthday, and she’s having a bad one. Her boyfriend just told her he’s been cheating on her with one or more of her “friends” and everyone is coming to the party. The entire film takes place solely in the very large kitchen, and as people come in and out we learn their various problems and issues and relationships with the others. But there is nothing really interesting going on. Any dozen of my own friends would produce a lot more drama and laughs than this bunch of boring people. Not to mention, by the time you turn 30 you should have a better group of friends than this.
The idea of an entire film shot in the kitchen during a party is a good concept, it just doesn’t work here. For one, this particular kitchen is so huge, and there are so many camera angles used, that you never get the feeling this is all happening in one room. I have lived in apartments the size of this kitchen. And the background noise, between the party conversation and the constant music, gives a constant distracted feel, so you never want to settle down and listen to the characters on the screen. There is a scene in the trailer where Laura Prepon (Jennifer) is on the phone talking about being surrounded by friends, but the camera pans around and there are basically crickets in the empty, quiet room. That scene works great in the trailer. But in the film, the background noise continues to play, giving the feeling that she IS surrounded by friends just off camera.
There is one scene in the film with a fire extinguisher that will have you laughing and clapping your hands, but it’s not nearly enough to save the film. You will likely be half asleep by that point and there is more boring to sit through after.
Tossing in a few known actors does not a good movie make. For that matter the acting is fine, it is the story itself that needs work, a lot of work. But the characters themselves, including Jennifer, are just bland.
I suppose if you have a pass, and free time, and absolutely nothing else to do, OR perhaps you need a dark, comfy theater in which to take a nap… then this is the film for you.
Two showings at the California Theatre? Really?
Watch the Trailer.
My good friend Morgan watched this film before I did, and he told me IN THE SHADOW is an “excellent noir but I didn’t follow the plot or subtitles very well. Convoluted storyline but pretty amazing film anyway.” I couldn’t agree more with that non-review.
The film has an amazing noir look. It is set in Prague in 1953 and the costumes, while I have no idea of their authenticity, are gorgeous and seem appropriate to me. The cars… the cars! How did they get all these beautiful old cars? The lighting, the cinematography, it is all just gorgeous. Beyond the look and feel of the film, the acting was also extremely impressive, even with subtitles. Director David Ondricek won Director to Watch at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and that is a well earned award.
The plot however is a complicated labyrinth of a detective/political story, and I found it impossible to follow. Perhaps I wasn’t paying enough attention to the subtitles, or maybe so many men in trench coats were too confusing to me… I am willing to take the blame for this one and say that if you enjoy film noir, you should absolutely, positively put this film on your must see list.
Watch the Trailer! (The film does have English subtitles)
Buy tickets to see IN THE SHADOW at Cinequest. I recommend February 28 so you can see it at the SJ Repertory.
If I ever meet director Banks Helfrich in person I’m going to give him one gigantic, warm hug. (He will be at the festival, you can also give him a hug – and you will want to!)
7 LIVES OF CHANCE is a beautiful film that will affect different people in different ways. Directly after watching it I described it on Twitter as a sweet and quirky, melancholy comedy, and it is, all of those things. It is about how death is most difficult for those of us left alive. Some films are made to touch certain people, and this film is personal. Different deaths affect each of us in different ways, and sometimes we simply cannot let these people go.
Chance (Jodi Chase) has been losing people close to her at every stage in her life since she was a young girl. The deaths are always unexpected and quick, and, somehow, there is always a balloon around. Eventually she starts collecting these deaths in her closet (and balloons in her house), a seemingly never ending group of ghosts who have taken up residence in her home, crowding into her life and never giving her a moment’s peace. As an adult she is constantly accompanied by her speechless therapist Augy (Banks Helfrich), whom she chatters to incessantly, trying to figure out life and wondering when she herself is going to “pop”. Eventually the closet ghosts cause such havoc in her life that there is no longer room for the real Chance and she searches for a replacement for herself so she can “pop” out of life and have, finally, some peace.
