FOUR WAY STOP screens Thursday, July 23 at 7:15pmat The Tivoli Theater as part of this year’s St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase. Ticket information can be found HERE
Writer/director Efi da Silva’s FOUR WAY STOP tells the story if Allen (Paul Craig), a 17-year-old inner-city African-American desperately trying to improve his life but he lacks essential support from family: His absent father is a needy drug addict, and his seriously ill mother offers only relentless criticism. Although offered illegal work by childhood friend Tay, Allen resists the lure of the street and instead seeks legitimate employment. But in his hunt for a better job, Allen ends up jeopardizing his current fast-food position by chronically arriving late or simply failing to show. Legitimately angry at the racism he confronts and the limited options he’s given, Allen all too often engages in self-sabotage, thwarting his attempts to do the right thing.
Efi da Silva took the time to answer some questions for We Are Movie Geeks before the screening of her film at the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase
Interview conducted by Tom Stockman
We Are Movie Geeks: What was your filmmaking experience before you made FOUR WAY STOP?
Efi da Silva: Four-Way Stop is my first feature film. I had studied film in college knowing that eventually I would make an indie.
WAMG:How did you get the idea for the FOUR WAY STOP story?
EdS: Some years ago, I was yearning to write something, but had no grasp on what until listening to the presidential debates that were held in St. Louis and sponsored by the Urban League. Obama, Hillary Clinton, and one other guy were discussing what changes they would affect within minority communities. Each had something inspiring to say, but I didn’t believe they could realize their words. I also understood that many people believe(d) that the problems within minority communities are problems minorities create. Knowing these things, I wanted to tell the story of our own city (St. Louis) and what I witnessed in minority communities. I wanted to take the audience into a deeper look at the life of Allen, a 17 year-old African American boy, so that his reality instead of common stereotypes could be examined.
WAMG:Is FOUR WAY STOP an autobiographical story? Were these characters based on people you know?
EdS: Four-Way Stop is not autobiographical nor is it based off of specific people I know.
WAMG:How long did it take you to make the film and what was the budget?
EdS: The idea of the film began 7 years before we shot it. But the actual filming was completed in about 2 and a half weeks. We shot for 16days.
WAMG:At what St. Louis locations did you film?
EdS: We filmed primarily in South St. Louis. Some locations include, Adam’s Smoke House, T-Rex (downtown),. Dr. Kevin T. Thorpe’s Dental Office (in Brentwood), and Southern Commercial Bank in the Bevo Mill area. Our mainstays were the South Grand and Cherokee areas.
WAMG:Did you get permits to shoot on St. Louis streets or just go guerilla?
EdS: We didn’t need permits for the shots we captured.
WAMG:Tell me about the casting process. How did you find Paul Craig for your lead?
EdS: The casting process ran smoothly for the most part. Character descriptions were posted on STLAuditions.com (I think that’s the right site). We didn’t have a huge turn out, but the right people came including Paul, the lead. Finding someone to play Terri, his mother, was a little difficult. We found Marty K. Casey, through a local actor’s list of actresses to reach out to. Marty and I connected through Facebook, she sent an audition tape, and after watching it was clear that she was it.
WAMG: I really liked Marty Casey as his mother. Tell me about her.
EdS: First, Marty is nothing like her character Terri, but she’s played the role so well that audiences have had very strong opinions about Terri. Which is a good thing. She stirred emotions in people. Marty has been acting, writing, singing, producing, etc for the past 20 years.
WAMG:Did the actors improvise much or did they stick closely to the script?
EdS: Actors improvised and used the script. While the crew was setting up shots, the actors and I would rehearse the scene. If something worked we kept it. If there was something key in the script that I wanted to be sure to preserve we did.
WAMG:Did you grow up a movie buff? Who are some filmmakers that you admire and inspire you?
EdS: I’ve never been a huge movie buff, but I do admire Vittorio De Sica and Italian neo-Realsim. They used mostly non actors, in real places (e.g. not on sets), to tell stories of everyday life. That’s what Four-Way Stop is—a slice of life.
WAMG:What’s next for Efi da Silva?
EdS: We’re working towards distribution and starting a dialogue about some of the issues the film raises. I’d love to tell more stories, but first, we push Four-Way Stop out as far as we can.
