April 9, 2010
REEL WEEK: Makeover Casting Call, Appy Fest, Toxic Soup
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Normally, new releases dominate, but this is a rare week when a variety of independent variety vignettes project on top of the column.
First, have you contemplated what it would be like to toss away your makeup, hair style, and normal wardrobe? Would a makeover expert turn you into an Appalachian Lady Gaga? Mark April 21 on your calendar, but send a photo and resume now. There’s a ‘big event’ requirement too, so, if selected, you must have told the truth or you will be ‘shopping’ for an escort to accompany you in the designer gown.
Two designers from a wildly popular fashion design show will create a custom gown for the event. The yet to be named show will air on a national cable network. Contact: makeovertvcasting@gmail.com.
TOXIC SOUP
A documentary containing comments by former President Bill Clinton and WV filmmaker Morgan “Supersize Me” Spurlock will be featured at the Atlanta Film Festival in mid-April.
Partially filmed in Parkersburg, Institute, and Mingo County (with other locations in Kentucky and Washington, D.C.), several West Virginians worked on the production which connects spikes in childhood cancer, autism and other serious illnesses to business practices of fortune 500 companies. The Mountain State crew members include: Cal Stratton Crace of Marmet (executive producer), Lisa Bragg of St. Albans (associate producer), and Curtis Baskerville (camera operator, associate producer). For more info, visit http://toxicsoupmovie.com.
SOUTHERN GOTHIC
This vampire flick has had a history of DVD delays. Although widely available in the United Kingdom, IFC Films/MPI Media chose not to release a US version of the production until May 18. The film has played as an “on demand” festival feature at the IFC website.
Directed by Mark Young, the film has a state connection --- Dani (McCall) Englander, a native of Rainelle, WV and sister of the President /CEO of the Marquee Theatre chain, plays a vampire in the flick, which she executive produced.
Unfortunately, the distributor with which she was associated floundered and thus the winding road to the screen.
Here’s a summary of the plot:
Southern Gothic is a dark horror/thriller set in the South, and chronicles a man who must atone for a tragic mistake by saving a little girl from a band of ruthless, undead killers.
Hazel Fortune (Yul Vazquez) works in a strip club in the small Southern town of Redemption. Haunted by the death of his only daughter, Fortune has become a self-destructive, suicidal alcoholic, until he meets Starla Motes (Nicole DuPort). Hazel's downward spiral is interrupted when is befriended by Starlas daughter, Hope (Emily Young).
But when Hope is kidnapped by Enoch Pitt (William Forsythe), a ruthless, psychotic preacher on a bloody crusade, Hazel must make the decision to rejoin the living and risk life and limb to save her from a terrible end.
This is the embed link to the “Southern Gothic” trailer on You Tube:
APPALACHIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Catch a free night of home-grown and independent flicks, Friday night , April 9, in Room 154 of Smith Music Hall on the Marshall University campus. Showings commence at 5:30 p.m. and continue until around 11 p.m.
The second weekend of the festival includes a co-sponsorship with Hospice and will be a fundraiser at the Huntington Museum of Art.
The awards weekend showings, April 23-24 will be at the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center.
Visit: http://appyfilmfest.com for a line up.
Jacob Young won an Emmy and a national award for “Dancing Outlaw.”
APRIL 2 RELEASES
All Pictures © Warner Brothers
CLASH OF TITANS 3D: Here’s the mythical Roman god scoop --- Perseus, born of a god raised as a man (hum… that sounds like a real religious figure), he leads a mission to defeat Hades before seizing power from Zeus and unleashing hell on earth. Roman god figures of not, this seems like a mythical inspired version of the Bible’s End of Time / Armageddon prophesies about the Tribulation period, Rapture, and Second Coming.
TYLER PERRY’S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO: Filmed in Atlanta, this sound like a guarantee for Perry fanatics. Four close couples head for the Bahamas for an annual one-week reunion , but an “ex” shows up determined to win back his former lady. Watching all the friction brew in one relationship injects doubts and stresses into all the others. Will this be a Break Up Island Retreat?
