Thirteen years after Nemo found his dad, Dory is getting her day in the spotlight with the new DISNEY•PIXAR feature FINDING DORY. After all of this time, she just keeps swimming into our hearts!
We pick up back in the reef, where Dory is happily living with Nemo and his father, Marlin. Still, Dory yearns for something more. She starts to piece together a past, and knows something is missing. We soon find out that her past isn’t that different from Nemo’s. Due to her short term memory loss, she wandered away from her parents and couldn’t find her way home. Soon, she couldn’t remember what she was looking for. When she finally starts putting the pieces of the puzzle together, Marlin, Nemo and Dory set out on a mission to find her parents. Together, they brave the ocean, and meet some new friends along the way in their quest to find the missing pieces in Dory’s life.
I honestly didn’t think they could top 2003’s FINDING NEMO, and they certainly did. Even though the stories have a simile thread, FINDING DORY still feels new. Plus, we find out where Dory learns to speak whale! I know you’re just dying to find out!
The humor is outstanding, and the animation is absolutely stunning. They managed to use their updated technology to give an incredible look to the film, while still making it feel like the original. I think this is in part of Andrew Stanton, who co-wrote and directed the first film. He also co-wrote and directed FINDING DORY, so the original feel and nostalgia are not lost along the way. DISNEY•PIXAR continues to impress me on a regular basis. My only regret is that I would have loved our screening to be in 3-D, but that just means I need to go see it again.
As far as voice talent goes, Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton were all incredible. DeGeneres and Brooks return to voice their characters from FINDING NEMO, while the rest are newcomers, including Hayden Rolence who takes on the role of young Nemo. They did manage to throw in Alexander Gould, the original voice of Nemo, as Passenger Carl, which is fun. Seeing as how the film takes place only a few months after their return to the reef, there was no way for a grown Gould to voice young Nemo. It was nice to see that he was included in the sequel.
FINDING DORY is funny, smart, and heartwarming. Go see it as soon as you can! It’s in theaters NOW!
For most of us in the United States, Helmut Berger is not someone who we are very familiar with. In Europe, however, most people know if his work, and his reputation for being unpredictable. Director Andreas Horvath submerges himself into Berger’s world in order to show us an intimate, uncensored look at the present life of a wounded man who once seemed to have it all in HELMUT BERGER, ACTOR.
WARNING: Trailer is NSFW, and shouldn’t be viewed by children.
A little backstory to get you in the proper head space: Berger had it made in the 70’s and 80’s. He was given his first film role by director Luchino Visconti in 1967, and things took off from there. He was leading a luxurious lifestyle with his, now lover, Visconti. Berger became a man about town, enjoying the finer things in life. When his partner died in 1976, Berger spiraled out of control. He had attempted suicide, and his abuse of drugs and alcohol began to overshadow his acting career. Still, he continued to work. Relationships continued with both men and women (he is an open bisexual), but the substance abuse never really stopped.
That brings us to the documentary. The filmmaker catches up with Berger, who is now in his early seventies and living on the outskirts of his hometown (Salzburg, Austria) in a small, cluttered apartment. The apartment itself is adorned with a combination of worn, expensive furniture, photographs, pornography, and trash.
He has a cleaning lady, Viola, basically looks after him. She does his laundry, brings him food, and even set up a small kitchen for him when he ripped his out and could no longer afford the re-model. A lot of what she does for him seems to come out of her own pocket. Over the course of the film, they interview her while she is cleaning up after all of his clutter, and she tells stories of his relationship with his mother, and how withdrawn from society he has become. Unless he is working, or on a trip, he rarely leaves his home. She paints a picture of the friends that he lost when his money dried up, and just how lonely and isolating celebrity can be. Honestly, this was a brilliant way to navigate the story, and add a stable element. You really could tell just how much she adored him, and how protective she was of him. She almost takes on a motherly role. Unfortunately, at the Q&A following the film we were informed that she passed away before seeing the film. She was on her way to Berger’s apartment with his laundry when she suffered a heart attack.