How does a composer create musical voices for a population of yellow creatures who speak their own language? If you’re Grammy Award-winning musician/composer/songwriter Heitor Pereira, it’s one groovy journey.
Playing in theaters now, MINIONS begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters—from T. rex to Napoleon—the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression.
But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he – alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob – ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow.
The trio embarks upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock), the world’s first-ever female super-villain. They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in mod London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind…from annihilation.
When it came time to creating the signature sounds and score for MINIONS, producer Chris Meledandri and directors Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda knew that setting the film in the ’60s would allow the opportunity to feature a soundtrack of music that continues to inspire and influence today’s culture.
Meledandri says, “When we realized that we were effectively making a prequel and we started to talk about a decade where the film would land and settle, we were all drawn to the ’60s. We all love it for its music, and the film is just packed with classic 1960s music throughout—ranging from The Doors, to the Stones, to The Beatles, to The Who. What I’ve found as a parent is that the music itself is so timeless that my sons have found that decade as they grow up. The music plays wonderfully for audience members who experience the music as nostalgia, but there are generations who have grown to love the music even though they weren’t alive in the 1960s.”
To take Kevin, Stuart and Bob on their trip, the film is chock full of the best of the ’60s, including The Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” The Turtles’ “Happy Together,” The Spencer Davis Group’s “I’m a Man,” The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” The Who’s “My Generation” and Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow,” bringing key scenes in the film to vibrant life.
The filmmakers looked to returning composer Heitor Pereira of DESPICABLE ME and DESPICABLE ME 2, a man whom writer Brian Lynch refers to as “a tornado of emotion.” The Grammy Award-winning musician has written and produced music for films ranging from blockbuster family hits to acclaimed dramas. Of working with Pereira for the third time, Coffin commends, “Who could orchestrate a movie better than the one who worked on the DESPICABLE ME movies?”
Meledandri says,“Heitor composed the score for Despicable Me in partnership with Pharrell Williams. With Despicable Me 2, he went on and did the whole score again by integrating some of Pharrell’s themes. And once again, he’s composing the score for Minions. His score not only has these wonderful melodies, but he adds scale to the third act of the film, where it actually gets very big, from a perspective of the sweep of the action. Heitor has a wonderful range, from the most intimate moments to sweetness. He also understands comedy, which is elusive for a lot of composers.”
Composer Heitor Pereira and I recently discussed his score for MINIONS and how experimenting with sounds and manipulating them into ‘instruments’ is what gives the little yellow dudes their rhythm and soul.
WAMG: What made you want to return to the Minion world?
Heitor Pereira: When we worked on the DESPICABLE ME movies, I was sitting in the audience and looking at everyone reacting to the Minions. It made me feel like, ‘Wow, this is now a part of their lives, and I want to do justice to this dedication from the audience.’ Along these same lines, it was fun to generate the variety of personalities with the MINIONS through more colorful music.
WAMG: This one was even more interesting because it’s a prequel and it’s primarily set in the 60’s. What was it like scoring for the film wrapped around songs from The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones?
HP: A lot of pressure, but it was a lot of fun. I really wanted to pay homage to musicians of the period. I wrote the score with Henry Mancini, Lalo Schifrin and John Barry in the back of my mind. They are composers I grew up listening to, even before I knew what film music was. To me it’s all about the melodies even when lots of crazy things were going on. To me, MINIONS was an opportunity to do that.
It’s like writing music for the Three Stooges, only difference is the Minions don’t speak English. To write around the songs of the 60’s, I used some of the techniques from that time period like recording with mics and using vintage amps.
I’m from Brazil, but the first time I heard The Beatles, I didn’t have a clue what they were singing about. But the rhythm and the waves of the sounds that the language created somehow already put me in a certain frame of mind. I find that the same goes with the Minions’ language.
WAMG: The score is such a big part of the DESPICABLE ME films. With your new score, it really gives the Minions a voice. The music is really funny. What kind of orchestra did you put together?
HP: The orchestra had 24 violins, 12 violas, eight cellos, five basses, five saxophones, including a bass sax, five trumpets, two trombones, a tuba, a choir, a rhythm section and a drummer.
