Thursday, November 13, 2014

SUGAR Official Teaser Trailer. A Short Film by Robert A. Mitchell


Here is the official teaser trailer for my short film entitled Sugar. Sugar is a Southern Gothic film centered around the title character played with great fervor by my niece. She was cast in the film based upon the above picture my sister took as well as her vivid imagination. Look for the finished film in 2015. Sugar is produced by Sarah Mitchell, Mike Scott and myself.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

TUSK World Premiere Interviews Kevin Smith Justin Long Haley Joel Osment Genesis Rodriguez Robert A. Mitchell


Robert A. Mitchell was on the red carpet for the midnight madness world premiere of that raconteur Kevin Smith's latest film Tusk. It was an exciting night at the cinema as a sold out theater of 1200 people were eagerly anticipating the next film from one of the unique and independent voices of modern American cinema Mr. Smith. Mr. Mitchell spoke with Kevin about what has renewed his passion for cinematic storytelling and his love affair with Canada. Robert also spoke with actors Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment & Genesis Rodriguez about acting in such a weird film and what it was like to work with Kevin Smith. Here are those interviews!







Friday, October 31, 2014

ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: The Wild, Untold Story Of Cannon Films Interviews Mark Hartley Robin Sherwood Richard Kraft


Robert A. Mitchell talks with director Mark Hartley at the midnight madness premiere of Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films. Also interviews with actress Robin Sherwood (Death Wish II) and Richard Kraft who was the head of music Cannon Films.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

WELP/CUB World Premiere Interview. Robert A. Mitchell Talks With Director Jonas Govaerts


Robert A. Mitchell was at the red carpet midnight madness world premiere of this Flemish language horror film Cub aka Welp. He spoke director Jonas Govaerts about working with a young cast, the challenges of a making a first feature length film and the production trying to lessen it's impact on the environment.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

THE EDITOR: World Premiere Interviews Adam Brooks Matthew Kennedy Conor Sweeney Sheila Campbell


Robert A. Mitchell was at the midnight madness at the Toronto International Film Festival Astron-6 world premiere of The Editor. Here is a video from the red carpet and interviews with co-directors, co-writers Adam Brooks and Matthew Kennedy. Co-writer, actor Conor Sweeney and actress Sheila Campbell.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

THE GUEST Premiere Interviews with Adam Wingard Simon Barrett Maika Monroe Robert A. Mitchell


Here are the premiere red carpet interviews at the midnight madness at the Toronto International Film Festival for Adam Wingard's latest film The Guest. Robert A. Mitchell speaks with director Adam Wingard, writer Simon Barrett and lead actess Maika Monroe.

Friday, October 17, 2014

What We Do In The Shadows Jemaine Clement Speaks With Robert A. Mitchell


Acclaimed documentarian filmmaker Jemaine Clement spoke with Robert A. Mitchell at the Canadian premiere of What We Do In The Shadows the documentary on vampires he co-directed with Taika Waititi.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

[REC] 4: Apocalipsis Robert A. Mitchell Interviews Jaume Balagueró & Manuela Velasco




Here are the [REC] 4: Apocalipsis world premiere midnight madness at the Toronto International Film Festival video interviews. Robert A. Mitchell talks with director, co-writer Jaume Balagueró and actress Manuela Velasco.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Midnight Madness 2014 Robert A. Mitchell Photo Gallery Kevin Smith Mark Hartley Jalmari Helander Manuela Velasco


                         Talking to Kevin Smith at the World Premiere of Tusk. 09/06/14


                       Talking to Director of Big Game Jalmari Helander. 09/05/14


               Talking to Director of Big Game Jalmari Helander and Actor Onni Tommila. 09/05/14


                                            Interviewing Director of Cub Jonas Govaerts.


                    Speaking with actress Maika Monroe from the film It Follows. 09/07/14


                          Interviewing [REC]4 Director Jaume Balagueró. 09/09/14


                                 Talking to [REC]4 Actress Manuela Velasco. 09/09/14


              Interviewing Writers/Directors of The Editor Adam Brooks & Matthew Kennedy.


     Talking to Mark Hartley Director of Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films.


             With Documentary Filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer & Adi from The Look Of Silence.


                    With La French Director Cédric Jimenez following the world premiere.