It is a beautifully shot film accompanied by infectious French music. There is an amazing, pajama’d Narrator (John Pelkey) constantly “popping” in and out of scenes to explain the various ways in which life can end. He has the voice of an old time radio announcer and a clipped, precise way of speaking, and his presence is necessary in keeping the mood light and serious throughout the film. Helfrich manages to walk a line between a quirky and upbeat story, and the heartbreaking havoc that death can play in the lives of the living. He has created a colorful film about the darkness that can take up residence inside us when we are left behind or, worse yet, blame ourselves for what happened. The surface of an expanded balloon is amazingly strong and solid; it can be hit and pummeled and batted around. But one prick from a tack will pop it in an instant: Such is life.
The story is a personal one for me, one that I really relate to and appreciate seeing up on screen. There were scenes in this film that were difficult for me to watch, they were so intensely familiar. And yet it is far from a depressing film – it is the celebration of a woman who found her way through the darkness and back into the light.
And to make sure you leave the theater with a smile on your face, the end credits are hilarious and will keep you in your seats until the very last second of the film.
Thank you, Banks Helfrich, for making such a lovely film. That is the best way I can describe it: Just lovely.
Watch the Trailer!
Buy tickets to see 7 LIVES OF CHANCE at Cinequest!
Wow. I have now posted 31 interviews for the Cinequest films.
Every year I send out requests to directors, and every year I think no one will actually answer. And then every year I’m swamped with replies (and screeners!). This year however I think has had the best response so far. Of all the requests I sent out only TWO have not replied, and I still have two others for whom I am waiting to finish their answers.
Remember: It’s never too late to send an interview in!
So this morning I take a breath (and catch up on my theatre reviews for a different site) and then start viewing this impressively large pile of screeners I have so I can start posting reviews. I don’t know which is my favorite part. I truly love reading all the interviews, and I hope others enjoy them too. But viewing these great, original films is always quite an honor as well.
So everyone make yourself a drink (Yes, you have my permission to consume a morning cocktail), pop some corn, and get ready for the movies.
1Q: Tell us a little about the origins of THE CITIZEN, from concept to financing.
The CITIZEN is the story of an Arab immigrant who wins the American Green Card Lottery, arriving in New York City on Septempber 10, 2001. The main premise of this film is the American Dream and what it means to all of us citizens and immigrants. I am an immigrant who lived through the 9/11 attacks and have witnessed the challenges that immigrants have faced to reach their dreams. I felt that some of these inspiring stories needed to be told. THE CITIZEN is inspired by true stories, some I heard and others I witnessed.
The script took three years to write, working with two talented writers (Jazmen Brown and Sam Younis), and with my producing partner Chris Wyatt (Napoleon Dynamite), who championed the concept and came on board after I met him at a film festival in Los Angles back in 2009. Later, 3K Pictures along with our executive producer Ameer Kabour, who believed in the message, came through along with other private investors to make THE CITIZEN happen. I am fortunate to have worked with a passionate and powerful team who worked tirelessly to bring THE CITIZEN to life.
2Q: It appears that the film has been screened at other festivals; Do audiences respond differently at some festivals than they do at others? And do you ever stop being nervous?
The energy might be slightly different from one screening to another but overall the response has been amazing and the film very well received. It was refreshing to see such a great turnout for the screenings we had in the U.S and abroad. For instance, our world premiere at the Boston Film Festival was packed. Actually, THE CITIZEN came first in ticket sales in Boston and ended up winning the Mass Impact Award in addition to the Best Ensemble Cast Award. Also, when we had our International premiere at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, we were the only sold out screening at the 1200-seats theater (The Emirates Palace). We had a round of applause, a couple of times, during the screening which was awesome and very unique. What we found out during the Q&A after each screening is that people are really hungry for these types of inspiring films that build a better understanding of each other, because we intend to fear what we don’t know.
Can I stop being nervous? Simply NO, it is part of what we do. It gets better from one screening to another, but never goes away. Imagine this, years of hard work boils down to that night when your film comes on the big screen for people to judge. It is nerve wracking, isn’t it?
3Q: What was your best and/or worst experience while making THE CITIZEN?
Working on your first feature film with such amazing actors like Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), William Atherton (Ghostbusters, Die Hard 1&2), Khaled Nabawy (Fair Game, Kingdom of Heaven), Agnes Bruckner (Blue Car, Murder by Numbers), has to be the best and most thrilling part of the process.
Instead of the worst, the most challenging experience has to be the pressure of time and money vs your creative vision. Hard decisions have to be made on set especially when you are the director and producer; vision vs dollars!
