General News – Page 52 – We Are Movie Geeks

SACRED Screens October 27th and 29th at Webster University

SACRED screens Saturday October 27th and Sunday October 29th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts each evening at 7:30pm.

At a time when religious hatreds dominate the world’s headlines, this film, sweeping in global reach and yet intensely intimate, explores faith as primary human experience: how it is used to navigate the milestones and crises of private life. Sacred was shot by 40 filmmaking teams around the world.

Directed by Academy Award winner Thomas Lennon and shot around the globe by 40 filmmaking teams, SACRED immerses the viewer in an exploration of spirituality across cultures and religions. At a time when religious hatreds dominate the world’s headlines, this film, sweeping in global reach and yet intensely intimate, explores faith as primary human experience: how it is used to navigate the milestones and crises of private life. SACRED is in English, Burmese, Japanese, Amharic, Malagasy, Arabic, French, Pashtu, Marathi, Hebrew, Krio, Tagalog, Nepalese, Punjabi, Polish, Haitian Creole, & Spanish with English subtitles.

Preceded by:
Do Churches Go To Heaven?
(Noah Laster, 2017, US, 11:30 min.)
A short documentary exploring the relationship between a small Baptist congregation and the business that now occupies their previous place of worship. Laster is a recent graduate of the Webster University School of Communications with a degree in Documentary Filmmaking.

Admission is:

$6 for the general public
$5 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$4 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.

Advance tickets are available from the cashier before each screening or contact the Film Series office (314-246-7525) for more options. The Film Series can only accept cash or check.

The Webster University Film Series site can be found HERE

http://www.webster.edu/film-series/

All U.S. Veterans and Active-Duty Servicemembers – See THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE Free On October 26 at 7PM Screening

Universal Pictures and AMC Theatres have announced that, on October 26, up to 10,000 free tickets will be presented to U.S. veterans and active-duty servicemembers for DreamWorks Pictures’ Thank You for Your Service — at more than 400 AMC locations nationwide. Each of the first 25 servicemembers (per location) with valid, government-issued ID who request a ticket will be given one free admission to the 7:00 p.m. preview screening.

From the writer of American Sniper and the studio that brought you Lone Survivor, the film follows a group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq who struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they’ve left the battlefield. Thank You for Your Service arrives in theatres nationwide on October 27.

The promotion will be available at all AMC Theatres playing Thank You for Your Service. Free tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and may only be picked up at the AMC box office on October 26. Each guest must present a valid government-issued military ID to receive their ticket, with a limit of one free ticket for each military ID presented, while supplies last. This offer is valid for the 7:00 p.m. showing of the film on October 26, only.

“Once we began a discussion with AMC about how we could embody the spirit and message of Thank You for Your Service, they stepped up to the plate in a major way,” said Jim Orr, Executive Vice President, General Sales Manager, Universal Pictures. “We are honored that up to 10,000 U.S. veterans and active servicemembers will be among the first to experience this riveting film from our partners at DreamWorks.”

“Thank You for Your Service reminds us all of the tremendous sacrifice made by America’s servicemembers and their families,” said Elizabeth Frank, EVP Worldwide Programming and Chief Content Officer, AMC Theatres. “AMC is pleased to partner with Universal Pictures to offer veterans and active servicemembers the opportunity to attend this preview screening at no charge.”

For more information and a list of AMC Theatres participating, visit http://www.tyfysmilitaryoffer.com/

DreamWorks Pictures’ Thank You for Your Service follows a group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq who struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they’ve left the battlefield.

Starring an ensemble cast led by Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Joe Cole, Amy Schumer, Beulah Koale, Scott Haze, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Brad Beyer, Omar J. Dorsey and Jayson Warner Smith, the drama is based on the bestselling book by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author David Finkel.

A Look Back at THE EXORCIST – Screening This Weekend at Marcus Wehrenberg Theatres

Article by Jake Billingsley

William Friedkin’s The Exorcist is the third film in Marcus Wehrenberg Theatre’s Friday night scare series. The film will be shown October 19-21, and there will be one screening each night at 10 PM. Admission is only $5. For more details and a list of participating theaters, go HERE

William Peter Blatty’s novel, The Exorcist, served William Friedkin a beacon of horror opportunity that still shines 44 years later. Blatty’s 1971 novel displays the exorcism of Roland Doe, a pseudonym for a boy, which happened in St. Louis. Friedkin adapts the film nearly two years later with Blatty’s screenplay. However, The Exorcist isn’t Friedkin’s first great film. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture the previous year for The French Connection. The Exorcist is the film he is most remembered for; Friedkin gets another Best Picture nomination, the first for a horror film, but doesn’t win. A horror film getting a Best Picture nomination is unheard of today, let alone 44 years ago. The Exorcist is considered by many to be the greatest horror film ever made. This opinion seems to be dwindling amongst recent generations. The younger moviegoers have argued that Friedkin’s film doesn’t hold up today; I disagree.