Warning (Again): This film is not suitable for young audiences due to crude language and sexual acts performed on-screen without being censored. John Waters called this “Maybe the best motion picture of the year is also the worst?” of 2015, if that gives you any clues…
Horvath endured a lot while capturing the film. Berger’s mood swings are unpredictable, and he would often lash out suddenly, even hitting Horvath at one point, and then trying to have him arrested on the street by spinning the tale. Instead, the police just put Berger in the backseat, and either gave him a ride back to his hotel, or arrested him. That part wasn’t entirely clear. The two fight quite a bit as well. Horvath is not afraid to yell back at Berger, and Berger seems to respond well to this. There are points where it’s unclear if Berger is acting for the camera, or being his true self. I guess you’ll have to figure that one out for yourselves.
The music and weird nature cut away scenes are used to guide the viewer through the film, and aid to the odd directions that the narrative takes. I don’t think all of them are incredibly necessary because the viewer has enough substance to form their own opinions, and feel the chaos going on without having the added intense, strange musical inserts as a guide. At the same time, it doesn’t hurt the film. I just found a few of the cutaways a bit too long. Often, when we are listening to he voice messages that Berger left for Horvath, they do closeups on various objects in his house, from tiger paintings to empty vodka bottles. That seems to fit a lot better.
As the film goes on, it’s clear that Berger is desperate for attention and intimacy. He leaves ridiculous messages to Horvath, taunting him, and calling him names. He treats him as if he is a peasant beneath him, often referring to his own celebrity. In the same conversation Berger often then flips, asking to give Horvath a blow job, and announcing that he has fallen in love with him. Then, he watches tv as if nothing has happened. Remember those sex acts that I referred to earlier? Throughout the film, Berger, on several occasions, pulls out his penis and begins masturbating in front of the camera and filmmaker.
SPOILER ALERT: If you don’t want to know how the film ends, stop reading.
The final scene will most likely make you uncomfortable, as will certain other parts of this film. In the final scene, Horvath captures Berger in a dim room masturbating, as he begs for Horvath to join him, or to just let him “hold it.” This last scene is incredibly long, and after constant begging for Horvath to at least pull down his pants so that he can “see it,” the lights come one, comments that Burt Lancaster has a “similar one” before reaching orgasm. Yes, you see the entire thing. The only thing we done see is if Horvath actually took his pants down or not, though judging by Berger’s comment, and the lights being turned on, I would assume that he did.
You may be asking yourselves “Why would he do that?” Well, the only reason that I can think of is that Berger had finally let his guard down, and was in a vulnerable state, and Horvath decided to give him something in return… a piece of his vulnerability. It really was a natural way for the film to end. It’s the very first time you look into his eyes and know that he is being himself.
HELMUT BERGER, ACTOR is both interesting and uncomfortable to watch at the same time. Still, it’s worth checking out… if you are of age.
The MammothLakes Film festival concluded on Sunday, May 29th with the award-winning documentary SONITA, followed by a lively, music and fun-filled awards presentation at Sierra Events Center. Over 50 films were screened over the five day fest, including premieres, presentation of the first ever Sierra Spirit Award to legendary director Joe Dante, filmmaker bonding at screenings and events, including a film fest hosted trip to Bodie ghost town. Awards, detailed below, included the presentation of the physical Orson trophy, each one with its own personality, and all created by local artist Josh Slater.
Jury Award for Feature Narrative – BODKIN RAS, a first time feature by director Kaweh Modiri. This Dutch film, shot in the remote town of Forres Scotland, caught the Jury by surprise with its intriguing blend of documentary and fiction. Its lyrical images, Poetic construction and poignant performances have indelible haunting effects that stay with the viewer.
Awards:
$10K Camera package from Panavision
$10K Post production package from Light Iron
$1,000.00 cash
Orson trophy
Jury Award for Feature Documentary – SONITA by director Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami. The film gave the Jury a personal connection to a small, talented and compelling young woman trying to bridge the gap between her seemingly impossible dreams and her suppressive culture. The filmmaker who brought this story took an untraditional role to change the course of the young woman’s path.