4Q: Festival audiences often have to make hard decisions about what to see, and the catalog descriptions sometimes run together. In your own words, why should people see your film?
If you ever doubted your ability to reach your dream and you are looking for an inspiration, “THE CITIZEN” would be the movie to watch. This film will remind you who you are, what you can do, and what this country is all about. Casey Buckley from Cinequest describes THE CITIZEN as “Energetic, fascinating, and leaves you proud and inspired to follow your dreams.” There is a reason why MercuryNews.com has chosen THE CITIZEN to be among the Top 10 Must See Movies at Cinequest (out of nearly 200 films) and why Variety Magazine has featured THE CITIZEN last October on its cover as top 20 titles at the American Film Market (out of almost 2,000 titles).
Looking forward to seeing you all at the Q&A after the screening to discuss the making of the film and to answer all your questions.
5Q: The current market for independent films is fractured, to put it lightly, and existing distribution models grow more ineffective with each passing moment. What are your hopes or plans for distribution?
Distribution for an independent film is definitely very challenging and the formula is constantly changing. We used a different model when we designed THE CITIZEN by presenting a very critical and timely story about the American Dream played by notable Hollywood actors. However, an acclaimed Egyptian actor Khaled Nabway led the film and his presence opened the international market for us. The demand of our fans to see this movie will be the main factor to make THE CITIZEN a success and we have high hopes in our fans (don’t forget to LIKE us @ facebook.com/thecitizenmovie).
Watch the trailer!
Buy tickets to see THE CITIZEN at Cinequest!
1Q: Tell us a little about the origins of SPARKS, from concept to financing.
Sparks is based on our indie comic book that was published back in 2008, which was a superhero noir thriller about a masked vigilante, Ian Sparks, who discovers the dark side to heroism.
The feature film version brings together two of Hollywood’s rising stars Chase Williamson (John Dies At The End) and Ashley Bell (The LAst Exorcism) who are supported by award winning actors Clancy Brown (Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption), Clint Howard (Apollo 13), Jake Busey (Starship Troopers), and William Katt (Carrie, The Greatest American Hero).
The movie, just like the comic book, was self-financed. I basically saved up for a long time and also did the whole indie filmmaker routine where you max out credit cards and get a bank loan.
2Q: Cinequest is proud to host the World Premiere of SPARKS. Explain to the audience how you feel about bringing this film before audiences for the first time, and what do you think their reaction will be to your film?
We are so honored to be a very small part of Cinequest, there are so many amazing films, programs and events going on during the festival and lets not forget, they have the man, the myth, the legend , Harrison Ford as a guest Maverick speaker.
I hope whoever comes to watch Sparks is entertained and doesn’t bring fresh produce to throw at the screen, because fresh produce should be eaten.
3Q: What was your best and/or worst experience while making SPARKS?
Clancy Brown on set
My best experience while making Sparks was having my kids come visit me on set. You don’t realize what an impact you have on your children when you’re staying true to your own passion. I would come home and my kids would show me the custom made Sparks Legos they made or how they videotaped scenes from the movie. My Daughter is executive producer and she just turned twelve and she has been like a production sponge watching every aspect of production and how we deal with crew and actors.
The most challenging experience was making the movie on the limited budget, because Sparks is a super hero effects movie set in the 1940s. We had people very close to us tell us that Sparks could never be done or that we would only finish half the movie based on our schedule and splitting the crew up.
Interestingly, right before Sparks I had just read the Steve Jobs Biography and I loved his philosophy on reality distortion which was the belief that you could accomplish anything no matter how distorted the idea was. I could relate to it greatly because people by nature will always tell you “This can’t be done!” or “It’s too difficult!” However, at the end of the day, we aren’t sending anybody to the moon. It’s a movie. Maybe it’s not the way Hollywood makes movies but it doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
And we overcame these obstacles because we work with a small army of super talented people making toy commercials. And once you’ve produced a Girl’s Toy TV Spot, you can accomplish anything in life!
4Q: Festival audiences often have to make hard decisions about what to see, and the catalog descriptions sometimes run together. In your own words, why should people see your film?
David Sobolov
Sparks may be the only superhero noir thriller to ever have played at Cinequest in its 23 years, so we got that going for us!