With the recent success of It, The Exorcist has finally been dethroned from the top box office spot inside the horror genre. The Exorcist grossed an international high at just over $440 million in 1973, and Stephen King’s novel adaptation has made $630 million worldwide. While inflation isn’t factored into the comparison between the two, there is still impressive box office numbers coming in for horror films today. People are never going to get tired of being scared. Friedkin once said, “People only go to movies for three reasons, to laugh, cry, or be frightened.” He followed that with, “There are only three reasons to make a movie, to make people laugh, to make them cry, or to frighten them.” The Exorcist will make some laugh today, but I will wager in the direction of the tears and fears that have plagued moviegoers for over four decades.

So what is different about Friedkin’s masterwork? Like It, The Exorcist was a film that audiences flocked to. The difference is that nowadays we know what we are getting, but many moviegoers in 1973 didn’t know what they were getting into. The Exorcist is a film that exploits a different style of filmmaking; this is true for the horror genre in particular. Friedkin adopts a documentarian approach to this film, and that’s why the movie is traumatically memorable. Do we care about Regan as she progresses into her devilish state? Do we care about what happens to the priests in the end? Do we care about the characters at all or are we hypnotized by the horrific events that take place? This film is a spiritual character study that brings us to the common recognition of how evil our world can be. It is hard to feel an emotional connection to subject matter that is so dark. All you have to do is sit back and watch. The film will take care of the rest.

RED CHRISTMAS Starring Dee Wallace Now Under the Tree on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD

Artsploitation has delivered the ultimate stocking stuffer with the home video release of the Australian horror film Red Christmas. Veteran television director and actor Craig Anderson makes his feature debut with Red Christmas, combining the banal horror of family gatherings with the issues of abortion, feminism, ethics, religion and privacy, with a blood-splattered twist on what happens when secrets refuse to stay dead. Following a theatrical rollout across the United States, Red Christmas will be available nationwide October 17th on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD, including iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Vudu and more.

Genre icon Dee Wallace (The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling, E.T., Cujo, Critters) stars in a critically acclaimed role as the stressed-out mother of a squabbling family, gathered together in a remote Outback estate on Christmas Eve. Their petty dramas threaten to blacken the holiday until a mysterious and deformed stranger appears at the door seeking bloody vengeance.
Dee Wallace headlines as Diane, a matriarch presiding over the gathering of her squabbling grown children on Christmas Day. Tensions give way to terror when a deformed stranger appears at the door with vengeance on his mind. Diane must protect her family as limbs are severed and secrets are brought into the light.

The Blu-ray (SRP $22.99) and DVD (SRP $17.99) releases of Red Christmas will exclusively include a feature-length commentary with writer-director Craig Anderson, interviews with Dee Wallace, Gerald Odwyer and Craig Anderson, bloopers and more.

NEVER SAY GOODBYE: THE KSHE DOCUMENTARY – Red Carpet Screening and DVD Release November 1st at The Moolah

Join a Gathering of the Rock Gods for the NEVER SAY GOODBYE Red Carpet Premiere & DVD Release November 1st at The Moolah Theatre (3821 Lindell Blvd.) DJ Celebrities Red Carpet Limo Arrival begins at 6:15. At 7:00 pm Film Begins. After the film there will be a Q & A with KSHE Jocks & Musicians and a VIP Cocktail Event with a Meet and Greet. Ticket information can be found HERE

A Facebook invite for this event can be found HERE

This exclusive Premiere of NEVER SAY GOODBYE: THE KSHE DOCUMENTARY is expected to sell out in just days. After the premiere, the entire public theatre run is only 5 showings, so make sure you get tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime event! Order tickets now, before they sell out.

See the history of KSHE’s heyday, from its beginning in 1968 throughout the 1970’s and up to 1979. Hear never-before-heard stories from your favorite DJs: John Ulett, Mark Klose, Ron Stevens, Radio Rich, Joe “Mama” Mason, Gary Kolander, and many more. With appearances from Rodger Hodgson (formerly w/Supertramp), Poco, Mama’s Pride, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and so much of the music you grew up with.