Awards:
Scarlett Red Digital Cinema Camera package
$1,000 dollars cash
Orson trophy
Special Mention Feature Documentary – UNDER THE SUN by director Vitaly Mansky. The MammothLakes Film Festival Documentary Award for Courage is given to a film that was incredibly compelling and beautifully crafted. The filmmaker undertook a project under challenging conditions and revealed to us a world rarely seen in the west.
Special Mention Feature Narrative – MAD by director Robert G. Putka. A beautifully written and realized film about mental illness, and the trickle-down effect it has upon a mother’s relationship with her two grown daughters, their relationship with each other, and the challenges of living the broken lives they’ve inherited from their mom.
Best Narrative Short – A NIGHT IN TOKORIKI by director Roxana Stroe. Without dialogue this film sets the scene for a night out that celebrates becoming an adult while forbidden love is revealed. From its first frame to the last, this film creates a world with passion and empathy for its characters, in a setting that captures the humor and sometimes danger of true love.
Awards:
GoPro Hero4 Black
$500.00 cash
Orson trophy
Honorable Mention Narrative Short – TISURE by director Adrian Geyer. Calm, deliberate and beautifully set, the jury would like to give an honorable mention to TISURE- a film that allows the viewer to become lost in a visual story that invokes awe and inspiration.
Best Doc/Animation Short – THE SECOND LIFE by director Eugene Pankov. This wonderfully honest, heartfelt and touching portrait of a woman’s love for her mother broaches on the point of obsession and the absurd, but actually forces the viewer to think about second chances. For wouldn’t we all want to get another chance at life?
Awards:
GoPro Hero4 Black
$500.00 cash
Orson trophy
Audience Award for Feature Narrative – BUDDYMOON by director Alex Simmons.
Awards:
GoPro Hero4 Black
Orson trophy
Audience Award for Feature Documentary – LEARNING TO SEE by director Jake Oelman.
Awards:
GoPro Hero4 Black
Orson trophy
The Festival would like to that their illustrious Jury Members: Narrative Features – John Fiedler, Kelly Leow, and John Wirth; Documentary Features: Allison Amon, John Scheinfeld, and Katherine Tulich; Shorts: Bojana Sandic and Amanda Salazar
Also their sponsors: Honda, Panavision, RED digital Cinema, Light Iron, Cineverse, Paul and Kathleen Rudder, MammothLakes Recreation Measure U, Mono County and Alicia Vennos, Sierra Nevada Resort, Eberle Winery, Blue Moon, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, The Westin Monache Resort, The Obsidian, GoPro, Snowcreek Resort, Tim and Pam Bartley, Juliana Olinka-Jones, Sierra Wave Media, and the MammothLakes Lions club.
They would like to thank their team: Festival Manager Shaun Reitman; Matt Johnstone, Festival Publicist; Lead Projectionist Brian Moratoya; Venue Managers Kim Kittinger and Chuck Scatolini; the staff at the MammothLakes Film Festival; Our festival interns Gabe Gerson and Elise and Elisa Prepatit; and Jeff Frome for tending bar for the last 3 days, and all our volunteers. We could not do this festival without you.
And last, they thank the filmmakers; without you there is no festival.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has been a vacation destination for many over the years. Rather than focusing on the fantasy, directors Neil Rough and Michael Fuller want to tell a darker side to the fun-in-the-sun playground with their Mammoth Lakes Film Festival selected documentary, MYRTLE BEACH.
MYRTLE BEACH follows the lives of several residents living their lives in, mostly, solitude around the hustle and bustle of the tourist city. The filmmakers jump back and fourth amongst their all male subjects to weave together the common threads of loneliness, mental illness, and troubled pasts.
https://vimeo.com/149213335
We don’t really get to know them by their names, although a few do mention them. Instead, the filmmakers start by showing the characteristics of each individuals personality, and then slowly unravel the yarn to show the parallels of their lives.