Additionally, to create the British jazz sound of ’60s London, I invited a jazz ensemble made up of woodwinds, clarinets and piccolos and put everybody in the same room with a drummer and bass player. We put everyone together, unlike today where we tend to separate the sections, and recorded the cues altogether.
We also had a great group of percussion players for the big cues.
WAMG: Audiences really wanted a MINION film. What sounds were you going for?
HP: I took the music from their travel through time and acquired all the personalities. For example, if they are in Egypt, then we have this pharaonic-like music; if they’re in the Stone Age, we have rock ’n’ roll, ‘ooga-ooga, toomb-tah, toomb-tah,’ the most basic, primal kind of sound.
Plus it was fun to go back to Prehistoric times and write dinosaur music as well.
WAMG: Did you purposefully give the film’s heroes Kevin, Stuart and Bob a theme?
HP: They each have their own themes. Kevin is the most fatherly in this group of three. He’s always the more responsible one. Bob is the sweet and loving part of it. And Stuart is the crazy one. The music for Bob, it’s more of almost like a childlike melody, and Stuart is the one who allows the music to go anywhere it wants to go. It’s also a very physical score.
Illumination, Universal and the filmmakers gave me the freedom to look for a sound that is the sound of the Minions. I had suggested to Pierre and Kyle, ‘Why don’t we use the Minions’ language, and get the choir to sing throughout the whole movie in that language?’ We ended up using a 40-50 piece choir. Overall it was great opportunity.
WAMG: Even Sandra Bullock’s Scarlett Overkill has her own theme.
HP: Scarlet is the true villain in this movie. There’s something about a woman being the villain in which she never loses her charm; the music had to capture that. So we wrote something for Scarlet that, in itself, has hidden a lot of charm.
Overall, the best part was that I got to play a lot of guitar with both themes, so it was a lot of fun.
WAMG: Do you feel more at home with the guitar?
HP: I do. That’s how music came to me. It’s the one instrument I pick out and it’s become an official extension of me.
I also write from the piano, but I’m very interested in technology and am always looking out for new equipment and instruments for different sounds. You can manipulate what you want the music to sound like and that’s what I love about animation. There’s a lot of playfulness that you can add to the score – it opens a lot of doors to many surprises. Intricate rhythms may not sound complicated but I’m usually writing crazy time signatures. It winds up sounding very natural.
Animation is a great playground for me because of my love of film.
WAMG: What music influenced you growing up?
HP: I come from a family, from my mother’s side, with a lot of musicians. I was around it all the time. Then I went for formal education at the Villa Lobos Conservatory in Rio de Janeiro where I studied composition and orchestration. I got to know the “whys” of notes. I wish there was more music in the schools these days and a part of the curriculum
In Brazil, I played guitar with some of my idols, including Ivan Lins. As a guitarist, I became a member of Simply Red throughout the early ’90s. I love world music. I’ve collaborated with Jack Johnson, Bryan Adams, Elton John, and Willie Nelson. I love the internationality of it all. Music is my religion. I guess that’s why I really love animation – it’s very worldly.
Upcoming releases for Pereira include the indie crime thriller The Jesuit; family favorite Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle; and the drama The Moon and the Sun, starring Pierce Brosnan and William Hurt.
The MINIONS soundtrack album is available now on Back Lot Music.
The humans creators of DESPICABLE ME have a new film, THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, coming out next Summer.
Illumination Entertainment’s and Universal Pictures’ comedy is about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day.
Want to get to know these sweet little furry people? Check out the latest tiny-sized videos.
However, the funniest is still Chloe!
Watch the teaser for the loveable film below.
Comedy superstars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart make their animated feature-film debuts in THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, which co-stars Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress and Albert Brooks.
Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy produce the film directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2), co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Brian Lynch and Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS opens in theaters July 8, 2016.
Tyler Perry has joined the cast of BRAIN ON FIRE. Broad Green Pictures made the announcement on Monday.
The film directed by Gerard Barrett is based on Susannah Cahalan’s New York Times bestseller Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness and is currently shooting in Vancouver with an anticipated release in 2016. Previously announced cast includes Chloë Grace Moretz, Thomas Mann, Jenny Slate, Richard Armitage and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Moretz plays Susannah, a rising journalist at the New York Post who falls victim to an inexplicable illness that has her hearing voices, hallucinating, battling bouts of paranoia and lashing out during violent episodes. As weeks go by and Cahalan rapidly descends into insanity, there seems to be no hope for answers until a lucky last-minute intervention by one doctor gives her a diagnosis and the chance to rebuild her life.