This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime event, a gathering of the living legends of Real Rock Radio to enjoy the premiere of the first film about your favorite radio station growing up. General admission tickets to the Premiere are available starting at only $30, or consider getting the Rock Star VIP Package: your own VIP sofa or recliner with popcorn, soda, autographed movie poster, Blu-ray DVD of the film, and entrance to an exclusive after-party to personally meet and greet all your on-air favorite KSHE Jox and Rock stars, get autographs and photos! These packages are limited, and are guaranteed to go fast.

With NEVER SAY GOODBYE: THE KSHE DOCUMENTARY , director Ron Stevens traces the unlikely beginnings of the world’s longest-running rock radio station, KSHE 95, which reached its 50th year of continuous rocking in 2017. Stevens, who was himself an integral part of KSHE as a DJ in the 1970s, interviews the very first person ever heard on the station’s air — at 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, 1961, years before it converted to album-oriented rock — and tracks down every major personality (or at least those still alive) who worked there through 1979. Amazingly, from 1968 to 1976, every disc jockey hired at KSHE had no previous experience in radio, including its manager, Shelley Grafman, who was selling insurance door-to-door before his brother hired him to run the St. Louis station. Filled with original film footage and photos from the ’70s — and plenty of “KSHE Klassics” — the documentary celebrates both the on-air personalities and the rock stars whose careers were most closely associated with the station. The jocks and musicians share memorable tales about the rock station that became known around the world and that has now endured for a full half century.

NEVER SAY GOODBYE: THE KSHE DOCUMENTARY features appearances by:

Ron Elz

Richard Palmese

Peter Maer

Steve Rosen

Gary Bennett

Ron Stevens

Bob Burch

Mark Klose

Jim Singer

Ted Habeck

Joy Grdnic

John Ulett

Gary Kolander

Rick Balis

Joe “Mama” Mason

“Radio” Rich Dalton

Michael “Supe” Granda (Ozark Mountain Daredevils)

JD Blackfoot (JD Blackfoot)

James Walsh (Gypsy)

Rusty Young (Poco)

John Batdorf (Batdorf &Rodney)

Jesse Colin Young (Youngbloods, Jesse Colin Young)

Mike Safron (Pavlov’s Dog)

David Surkamp (Pavlov’s Dog)

Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)

Danny Liston (Mama’s Pride)

Pat Liston (Mama’s Pride)

WITH MUSIC BY

ZZ Top

Supertramp

JD Blackfoot

Aliotta, Haynes & Jeremiah

Gypsy

Batdorf & Rodney

Pavlov’s Dog

Mama’s Pride

Richie Callison

Eric Lysaght

Jeremiah Johnson

Melissa Neels

Frank Muriel

Brad Noe

Lorren Cornelius

Souled

SLIFF 2017 – An Evening with Tom Shipley of ‘Brewer & Shipley’ November 10th

An Evening with Tom Shipley of ‘Brewer & Shipley’ will take place Friday, November 10th at 7:30pm at The Stage at KDHX (3524 Washington Boulevard‎ St Louis, MO 63103) as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. Ticket information can be found HERE

St. Louis filmmaker Kathy Corley is nearing completion of a feature documentary on the folk-rock duo Brewer & Shipley, whose Top 10 hit “One Toke Over the Line” was a constant presence on the radio in the 1970s. Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley — who both now live in Missouri — continue to blend guitars and voices and perform for audiences 50 years after their trademark vocal harmonies and intertwined acoustic guitars carved a unique niche in America’s soundboard. In this special program, Corley will show excerpts from her work-in-progress documentary, and Shipley — who also is an accomplished documentarian — will screen some of his own films, including “Treehouse: An Ozark Story” (1989, 29 min.), which tells a tale of river life and how it has changed since the turn of the century. The film profiles Ralph “Treehouse” Brown — famous for his gunfights, his house on stilts, and living life on his own terms — and features original music by Brewer & Shipley. Tom also offers a few brief pieces that feature performances and stories by musicians he’s encountered in the Ozarks and on his travels, including Missouri fiddle player Charlie Pashia, who plays a few old French songs he learned from his father; Roy Boyer, Merl Belt, and Uncle Walt, who gather to play French tunes in Roy’s yard; and a group of Andean pan-flute players who were filmed in Bolivia when Tom was shooting his short “Tacachia.” The evening concludes with a Q&A with Corley and Shipley.

WILD ZERO (1999) – The DVD Review

What’s your favorite Japanese punk rock, alien invasion, zombie apocalypse, transgender romance, biker, musical comedy movie?

I know, that’s a hell of a mash up right? There is such a movie, it’s called WILD ZERO and it is terrific. If you think you’ve seen everything you’ve got to take a look at this insane movie.

