Film: Rock Candy, Arkansas Times

OA's SoLost goes behind-the-scenes of 'Mud'

Lindsey Millar — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:42:00 -0500

The latest from the Oxford American's SoLost series is from footage series director Dave Anderson got last year during the shoot for Jeff Nichols' "Mud" in south Arkansas. Good interviews with Nichols, Paul Sparks (who plays main bad dude Carver in the film and Mickey Doyle on "Boardwalk Empire") and Sarah Paulson (who plays Mary Lee, Ellis' mother).

Paulson, in particular, has nice, insightful things to say about Nichols.

He has a real old soul...He's very gentle, but specific. Very much in command. He's very self-possessed, which I think is an interesting quality for a man so young and a relatively new filmmaker. All that does, for me anyway, is inspire great confidence that I can trust whatever he's wanting or needing in a scene from me and trust that it is the exact right thing... I'd do anything for Jeff Nichols. He could ask me to do any part — big, small, toothless, peg-legged — I'd do it.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Here's the schedule for Movies in the Park

Robert Bell — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:33:00 -0500

The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau just released the lineup for this year's Movies in the Park, the quite popular series of free outdoor film screenings that take place at Riverfest Amphitheater long about dusk on midsummer Wednesday nights.

This year kicks off June 12 with "Twilight: Breaking Dawn," which concerns vampires and werewolves or something, if I'm not mistaken. The lineup is heavy on feelgood and popcorn-flick fare — "Remember the Titans" (June 19), "The Notebook" (June 26), "The Dark Knight Rises" (July 3). That's to be expected, for sure. Gotta give the people what they want, and what they want is the crowd-pleasing blockbusters. But wouldn't it be funny if, just for one year, Movies in the Park went really weird? Like, way-off-the-rails arthouse/trashy B-movie/exploitation-type weird?

What if the Movies in the Park schedule was like:

June 4: "Blue Velvet"
June 11: "Holy Mountain"
June 18: "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song"
June 21: "Suspiria"
June 28: "The Harder They Come"
July 5: "Weekend"
July 12: "Weekend at Bernie's"
July 19: "Pink Flamingos"
July 26: "The Hills Have Eyes"
Aug. 2: "Fellini Satyricon"

Actually, looking at that list reinforces what a gigantic failure that lineup would undoubtedly be (though it would be amazing to watch "Holy Mountain" outside on the big screen surrounded by a cross-section of Central Arkansawyers). Probably better to just stick to "The Zookeeper" (July 10), "Finding Nemo" (July 24) and so forth. The press release with a full (and real) schedule is after the jump.

MOVIES IN THE PARK ANNOUNCES 2013 SUMMER SCHEDULE

Popular family-fun summer series returns for ninth season

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (May 13, 2013) — Movies in the Park, the popular outdoor free movie night at the Riverfest Amphitheater, announces its 2013 summer schedule with a diverse list of blockbuster titles beginning June 12. Movies in the Park begins its ninth season with special thanks to sponsors The River Market, LRCVB, City of Little Rock, Stone Ward, and Sumotext. Movies will play weekly at dusk on Wednesday nights through August 7.

“Movies in the Park offers Little Rock area residents a fun and inexpensive evening of entertainment in the River Market district,” said Director of River Market Operations, Diana Long. “We are excited to kick-off another successful season and invite everyone to pack a picnic basket and grab their favorite blanket for a fun night of watching movies under the stars in the park.”

The 2013 schedule includes:
• June 12: Twlight Breaking Dawn (PG 13)
• June 19: Remember the Titans (PG)
• June 26: The Notebook (PG 13)
• July 3: The Dark Knight Rises (PG 13)
• July 10: Zookeeper (PG)
• July 17: Big (PG)
• July 24: Finding Nemo (G)
• July 31: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (G)
• August 7: The Avengers (PG 13)

Families, picnics and pets are invited to the park to enjoy movies under the stars. The amphitheater will open an hour before film showings and movies will start at sundown each week. For more information please visit http://moviesintheparklr.net.
A comprehensive list of all River Market events and information this season can be found at http://rivermarket.info or by calling the River Market at (501) 375-2552.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Jeff Nichols' next feature will be 'Midnight Special' for Warner Bros.