All Pictures © Disney
LAST SONG: Billy Ray’s little girl leaves Hannah Montana behind as she plays a rebellious teen stuck living with her estranged father in a small beach town. She’s rather spend the summer in NYC.
UPCOMING in APRIL AND MAY
DATE NIGHT: You know how The Obama’s have their occasional date nights? Steve Carrell and Tina Fey play the Foster’s who attempt to rekindle some coupling fireworks from a weekly visit to the local Teaneck Tavern. However, they see couples like them splitting apart, so it’s off to the Big Apply for a fancy wine and dine play-date for parents which turns into a run in with mobsters.
RUNAWAYS: Based on lead-singer Cherie Currie’s “Neon Angel,” the film chronicles a teen all girls band formed in Hollywood in 1975. The flick concentrates on the band’s formation and their first single “Cherry Bomb.” The film contains a strong anti drug message.
KICK ASS: Although fictional, you’ve read about the development of non-superheroes donning costumes and assisting law enforcement in cities. Well, Dave, a comic fanboy, calls himself Kick Ass , finds a suit, and does looking to fight crime. Soon, others are joining him.
LETTERS TO GOD: Sounding a little like the Kris Kringle classic (“Miracle on 34th Street), a postman must decide what to do with daily letters from an eight year old child addressed to the big man upstairs in Heaven. Adding to the conflict, the boy has cancer. What will the postman do with these prayerful pen pal styled displays of grace and courage?
BACK UP PLAN: Jennifer Lopez (Zoe) meets Stan ( Alex O’Loughlin ), after having given up on the male species and opted for artificial insemination. At first, he’s committed and cool with the blessed event, but as the ninth month rolls around, both have cold feet.
IRON MAN II: Robert Downey Jr, (Tony Stark) returns to face governmental pressures to divulge secrets of his armor. Gwyneth Paltrow returns too. Stan Lee is one of the producers. (Opens May 7)
NOW SHOWING REVIEWS
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
Filmmakers have imagined a variety of mechanisms for breaking the time barrier from a souped up DeLorean , to concentrated lightning bolts, a complex “tunnel” and now a hot tub.
Hoping to grab some smirks from the zany “Hangover,” the “Hot Tub Time Machine” comes along after a suicide attempt in which the victim’s friends take him back to a lodge where happier and more hopeful times filled their brains and veins.
Muddied with ‘butterfly effect’ (changing the past changes the future) anxieties, the dudes catch time warp party fever, but the film “sets up” situations of which the “execution” lags. For instance, the men’s dalliances are always a splattering of attention deficit disorders, lacking punch lines and fulfillment.
Chevy Chase has cameo appearances as a grey headed repairman who keeps reminding the dudes that the device will only work for a few more hours.
Obviously, some quick glimpses of sexual anatomy, but these sketches don’t have cohesiveness. Ultimately, the “Hot Tub Time Machine” is too short and lacking in belly laughs or just plain chuckles.
Without playing spoiler, I grant praise for the disruption of the space time continuum which is too little too late.
1/2 out of
SHE’S OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE
Nerds and Nice guys, pay attention. Attractive women are considered too intimidating for many men. They often go dateless. Do yourself a favor ask one out, just don’t be a confident , arrogant jerk. Be yourself.
“She’s Out of Your League” may not be too different from the insane number of feel good boy meets girl and girl meet boy flicks that have inundated theatres. The airport and TSA characters, though, provide ample hoots for poking a little levity at those traveling inconveniences.
However, the best advice comes from listening --- don’t listen to friends or family when it comes to romance, particularly if a so-called ‘hottie’ happens to grab you by the arm. Do anything you can to avoid your normal single groupies until you’ve either said , “I do” or broken up. Otherwise, the actions of everyone else in your social circle will rob you of confidence and , perhaps, the love gift of a life time.
As for the scenario, the meet the parents gags are winners, the watch out for her faults fizzles, and the airport track meets would likely have lots of FBI agents making arrests, thus preventing any pleasurable climax.
Add an extra ½ star if you have ever had a “hottie” and blew it. This flick explains how to conduct yourself if lightning strikes twice in a lifetime.