However, If you love high production value, amazing music and incredible acting then Sparks is your must see film at Cinequest.
Our two DP’s Jackson Myers and Josh Fritts worked with our lighting guru Brett Carleton to make Sparks look like a studio film. We also had two of the best visual effects artist in the industry, Ehren Addis and Sean Africa work on over 450 effects shots.
And our movie is edited by one of the most talented filmmakers in the world, Max Carlson. Max is an award winning moviemaker. So you’re getting so much cinematic bang for your buck!
We have a music score that rivals any blockbuster movie, because Max Carlson called up Hans Zimmer’s company and they hooked us up with composer Jacob Shea. Jacob was born and raised in San Jose, CA and he’s the next Hans Zimmer. What Jacob did with our score is the eighth wonder of the world, it’s that amazing!
And our movie is projected in 2K and our 5.1 surround sound mix was done by Daniel Kresco, who also mixed a little movie called “Man of Steel“. So good lord are we the luckiest indie filmmakers in the free world or what?
We’re also blessed to have one of the greatest casts ever assembled for a true indie film. And I’m talking about Marina Squerciati, Larry Cedar, David Sobolov, Scott Rinker, Lynne Stewart, Ron Zimmerman, Meredith Zealy, Kevin Sherwood, Stephen Kearin, Austin Coleman, Esteban Cueto, Dave Hanson and many more.
And lastly we will be the only film at Cinequest that has a lovely 180 page graphic novel that you can download on Amazon prior to the screening or buy the novel at Illusive Comics the night before so you can get a jump on what the film will be like.
5Q: The current market for independent films is fractured, to put it lightly, and existing distribution models grow more ineffective with each passing moment. What are your hopes or plans for distribution?
Self-financing a movie is brutal, selling your movie and not getting screwed by a distributor is even harder. In my experience, most distributors are worse than used car salesmen, they’re simply bottom feeders.
The old saying “Whatever deal you make up front is the only money you will see,” is true. I loathe this part of making a film, we went through it with our first film Gamers.
We are going into Cinequest without screening the movie for any distributor. I want to enjoy my first film festival. However, we took an educated risk with our cast and our budget that if we made the movie we wanted to, then we will have no problem getting a distribution deal. The challenge will be how honest is the distribution company and are they really showing you the real books?
Watch the trailer!
Buy tickets to see SPARKS at Cinequest!
Jeff Prugh
1Q: Tell us a little about the origins of LEAVE OF ABSENCE, from concept to financing.
The origins of LEAVE OF ABSENCE fall under the category of art imitating life. You see, late one Friday night, Jason called Jeff to ask, “Are you around? I’m in the neighborhood.” A few minutes later, Jeff was surprised to hear that Jason’s doctor has granted him a one-month leave of absence, due to a nagging back injury. With Jeff having been loaned his friend’s Canon 5D Mark II camera, it quickly became a no-brainer that shooting a grueling one-month film with no script, no money, and the limitation of a four-week production was the best option of how to spend our time. While that sounds like a joke, it really wasn’t. Jason’s leave of absence came at a time when both of us were frustrated by a couple “near misses” and were thus hungry to work and to create. Three days later, we had a treatment, a bunch of locations in mind, a few actor friends on board, and we figured the money would simply come to us. And it did! Well, not in buckets, but enough to at least shoot for a few weeks
2Q: Cinequest is proud to host the World Premiere of LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Explain to the audience how you feel about bringing this film before audiences for the first time, and what do you think their reaction will be to your film?
Jason Thompson
We can honestly say that we have no idea how the Cinequest audience will react to our film. Is it serious? Is it funny? Is it seriously funny? Throughout the editing phase, we deliberated on whether or not this film is a comedy-infused drama, or a drama-filled comedy. So, needless to say, it will be interesting and extremely exciting to see if the three separate audiences share a common reaction. Many thanks to Cinequest for World-Premiering and screening LEAVE OF ABSENCE three times!
3Q: What was your best and/or worst experience while making LEAVE OF ABSENCE?
The best experience of filming LEAVE OF ABSENCE would have to be the creative freedom we felt throughout the shoot. It was, in some ways, like a documentary. Little money. Next-to-no crew. Flexible schedule. Actors who are friends. Perhaps the most challenges came in the editing room. Syncing sound posed a huge problem initially, which was followed by a few solid months of whittling down from tons of footage. Once the picture was locked, however, finishing the sound, hiring a composer and a colorist, and securing music was a most enjoyable process.