The most important thing to take from this film is that mental illness is real, and it is incredibly isolating. None of these men speak of a family, other than in the past tense, and they show no signs of having friendships, other than a few with animals. The men all seem to have a common thread of spirituality, and lack of fear of death. The one man that does not speak of religion instead speaks of conspiracy theories and higher powers, which still ties into the spirituality that these men found amongst their mental and emotional pain. They all also seem to think that whatever they are doing in life, the goal is to do the right thing. They truly think that they are impacting society in a positive way… and you know what? Who’s to say that they aren’t?
The film is raw, and I get the impression that the filmmakers weren’t trying to paint their subjects in a negative light by picking the most eccentric of clips. They took care with the handling of this story, and I really respect them for that. Instead, the film reminds me a bit of the film GUMMO. There is definitely a correlation to income levels, economics, and general location that come into play. None of these men are well off. Instead, they all live in the solitude of a 72.3% white city where the average male median income is just under $27,000. It shows, since all but one of the men live in small apartments with no frills, or on the streets.
My only complaint about the film, and it’s a minor one, is that the narrative threads don’t start to come together until much later and the film, leaving the audience in the dark. The focus of MYRTLE BEACH is to show a real look at mental illness, and the filmmakers achieve that. After all, the audience is merely there to listen.
You can check out MYRTLE BEACH on their Facebook or Website.
The 2nd Annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival is happening right now in beautiful Mammoth Lakes California, and their programming, yet again, is nothing short of spectacular (thanks to Festival Director Shira Dubrovner and Director of Programming Paul Sbrizzi).
One of the more powerful films that I have seen thus far is the feature film by director/writer Robert G. Putka, MAD. In this tragicomedy, daughters Connie (Jennifer Lafleur) and Casey (Eilis Cahill) are trying to navigate their own lives and relationships while also dealing with their mother, Mel’s (Maryann Plunkett) nervous breakdown after her recent divorce, on top of her bi-polar disorder. Mel finds herself abandoned in a psych ward after her daughters decide they would rather not deal with her, and is now faced with navigating through her mental health. Meanwhile, perfect daughter Connie and ‘fuck up’ Casey can’t seem to find a common thread other than verbally ripping each other’s throats out. The film is a hard hitting look at a family trying to cope with this thing called life.
https://vimeo.com/150977962
Putka uses crass, biting humor, to help navigate the intense pain that the characters go through, taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Think ‘if Judd Apatow were to have written and directed REQUIEM FOR A DREAM.’ Almost every emotion is felt while watching MAD. Joy, fear, anger, desperation, loneliness, the search for oneself, humor, shock… For those of us that didn’t grow up under the warm rooftop of a 1950’s Cleaver type household, this film is incredibly relatable. You don’t have to be going through remotely the same circumstances as the three main characters to find some level of comradery.
The three main actors in this film are nothing short of incredible, with an impressive amount of credits under their sleeves. The chemistry between the three is nothing short of amazing. Adding an extra dose of humor and drama is Mark Reeb, who plays Jerry, a fellow patient at the psych ward with Mel. The director mentioned in a Q&A after the film (via speakerphone) that Reeb was dying to play the part, and that most of his lines were improvised. What we end up with is a passionate actor with the ability to let loose, and give a hilarious, emotional performance.
There is definitely a ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ element to the characters of Connie and Casey. Connie is the put together, sophisticated beauty with a perfect family, while Casey is struggling with finding her path in adulthood. Looks can be deceiving. This type of twist, when pulled off correctly, is one of my favorite scenarios to watch unfold on screen. It’s a very ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ thread that never ceases to be relevant.
MAD is currently making it’s way around the festival circuit. To keep up with the film check out their Facebook, or their website.
The 2nd Annual MAMMOTH LAKES FILM FESTIVAL is underway here in beautiful, Mammoth Lakes, California, and this year, they continue to impress with an incredible film selection. They are also introducing the Sierra Spirit Award, which they are presenting to legendary filmmaker Joe Dante tomorrow night after they screen his hit comedy INNERSPACE. Robert Picardo will also be joining Dante in a Q&A following the film. I spoke with Mr. Dante on the phone earlier this week. Check it out below!
First off, I have to say that I covered the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival for their first year last year, and I was very excited to see that you were on the list this year.
JOE DANTE: What is it like? What should I expect?