1/2 out of
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REEL WEEK: Makeover Casting Call, Appy Fest, Toxic Soup
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Normally, new releases dominate, but this is a rare week when a variety of independent variety vignettes project on top of the column.
First, have you contemplated what it would be like to toss away your makeup, hair style, and normal wardrobe? Would a makeover expert turn you into an Appalachian Lady Gaga? Mark April 21 on your calendar, but send a photo and resume now. There’s a ‘big event’ requirement too, so, if selected, you must have told the truth or you will be ‘shopping’ for an escort to accompany you in the designer gown.
Two designers from a wildly popular fashion design show will create a custom gown for the event. The yet to be named show will air on a national cable network. Contact: makeovertvcasting@gmail.com.
TOXIC SOUP
A documentary containing comments by former President Bill Clinton and WV filmmaker Morgan “Supersize Me” Spurlock will be featured at the Atlanta Film Festival in mid-April.
Partially filmed in Parkersburg, Institute, and Mingo County (with other locations in Kentucky and Washington, D.C.), several West Virginians worked on the production which connects spikes in childhood cancer, autism and other serious illnesses to business practices of fortune 500 companies. The Mountain State crew members include: Cal Stratton Crace of Marmet (executive producer), Lisa Bragg of St. Albans (associate producer), and Curtis Baskerville (camera operator, associate producer). For more info, visit http://toxicsoupmovie.com.
SOUTHERN GOTHIC
This vampire flick has had a history of DVD delays. Although widely available in the United Kingdom, IFC Films/MPI Media chose not to release a US version of the production until May 18. The film has played as an “on demand” festival feature at the IFC website.
Directed by Mark Young, the film has a state connection --- Dani (McCall) Englander, a native of Rainelle, WV and sister of the President /CEO of the Marquee Theatre chain, plays a vampire in the flick, which she executive produced.
Unfortunately, the distributor with which she was associated floundered and thus the winding road to the screen.
Here’s a summary of the plot:
Southern Gothic is a dark horror/thriller set in the South, and chronicles a man who must atone for a tragic mistake by saving a little girl from a band of ruthless, undead killers.
Hazel Fortune (Yul Vazquez) works in a strip club in the small Southern town of Redemption. Haunted by the death of his only daughter, Fortune has become a self-destructive, suicidal alcoholic, until he meets Starla Motes (Nicole DuPort). Hazel's downward spiral is interrupted when is befriended by Starlas daughter, Hope (Emily Young).
But when Hope is kidnapped by Enoch Pitt (William Forsythe), a ruthless, psychotic preacher on a bloody crusade, Hazel must make the decision to rejoin the living and risk life and limb to save her from a terrible end.
This is the embed link to the “Southern Gothic” trailer on You Tube:
APPALACHIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Catch a free night of home-grown and independent flicks, Friday night , April 9, in Room 154 of Smith Music Hall on the Marshall University campus. Showings commence at 5:30 p.m. and continue until around 11 p.m.
The second weekend of the festival includes a co-sponsorship with Hospice and will be a fundraiser at the Huntington Museum of Art.
The awards weekend showings, April 23-24 will be at the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center.
Visit: http://appyfilmfest.com for a line up.
Jacob Young won an Emmy and a national award for “Dancing Outlaw.”
APRIL 2 RELEASES
All Pictures © Warner Brothers
CLASH OF TITANS 3D: Here’s the mythical Roman god scoop --- Perseus, born of a god raised as a man (hum… that sounds like a real religious figure), he leads a mission to defeat Hades before seizing power from Zeus and unleashing hell on earth. Roman god figures of not, this seems like a mythical inspired version of the Bible’s End of Time / Armageddon prophesies about the Tribulation period, Rapture, and Second Coming.
TYLER PERRY’S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO: Filmed in Atlanta, this sound like a guarantee for Perry fanatics. Four close couples head for the Bahamas for an annual one-week reunion , but an “ex” shows up determined to win back his former lady. Watching all the friction brew in one relationship injects doubts and stresses into all the others. Will this be a Break Up Island Retreat?
