Archive
CrowdFUNding: Jamie Tiernay’s Kenny vs. Spenny: On The Road
By: Addison Wylie
It’s no competition that Kenny vs. Spenny – whether you like it or not – has become a staple in Canadian pop culture.
Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice’s reality television show featured the buddies going toe-to-toe with each other in various matches such as Who Can Win a Ten Mile Race and Who Can Stay in a Haunted House the Longest. However, as the competitions became increasingly irreverent and Hotz’s strategies more torturous to his mensch sidekick, the pair’s cult following grew as stakes got riskier with episodes such as Who Can Drink More Beer and Who Can Get Further With The Other Guy’s Mom. It was a classic case of Schadenfreude.
The show’s been off the air for over three years, and the men have spun off to do their own side projects; leaving Kenny vs. Spenny to settle.
The high demand of a comeback may be what started the inception of an on-the-road reunion. Hotz and Rice are teaming up to hit various parts of Canada and hold Q&As, screen segments from the show, and hand out autographs.
Jamie Tiernay, who worked on Kenny vs. Spenny as a crew member on Kenny’s side of the show, has started a Kickstarter campaign to accumulate funds to make a documentary about the tour.
Learn more below:
The Kenny vs. Spenny On The Road Tour Documentary Kickstarter Campaign is about documenting these two cult legends on their KVS tour across Canada.
Having worked with Kenny and Spenny for over 10 years I’ve convinced them to give me unrestricted access to the tour, themselves and the final cut! I’m going to be poking, prodding, manipulating and uncovering shit you couldn’t even imagine in your wildest wet KVS dreams. A road trip tour friendship extravaganza with dick jokes, fart jokes, drunken nights, insane fans, hot fans, dumb fans and shit that’ll make you pee your pants.
With this $46,000 campaign goal we’ll be able to shoot the whole west coast tour, edit and deliver a pretty kick ass film BUT there’s more tour locations and dates to come this year. So if we PASS OUR GOAL it’ll let us shoot more tours, more insanity and give more editing time to make this the most insane Kenny vs. Spenny documentary film ever!
Visit Jamie Tiernay’s Kickstarter page for more details.
My Two Cents:
Tiernay’s documentary sounds and looks promising, but $46,000 sounds like an inflated random number. However, I trust Tiernay, who obviously has the best intentions for his film and clearly knows how to handle these types of projects. After all, equipment rentals, transportation, and accommodations do add up rather quickly.
I hope the doc doesn’t take on usual road movie and concert film tropes these projects tend to helplessly accept (see: Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights – Hollywood to the Heartland and any live event featuring a member of the Jackass crew). Tiernay’s brief video preview featured enough farting around to make me weary.
But, Tiernay also appears to be focused on the love/hate friendship between Hotz and Rice. As a possible investor, this is a hopeful opportunity that could potentially propel the film in a surprising direction. This could shed more of a natural light onto these two performers.
I wish Jamie Tiernay luck with his upcoming film. It should, at the very least, act as that proper fix for Kenny vs. Spenny diehards.
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All italicized statements regarding Kenny vs. Spenny: On The Road are provided from their respected crowdfunding sources. Wylie Writes is not responsible for funds attached to these productions and we do not hold any accountability.
This project is that of the filmmaker’s. Use your own discretion.
Solo Speaks: A One-On-One with Annie Clark
By: Addison Wylie
After being featured at Toronto After Dark, the indie Canadian thriller named Solo is making a more public appearance with a theatrical run at Toronto’s Carlton Cinema.
Carlton Cinema is a very appropriate venue seeing as the theatre and the film both share a level of independence. Carlton Cinema is a quaint theatre that feels as if you step into another world of movie watching, and Solo’s lead is left in her own world to try surviving camp initiation.
Solo serves as a debut for writer/director Isaac Cravit, marking the flick as his first feature length film. The spooky movie is also actress Annie Clark’s first foray into theatrical films. It’s a big move for Clark who is often on screen by herself and having to support the eeriness Cravit has materialized.