Perry will play Richard, Susannah’s boss at the New York Post.
Known for being a director, screenwriter, producer, Perry acted in David Fincher’s 2014 hit drama GONE GIRL.
Broad Green Pictures will distribute BRAIN ON FIRE in the United States, while the studio’s partner, Mister Smith Entertainment will continue to sell international rights after having launched the film at the European Film Market in February.
Carol Burnett – comedic trailblazer, actor, singer, dancer, producer and author – has been named the 52nd recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Burnett will be presented the performers union’s top accolade at the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 at 8 p.m. (ET), 7 p.m. (CT), 6 p.m. (MT) and 5 p.m. (PT). Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Burnett’s exceptional catalog of preeminent industry and public honors, which includes multiple Emmys, a special Tony, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and both a Kennedy Center Honor and its Mark Twain Prize for Humor.
In making today’s announcement, SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard said, “Carol Burnett is a creative dynamo and a comedic genius. She embodies the generosity and courage that the greatest actors use in creating enduring and memorable characters. From her heartbreakingly hilarious Starlet O’Hara to the adorably inept Eunice and alarmingly funny Miss Hannigan, Carol has delighted and inspired millions of viewers and thousands of comedic actors. She took risks as a performer and through her courage, encouraged fellow actors to try new things and always, always reach for the sky. Her innate love of actors led to the creation of an ensemble cast that made The Carol Burnett Show a masterpiece of variety programming.”
The public and her peers treasure Carol Burnett for her comedic and dramatic roles on television, film, and Broadway, most notably The Carol Burnett Show. Named in 2007 by TIME magazine as one of “100 Best Television Shows of All Time,” and by Variety in 2011 as one of “The 25 Shows That Changed Television,” The Carol Burnett Show ran for 11 years, averaged 30 million viewers per week, and received 25 Emmy Awards, making it one of the most honored shows in television history.
An inductee into the Television Hall of Fame and the California Museum’s Hall of Fame, Burnett’s many accolades also include a Peabody Award, the Television Critics Association’s Career Achievement Award, five Golden Globe Awards, five American Comedy Awards, 12 People’s Choice Awards, an Ace Award, an Horatio Alger Award, both Crystal and Lucy Awards from Women in Film, the TV Land Legend Award, the Jimmy Stewart Museum’s Harvey Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2013, the City of Los Angeles named the intersection of Highland Ave. and Selma directly adjacent to Hollywood High School, Burnett’s alma mater, Carol Burnett Square.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1933, Burnett, her mother, and grandmother moved to a less-than-glamorous section of Hollywood in the late 1930s. Raised in a small studio apartment by her grandmother, but with no financial means, Burnett could only dream of college. After receiving an anonymous donation of $50 to pay for her tuition to UCLA, she enrolled. While studying journalism, she took an acting class, and the rest is history.
After moving to New York City, Burnett staged a musical revue, featuring her out-of-work roommates from The Rehearsal Club, a theatrical boarding house, performing material by unemployed writers and composers. Soon, offers for summer stock and 13 weeks’ work on Paul Winchell’s television show followed. While performing at the Blue Angel nightclub, she was spotted by talent bookers from both The Jack Paar Show and The Ed Sullivan Show and was invited to perform her infamous rendition of “I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles,” written by Ken Welch. Shortly thereafter, she landed the leading role of Princess Winifred in the original Broadway musical production of Once Upon a Mattress, which earned her a Tony® nomination. In 1959, after guest spots on Garry Moore’s morning television show she became a permanent cast member on The Garry Moore Show, taping the show during the day and performing Mattress at night for the remainder of its Broadway run. She remained a regular on Garry Moore for the next four years.
During this period, Burnett met Julie Andrews and the two became close friends. After the duo appeared in their Emmy-winning special, Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall, CBS took notice of this emerging new talent and signed her to a ten-year contract. On September 11, 1967, The Carol Burnett Show premiered on CBS. With a talented ensemble featuring Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner, costumes by Bob Mackie and musical sketches by Buz Kohan, Bill Angelos, Artie Malvin, and Ken and Mitzie Welch, the show became a hit. Guest stars included many of the greatest performers from music, stage and screen including Lucille Ball, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Jimmy Stewart, Gloria Swanson, Ronald Reagan, Betty White, Cher, Jim Nabors, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Liza Minnelli, The Carpenters, Rock Hudson, Dick Van Dyke, Alan Alda, and many, many more.