4Q: Festival audiences often have to make hard decisions about what to see, and the catalog descriptions sometimes run together. In your own words, why should people see your film?
People should see LEAVE OF ABSENCE for three reasons. One, there is a real heart to Jason’s character that anyone who has ever wondered what to make of their life can identify with. Two, if you want to see a film made on a shoestring budget with not much more than an idea, a camera, some talent, and a strong passion for filmmaking, then this is the film for you. And three, we believe that the performances are exceptionally strong throughout the film. Thank you in advance to anyone who joins us on March 1st, 3rd, and/or 5th.
5Q: The current market for independent films is fractured, to put it lightly, and existing distribution models grow more ineffective with each passing moment. What are your hopes or plans for distribution?
Online distribution would be fantastic for our film. We feel that there is definitely a market for LEAVE OF ABSENCE, and have already been contacted by a few distributors, but are also exploring other options, including self-distribution.
Watch the trailer!
Buy tickets to see LEAVE OF ABSENCE at Cinequest!
1Q: Tell us a little about the origins of LONELY BOY, from concept to financing.
The original concept for LONELY BOY was born from the mind of (Writer/Producer) ALEV AYDIN and loosely “Based on the Imaginings of his Mother.” I teamed up with Alev and his producing partner, TROY DANIEL SMITH after reading Alev’s deeply personal script about a young schizophrenic man struggling with love and family in the big city. I remember being impressively moved by it. I remember laughing out loud. It was a story I couldn’t easily forget, and as a result, a film that I desperately wanted to direct. But making movies requires money, right? Right. And we knew we had to raise a good amount of it to tell our story… to tell it the way it deserves to be told without sacrificing cinematic quality. Alev and Troy sought out potential investors to help us make our film. After over a year of effort and minimal success, we boldly decided to self-finance the picture. We were determined to make OUR movie, with OUR money, the way WE wanted to make it. And upon making that simple decision, everything moved forward very quickly. Our amazing cast came together based solely on the strength of our script and the hard work of our wonderful casting director, HOWARD MELTZER. And once our key actors were attached and in place, incredible momentum began to build for our project. Ultimately, thanks to the pointed work of our dedicated crew, the generous talents of fellow filmmakers and vendors, and the unconditional support from family and friends, Lonely Boy the film, was seen through completion. And it’s a beauty!
2Q: Cinequest is proud to host the World Premiere of LONELY BOY. Explain to the audience how you feel about bringing this film before audiences for the first time, and what do you think their reaction will be to your film?
I’m thrilled and honored to finally share our film with audiences for the first time here at CINEQUEST. To have Lonely Boy projected on the big screen to a public audience is a momentous event for us all. We’re very proud of the work we did together and truly believe that audiences will connect with the film and FEEL something. That was always our goal. Lonely Boy runs the emotional gamut in a pretty unconventional way, and I think (and hope) audiences will be discussing it long after the credits roll.
I’m also incredibly nervous about the screening – Look for Alev and I to be puking in the bathroom before our premiere.
3Q: What was your best and/or worst experience while making LONELY BOY?
This is a fun question, but hardly an easy one to answer. And on Team Lonely Boy, we’re all about full disclosure and honesty. So let’s get the bad out of the way. Working within the confines of an extremely limited indie budget presents countless challenges during production. That is surely a given. But the worst experience for me was when we lost a half-day during shooting due to a location/permit mixup. And on an indie shooting schedule, lost time can be catastrophic if you don’t have the resources in place to recover. Such is the tale of low-budget filmmaking in Los Angeles, or anywhere for that matter. But the impact that had on our shooting schedule wasn’t even the worst of it … it was having to send our “name” talent home early that day after they’d been patiently waiting to shoot. Ouch, that was painful. Luckily for us, we had Super Producer, Troy to QUICKLY identify, assess, and resolve the issue, while our Casting Director, Howard played diplomat to the talent reps. Everyone on our crew rallied, and our actors were incredibly supportive and understanding. The actors were always the number one champions of the script, the story, the material; they knew this film needed to be made. Needless to say, nothing like that ever happened again.
