Michael Myers, Leatherface, Freddy, Jason: these are a few of the iconic names in horror. Each has had numerous films made with their violent exploits as a centerpiece and they’ve all been subjected to re-imaginings for a newer generation. The true fans, however, will always be the ones who love those characters from their original films. In recent years, thanks in large part to those remakes, people have begun to look back at the legacy and cultural significance of these characters.
One of the best examples is the epic four-hour documentary, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, which was released in 2010 and detailed every single movie in the Nightmare on Elm Street series. The film is almost staggeringly comprehensive and a must-see for Freddy fans. Now the makers of that film, director Daniel Farrands and producer Thommy Hutson, are going to tackle Jason in a similar manner.
Last week in Los Angeles, they began filming Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, based on the book of the same name by Peter M. Bracke. Read the full details after the jump. Read More »
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One of the year’s best documentaries has just been awarded a release date, and thankfully it is right around the corner. Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky‘s Indie Game: The Movie will open in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix on May 18, then expand to Seattle, Miami and across Canada in the following weeks.
The film premiered at Sundance 2012 and I gave it a rave review at South by Southwest 2012. It focuses on the development of three relatively well-known independent video games (Braid, Fez, Super Meat Boy) and drips with true emotion at every single turn as it provides a window into the fascinating world of indie game creation.
In addition to that limited theatrical release Indie Game will also appear on demand later this summer. See the trailer and specific theater and date info after the jump. Read More »
We’ve reached a point where we see stunning images every day. Current camera technology combined with the instant delivery method of the internet means there is no shortage of eye-popping visuals to take in on a regular basis. We’re constantly being given new ways to look at the world around us.
Because our world is truly wondrous, there is still power in the magnificent image. In the documentary Samsara, Baraka director Ron Fricke uses 70mm photography to explore and define “the links between humanity and the rest of nature.” A trailer for the film is below, and it is stunning. Read More »
Posted on Tuesday, April 24th, 2012 by Angie Han
On the face of it, the documentary short The Politics of Competitive Board Gaming Amongst Friends doesn’t sound like such serious business: A group of friends get together to play Settlers of Catan, and occasionally get on each other’s nerves. Really, it’s difficult to think of anything more frivolous. But as anyone who’s ever gotten competitive against a loved one can attest, these things have a way of just blowing way the hell out of proportion.
Directed by Jay Cheel (Beauty Day, How to Build a Time Machine), The Politics of Competitive Board Gaming Amongst Friends is a half-dramatic, half-comedic look at the high-stakes emotions that can spill out during a low-stakes game. Fans of Cheel’s work on the Film Junk podcast will additionally be amused to see that the short prominently features recurring Film Junk guest Reed Farrington, a.k.a. Gerry Eng. Watch the ten-minute video after the jump.
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Posted on Monday, April 23rd, 2012 by Angie Han
Those new episodes of Arrested Development won’t be hitting Netflix til sometime next year, but in the meantime you can content yourself with watching Will Arnett and Jason Bateman enjoy an epic spa day that’d be worthy of Lucille Bluth.
Titled Mansome, the new documentary by Morgan Spurlock sees Arnett, Bateman, and other paragons of masculinity exploring the eternal question of what makes a man a man, through the prism of modern-day male grooming rituals from beard maintenance to back waxing to posh mani-pedis. Several of Arnett and Bateman’s other comedy pals show up, including Zach Galifianakis, Paul Rudd, Judd Apatow, and the Old Spice Guy (a.k.a. Isaiah Mustafa). Check out the trailer after the jump.
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Posted on Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 by Angie Han
I won’t even try to pretend there’s a unifying theme among these films, aside from the fact that they’re all under-the-radar spring entertainments. After the jump, watch trailers for the found-footage scarefest Area 407, the unabashedly nasty thriller The Aggression Scale, the Martin Scorsese-produced documentary Surviving Progress, and the adorable puppy drama Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog. Like I said — they’ve got little in common.
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The popularity and cultural significance of Star Wars is largely derived from its merchandising. That’s a fact. George Lucas definitely crafted a fantastic trilogy of movies but the initial popularity, eventual collectibility and amount of money derived from little plastic men has helped facilitate everything that came after it. Seems like an interesting story, no?
Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys is an upcoming documentary that not only tells that story, but attempts to delve into the psyche of a person who has spend years and years searching for, as well as thousands upon thousands of dollars buying, Star Wars toys. (*Raises hand in shame*)
Directed by Brian Stillman, the documentary will be finished and available for purchase later this year. To get people excited, a short teaser trailer has been released. Check it out below. Read More »
Ryan Palmieri directed a short documentary film titled The Hands of Hollywood, “the true story of the meteoric rise and fall of Steve Hershon, Hollywood’s go to hand insert model.” Hershon’s hands have been seen in many famous television shows and films. I’ve always been fascinated by the life of professional extras — the documentary Strictly Background is on Netflix Instant if you wanna see more on the subject. Watch The Hands of Hollywood right now embedded after the jump.
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