Friday, August 8, 2014

FROM PAPER TO REALIZATION. ADVICE ON MAKING A FILM


For the past several months I have been writing diligently. I have written a couple of short films and and slowly climbing the mountain of writing a couple of longer feature length films. I'm getting to the point of getting out in the world and trying to turn some of the short films into reality. Speaking of reality, the situation is such that I will be pretty much doing this all on my own, in a new town, in Southern Indiana. It's daunting to sit at a desk and try and piece together what to do first. Writing out the budget? Casting? Location scouting? Permits? Equipment rentals? I have the good fortune to work around some film festivals for several years and have met a lot of up and coming filmmakers as well as some established people in the film industry. I decided to contact some friends and ask them for some advice on making a film.

"DON'T FIGHT REALITY -- Unless you have the money too -- Adjust your shots to the locations, adjust your dialog to the actor's ability, adjust your approach to what is working in the moment, rather than trying to force something that just isn't happening short films might give you more leeway to explore though.  But on a low budget feature, making those adjustments can keep you on track. Hire a great composer and cinematographer Also, HAVE FUN"— TRAVIS STEVENS Producer A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, CHEAP THRILLS, AMERICAN MUSCLE 

"I've had the opportunity to shoot some pictures in places like Akron, Ohio, which is similar to the Southern Indiana area and it was always a pleasant experience despite lack of proper rental houses or inexperienced crew because I always got great locations and total cooperation. People there haven't been ruined by film production yet, so really all you have to do is ask nicely and don't act like Joe Hollywood and I think that you'll find that folks can be very accommodating and helpful. Some things may be a bit more difficult than shooting with a bunch of experienced crew members in a city, but you can easily make up for it with great locations and freedom." TRENT HAAGA Writer DEADGIRL, Co-Writer CHEAP THRILLS

"I don’t know what your budget is but use it wisely. Every dollar is important and belongs on the screen to make it a bigger and better movie. When directing or producing a film you owe a professional obligation to your investors, your crew and mainly your Film to make sure not one penny is lost because of greed or incompetency.

Prep, prep and more prep. Prep is king! Be totally prepared so you are not prepping when in production and rolling cameras. That's how you waste money and eat up your filming time doing something that should have been done before you started shooting and everyone is on the clock. So know every shot you're going to need at the end of pre-production. Then the crew will know your shots also and they can stay ahead of you. It makes it an enjoyable shoot also for you and everyone.

Be a leader!!!  Go kick butt! Let's truly love the passion of film making and always prep like there is no tomorrow, Ha! Prep is the secret to a successful shoot. Always here for you!" AARON NORRIS Producer WALKER, TEXAS RANGER Director DELTA FORCE 2, BRADDOCK MISSING IN ACTION III

"Get lots of coverage - shoot until they won't let you - don't shoot the same shot twice unless it was fucked  - and most of all have fun!"DOUG AARNIOKOSKI Director of THE DAY, NURSE 3D

"No two directors are alike but all the best ones trust their vision. Try and communicate it as clearly as you can to cast to heads of dept and cast. Half the job is getting everyone on the same page. Then, once they're on the same page, let everyone have their say. Some suggestions will be better than what you had in mind. If that's the case put your ego aside and take the advice.

Your job is to make the best possible film and if a pearl of wisdom comes from the guy putting in the portable toilet then don't hesitate. You're a team. Conversely, if someone offers a suggestion that's off track then have the knowledge to respectfully tell them why. It's your job to answer the thousands of questions that will be coming your way from the color of a character's socks to the size of each shot to whether you're on a wide or long lens etc. You have to know/understand the film better than anyone else.

Think of it like a watch you intricately know the mechanics of. But you also have to be able to step back and allow yourself to be the audience. You're the one with the vision in your head so ultimately you're the only one who can definitely say whether the shot, scene etc is working or not. And be nice to crew. They're working their ass off for you! Good luck!" SEAN BYRNE director of THE LOVED ONES  

"That is great that you are making a movie. My advice is work with the resources that you have, be sincere and try to tell a good story. I wish the best of success for you." JAMES NGUYEN Director of BIRDEMIC






Sunday, July 20, 2014

R.I.P. Master Panna Rittikrai


                                                                Panna Rittikrai
                                                                   1961-2014

Martial Arts Master and Action Choreography guru Panna Rittikrai has passed away. He was instrumental in reviving Thai action cinema. Most notably his work with Prachya Pinkaew and action superstar Tony Jaa on the Ong-bak films. He was also Tony Jaa's mentor. Panna formed his own stunt team the Seng Stunt Team in his twenties. His first film Gerd Ma Lui aka Born To Fight was made in 1978. He would go on to remake Born To Fight in 2004. He would co-direct Ong-bak 2 and Ong-bak 3 with Tony Jaa.


Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Robert Mitchell's Interviews on ALMOST HUMAN Bluray Special features

I'm very excited to share the news that my 2013 Midnight Madness red carpet world premiere interviews for Joe Begos' film ALMOST HUMAN have made it on the making of documentary on the special features of the IFC Midnights release of the film. Here are a copy of stills.



You can buy a copy of ALMOST HUMAN by clicking on the hyper link.


Monday, February 24, 2014

THE 2014 OSCAR NOMINEES DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT


Last night I saw this years Academy Award Documentary Short Subject nominees. The films were as diverse as the human experience. Ranging from the story of the world's oldest holocaust survivor, to the documentation of protests in Yemen, an amazing story of forgiveness, to a cave digging artist in New Mexico and a World War II vet's dying days in prison. Suffice to say I shed my fair share of tears at these five remarkable and gut-wrenching films. I really have no idea how someone can vote on which film is better then another film. I would vote with my heart, however the problem I would face is that my heart was moved by all of these films.


The first film was The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life. In this documentary directed by Malcom Clarke we meet Alice Herz Sommer who at 109 years old is the world's oldest living holocaust survivor. Listening to her remarkable stories and wisdom felt like listening to my grandmother. Her live is a testament to survival, life, positivity and the power of music which she describes as, "Music is dreams, music is God."




Karama Has No Walls screened next and tells the story of a peaceful protest in Change Square that took place during February 2011 in Yemen. The demonstration was peaceful and turned extremely violent when pro-government thugs arrived at the square. The footage in the film is culled from the cameras of Nasr Almamir age 17 and Khaled Rajeh aged 23. The footage is raw, gritty and on the ground. At one point there is blood on one of the videographers camera lenses. I have been a videographer for many years and have been at several protests, with that being said my experiences in protests with a camera pails in comparison to having people throw rocks, and having snipers shoot at you. I think anyone who is out in a violent public domain armed only with a camera is much more courageous than a solider protected in body armor and holding a machine gun. These young videographers need, determination in combination with their extreme bravery and great spirit to document the truth during these unfolding protests turning violent with little regard to the danger they are putting themselves into is true fearlessness. I am simply in awe of them.



Tim first met Matthew in an alleyway in Hollywood. Matthew who was a Nazi skinhead proceeded with thirteen other skinheads to brutally attack Tim based on the fact that he was gay. 25 years later they would have a chance meeting. Facing Fear is a phenomenal story of forgiveness and the ability of people to change.



CaveDigger directed Jeffery Karoff takes us to Northern New Mexico. In this film we meet the artist Ra Paulette. Ra does not write poetry or paint on canvas, his art involves heading out into the harsh terrain of New Mexico with a shovel, a trawl and a wheelbarrow. Ra digs into the earth and creates his own caves. I cannot describe how breathtaking his work is. For many years his cave digging has been commissioned art but as he comes to terms with the fact that he his aging and cannot continue this type of physical work for much longer Ra is trying to find and complete his magnum opus.



The last film of the night Prison Terminal: The Last days of Private Jack Hall tells the story of Mr. Hall who received three medals from WW II fighting for the U.S. As we meet Jack he is nearing the end of his life in an Iowa State prison. Many years earlier he was sentenced to life for murder. Jack is now 82 and is dying. This particular Iowa prison has a unique hospice program that sees fellow prisoners help care for their fellow inmates. One can be quick to judge someone's actions especially in the case of a murderer, watching this documentary does not make our natural instincts to rush to judgement very easy. Can people change? Does a convicted murderer have a right to die with dignity and care? This film affected me very much emotionally. Life consists of many layers and complexities. There are no easy truths. Our experiences consist of many colors and gray seems to be one that always floats in the middle. I am often wary of beliefs because to entrench ourselves and  chisel our thoughts so deep into metaphorical stone feels to me that we are relinquishing on the human spirit and giving up on how much any of us can transform in a lifetime.



