By Michael Knox, mknox@modernfilmzine.com
GRADE: A+
One of the best parts about “Splice” is its pacing. This is a movie that quickly establishes itself inside of 15 minutes and then continually cranks up the heat. Just when you think things can’t get any weirder, the wacky meter gets turned up another notch.
…continue reading “Splice” delivers strong story with good heart and elements of horror
If you have ever wanted to have a chance to help make a movie, here’s your chance. As part of a fundraiser program, called Kickstarter, the director of the circus documentary, “Tearing Down the Tent,” is offering readers a chance to have their name listed in the credits of the movie for just $10. Other rewards are offered for supporters who back the film, whose production crew is currently raising money for a promotional road trip to take the movie to venues with the band Hellblinki Sextet. Kickstarter is a Web site that partners creative individuals with people looking to back interesting projects.
Anyone interested in donating can following the link below
Jesse V. Johnson has made a career performing stunts in movies such as the new Michel Gondry directed “The Green Hornet” and Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.”
But while he’s earned most of his paychecks in front of the camera as a stuntman, Johnson is steadily building a career behind the camera as a director.
…continue reading Stuntman’s career guides directing path with latest film “Charlie Valentine”
By Michael Knox, director of “Tearing Down the Tent“
I am currently planning on a self distribution project for “Tearing Down the Tent” and plan to use Modern Film Fest/Modern Film Productions as a “front” for being a distributer of the movie to theaters. …continue reading “Tearing Down the Tent” promotional road trip/theatrical “run”
GRADE: B+
By Michael Knox
Mknox@modernfilmzine.com
From the word go, “The Losers” sets itself up as an over the top film, filled with wildly eccentric characters that chew up the scenery with wonderfully weird dialogue.
The opening shot of the film has a set of shadows – of what wind up being sticks- being played with by one of the characters, who is imagining the sticks as Godzilla and another character.
“Come one baby, just relax and let Godzilla do everything,” which is voiced over by Chris Evans, before we see him playing with the sticks.
…continue reading You got nothing to lose with “The Losers” — pure fun
By Ben McNeely
bmcneely@modernfilmfest.net
Neal Hutcheson went into the woods around Maggie Valley and found Popcorn Sutton.
The ornery mountain man made no bones about what he was: A hillbilly, through and through.
And Popcorn Sutton could make moonshine, Hutcheson said, in the old ways people have been making moonshine in the Appalachian Mountains for generations.
“It really was a superior product,” he said. “He was always improving his process, inventing new techniques.”
Hutcheson met Popcorn for a documentary called “Mountain Talk,” which explores the dialects heard in the Appalachians. Hutcheson works for the Linguistics program at N.C. State University and with its director, Walt Wolfram.
Hutcheson befriended Popcorn, who wanted to shoot a how-to film on making homemade liquor. …continue reading Modern Film Society presents “The Last One” — Popcorn Sutton and his “likker”
007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions, have announced they have suspended development on the next “James Bond” film previously scheduled for release 2011/2012, according to a news release.
“Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended development on BOND 23 indefinitely. We do not know when development will resume and do not have a date for the release of BOND 23,” stated Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli jointly in the news release.
EON Productions have produced 22 James Bond films since 1962. In 1995, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli took over the 007 franchise from Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and are responsible for producing the sucessful Bond films, “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace.”
Sam Mendes, the director of the films, “American Beauty,” “Jarhead” and “Away We Go,” was slated to direct the film, which would have seen the return of Daniel Craig to the role as James Bond. Rachel Weisz (“The Fountain,” “The Constant Gardener” and “The Brothers Bloom”) was rumored to be attached to the film, according to the Internet Movie Database.
Modern Film Fest continues to receive submissions for this year’s festival, with a total of 16 submissions received. In the next few weeks a screening committee will begin to view the movies, currently consisting of nine narrative films and seven documentaries, to determine which films will make the cut for the festival, which is being held Oct. 1-3, at the historic Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, N.C.
Return for more updates on movies Modern Film Fest recruiters receive for the festival.
For now, here is a round up of some of the movies we’ve collected for the screening committee: …continue reading Modern Film Fest collects 16 movie submissions — first round up of titles
B +
By Michael Knox
Mknox@modernfilmzine.com
Normally, gangster movies are not my genre of movie to sit down and watch. Not to say I don’t like them, I just haven’t watched a lot of them because there are plenty of other movie genres I’d rather watch first.
But “Charlie Valentine” is a stand out film that I really liked. You might be wondering why it only ranked a B+ but in all honesty I was waffling on giving it an A, but I try to save those for my favorite films. That being said, “Charlie Valentine” is a movie I could definitely sit through again.
I discovered the movie while recruiting movies for Modern Film Fest and Ricochet Film Festival. The trailer is what hooked me instantly, making me belt out, “I have got to at least see this film.”
The story is a simple one with Charlie Valentine as an aging gangster who fouls up a heist in a big way getting his whole crew killed. He takes off to hide with his estranged son, who doesn’t know what’s going on. His son is a bit of a gangster himself, but not the caliber that Charlie is. From there the story develops into a kind of violent, father and son flick, when the son asks Charlie to teach him everything he knows.
The sequence in the trailer that made me burst out laughing and want this movie had Charlie’s son being attacked by a man, so Charlie, calmly, shoots the man. The son starts to flip out and Charlie, very flippantly responds, “What? Did you want to chit chat?” It was an unexpected laugh for me in the trailer.
I wish the movie had more laughs than that, but it definitely had me and a friend intrigued where we couldn’t stop watching it.
We started to watch it at 3 a.m., figuring we’d get tired of it enough to pause for another day, but the story was engaging enough to keep us going all the way through the end.
The tagline for the movie also had me hooked and wanting to see where the story went. A simple tagline, it read, “Charlie Valentine was a gangster, a gunfighter, a womanizer and a pretty fine chef… He was also the most dangerous, irresponsible scoundrel you ever met.”
What’s interesting is how the movie plays out the way Charlie is a violent, but loving man and has two different personalities for his roles in life after he reunites with his son.
Charlie carries an old fashioned razor blade in a leg holster and uses it to kill in the film. But that violent weapon is turned on its ear in the movie, with Charlie using it to gently shave his adult son in one scene, showing a tender care that he is not used to, and how he misses it.
The movie also shows Charlie’s past and how he misses a life he knew he could never be allowed to have.
The cast is top notch with character actor Raymond J. Barry, who has more than 80 credits to his name in movies and TV episodes, according to the Internet Movie Database, playing the title role of Charlie Valentine.
Michael Weatherly who has appeared in more than 150 episodes of the popular TV series “Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, plays Charlie’s son Danny Valentine.
A violent, but fun film, the movie has some great moments of moral ambiguity and the challenges of Charlie Valentine being a father and a man on the run.
This is one of those rare films that I don’t want to tell readers anymore than I have, because of ruining the fun of the film. Regardless, I highly recommend it.
Even if you don’t like gangster movies.
Check out a trailer for the new Neil Gaiman book, “Instructions,” animated by Charles Vess.
Gaiman is known for the books, “Stardust,” and “Coraline” which were adapted into feature films. Vess was the artist on an illustrated “Stardust” book. The “Instructions” book will be released on April 27.
By Michael Knox