And so, it goes without saying that the best experience for me, clearly, was the opportunity to work and collaborate with our extremely gifted actors: NATALIE DISTLER, MELORA WALTERS, RICHARD RIEHLE and LYNN WHITFIELD, just to name a few. Watching the characters from our script come to life in front of my eyes was like a drug. I couldn’t wait to arrive on set every day to see what they had in store for us. I didn’t want our days together to end. And working with Melora was truly a dream-come-true! I still continually have to pinch myself about it.
4Q: Festival audiences often have to make hard decisions about what to see, and the catalog descriptions sometimes run together. In your own words, why should people see your film?
If you want to FEEL something – see LONELY BOY! Because that wonderful, powerful feeling will stay with you for a couple of days, and you’ll be better for it. Please watch our trailer, you’ll see what I mean.
5Q: The current market for independent films is fractured, to put it lightly, and existing distribution models grow more ineffective with each passing moment. What are your hopes or plans for distribution?
Our number one goal for LONELY BOY is exposure. That is the key reason we decided to take the festival route. We hope to have as many people experience the film on the big screen as possible to promote and build awareness of it and for ourselves. With distribution options constantly in flux, we understand there are many avenues available to indie filmmakers today. Honestly, it’s an exciting time to be a filmmaker. We are totally open to all possibilities of finding the right platform(s) for our film to maximize exposure for everyone involved. On that note, check out lonelyboyfilm.com to learn about everyone involved in this special project.
See the trailer!
Buy tickets to see LONELY BOY at Cinequest!
Buy tickets to see LONELY BOY at Phoenix Film Festival!
1Q: Tell us a little about the origins of CITY BABY, from concept to financing.
The idea started when I became co-owner of a very hip bar called the Tube. Portland was at the beginning of a cultural renaissance, so to speak – cheap rents and rainy weather can be creatively encouraging. I noticed people liked to party a lot and talk about moving to a bigger city, New York was on the radar for sure. I think it seems like a solution when you’re meandering a bit, sounds small but it can be monumental. I’m a firm believer in leaving your comfort zone.
The movie didn’t materialize until I met Cora though. We met inadvertently at the river with a group of friends. We were a bit mesmerized by each other, just talking about our favorite movies and directors. There was a knife fight a few yards away and we didn’t even know it was happening, by then we had started talking about making a movie together. We’ve been stuck with each other ever since. We self-financed, which was difficult, but we pulled a lot of favors and kept it cheap. Kickstarter had just started becoming popular so we toyed with that and decided it was a roundabout way to ask your friends for dough. So we went spent our savings, tapped our favors and pulled out the credit cards. It’s still a pretty low-budget movie though, I think we made a little go a long way.
2Q: Cinequest is proud to host the World Premiere of CITY BABY. Explain to the audience how you feel about bringing this film before audiences for the first time, and what do you think their reaction will be to your film?
We’re really excited to premiere at Cinequest. Festivals develop families and we’re down to be a part of this one.
I think the reaction to the film will be mixed. When you make a film with a protagonist that’s a spoiled little trust fund girl trying to figure out her quarter-life crisis, you’re going to alienate some people. We had test screenings to help us hone the rough cut and it seemed to surprise a lot of people who felt it went deeper than we may have meant for it to. One girl came up afterwards and said she felt like we made a movie about a time in her life, immortalized. She was very moved. We were too. We made this movie with the intention of conveying a few relatable themes (at least for many first-world youth) that seemed easy to understand. One example being the desire to move from Portland to New York is the same as from a small town in Montana to Boise, Idaho. It’s a rites of passage film for a generation with their basic needs met.
3Q: What was your best and/or worst experience while making CITY BABY?
The process of doing this with no money made it all kinda hard. We told each other that whatever happened it would be a great learning experience. The hardest part is trying to keep the train always pushing forward when other people get off. Seeing a film through to the end involves so many skillsets – from writing the script, to the shooting, the edit – all in a multilayered journey. When you do the majority of it yourself it can be daunting at times.
The best experience is yet to come. I’m really excited to see the other films and meet the filmmakers. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.
4Q: Festival audiences often have to make hard decisions about what to see, and the catalog descriptions sometimes run together. In your own words, why should people see your film?