Her portrayal of “Starlet” O’Hara in “Went With The Wind,” a parody of Gone With The Wind, is always counted among the top 10 greatest moments in television history. The Bob Mackie designed “curtain-rod” dress, as it is known, now resides at The Smithsonian. In 2012 Time Life released The Carol Burnett Show on DVD and set a record, selling more than 4 million DVDs in six months.
After the show concluded in 1978, Burnett immersed herself in numerous projects. She wrote three New York Times bestsellers: Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Storyand This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection, which both received Grammy® nominations for best spoken word, and her autobiography, One More Time. She added playwright to her credits when she and her daughter, Carrie Hamilton, wrote Hollywood Arms. Sadly, Carrie passed away four months prior to the play’s premiere at the Chicago Goodman Theatre in April 2002. Directed by Hal Prince, Hollywood Arms premiered on Broadway on October 31, 2002. An anniversary concert reading of Hollywood Arms will be performed on September 21, 2015 at the Kaufman Music Center in New York (under the auspices of the Sundance Institute Theatre Program) directed by Mark Brokaw and starring Tyne Daly, Emily Skeggs, Sydney Lucas and Michele Pawk.
On Broadway she recently starred in A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters (2014), opposite Brian Dennehy, Fade Out, Fade In, with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with music by Jule Styne; Stephen Sondheim’s musical review Putting It Together; and Ken Ludwig’s farce Moon Over Buffalo, starring with Philip Bosco. She produced and starred in numerous television specials and guest starred on several television series, including Glee, Hot in Cleveland, Hawaii 5-0 and Law and Order: SVU. She also starred in the television series Fresno and Carol & Co., as well as the highly acclaimed made-for-television movies Friendly Fire, Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice. In 2005 she returned to her Once Upon a Mattress roots, appearing in a television special, this time playing the evil Queen Aggravain.
Burnett’s film credits include playing Miss Hannigan in the film version of the musical, Annie, directed by John Huston; Noises Off, directed by Peter Bogdanovich; A Wedding, directed by Robert Altman; and Four Seasons, directed by Alan Alda.
Currently, Burnett is focused on three major projects. The first is the long awaited release of the initial five seasons of The Carol Burnett Show. These “lost episodes” have never been seen nor distributed since their initial broadcast and will be for the first time combined with the already available episodes from Seasons 6 – 11. Rollout commences August 2015. On the filmed entertainment front, Burnett is in active development with CBS Films on a theatrical project originated by her late daughter, Carrie, entitled Sunrise in Memphis. In the publishing arena, Burnett is in the midst of writing her fourth book entitled In the Sandbox, which is a poignant love letter to the golden era of television while simultaneously dissecting the elements of what made The Carol Burnett Show the iconic success that it was. This publication is scheduled for release in November 2016.
When not performing or occasionally presenting her Q & A format “Laughter & Reflection,” she enjoys spending time with her husband Brian, her two daughters Erin and Jody, her grandsons, and her cat, Nikki. As a passionate supporter of the arts and education, she established several scholarships around the country, including the Carol Burnett Musical Theatre Competition at her alma mater, UCLA, and the Carrie Hamilton Foundation, to honor her daughter’s memory. She is a Lifetime Director of the Hereditary Disease Foundation Among the other arts, health and youth charities to which she lends her support are the Sundance Institute, Young Playwrights Inc., the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara and the Hereditary Disease Foundation for which she has been named a Lifetime Director.
It was announced today that SILVA SCREEN RECORDS will release composer Ilan Eshkeri’s ebullient score to Aardman Animation’s latest claymation shenanigans.
Also featured on the soundtrack are songs from Tim Wheeler (Ash), Eliza Doolittle and Rizzle Kicks who provide a remix of Life’s A Treat, the ever popular Shaun The Sheep TV theme.
Ilan Eshkeri is a British composer and songwriter best known for his concert work, songwriting collaborations, film scores and video game scores.