WILD ZERO (1999) was put together as a vehicle for Guitar Wolf a Japanese Punk Rock heavy metal trio that has been playing and recording for years. They are a sort of ramped-up Japanese version of the Ramones, who play even faster and louder than that legendary band, if you can believe it. Like the Ramones they all dress alike; black leather pants, boots and jackets. Supposedly they don’t take illegal drugs but they do drink, a lot, and they sweat, profusely, on stage and off.

According to the special features on this dvd Guitar Wolf is not that popular in Japan, their fan base is mostly in Australia which makes perfect sense If ever there was a band that gave a good excuse to get drunk and start a fight, this is it.

The story? Guitar Wolf has a serious fan, calls himself Ace, (Masashi Endo) dresses and combs his hair like an American rockabilly star, rides a motorcycle (so do the members of Guitar Wolf), is youthful innocence personified and has a crush on a young girl named Tobio (Kwancharu Shitichai, who turns out not be a girl) Because he sticks up for Tobio to a scum bag Rock music promoter (is there any other kind) Guitar Wolf gives Ace a special whistle, to use anytime he needs help and the band members will come running.

Turns out he needs help right away. Alien flying saucers are swarming all around our planet you see. And the dead are coming out of their graves and attacking and eating the living. And there is a crew of career criminals, including a kick ass woman shooter who will take crap from no body, who are wreaking havoc all over the Japanese back roads.

Why are the dead coming back to start a zombie apocalypse? Who knows, it is never explained if the aliens are making it happen (ala Plan Nine From Outer space, “ah yes, the resurrection of the dead”) or if the alien invasion is a separate incident and the dead came to this decision on their own. No matter, all manner of mayhem and carnage erupt and Ace, Tobio, Guitar Wolf and the law breaking crew take care of business.

This is the kind of movie that could only be made in Japan. They obviously did not have much of a budget, the flying saucers are very simple CGI effects. The zombie makeup is (mostly) green skin cream and latex scars, the kind you can get in any Halloween store.

But WILD ZERO has so much energy, good will and imagination it is irresistible. All the motorcycles and cars belch flames from their exhaust pipes. All the actors are obviously having fun and the best part, the band kicks ass. Any band with lyrics like “I was born at Haneda Airport with a jet engine for an ass, all my life has been Go! Go! Go!, Jet Generation!! “ And “Blood, blood, blood! Blood and alcohol burning up my brain!” Repeat these phrases for 5 minutes, with your guitar amp set at 11 and you have a Guitar Wolf song.

For Halloween you can’t do much better than WILD ZERO. And remember, “Rock and Roll has no boundaries! “

SLIFF 2017 – Rape Kit Documentary I AM EVIDENCE Screens November 8th at The St. Louis International Film Festival

I AM EVIDENCE screens Wednesday, November 8th at 6:30pm at The Plaza Frontenac Theater (1701 S Lindbergh Blvd # 210) as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. Co-director Trish Adlesic and subject Kym L. Worthy, prosecutor of Wayne County, Michigan will be in attendance. This screening is sponsored by “Culture Shock”: A Film Series for Helping Kids Together and by Safe Connections. Ticket information can be found HERE.

After an unthinkable crime, followed by an unimaginable and degrading test, it’s heartbreaking to think that the only evidence that could put your rapist behind bars is left to collect dust on a shelf or worse, be destroyed entirely. Yet for thousands upon thousands of victims of rape, primarily women, who have had the ability, wherewithal and courage to endure the process of reporting the assault and then submitting their battered bodies to an invasive and often traumatizing evidence collection, this is the repeat violation. The documentary I AM EVIDENCE, directed by Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir, centers around the tens of thousands of rape kits across this country that sit in a backlog, going untested, because, according to various officials in law enforcement and the judicial system, there is a lack of resources available to test them, both financial and human. Others say that victims’ reports never make their way to a prosecutor because the responding officer(s) didn’t believe the victim’s story, either due to her behavior or some other perceived lack of credibility.

A powerful indictment of the criminal-justice system’s seeming indifference to the crime of rape, I AM EVIDENCE exposes the shockingly large number of untested rape kits in the United States today. Despite the power of DNA to solve and prevent crimes, hundreds of thousands of kits containing potentially crucial DNA evidence languish untested in police evidence storage rooms across the country. Behind each of these kits lies an individual’s unresolved sexual-assault case. Produced by “Law & Order: SVU’s” Mariska Hargitay — who also appears in the documentary — I AM EVIDENCE tells the stories of survivors who have waited years for their kits to be tested and chronicles the efforts of the law-enforcement officials who are leading the charge to work through the backlog and pursue long-awaited justice in these cases. The film reveals the high cost of the lingering lassitude surrounding rape investigations in this country, and the positive effects of treating survivors with the respect they deserve.