Robert Bell — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:10:00 -0500

According to this item in Deadline Hollywood, Arkansas native Jeff Nichols will direct an upcoming feature for Warner Bros.

"Midnight Special," written by Nichols, will star the young director's muse, the intense Michael Shannon. Deadline's Mike Fleming Jr. says the film was described to him "as a contemporary science fiction chase film." As Collider points out, Nichols had discussed his desire to make "a 1980s John Carpenter movie." Personally, I've got my fingers crossed for a combination of "They Live" and "Big Trouble in Little China."

(Side note: Shannon was great in all of Nichols' films, but seriously, if you haven't seen it, watch "Let's Go To Prison." The movie really isn't that good, but Shannon plays a murderous inmate who's so terrifying he makes Anton Chigurh look like Stanley Spadowski. So if you're into that sort of thing, there are probably worse ways to kill 84 minutes.)

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Local stuff in local boy Jeff Nichols' 'Mud'

Lindsey Millar — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:34:00 -0500

Our regular movie reviewer Sam Eifling lives in Canada, where "Mud" did not open last week, so I had to step in to do the review. I thought it was great. Like nearly everyone else. But I ran out of room before I could get into many Arkansas specifics. The movie's obviously filmed in DeWitt and elsewhere in Southeast Arkansas and stars Yell County's Jacob Lofland. And those who know Lucero will recognize a few songs from Jeff's brother Ben Nichols. Other things:

1. Graham Gordy, his face mostly obscured in the shadows, is in a really crucial scene with Reese Witherspoon's character.

2. A Smoke Up Johnny song plays in a scene with Neckbone (Jacob Lofland of Yell County) and his uncle Galen (Mike Shannon), who's into punk rock. And the Beach Boys.

3. "Brother" Andy Warr is in a scene outside of a mobile home for a split second.

4. Little Rock police officer Matt Hoffine plays a cop on the take.

Anyone notice anything else?

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Nichols' 'Mud' getting lots of attention

Lindsey Millar — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:40:00 -0500

Sunday's New York Times included a long feature on Little Rock filmmaker Jeff Nichols, whose latest film, the Arkansas-shot "Mud," opens on Friday. It answered two frequently asked questions: According to the Times, "Mud's" budget was around $12 million and Nichols' next script is "a John Carpenter-inspired genre chase" film called “Midnight Special.”

For Mr. Nichols, “Shotgun Stories,” “Take Shelter” and “Mud” are an Arkansas trilogy, a meditation on family, masculinity and environment, especially fertile subjects in the South. They are what he explored as he first considered becoming a filmmaker. “ ‘Mud’ kind of puts a period on the end of it for me,” he said.

Though the first two films made negligible dents at the box office, they gave Mr. Nichols enough of a name around Hollywood to move projects. “Mud,” which was shot around DeWitt, had a budget of around $12 million, enabling him to upgrade his camerawork.

“I wanted it to move like a river,” he said of the camera. “I wanted constant fluidity. Mud” — the man — “was always supposed to be in motion.”

But the movie was told from the searching, craning viewpoint of 14-year-old Ellis. “You think about the Mississippi River, it moves at two to three miles per hour, but it’s also one of the most windy rivers in the world,” Mr. Nichols said. “And that was like a director’s concept that I had going into the movie.”

“I don’t think that’s just film-school-director stuff,” he added. “I think those are actually the subconscious building blocks that an audience puts together themselves.”

The AP also recently did a warm feature on Nichols. And New York's David Edelstein is the first major critic to weigh in on the film. He likes it.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

LR Film Festival announces "Made in Arkansas" lineup

David Koon — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:25:00 -0500

Yesterday, the Little Rock Film Festival announced the slate of 19 "Made in Arkansas" films that will screen at the 2013 LRFF. Three of the films are feature-length (including director Juli Jackson's "45RPM," the trailer of which can be seen above), while the rest are shorts. Topics run the gamut, including a short about bigfoot hunters ("Foot Hunters"), a profile of Little Rock homeless outreach advocate Aaron Reddin ("The Van") and a feature-length documentary about the rise and fall of football golden boy Mitch Mustain ("The identity Theft of Mitch Mustain"). Check out the full list here.

