Latest Podcast
FILM THREAT PODCAST – EPISODE 59 – ABRE LOS OJOS
Don and Mark tell all after their adventures at the 2012 Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals! Well, not really “all”; as expected, the two get continuously sidetracked and, before you know it, an hour has passed…
Posted on January 31, 2012 in Podcasts by Mark Bell
Latest Features
THE BOOTLEG FILES: WHERE’S THE BEEF?
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 serves up the most popular commercial in the history of fast food…
Posted on February 10, 2012 in Bootleg Files, Features by Phil Hall
DIGITAL CELLULOID – ISSUE 85: ANOTHER THING
Digital Celluloid, a comic strip by artist Chris Cirillo, pokes fun at the films of today, tomorrow and yesterday. Whether it is a classic or an upcoming blockbuster, no film is safe! This week, Digital Celluloid ventures to the cold Antarctic where THINGS are happening…
Posted on February 8, 2012 in Digital Celluloid, Features by Chris Cirillo
Latest Film Festival Stories
SXSW FILM ANNOUNCES MIDNIGHTERS AND SHORT FILM SELECTIONS FOR 2012 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL
We’re a little over a month away from the 2012 SXSW Film Festival, and the announcements keep coming! This time SXSW has revealed the Midnighters and Short Films selections for the 2012 event, running March 9-17, 2012…
Posted on February 8, 2012 in Festivals by Mark Bell
SXSW FILM ANNOUNCES FEATURE FILM LINEUP FOR THE 2012 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL
“21 Jump Street” will get the centerpiece slot and Emmett Malloy’s music documentary “Big Easy Express” will close out the 2012 SXSW Film Festival, running March 9-17, 2012. All other feature film program selections have been announced as well, except Midnighters, to be announced February 8, 2012…
Posted on February 1, 2012 in Festivals by Mark Bell
2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS
“The House I Live In,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, “The Law in These Parts” and “Violeta Went to Heaven” took home the jury prizes at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, with even more awards announced…
Posted on January 29, 2012 in Festivals by Mark Bell
Latest Reviews
SUBURBAN AMERICA: PROBLEMS & PROMISE
Rudaitis’ production provides an interesting insight into 20th century American socio-economic history…
Posted on February 11, 2012 in Reviews by Phil Hall
ANNA
No, it’s not like THE SCARIEST THING YOU’VE EVER SEEN!!!! but it’s a quiet story that slowly builds tension to the point where I was actually getting actively nervous about what might happen next…
Posted on February 10, 2012 in Reviews by Don R. Lewis
THE TATTOO LIFE: THE RICH CAHILL DOCUMENTARY
Cahill’s an extremely talented artist and I found him to have a nice, warm personality but this is essentially a story about a local tattoo artist and not too much more…
Posted on February 10, 2012 in Reviews by Don R. Lewis
Latest Interviews
THE INTERVIEW BIZARRE: 6 QUESTIONS FOR 7 FILMMAKERS
“THE THEATRE BIZARRE” IS CURRENTLY IN LIMITED RELEASE! As I was writing my questions for “The Theatre Bizarre” filmmakers, it occurred to me that I was very interested in what each of them thought about the Grand Guignol itself…
Posted on February 1, 2012 in Interviews by Jeremy Knox
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
Latest News and Blogs
CINEMA’S APPROACH TO THE AGING PROCESS
Here aging, death, and the undead are all considered morally corrupt, and something only the good can eliminate…
Posted on February 9, 2012 in Blogs by Amy R. Handler
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