Oh, it’s beautiful. The mountains are incredible, the people are beyond friendly, and the programming is amazing. I’m curious , how were you made aware of the festival?
JOE DANTE: Honestly, they simply sent me an email and said ‘we would like you to come to our festival one night.’ I’ll be honest and say that I was not particularly with the festival. I know Mammoth Lakes, but I haven’t been there in 20 years. People have told me that it hasn’t changed much… But they were very cordial and nice and I thought ‘Gee, I’d love to see Mammoth Lakes!’
Not too far back, I went to the Egyptian Theater to see their tribute to Dick Miller. He and Rick Baker did a Q&A, and they happened to show GREMLINS and GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH. What has your experience been working with Dick Miller, since he has been in just about all of your films?
JOE DANTE: I would have been there, but I was out of town. Dick is someone who… I won’t say I grew up watching… but I was certainly a lot younger when I saw him in the Roger Corman movies. He was always a favorite actor of mine, so when I came out to Hollywood and I worked with Roger Corman, I determined that I would make a film with Dick Miller in it. So, I wrote a part for him in my first picture. We hit it off so well that I thought ‘here’s a guy that I just like to see on screen. So, if I’m going to get more jobs, and make more movies, I’d like to see more of Dick!’ I basically put him in every picture that I made. There was one movie that he got cut out of, [laughs] but otherwise, he’s like my talisman! [Laughs]
It’s amazing to see the amount of credits he has under his belt!
JOE DANTE: Well, you know… You gotta keep working! You gotta feed your kids! [laughs]
Speaking of Roger Corman you don’t see the types of relationships where a producer takes on a director the way Corman did with you, and so many others. Would you ever consider mentoring someone in a more indie fashion, the way Corman did with you?
JOE DANTE: I have considered it, and have done it on occasion. I have a film that just came out called DARK by director Nick Basile, which I am an executive producer on because I wanted to see him get the picture made. That does happen, but the opportunities are limited because of the way the business is. When I was working with Corman, there was a non-stop flow of movies that were at the drive-in, so they’re a lot more opportunities to mentor young people. We were cheap to hire, and we really didn’t know what we were doing, so we would look to him. He was the professional. He would help us, and guide us so that we could get the movie finished.
There was a revolving door at Cormans, with many different people who got their first breaks working for him. Unfortunately, that spicket his turned off. There is certainly no one like him anymore, and there’s no business like that anymore. There is no flow of movies going to drive-ins anymore. Even, really, to theaters. Independent films now almost always bypass theaters and go straight to video on-demand. It’s a whole different paradigm. You just really don’t have a lot of opportunities for mentoring.
I kind of feel as though the middle budget films have it the hardest right now, because it seems like studios are gravitating to the independent film that will gain them an award, or the big summer blockbuster. That being said, there are so many options for distribution now. You have theaters, Hulu Netflix, iTunes… Television has even become a major competitor. Has the evolution of the market changed how you approach the market, and do you have a preference?
JOE DANTE: Feature people used to look down on television because it was a lesser medium, they thought. It was a small screen, and they had certain restrictions on how they shot because the screen was so small. That’s all gone now, obviously. Some people have home theater systems that are better than their local theater. There’s really no difference in the aesthetic anymore. What’s happened in the last decade is the rise of the mini-series, and they have allowed people to do the whole book… and not have to cut it down to just 90 minutes. They can now develop sub-plots for all these characters. That’s why a lot of directors are gravitating towards television now as a storytelling medium… and now the theatrical has become a spectacle business. People go because they want to see stories on big screens… superheroes, and movies with 12 climaxes… with special-effects, and all that that’s one kind of movie. It used to be one of many kinds of movies, but now it’s the kind of movie that only gets made for theaters. Of course you have your dramas, and your romantic movies… your thrillers… but they just don’t do that well theatrically. There’s no market anymore. it’s syndication. They used to show a lot more on local stations, but now it’s all infomercials. Your revenue streams cut off. The idea of making an independent film and having it be seen. There might be more places for independent films to be seen, but not paying. If you want to put it out on VOD, like my last movie… if I type in the title the first five sites to come up are pirate site so people can watch your movies for free. The chances of people making money by putting their films on video on demand is greatly deduced.