All the films chosen for the "Made in Arkansas" category will compete for the LRFF's Charles B. Pierce Award for Best Film, as well as Best Director and Best Actor/Actress awards. The Little Rock Film Festival runs May 15-19. For more information, visit their website.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Friday To-Do: Little Rock Film Fest presents 'Bloody Mama'

Robert Bell — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:08:44 -0500

LITTLE ROCK FILM FEST: 'BLOODY MAMA'
7 p.m. River Market Tower. Free with LRFF pass.

This looks cool: a rooftop screening of a Roger Corman flick that was filmed in the Ozarks and stars Shelley Winters, Robert DeNiro and Robert Walden, who will be in attendance.

Set in the 1920s, "Bloody Mama" concerns Ma Barker (Winters), a sweet old lady from Arkansas who just so happens to carry a machine gun and be a psychotic criminal mastermind. Oh, and she has four miscreant co-conspirators as sons, including drug addict Lloyd (DeNiro), recently released convict Fred (Walden), Arthur (Clint Kimbrough) and Herman (Don Stroud).

It's all violence and mayhem and gunplay on the highways and back roads as Ma Barker leads her awful brood on a multi-state crime spree that can only end in carnage.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

'Ain't in it for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm' gets theatrical debut April 19

Robert Bell — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:55:49 -0500

Looks they've lined up an official U.S. theatrical debut of "Ain't in it for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm." The documentary about the Phillips County native and musical legend will premiere April 19 at Cinema Village in New York "before showing in select cities," according to AM Magazine. You might recall that April 19 is the one-year anniversary of Helm's death.

After the jump, check out the trailers for the film. It looks awesome. Filmmaker Jacob Hatley basically lived with Helm and crew up in Woodstock, N.Y. for more than two years, filming the whole time. A lot of the film involves Levon sitting around his table telling stories, which sounds like something I could listen to for about two billion hours before getting tired of it. If you've read "This Wheel's On Fire," (which you really, really should have) you already know that the man had a true gift for storytelling.

Personally, I'm crossing my fingers that "Ain't in it for My Health" will be among the films set to be announced April 15 for the Little Rock Film Festival.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Wednesday-Sunday To-Do: Ozark Foothills FilmFest

Robert Bell — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:50:00 -0500

OZARK FOOTHILLS FILMFEST
Various times and venues in Batesville. $3-$25.

The multi-day Ozark Foothills FilmFest returns to Batesville, with another intriguing lineup of short and feature-length narrative and documentary films, lectures and panel discussions.

Of the latter, an interesting one will surely be "The Female Face of Indie Film," which includes, among others, Arkansas native Juli Jackson. With help from a grant from the festival, Jackson made "45RPM," a road movie shot in Arkansas about an obsessive record collector and a young woman trying to find a deeper understanding of her family.

Another big highlight includes a screening of Josef von Sternberg's silent 1927 proto-gangster flick "Underworld," accompanied by live music from the Alloy Orchestra, the trio that also played at the festival in 2011 and includes Mission of Burma founder Roger Miller. They band is "The best in the world at accompanying silent films," according to film critic Roger Ebert.

Also, music geeks should check out "The Lost Souls," a 54-minute doc about The Lost Souls, a Jacksonville-based quartet that cut some legendary garage rock singles back in the mid-1960s. Filmmaker Harold Ott is also the man behind the "Lost Souls" series of compilation CDs, featuring tons of long-lost garage rock ravers from the Natural State.

Here's the full festival schedule.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Friday-Sunday To-Do: Little Rock Horror Picture Show

David Koon — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:07:00 -0500

LITTLE ROCK HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Various times. Argenta Community Theater. $40 pass. $7 for individual screenings.