I wasn’t too hot on Solo as a whole. It started off strong, and progressively meandered its way into a final product that lacks punch or chills. However, Clark does a commendable job at holding her own. She turns in a promising performance that makes the audience eager to see what else she’ll do with her budding career.
Wylie Writes correspondant Sky Wylie sat down one-on-one with Clark to talk shop about Solo. The two also discuss Clark’s departure from Degrassi: The Next Generation, how a real life camp experience inspired her hopes of becoming an actress, and whether she sees a future for Isaac Cravit directing tense fare.
Listen to the free-form interview here:
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Solo is now playing at Toronto’s Carlton Cinema. Click here for showtimes!
Read my review here!
Do You Tweet? Follow These Tweeple:
Solo: @SoloTheMovie
Annie Clark: @AnnieJClark
Sky Wylie: @SkyBaby5
Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie
Wylie Writes’ Ten Worst Movies of 2013
By: Addison Wylie
As the Oscars approach this Sunday, the time is finally here to reflect on 2013 through a pair of lists – my picks of the best and the worst. Let’s get the duds out of the way to make way for the flicks that’ll be remembered for years to come.
2013 introduced me to a new type of “bad”. It was a sub-version spawning off of the type of hatefulness I only save for my bottom three choices. These films treated its audience like imbeciles and expected us to lap up what they were serving and laugh our faces off – no questions asked. Instead, they were either smug or flat-out negative. You can expect to see those soiled diapers at the end of this role call.
Even though I have a main “bottom ten”, I made sure I included some dishonourable mentions in order to cover those who thought they were saved by the odd late entry. However, there were plenty of stinkers that fell off that additional listing as well. So, let’s talk about them.
I appreciate filmmakers wanting to be brave with how to tell their film’s story, but some approaches left me befuddled. In The Wagner Files, someone thought it was a good idea to portray composer Richard Wagner’s life through a broody soap opera with CSI inspired cutaways. With Thursday Till Sunday, the idea of realistically showing a crumbling family through a mundane road trip backfired immensely because, well, it made the film a bore as well.
Mainstream films took weird chances too, thinking the audience would applaud their efforts to connect to movie goers. “Audiences loved Wedding Crashers and adore the Internet, so let’s make a movie called The Internship and have Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson work at Google. Hilarity is bound to ensue, right?”
This logic also applied to smart aleck genre bending films. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters flopped because it wanted to have its cake and eat it too by offering audiences a parody of what movie goers would expect and balancing it out with Resident Evil inspired action sequences.
Funny or Die’s iSteve, an attempt to make a satirical biopic about Steve Jobs, was amusing for the first few minutes, but soon ran out of steam as each joke was pounded into submission.
Children weren’t safe either. Disney’s haphazard cash-in on the Cars franchise Planes was a wreck without a single sign of creativity in sight. From Up on Poppy Hill had the visual zest of a vibrant family film, but managed to lull it’s audience into a nap with miscast dubbing and laboured storytelling.
I won’t lie. I kind of wished my list would have a Lindsay Lohan triple play. It would just make matters a bit more interesting with an added novelty. Unfortunately, I saw worse things than Paul Schrader’s confused drama The Canyons. Lohan does, however, make two appearances on my bottom ten.
So, without further wait, let’s take a look at the worst of the worst. Just remember filmmakers, this was a year where James Nguyen made a sequel to his unintentional cult hit Birdemic: Shock and Terror. Notice how I haven’t mentioned Birdemic 2: The Resurrection until now? Nguyen made a better movie than all of you. Think about that for a moment.
Overrated Movies:
The Broken Circle Breakdown
The Conjuring
Fast & Furious 6
Frozen
When Jews Were Funny
Dishonourable Mentions:
#15. Pain & Gain
#14. The Great Chameleon
#13. Jack the Giant Slayer
#12. The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology
#11. InRealLife
Wylie Writes’ Ten Worst Movies of 2013
Trying to piece together the film after watching it is a mission in itself. Trying to follow it as it unfolds on screen is damn near frustrating.