One of the things that I really respect is the amount of practical effects that you’ve used over the years. It’s sad to see practical effects being used less and less with the rise of CGI quality.
JOE DANTE: I was brought up on practical effects, because that’s what was state-of-the-art when I was working. And also because you’re doing it on the set and you have something for the actors to relate to instead of telling them to stare into the corner and pretend that there’s a monster there. CGI has taken over to a degree that most people don’t even understand. When they go to see a movie like GRAVITY they don’t realize that besides the actors faces there was nothing to photograph. There are a few practical scenes, but for the most part it’s all done on computer, and very cleverly done. It’s very convincing. All the beautiful, mundane things like the sky, or the mountains in a shot are manipulated somehow. It’s far beyond any photographic manipulation that we could ever do. We had a hard time trying to move the TV Ariel out of the shot in a period piece because there was nothing we could really do to erase it without scratching the movie and then you have to figure out a way to try and de-scratch it. We had very limited tools and now you can push a button and do just about anything. Literally anything you could think of to do you can do. It really is great, but I do think that there is something to be said about the old way of doing it… of the practical effects that are actually photographed and in the scene with the people. They’re not standing on a green screen. They’re standing on a set. They know where the chairs are. They know where the other actors are. I’m old-fashioned I guess, but I prefer that. There’s no way were going to be able to turn our back on the computer generated stuff. It’s the future, and I think that once the virtual reality stuff comes in the play, which I think is right around the corner, it’s almost all gonna be virtual reality.
Speaking of practical effects I was reading somewhere that you have kept props from a lot of your movies. What are some of your more prized pieces?
JOE DANTE: I don’t know about prized, because they’re from my own movies. I have a Rosebud sled, original… that I take pride in, because it’s a great movie. Mostly I have all of the inventions from GREMLINS, the spaceships from EXPLORERS, miniatures from INNERSPACE…things like that that are dotted around my house in various places. It’s not exactly a museum.
That’s wonderful! I actually have a life-sized Gremlin in my house…
JOE DANTE: Really? Where did you get that?
There’s a company called Neca that makes…
JOE DANTE: Oh, Neca! They do great stuff!
Yeah, he’s pretty neat. They’re made from the original stunt puppets so I have a Flasher Gremlin just hanging around, amongst other things… He definitely gets a look whenever I have people over!
JOE DANTE: [Laughs]
Check out A NIGHT WITH JOE DANTE : Centerpiece Sierra Spirit Award Presentation and screening of INNERSPACE Saturday Night, May 28th, at the U.S. Forrest Service Theater in Mammoth Lakes, California. You can buy your tickets before they sell out HERE.
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS hits theaters today, but it’s not quite the Through The Looking-Glass tale that you grew up with.
In the sequel to ALICE IN WONDERLAND, we find Alice (Mia Wasikowska) being summoned back to Underland to travel back in time and save the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and his family. As the Hatter begins to change, Alice realizes that she must steal the Chronosphere from Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen). By her side is the Mirana (Anne Hathaway), as well as some of her other Underland friends. Of course, things aren’t always what they seem in Underland, and Alice discovers some new secrets about Mirana and her sister Iracebeth (Helena Bonham Carter) that changes things a bit…
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS has very little to do with the Lewis Carroll story of a similar name, other than Alice travels back to Underland through a mirror. Instead, the film takes the direction of being more of an origin story revolving primarily around the Hatter, as well as the relationship between the royal sisters. As a Carroll fan, the title of the film actually kind of bugs me.
The characters are great, for the most part. Most surprising to me was Sacha Baron Cohen. I have to admit that I went in with low hopes, but I really enjoyed his performance. Of course, Depp and Wasikowska are incredible together. I found myself annoyed with the adult versions of the royal sisters. For most of the movie, I found myself liking the Red Queen less and less. Its not that the performance was bad, it was just so extreme!