This writer has never been one of those happy-go-lucky types drawn to rom-coms and Woody Allen movies. Though my taste for gore has diminished over the years, back in the dark days of teenagehood, I liked my movie characters like I like my steaks: bloody and relentlessly pursued by a sneering man with a knife.

I still get in the mood for a horror film these days, which is what makes an immersion in the Little Rock Horror Picture Show so cool. The horrid genetic mistake the Little Rock Film Festival keeps chained in the attic, the LRHPS is three days of blood, terror and mayhem, and a hell of a lot of fun.

One flick to definitely catch this year is "Roadside," the latest film by Arkansas filmmaker Eric England. The closer of the festival, it's the story of a couple trapped in a stalled car by a psychopath with a rifle. Sounds like the feel-good hit of the year. You can see the schedule and buy tickets here.

After the jump, check out the LRHPS teaser.

Little Rock Horror Picture Show - Alien Promo from Little Rock Film Festival on Vimeo.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Doc Channel blog: add 'Paradise Lost' to the National Film Registry

David Koon — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:44:00 -0500

The blog of cable's The Documentary Channel has proposed a grass-roots campaign to get "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" added to the National Film Registry. The 1996 documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky was instrumental in helping create the worldwide groundswell of support that eventually freed Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley.

Established in 1988, the Library of Congress' National Film Preservation Board selects up to 25 films every year that are ”of enduring importance to American culture." The Doc Channel blog thinks "Paradise Lost" fits the bill:

If there’s any film that fits that description right now, fiction or nonfiction, it’s Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky‘s Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. The 1996 documentary has lead to the release of three wrongfully convicted men through its influence and its continuation into two sequels (the third of which was nominated for an Oscar last year). It’s also been a huge inspiration to other filmmakers and legal causes over the years. So, when the 2013 NFR titles are announced this December, I think it should be among the 25.

Interested in helping the effort? You can find the address to e-mail your nomination to the National Film Preservation Board here. The deadline for nominations is September 1.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Little Rock Horror Picture Show announces films

David Koon — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:14:40 -0600

The blood and guts behind the Little Rock Horror Picture Show released their slab of out-of-state films today, with the second-annual festival opening with the untitled Scooby-Doo-meets-slasher flick formerly known as "Saturday Morning Massacre." Check out the trailer here.

The festival will also feature four panels on aspects of horror film making, including writing, directing, producing and acting. The closing night film will be "Roadside," Arkansas native Eric England's new thriller about a pair of travelers tormented by an unseen psychopath while trapped in a stalled car. England's old school slasher flick "Madison County" won the audience award at last year's LRHPS. Following the screening of "Roadside," there will be a festival after-party at White Water Tavern featuring a performance by Foul Play Cabaret.

The LRHPS will run March 22-24. Tickets can be purchased at the Little Rock Film Festival's Eventbrite.com site.

Other out of town flicks coming for the festival (hit the links for trailers):

A Stone, a Leaf, an Unfound Door... Rwake: Live at Maryland Deathfest (USA)

Dunderland (Norway)

The Mansion (USA)

The Burlesque Assassins (Canada)

Dead Weight (USA)

Motivational Growth (USA)

Jug Face (USA)

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

'Hot Springs Horror Film Festival' set for September

David Koon — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:20:24 -0600

Look out behind you, Little Rock Horror Picture Show! Hot Springs will be shambling into the horror film festival mayhem this fall with the new Hot Springs Horror Film Festival. Screenings will be held in the newly-reopened Central Theater the weekend of Sept. 26-29.

The HS Horror Film Festival website recently went online, and is now accepting online film submissions through withoutabox.com (there's a link to submit on the website). We're working on getting more details about the braaaaaains! behind the operation now.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Thursday To-Do: Argenta Film Series: 'Undefeated'

Lindsey Millar — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:07:00 -0600

ARGENTA FILM SERIES: 'UNDEFEATED'
7 p.m. Argenta Community Theater. Free.

If your heart was warmed by Sandra Bullock's turn in "The Blind Side," then a sound bite oft-repeated in similar varieties to describe Oscar-winning documentary "Undefeated" might be all you need to hear: "It's 'Friday Night Lights' meets 'The Blind Side' and the whole movie is true" (as George Stephanopoulos said on ABC).