All Pictures © Disney
LAST SONG: Billy Ray’s little girl leaves Hannah Montana behind as she plays a rebellious teen stuck living with her estranged father in a small beach town. She’s rather spend the summer in NYC.
UPCOMING in APRIL AND MAY
DATE NIGHT: You know how The Obama’s have their occasional date nights? Steve Carrell and Tina Fey play the Foster’s who attempt to rekindle some coupling fireworks from a weekly visit to the local Teaneck Tavern. However, they see couples like them splitting apart, so it’s off to the Big Apply for a fancy wine and dine play-date for parents which turns into a run in with mobsters.
RUNAWAYS: Based on lead-singer Cherie Currie’s “Neon Angel,” the film chronicles a teen all girls band formed in Hollywood in 1975. The flick concentrates on the band’s formation and their first single “Cherry Bomb.” The film contains a strong anti drug message.
KICK ASS: Although fictional, you’ve read about the development of non-superheroes donning costumes and assisting law enforcement in cities. Well, Dave, a comic fanboy, calls himself Kick Ass , finds a suit, and does looking to fight crime. Soon, others are joining him.
LETTERS TO GOD: Sounding a little like the Kris Kringle classic (“Miracle on 34th Street), a postman must decide what to do with daily letters from an eight year old child addressed to the big man upstairs in Heaven. Adding to the conflict, the boy has cancer. What will the postman do with these prayerful pen pal styled displays of grace and courage?
BACK UP PLAN: Jennifer Lopez (Zoe) meets Stan ( Alex O’Loughlin ), after having given up on the male species and opted for artificial insemination. At first, he’s committed and cool with the blessed event, but as the ninth month rolls around, both have cold feet.
IRON MAN II: Robert Downey Jr, (Tony Stark) returns to face governmental pressures to divulge secrets of his armor. Gwyneth Paltrow returns too. Stan Lee is one of the producers. (Opens May 7)
NOW SHOWING REVIEWS
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
Filmmakers have imagined a variety of mechanisms for breaking the time barrier from a souped up DeLorean , to concentrated lightning bolts, a complex “tunnel” and now a hot tub.
Hoping to grab some smirks from the zany “Hangover,” the “Hot Tub Time Machine” comes along after a suicide attempt in which the victim’s friends take him back to a lodge where happier and more hopeful times filled their brains and veins.
Muddied with ‘butterfly effect’ (changing the past changes the future) anxieties, the dudes catch time warp party fever, but the film “sets up” situations of which the “execution” lags. For instance, the men’s dalliances are always a splattering of attention deficit disorders, lacking punch lines and fulfillment.
Chevy Chase has cameo appearances as a grey headed repairman who keeps reminding the dudes that the device will only work for a few more hours.
Obviously, some quick glimpses of sexual anatomy, but these sketches don’t have cohesiveness. Ultimately, the “Hot Tub Time Machine” is too short and lacking in belly laughs or just plain chuckles.
Without playing spoiler, I grant praise for the disruption of the space time continuum which is too little too late.
1/2 out of
SHE’S OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE
Nerds and Nice guys, pay attention. Attractive women are considered too intimidating for many men. They often go dateless. Do yourself a favor ask one out, just don’t be a confident , arrogant jerk. Be yourself.
“She’s Out of Your League” may not be too different from the insane number of feel good boy meets girl and girl meet boy flicks that have inundated theatres. The airport and TSA characters, though, provide ample hoots for poking a little levity at those traveling inconveniences.
However, the best advice comes from listening --- don’t listen to friends or family when it comes to romance, particularly if a so-called ‘hottie’ happens to grab you by the arm. Do anything you can to avoid your normal single groupies until you’ve either said , “I do” or broken up. Otherwise, the actions of everyone else in your social circle will rob you of confidence and , perhaps, the love gift of a life time.
As for the scenario, the meet the parents gags are winners, the watch out for her faults fizzles, and the airport track meets would likely have lots of FBI agents making arrests, thus preventing any pleasurable climax.
Add an extra ½ star if you have ever had a “hottie” and blew it. This flick explains how to conduct yourself if lightning strikes twice in a lifetime.
1/2 out of
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