Recent film work includes STILL ALICE, for which Julianne Moore won an Oscar, Kevin Macdonald’s BLACK SEA starring Jude Law, 47 RONIN starring Keanu Reeves, and the Oscar nominated THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, Ralph Fiennes’ second outing as a director. Other films include Oscar winning THE YOUNG VICTORIA, KICK-ASS and STARDUST.
Eshkeri is currently commissioned to compose a ballet, and is completing his score to AUTOBAHN starring Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley, Nicholas Hoult & Felicity Jones.
Tracklisting:
1. Feels Like Summer (performed by Tim Wheeler)
2. Humdrum Day
3. Shaun’s Plan
4. You’re Mine
5. Shaun’s Farm House Party
6. Runaway Caravan
7. Anarchy on the Farm
8. Shaun’s Mission
9. Doctor Bitzer
10. Trumper
11. Big City (performed by Eliza Doolittle)
12. Le Chou Brulé
13. Gaol House Blues
14. Beauty Parade
15. Gaol Break
16. Finding the Farmer
17. Feels LIke Summer (Baa Baa Shop Quintet)
18. Building The Horse
19. Trumper on the Scent
20. Go To Sleep Counting Sheep
21. Panto Horse Chase
22. Caravan Ride Home
23. Showdown At The Quarry
24. Goodbye Slip
25. Feels Like Summer (Instrumental)
26. Life’s A Treat – Shaun The Sheep Theme (Rizzle Kicks Mix)
For those of you who are longtime fans of Shaun the Sheep (hand raised), we all know the charming little wonder made his screen debut in 1995 with a minor role, rescuing Gromit from jail in the Oscar winning A CLOSE SHAVE. Since then his career has spiralled and he has become one of Aardman Animation’s biggest stars.
When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan, and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it’s up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.
SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE is a StudioCanal and Aardman Animations production, produced by Julie Lockhart and Paul Kewley from Aardman Animations (WALLACE AND GROMIT, CHICKEN RUN), written and directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzak.
“T-Rex doesn’t want to be fed. He wants to hunt. Can’t just suppress 65 million years of gut instinct.”
JURASSIC PARK (1993) screens midnights this weekend (July 24th and 25th) at The Tivoli Theater as part of their ‘Reel Late at The Tivoli’ Midnight Series.
Upon its initial release JURASSIC PARK made $920 million worldwide (in 1993 dollars) at the box office. And now it’s back, at the Tivoli midnights this weekend as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.
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. See how it holds up yourself when JURASSIC PARK screens midnights this Friday and Saturday (July 24th and25th) at The Tivoli Theater. I’ll be there with custom JURASSIC PARK trivia with prizes.
Admission is $8. Hope to see everyone this weekend at The Tivoli!
Here’s the rest of the Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight schedule for the next couple of months
July 31-Aug. 1 THE ROOM – with Tommy Wiseau in person!
Aug. 7-8 ZARDOZ
Aug. 14-15 THE WIZARD OF OZ
Aug. 21-22 SPACE JAM
Aug. 28-29 INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE
Sept. 4-5 SPIRITED AWAY
Sept. 11-12 HAROLD AND MAUDE
The Facebook invite for this weekend can be foundHERE
This weekend audiences witnessed the birth of a new Hollywood star.
TRAINWRECK, starring Amy Schumer, brought in better than expected numbers with an estimated $30.2 million. The Judd Apatow directed, R-rated comedy was No. 3 in U.S. sales and was written by and co-produced by Schumer. The actress/comedian is the creator, star, writer and executive producer of the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central) and is also known for hit one-hour stand-up special, Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff.
TRAINWRECK joins SPY, PITCH PERFECT 2, EX MACHINA in a list of women-themed films that have been well received by the critics and had success at the box office.
Marvel’s ANT-MAN was the No. 1 film of the weekend with $58 million. Globally it sits at $114.4 million.
Meanwhile, Universal Pictures MINIONS was No. 2 with $50 million for a domestic total of $216.7 million.
Rentrak’s Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian commented, “It’s fitting that Universal’s ‘Minions’ tops the global box office chart this weekend since the studio is celebrating yet another record with the fastest spring to $5 billion in worldwide revenue in industry history.”