If you actively avoided Bullock's role as a Southern Belle savior of a gentle black giant, plenty of other critics have begun their reviews with an acknowledgement: We know this might sound like inspirational treacle, but it's really good! How to reconcile the two takes? I don't know; I haven't seen the film. But I do know that filmmakers T.J. Martin and Dan Lindsay embedded with the woeful Manassas High School football team in north Memphis for about a year and turned 500-hours of footage into a 113-minute documentary.

With that much material on a football team made up of kids from a forgotten part of town, hungry for a future that may never come and led by a white volunteer coach they call Big Daddy Snowflake, there's bound to be some lasting moments. I'll interview Coach Bill Courtney (Big Daddy Snowflake) in a post-screening Q&A. Like all of the films in the Argenta Film Series, the screening is free, but an RSVP at lrff.eventbrite.com is required.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Jason Moore to direct Tina Fey's upcoming comedy 'The Nest'

Robert Bell — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:22:00 -0600

Deadline reports that Tina Fey will be working with "Pitch Perfect" director and Fayetteville native Jason Moore on the upcoming comedy "The Nest," which is about a pair of sisters who, upon learning their childhood home has been put up for sale decide to spend one last weekend together, bonding and feuding and then patching things up and so forth, as sisters often do.

Moore, who directed on the Broadway productions of "Avenue Q" and "Shrek the Musical," made his film debut with "Pitch Perfect." As Deadline notes, the musical comedy was a sleeper hit, grossing more than $108 million worldwide, on a cost of $17 million.

H/t to The AV Club.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Check out Wes Bentley in this teaser for 'Lovelace'

Robert Bell — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:58:33 -0600

The Wes Bentley Renaissance continues. Just saw a teaser clip for the forthcoming biopic "Lovelace," starring Amanda Seyfried as "Deep Throat" star Linda Lovelace and Jonesboro native Bentley as her second husband, Larry Marchiano.

The film premiered at Sundance last week and was picked up by Harvey Weinstein, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Check out the clip after the jump. Might be ever-so-slightly NSFW if your work is hella uptight.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Thursday To-Do: Argenta Film Series: 'Marwencol'

Robert Bell — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 09:59:00 -0600

ARGENTA FILM SERIES: 'MARWENCOL'
7 p.m. Argenta Community Theater. Free.

I just watched the trailer for the documentary "Marwencol" and ... wow. Maybe it's just that I have a soft spot for damaged weirdoes who turn their backs on society to devote themselves 110 percent to their own bizarre interior worlds, but man, does this look intriguing.

The gist: "Marwencol" explores Marwencol, the name of the 1/6-scale WW II-era town created by a man from Kingston, N.Y., named Mark Hogancamp. In April 2000, after disclosing that he was a cross-dresser, Hogancamp was beaten to death outside of a bar by five teen-age thugs. Though clinically dead, he was revived by paramedics, and after nine days in a coma, he awoke with no memory of his previous life.

As a means of coping with such an unimaginably devastating loss of self, he created Marwencol, a painstakingly crafted and detailed fantasy world over which he exercises control. Think Henry Darger, but with dioramas and maybe two or three or 50 times less creepy. His photos of the sets he's created have been hailed by art world muckety mucks, but Hogancamp — who struggles mightily just to leave the house — mainly just wants to create new scenes in his tiny world.

This is one of the best-reviewed documentaries in years, and I don't have space here to do justice to Hogancamp's story. Read this New York Times article from April 6, 2011, or check out some of the photos at Marwencol.com to get a better idea of the full, weird amazingness of this story.

Watch the trailer after the jump.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

LR 48 Hour Film up for international competition

David Koon — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:59:26 -0600

"Fire Engine Red," one of the short films created in two days for the Little Rock leg of the 2012 48-Hour Film Project, is currently running second in an international film competition, and needs your votes. Voting is open until January 19, so you should hurry if you want to help. Go here, find the search bar, and look for "Fire Engine Red," then you can vote.