JURASSIC PARK with Live Music by The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra November 3rd – 5th

JURASSIC PARK screens with live music accompaniment by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra November 3-5th at Powell Hall in St. Louis (718 N Grand Blvd)

I’ve often said there’s nothing better than watching silent movies with live music, but what about watching sound movies with live music? When the movie is JURASSIC PARK and the score is being performed by the award-winning St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, it just becomes one of those events that can’t be missed. John William’s beloved score is performed live by the STL Symphony with Steven Spielberg’s’s adventure classic shown from the Powell Hall stage beginning at 7pm November 3rd and 4th, and 2:30pm Sunday November 5th.

The movie itself certainly holds up. In 1993, JURASSIC PARK did for monster movies what King Kong had originally done in 1933. It combines the new (at the time) visual effects technology of CG with a fantastic story and great characters to create a dizzying exciting movie packed with action, scares, intrigue, drama and humor. It was Spielberg doing what he does better than just about anybody – creating pure cinematic entertainment which is visually stunning and emotionally satisfying. He set up the story with brilliant flourishes, like the opening killing of the park worker where all we see of the monster is a closeup of its eye, then moves on to show us the dinosaurs in a perfectly judged mixture of awe, wonder and terror. The eight minute sequence where the T-Rex attacks the children in the rainstorm sustains an incredible level of suspense. The entire movie is filled with such brilliant scenes though – the juxtaposition of the kids on the electric fence with Ellie trying to turn the power back on, the hide-and-seek with the raptors in the kitchen. Even the quiet moments where Alan and the kids hide in the tree or when Hammond tells the melancholic story of his flea circus are all charged with emotion. JURASSIC PARK was the best kind of Hollywood blockbuster; a rich, eye-popping, scary entertainment extravaganza from a tremendous fantasy story, lovingly crafted by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

You can enjoy JURASSIC PARK again on the big screen when it plays with live music accompaniment by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra beginning at 7pm November 3rd and 4th, and 2:30pm Sunday November 5th. at Powell Hall in St. Louis (718 N Grand Blvd)

Ticket information can be found HERE

Paul T. Taylor, Pinhead in the New HELLRAISER Movie, at the Toyman Toy Show in St. Louis November 5th

The Toyman Toy Show in St. Louis has been going strong for over 25 years now and just keeps getting bigger and better! The fun takes place seven times a year at The Machinists Hall 12365 St Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton, MO 63044. There are over 120 vendors at the Toyman Toy Show spread out over 225 tables. all selling vintage toys, comics, dolls, diecast cars, movie memorabilia, and more as well as cosplayers and artists. It’s an unbelievable amount of fun for only $5!

The next Toyman Show is November 5th from 9:00a to 3:00p and Paul T. Taylor, ‘Pinhead’ from the new movie HELLRAISER JUDGEMENT will be there! The Dallas stage and screen actor scored the role of the dark priest Pinhead, created by acclaimed horror director Clive Barker. Taylor has said in interviews that the role is a lifelong dream from heaven — (or technically, hell.). Paul T. Taylor also has had roles in SIN CITY and James Gunn’s SUPER. HELLRAISER JUDGEMENT tells of Detectives Sean and David Carter, who are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton (Heather Langenkamp), they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world.

There will also be a VIP ‘MEET N GREET’ on NOV 4 from 6p to 9p at EAT UP BUFFET located in the HOLLYWOOD CASINO. RSVP REQUIRED with LIMITED SEATING.. Only $50 per person gets you a FULL MEAL, PHOTOS, DINNER WITH Paul T. Taylor along with VIP PASS/EARLY BIRD entry into ToyMan Nov 5th.

The Toyman Site can be found HERE
http://www.toymanshow.com/

Also in attendance at the Toyman Toy Show November 5th is Santiago Cirilo, who played ‘Julio’ on (The Walking Dead Season 4).

General admission is 9a to 3p – Adults $5 and 16 and under FREE. Over 140+ Vendors on 225+ tables of Toys, Comics, Games, Movie posters, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Die-Cast, Models, Pop Culture and NEWLY REOPENED Balcony as an ARTIST ATTIC. The show can’t be complete without the SEVERAL Illustrators, Authors, Artists, Pop Culture Crafts, WPW Wrestling, A.P.G. Grading, Zombie Squad, Gateway City Ghostbusters, U.S.S. UMIAK, Curvy Kitty Cosplay along with SC DC 3D Printing in attendance.

A Facebook invite for the Toy show can be found HERE
https://www.facebook.com/events/361339784323296

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