MR. HOLMES, starring Ian McKellen in an awards-worthy performance, brought in an estimated $2.5 million from 363 U.S. theaters.
The top 12 domestic weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, July 19, 2015, are below.
1. Ant-Man – Disney – $58.0M 2. Minions – Universal – $50.2M 3. Trainwreck – Universal – $30.2M 4. Inside Out – Disney – $11.7M 5. Jurassic World – Universal – $11.4M 6. Terminator Genisys – Paramount – $5.4M 7. Magic Mike XXL – Warner Bros. – $4.5M 8. Gallows – Warner Bros. – $4.0M 9. Ted 2 – Universal – $2.7M 10. Mr. Holmes – Roadside Attractions – $2.5M 11. Bajrangi Bhaijaan – Eros Entertainment – $2.4M 12. Self/Less – Focus Features – $2.3M
The top 12 worldwide weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, July 19, 2015, are below.
1. Minions – Universal – $116.4M 2. Ant-Man – Disney – $114.4M 3. Monster Hunt – Multiple – $72.0M 4. Jian Bing Man – Multiple – $61.0M 5. Inside Out – Disney – $33.0M 6. Trainwreck – Universal – $30.2M 7. Terminator Genisys – Paramount Pictures – $27.6M 8. Jurassic World – Universal – $23.7M 9. Monkey King: Hero is Back – Multiple – $22.5M 10. Magic Mike XXL – Warner Bros. – $10.3M 11. Ted 2 – Universal – $10.2M 12. Gallows – Warner Bros. – $6.1M
The fifth installment of the “Mission: Impossible” series redefines the term impossible and WAMG has your passes to Paramount Pictures’ MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION.
It’s something the film franchise has been doing since its box-office busting start two decades ago: with each new film, the team led by dedicated star and producer Tom Cruise has uncovered ways to match, then exceed, audience expectations, each time in different ways. Having begun as a cult phenomenon on 1960s television, “Mission: Impossible” has become a 21st Century cultural phenomenon – a filmmaking event that consistently pushes that border where the classic drama of spy-versus-spy intrigue meets creative action sequences that have become legendary.
With the IMF disbanded, and Ethan (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, the team now faces off against a network of highly skilled special agents, the Syndicate. These highly trained operatives are hellbent on creating a new world order through an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with disavowed British agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), who may or may not be a member of this rogue nation, as the group faces their most impossible mission yet.
The film stars Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin.
The film is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, with a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and story by Christopher McQuarrie and Drew Pearce. Based on the television series created by Bruce Geller.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION opens in theaters July 31, 2015.
WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win passes (Good for 2) to the advance screening of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION on MONDAY, JULY 27TH at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
We will contact the winners by email.
Answer the following:
In the original TV show, what actors played:
BARNEY COLLIER
CINNAMON CARTER
THE GREAT PARIS
ROLLIN HAND
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
THE HEROIN PROJECT screens Wednesday, July 22 at 5:00pm at the Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63130) as part of this year’s St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase. Also on the program are the shorts PEDALING TO STOP PUSHING and INNER DEMONS. Ticket information can be found HERE
THE HEROIN PROJECT raises awareness about the devastating impact of heroin. Although focused on events in Madison County, Ill., the film documents a widespread but under-discussed problem that affects not just the St. Louis metro area but the entire country. Beyond the monetary cost of increased law-enforcement efforts and goods stolen from businesses, the negative effects of heroin are more accurately measured in the ever-growing number of young lives lost. Ashley Seering, co-director of THE HEROIN PROJECT along with Cory Byers, took the time to answer some questions about her film.
Ashley Seering with Cory Byers, co-directors of THE HEROIN PROJECT
Interview conducted by Tom Stockman
We Are Movie Geeks: What inspired you to make a documentary about the heroin epidemic? Did you have a family member or friend that had been hooked on the drug?
Ashley Seering: When I was a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the Mass Communications department was working with the Madison County State’s Attorney and some other local officials on a series of short videos about the drug problem. Since I was a student in the Mass Comm department, I was offered the chance to work as a PA on these shoots. That’s when I was first made aware of the problem. Fast forward to my senior year and the State’s Attorney approached the department about recording their Madison County Heroin Task Force meetings. I started doing that and it made me realize again just how big the issue is and how many people are involved in trying to reverse it. Since documentaries are what I love to do, it made me think that this issue deserved more attention than just a 5-10 minute video, so the idea for a longer documentary was born. I approached the co-director Cory about it, who I have worked with on many other projects, and we started organizing interviews and writing recreation scripts from there.