I want to congratulate all of the documentary subjects and the filmmakers for bringing these truly moving stories of people to life.

Written By: Robert A. Mitchell

Thursday, February 20, 2014

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN - AN APPRECIATION


                                                              Philip Seymour Hoffman
                                                                         1967 - 2014

"Actors are responsible to the people we play. I don't label or judge. I just play them as honestly and expressively and creatively as I can, in the hope that people who ordinarily turn their heads in disgust instead think, 'What I thought I'd feel about that guy, I don't totally feel right now.'" 
                                                                                                                Philip Seymour Hoffman
                                                                                                        
It was Super Bowl Sunday - around four-thirty in the afternoon when I first saw the reports. The news came from an initial tweet from the Wall Street Journal. I paused. It could not be true. My wife had just headed to the bedroom for a nap. I walked into the dark room and said, "Philip Seymour Hoffman is dead." "What?! From what?!" Within an hour, the shark-like media feeding frenzy of a celebrity death would answer that question, Mr. Hoffman was found dead in New York City with a needle in his arm. It was all too fast, too sudden and far too, too sad. I cannot imagine what his family, friends and colleagues are feeling and going through.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is without a doubt one of the great thespians of this generation or of any generation. His ability to play the everyman, his sheer acting range - his ability to go from taciturn to complete rage in seconds. Some of his most powerful moments on film are standing in silence. Then there is the remarkable amount of depth and complexity he could bring to the starring role or a character who is on screen for five minutes. The many times we saw the sadness that lurked just behind his eyes, his ability to get to the humanity of his roles. The true life portrayals of Lester Bangs and Truman Capote. It is astounding to see how physically small he could appear on screen while he played Capote. That Sunday afternoon, it truly felt as though a great energy had departed this planet.

Last week it was announced that Indiana University Cinema was planning to show twelve of Philip Seymour Hoffman's films back to back in a 26-hour tribute to the great actor. I decided that I would pay my respects to a man I never met but to an actor that had moved me in many film roles. It was a beautiful sunny mid-February afternoon when I walked to the IU Cinema. The temperature was unseasonably warm and as a result the large amounts of snow that covered the land was melting. I arrived just before 4pm and ran into Jon Vickers the cinema director and spoke with him briefly prior to him introducing the marathon. Mr. Vickers took to the stage and told us that this tribute was born out of an email from Jim Sherman - the Monday morning following the death of Mr. Hoffman. It read, "PSH is gone. What a loss. Is there anyway we can do a 24-hour tribute to him?" In an already dense programming schedule Jon Vickers informed us that this was no easy task. I am glad they found the time to do so. I would like to thank Jim and Roberta Sherman as well as Jon Vickers and the team at IU Cinema for putting together the Philip Seymour Hoffman tribute.

The films would be screened without any intermissions only a few minutes of break in between each film as they had to be switched over. All said it would be a grand total of 1531 minutes of film. Out of the twelve films, five I had never seen. I was very much looking forward to seeing these films for the first time.

As the house lights dimmed and the curtain began to slowly rise, my thoughts turned to what draws us to the cinema? What draws us to a certain actor? The need to escape, the longing to connect with people - which has always been a great paradox for me (we sit in a dark room and the social etiquette is to not talk or engage with our fellow patrons). Is it the seeking out of new places, new ideas. To be challenged about our concepts of the world we inhabit and the people we share it with. To be moved emotionally. To laugh. I believe that what draws us to a certain actor and the dark confines of a movie theater is all of these concepts acting in tandem.

The first film began to play, Jack Goes Boating - the only film Mr. Hoffman directed. The opening medium shot of Philip Seymour Hoffman filled the screen and I felt a pang of sadness. It is quite fitting that his directorial debut was a film that showcased great acting performances. There was a scene early on of Jack (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the limo driver, leaning against his car and waiting for a passenger. The camera lingers on Jack waiting. Our eyes are drawn to Jack's face and again I was struck with how much is going on behind the eyes of Mr. Hoffman in any shot of any film he acted in.