Nikola Curcin’s romance is unjustifiably cruddy and a cross between a travelogue and a family vacation home video circa 1992.
#8. Peeples
Peeples is an atom bomb of a comedy and one of the worst Tyler Perry productions movie goers have seen yet.
#7. Scary Movie 5
Scary Movie 5 is not a funny movie. I have a hard time justifying this rush job as “a movie”.
Getting a deservedly short theatrical run, The Frankenstein Theory is an uninspired and stupefyingly obvious play-by-play of 1999′s The Blair Witch Project.
#5. Fondi ’91
I feel embarrassed for Fondi ’91 and for all who were involved with its ill-fated production. This is a prime example of a movie that needed more rehearsals and more pre-production planning before heading into its slapdash shooting.
#4. After Earth
Hollow and wooden, with very little to latch on to. I can’t comprehend After Earth and I’ll never understand it.
#3. Grown Ups 2
Grown Ups 2 has a neanderthal brian. It’s another one of these movies where it eventually turns into the cinematic equivalent of Sandler looking at himself in the mirror and winking.
#2. Identity Thief
Identity Thief is a recipe for disaster – and the movie has no idea. Who thought it would be a good idea to generate laughs from an irksome, hoarding, annoying, selfish sociopath?
Infomercial spokesperson Vince Offer has somehow managed to weasel his racist tirade into cinemas for the world to endure. Or, for those masochists who boldly seek ways to stress out their patience. It’s a movie that makes you angry at everyone involved. It’s not bold or audacious- just terribly crass and stupid.
If Movie 43 is the worst movie you’ve seen all year, then you’re not ready for InAPPropriate Comedy. And, I say that because I care about you.
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‘Ten Worst Movies of 2013 ‘ Artwork by: Sonya Padovani
An Apocalypse at Toronto Youth Shorts’ T24
By: Addison Wylie
The T24 project – a challenge in association with the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival – asks filmmakers to create, produce, edit, and hand in a short film within 24 hours. Teams are given a lengthy essay question about the chosen theme, and are then sent off into the city.
I remember the days of attending T24 screenings and feeling excited to tell others about the great shorts that screened. With prior screenings, teams have shown supreme amounts of creativity while impressing movie goers with their filmmaking techniques.
This time, I sat in the University of Toronto’s Innis Town Hall watching the disappointing collection of shorts and I felt disheartened. There’s something that’s been lost in translation between past teams and this new class of corner cutters.
The filmmaking wasn’t lazy. The audience could see these teams went the distance to find excellent locations and stay consistent to their atmospheres. Also, the shorts that really focused on the more technical side of their production impressed with special effects and funky lighting. This was evident with Adrienne Knott’s Hinterland and Maikol Pinto’s Futurity Lost. There were some really gorgeous shots in these two.
When it came to the overall finished product though, each short reeked of easy filmmaking – too easy.
The theme this year was “the end”, which meant lots of teams took advantage of shooting at night on the desolate streets of Toronto. This choice did make for a fairly effective post-apocalyptic mood and it also helped that on this particular day, there was a drizzle of ominous snow.
However, the shorts didn’t go any deeper than that regarding the doomed, end-of-the-world essence. For the most part, it felt as if I was watching lots of people shuffle around emptiness with “poetic” narration accompanying them.
The aforementioned Hinterland and Futurity Lost may have looked good, but the shorts were the equivalent of that hippity-dippity guy who brings his acoustic guitar to house parties. There was a level of self-proclaimed significance.
The filmmaker who executed the “walking around a silent purgatory” approach correctly was Greg Fox with his short Peaches. Fox was the only one who was able to bring development to his characters and to his narrative. It’s a bit too anti-climactic when everything quickly wraps up, but Hannah Gordon’s performance anchors each scene well.