WAMG: Heroin has been around for a long time but your documentary claims that overdoses are on the rise. Why do you think this is? Is heroin stronger than it has been in the past?
AS: We heard many different reasons for this during the production of the film. Since From what I’ve heard, drug issues tend to come in cycles. Heroin will be popular for a while and then meth or cocaine and it tends to kind of rotate. Another point to mention is that prescription drugs often lead to heroin use because they are both opiates, so people who become addicted to prescription drugs turn to heroin when their prescription runs out because heroin is obtainable and often times cheaper than buying pills on the street.
WAMG: You interviewed Melisa’s mother at length, but not Melissa herself. Did you attempt to reach out to her?
AS: We did reach out to Melissa but our schedules never worked out for an interview. Also, since Melissa’s mom played a very active role in trying to get her help, we thought Jennifer’s story was very interesting and that seeing the whole ordeal from her perspective might make our film a little different from others I’ve seen about addiction. There were many paths we could have gone as far as storytelling with this film and we decided to focus on parents as our target audience.
WAMG: Were there people you wanted to interview for your film who did not want to cooperate?
AS: Everyone who we reached out to was more than willing to share their story or expertise about the heroin problem. We were fortunate that everyone was so willing to talk. The interviews, especially with the families, were not easy and we really appreciated their bravery as far as sharing very personal details about their experiences. They want to lessen the stigma that is often associated with heroin addicts and talking about the problem openly is a good way to do that. We tried to keep the interview set ups as small as possible, usually just Cory and myself working as crew, so that they would feel comfortable.
WAMG: Where did you find the subjects for this doc?
AS: Pretty much all of the interview subjects were people who were recommended to us by either the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office or Troy Police Officer Chris Coyne. They are all very involved and a part of the heroin task force so they had a lot of very useful connections. We couldn’t have completed the film without them.
WAMG: Have the interview subjects seen the final film, and if so, what do they think of it?
AS: We have had a few screenings locally in Illinois and the reaction has been very positive. We had about 10 hours of interview footage to cut down and I made it a priority that the integrity of the stories remain intact. The interview subjects have given us a ton of support and even given us ideas of how to get the film shown to a bigger audience and in schools. It was definitely a relief after they saw it for the first time and they told Cory and I how much they liked the finished product.
WAMG: Who would you like to see THE HEROIN PROJECT?
AS: As many people as possible. One of the keys to reversing the problem is awareness and knowledge and we hope the film will help with both of those.
WAMG: How has the film been received so far?
AS: As I mentioned earlier, we’ve had a few screenings in Illinois in Madison and St. Clair County. The response has been great and we’ve gotten a lot of great suggestions from people about where it might be most useful. We’re very pleased that people see it has something that could be a useful learning tool.
WAMG: This was your first documentary feature. What were some of the unexpected challenges in getting this film made?
AS: The list of challenges is very long but I think Cory and I both learned something from each of them. Working with a very small crew, mostly just the two of us, had its own challenges. The film was funded by an IndieGoGo campaign but everyone worked on it as a volunteer and fortunately we were able to come up with the funds for original music, graphics, poster design, etc. Editing was the most challenging part for me. I read a quote once that was something like “editing a documentary is like being handed a bag of sentences and having to write a book.” That really proved to be true. I spent a few months just chipping away at it each day and then Cory came in and watched it and gave suggestions and another perspective. It was my most challenging project to date as a filmmaker but it has also been the most rewarding.
WAMG: Do you have some favorite documentary filmmakers?
AS: Steve James and Werner Herzog are two that come to mind. I watch a big variety of documentaries by a lot of different directors. I’ve seen too many that I like to name them all.
WAMG: Tell me about your next project(s).
AS: Documentaries are my passion and I spend a lot of time working on short docs. I do a lot of different kinds of work through my company though, so I’ve usually got many different things on my plate. We’ve been contacted about doing some follow ups to The Heroin Project, so we are considering that. Otherwise, I am always keeping an eye out for story ideas that might turn into my next documentary project.