The film, by the team Whiffle Powder Productions, tells the heartwarming Christmas tale of a toy fire engine that winds up changing the lives of several people it touches. I caught it during the 48HFP screenings earlier this year, and it was definitely one of the stronger 48 Hour flicks I've seen in years, though it wound up coming in second to the equally-amazing horror-musical "La Petite Mort." "Red" did win Audience Favorite, Best Story.

"Fire Engine Red" is currently running #2 in the world against all other 2nd place finishers in a runners-up bracket that would give the film a second chance to be screened and compete with the city winners for fame and prizes. Full press release on the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Little Rock's s 48-Hour Film Contest Award Winner Competes Internationally

Film Honoring Firefighters Created by Novice Filmmakers

LITTLE ROCK—"Fire Engine Red," which won Audience Favorite, Best
Story, and First Runner-Up at Little Rock's 48 Hour Film Festival in
August, is competing against runner-up films internationally for a
chance to go to Filmapalooza, the 48-Hour Film Project's annual
festival in Hollywood. The 7-minute film by Whiffle Powder
Productions, which is publically open to voting through January 19, is
receiving high ratings and is currently ranked number 2 in the world,
holding its own in a contest against much larger cities like Paris,
New York, and Dubai. Voting is conducted online by a rating system,
whereby each person may vote a film 1 to 5 stars.

The holiday film, which is dedicated to the Little Rock Fire
Department, tells a heartwarming story of a toy fire engine, and was
created entirely from start to finish in just under two days. "What we
think we have going for us," says first-time director Jim Patterson
(of El Dorado), "is a really good story. Some of the other [entries]
do some things better than we did, but we always felt that if we could
craft a good story that really connected with the audience, we would
succeed. And I think we did that."

"If our movie screens in Hollywood," adds Michael Armstrong, also
first-time co-director and writer, “Little Rock will be one of only
two cities worldwide to have two entries in the festival. People are
bound to notice that cool things are happening in Arkansas, and that
we have a lot of untapped support for film here. That, coupled with
recent legislation offering tax breaks for filmmakers who come to the
state, could potentially bring a lot of business to the area."

Armstrong adds, “We’re so close, but in order to win, we’ll need a lot
of 5-star votes before January 19. There’s a lot of support here. We
saw what the 'Arkansas Effect' did for Kris Allen on American Idol. I
think we can do that again."

Patterson and Armstrong and their mostly inexperienced cast, were
joined by veteran filmmakers, including Jim Linsley, owner of
Shadowbox Video Productions, as producer; Bob Hooper, audio; and David
Bogard, Director of Photography, who won first place in Little Rock's
48-Hour Film Festival in 2010, with “The Courier”. Chief Editor was
Keith Carson (of Conway).

Further credits are found at the end of the film, which may be viewed
and voted on at
http://www.cinema48.com/index.php?med_id=67dd8f6dc981c3c4
Additional details about the contest may also be found at
http://www.cinema48.com and http://www.48hourfilm.com.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Zoinks! Little Rock Horror Picture Show kicks off with some meddling kids

Robert Bell — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:22:03 -0600

The Little Rock Horror Picture Show announced its opening film today, a soon-to-be-re-titled horror comedy from director Spencer Parsons.

Actually, the film did have a title — "Saturday Morning Massacre" — but they've opted to change it. It premiered at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival and has gotten positive reviews. Film School Rejects gave it a B+ and Austinist wrote that it's "quite entertaining and has plenty of chills to make it a fun, scary movie."

The LRHPS is March 22-24, and you can get your tickets here.

Justin Nickels, director of the LRHPS, said the film was being renamed for distribution purposes. After the jump, you can check out the trailer and find out more about the movie from the festival's press release.

Director Spencer Parsons’ untitled horror film (formerly Saturday Morning Massacre, premiered at Los Angeles Film Festival 2012) will be the Little Rock Horror Picture Show’s opening night film this March 22. The film is produced by Jason Wehling, Jesse Lyda and Little Rock Film Festival alum Jonny Mars. Mars film, America’s Parking Lot opened up the 6th annual Little Rock Film Festival this past May.