Two other filmmakers that tried to bring emotion to their work but ended up slipping up were Anne Phitsanoukanh and Jacky Vuong.
Phitsanoukanh’s Stiffilis took on a fictitious pandemic causing people to freeze on all fours. It brought insight as to how social media would look at a situation like this, which was an interesting idea. However, these instances didn’t necessarily go anywhere other than being brief references to pop culture. And, was it Phitsanoukanh’s intention to make the overall message about this post-apocalyptic society sarcastic and cynical?
I like Vuong’s The Drought, but I wanted to love it. I think the mumblecore approach served the short and its actors well, but this film severely needed an editor or a multi-camera setup. As characters try and figure out a widespread libido disappearance, the scenes roll on with no end in sight; which triggers the scrambling performers to start talking like no person would. Hourmazd Farhadi made me giggle sporadically, but there’s no way anyone would talk to bedroom partners like he does.
Jamie McMillan, a T24 regular, returned with yet another strange short that’s a bit hard to fathom or embrace. With Gag, McMillan showed he still has skills regarding his shooting style and he certainly isn’t afraid to make the audience deliberately uncomfortable. I just wasn’t too hot on the script that was lacking a purpose, and the leading scientist character was too awkward to muster. It was also another short that left the audience with a cynical, off-putting aftertaste.
An example of a short film that suffered from way too much melodrama was Ryan Liu’s All We’ve Got. I thought some of the camera angles were well composed – including everyone in the lens without making the shot look crammed. However, Liu has his actors overacting and beating every hint of fear into the ground. I would like to see how leading man Paul Dods performs with different material and sensible direction. He’s got the goods!
I’ve left my least favourite short – Chelsea Chen’s Apocalypse Now? – for last because I don’t want to spend too much time on it. I’m pretty sure after juror Bern Euler’s public dismemberment of the film’s questionable title, Chen knows her short wasn’t exactly a winner.
To give the filmmaker the broad strokes of my criticisms: Apocalypse Now? was a silent film with title cards that needed more screen time, and the audience could never jive with the humour since the film never opened itself up to the notion of others finding it funny, other than to those involved with the project. As a filmmaker, Chen needs to apply more thought towards her audience. Maybe then she’ll find a way for her work to, well, work.
I’m being rough with the latest T24 challenge because I know what this project is capable of. It bothers me to see others pitch away an opportunity loaded with possible career growth and produce something that hardly qualifies.
Another thing that bugs me is when people use the 24 hour deadline as a crutch. I can understand if some of the continuity is choppy because of rushed scheduling, but it doesn’t take long for a filmmaker to add variety to their shot list or give an actor a bit more motivation. If these filmmakers realize how to think on their feet and nimbly expand their creative horizons, they’ll eventually see progress.
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Visit the official Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival website here!
Check out the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival blog here!
Do you tweet? Follow these tweeple:
Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival: @TorYouthShorts
Henry Wong: @HCMWong
Sky Wylie: @SkyBaby5
Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie
Star Cross’d Lovers at 360 Screenings
By: Addison Wylie
360 Screenings is quickly becoming one of Toronto’s hottest ticket events for film lovers.
Founders Ned Loach and Robert Gontier have built immersive experiences throwing audiences into the world of a secret movie and then revealing the mystery at an undisclosed location with a vast heritage.
When you pay for a ticket, you enlist your trust into Loach and Gontier to bring the goods. That said, they have always managed to bring memorability.
Paying movie goers are treated to multiple clues – including pictures – hinting at what the secret movie could be. 48 hours before the event, patrons are sent an e-mail with details regarding the screening location, the dress code, and any necessary props or phrases.
The surroundings are filled with actors portraying roles from the notable movie and the setting is dressed to the nines with proper garb and props that truly make 360 Screenings into an unforgettable experience. Loach and Gontier deserve all the credit for organizing such a graceful event, but industrial designer Andy Miller also deserves to be included.