While I enjoyed the film, I must say that I could tell that Tim Burton was not the director. This time, James Bobin took the reigns (THE MUPPETS, MUPPETS MOST WANTED) and it was a bit visible. While the world was beautiful to look at, and I found the story to be entertaining enough, there were a lot of weird inconsistencies, especially with the make-up. Now, I’m not talking about when the Hatter looses his Muchness, or changes emotions. I’m talking about between close up shots. The white lines under his eyes would change thickness and length. I don’t know if they meant to do this, but it drove me bonkers while watching it. I also thought that Hathaway’s makeup looked sloppy. Her lipstick smear was just a little more exaggerated than what I recall from the last film, and I didn’t care for it. Plus, it seemed like Bobin took the look of Burton’s first film and mixed it with an episode of Hoarders.
I’d say to go into it with an open mind. You’ll be sure to enjoy the views. If you’re a true Carroll fan, this might annoy you.
Returning stars Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne have returned to theaters with Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, the follow-up to 2014’s most popular original comedy. Recently, WAMG was invited to the films press day on the Universal Studios Back Lot in sunny California. While there, members of various outlets got to grill the stars in a BBQ, college party type setting… so, naturally the subject of Efron getting greased up with meat came up. For those of you that don’t know what I’m talking about, please see the clip below for reference.
For those of you returning for the second time, can you talk about what it was like to work as a team as opposed to adversaries… and Rose, what was it rubbing Zac? You’ve gotta tell us…
Rose Byrne: It was a new experience. I never felt anything quite as hard. [Laughs]
Seth Rogen: Take that in the worst way possible. [Laughs] She means that.
Zac Efron: Awesome. I’m very flattered. Oh, I thought she said hugging. She meant rubbing.
Rose Byrne: Oh, but you meant that scene, right? With the… It was also incredible… with the… they had injected the meat with, um, baby oil. So it was really disgusting. [Laughs]
Seth Rogen: It was a real ham with lube in it. It was delicious. Ham juice and baby oil.
Rose Byrne: It was also seasoned with things… like you were saying.
Seth Rogen: Peppercorn…
Zac Efron: It wasn’t just…
Seth Rogen: They made it delicious!
Zac Efron: They made it like edible. It had seasoning and stuff on it. So, that mixed with the smell of baby oil was pretty gross.
Seth Rogen: Ham juice and baby oil!
Rose Byrne: You couldn’t get it off your hands.
Zac Efron: Yeah, it would not come off. I was, like, trying to get it off… But watching Rose’s face made it all worth it. It was really funny.
Rose Byrne: What was my face like?
Zac Efron: You were, like, really into it in one take, and one take you were like “this is weird.” [Laughs]
To be fair, it wasn’t just all fun and games at the press conference. One reporter dug a little deeper when asking Efron for advice.
Your characters struggle, and it kind of resonates with us millennials with trying to figure out where we are in our lives… our niche, and values. What’s your advice to us millennials who might be going through the same thing?
Zac Efron: Oh, you’re asking me! [Laughs] My advice. I don’t know. I’ve been really lucky. I kinda found something that I really love early on, and it’s cool. I get to explore a lot of millennial issues on film, if you really think about it.
Seth Rogen: Find what you like.
Zac Efron: Yeah! Just try to find what really motivates you, and find what you love, and do your best to keep searching for that thing. Yeah. Work hard when you find it. Also, I think a lot of times when you’re a millennial… every time I find myself, like, afraid of anything or scared to do something and it’s going to prevent me from doing it, usually that’s when I try to do it because that’s often the time that I find it’s something that I needed to do. So, if there is something that you’re, like, afraid of doing in life that could lead to something or an opportunity that you are afraid of or nervous of, go for it.
Seth Rogen: Damn! I am gonna go for it! [Laughs] Fuck this!
So, besides the serious stuff… who’s ready to break out the solo cups and rage?!
Synopsis: Now that Mac (Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Byrne) have a second baby on the way, they are ready to make the final move into adulthood: the suburbs. But just as they thought they’d reclaimed the neighborhood and were safe to sell, they learn that the new occupants next door are a sorority even more out of control than Teddy (Efron) and his brothers ever dreamed of being.