The film also stars Mars, as well as Ashley Rae Spillers, Josephine Decker, Adam Tate (also an LRFF alum, he produced the Oxford American Best Southern Film Pilgrim’s Song) and Paul Gordon. The film, set in the early 90s, is a bloody parody of Saturday morning mystery cartoons and even features a large dog! It follows a young team of paranormal investigators who set out to debunk paranormal activity. Nearly broke they decide to take on one more job, to disastrous results.

For distribution purposes the film itself will have a new title by the dates of the film festival, March 22 — 24. Passes are now on sale at lrff.eventbrite.com

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

'Tchoupitoulas,' unforgettable documentary from New Orleans, in town this week

David Ramsey — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:41:51 -0600

Good news for any movie buffs who missed the gorgeous “Tchoupitoulas” at the Film Festival last summer — the film opens tonight at Market Street, where it will be for at least a week.

Loosely speaking, it’s a documentary that follows three young brothers on a dusk-til-dawn night out in New Orleans. Very loosely: Bill and Turner Ross, the filmmakers (and brothers themselves), are more invested in dreamy impressionism than either reportage or narrative. The camera follows the boys and their adventures but also veers away from the protagonists to dabble in slices of night life. Unhurried and lovingly observant, the Ross brothers capture shot after breathtaking shot of strippers, brass bands, drunks, buskers, drag queens at work and at play.

All of it is grounded in the rhythms of the city, both the music — from bounce beats to crappy street bands to traditional jazz — and the voices of the folks that taunt, tease, and philosophize in the wee hours. The best voice of all is William, the youngest of the three brothers, who peppers the movie with pre-teen chatter, both in scene and in voice-over. The languid shots and meandering voice-over have a Terrance Malick vibe, but the Ross brothers are more funky and playful. The result is a small and quiet movie but its exuberance and lightness are unforgettable.

"Tchoupitoulas" was the most fresh and vibrant film I saw last year. Don’t miss it this week.

See a few teasers after the jump...

Last month in New Orleans from rossbros on Vimeo.

Last week in New Orleans from rossbros on Vimeo.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Friday To-Do: LR Horror Picture Show End of the World Party

David Koon — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 09:20:00 -0600

LR HORROR PICTURE SHOW END OF THE WORLD PARTY
8 p.m. Lulav. $30.

As previously noted, the end of the world is scheduled for Dec. 21. While I tend to think it's just the day that whoever came up with the Mayan calendar finally threw down his pen and said, "Ah, screw it. Surely the world won't last that long!" it's got the tinfoil-hat brigades all in a tizzy.

Then again, you never know.

Luckily for us, no matter how it all turns out, the Mayans were smart enough to schedule the end of the world for a Friday night, which makes it a great excuse to party. One of the hottest tickets in town for the Big Adios is sure to be the Little Rock Film Festival's End of the World Party at Lulav.

The $30 entry fee — which goes to benefit the LRFF's second-annual Little Rock Horror Picture Show — entitles you to all the food and drink you can stuff into your gibbering, tear-streaked face before you're vaporized, with musical accompaniment by The Funkanites.

Also on hand will be fun stuff like Apocalypse-themed drink specials, a photo booth, and a confessional where you can unburden your soul before you wobble un-gently into that Good Night. Please note: The LRFF will offer no refunds if the world doesn't, in fact, disappear up its own ass at midnight, so don't overdraw your checking account to buy those tickets, kids.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Wednesday-Thursday To-Do: 'Cameras in the Courtroom'

Robert Bell — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:12:00 -0600

'CAMERAS IN THE COURTROOM: THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE CASE'

7 p.m. Wednesday, Argenta Community Theater. Free.

6 p.m. Thursday, Clinton Presidential Library. Free.

To call "Paradise Lost" one of the most important documentary films of the last 20 years is no overstatement. Indeed, without the film, it's difficult to imagine that the case of three West Memphis teen-agers who were railroaded and wrongfully convicted for the horrific murders of three 8-year-old boys would've turned out the way it did — with their eventual release last summer after 18 years behind bars.