I’ve covered every 360 Screening and have watched these events become more prominent within Toronto’s social scene. The venues have gotten larger and the film picks have become more ambitious. But no matter how large its following expands, Gontier and Loach always remain humble.
For this year’s Valentine’s Day event, my wife and I were sent an e-mail stating that the screening would take place at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Hall. It also mentioned that we’d be “attending a masquerade” and we were “encouraged to wear a mask and a costume piece of some sort”.
We arrived at St. Lawrence Hall with our own guesses as to what the movie could be. My guess was A Knight’s Tale. Her prediction stayed within the medieval realm with Ever After: A Cinderella Story. As soon as we watched a man make his way down the main staircase dressed as an astronaut, we both knew we were very wrong.
The crowd was prompted to make our way upstairs to join the party. The designated space was more narrow than expected, but the 360 team had utilized every nook and cranny of the prestigious floor. From top to bottom, Miller and the 360 gang were able to add creative elements while keeping the classier aspects of the hall apparent. It was fancy, yet giddily informal.
As always, there was a bar and food available. This time, the food was provided by Cheesewerks and Tiny Toms Donuts. We both partook in some eats and were highly impressed with the quality of the gourmet grilled cheese and the warmly sweet desserts.
Patrons are encouraged to also interact with the actors playing different parts. It’s my favourite part of the evening since these actors are highly trained and masters of improv. If you see me laughing in that above on-the-go vlog, it’s because that gentleman stumped me and continued to drive the conversation all in character. I’ve interacted with him before, and he’s a wonderful conversationalist every single time. I’m glad Gontier and Loach keep inviting him back.
However, this is where we hit a major bump in the road. The freewheeling spitballing between the movie goer and the performer comes naturally with very few moments of scene work between the actors. Here, there was too much scene work. I sometimes felt I couldn’t start a conversation with the actors because I had a feeling I would be interrupting a pivotal confrontation within the moment.
And, trying to pin these characters down was a difficult task too. The main characters – dressed in proper costume attire – kept running through mounds of minglers, which is a bit intimidating since the space was fairly restrained. I eventually was able to pick some hints out from a couple of the calmer performers, and that conversation was among one of the highlights of the night.
Soon, we were escorted into the main screening area – a bellowing sanctuary with a large screen projecting 360 Screenings’ logo. A brief interlude with the swift leads helped file in the introduction to the mystery movie.
The movie was Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, a film I hadn’t seen since high school english class. Even then, I may have skipped class the next day to weasel my way out of finishing the movie. It’s a blur, but fuzziness that hints at my irritation with Luhrmann’s flashy adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play.
This re-watch at an older age made me realize what about Romeo + Juliet rubs me the wrong way.
I’ve had a hate/love relationship with Luhrmann’s films I’ve seen – Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby. His films refuse to allow audiences to slowly step into the fast-paced world of his movies. The franticness usually has me clutching the sides of my seat. However, Luhrmann somewhat settles down and lets his films become the definition of a “production”. It’s all glitz and glamour, but I can’t help but be drawn into the theatrics.
Romeo + Juliet is his second film after 1992’s Strictly Ballroom, and his inexperience as a storyteller shows. Romeo + Juliet never moves past that first gear of being in your face. It never becomes that end product that’s oodles of enjoyment. Instead, it remains loud and annoying for most of the movie despite sensational art design and mesmerizing performances.
I appreciate it for being a ballsy adaptation and for getting away with keeping Shakespeare’s dialect. But, I’m not in that crew of fans who love this gaudy stab at a classic.
I still enjoyed my time at 360 Screenings, however. The interactivity angle of it may have hindered on too much pre-planned activity, but the overall experience was worthwhile. Whether you love or despise the chosen movie, it’s always a blast to watch it in a unique environment with other avid lovers of cinema.