Tired of their school’s sexist, restrictive system, the unorthodox ladies of Kappa Nu have decided to start a house where they can do whatever the hell they want. When Shelby (Moretz) and her sisters, Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein), find the perfect place just off campus, they won’t let the fact that it’s located on a quiet street stand in their way of parties as epic as the guys throw.
Forced to turn to the one ex-neighbor with the skills to bring down the new Greeks next door, the Radners—alongside best friends Jimmy (Ike Barinholtz) and Paula (Carla Gallo)—bring in charismatic Teddy as their secret weapon. If he can infiltrate the sorority and charm his way through it, the thirtysomethings will shutter the Kappas’ home. But if they think that their neighbors are going down without a fight, they have severely underestimated the power of youthful ingenuity and straight-up crazy.
We couldn’t start your Friday off with a dry rub. Instead, how about we get the old juices flowing, literally, by showing you a new clip from NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING where Zac Efron lathers up with a nice hunk of meat. Sign me up!
Returning stars Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne are joined by Chloë Grace Moretz for NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING, the follow-up to 2014’s most popular original comedy. Nicholas Stoller again directs in a film that follows what happens when the will of parenthood goes against the bonds of sisterhood.
Now that Mac (Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Byrne) have a second baby on the way, they are ready to make the final move into adulthood: the suburbs. But just as they thought they’d reclaimed the neighborhood and were safe to sell, they learn that the new occupants next door are a sorority even more out of control than Teddy (Efron) and his brothers ever dreamed of being.
Tired of their school’s sexist, restrictive system, the unorthodox ladies of Kappa Nu have decided to start a house where they can do whatever the hell they want. When Shelby (Moretz) and her sisters, Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein), find the perfect place just off campus, they won’t let the fact that it’s located on a quiet street stand in their way of parties as epic as the guys throw.
Forced to turn to the one ex-neighbor with the skills to bring down the new Greeks next door, the Radners—alongside best friends Jimmy (Ike Barinholtz) and Paula (Carla Gallo)—bring in charismatic Teddy as their secret weapon. If he can infiltrate the sorority and charm his way through it, the thirtysomethings will shutter the Kappas’ home. But if they think that their neighbors are going down without a fight, they have severely underestimated the power of youthful ingenuity and straight-up crazy.
Many of us have moments in our past that we’d love to revisit, or change. Maybe there was a dream that we left on the table as we turned our back and walked into adulthood. For Jerry White Jr., the public access television show that he created in his friends in the 90’s was hard to forget. Rather than chalk it up to a memory, he decided to do something about it. 20 years later, it’s time to get the gang back together!
I first became privy of the film during the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, and it was definitely a favorite of mine. Documented by Jeremy Royce, 20 YEARS OF MADNESS, follows White Jr., a recent film school graduate who has always wondered ‘what if’ about his old show ’30 Minutes of Madness.’
The 90’s show, put together largely by White, and starring his friends, aired on public access television in Michigan. For 30 minutes, the teens would perform wacky skits, stunts, and sing songs. Unfortunately, White and his friends had a falling out, and the show was left in the dust.
Check out my full original review of the film HERE.
This film is nostalgic, fun, touching and sends the inspiring message that it is never too late to revisit the past. Be sure to check out the madness at:
30 MINUTES OF MADNESS (30MOM) is a bizarre video mixtape of improv and written comedy skits, non-sequitor vérité samples, and experimental video art. The 30MOM crew were outsiders, punks, skaters, nerds, freaks, weirdos, burnouts, theater geeks, and artists. What started in high school as something fun to do on the weekend became their driving passion. They continued to make episodes into their 20s, started a production company and moved in together. But they grew up and split apart, gradually at times and violently at others.
While the show had a small audience during its original run, it has achieved a cult following over the years. The group amassed a vault containing over 300 hours of analog video, music, photography, and artwork. 20 YEARS OF MADNESS draws deeply on this footage, both from the aired episodes of the show and the never-before-scene raw moments of their daily life and musings to highlight, contrast, and comment uponthese vivid characters. We get to see how much they’ve changed, but also learn how they are still very much the same dreamers at heart.