The HBO film, by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, includes a wealth of footage from the two trials of the three — a rarity in the American judicial system — that helped to spark widespread interest about the case and foster the grassroots effort to free the young men.

The same could be said of journalist and Arkansas Times contributing editor Mara Leveritt's tireless work on behalf of the West Memphis Three, including her book about the case, "Devil's Knot," which is the basis for a film to be released soon.

In conjunction with Leveritt's recent cover story, "Cameras in Court," the Times is co-sponsoring two events this week with the Clinton School of Public Service and the Little Rock Film Festival: A Wednesday screening of "Paradise Lost," with Times editor Lindsey Millar leading a post-screening discussion with Leveritt and Jason Baldwin, one of the West Memphis Three wrongly imprisoned for 18 years.

On Thursday, Millar will moderate a discussion on the argument for courts of law allowing video recording with Leveritt and Baldwin at the Clinton Presidential Library.

Both events are free, but require RSVPs. At press time, the "Paradise Lost" screening had a wait list. RSVP here.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Help fund 'All the Birds Have Flown South'

Robert Bell — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:56:37 -0600

OK, check this: "After the death of his overbearing mother, a sheltered man attempts to win the affection of a degenerate Waffle House waitress by caring for her terminally ill and abusive husband. Soon, their lives begin to unravel as obsession and disease consume them all.”

Intrigued? Does that sound like a story you'd like to see play out on the silver screen? If so, you can help make that a reality by donating to the Indiegogo campaign for "All the Birds Have Flown South," the latest film from brothers Miles and Josh Miller, of Little Rock. Their short film "Pillow" did pretty well on the festival circuit, screening at 35 festivals around the country and racking up several awards.

"All the Birds" is billed as a "a contemporary Southern Gothic psychological thriller," according to the campaign, which is seeking $100,000.

All you patrons of the arts who'd like to help the Miller Bros. make their film had better act quickly, though. The campaign ends at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

Check out the trailer for "Pillow" after the jump.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Thursday To-Do: 'deepsouth'

Robert Bell — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:28:02 -0600

'DEEPSOUTH'
6 p.m. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Free.

The documentary "deepsouth" explores the HIV/AIDS epidemic in — you guessed it — the Deep South, specifically Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. The film follows four people, including a 24-year-old, HIV-positive gay black man from Mississippi, two organizers of an HIV support network in Louisiana and an Alabama activist who travels the region advocating for more HIV funding for Southern states.

The film has done well since its debut this summer, earning critical accolades and awards from the Shout! Gay and Lesbian Film Festival of Alabama and Outflix Film Festival.

Director Lisa Biagiotti told the Oxford American that "it's the same virus, but HIV is a different disease in the South, therefore the lessons of the last thirty years and successes in urban areas cannot be replicated in a place where culture and society are so different. It might be better to look at the best practices in the developing world because some of the challenges are the same."

The film is presented by the Arkansas Minority Health Commission in recognition of World AIDS Day and as part of a broader mission to de-stigmatize HIV/AIDS and help end the disease.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Monday To-Do: 'An Evening with Jeff Nichols'

Lindsey Millar — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:52:00 -0600

'AN EVENING WITH JEFF NICHOLS'
7 p.m., Trinity United Methodist Church. Free.

How's this for glamour? Little Rock filmmaker Jeff Nichols is flying to Little Rock from Rome, where he's presiding over the jury at the Rome Film Festival.

He's coming to his hometown instead of Austin, where he now lives, because his mom, Joan Nichols, asked him to speak at her church as part of its regular Trinity Presents Performance Series. The program will cover the arc of his career, with Nichols talking about how he got into film and how he came to make his three highly regarded features — "Shotgun Stories," "Take Shelter" and "Mud."

There'll be clips of each shown. I'm moderating the discussion, which should be mandatory for aspiring filmmakers. No one in Arkansas and few in the broader film world have received the sort of critical praise Nichols has at such a young age (he's 33).

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]