I think by watching the trailer you’ll know right away if this is your kinda movie, or not.
Also we’ll be there so come say hi.
5Q: The current market for independent films is fractured, to put it lightly, and existing distribution models grow more ineffective with each passing moment. What are your hopes or plans for distribution?
Yeah its bleak. With the tools available now everyone is making a movie. That’s great for democracy and festival selection but also floods the marketplace. Our upfront budget was small enough that experimenting with self distribution is comfortable and feasible. I like not looking over my shoulder trying to appease some disgruntled investor. I think this movie has a future in self-distribution models including internet outlets like itunes, vod, amazon, netflix, etc. We hope to have a small theatre run in Portland as well. But if someone wants to pick it up, lets talk.
Watch the Trailer!
Buy tickets to see CITY BABY at Cinequest!
1Q: Tell us how you became involved with DETONATOR, and how you prepared for your role.
How I came to Detonator is one of those stories that reminds you that you shouldn’t burn too many bridges in your life because you never know who’s going to help you or when. The quick story is that my best friend from Interlochen’s freshmen year roommate at Brandeis opened a cafe cum video store in New York (that I briefly worked at) ten years later which creates its own softball team that Damon Maulucci later joined. So when I posted a rough cut of my reel, it was passed on by my high school roommate and the cafe owner. And with two recommendations, Damon took a serious look at the reel instead of just adding it to the pile. Damon then approached me with the script and offered me a part in the movie. I’ll admit I was quite surprised when a year later we shot a teaser and 6 months after that we were gathering for principal photography on Detonator…all thanks to having auditioned right after someone in 1994.
2Q: Cinequest is proud to host the World Premiere of DETONATOR. Explain to the audience how you feel about bringing this film before audiences for the first time, and what do you think their reaction will be to your film?
I’m super excited to share this film with audiences at Cinequest because, in many ways, a film like Detonator is a rare gem. Rare in the sense that it is not often that audiences get to see a film with so much love and energy put into it, made for such a modest budget, that looks as good as our movie does in both performance and style. I think Keir and Damon set out to write a love letter to Philadelphia and an explication of what ends up being a very personal journey. All too often filmmakers sacrifice honesty for story and intimacy for celebrity. And I feel that they made a concerted effort to not let the burdens of finance, ego, time-frame, and vanity obscure the truth of the story we’re trying to tell. I think audiences will be charmed by the depth they find in this simple story and find the deliberate rawness of some of its moments very compelling. I hope that audiences will find themselves laughing even while their hearts hurt.
3Q: What was your best and/or worst experience while making DETONATOR?
I know that Lawrence talked about the dangerous moments we had shooting in West Philly, made even more dangerous by our late night filming in remote locations. We were hassled by everything from Police to local block Mayors (with guns!). For me, the most difficult aspect of making Detonator was the weather. If you’ve watched our teaser you can see that it’s the middle of winter. The final shot was taken at like 4 am in below zero temperatures. I couldn’t even feel my tongue in our final argument and I almost refused to to the last take (which is the one they used) because I was so cold. Principal photography of the feature, not to be outdone by the teaser, occurred in the middle of the summer. Some days were over a hundred degrees and holding was just a tent on the asphalt. We were constantly drenched in sweat and fatigued, especially in Mini-van scenes. Ultimately, it’s lucky we had so many night shoots or the crew and I might have melted with our movie half made. When we returned to the cast house every night (or morning) I would set the AC to some suitably low kelvin number and finally relax.
4Q: Festival audiences often have to make hard decisions about what to see, and the catalog descriptions sometimes run together. In your own words, why should people see your film?
Detonator is a movie about friendship, failure and family. As we get older, our relationship to these ideas change as well as our definitions of these terms. I think we also realize that our positioning within the triangle of these concepts is one of the most affecting and important determinants in how we govern our lives. So audiences of any age will see aspects of their struggle mirrored back to them. They may also see shades of their past mistakes and triumphs or visions of their future. So while Detonator doesn’t hope to provide all the answers to these questions, I think audiences will find themselves seeing their own journeys in a different light as Sully and Mick dance into the night.
5Q: Tell us your Academy Award acceptance speech:
I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise if i ever did win an Oscar, but here are some possible beginnings that (depending on my mood) I might use:
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Popcorn and Vodka 