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Vlog Videographer and Editor: Sky Wylie
Event Photos By: Alex Neary
Related Links:
The Official 360 Screenings Website
360 Screenings’ The Exorcist Event
360 Screenings’ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Event
360 Screenings’ Amélie Event
360 Screenings’ 28 Days Later… Event
A One-On-One With 360 Screenings’ Robert Gontier And Ned Loach
360 Screenings’ Fight Club Event
360 Screenings’ Ghost Event
Do You Tweet? Follow These Tweeple:
360 Screenings: @360Screenings
Robert Gontier: @RobertGontier
Ned Loach: @NedLoach
Sky Wylie: @SkyBaby5
Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie
Lancelot Link: The Ludicrous, The Lame
By: Addison Wylie
I usually stick to reviewing movies or anything related to cinema. But, every once in a while, I bend the rules pending on what gets zipped to me through my inbox. Recently, the DVD release of the short lived television series Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp was that exception.
The series lasted from September 1970 to the cusp of January 1971, and the cast was made up by chimpanzees. It featured the title character and his female assistant Mata Hairi solving crime and tracking down the baddies of C.H.U.M.P. (or the Criminal Headquarters of the Underworld’s Master Plan).
Apart from the spy serials, the show also pitched itself as a variety show offering psychedelic musical numbers from Lancelot Link and the Evolution Revolution as well as short absurdist segments titled Chimpies.
I watched the trailer for the DVD release, and was hooked. I’ve never known what the process is like behind a show like Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp, but I imagine it’s pretty gruelling. All you can do is hope the animals are being cared for and are accepting of their tasks in front of the lens.
As I watched a few episodes, I was fairly impressed with what the show’s director and producers were able to stage with the chimps. Everything looks insane and it’s hard to convince yourself you’re actually watching chimps dance and “talk”, but this crew was able to materialize and stabilize a plot while making everything on screen take on a natural state.
However, I found the spy stories to be terribly boring. The show is trying to stick to a specific outline and follow similar beats to its inspirational big brother, Get Smart. The show is not really spoofing the spy series, but rather putting a new spin on it.
The scripts play each story too straight-laced, sucking any sort of fun or camp out of an episode. The only wacky things going on in these stories is that they’re being acted by spastic chimps reenacting dated stereotypes. Remove the chimps and you have clunky plots with pages and pages of exposition.
The musical numbers and Chimpies ended up stealing the spotlight in each episode. These brief portions “got” what made Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp enticing and what made audiences morbidly and giddily interested with the show.
The songs performed by a confused but carefree band of chimps are catchy and very poppy. You’ll be tapping your toes while you watch each animal try and handle their artificial instruments.
Chimpies is even weirder, but much funnier. The show asks us to laugh at the oddest of visuals – like, cutaways featuring chimps wearing “wacky” costumes and telling eye-roller jokes. These nutty moments are quick enough to get away with whatever ludicrous sights and sounds it throws our way.
But, the energy rapidly drops as soon as the main spy story enters the picture again. This show has the right amount of silliness and the exact dosage of fortitude, but can’t let its hair down when its delivering the primary goods. It’s alright for a show to treat its premise with respect, but I at least expect something this crazy to keep my attention.
Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp may have been good for its time, but it’s a droopy disappointment today.
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Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp is now available on a 3-disc DVD set featuring all 17 episodes from original ABC masters and never-before-seen extras.
CrowdFUNding: BigJackFilms’ King Kong and Fatal Pictures’ HEIR
Are you wanting to shoot your dream project, but have a restriction on your budget?
Are you wanting to support independent cinema by helping filmmakers, but have no idea how to lend a hand?
CrowdFUNding, a new series on Wylie Writes, is hoping to answer those questions by helping guide filmmakers and would-be financiers towards the right opportunities. All while putting the “fun” back in crowdfunding.
CrowdFUNding will highlight online campaigns looking for financial backing. Some filmmakers may need the money to start production, while others need funds to put the cherry on their cake in post-production. Some of these campaigns even have perks for those who invest in the film.
Our first CrowdFUNding article features two projects: BigJackFilms’ King Kong remake and Fatal Pictures’ HEIR.