The second film that played was The Savages. One of the first films released after Mr. Hoffman's Academy Award winning turn playing Truman Capote. Hoffman plays Jon Savage a university professor who alongside his sister Wendy (Laura Linney) are dealing with the relocation of their aging father. The film is a quiet meditation of a family that was never closely connected and now being forced to come together to help the patriarch of the family. Another film one can easily describe as an actor's showcase. This film had me thinking of how those great at anything - be it skateboarding, being a dentist or as in this case acting - make it look easy.

Paul Thomas Anderson's film The Master played and the first notion that struck me was the great collaborations between P.T. Anderson and Mr. Hoffman would never happen again. Definitely not a thought in my mind when I first saw the film in Toronto last year. This film definitely showcases the acting talents of Joaquin Phoenix and Mr. Hoffman. In a film with many great acting scenes, the one I'm most drawn to reflect upon is the scene where Freddie Quell (Phoenix) and Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman) are arrested and imprisoned in cells adjacent to one another. Quell is like an enraged animal and puts on a great display of rage and anger. Filmed mostly in a "two shot", Dodd (Hoffman) stands witnessing this spectacle much like us as the audience. We are naturally drawn to Phoenix in this scene; however, if acting is reacting and viewing the film under the knowledge of Hoffman's passing and in a specific tribute to the actor, my eyes stayed on him in this scene and thinking about his choices on acting and his reaction to Phoenix in this very intense scene.

In yet another intense scene, we see Freddie Quell (Phoenix) going through the process of what is known in the language of the film as "An Application". Dodd (Hoffman) commands Phoenix to pace back and forth between a wooden wall and a window in a dining room with his eyes closed and having Quell describe the wall when he makes contact with it and then the window. To watch as the character Quell is broken down is extremely intense. In all of this is a remarkable small moment when Quell begins to jump around, and Hoffman stands up from his seat quite quickly and raises his hand above Phoenix's head to protect him from hitting his head on a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It is one of those very small moments that cannot possibly be scripted and is more Hoffman not the character trying to protect his fellow actor that makes me think that the best collaborations are very much rooted in trusting each other.

Mission Impossible III played next and it was quite a jarring tonal switch. I began to think about Mr. Hoffman's wide range of characters he could play. It was indeed a palette cleanser after The Master and was great fun to watch Hoffman "chew the scenery" playing arms dealer Owen Davian. It was a great role reversal from Magnolia which sees Tom Cruise and Hoffman act together in very different circumstances. I also thought it a great piece of business to watch Philip Seymour Hoffman act as Tom Cruise playing Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Almost Famous was the next film on the slate and had me thinking that some of Hoffman's smaller roles are some of his most beloved. In Cameron Crowe's film Hoffman plays Creem magazine editor and writer Lester Bangs. Here is Lester Bangs longtime colleague, Jaan Uhelszki, writing in Spin Magazine about Hoffman playing Lester Bangs "It really felt like Lester was speaking through Philip Seymour Hoffman and it made me a little nervous. I even thought about asking Hoffman questions that only Lester would know the answer to. I wish I had."

A Late Quartet was the next film and was the last I had watched when Mr. Hoffman was still alive. It made watching his performance a more magnifying experience, paying attention much more and watching his acting performance when your gaze and attention should be elsewhere. Much like an orchestral quartet the acting performances in the film are a great ensemble. In a remarkable scene after tragic events are revealed, it was once again amazing to see Hoffman go from complete reacting silence to violent rage in the snap of a finger.

Doubt screened next and would mark my first time seeing the film. Hoffman plays Father Brendan Flynn alongside or against Sister Aloysius Beauvier played with great aplomb by Meryl Streep. It was now after four in the morning. When the opening credits began to play, I must say it was the tremendous scenes between Hoffman and Streep that kept me awake even though I was most assuredly fighting the urge to sleep at this point.

It was around Synecdoche, New York on the edge of six in the morning when fatigue truly began to take hold. It was the opening song during the credits that kept me awake. Watching Philip Seymour Hoffman age in this film made me think that we would never get to see Hoffman age on the screen and all the remarkable roles he would tackle in his advanced years. Imagine watching a seventy-, eighty-year-old Hoffman on screen and the kind of roles he might play. Synecdoche makes you feel all kinds of things as a film - now with the undercurrent of the loss of Philip Seymour Hoffman it makes one even more profoundly sad.

