Latest Podcast
FILM THREAT PODCAST – EPISODE 58 – GRANDMOTHER WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
It’s the first podcast of 2012 so Don and Mark spend the majority of the time talking about their top films lists from 2011…
Posted on January 4, 2012 in Podcasts by Mark Bell
Latest Features
THE BOOTLEG FILES: MOVE
Phil Hall’s The Bootleg Files explores the wild world of memorable films and TV productions that can be found in unauthorized presentations. This week, Phil mistakenly unearths a deservedly forgotten obscurity…
Posted on January 27, 2012 in Bootleg Files, Features by Phil Hall
FILMS GONE WILD: 2012 SUNDANCE #3; MITT ROMNEY’S WORST NIGHTMARE
I didn’t even get out of the Dallas House until the afternoon, so let’s just get right to the first review…
Posted on January 25, 2012 in Features, Films Gone Wild by John Wildman
Latest Film Festival Stories
2012 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES JURY AND AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS
Another year of Slamdance is in the books, and the award winners from the 2012 film festival have been announced with “Getting Up,” “Bindlestiffs,” “No Ashes, No Phoenix,” “Welcome to Pine Hill” and “Heavy Girls” among the Sparky recipients.
Posted on January 27, 2012 in Festivals by Mark Bell
“THE LOCAVORE FILMMAKER” – 2012 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL OPENING POEM
Every year, the Slamdance Film Festival opens with the performance of a poem written by co-founder Dan Mirvish. For those of you stuck at home, unable to watch Dan deliver the poem in person, here’s the 2012 Slamdance Opening Poem for your reading pleasure…
Posted on January 20, 2012 in Festivals by Dan Mirvish
2012 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS
The 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival, running January 5-16, 2012, has announced the award winners from this year’s event…
Posted on January 15, 2012 in Festivals by Mark Bell
Latest Reviews
SLEEPWALK WITH ME
2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL NEXT SELECTION! “Sleepwalk With Me” very much reminded me of a take on “High Fidelity” with comedians instead of music snobs…
Posted on January 27, 2012 in Reviews by Don R. Lewis
THE THEATRE BIZARRE
IN LIMITED RELEASED! The filmmakers of each segment didn’t just toss gore and entrails around in some lame attempt to shock. They thought about their work long and hard, and then they raped our brain…
Posted on January 27, 2012 in Reviews by Jeremy Knox
COME BACK, AFRICA
Barely seen since its initial theatrical release, Lionel Rogosin’s 1959 drama is significant for offering one of the first ground-level views of South African life under the apartheid system…
Posted on January 27, 2012 in Reviews by Phil Hall
Latest Interviews
REFLECTIONS IN THE FUNHOUSE MIRROR: A CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT MORGAN
2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILMMAKER! I’ve made it no secret that I think Robert Morgan is one of the best independent filmmakers working today. This isn’t empty flattery either. His entire oeuvre, in my opinion, is never less than excellent, or at the very least I feel that you’ll never feel cheated watching one of his films…
Posted on January 20, 2012 in Interviews by Jeremy Knox
IN SEARCH OF THOMAS INCE: INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN TAVES
A new biography explores the career and personal life of pioneering film producer Thomas Ince…
Posted on January 19, 2012 in Interviews by Phil Hall
CURATOR TO CURATOR: JACK STEVENSON’S “BENEATH CONTEMPT…”
Jack has been a tremendous inspiration for itinerant programmers, establishing a “circuit” of offbeat venues in Europe for screening underground films. (Before YouTube, you actually had to go to Munich to show films to Germans)…
Posted on January 9, 2012 in Interviews by Noel Lawrence
Latest News and Blogs
SEE JOE SWANBERG’S “MARRIAGE MATERIAL” FREE ONLINE FOR THE REST OF JANUARY 2012
For film fans who have heard of Swanberg and the so-called “Mumblecore” movement, but have yet to see a film lumped therein, “Marriage Material” is a nice starting point…
Posted on January 16, 2012 in News by Don R. Lewis
YOU’VE BEEN SOPA’D!
While I have nothing against a corporation, or person, getting their compensation for their copyright being infringed upon, I am against a “guilty until proven innocent” system that requires very little data to convict someone…
Posted on December 27, 2011 in Blogs by Mark Bell
THE GIRLS WITH THE DRAGON TATTOOS: A COMPARISON
This particular blog entry is going to focus on the comparisons and contrasts of Stieg Larrson’s original book, Niels Arden Oplev’s 2009 adaptation and David Fincher’s 2011 adaptation. This entry will therefore be very spoiler-laden…
Posted on December 22, 2011 in Blogs by Mark Bell
“BRIDESMAIDS” REVISITED: TOP 11 REASONS IT WAS STRANGELY DISAPPOINTING
To be clear, I found “Bridesmaids” to be genuinely entertaining and I’m happy it’s getting awards consideration this season. That said, I saw it in its third or fourth week of general release last summer and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed in a few ways – some objective, some not so much…
Posted on December 22, 2011 in Blogs by Dan Mirvish
FILM FESTIVAL NOTEBOOK WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: CHICAGO KICKSTARTER TOUR
Indie filmmaker Heidi Van Lier snaps pix on her festival and film journeys around the world. This week, Heidi shares photos from her recent visit to Chicago in support of the Kickstarter campaign for her new documentary, The Bullfighter, about her father, Chicago Bulls legend Norm Van Lier…
Posted on December 14, 2011 in Blogs, Film Festival Notebook With Heidi Van Lier by Heidi Van Lier
INTRODUCING CROWDFUNDING CLASSIFIEDS…
We hate saying, “no,” and we really don’t like ignoring filmmakers who could use some help, so we’ve been trying to come up with a way to put the power in the filmmakers’ hands regarding what crowdfunding campaigns we share…
Posted on November 23, 2011 in Blogs by Mark Bell