BigJackFilms King Kong
My name is Jack Buchanan. I’m 21 years old, have Aspergers, and I’m a young independent film maker from Ontario Canada. Over the years, I’ve made films with my own money and time, most of them home movies and for the past 4 years myself and a group of autistic kids have been working extremely hard on a upcoming remake of my favourite film, King Kong.
Right now, we just finished wrapping up principal photography and are on the job of cutting the film with no special effects and as a first for us, we’re looking for funding to help film the special effects for this coming summer, all of which will be practical old school style effects, such as men in ape suits, stop motion animation, model cities and vehicles.
The budget we are looking for is about $5,000, and we’ve come to realize there is no way of making enough before March. And that is why we are looking for Indigogo and folks like yourself to help us out.
This is a film I’ve been wanting to make since I was a young kid. And seeing it halfway done is too far to give up. So for those reading this and wish to contribute to this film, is VERY VERY APPRECIATED from myself and the cast and crew. With this film completed and the funding used for equipment and items, we can make our productions better than ever before for us and you to enjoy.
Visit Jack’s IndieGoGo page for more details.
Fatal Pictures’ HEIR
After connecting with a stranger of similar interests online, Gordon and his young son Paul, embark on an ill-fated road trip in which Gordon aims to indulge a secret passion. Before the day ends a horrible truth will be uncovered and a harsh lesson will be learned. HEIR is a monster movie unlike any other, it is a bleak and fantastical examination of one of societies darkest taboos that aims to stimulate the mind and wrench the gut with equal power.
HEIR is a disturbing, thought provoking PRACTICAL FX driven horror short film from FATAL PICTURES, the team behind the the critically acclaimed, award winning shorts CONSUMPTION, WORM and FAMILIAR. FATAL PICTURES is a Canadian film production company consisting of Writer/Director Richard Powell, recently named one of ten “On the rise indie genre directors who should be on your radar” by FEARNET, and Producer Zach Green, who along with Richard where named one of ten “Canadian genre filmmakers to look out for” by PLANETFURY.COM.
With three successful shorts under our belts the obvious next step is feature films, but there is still one last short film that wants, needs, demands to be made.
Visit Richard Powell and Zach Green’s Kickstarter page for more details.
My Two Cents:
If you’re an aspiring filmmaker and remember those days of budding excitement, BigJackFilms’ amiable mission should ring true. Even if you haven’t been involved with the making of a movie, you can sense that thrill Jack has towards his passion project.
This group of filmmakers appear to have good intentions and a warmth to their initiative. I hope they find the moolah they’re looking for, and I can’t wait to see the remake Jack and the gang churn out.
I have deep admiration for Fatal Pictures. Powell and Green are two of the most powerful voices in independent horror at the moment. I’ve seen, reviewed, and loved Worm and Familiar and the shorts stand the test of time as well. The eerie vibes remain in tact and the shorts still manage to send shivers up my spine.
With Richard Powell in the director’s chair once again and Zach Green holding the fort down as a producer, along with gifted performer Robert Nolan returning and the addition of Bill Oberst Jr. to the film’s cast, I’m very excited to see how HEIR plays out. This is going to be great!
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All italicized statements and videos regarding King Kong and HEIR are provided from their respected crowdfunding sources. Wylie Writes is not responsible for funds attached to these productions and we do not hold accountability.
These projects are those of the filmmakers. Use your own discretion.
WordPress’ Wylie Writes Rundown ’13
The WordPress.com stats are in for 2013!
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 19,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report.
Thanks so much to my readers and vlog watchers for all the support. Here’s to another great year!
TIFF 2013 ENCORE: A One-On-One With Music Composer Taylor Stewart
The Newton Brothers have ears for music and a drive like no other. Not only has the duo – who is made up by Andy Grush (right) and Taylor Stewart (left) – dabbled in many different genres, but the pair have taken on a hefty load producing musical scores for seven films in eight months.
Grush and Stewart attended TIFF earlier this month to support three films they were apart of. Oculus directed by Mike Flanagan, Proxy directed by Zack Parker, and Life of Crime directed by Daniel Schechter.