As the sun of the next day had risen, the opening strands of One Is The Loneliest Number sung by Aimee Mann during the opening sequence of Magnolia played. I would say that Phil Parma (Hoffman) caring for the dying Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) is and will be one of the most beloved characters of his entire career. Phil Parma - in a wonderfully complex character-driven film - is truly the heart of Magnolia and displays the remarkable humanity that Hoffman would bring to his acting roles.

Up next was the third of the Paul Thomas Anderson films Boogie Nights that screened as a part of this tribute. Here Hoffman plays Scotty J and made me think of a quote that Hoffman says playing Lester Bangs in Almost Famous: "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone when we're uncool." It immediately makes me think of the scene between Scotty J and Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) when Scotty J is showing Diggler his new car at a New Years Eve party.

Capote is the film that would see Philip Seymour Hoffman win an Academy Award for his take on the writer Truman Capote. I must admit I had not seen the film, so to watch Capote for the first time in the context of this marathon tribute was amazing. Hoffman really delivers the goods in this Bennett Miller directed film. To watch someone of Hoffman's size play a much smaller physical presence was mesmerizing and the added part of the characterization, that of bringing Capote's voice to life, once again displays what a talent Mr. Hoffman was. Watching this performance never felt as though it was that of impersonation but much more of a transformation.

The last film of the tribute was Owning Mahowny and as a long time resident of Toronto, I felt a pang of joy watching the Toronto of the early eighties on display. Hoffman plays Dan Mahowny a bank manger with an excessive gambling problem. To watch Mahowny going through his addiction brought one's thoughts to Hoffman's own battles with addiction of which he would ultimately lose. As we empathize with Mahowny as he destroys his life, I would say you would be hard pressed not to ruminate and empathize with Philip Seymour Hoffman and what we came to learn of his battle with addiction.

Chatting with people after the last film we arrived at the conclusion that one could easily put together another program of films in tribute to Mr. Hoffman. Although not on the program of films shown at IU Cinema - I would also like to mention the film  Love Liza, which was written by Gordy Hoffman the older brother of Philip Seymour Hoffman. This film is centered around a powerhouse acting performance by Mr. Hoffman. Here he portrays Wilson Joel who is a web designer whose wife commits suicide. The film is an intense look at dealing with loss as well as addiction as the character Wilson Joel begins to huff gasoline as a coping mechanism in dealing with his grief. The film is a poignant look at the loss of a loved one and the lives that are affected when one is gone.

It was shortly after 6:30 pm when I made my way out of Indiana University Cinema. The last vestiges of the late February sun was setting in the west. I was grateful to see the sun as I reflected on the hypnotic, fever dream of twenty-six hours hours of cinema devoted to the remarkable talent of Philip Seymour Hoffman. There has been much said and much written about Mr. Hoffman and there will be much more said and written. He is gone now. A great energy and talent has dissipated from this earth but the films and the acting roles remain. To quote Lee Strasberg "Art is longer than life." That may indeed be true however this is also true - no amount of a legacy will ever erase the incredible sadness and pain of the loss of Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Written By Robert A. Mitchell


Monday, February 17, 2014

Avent Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)

Last night I watched the 2014 nominated Oscar short films in the animation and live action categories. I was very taken with how engaging the stories were and the quality of the films. The entry from France Avent Que De Tout Perdre which translates to Just Before Losing Everything -- written and directed by Xavier Legrand -- really stood out for me.



What was so compelling for me is that the premise of the film, a woman leaving an abusive husband had such amazing cinematic suspense. The film felt very much like a cinéma vérité documentary but was a narrative fiction very much rooted in cinematic language. It captured the sense of urgency, danger and fear that a woman making this courageous decision would be feeling. It really brought us as an audience into the story and felt to me as though we were another member of the family right along side the main character. I know there can be a general cynicism with regards to the Oscar awards, however it is really great to see these kind of films, stories and talents receiving this kind of attention and exposure they may not receive without being nominated for an Academy Award. Here is the trailer, I urge you to seek out this film and it's powerful story. Avent Que De Tout Perdre is definitely truthful cinema.


Friday, February 14, 2014

MY BLOODY VALENTINE (1981) Cast & Crew Reunion

In honor of Valentine's Day here are some videos from the cast and crew reunion of My Bloody Valentine from the Rue Morgue CineMacabre in May 2009.

          Director George Mihalka, Soldier of Cinema Robert A. Mitchell Actor Neil Affleck