The pairing have quite an impressive résumé. Before their ventures at TIFF this year, they co-collaborated on films such as Tony Kaye’s Detachment, Gary Lively’s Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness, Roger Avery’s The Rules of Attraction, as well as big budget films such as The Da Vinci Code and The Mothman Prophecies.
I was able to sit down with Taylor Stewart via Skype and talk shop about the work Andy and him have made. We also talk about their experience at TIFF ’13, his musical upbringing, and the creative process of scoring a movie. Stewart also has some helpful advice for those striving to make it in the industry.
Listen here:
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Visit the official Newton Brothers website here!
More TIFF13 Coverage:
Read my Wylie Writes review of Don Jon here.
Read my Film Army review of Faith Connections here.
Read my Film Army reviews of Roland, Paradise Falls, Anatomy of Assistance, and We Wanted More here.
Read my Film Army review of The Dick Knost Show here.
Read my Wylie Writes review of McCanick here.
Read my Film Army interview with Roland’s Trevor Cornish and Paradise Falls’ Fantavious Fritz here.
Read my Film Army review of When Jews Were Funny here.
Read my Wylie Writes review of How I Live Now here.
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On The Film Army Front: August ’13 Edition
Well, now that TIFF has come to an end, let’s take a trip back to August.
If you can believe it, August was busier than my experience with the Toronto International Film Festival. At Film Army, I was checking out different programmes hosted by Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox, watching smaller independent fare, as well as getting ready for TIFF while setting up IFFFT coverage – the International Fetish Film Festival Toronto.
It’s great to cover all sorts of bases with my writing. It truly feels like I get a taste of everything.
The programmes at the Lightbox introduced me to more eclectic foreign movies. These being the films of Leos Carax and other assorted works brought to audiences by Turkish filmmakers.
It was great to finally see what all the hubbub was about with Carax’s Holy Motors, and it was neat uncovering obscure bizarre oddities from Turkey. Even if the films weren’t necessarily winners, I could appreciate the fly-on-the-wall takes these projects offered.
A highlight for me was watching Pavan Moondi’s Everyday Is Like Sunday, a little-known mumblecore flick that ran at Toronto’s Carlton Cinema during a fleeting theatrical run. Moondi’s film had technical flaws as well as running into a couple of unavoidable low-budget hurdles.
But, what really impressed me about Everyday Is Like Sunday is how often I laughed and how frequently I felt for the characters. There’s a very laid back approach to the free-form story in Moondi’s film, and it helps greatly. He’s able to grab honest observations and reactions without having to drill his actors for the right touch. To those who caught this film during it’s blink-or-you’ll-miss-it limited engagement: you witnessed an underdog worth rooting for.
And, then the festival coverage. When I attended TIFF’s press conference revealing Canadian content featured at this year’s event, it was a fairly exciting experience. It also helped that the venue was well run and informative to boot.
But, I was equally eager – and nervous – to watch some films at the International Fetish Film Festival. With these smaller types of festivals, the line separating good taste and inappropriate counterpoints tends to get blurred. Festivals with this sort of rebellious attitude makes my defense grow, but I always like to be proven wrong.
While the festival did a good job keeping content generally tasteful (at least, judging by the films I saw), the selection wasn’t very good. I didn’t see anything worthwhile and the only positive point I made about anything I saw was that the music was catchy during one of the shorts. Uh oh…
All in all, I’m very glad to have tackled all that I snagged. Here are some links:
TIFF 2013′S CANADIAN LINE-UP IS CANUCKARIFFIC
BEING THE POLA OPPOSITE OF A GOOD FILM
TGIS: THANK GOODNESS IT’S SUNDAY
I TRAVELED TO TURKEY AND ALL I GOT WERE THESE STUMPED SHORTS
MUSIC AND SAFE WORDS GO LIMP AT THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FETISH FILM FESTIVAL
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